Contracts, specifications, manuals and technical reports often use numbered headings: 1, 1.1, 1.2, 2, 2.1. Numbering lets you refer precisely to a part of the document («as provided in section 4.3») and is extremely useful when several people review a text.
It is also one of the features that causes the most frustration: numbers restarting from 1 for no reason, sub-levels that do not follow the level above, indents that change from one paragraph to the next. Almost always the problem is the same: numbering was applied as a list to individual paragraphs, instead of being linked to the heading styles.
The principle: numbering inside the styles
There is only one reliable method. You do not number paragraphs; you tell the program that the «Heading 1» style carries the first level of numbering, «Heading 2» the second and so on. From then on you just apply the style and the correct number appears by itself.
The advantage is that numbering follows the structure: move a chapter, delete it or insert a new one, and all the numbers are recalculated.
In Word
- Place the cursor on a heading with the Heading 1 style.
- On the Home tab, open the Multilevel List menu and choose Define New Multilevel List.
- Click More to see all the options.
- For level 1, in the Link level to style box choose Heading 1. For level 2 choose Heading 2, for level 3 Heading 3.
- For levels 2 and 3, check that the number format includes that of the level above (for example «1.1»): you build it with the Include level number from menu.
- Set alignment and indents; the same indent for all levels, with the text at a fixed distance from the number, gives a tidy look.
The same gallery contains ready-made schemes showing «Heading 1, Heading 2…» in the preview: they are linked to the styles and make a good starting point.
In Writer
LibreOffice has a dedicated feature, separate from ordinary lists:
- Open Tools › Chapter Numbering (in some versions Heading Numbering).
- For level 1 check that the paragraph style is Heading 1 and choose the number type, for example «1, 2, 3…».
- For level 2 set Heading 2 and, in the Show sublevels field, the value 2: the number becomes «1.1».
- Repeat for level 3 with Show sublevels set to 3.
- On the Position tab adjust indents and the distance between number and text.
Ordinary bulleted and numbered lists should be used only in body text, never on headings.
Separators and formats
You can add text before and after the number. Some common examples:
| Level | Format | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | «Chapter » + number | Chapter 1 |
| 1 | number + «.» | 1. |
| 2 | level 1 + «.» + level 2 | 1.1 |
| 3 | level 1.2 + «.» + level 3 | 1.1.1 |
| Appendices | capital letter | A, B, C |
A practical tip: do not go beyond three numbered levels. A heading «4.2.3.1.2» is hard to read and to cite, and usually signals that the document should be divided differently.
Typical problems
Numbering restarts at 1 halfway through the document. Usually a heading was numbered by hand with a list, or «Restart numbering» was used. Reapply the heading style to the paragraph; in Word, if needed, right-click the number and choose Continue Numbering.
The number is there but the heading does not appear in the table of contents. The paragraph was numbered as a list but does not have the heading style.
Headings copied from another document with different numbering. Pasting text from a file with its own styles also imports its lists. Paste as unformatted text and reapply the styles.
Indents that change. In Word the numbering indents are defined in the multilevel list, not in the paragraph: fixing them by hand on one heading creates inconsistencies. Change them in the list definition.
Appendices and annexes
To get «Appendix A», «Appendix B» after the numbered chapters, the cleanest method is to create a dedicated heading style, for example «Appendix heading», with its own letter numbering. In Writer you can use a paragraph style with an associated letter list; in Word a second multilevel list linked to that style. That way the appendices do not interfere with chapter numbering.
In short
- Heading numbering should be linked to the styles, not applied as a list to individual paragraphs.
- In Word use the multilevel list with «Link level to style»; in Writer, Chapter Numbering.
- Sub-levels must include the number of the level above: 1.1, 1.1.1.
- Three numbered levels are almost always enough.
- Appendices work best with a dedicated heading style and letter numbering.
