7 Best Table of Contents Plugins for WordPress (Mostly Free)

When it comes to delivering content online, a short, clear, and concise option is more acceptable to today’s audience. Whether it’s a podcast, infographic, article, or any other format, your audience will be satisfied if you promote your content in such a way that they can understand the critical aspects of the content without going through all of it. 

Whether you’re writing lengthy blog posts, detailed guides, or even product manuals, a TOC will be a proper instrument to help your readers navigate your content comfortably. 

Traditionally, a table of contents (TOC) was a common feature in books, providing readers with an organized map of the content, whereas in WordPress, the TOC serves the same purpose—helping users navigate lengthy web pages or posts with ease.

In this guide, we’ll look at seven of the top table of contents plugins, mostly free, that can significantly improve navigation and user experience on your WordPress site. Let’s go straight to them.

Blocs ultimes

As we begin to explore the options for a Table of Content plugin, we pick Blocs ultimes as the protagonist in that search. Ultimate Blocks takes the lead in the list because of the set of functionalities it offers, making it a game-changing option for WordPress users.  From the Table of Contents block to the Content Toggle block, from the Image Slider to the Progress Bar, Ultimate Blocks is a bag of treasure you might want to open right now.  

With the Table of Contents blocks, Ultimate Blocks goes beyond the basics of a conventional table of contents plugin. This block automatically generates a table of contents from your post or page headings, offering your readers a quick navigation through your content. Whether you’re creating a detailed blog post, a lengthy guide, or a complex document, this block provides options for displaying your TOC in columns, giving your content a polished, organized appearance. To create your table of contents, you might favor a bulleted, numbered, or plain list; nonetheless, Ultimate Blocks will adapt to your preference. You can hide unnecessary headings, easily modify text in the TOC, or make it more intuitive by allowing your users to expand or collapse sections just how they like it. 

With the aim of giving more, the Pro version adds features such as ‘Icons for Listing’ and ‘Sticky Table of Contents’ so that you can set a new standard in the content world. In a world where content is king, Ultimate Blocks ensures you wear the crown.

Caractéristiques principales :

• Auto-generated TOC from headings.
• Bulleted, numbered, and plain list options.
• Simplify navigation by hiding unnecessary headings.
• Allow users to expand or collapse sections for easier navigation.
• Customizable icons and editable content.
• Custom icons for listing and sticky TOC (Pro).

Prix : 

 Ultimate Blocks is free, with additional Pro features available for $49.

Easy Table of Contents

As we continue our search, Easy Table of Contents comes after Ultimate Blocks for its practical, user-focused approach to content navigation. Whether you’re using Gutenberg, Classic Editor, or popular page builders, this plugin will automatically generate a TOC from your content’s headings, giving your readers the perfect idea of what to expect from the whole content. 

Easy Table of Contents automatically creates a TOC by parsing your content’s headings. With the plugin, you can choose how your table of contents should appear with built-in themes,  select from different bullet formats, and display your TOC in a hierarchical structure. Users can choose which headings to include, exclude specific headers, and enable or disable the TOC on a per-post basis. You will definitely enjoy the plugin’s smooth scrolling feature and the ability to place your table of contents on a widget in the sidebar. 

If we move to the pro features, you gain access to a sticky TOC, full AMP support, a Gutenberg block, and an Elementor widget for easy TOC creation. Following these features are customizable sticky TOC appearance options, collapsible subheadings, sticky heading highlights, and a “View More” button for selective TOC display.

Top Features

• Automatically generates a TOC by parsing headings.
• Supports multiple bullet formats.
• Allows hierarchical TOC structure.
• Smooth scrolling and sidebar widget support.
• Ability to enable/disable TOC on a per-post basis.
• Sticky TOC and full AMP support (Pro).
• Gutenberg block and Elementor widget (Pro).
• Collapsible subheadings and sticky heading highlights (Pro).
• “View More” button for selective TOC display (Pro).
• Integration with ACF fields (Pro).

Prix

The plugin is free, with the Pro version starting at $49.

Table of Contents Plus

As we move down the list, Table of Contents Plus comes next as the option you ought to try. It automatically creates context-specific indexes or tables of contents for long pages and custom post types. It also has the capability to generate a sitemap, which is an organized listing of all the pages and categories on your site. 

Table of Contents Plus was initially built with Wikipedia in mind to ensure the TOC appears before the first heading by default, allowing for lead-in content that summarizes or introduces the page. It provides extensive customization options through an administration panel for fine-tuning multiple settings, including display position, setting the minimum number of headings before displaying the TOC, and customizing the appearance. 

With the plugin, you can exclude specific heading levels, disable CSS, adjust the top offset, use shortcodes to control TOC placement and opt for the widget option to display your TOC on the sidebar. This comprehensive approach makes Table of Contents Plus a good alternative for those looking to improve content navigation with ease.

Top Features

• Automatically inserts TOC before the first heading.
• Customizable display position, heading levels, and appearance.
• Supports custom post types and widget placement.
• Shortcodes for TOC control.
• Ability to generate sitemaps for pages, categories, and posts.
• Advanced options for excluding headings, adjusting offsets, and disabling CSS.

Prix

Table of Contents Plus is available for free on the WordPress plugin repository.

SimpleTOC – Table of Contents Block

SimpleTOC – Table of Contents Block, a lightweight, minimalistic, and easy-to-use plugin designed specifically for the Gutenberg editor. This plugin adds a Table of Contents block to your posts and pages, creating a nested list of links to all headings found within the content. 

