A table of contents is a list of links that will take you to different sections of a page or article. They’re especially useful for long posts because they highlight the most significant elements of the material, enhancing the reader experience. If you are a website owner or developer, you should put a high priority on the User Experience of your visitors (UX).

Overview of Table of Contents

A Table of Contents (TOC) for your long-form material is an essential that is sometimes ignored. Besides the TOC in each of your posts not only allows visitors to find the specific sections they’re looking for but also makes your content appear more organized. In this lesson, we’ll go over the several options for making a WordPress table of contents (including plugins, shortcodes, and HTML). Then we’ll go through two common styles and how to attain them. Let’s get this party started!

Why do we add table of contents in WordPress?

While a Table of Contents may appear useless for a blog post, it can actually help improve the UX of your site. The majority of readers come to your content looking for answers to specific questions. Instead of having to browse and scan to locate what they need, a TOC allows consumers to quickly jump to the content that is most important to them.

A TOC can also help with search engine optimization for your posts (SEO). These helpful links make it simple to add your keyword(s), which is a critical ranking element. A TOC in your post can boost your chances of earning a featured snippet in Google in addition to increasing your keyword density. For some searches, this is the small extract that appears above the main list of results. Obtaining a featured snippet is not a precise science. However, lists (such as TOCs) are frequently shown since they can provide clear and concise answers to searchers’ inquiries.

How do you create table of contents?

There are actually three different ways you can create a table of contents in WordPress. The first method, Using Plugins to Create a Table of Contents, the second method is Using Shortcodes to Add a Table of Contents, and the third method is Using HTML to Create a Table of Contents. These methods are very simpler, smarter, and a lot easier to apply in WordPress.

1.) Create table of contents with plugins

Plugins are an ideal method to increase WordPress’ functionalities. There are various available options that make it simple to add a WordPress TOC to your site’s posts. Fixed TOC is our favorite WordPress table of contents plugin. You may also combine it with other plugins, such as Q2W3 Fixed Widget, to further optimize your website’s TOCs.

What is necessary for plugin installation:

There are few steps that are very necessary for plugin installation, that’s are given below-

  • In the WordPress dashboard, select Plugins > Add New.
  • Upload the (free or premium) plugin’s.zip file, or install it from the Plugin Directory (free plugins only).

After installation and activation, you will have complete access to the plugin’s capabilities. The subsequent steps will differ based on the selected tool. For instance, here is how to establish a TOC after installing Fixed TOC:

  • Go to the Settings > Fixed TOC page.
  • On the General tab, pick the post categories to which you wish to apply a TOC, the heading levels to include, and the location of your TOC.
  • Choose the color scheme for your TOC under the Color tab.

The plugin will automatically add a table of contents to each applicable post and utilize your existing headings to create jump links.

2.) Using shortcodes to add a table of contents

In addition to WordPress table of contents plugins, you may alter the display of your WordPress TOC with shortcodes. These are short code fragments that may be pasted into the editor to show custom content virtually anywhere on the page. It is simple to add a table of contents to your articles, pages, sidebar, and widgets using shortcodes. This is how:

  • Download a TOC plugin that uses shortcodes, or use a plugin without shortcodes with a solution like Shortcoder.

  • Locate the shortcodes provided by the plugin, or generate them with Shortcoder.

  • Copy the shortcodes and then paste them wherever you like within WordPress (in a blog post, for example). Shortcoder provides a simple table of contents shortcodes, making their addition to your website effortless.

The versatility of shortcode placement is their greatest asset. You can put them at the top, middle, or bottom of your pages and posts, or even as a widget in the sidebar.

3.) Using HTML to create a table of contents

Creating a table of contents with HTML is very easier than any other method. While HTML can be frightening, using code to create a TOC is an excellent alternative for anyone looking for a straightforward solution for their website. To accomplish this, create a table in WordPress and attach bookmark URLs to relevant sites.

This is the most basic manual option, with no frills or bulk. Of course, you can go all out if you want, using numerous colors, different font types and headings, and other elements. You are simply limited by your own imagination and HTML understanding.

Conclusion

A table of contents helps viewers to see exactly how the post’s information is organized. This can indicate whether you will answer their query or lead them down a road that piques their interest. Including a table of contents in your WordPress posts can improve both the user experience and your SEO efforts. With many techniques to select from, you should be able to do this assignment quickly. Using a plugin like Easy table of contents is probably the quickest way to get your section on your pages.

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