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How to automatically number headings in Word?

While you are editing a thesis in Word, you need to number multiple headings as shown as below, maybe you will number them one by one manually which is troublesome. Here, I introduce a quick and easy way to automatically number the multiple headings for you.

doc-automatically-number-heading-1 doc-arrow-right doc-automatically-number-heading-2

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Before numbering the multiple headings, you should know how many heading styles existing in your document, and make sure that the relationship of the link levels and the styles.

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Step 1. Open the Navigation pane.

  • Click Home > Find in the Editing group; Click View tab,
  • and the check the Navigation pane option in the Show group;
  • Press Ctrl + F button on the keyboard.

Step 2. Click Browse the heading in your document tab in the Navigation pane, you can see all the headings and the heading style of your current document. See screenshot:

doc-automatically-number-heading-3

Now, numbering the multiple headings.

Step 3. Place the cursor on a blank place of the document and click Home > Multilevel List, then select the number list you need, in this example, I select the number. number. , see screenshot:

doc-automatically-number-heading-4

Step 4. Then remove the number list you have inserted in the step 2. After inserting and removing the number list, you can see the Multilevel List has been changed when you enter the Define New Multilevel List dialog. See screenshots:

doc-automatically-number-heading-5
doc-arrow
doc-automatically-number-heading-6

Step 5. Then click Home > Multilevel List > Define New Multilevel List to open the Define New Multilevel List dialog. In the dialog, click More to expand the dialog, see screenshot:

doc-automatically-number-heading-8

Step 6. In the Define new Multilevel list dialog:

  • Click 1 in the left bar under Click level to modify,
  • Select Heading 1 from the Link level to style drop down list,
  • Select Level 1 from the Level to show in gallery drop down list. See screenshot:

doc-automatically-number-heading-9

Step 7. For the Heading 2, In the Define new Multilevel list dialog:

  • Click 2 in the left bar under Click level to modify,
  • Select Heading 2 from the Link level to style drop down list,
  • Select Level 1 from the Level to show in gallery drop down list. See screenshot:

doc-automatically-number-heading-0

Step 8. If you have Heading 3 existing in your document, you need to:

  • Click 3 in the left bar under Click level to modify,
  • Select Heading 3 from the Link level to style drop down list,
  • Select Level 1 from the Level to show in gallery drop down list.

Finally click OK. You can get the result below:

doc-automatically-number-heading-1 doc-arrow-right doc-automatically-number-heading-2

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Comments (5)
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This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Thanks for this, saved alot of my time!
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
All steps above step 5 are unnecessary...
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
How do you then do the same for Section 2 so all the headings start with 2, then 3, etc? The first level heading determines the section page numbering.
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
The most important is to "link level to the style" you prefer.eg level 1..link to the style.The dialogue box will .look. like 1,1.1, 1.1.1...for the various levels.But you apply.It will take shape becauase of the "number style for the level."
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
please fix step 4: it should be: "...list you have inserted in the step 3." Thanks.
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