SimpleTOC offers a straightforward setup just like Ultimate Blocks: add the block, and it’s ready to use. The plugin enables customization of the TOC’s maximum depth and offers the ability to hide the default headline or replace it with a custom heading. It supports a collapsible interface using the browser’s built-in details tag, inherits your theme’s style, and allows customization with Gutenberg’s native group styling options. The plugin produces minimal and valid HTML output, ensuring compatibility and performance.

Beyond its basic setup, SimpleTOC offers additional flexibility with global settings for consistency, options for wide or full-width formats, and the ability to choose between ordered or bulleted lists. It also supports ARIA labels and navigation role attributes for accessibility and is translated into multiple languages, making it a practical and adaptable choice for WordPress users.

Top Features

• Designed exclusively for Gutenberg.
• Zero configuration; just add the block.
• Collapsible interface using the details tag.
• Inherits theme styles and allows Gutenberg customization.
• Global settings for administrators.
• Control heading depth and list style.
• Supports smooth scrolling. 

Prix

SimpleTOC – Table of Contents Block is available for free.

Heroic Table of Contents

Next on our list is Heroic Table of Contents, another block-based plugin designed to make it incredibly easy to add a table of contents to your WordPress site. Like most block-based plugins, this plugin also automatically creates a TOC by detecting headings on a page, offering readers a straight and smooth path to key information. 

Heroic Table of Contents automatically creates a TOC by detecting all headings (h1, h2, h3, etc.) in your content. You can choose which headings to display and which ones to hide. The plugin offers the flexibility to place the TOC anywhere in your article using a Gutenberg block. With no limit to the number of TOCs you can create, it’s perfect for long, complex articles where multiple TOCs might be needed.

The plugin offers options to display specific headings, expand or collapse sections, and choose between bulleted, numbered, or plain lists. You can customize the look of your TOC with four pre-designed styles and adjust colors to match your branding. All in all, this is another option you should not leave without testing. 

Top Features

• Automatically generates a TOC from the headings.
• Option to hide specific headings.
• Insert the TOC anywhere using a Gutenberg block.
• Supports multiple TOCs per article.
• Four pre-designed styles with customizable colors.
• Choose from bulleted, numbered, or plain lists.
• Independent customization for each TOC.

Prix 

Another free option for you. 

Fixed TOC

As we near the end of our list, Fixed TOC offers a premium solution for those looking to invest in advanced content navigation. Unlike other plugins we’ve covered till now, Fixed TOC is a paid option available on CodeCanyon, designed to automatically generate a table of contents on your pages, ensuring readers can quickly find the information they need.

Fixed TOC automatically generates a table of contents from your post content and offers the flexibility to display the TOC at the top of your post or fix it to the page so that it remains visible as readers scroll. You can customize the TOC’s appearance by adjusting its position, size, font, and color and even choose to add it as a widget in your sidebar. The TOC features smooth scrolling, dynamic heading indication, and options to collapse or expand sub-lists.

Fixed TOC supports shortcodes for flexible placement and is compatible with popular page builders like Elementor, Visual Composer, and Divi. It also offers AMP support, individual page settings, real-time previews via the Customizer, various animated effects, and translation readiness, making it easy to integrate with any site and style.

Top Features

• Automatically generates TOC from post content.
• Supports posts, pages, and custom post types.
• Fixes TOC to the page or displays it on top of content.
• Smooth scrolling and dynamic heading indication.
• Customizable position, size, font, color, and more.
• Collapse/expand sub-lists and show scrolling hints.
• Shortcode support for TOC placement anywhere.
• Individual TOC options per page.

Prix

Fixed TOC is a premium plugin available at $20 on CodeCanyon.

Rich Table of Contents

Our final pick is Rich Table of Contents (RTOC), a plugin that offers both simplicity and powerful customization for adding a table of contents to your WordPress site. With a user-friendly interface and real-time preview, RTOC simplifies the process of adding a TOC that perfectly complements your content’s design and structure.

RTOC allows you to configure basic settings like the TOC title, auto-insertion for posts and pages, and which heading levels to display. You can also customize the TOC’s design, including title alignment, list styles for H2 and H3 headings, frame design, and animation effects. RTOC not only completes our list but also strikes the perfect balance between simplicity and power in a table of contents plugin. 

With advanced features like a “Back to TOC” button for mobile, options to exclude specific content and custom CSS support, the plugin gives you full control over your site’s navigation. The plugin’s shortcode support, smooth scrolling, and color presets ensure your TOC is functional and stylish, making RTOC a standout choice for improving site navigation.

Top Features

• Real-time preview with intuitive UI.
• Customizable TOC title and display settings.
• Design options for list styles, frames, and animations.
• Smooth scrolling and color presets.
• Advanced settings for mobile, exclusions, and custom CSS.
• Shortcode support for flexible TOC placement.

Prix

Rich Table of Contents (RTOC) is available for free on the WordPress plugin repository.

Conclusion

Choosing the right table of contents plugin is crucial for promoting your WordPress site’s usability and professionalism. Each plugin in this list offers distinct advantages, whether it’s the extensive customization options in Ultimate Blocks, the seamless integration with page builders in Fixed TOC, or the straightforward functionality of SimpleTOC. By evaluating the unique features and capabilities of these plugins, you can select the one that best aligns with your content strategy, ensuring your readers enjoy a smoother and more engaging experience.