APA Table of Contents: Format, Examples, and When to Include It

APA 7th edition does not require a table of contents for standard research papers or student assignments. A table of contents is appropriate only when your paper is long enough that readers need navigation help — typically theses, dissertations, multi-chapter reports, and book-length manuscripts. For a standard 10–20 page course paper, skip it.

When to Include an APA Table of Contents

The APA manual itself does not include specific formatting instructions for a table of contents because APA-style papers are typically journal articles or short academic papers, not book-length documents. The formatting guidance below reflects best practices consistent with APA style principles, adapted for theses and long reports.

APA Table of Contents Format

Example APA Table of Contents

Here is how a correctly formatted APA table of contents looks:

Table of Contents

Abstract ......................................................................................  2
Introduction ..................................................................................  3
   Background and Context ...............................................................  4
   Research Questions ....................................................................  5
Method ........................................................................................  6
   Participants ..............................................................................  6
   Instruments ...............................................................................  7
   Procedure .................................................................................  8
Results ........................................................................................  9
   Quantitative Findings ..................................................................  9
   Qualitative Themes ..................................................................... 12
Discussion .................................................................................... 15
Conclusion .................................................................................... 18
References .................................................................................... 19
Appendix A: Survey Instrument ......................................................... 22
Appendix B: Consent Form ............................................................... 24

How to Create an APA Table of Contents in Word

Method 1: Automatic (recommended)

1. Apply heading styles to your document sections: select each section title and apply Heading 1, Heading 2, or Heading 3 from the Styles panel in the Home tab.
2. Place your cursor where the table of contents should appear (after the abstract page).
3. Go to References → Table of Contents → Custom Table of Contents.
4. Set Show levels: 3 (to include Levels 1–3).
5. Make sure Show page numbers and Right align page numbers are both checked.
6. Set Tab leader to dots (…).
7. Click OK.

Word generates the table automatically from your heading styles. When you edit the document, right-click the table of contents and select Update Field → Update entire table to refresh page numbers.

Method 2: Manual

Type each entry manually with tab stops set to right-align at the right margin, using dot leaders. This works for short documents but becomes impractical for long ones since page numbers must be updated by hand every time content changes.

Matching Heading Styles to APA Heading Levels

Word’s built-in Heading styles do not match APA formatting by default. You need to modify them:

To modify a heading style: right-click the style in the Styles panel → Modify → adjust formatting to match the APA requirements above.

Table of Contents in Theses and Dissertations

For theses and dissertations, your institution’s formatting guide takes precedence over APA. Common institutional requirements that differ from standard APA:

Frequently Asked Questions

Does APA require a table of contents?

No. The APA manual does not require a table of contents for research papers or student assignments. It is only appropriate for long documents where readers need navigation — primarily theses, dissertations, and book-length manuscripts.

Where does the table of contents go in an APA paper?

When included, the table of contents comes after the abstract and before the introduction. It occupies its own page and continues the sequential page numbering of the document.

Should «Abstract» appear in the table of contents?

For most course papers: no, since a table of contents is not required. For theses and dissertations: typically yes — all front matter including the abstract is listed with its page number.

How many heading levels should appear in the table of contents?

For most academic papers, Levels 1–3 is sufficient. Including Level 4 and 5 headings makes the table of contents unwieldy. For theses with very detailed chapter structures, check your institution’s template — some specify the exact number of levels to show.

For the complete APA paper structure including title page, abstract, and reference list format, see the APA Format Guide.