OmniDocHow to number the table of contents page and the text page number separately in Word
The table of contents page and text page numbers are inconsistent, mostly because the entire document has only one page numbering system. This article explains how to use section breaks to split the table of contents and text, set the page number format and starting page number respectively, and explain how to update the table of contents page numbers synchronously.
Key points of this article
- The entire Word document shares a set of page numbers by default. The table of contents and the main text cannot be numbered from the beginning if they are not separated. Therefore, you must first use the next page type section break to split the two parts into different sections.
- The footer of the text section must first cancel the link with the previous section, otherwise changing the text page number will also change the table of contents page.
- The contents page is usually set to lowercase Roman numerals, and the text page starts again from 1, and the two have no influence on each other.
- After the page numbers are changed, the page numbers in the table of contents will not change automatically. You need to update the page numbers in the table of contents so that the table of contents and the main text can be aligned.
When writing graduation thesis, bid document or long report, many people will encounter the same problem: the table of contents page says "Page 1", but the first page of the text shows "3", or the table of contents page number and the text page number do not match. The reason is usually not the page number itself, but that Word treats the entire document as a section by default, and all pages share a page number format and a starting number.
This article is written for people who need to have the contents page and text page numbered independently. After reading, you can use section breaks to separate the table of contents and the main text, set the page number format and starting page number respectively, and know how to synchronize the page numbers in the table of contents after making the changes. The following method takes the desktop version of Word as an example. The button positions of other office software may be different, but the idea is the same.
How to separate the contents page and text page numbers? One sentence conclusion
Use next page type section breaks to split the table of contents and text into two sections, cancel the link between the footer of the text section and the previous section, set the page number format and starting page number respectively, and finally update the table of contents page number.
| your situation | Recommended practices | reason |
|---|---|---|
| The table of contents is followed directly by the main text, and the page numbers are required to start from page 1 of the main text. | Insert a next page type section break at the end of the table of contents, and reset the starting page number of the text section to 1 | The page numbers of the two parts after the section can be calculated separately. |
| The content page needs to display page numbers, but in Roman numerals (i, ii) | Contents section page number format is set to lowercase Roman numerals | Meets common requirements for papers and reports and is distinguished from text Arabic numerals |
| The cover, table of contents, and text should be separated. | The cover should be divided into separate sections or the homepage should be different, and the table of contents should be divided into sections. | Covers usually do not display page numbers and need to be processed separately |
| The page number of the main text has been changed, and the page number of the table of contents has also changed. | Check whether the body section footer is still linked to the previous section, and then change it after canceling the link. | When not unlinked, each section shares the same set of footer settings |
Before you start: Confirm these points first
Check the following items before starting, which can save a lot of rework.
- Confirm that the table of contents has been generated and is located before the main text. The dividing point between the table of contents page and the main text is the position of the section break. If the table of contents is placed at the end of the document, the order needs to be adjusted first.
- Confirm whether the section break in the document already exists. The page number setting takes effect by section. If you have used sectioning before, there may be multiple sections in the document. Continuing to superimpose will make the page numbers confusing. After turning on the display of editing marks such as paragraph marks, you can see the location of section breaks.
- Determine page number format requirements. A common requirement is that the table of contents should use lowercase Roman numerals and the main text should use Arabic numerals starting from 1. Some schools also require that the cover page does not include page numbers. Ask questions first or see the template clearly before taking action.
- Confirm whether you want the cover page to not display page numbers. If the cover needs to be processed separately, try to insert a section break before the table of contents to prevent the cover from affecting the starting page number of the table of contents.
- Have ready a copy of the document to be modified. Section and page number settings will change the document structure. If the document source is complex, it is recommended to save another copy before proceeding.
Steps to separate table of contents pages and text page numbers in Word
- Place the cursor after the last line of the table of contents, find the position to insert the separator in the typesetting ribbon of Word, and select the next page type in the section break. The table of contents and the main text now belong to two sections, and the main text starts from a new page.
- Double-click the footer area of the first page of the text to enter the editing state, and then cancel the link between this section and the previous section. This step must be done first, otherwise subsequent modifications will also affect the directory page.
- Insert page numbers in the footer of the body section and select the desired style (such as centered or right-aligned).
