How to fix skipped heading levels in Word
What the rule sets in the TypesetOS checker apply for heading levels. Heading levels used in order, none skipped: University of Michigan Rackham Dissertation, Generic US Graduate School Thesis, APA 7th Edition: Student Paper and Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition.
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What this rule means
Heading levels have to be used in order: a Heading 3 sits under a Heading 2, which sits under a Heading 1. A level that jumps, such as a Heading 3 straight under a Heading 1, is a skipped level.
Word builds the Navigation Pane and the contents page from these levels, so a skipped level shows up in both.
What each rule set asks for
Each row is the rule set the TypesetOS checker applies, taken from the guide linked in its last column. Open the school’s own page for the full list of rules.
| School or style | What the checker applies | How it is handled | Guide it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan Rackham DissertationUniversity of Michigan Rackham Dissertation format requirements | Heading levels used in order, none skipped | Shown for reviewThe formatter does not fix this one; use the steps below. | University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School: Formatting Guidelines |
| Generic US Graduate School ThesisGeneric US Graduate School Thesis format requirements | Heading levels used in order, none skippedWorking reading: source being re-checked. | Shown for reviewThe formatter does not fix this one; use the steps below. | University of Notre Dame Graduate School: Style Guide for Formatting Dissertations and Theses |
| APA 7th Edition: Student PaperAPA 7th Edition: Student Paper format requirements | Heading levels used in order, none skipped | Shown for reviewThe formatter does not fix this one; use the steps below. | Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th Edition: APA Style student paper setup guide |
| Chicago Manual of Style, 17th EditionChicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition format requirements | Heading levels used in order, none skippedWorking reading: source being re-checked. | Shown for reviewThe formatter does not fix this one; use the steps below. | The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed.: CMOS Shop Talk (official CMOS editorial guidance on margins and page numbers for Turabian/Chicago-style papers) |
Generic US Graduate School Thesis and Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition are working readings, because the source for each is being re-checked.
The checker does not apply this rule for MIT Thesis, Stanford Dissertation, UC Berkeley Dissertation, Columbia GSAS Dissertation, Harvard Griffin GSAS PhD Dissertation, ProQuest / UMI Dissertation Submission.
TypesetOS is not affiliated with the schools and organisations named on this page. Compare the values with the current guide that applies to your submission.
Fix it in Word
Steps in Word (Windows and Mac)
- On the View tab, tick Navigation Pane. The headings of your thesis are listed there in their levels.
- Look for a level that jumps, for example a Heading 3 straight under a Heading 1.
- Click that heading in the document and choose the Heading style it should have in the Styles gallery on the Home tab.
- If a line has a Heading style only to make it look bigger, give it a plain style instead and format the text itself.
- In the Navigation Pane you can also right-click a heading and choose Promote or Demote to change its level.
- Headings inside tables, text boxes, headers and footers do not appear in the Navigation Pane.
Microsoft’s own instructions:
Then check the file
Run the free format checker on the saved file to see whether this rule now passes. It names what it checked and what it could not check. It does not decide whether your school will accept the file.
Other fixes in Word
- How to fix thesis margins in Word
- How to set the page size of a thesis in Word
- How to fix the body font and size in Word
- How to fix thesis line spacing in Word
- How to start every chapter on a new page in Word
- How to number tables and figures in Word
- How to fix the reference list layout and hanging indent in Word
- How to put the front pages of a thesis in order in Word
- How to add page numbers to a thesis in Word
- How to fix the position of page numbers in Word
- How to fix Roman and Arabic page number formats in Word
Word steps last reviewed: 2026-10-17.