PlayInfoBox

Home /Utilities /How to Create a Table of Figures in Word

How to Create a Table of Figures in Word

Tap a step to see it in order.

  1. Add a caption to each figure

    Right-click an image and choose "Insert Caption" to add a label like "Figure 1" or "Figure 2" to each one.

  2. Place your cursor where the table of figures should go

    Usually near the front of the document, right after the table of contents.

  3. Click "Insert Table of Figures" on the References tab

    On the ribbon's References tab, click "Insert Table of Figures" to generate the list.

  4. Refresh it with "Update Field" after changes

    If you add or delete a figure, right-click the table of figures and choose "Update Field" to regenerate it automatically.

Why bother with an auto-generated table of figures?

When a report or thesis contains many images, manually tracking which figure sits on which page and keeping that list current is tedious. An auto-generated table of figures builds and maintains that index for you instead.

It only works once captions are in place

Word builds the table of figures from captions you have already inserted, not from the images themselves -- so every figure needs an "Insert Caption" label before the tool can find it. Choosing "Table" as the label in the same References group generates a table of tables the same way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it work if my images do not have captions yet?

No. "Insert Table of Figures" only picks up images that already have a caption applied through "Insert Caption" -- add captions to every figure first.

Does the table of figures update automatically when I add a new image?

Not automatically. After adding, removing, or renumbering a figure, right-click the table of figures and choose "Update Field" (or "Update Table") to bring it up to date.