- Real document blocks
- Tables and headings stay selectable and printable.
- Live A4 preview
- What you see is what the PDF prints.
- Edit by chatting
- Change anything with one sentence.
- Free download
- No watermark, unlimited exports.
What is PaintPDF's table of contents generator?
PaintPDF's contents page generator (also called a table of contents generator) turns a document outline into a printable A4 contents page: the document title and revision, a numbered contents list with section and page columns, a separate list of figures and tables, and a note line. Edit it by chatting. Free to start, no watermark.
Get a free table of contents template: pick an example in the live demo and download the PDF, or open it in the studio to make it yours. No sign-in to download, no watermark.
Everything a contents page needs
A contents page is a map of the document, so the layout gives each entry a number and a page rather than a bare list of headings.
Where they usually go wrong
It has to look like you do this for a living.
A Word file shows the seams: floating tables, mismatched type, spacing you fixed twice.
Template sites make you retype the job into their form.
Twelve fields before you see a page, and the result still looks like their template.
One change and the layout falls apart.
Move a line and the table, the headings, and the footer all need re-fixing.
- A numbered list of sections, with sub-entries where they help
- Page numbers, so a reader can find each section
- A separate list of figures and tables when the document has them
- The document title and revision, so the contents matches the right version
| Section | Page |
|---|---|
| 1. Summary | 3 |
| 1.1 Key findings | 3 |
| 2. Background | 4 |
| 3. Method | 5 |
| 3.1 Data sources | 5 |
| 4. Results | 6 |
What each field is for
The fields that keep a contents page useful:
Section
The heading text, numbered to the level your document uses
Page
The page the section starts on, taken from the finished document
Figures and tables
The numbered captions, listed separately
Revision
Which version the contents belongs to, so it is not stale
How it works
Describe it
Type what you need in plain language: the client, the line items, the tone. Attach a file if you have one.
Refine by chatting
The agent builds the document with real tables and headings, and you change anything just by asking. A live A4 preview updates as it works.
Download the PDF
Export a print-ready A4 PDF. No watermark on the free plan, and unlimited exports.
Free to start. No watermark.
See a finished contents page
Pick an example and the full PDF renders here in seconds. Download it if you like it, no sign-in needed.
Report contents page with sections, figures and page numbers
Like it? Open a copy in the studio and change anything by chatting. Free, no watermark.
Make my contents pageYou type it, it sets it
Every part of the document is something you can ask for in a sentence. This is a real edit, made on the example above.
One more row in the contents list, with its page number.
| Section | Page |
|---|---|
| 1. Summary | 3 |
| 1.1 Key findings | 3 |
| 2. Background | 4 |
| 3. Method | 5 |
| 3.1 Data sources | 5 |
| 4. Results | 6 |
Questions, answered
Contents page or PDF bookmarks?
A contents page is part of the document: it prints on paper and survives as text in the PDF. PDF bookmarks are a viewer feature that many exports and print runs lose. For anything that will be printed or shared as a file, the contents page is the durable one.
How do I make a table of contents?
Give the agent your sections in order, and it lays out a printable A4 contents page with a numbered section and page list and a separate figures-and-tables list. Add the page numbers from the finished document.
How do I get the page numbers right?
Finish the document first, then read the starting page of each section into the contents. The generator does not paginate your document, so the numbers are yours to confirm.
Can it include a list of figures and tables?
Yes. The layout has a separate figures-and-tables table with its own page column, so numbered captions are listed apart from the sections.
Is this a contents page generator?
Yes. A contents page and a table of contents are the same document. Give the agent your sections in order and it lays out a numbered contents page with page columns and a separate figures-and-tables list.
Is it free?
Free to start, no watermark, unlimited exports, around 20 PDFs a month on the free plan.
How deep should the numbering go?
Match the numbering to the document, not to a habit:
- One level: section titles only, for a short document
- Two levels: sections and sub-sections, the common default for a report
- Three levels: for long technical documents, or the contents outgrows a page
Turn an outline into a contents page
Give the agent the sections in order and add the page numbers once the document is finished, so the contents does not point at the wrong page.
- Prompt: Create an A4 table of contents from my outline. Include the document title and revision, a numbered contents list with section and page columns, and a separate list of figures and tables. Use only the sections I give and leave page numbers for me to confirm.
- Add the contents last, and check every page number against the finished document.
- The PDF is a static contents page, not live bookmarks or an auto-updating field.
How long does it take to build the table of contents?
One short chat: describe what you need, check the live preview, download the PDF. You can keep changing it after that.
Can I bring a document I already have?
Yes. Attach up to four files at a time: images up to 5 MB, PDFs up to 10 MB, or text files up to 200 KB (.txt, .md, .csv, .json). For Word (.docx, not .doc), PDF, Markdown, HTML or LaTeX documents up to 10 MB each, choose ‘Import a document’ from the studio’s attachment menu. The agent rebuilds imports as editable blocks; original formatting may change.
Put a contents page at the front
- Numbered sections and sub-entries with page numbers.
- Figures and tables listed separately.
- Free to start, no watermark.
No credit card.