# Microsoft Word question...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-question/603040>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 15, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-question/603040 "2011-11-15T19:23:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-question/603040/1 "2011-11-15T19:23:37Z")

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Is there an easy way to add the periods after the Item on a Table of Contents page?

In other words, I want it to look like this:

Item Page

Item 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Item 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Is there a way to add those periods without just creating a bunch of periods?

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**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-question/603040/2 "2011-11-15T19:34:08Z")

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Insert a right tab with leader dots at your right margin. Type your TOC info, type a tab, then type your page number. Hey presto!

Tab formatting is set under Format \> Tabs in Word 2003. (You didn’t say what version you have.) You can also simply set your right tab and then double-click it to add the leader dots.

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**Author:** ![Jbone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@Jbone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jbone)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-question/603040/3 "2011-11-15T19:35:01Z")

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Use tab stops

-Highlight your page of items  
-Go to **Format** -\> **Tabs**  
-Select the horizontal measurement of how far you want the tab/etc  
-Select what character you want in between  
-OK out and tab where you want the sapce

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**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-question/603040/4 "2011-11-15T19:38:43Z")

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That worked! Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-word-question/603040/5 "2011-11-16T02:26:42Z")

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Word will do this automatically, so that spacing when changing fonts or adding to length is never a problem.

Document Elements =\> Table of Contents =\> Options =\> Formats

Classic, Modern, and Formal all automatically add periods between the words and the page numbers.

That’s looking at it from a Mac in Word 2011. It should be the same in PC Word 2010. All earlier versions had this, but I don’t know the exact path any more. Just go to Help for formatting a ToC.