How to Create a Table of Contents for PDF

Portable Document Format (PDF) files were invented by the Adobe corporation and have become a common way of sharing data. A program such as Adobe’s Acrobat Reader is needed to view PDF files, and Adobe allows Acrobat Reader to be downloaded for free. To create PDF files, you need to purchase and install the Adobe Acrobat Professional program. PDF files can contain multimedia links and photographs and graphics. You can also create a table of contents by creating bookmarks in PDF documents. The Bookmarks link to specific pages and you can name them so that they easily identify the pages they link to, such as chapter headings in a book.

  1. Click “Start” then Select “All Programs.” From the list of programs installed on your computer, select “Adobe Acrobat Professional.” This opens the Adobe Acrobat Professional program.
  2. Step 2

    Click “File” then select “Open.” This opens the “Open” window where you can select the PDF file that you want to create the list of contents for.

  3. Step 3

    Select the folder that contains the PDF file that you want to work on from the “Look in” drop-down list. Select the PDF file from the main window then click “Open.” This will open the document in Adobe Acrobat Professional.

  4. Step 4

    Place the cursor on the page which represents location of the first item on your Contents Table. For example, if you want the first item in the table to link to the first page of Chapter 1 of a book, click in the document on the first line of the first page of Chapter 1.

  5. Step 5

    Create a bookmark by pressing the Ctrl and B buttons simultaneously. This will create a bookmark list to the left of the document. All new bookmarks are created with a name of “Untitled” unless you highlight a word or a block of text to bookmark.

  6. Step 6

    Type over “Untitled” to give any unnamed bookmarks relevant names. Click Ctrl and B as often as necessary to create a table of contents with entries that automatically link to pages in your document.

    Tips & Warnings
    • Right-clicking a bookmark allows you to rename or delete it. You can even reset the page that it links to.
    • Right-click highlighted text and select “Add Bookmark” from the context list.

« «