How to create an Index in Word

1. Select the text you want to include in the index.
2. Go to the References tab.
3. In the Index group, click Mark Entry.

1. The Mark Index Entry dialog box will open, showing the selected text in the main entry field.
2. You can also add a subentry that will appear beneath the main entry.

Next, adjust the settings for your index entry and choose one of these options:

• Cross-reference: Links to another index entry instead of showing the page number.
• Current page: Displays the page number for the selected text (this is the default).
• Page range: Shows a range of pages, but first, you need to create a bookmark for that page range.

Once you’re done, click Mark to add the entry or Mark All to mark all instances of the selected text.

• Clicking Mark will create an index entry for the selected word.
• Clicking Mark All will create index entries for every instance of that word throughout the document.

After marking an entry, formatting marks will appear, showing the hidden text that indicates where the index entries are. The dialog box stays open, so you can continue marking more entries in the document.

Repeat this process for other words you want to include in the index.

When you’re finished, click Close.

Viewing Index Entries

Index entries are hidden and won’t appear in the printed document. However, you can see them if paragraph marks are turned on.

Insert an Index

Once you’ve marked your index entries, you can insert the index into your document.

1. Click where you want to insert the index.
   (Indexes are typically placed at the end of a document, so it’s a good idea to leave a blank page there.)
2. On the References tab, click the Insert Index button.