To include a table of contents in an email created in Word, you must adapt your strategy since most email platforms lack the advanced formatting capabilities of Word

Word lets you generate a dynamic table of contents using heading styles, but email clients like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo render content in simplified HTML or plain text, restricting interactivity

Therefore, the goal is not to create a live, clickable table of contents that updates automatically, but rather to design a professional, static table of contents that looks organized and is easy for the recipient to navigate

First, arrange your content in Word using a logical, tiered structure of headings

Use Word’s built-in heading styles—Heading 1 for main sections, Heading 2 for subsections, and so on

This approach creates a uniform structure that simplifies manual extraction of section titles

Although the email won’t preserve hyperlinks to these headings, the hierarchy you establish in Word provides a clear roadmap for constructing your static index

Once your content is organized, manually create the table of contents by listing each section title followed by a brief description or page reference if applicable

Given that email clients block clickable links to headings, skip Word’s AutoTable function entirely

Instead, copy the list of headings you created and paste them at the beginning of your email draft

Format them as a bulleted or numbered list for improved readability

Indent subheadings slightly deeper than top-level sections to visually communicate structure and hierarchy

To enhance usability, consider adding short placeholders such as "Section 1: Introduction" or "Part A: Product Features" to guide the reader

You can also include a brief note at the top of the table of contents, such as "Use this guide to quickly jump to the sections you care about most."

Such a note primes the reader and makes the content feel more intuitive and user-friendly

Once your table is complete, ketik select all content in Word, then paste it into your email client using the "Paste as Plain Text" or "Keep Text Only" function

This strips away any Word-specific formatting that may not render correctly in email

Next, fine-tune line spacing, font size, and text alignment directly in your email client to reflect your company’s visual identity

Select a minimalist sans serif typeface—like Arial, Tahoma, or Calibri—to enhance clarity on mobile, tablet, and desktop devices

Test your email template by sending it to yourself and viewing it on multiple devices—desktop, tablet, and smartphone

Ensure the table of contents remains legible and well spaced regardless of screen size

Some advanced email systems permit HTML anchors—such as