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Why is my TOC field repeating heading entries (as hyperlinks)?

Anonymous
2024-12-09T18:52:15+00:00

The template I use to generate new documents uses a custom TOC field we built for it. Every now and then the TOC field generates a second set of headings that look like hyperlinks, like this:

The only way I've found to resolve the issue is to remove the TOC field and reinsert it from the References tab. But sometimes it will happen again even though I have reinserted it.

I'm trying to figure out what is happening here. If I toggle the hidden codes on, the TOC code looks OK to me (but I'm no expert):

But when the field duplicates headings, it looks like this:

I'm rebuilding the field to do more testing, but if anyone has any ideas of what is happening with this field, it may save me from more issues in my new field.

We work in Microsoft 365, co-authoring environment on SharePoint/Teams. This is occurring for multiple people, in multiple countries.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For business | Windows

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  1. Stefan Blom 340.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2024-12-23T19:39:35+00:00

    Looking at the document, I see a TOC field followed by several HYPERLINK fields. All of these fields are inside a Table of Contents content control. The control is obviously damaged in some way.

    I would delete the whole TOC and then recreate it via the dialog box at References > Table of Contents > Custom Table of Contents. This will create a TOC field which is not inside a content control.

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  1. Stefan Blom 340.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2025-01-02T20:17:46+00:00

    I haven't tested this thoroughly, but the TOC formats apparently add a content control. The control isn't really needed.

    As an alternative, you can save your customized TOC as an AutoText entry (which is the original type of Building Block). You should be able to insert the AutoText without getting any content controls.

    You can then add the AutoText gallery to your Quick Access Toolbar for easy access.

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  2. Charles Kenyon 167.1K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2024-12-10T19:55:29+00:00

    Hi Graeme,

    Could you save a sample pared-down copy of your document that still has the problem on OneDrive or DropBox and post a link here for us to look at?

    Why a sample file is important for troubleshooting - - - - - - - and how to do it.

    It should still have the TOC field, at least two of the problem captions and some of your custom headings. When you update the TOC it should still give the problem.

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  3. Stefan Blom 340.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2024-12-10T19:50:58+00:00

    I think the only way to move forward here is if you share a representative sample document with the forum. Remember to remove any sensitive information from the document, leaving only enough content to illustrate the issue.

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-12-10T01:11:56+00:00

    Dear Admin,

    Good day! Thank you for posting to Microsoft Community. We are happy to help you.

    We are sorry to hear that you’re having trouble with the Table Of Contents (TOC)  field repeating heading entries as hyperlinks. I deeply understand the inconvenience caused and apologize for it.

    We appreciate your understanding that sometimes the initial response may not resolve the problem immediately. However, we can work together to narrow down and resolve the situation. So, for further troubleshooting, could you please provide the information below:

    1. Could you please let me know if you have any duplicate headings in your document? This can cause the TOC to list them multiple times.
    2. Could you please let me know if there are any manually added TOC entries? These can sometimes cause repetition.
    3. May I know if there is any hidden text or formatting issues in your document? Revealing hidden text and formatting marks can help identify anomalies.

    Once again, I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused. We appreciate your patience and understanding and thank you for your time and cooperation.

    Sincerely,

    Sukie | Microsoft Community Moderator

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