If you are using Blogger, TOC is one of the most effective methods to increase the readability and SEO performance of your blog posts. This provides rich snippets to search engines and helps readers find your blog very easily.
Whether you are creating long tutorials, product reviews, or guides, having a table of contents helps organize what you are writing. In this tutorial, we will discuss how to add a table of contents in Blogger both manually and automatically. It also includes working HTML/JavaScript code, styling, and placement hints.
What is a Blogger table of contents?
A Blogger table of contents (TOC) is a list of sections and sub-sections in your blog post that are listed as clickable links. Each article is associated with a specific heading (H2 or H3), resulting in the visitor immediately finding the information they want to read.
This not only improves the user experience, but also helps Google understand the structure of your content. In short, it maximizes the chances of your paper being featured in Featured Snippets or People Also Ask (PAA) boxes.
The table of contents is as follows:
Table of Contents
1. What is a Table of Contents?
2. Benefits of Using TOC
3. How to Add a TOC in Blogger (Manually)
4. Thomas Antonio Collins (2012) How to Add a TOC in Blogger (Automatically).
5. Frequently Asked Questions
By clicking on the title, readers will be easily transferred to that part of your post.
What does it mean to include a table of contents in Blogger?
Adding a table of contents is not just a matter of design, but a proven method of SEO and user interaction. Here’s why every blogger should consider it:
1. Increases usability and readability.
Readers don’t always have to scroll through long blog posts. TOCs allow them to find the part they need in the shortest possible time – increasing time on page and reducing bounce rates.
2. Increases search engine and Google rankings.
Search engines read your blog’s structured content to learn more about your blog. The index of heads helps index the table of contents which is also a well-structured piece of information.
3. Enhances user experience (UX)
TOCs enable you to make your blog posts interactive. Travelers can easily read your article and some visitors may read more because it’s more accessible.
4. Improves the risks of appearing in featured snippets.
Google sometimes displays your internal headings in search results when your blog has a TOC.
5. Gives a professional look
A clean, concise TOC will give your blog a streamlined and professional look and will gain the trust of your readers.
Adding a Table of Contents in Blogger (Automatically)
The first method is the automatic method in which a dynamic table of contents is created according to the titles of your articles.
These are step-by-step instructions that should be followed.
Step 1: Click on the Blogger dashboard. All you have to do is log in to your Blogger account and then simply select the blog to which you want to add a TOC.
Step 2: Make sure to backup your theme
It is important to always save your theme before making any changes to the HTML code.
Go to Theme -> Backup/Restore -> Download Theme.
This is so that you can get back your original setup if anything goes wrong.
Step 3: Edit the HTML Code
Now go to:
Theme -> Edit HTML
Search with the search bar (Ctrl + F on PC) and find the body tag.
Step 4: Uncomment the automatic TOC code.
Paste the following code before the end of the body tag:
<b:if cond=’data:view.isPost’>
<style>
html {scroll-behavior:smooth;overflow-x:hidden}
details.k2Toc.padding:10px 15px;background:f7f7f7;color:333;border:1px solid ddd;border-radius:6px;margin:15px 0;
details.k2Toc summary font-weight:600; cursor: pointer;
details.k2Toc a {text-decoration:; color: 0066cc;
details.k2Toc a:hover {color:ff5c }
static getLevel(tag) {
return parseInt(tag.tagName.substring(1));
}
generate() {
let list = document.createol;
this.headings.forEach(h => {
h.id = h.textContent.trim tries to replace any s+ in the text content and h.id = h.textContent.trim.replace(/\s+/g, ‘_’)
item = document.createElement(li);
link = document.createElement(a);
link.href = `#${h.id}`;
h.textContent = link.textContent;
item.appendChild(link);
list.appendChild(item);
});
this.toElement.appendChild(list);
}
}
document.addEventListener to DOMContentLoaded, () => {
const toc = new TableOfContents( {
from: document.querySelector(‘#post-body’),
to: document.querySelector(‘#toc-content’)
});
toc.generate();
});
</script>
</b:if>
Step 5: Save Changes
To save your theme, click Save. Your Blogger template now has an automatic Table of Contents that enables it.
