3 ways to add numbered headings to your Confluence pages
Share on socials
3 ways to add numbered headings to your Confluence pages
Jump to Section
Jump to section
Option 1. Manually number headings
- How to manually number headings
Option 2. Auto number headings with a macro
- How to auto number headings
Option 3. Auto number headings & improve page design with an app
Ready to improve the structure and navigation of your Confluence pages? Here are three approaches to numbering headings, and how to choose the right option for your needs.
Headings are an easy way to improve your Confluence page structure. But when you have too many headings on a page, your content can become dense and hard to follow.
Numbered headings help you divide relevant information into clearly labelled sections, making your Confluence pages more accessible and easier for users to navigate. Though Confluence doesn't have a built-in tool to number headings automatically, there are other ways to add them to your pages.
But when should you use them? Numbered headings are particularly useful for:
- Long technical documents: Breaking down complex specs into ordered sections makes them easier to reference.
- Step-by-step instructions: Ensuring users follow guides in the correct sequence.
- Troubleshooting guides: Helping users quickly locate the specific error code or scenario they need to fix.
1. Manually number headings in Confluence
While manually numbering your headings is achievable, it can be fiddly and time-consuming. It's your main option if you don't want to extend Confluence's features with an add-on from the Atlassian Marketplace.
✍️ Tip: It can be tricky to keep track of your headings as you go. To avoid mistakes, we suggest listing your headings and subheadings in a separate document first.
How to manually number headings on a Confluence page
How to manually add numbered headings in Confluence
To keep these instructions clear, we've called main headings “top-level headings” and those below them, “subheadings”.
1. Open your Confluence page and click the Edit (pencil) icon.
2. Scroll to your first top-level heading. Type the number before the heading name (e.g. “1. Introduction”), followed by a space.
3. Add the correct numbers to any subheadings in the section. The gif below can help you work out which part of the number you should change.
Your heading level will affect the part of the number to change
4. Repeat the process for every section, incrementing the top-level heading each time.
5. When you're done, select Publish or Update in the top-right corner.
What are the drawbacks of manually numbered headings?
The biggest downside to manually numbered headings is the maintenance. If you add, move, or delete a section later, you'll have to manually renumber everything.
Because these numbers won't automatically update when a new section gets added, moved or deleted, headings can end up in the wrong order or even without a number.
This method is best suited for static pages that won't change often, or when:
- You only need to structure a few Confluence pages.
- Your content doesn't have many headings or subheadings.
- Your content isn't likely to be updated after you've finished writing it.
However, you might want a different solution if you're collaborating on content, have pages with many headings, or want the peace of mind that you won't need to monitor the pages.
2. Automatically number your headings with Numbered Headings
Want to save time and ensure accuracy? The Numbered Headings macro automatically keeps your heading numbering up to date. You’ll never need to double-check sequences when your page content changes.
The Numbered Headings macro adds a convenient button to your Confluence page, allowing you to number your entire page instantly without adding separate macros to the body content.
The Numbered Headings macro makes structuring pages a breeze
Numbered Headings makes structuring pages a breeze
Discover how much time you save👇
Benefits
- Automatic updates: Numbers adjust instantly when you add or remove content.
- Custom formats: Choose from standard numbers (1, 1.1), Roman numerals (I, II) or Latin letters (A, B).
- Cleaner pages: No need to clutter your edit view with multiple macro placeholders.
Numbered Headings gives you several number formats to choose from
How to use the Numbered Headings macro in Confluence
- Install Numbered Headings for Confluence (you can try it free for 30 days!)
- Create your page and use standard Heading styles (H1, H2 etc.) and press publish.
- Click the Numbered Headings icon from the Edit menu (the little icon with numbers and lines).
- Toggle Numbered Heading on, and choose your formatting options.
- Click Save.
- Refresh your page to see your new Numbered Headings!
Watch the gif below to see how it's done 👇
However, this macro might not be the best choice if you plan to invest in other macros to bring structure and style to your Confluence pages.
Why? Because you can save yourself time, effort, and money by investing in an all-in-one collection of macros - Numbered Headings included! Read on to learn more…
3. Get all-in-one styling with Numbered Headings and more with Mosaic
If you want to go beyond just numbering, consider Mosaic: Content Formatting Macros & Templates. This suite of add-ons includes the Numbered Headings macro, along with a host of other tools to transform the look and feel of your pages.
You can use Numbered Headings alongside other macros included with Mosaic.
Mosaic vs Numbered Headings - the main difference
Numbered Headings is a dedicated tool for structure. Mosaic is a complete toolkit for engagement. With Mosaic, you get the same easy-to-use Numbered Headings functionality, along with features like:
- Tabs: Organise content into clean, clickable tabs.
- Advanced Cards: Display information in visually appealing grid layouts
- Backgrounds: Add colour and containers to sections for emphasis
- Buttons: Create clear calls to action.
Mosaic offers thoughtfully designed macros that work together, giving you total control over your Confluence pages, as well as templates and a built-in design wizard when you're stuck for inspiration.
Whether you're styling a knowledge base or adding structure to documentation, you can use Numbered Headings with any of the included macros to make Confluence pages that users love.
Features:
- An all-in-one bundle of macros to structure and style your Confluence pages
- Macros that are thoughtfully designed to work together
- Includes Numbered Headings plus many other tools, such as Background, Tabs, Tooltip, Advanced Cards, LateX, and Buttons macros.
Is Mosaic right for you?
Mosaic gives you the power to style and organise your Confluence pages. You should consider this add-on if:
- You want to add more company branding to your Confluence pages.
- You'd prefer to invest in a bundle instead of many separate macros to save money.
- You want to make your content more engaging and accessible.
- You want to scale your content creation and provide inspiration for your team.
In a nutshell: If your Confluence pages need more structure and style than Numbered Headings alone can provide, Mosaic is for you.
Ready to make your content more user-friendly?
Get Numbered Headings and a host of other macros with Mosaic for Confluence Cloud. Try free today!
Related Content
Read more
Written by
Related Content
Read more