Update table of contents — AI Prompts for Google Docs

The four heights

The same task, four distances: today's deadline, the next reviewer, the stuck moment, the pattern.

Execute — do the immediate task

I updated the manuscript and need the table of contents to match current pagination. Refresh the…

I updated the manuscript and need the table of contents to match current pagination. Refresh the TOC so Heading 1 and Heading 2 page numbers are correct, then scan for any missing headings and report them.

Improve — make it easier to accept

Before I export the PDF, update the table of contents and make it reliable for reviewers. Refresh…

Before I export the PDF, update the table of contents and make it reliable for reviewers. Refresh the TOC, then run a quick pass to list any headings whose page numbers changed and highlight any orphaned entries or duplicates that need manual fixes.

Decide — diagnose the stuck moment

I clicked update on the table of contents but several page numbers remain wrong and one chapter…

I hit update but page numbers didn't change

I clicked update on the table of contents but several page numbers remain wrong and one chapter title duplicated. The production lead will flag this. I am unsure whether the TOC is stuck or if some headings lost their style during edits. What is the likely cause and the fastest sequence to get page numbers accurate and remove duplicates?

Become — change the pattern

Every time I update the TOC before publishing, internal links break or page numbers shift and I…

I always have to update the TOC at the last minute and it breaks links

Every time I update the TOC before publishing, internal links break or page numbers shift and I scramble. This happens across dozens of documents and costs credibility with editors. What routine or small automation can I adopt so TOC updates are dependable and safe before each export?

Next to this one

Other word processor work people do in Google Docs.

Share document with others Spell check and grammar suggestions Suggest edits (track changes)Track who viewed the document Undo and redo changes Use headings for structure Use keyboard shortcuts Use translation tools Use version history to restore Use voice typing

Every task here came from the work, not from a feature list — which is why the prompts name what you want done and never the button that does it. The tool changes; the work does not.

The rest of the map

Same library, five ways in.

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