Creating and managing a table of contents in Notion can help you better organize your page structure and make your content easier to navigate. Whether you're using the auto-generated table of contents block or manually setting up a custom one, both methods cater to different needs and styles. This guide will walk you through how to set up a table of contents in Notion, helping you work more efficiently and manage your content with ease. Let’s get started—just follow along and click through the steps!
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Using the "Table of Contents" Block (Auto-Generated)
Notion provides a built-in "Table of Contents" block that automatically generates a content table, displaying all the headings in your page. This table updates automatically—if you add or adjust headings, it will reflect the changes in real time. However, for the table to work, your headings must use heading blocks (H1, H2, H3) instead of plain text. The table names will match your headings and cannot be customized.
Steps:
- Choose the location in your page where you want to insert the table of contents.
2. Type /table of contents and select the Table of Contents block.
3. The generated table will display all the headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) in your page.
Manually Creating a Linked List (Custom Table)
If you want a more personalized content table, you can manually create a linked list. This method gives you greater control over the appearance and format of your table. Unlike the auto-generated table, it doesn’t require heading blocks and can link to other elements like tables. Additionally, you can fully customize the table names. However, it doesn’t update automatically, so you’ll need to make manual adjustments.
Steps:
- Create a text block and list the table names you want, such as "Introduction" or "Methods."
2. Go to the corresponding section in the page (e.g., the “Introduction” heading or content), click Copy link to block from the options menu.
3. Return to your table, select the text for the corresponding table name, click the link button, and paste the copied link.
Differences Between the Two Methods
Feature | Using the "Table of Contents" Block | Manually Creating a Linked List |
Auto-Update Capability | Yes, updates automatically when headings are added or adjusted | No, requires manual updates |
Dependency on Headings | Requires heading blocks (H1, H2, H3) to function | No need for heading blocks; can link to any block (e.g., tables) |
Customizable Table Name | No, names match the headings and cannot be changed | Yes, names can be customized freely |
Ease of Setup | Very easy, just insert the "Table of Contents" block | Requires more steps (manually creating and linking each item) |
Flexibility | Limited, displays only the structure of headings | High, can link to any content and allow for custom styling |
Best Use Case | Ideal for simple and frequently updated content pages | Ideal for highly customized and styled content tables |