Hi @Puffles,
According to your concern, this is likely an expected behavior and a product limitation in Word online version.
- In Word for the web, the page-layout capability is limited. It doesn’t have a section break feature and the page numbers are fixed. For example: if your Executive Summary is on page 5, its page number is fixed at 5 if you use Word for the web.
- In Word desktop app, you have the section breaks and page numbering feature with higher flexibility. For example: your TOC is from page 2 to 5 then you can break sections between TOC and the Execution Summary so you can set the Execution Summary on page number 1, 2, 3 or whatever you want even if it’s in page 5.
Therefore, as my suggestion: if you just need simple TOCs, the Word for the web is fine. But if your TOC is tied to section-based numbering or precise pagination, the online app has many limitations, and you should use Word desktop app for the best experience.
Hope my sharing may help with your concern. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. I’m looking forward to your reply.
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