List of Figures
A list of figures helps readers locate captioned figures in a long document. When the authoring system supports it, generate the list from caption fields rather than typing figure numbers and page references manually.
Build a list of figures from consistently labelled figure captions, and update the generated list after figures or page numbers change.
Key details
Important caveats
Automation
Use the document system’s caption/table-of-figures feature where available so the list can be regenerated after edits.
Style Boundary
Placement, heading wording and visual formatting depend on the governing template or house style; the navigation job is separate from the caption-writing job.
Further guidance
Source Of Entries
Base the list on the document’s actual figure captions so labels and numbers stay aligned with the figures.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Add, format, or delete captions in Word — Microsoft Support (opens in a new tab)Microsoft Support · Numbered caption labels for figures, tables and equations and sequence updating