How to Create a Table of Contents in WordPress

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Including a table of contents on your site’s posts allows you to see the structure of long posts and helps with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This addition will improve user experience by allowing the readers to quickly navigate to relevant sections of your post without having to scroll.

Incorporating a table of contents may be achieved through full-blown plugins such as Easy Table of Contents, Table of Contents Plus, and LuckyWP Table of Contents or by incorporating Gutenberg block plugins such as Ultimate Addons for Gutenberg or Ultimate Blocks.

In this tutorial, we’ll look at how to use each of these plugins.

Easy Table of Contents

How to Install Easy Table of Contents

To get started, download and install Easy Table of Contents.

Begin by navigating to Plugins on the dashboard and Add New. From here, there are two options for installation. Option 1 is Searching for “Easy Table of Contents”.

Option 2 is to Upload Plugin; navigate to the plugin page, download the zip file, and upload into the designated section.

*Check if the plugin has been successfully installed and activate it under your Installed Plugins.

Accessing Settings

In order to add a table of contents to your posts, navigate to Settings > Table of Contents.

Find the section Enable Support and check the option for Posts. Scroll to the bottom of the page to click the button Save changes in order to save this setting.

Enabling in Gutenberg on Posts

In order to insert a table of contents, navigate to Posts and click on an existing post to edit. Once the designated article has been chosen, scroll to the bottom of the content.

There will be a panel named Table of Contents. Check the box that says Insert table of contents. Update the post by the blue button at the top and View post to see your table.

Table of Contents Plus

To get started, download and install Table of Contents Plus.

Activate the plugin

Accessing Settings

In order to add the table of contents, navigate to Settings > TOC+

Find the section Auto insert for the following content types and check post. Scroll to the bottom and click the button Update Options to save your changes.

*This plugin automatically inserts the table of contents.

Disable Table on Contents on Specific Post

If you want to remove/disable the table of contents, insert the shortcode [no_toc] into your post.

LuckyWP Table of Contents

How to Install LuckyWP Table of Contents

To get started, download and install LuckyWP Table of Contents. Remember to check if the plugin was successfully installed and Activate it.

Accessing Settings

In order to add the table of contents, navigate to Settings >Table of Contents.

Here you will find settings tabs; navigate to Processing Headings and check the box for Post. Save changes by clicking the button.

Enabling on Posts

In order to enable this function, navigate to an article you want to edit under Posts. To the right of your post’s content, you will find a sidebar with two tabs: Post  and Block. Select Post and scroll to Table of Contents.

Click the Enable TOC button. If you choose to customize the table, click Customize. There will be a pop-up of further customization settings for the table. Update and View Post to see changes.

Ultimate Blocks- Gutenberg Blocks Plugin

How to Install Ultimate Blocks

To get started, download and install Ultimate Blocks-Gutenberg Blocks Plugin. Remember to check if the plugin was successfully installed and Activate it.

Activation of Ultimate Blocks

Activate your plugin. Clicking Activate will automatically redirect to another page. Click Manage the Blocks. You may find yourself at another window; click Skip then Manage the Blocks again. This will take you to a display of all enabled blocks.

You can also navigate to Ultimate Blocks on the left side bar.

Enabling on Posts

To add a table of contents on your post, navigate to an existing article under Posts. Find the part you want a table of contents and begin typing “/table of contents”. Select the option Table of Contents when it pops up.

Configuration will be possible in a sidebar to the right of your post’s content under the tab Block.

Gutenberg Blocks – Ultimate Addons for Gutenberg

How to Install Gutenberg Blocks

To get started, download and install Gutenberg Blocks – Ultimate Addons for Gutenberg. Remember to check if the plugin was successfully installed and Activate it.

Enabling the Plugin

To ensure the Table of Contents Block is active, navigate to Settings > UAG. Scroll down and find the Blocks section; scroll further to Table of Contents and double check it is active.

Once you have ensured it is active, navigate to an article you want to include a table of contents. Find the section you want, start typing /table of contents and select the option that pops up. Customization will take place in the right side block under Block.

Summary

These plugins allow for easier viewing of content structures and increase your site visitor’s experience. Table on Contents are customizable to fit the theme of your site. They can be automatically added to your content so you do not have to remember to include them yourself when writing content.

About The Author

2 thoughts on “How to Create a Table of Contents in WordPress”

  1. How to show specific contents only? Let’s say I have A, B, C, and D in my TOC in the left column; when I click on B, I want to show section B in the right column only, instead of showing the whole contents from A, B, C, D when I’m scrolling.

    1. Hi Daisy,

      That type of functionality can’t be done using these plugins.

      The TOC plugins/blocks use JavaScript to find headings and simply link to them and that’s it.

      Cheers,
      Ivan

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