Generating a table of contents for a document that contains both portrait and landscape pages requires careful planning to ensure readability, proper layout, and accurate page references

Many word processing tools, such as Microsoft Word or Adobe InDesign, automatically generate tables of contents based on heading styles, but they do not inherently account for page orientation changes

Without proper handling, the TOC may display conflicting numbers or fail to link accurately to rotated sections

A successful TOC in mixed-orientation documents demands a three-phase strategy: structuring headings properly, isolating orientation changes, and validating the final result

Start with a well-organized hierarchy: apply standardized heading levels to every section intended for inclusion in the TOC

Whether a section is on a portrait or landscape page, apply the same heading level—such as Heading 1 for main chapters and Heading 2 for subsections—to maintain uniformity in the TOC generation process

Never rely on visual styling like bold, italic, or increased font size to mimic headings—these are invisible to TOC generators

Without proper style application, entries will be missing, misordered, or omitted entirely

To preserve TOC integrity during orientation shifts, always wrap landscape sections with section breaks—before and after

Section breaks ensure that page numbering, headers, footers, and TOC references remain continuous across orientation boundaries

Alternatively, use the shortcut Insert > Break > Next Page to insert a clean section divider

This ensures the following content resumes with the original page setup and numbering

The change will apply only to the enclosed section, leaving the rest untouched

The key here is that section breaks preserve the continuity of the document’s numbering and heading hierarchy, ketik allowing the TOC to remain functional

Never construct the TOC by hand—always generate it using the software’s automated TOC function

In Word, go to References > Table of Contents and choose a style

The TOC generator scans every paragraph tagged with Heading 1, Heading 2, etc., and builds a dynamic, hyperlinked index

Even though some pages are landscape, the TOC will still reference the correct page numbers because the section breaks maintain the underlying document flow

This forces a re-scan of all headings and page references

footer settings from portrait pages will transfer correctly

Use the Different First Page or Different Odd & Even Pages options in the Header & Footer Tools to adjust content as needed

However, avoid inserting page numbers manually on landscape pages

Let the software auto-insert them using the Page Number tool to ensure consistency with the TOC

After exporting to PDF, test all TOC links to confirm they navigate to the correct pages

For formal documents like theses or manuals, establish a comprehensive style guide covering headings, spacing, and alignment regardless of page direction

This includes font size, spacing, and indentation for headings, regardless of page direction

Uniform formatting across orientations helps readers transition smoothly between portrait and landscape content

This is the only reliable way to catch layout, linking, or pagination errors

Verify every hyperlink works, confirm page numbers follow correct order, and ensure no text is cut off on landscape pages

For collaborative projects, distribute a master template with locked styles, section break markers, and TOC settings

This method turns a challenging layout problem into a streamlined, automated workflow

The goal is not to fight the software’s limitations, but to work with them through thoughtful document architecture

Readers will move confidently between sections—portrait or landscape—without confusion or interruption