Formatting Issues

How to Place Two Multilingual Tables of Contents Side by Side in Word

Tauseeq Magsi Oct 10, 2026 872 views

Question details

The user needs to align two tables of contents in different languages side by side in a Word document.

How to Place Two Multilingual Tables of Contents Side by Side in Word

Product: Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Creating a bilingual or multilingual document where tables of contents in different languages need to be displayed next to each other.
Observed behavior: The goal is to have two separate tables of contents properly aligned horizontally on the page rather than stacked vertically.

Before you start

Ensure you have defined your heading styles for both languages or prepared your TC (Table Entry) fields before generating the tables of contents.

Solution 1Recommended

Use a Two-Column Table for Side-by-Side Alignment

This is the most reliable method to keep two tables of contents perfectly aligned on the same page.

Using a two-column table forces strict alignment between the two elements. It prevents the uneven flowing issues typically caused by page-level column layouts.

Insert a two-column table

Go to the 'Insert' tab on the ribbon, click 'Table', and create a 2x1 table (two columns, one row).

Insert the first Table of Contents

Click inside the left cell of the table. Go to the 'References' tab, click 'Table of Contents', and insert the custom TOC for your first language.

Insert the second Table of Contents

Click inside the right cell of the table, navigate to the 'References' tab, and insert the custom TOC for your second language.

Hide table borders

Select the entire table, navigate to 'Table Design' or right-click to access 'Table Properties', click 'Borders', and choose 'No Border' to make the layout look seamless.

Use a Two-Column Table for Side-by-Side Alignment

Avoid Two-Column Page Layouts: Using a standard two-column page layout is not recommended because the TOCs might flow unevenly from the bottom of one column to the top of the next. A table keeps them locked in place.

Solution 2

Configure Separate Heading Styles for Each Language

To successfully generate two independent TOCs, you must differentiate the headings of each language in your document.

Efficient Document Formatting

Easily Manage Multilingual Documents with WPS Writer

WPS Office provides seamless tools for creating custom styles, generating precise tables of contents, and structuring complex bilingual documents effortlessly.

1. Insert a formatting table: Open your document in WPS Writer and navigate to the 'Insert' tab to add a 2x1 table.
2. Add the primary TOC: Place your cursor in the first cell, go to the 'References' tab, and select 'Table of Contents' to configure your first language TOC.
3. Add the secondary TOC: Repeat the process in the second cell for your second language TOC, using custom styles mapping.
4. Remove visible borders: Highlight the table, right-click to select 'Borders and Shading', and set all borders to 'None'.

Easily insert invisible borders for side-by-side layoutsCustomizable Table of Contents options for multilingual supportFully compatible with Microsoft Word document formats (.docx)Lightweight, fast, and completely free to use

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why shouldn't I use the two-column page layout for side-by-side TOCs?

A two-column page layout allows text to flow continuously from the bottom of the first column to the top of the second. This makes aligning two distinct tables of contents very difficult. A two-column table locks each TOC in its own cell, guaranteeing parallel horizontal alignment.

What are TC fields and how do they help with multilingual TOCs?

TC (Table of Contents Entry) fields are hidden codes you can insert into your document to create a TOC entry without the text appearing directly in the document body. They are useful if you need to build a translated TOC based on the original document text without changing the main visible headings.

How do I hide the table borders so it looks like regular text?

Select the entire table, navigate to the Table Design tab or right-click to open the formatting menu, click on 'Borders', and select 'No Border'. The gridlines may remain visible on your screen for editing purposes, but they will be completely invisible when printed or exported to PDF.

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