- In the page numbering settings for the text section, select the Arabic numeral format and set the starting page number to 1. In this way, the first page of the text displays as 1.
- Move the cursor to the footer of the Table of Contents section, make sure that the Table of Contents section is not linked to the main text section, and then insert the page number, selecting lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii, iii) in the page number format.
- If the cover does not require page numbers, check the option of different headers and footers for the first page in the footer of the cover section, or divide the cover into a separate section and clear its footer content.
- Switch to the page view and check section by section to see if the page numbers are as expected. Make sure that the table of contents section displays Roman numerals and the text sections start from 1.
- Right-click the table of contents and execute Update Table of Contents. In the pop-up dialog box, select only update page numbers (without regenerating the table of contents content) to synchronize the page numbers in the table of contents with the actual page numbers of the text.
Check each item after completion
After the section and page number settings are completed, it is recommended to check them one by one. The following are easy to make mistakes.
| Check items | How to see | What to do if there is a problem |
|---|---|---|
| Is there a section break between the table of contents and the text? | Turn on edit mark display to see if there is a section break mark at the end of the directory | If not, re-insert it at the end of the table of contents and then redo the page number settings. |
| Whether the page number of the first page of the text is 1 | Turn to the first page of the text and look at the numbers in the footer | Return to the page number format of the text section and change the starting page number to 1 |
| Whether the table of contents changes when modifying the text page number | Change the page number format once in the text section and observe the footer in the table of contents section. | The table of contents page changes accordingly, indicating that the link has not been cancelled. Go back to the text section and cancel the link to the previous section before setting it again. |
| Is the page number in the catalogue consistent with the text? | Randomly check three or four chapters in the catalogue and compare them with the page number of the text | Right-click the directory to perform the update and select to update only the page number |
| Is the cover and catalog displayed correctly? | View the cover and catalog footer | The cover does not need a page number to clear the footer; if the home page is not displayed, check the different options for the header and footer of the home page. |
If the page number is still wrong after the catalog update, it is likely that the starting page number of a section has been changed. Click on the page number setting of each section in turn, check the starting number, and update the catalog again.
# Core comparison
There are two common ways to separate the table of contents from the page number of the text, and the application is different.
| Mode | Appropriate document | Main advantages | Main shortcoming |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section character plus independent page number (recommended) | Papers, bids, long reports and other documents that need to standardize page numbers | Table of contents and text can be formatted and the starting page number can be set respectively | There are many steps, and you need to understand the link relationship with the previous section. |
| Uniform page number for the whole document | Short documents or internal materials | It does not need to be segmented, and the setting is simple. | The table of contents page and the text are numbered successively and cannot be distinguished. |
# frequently asked questions (FAQ)
1. The table of contents page does not want to show the page number, but the text should start with 1, okay?
Sure. Do not insert the page number in the footer of the catalog section, or delete the footer content, insert the page number separately in the text section and set the starting page number to 1. Even if the page number is not displayed in the catalog section, the section break separates it from the text.
2. The page number format of the text has been modified, and the catalog page has also changed, what should I do?
This is usually the footer of the text section that is still linked to the previous section. Enter the header and footer editing state of the body section, cancel the link with the previous section, and then reformat the page number and the starting page number.
3. Have you updated the catalogue, page number or does it not match the text?
First check the starting page number of the body section, and then verify that the directory is updated after the page number has been changed. Update the page numbers in the catalog in turn, and choose to update only the page numbers, which is usually aligned.
4. When printing, the catalog page does not have a page number, and the page number of the text starts from 1, will it affect binding?
It doesn't matter, the page number is just the setting of the way it is displayed. Before printing, you can check it page by page in the page view and arrange it according to the actual page order when binding.
5. Is the operation in other office software the same as Word?
The ideas of subsections, unlinking, and setting the starting page number are mostly the same, but the menu name and button location will be different. When you can't find the corresponding option, you can search for section or page number format in the help function of the software.
# Summary
The catalogue page and the body page number should be numbered separately, and the key is to separate the two parts with the section break of the next page type, then cancel the footer link between the text section and the previous section, and set the page number format and starting page number respectively. When you are done, don't forget to update the page number of the catalog so that it is consistent with the text.
