When designing a cookbook in Word, a well-crafted table of contents is essential for both functionality and visual appeal.

Begin by grouping your recipes into intuitive sections: starters, entrées, sweets, drinks, or special diets including vegan, dairy-free, keto, or paleo.

This logical organization helps readers find dishes quickly and streamlines the application of heading styles.

Begin by typing each recipe title clearly on its own line in your document.

Apply uniform styling to all titles: bold text with a font size 1–2 points larger than the body text to set them apart.

Next, apply heading styles to each recipe title.

Select the recipe title, then click "Heading 1" in the Styles panel located on the Home ribbon.

For subsections such as "One-Pot Dinners" or "Summer Grilling Favorites," assign Heading 2 to distinguish them from main recipes.

Without this structure, Word cannot detect sections properly—so always use Heading 1 and Heading 2 as intended.

After styling all headings, position your cursor at the document’s start—right after the foreword, dedication, or introductory paragraph.

Navigate to the References tab in the top menu and select "Insert Table of Contents."

You’ll see a selection of templates, each with different layouts and visual tones.

Choose the style that best matches the tone of your cookbook—often a clean, simple layout works best for culinary content.

Word will then scan your document for all Heading 1 and Heading 2 styles and populate the table with page numbers automatically.

Double-check the generated table for accuracy and completeness.

Make sure all recipes are listed in the correct order and that page numbers align with the actual locations in the document.

If you later add, remove, or ketik rearrange recipes, update the table by right clicking on it and selecting Update Field, then choose Update Entire Table.

No more tedious renumbering: the table updates itself with every edit you make.

Never rely on manual bolding, underlining, or typed numbers like "1.," "2."—these won’t be detected by Word’s TOC feature.

Rely on the Styles gallery, never on manual text adjustments.

Add context with a brief phrase under each entry—for instance, "Apple Pie — Flaky crust, spiced filling, best served warm with vanilla ice cream."

These mini-descriptions help readers quickly identify dishes they’re craving.

Check the final appearance in Print Layout to assess spacing, alignment, and visual balance.

Make subtle adjustments to spacing or typography so the table blends seamlessly with your recipe pages.

A well-structured table of contents not only improves usability but also reflects the care and attention you’ve put into organizing your recipes, making your cookbook more inviting and practical for everyday use.