Office for Mac Issues

How to Fix an Empty Table of Contents Showing No Entries in Word for Mac

Tauseeq Magsi Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is attempting to generate a Table of Contents (TOC) but it results in an empty table displaying a 'no entries' message.

How to Fix an Empty Table of Contents Showing No Entries in Word for Mac

Product: Microsoft Word for Mac
Device & OS: Mac
Scenario: Generating or updating a Table of Contents using custom heading styles in a document.
Observed behavior: The Table of Contents remains completely empty because the custom styles applied to headings lack recognized outline levels or are excluded from the TOC field settings.

Before you start

Ensure your document uses distinct paragraph styles for headings and identify exactly which custom styles you want to appear in your final Table of Contents.

Solution 1Recommended

Assign Appropriate Outline Levels to Heading Styles

Modify your custom heading styles to ensure they possess the correct outline level recognized by the TOC field.

Word generates a Table of Contents by scanning the document for specific outline levels. If your custom headings are categorized as 'Body Text', the TOC generation tool will bypass them entirely.

Open the Styles Pane

Go to the 'Home' tab and click on the 'Styles Pane' button to view a list of all active styles in your current document.

Modify the Custom Style

Hover your mouse over the custom heading style you are using, click the drop-down arrow that appears, and select 'Modify Style'.

Adjust Paragraph Settings

Click the 'Format' button in the bottom left corner of the modification window and choose 'Paragraph' from the list.

Set the Outline Level

In the 'Indents and Spacing' tab, locate the 'Outline level' drop-down and change it from 'Body Text' to the appropriate hierarchical level (e.g., Level 1, Level 2). Click 'OK' to apply.

Update the TOC Field

Right-click your empty Table of Contents in the document and select 'Update Field' to refresh and display the newly recognized entries.

Assign Appropriate Outline Levels to Heading Styles

Automatic Propagation: Once the outline level is modified in the style settings, all headings using this specific style will automatically populate your Table of Contents.

Solution 2

Map Custom Styles in Table of Contents Options

Manually map your custom styles to TOC levels directly in the Table of Contents settings.

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1. Open Your Document in WPS Office: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing .docx file. Your headings and text formatting will remain perfectly intact.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Word table of contents say 'No table of contents entries found'?

This message appears when the text in your document does not use recognized heading styles (like Heading 1, Heading 2). If your headings are styled simply by making standard 'Body Text' bold or larger, Word cannot detect them to build the TOC.

Can I include standard text without heading styles in a Table of Contents?

Yes. You can highlight the specific text you wish to include, navigate to the 'References' tab, click 'Add Text', and manually select a level (Level 1, 2, or 3) to force its inclusion in the TOC.

How do I update my Table of Contents on a Mac after adding new sections?

Simply right-click (or Control-click) anywhere inside the existing Table of Contents and choose 'Update Field'. You will be prompted to choose between updating just the page numbers or updating the entire table to reflect new headings.

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