Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Overriding Automatic Numbering of Tables.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 11, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365
Chris has a document with tables. She wants two TOCs, one for the document and one for the tables. The tables are labeled 1, 2, 3, etc., but then she added some tables like 16A, 16B, and 17A. When Chris updates the TOC for the tables, Word changes her table numbers, such as changing 16B to 17 and 17A to 18. Chris wonders if there is a way to override Word so the TOC will list the tables with the letters after the number.
If you are using Word's automatic number, it is intended to sequentially number items, pure and simple. Word would have no way of knowing where "deviations" should occur, such as with tables 16A, 16B, and 17A. While you can try to make the changes in the document itself, the moment Word updates the numbering your alterations will be "renumbered" to again be sequential.
Your best bet is to number the tables manually using whatever style you want for the table caption that contains the number. For instance, you might use a paragraph style called MyTables for the captions. You can then create a TOC for your tables that gathers only the paragraphs formatted using the MyTables style. The individual table numbers, since they are manual, could appear using any type of numbering you desired.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13372) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Overriding Automatic Numbering of Tables.
The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2019. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2019 For Dummies today!
When you press the Tab key while entering info into a table, Word dutifully moves to the next table cell. If you don't ...
Discover MoreWhen adding borders and shading to a document's elements, Word allows you to quickly add drop shadows to paragraphs, text ...
Discover MoreIn WordPerfect terminology, a split page allows you to put information side-by-side on opposite halves of the page. If ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2022-06-11 07:55:47
Ken Endacott
This is how to modify automatic table numbering to give labels such as 16A, 16B, 16C etc. The method is to add the A, B, C to the caption text and restart the numbering back to 16 for each of the sub numbers. The result will display correctly in the List of Tables. The only catch is that if tables are subsequently added or deleted then the restarts will need to be changed.
1. Create table captions of all tables in the usual way with the Insert Caption button in the References ribbon. Initially they will all be numbered in sequence
2. ALT + F9 to display the fields. The caption and field will be of the form:
Table { SEQ Table \* ARABIC } Caption text
3. Change the caption and field at table 16A to:
Table { SEQ Table \* ARABIC }A Caption text
At the following table to be numbered 16B change the caption and field to:
Table { SEQ Table \* ARABIC \r 16 }B Caption text
And for table 16C change to:
Table { SEQ Table \* ARABIC \r 16 }C Caption text
4. IMPORTANT. Select the whole of the document and click F9 to update all fields
5. Alt + F9 to display field results
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here:
Comments