Ep13: Multilevel Numbering in Word - 20 FAQ's Answered

This video shows you how to recognise and fix all the things that can go wrong with multilevel numbering.

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⏰ *TIME CODES (CHAPTERS)*
00:00 Intro
00:38 FAQ #1: How do I modify my existing multilevel numbering instead of creating it from scratch every time
01:32 FAQ #2: My numbering goes 2 … 1.1 instead of 2 … 2.1.
02:57 FAQ #3: My numbering goes 1 … 1.1 then 1 … 1.1 instead of 1 … 1.1 then 2 … 2.1.
04:17 FAQ #4: My numbering goes 1.2.1 … 1.3.1 instead of 1.1.2 … 1.1.3.
05:45 FAQ #5: How can I insert a TAB jump in my number definition?
07:13 FAQ #6: I want headings like 'Acknowledgements' and 'Dedication' in the preliminary section of a book to look like other level 1 headings in the document and appear in the table of contents, but to remain un-numbered. How do I do that?
10:30 FAQ #7: I want regular headings in the document (e.g. 1. Introduction, 2. Methods, 3. Results) to be numbered but other headings (e.g. List of Abbreviations, Table of Figures, Appendix A) to be un-numbered. The TOC must include ALL headings. How do I do that?
12:35 FAQ #8: My document is huge. My numbering is all over the place. How can I fix it quickly?
16:37 FAQ #9: Pressing TAB does not demote to the next level, it just indents the text. Help.
18:04 FAQ #10: TAB and SHIFT TAB jumps to the next or previous cell in a table rather that demoting or promoting to the next level. Help.
19:57 FAQ #11: Where do I find multilevel numbering in Word 365.
20:54 FAQ #12: I spent ages creating a multilevel numbering system, clicked out and lost it. Help.
21:37 FAQ #13: I need more than 9 number levels. How do I do that?
22:15 FAQ #14: How do I get all my numbered items on the left margin rather than indented?
24:02 FAQ #15: What if I want to apply multilevel numbering to headings and normal paragraphs?
25:33 FAQ #16: When I type dash-space or asterisk-space Word no longer creates a new bullet point. What have I missed?
27:05 FAQ #17: How do I start a new list from 1 rather than continuing from the previous list?
28:01 FAQ #18: How do I control the indent for the text under the headings? I don't want my text to automatically start at the margin.
30:47 FAQ #19: Why is Word so incredibly buggy and unpredictable. WordPerfect was far better, far easier to format and more intuitive.
31:35 FAQ #20: How can I keep alignment and positioning of text consistent within a table?
34.25 Wrap

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✅ *OTHER VIDEOS IN THIS 'MULTILEVEL LISTS IN WORD' SERIES*

✅ *HIRE JASON* to build, fix or optimise your documents:

🇦🇺 *ABOUT THE PRESENTER*
Jason Morrell is a professional trainer, consultant and course creator who lives on the glorious Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. He helps people of all levels unleash and leverage the power contained within Microsoft Office by delivering training, troubleshooting services and taking on client projects. He loves to simplify tricky concepts and provide helpful, proven, actionable advice that can be implemented for quick results.

✅ *LET'S CONNECT*

Have a fantastic day!

[JasonMorrell]

*Questions or feedback welcome.* 😊
*Here are 17 docx numbering templates already done for you:*

[carleederrick]

THANK YOU! SUPER HELPFUL and helped me fix my issue that's been plaguing me for over a year

[shenawix]

You are my reference… excellent 👍, thank you

[mscora]

excellent... but did i miss how to remove previous multilevel lists from my new document? the previous lists are always there. thank you

[ricardojimenez]

Good Sunday Jasón,
I am working on a long document. I have three levels but I wanted to know if I have 5.1 then 5.1.1 continue inside a table column 1. Because column Two have a definition. Please let me know. Thank you

[sychoo]

Hi Jason, could you show me how to format this sort of Word document structure? I tried following your tutorial to setup numbering with a, b, c. It works fine when I'm doing it for Title 1 with the multilevel numbering with a customised style.

But, when I'm setting up for Title 2's point a, b, c, the structure continues with labelling point c, d, e.
1. Title 1
1.1 Text
1.2 Text
a. Point a
b. Point b

2. Title 2
2.1 Text
2.2 Text
a. Text point a
b. Text point b
c. Text point c
d. Text point d

[mooeys_stuff]

So helpful. I have an issue on an existing multilevel list: can you edit to make the level 1 numbers in bold and then level 2 etc numbers unbold. I tried to edit a document for this but when I tried to edit level 2 to make it regular text, it affected everything. I could only have the numbers all bold or all regular. Ie I need;

1.0 HEADING (number and heading in bold)
1.2 Blah, blah, blah etc (number and paragraph not bold)

1.3 As per 1.2

2.0 HEADING etc as per above.

[ZabelAngela]

Hi Jason, thank you for this. I'm working on a document with a multilevel list based on headings. Level 1 and 2 Headings have labels, but are not numbered. Levels 3 and beyond are numbered. (Stupid, but not my call.) I'm having trouble making the numbering of Level 3 sequential to each instance of Level 1.

Example: Level 1 heading label is "Section Title". Level 2 heading label is "Section Purpose". Level 3 heading label is "1.1.1 Section Instructions". But if I'm on the fourth instance of Level 1 (which would be "4.0 Section Title" if numbered), the numbering on its Level 3 starts with "1.1.1 Section Instructions", instead of

Is there a way to connect or link Level 3 numbering to the most recent/appropriate instance of Level 1, without imposing or showing numbers on Levels 1 and 2?

[annemorrison]

Hi, I am editing a 100, 000 word document written by someone else. The author used a thesis template that had the chapters numbered automatically, but she manually numbered all of the sections and subsections without using the automated multilevel numbering. When I received the document, the section numbering, the table of contents, and the navigation pane were in quite a mess. I have followed one of your videos to set up multi-level numbering (thanks - very clear!) and I now have all sections and subsections numbering sequentially, except I keep ending up with two chapters numbered Chapter 1 (the navigation pane also shows two Chapter 1s, but the Table of Contents shows the chapter numbers correctly). The only way I can get the second chapter title show 2 is to right-click on the chapter title and set the numbering value to two. This has consequences for what shows in the Styles pane (all headings start with 2 rather than 1). To be honest, I don't understand how multi-level numbering, TOC, the styles pane and the navigation pane interact. Any suggestions?

[FaribaHaddadi-gfxo]

Hi Jason, can you show me how I can add each chapter without numbering but all sub groups in each chapter have numbering? For example if I have chapter 2, doesn't wanna have its number before that, but all sub groups like 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 should be included, again for chapter 3 without pre number but all sub groups come with numbering like 3.1., 3.2., 3.3, . Thanks.

[annemorrison]

Hello, I have been sent a Word document to copy edit. The document uses multilevel numbering. But part way through the document, the multilevel numbering simply stops. The headings are all level 1 and level 2 according to the styles gallery. I can't understand why the numbering stops. Any ideas how to rectify this?

[cathysieberlowe]

Great videos, thank you so much. I have a requirement to add the characters "CA", to individual items in my multi level list, and have the numbering continue. For instance the numbering might look like this, it it possible to combine use of multi level numbering and style to do this?
(a) free text
(1) free text
(2) free text
(b) free text
(c) CA free text
(1) CA free text
(d)