Step 6: Insert a TOC into Your Post
When you are writing a new blog post, switch to HTMLmode, and insert the following code immediately after your introduction paragraph:
<details class=”k2Toc”>
Table of Contents.
<div id=”toc-content”></div>
</details>
Step 7: Publish the post
After publishing, the table of contents will automatically create links to all H1, H2, and H3 headings in your blog or article. That’s it, all you have to do is add the table of contents to your Blogger!
Read More: How to Remove Powered by Blogger from Footer in Blogger?
How to add a table of contents manually in Blogger?
You don’t need to work with JavaScript or edit theme HTML, you can also use a simple TOC created directly as part of the post.
Here’s how:
Step 1: Writing and formatting your paper.
These sections are to be done in H2 and H3. Example:
<h2 id=”intro”>Introduction</h2>
According to Haggai (2016), there are several benefits to using a TOC.
Add a TOC manually How to add a TOC.
<h3 id=”steps”>Steps to add</h3>
Step 2: Create an anchor list
You should be able to establish it by adding a basic list to your post introduction, which helps guide all aspects.
<h3>Table of Contents</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href=”#intro”>Introduction</a></li>
li
|human|>li: Benefits of TOC.
li How to add a TOC manually.
li.
</ul>
Step 3: Smooth Scrolling (Optional)
To make navigation even easier, you just need to go to Theme -> Edit HTML, and then you can find the following part of the head and put it in front of it:
<style>
html {
scroll-behavior: smooth;
}
</style>
Step 4: Publish and Test
Your post should have a TOC link for each part, which will take you there.
It is an ideal manual TOC method, suitable for small blogs and does not require changing the theme.
Think about the location of the table of contents.
It is equally important to know where to place your TOC and add it.
Best Place: Right after your introduction paragraph.
It should not be placed at the beginning of the introduction as it can confuse the reader before they even understand the content.
Make it narrow with the <|human|> tag so that it looks nice.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Failing to use unique IDs – Your titles should have unique ID attributes that can be used to link to them.
Ignoring mobile compatibility – Test your TOC layout on both desktop and mobile layouts.
Adding too many levels – H2 and H3 to clean up the navigation.
Failing to update after editing – When you update your titles, don’t forget to update the links in your TOC.
Final Thoughts
A table of contents can help you make your posts on Blogger look professional, structured, and environmentally friendly. Whether you do it manually or go with an automated JavaScript widget, both will enhance your blog.
Start adding a TOC to your most popular posts today! You’ll see increased engagement, higher rankings, and readers.
Also Read : News Blogger Templates: Simple and Responsive Themes
FAQs
Q 1. Should I include a table of contents in all blog posts?
Not necessarily. A table of contents works best in long-form (1000 words and up) content that has multiple sections. In the case of shorter posts, this is optional, although it can enhance navigation and SEO signals.
Q 2. Does including a table of contents increase SEO rankings?
Yes. Jump links can also appear in search results when your blog post has a TOC. This structured format helps search engines understand your headings and enhances your content.
Q 3. Is it possible to design my own table of contents?
Absolutely. Colors, borders, and font sizes can be edited under the <style> part of the given code. Many bloggers insert icons or collapsible details tags to suit their webpage theme.
Q 4. My automatic table of contents is not working in Blogger?
It could be for several reasons:
- You may have failed to provide the script before the closing </body> tag.
- The post does not have any type of heading like h2 or h3.
- The JavaScript is either turned off or is not compatible with another widget at all.
- Re-test your code positioning and make sure all headings are formatted correctly.
Q 5. What can I do to remove or turn off the table of contents in the future?
If you placed it manually, simply remove the HTML listing from your post. In the automatic technique, delete the code you added before the end of the body tag in the theme editor, the <script> and <style> codes and the TOC will disappear from the entire site.
