Table of contents - Verba

The table of contents builds itself from the headings inside your article, with no separate field to fill in.

The contents list is only as good as your headings. An article with no headings gets no contents list.

The list is built on the server, so it works even with JavaScript off. Entries are numbered by level (1, 1.1, 1.1.1), clicking one scrolls smoothly to that section, and the current section is highlighted as the reader scrolls.

#Turn it on and choose the levels

The table of contents belongs to the advanced post layout, so first set Single Post Source at VerbaTheme OptionsSingle PostGeneral to Advanced. Then go to VerbaTheme OptionsSingle PostBody, group Table of Contents.

Heading levels shapes the list most. Only h2 gives a short list of sections. h2 plus h3 gives structure with sub-entries. Adding h5 and h6 only makes sense in very long reference articles, where the alternative is a wall of text.

#How the indenting works

Indenting is measured from the shallowest level that actually appears in the article, not from h2.

So an article written with h3 and h4 reads as a top-level list with sub-entries, rather than starting with a double indent for no reason.

#When the contents list disappears

If the selected levels match none of the article headings, the block isn't drawn at all. There's no empty frame and no hint that anything is wrong.

On a post split with page breaks, the list only covers the page being read. See Splitting a long post across several pages.

#Anchors

If a heading has no anchor of its own, the theme creates one from the heading text, and repeated headings get distinct anchors. Set one by hand in the heading block's Advanced panel when you want a link address that stays the same if you reword the heading.

#Contents and the reading bar

Both can be on at once. The bar shows reading progress, the contents list gives navigation.

Can I exclude one heading from the list?

Not directly. Use a heading level that isn't in the selected set, or make it a styled paragraph instead of a heading.

Does the contents list help SEO?

It creates internal anchor links and pushes you toward a clear heading structure, which helps readers too.

Last updated 1 Oct 2026