Table of Contents Generator

A table of contents helps readers jump straight to the section they want, and it gives Google jump links to show directly in the search result for long pages. This tool turns a plain list of headings into working anchor links and matching heading IDs.

How to format the input

Type or paste one heading per line. A plain line becomes a top-level entry, meant to match an H2 on your page. Start a line with a dash and a space to make it a sub-entry nested under the heading above it, meant to match an H3.

The tool automatically turns each heading into a URL-friendly ID, lowercased with hyphens instead of spaces, and adds a number to the end if two headings would otherwise produce the same ID.

Two outputs, two jobs

The first block is the table of contents itself, a nested list of links ready to drop near the top of your article. The second block is your original headings rewritten as actual heading tags with matching id attributes, which is what makes the links in the first block actually work.

Replace your existing H2 and H3 tags with the ones from the second block, or just copy the id attribute into each heading if you'd rather keep your own formatting.

Why this helps beyond usability

Google sometimes shows jump links directly under a search result for long, well-structured pages, sending visitors straight to the relevant section instead of the top of the page. That only works if your headings have real, unique id attributes for Google to link to.

It also helps readers self-select: someone who only wants one part of a long guide can find it in two seconds instead of scrolling, which tends to reduce bounce rate on longer content.