How to return to the Table of Contents in Word document?

Create a table of contents in your document helps readers to navigate through different sections of the long document contents. If you navigate to a section with the TOC link, do you know how to return to it? This article shows two methods for you.

Return to the TOC in Word with Back function

Return to the TOC in Word with VBA code

Return to the TOC in Word with Back function

The Back function can help you return to the TOC in Word immediately. Please do as follows.

1. Click Customize Quick Access Toolbar > More Commands. See screenshot:

2. In the Word options window, please:

2.1) Select All Commands from the Choose commands from drop-down list;

2.2) Select Back in the commands box;

2.3) Click the Add button;

2.4) Click the OK button. See screenshot:

3. Now the Back button is added on the Quick Access Toolbar. Every time you shift to certain section with the Table of Contents link, click the Back button will return to the TOC immediately.

Return to the TOC in Word with VBA code

You can also use VBA code to return to the Table of Contents in Word document.

1. First, you should create a bookmark for this TOC section, please select the whole Table of Contents in your document, click Insert > Bookmark.

2. In the Bookmark dialog box, enter BackToTOC into the Bookmark name box and click the Add button.

3. Press the Alt + F11 keys to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.

4. In the window, click Insert > Module. Then copy below code into the Module window.

VBA code: Return to Table of Contents in Word

Sub BackTOC()
    Selection.GoTo What:=wdGoToBookmark, Name:="BackToTOC"
End Sub

5. Press the Alt + Q keys to close the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.

6. Now you need to add the macro to the Quick Access Toolbar. Click Customize Quick Access Toolbar > More Commands. See screenshot:

7. In the Word Options window, select Macros in the first drop-down list, select the macro name “Project.Module1.BackTOC” in the list box and click Add button. Then click OK to finish the setting.

From now on, after shifting to certain section with the Table of Contents link, click the Macro button in the Quick Access Toolbar will return to the TOC immediately.

Recommended Word Productivity Tools

shot kutools word kutools plus tab 1180x120

Kutools For Word - More Than 100 Advanced Features For Word, Save Your 50% Time

Complicated and repeated operations can be done one-time processing in seconds.
Insert multiple images across folders into Word document at once.
Merge and combine multiple Word files across folders into one with your desired order.
Split the current document into separate documents according to heading, section break or other criteria.
Convert files between Doc and Docx, Docx and PDF, collection of tools for common conversions and selection, and so on...