Auto index in word

Last Updated: October 29, Fact Checked. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies.

An index lists the terms and topics that are discussed in a document, along with the pages that they appear on. To create an index, you mark the index entries by providing the name of the main entry and the cross-reference in your document, and then you build the index. You can create an index entry for an individual word, phrase, or symbol, for a topic that spans a range of pages, or that refers to another entry, such as "Transportation. See Bicycles. After you mark all the index entries, you choose an index design and build the finished index.

Auto index in word

An index can usually be found at the end of a document, listing the key words and phrases in a document, along with the page numbers they appear on. There are two steps involved in creating an index: defining which words you want to appear in the index and then inserting the index. The Mark Index Entry dialog box opens, where you can set up how the index entry works. The main entry field is filled with the selected text, and you can also add a subentry that will appear below the main entry. Clicking Mark will create an index entry for the selected instance of the word. Clicking Mark All will instead create an index entry for every instance of the selected word throughout the document. Once you mark an entry, formatting marks will be displayed so that you can see the hidden text that marks index entries. The window remains open, so you can continue to mark index entries throughout the document. Index entries are invisible and will not be printed. However, you can see them when the paragraph marks are turned on. Indexes usually appear at the end of a document and can take up a lot of space, so a blank page at the end is ideal. You can choose whether to right align page numbers and select a tab leader that appears between text and page numbers. You can choose whether subentries will be indented below the main entry or shown run-in style in a paragraph below the main entry. The index is inserted, automatically filling itself out with all the index entries in the document. When you insert an index, it automatically adds every index entry in the document.

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If you make changes to your document that affect the table of contents, update the table of contents by right-clicking the table of contents and choosing Update Field. To update your table of contents manually, see Update a table of contents. Word uses the headings in your document to build an automatic table of contents that can be updated when you change the heading text, sequence, or level. Note: If you use a Manual Table of Contents style, Word won't use your headings to create a table of contents and won't be able to update it automatically. Instead, Word will use placeholder text to create the look of a table of contents so you can manually type each entry into the table of contents. To update your manual table of contents, see Update a table of contents. If you want to Format or customize your table of contents , you can.

It has happened to all of us since we were doing school or university work until we have had to present a report in Word at work: when it is time to make an index, we go crazy looking for a way to create it automatically and we end up doing it by hand. Word's automatic indexes are very practical and useful for organizing and facilitating navigation in large documents. Thus, if you create an automatic index in Word, it can help you in:. Have more efficient navigation: allow readers to move quickly through specific sections of the document using the links generated in the table of contents. Present a more organized document: Help organize document content, providing a structured view of chapters, sections, subsections, and other elements. Automatically update: These indexes are automatically updated when changes are made to the document, such as adding new sections or modifying titles, saving you the trouble of having to add them manually. Save time: They facilitate the creation and management of indexes without requiring extensive manual efforts, which saves time and reduces possible errors.

Auto index in word

An index is a list of terms or topics that can be found within the document. Indexes still have a place, especially in printed books. Unfortunately, creating an index in Microsoft Word can be difficult and time-consuming to do on a large scale. There are professional indexers for a reason. Hence this series in Office for Mere Mortals , starting this week with the basics; setting up a document to be indexed and then making a simple index.

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You can create an index entry for an individual word, phrase, or symbol, for a topic, a special XE Index Entry field that includes the marked main entry. Note: If you use a Manual Table of Contents style, Word won't use your headings to create a table of contents and won't be able to update it automatically. As you make changes to the index, you'll always see a preview in the "Print Preview" box at the top-left corner of this window. We're glad this was helpful. Format the text. Skip to Content. Accessibility center. Click your mouse cursor where you want to place the index. To mark this text everywhere it shows up in the document, select Mark All. This updates the index to reflect your changes. Sign in with Microsoft. In most cases, you'll want to place your index at the end of the document—just scroll down and click the first empty line below your existing content. Near the left end, select Insert Table of Contents. Format the page numbers in your index. Change margins Article Create newsletter columns Article Change page orientation to landscape or portrait Article Add a border to a page Article Insert a header or footer Article Insert page numbers Article Insert a page break Article Insert a table of contents Article.

When you read a book, particularly one with several pages, it is common to find an Index included at the beginning or end of it. The Index usually contains a list of words or phrases used throughout the book.

Click where you want to insert the table of contents—usually near the beginning of the document. If you want to adjust the font face, size, style, or color of this entry in your index, you can do so here. This wikiHow teaches you how to build an index page for your Microsoft Word document. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. Clicking Mark will create an index entry for the selected instance of the word. The window remains open, so you can continue to mark index entries throughout the document. See Bicycles. Need more help? Make your changes. Your IT admin will be able to collect this data.