WordPress table of contents: how to add one

A WordPress table of contents is recommended for pages with longer content and subchapters as it creates a better page structure. This way you will not only improve the user experience, but also your SEO, as search engines will be able to categorise and rank your page better. To create a table of contents, you can use both handy WordPress plugins and the somewhat more elaborate list block with jump links.

When using the open source software WordPress to create a WordPress site, or a WordPress blog, a table of contents helps site visitors find their way around, get a quick overview of the topics offered, and quickly understand the layout of the site.

The same goes for search engines, which use crawlers and web scraping to find, collect, and categorise web content. With a table of contents, search engines are able to read and rank your pages better. This way you ensure effective search engine optimisation and better ranking in the SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages). Google may even add jump links directly to your topics if you use a table of contents. This increases your visibility even more.

There is a WordPress plugin for practically every need. When wondering how to add tables of contents on WordPress sites, there are numerous free plugins available that improve the design, structure, and your WordPress SEO.

The best plugins for a WordPress table of contents:

The basic function of table of contents plugins is usually similar. Page headings and subheadings are written down, marked with jump links, and linked in the table of contents. Depending on the plugin, additional features are added such as a sticky sidebar that allows the table of contents to move down the page as the reader scrolls, an expand and collapse function, individual editing options and, in some cases, support for the Gutenberg editor. Note, however, that you can’t install plugins if you have the free WordPress.com package.

If you prefer not to use a plugin, you can create an automatic table of contents manually in the Gutenberg editor using a list block and jump links. A downside to this option is that you miss out on the ease of use and bundled features that many plugins offer. There are two ways you can create a table of contents this way: via the settings or by making changes in the source code using the Gutenberg editor.

To do this, proceed as follows:

Step 1: Select the heading that you want to add a jump link to. Go to ‘Settings’ and select ‘Block’ > ‘Advanced’. Here, in the HTML anchor field, enter the appropriate word as the jump link or anchor ID. The word becomes the jump link that links to a section or post.

Step 2: Now select the relevant heading in the table of contents. To do this, enter ‘#’ in the text field and then the corresponding anchor ID. With this method you can easily create a manual table of contents for WordPress pages.

Step 1: To set an HTML anchor directly in the source code using the Gutenberg editor, select the respective heading block in Gutenberg. Go to the three-dot icon in the toolbar and click on ‘Edit as HTML’.

Step 2: Insert the anchor ID before the selected heading using the following code:

If you offer longer pieces of content on your WordPress site or blog, you should definitely use a table of contents. With this you improve not only the design, look, and clarity of your page, but also the user experience. Page visitors can get a quicker overview and jump to the parts they are interested in without having to read the entire text. In addition, you comply with the algorithm of search engines that read and rank pages. With a table of contents, search engines are able to categorise your page better and rank it higher. With better SERP visibility, you can increase the click-through rate.