How to Fix Missing Cover Page and Table of Contents Galleries in Word
Question details
The user is unable to access the normal Cover Page and Table of Contents galleries in Microsoft Word, seeing links to online content instead.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Attempting to insert a standard Cover Page or Table of Contents using Word's built-in galleries.
- Observed behavior
- The built-in galleries are missing and replaced by links to online content, typically due to disabled connected experiences or a corrupted Building Blocks file.
Ensure your Microsoft Office application is fully updated and that you have a stable internet connection before checking privacy settings or modifying system files.
Enable Connected Experiences in Privacy Settings
Word restricts access to online templates and certain built-in galleries if your privacy settings block connected experiences.
Microsoft Office uses Connected Experiences to fetch templates and gallery items. If this feature is turned off due to enterprise policies or manual privacy adjustments, the Cover Page and Table of Contents galleries will not load properly.
Launch Microsoft Word. Click on 'File' in the top-left corner of the ribbon, then select 'Options' at the bottom of the left-hand menu.
In the Word Options dialog box, select 'General' from the left pane, then click on the 'Privacy Settings' button.
Scroll down the Privacy Settings window to locate the 'Connected Experiences' section. Ensure the checkbox for enabling these experiences is selected, then click 'OK'.
Close and reopen Microsoft Word for the changes to take effect. Navigate to the Insert and References tabs to verify if the galleries are restored.
Repair or Replace the Word Building Blocks File
If the 'Built-In Building Blocks.dotx' file is corrupted, Word cannot display your galleries. Deleting it forces Word to generate a fresh copy.
Create a Custom Table of Contents
If the galleries remain temporarily unavailable, you can manually insert a customized Table of Contents to continue your work.
Use WPS Office for a Reliable Document Experience
If Microsoft Word's templates and galleries frequently break or require complex troubleshooting with background settings, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a highly compatible, user-friendly word processor with rich, built-in cover pages and table of contents features—all without relying on complicated external services.
- 1. Download and Install: Download WPS Office for free from the official website and install it on your device.
- 2. Open Your Document: Open your existing .docx file seamlessly in WPS Writer without losing any formatting.
- 3. Insert Built-in Templates easily: Navigate to the Insert tab to add beautiful Cover Pages, or the References tab to quickly generate a Table of Contents using dependable built-in galleries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my Table of Contents gallery suddenly disappear?
It typically disappears when Microsoft Word's 'Built-In Building Blocks.dotx' file becomes corrupted, or when an Office update resets your privacy settings, inadvertently disabling the connected experiences required to load these galleries.
Where is the Word Building Blocks file located?
The file is usually hidden in your user profile. You can find it by navigating to AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Document Building Blocks\[Language ID]\[Version Number]. You may need to enable 'Show hidden files' in Windows File Explorer to see the AppData folder.
Does WPS Office have similar Cover Page and Table of Contents features?
Yes, WPS Writer includes extensive, built-in Cover Page templates and a fully functional Table of Contents generator. These features work reliably out of the box and are highly compatible with existing Microsoft Word documents.
