Welcome > PDF Editing > Document operations > Create and use a Table of Contents

Create and use a Table of Contents

You can create a Table of Contents (TOC) within a PDF document based on its bookmarks and their hierarchy. The program converts your bookmarks into a Table of Contents with page numbers and links. In a PDF file bookmarks act as a TOC; this feature is useful when the PDF document will be printed. The Table of Contents can be formatted, updated, exported or removed.

Bookmarks icon Open the Bookmarks panel to create or work with a TOC.

Note By default both the Bookmarks and the Pages tools appear on the Panel bar. If either is not visible, right-click in the bar area and select the needed tool.

These are the main steps in creating a Table of Contents:

  1. Open your PDF and create bookmarks from headings or selected items you want to include in the TOC.
  2. Build up a bookmark hierarchy. See Build up a bookmark hierarchy for detailed steps.
  3. Create a TOC. See Create a Table of Contents for detailed steps.

Create bookmarks from headings

  1. Select icon Click the Select tool at the top of the Panel bar.
  2. Select the heading or short text string you want to appear in the Table of Contents and click Ctrl + B, or select the heading, right-click and select Add Bookmark from the shortcut menu.

    The heading is displayed on the Bookmarks Panel.

  3. Press Enter.
  4. Select a bookmark and click the Set Destination tool or point your cursor on the currently created bookmark, right-click and select Set Destination in the context menu.
  5. Click OK in the dialog box that displays a warning message. The bookmark is now linked to the selected location.
  6. Repeat steps from 2 to 5 until all the headings you want to include in the TOC appear on the Bookmarks Panel.

Build up a bookmark hierarchy

  1. On the Bookmarks Panel, select a bookmark and drag it into its new position. A dotted line shows you where the bookmark will be placed.
    1. To demote a bookmark to a lower level, drag it to the right.
    2. To promote a bookmark to a higher level, drag it to the left.
  2. Release the button when the bookmark reaches its proper level in the hierarchy.

Create a Table of Contents

  1. On the Bookmarks Panel, select the Create Table of Contents item from the Options drop-down menu. The Table of Contents Settings dialog box appears.
  2. In the Contents tab of the dialog box, select a display level.
  3. Decide whether or not page numbers should be displayed and right-aligned, and select a symbol-line.
  4. From the Format drop-down list, select a predefined or a customized TOC appearance.
    1. To define a new appearance, select Custom and click the Edit button.
    2. Make desired settings in the Style dialog box and save it under a name to be entered in the Save As Format dialog box.

      The new format is added to the Format list.

  5. In the Content Page tab of the dialog box, click Appearance to change and reformat a TOC title if needed, define the paper size and the orientation for the Table of Contents and define its position within the document. See the details in the Table of Contents Settings topic.
  6. Click OK. The Table of Contents will be displayed at the defined location.

Update a Table of Contents

  1. Bookmarks icon On the Bookmarks Panel, select the Update Table of Contents item from the Options menu.

    A warning message informs you that links to Table of Contents pages will be invalid once they are updated.

  2. Click Yes to continue the update.

Export a Table of Contents

  1. On the Bookmarks Panel, select the Export Table of Contents item from the Options drop-down menu.

    The Table of Contents Settings dialog box appears.

  2. Review and update the TOC appearance as preferred, and then click OK.

    The Save As dialog box appears.

  3. Select a folder, enter a file name and click Save.

Only the Table of Contents is saved in a PDF file under the specified file name and location.

Remove a Table of Contents

  1. Open the Bookmarks Panel, click the Options tool, and select Remove Table of Contents.
  2. Perform any of the following steps:

    • Click Yes in the dialog box that appears to confirm deletion.

    • On the Pages Panel (Pages Panel icon), select the TOC pages and select Delete.

All Table of Contents pages will be deleted from the PDF document.