How to Add Dots in Table of Contents: Google Docs

With a word processor that functions both online and offline, Google Docs is a cross-platform, totally free website that synchronizes documents across phones, tablets, and PCs.

There are no payments or signing-up processes you need to go through; simply having a Google account is all you need.

When a document is extensive, a Table of Contents, or TOC, can be very helpful.

Quick summaries of the document's contents are provided in the TOCs. In Google Docs, creating a table of contents is a simple and quick process.

However, when the TOC seems lengthy and not so easy to navigate, adding dots can fix the problem, and help the readers understand the content of your Google Docs document better.

Creating a Table of Contents in Google Docs is quite simple since there are many built-in features to edit a Google document - similarly to Microsoft Word.

However, when it comes to adding dots in the TOC in Google Docs, the updating Table of Contents options are quite limited. There is no direct option to add dots in TOC in Google Docs, but there is a workaround with the ‘Ruler’ feature. Check out the steps below!

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How do I create a TOC in Google Docs?

Follow these steps to create a Table of Contents:

1. Open the Google document, and place the cursor on the place where you want your TOC to show up.
2. From the top menu, click on ‘Insert’.
3. In the drop-down menu, click on ‘Table of contents’ at the bottom.
4. Choose between a clickable Table of Contents (they will show up as blue links) or numbered list.

How do I add dots to the TOC in Google Docs?

As we mentioned, Google Docs does not currently have a built-in feature allowing users to modify the TOC, adding dots included.

However, there is a functional workaround when using the ‘Ruler’ feature.

1. If you previously added the dots manually, make sure to remove them before continuing with the following steps.
2. From the top menu, click on ‘View’.
3. From the drop-down menu, click on ‘Show ruler’.

4. Click on the Ruler line, and select ‘Add right-tab stop’ from the list of options.

5. On your keyboard, press the tab key before the number on the TOC, and the text will right-align.
6. You can now insert the dots or dashes manually in between the text and the number.

Note: For a better look, you can add one or two empty spaces between the dots/dashes and the text.

Related: How to Rearrange Pages in Google Docs.

I can’t add TOC in Google Docs; what should I do?

If you’re unable to add the TOC feature to your Google Docs document:

• Check if you’re using the ‘Headings’ feature - the TOC won’t be able to show up unless you’re using one of the headings. Google Docs considers this as having no TOC.
• Change the ‘Title’ heading and the ‘Subtitle’ heading - they do not show up in the TOC.
• Click on the refresh button, and try adding the TOC again.

Conclusion

Even though there is no direct single-click way to add dots in a TOC in your Google Docs document, you can do so by using the ‘Ruler’ feature. The article above explains how to create a TOC, how to add dots to a TOC, and what to do if you’re having issues with the TOC.

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