😤 Are You Experiencing These Problems?
- Clicking TOC items does nothing
- Reader shows "Table of Contents is empty"
- Scanned PDF conversion has no chapters
- TOC displays but jumps to wrong locations
This is the second most common ebook problem (after missing covers). The good news: it's completely fixable!
Why EPUB Table of Contents Fails
Scenario 1: TOC Exists But Clicks Don't Work
Most common situation. Usually caused by:
- Missing link targets: Anchor IDs were deleted or changed
- Filename changes: Internal HTML files were renamed during conversion
- Corrupted NCX file: Navigation control file has format errors
Scenario 2: No Table of Contents At All
Common with files from:
- Scanned PDF conversions: OCR only recognizes text, not structure
- Word/TXT direct conversion: No heading styles used
- Old or non-standard EPUBs: Made without TOC
📖 How EPUB Navigation Works
EPUBs actually have two navigation systems:
- NCX TOC (toc.ncx): EPUB 2 standard, best compatibility
- NAV TOC (nav.xhtml): EPUB 3 standard, more features
Ideally both should exist for maximum reader compatibility.
Method 1: Fix TOC with Sigil (Recommended)
Sigil is the most powerful EPUB editor for precise TOC repairs:
1Open Your EPUB
File → Open, select your EPUB
2Check Existing TOC
Tools → Table of Contents → Edit Table of Contents
3Auto-Generate New TOC
Tools → Table of Contents → Generate Table of Contents
Sigil scans all <h1>, <h2>, <h3> tags to create TOC
4Manual Adjustments (if needed)
Adjust hierarchy, remove unwanted items in TOC editor
5Save File
Ctrl+S to save - Sigil updates both NCX and NAV
✅ Sigil Advantages
- Visual TOC structure editing
- Auto-syncs both navigation systems
- Can manually add any anchor points
- Completely free and open source
Method 2: Rebuild TOC with Calibre
If you already use Calibre for ebook management:
1Import EPUB to Calibre
2Right-click → Convert Books → Convert Individually
3Configure TOC Options
In "Table of Contents" tab:
- Check "Force use of auto-generated Table of Contents"
- Set "Level 1 TOC" XPath:
//h:h1 - Set "Level 2 TOC" XPath:
//h:h2
4Set Output Format to EPUB
Click OK to start conversion
Method 3: Create TOC for Scanned PDFs
Scanned PDF conversions typically have no TOC - you need to create it manually:
Step 1: Identify Chapter Locations
Browse the entire book, note where each chapter starts
Step 2: Add Anchors in Sigil
For each chapter start:
- Find the chapter title text
- Select it, click Insert → ID
- Enter unique ID like
chapter1
Step 3: Create TOC File
Tools → Table of Contents → Edit Table of Contents, manually add each chapter
Common TOC Problems & Solutions
| Problem | Likely Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| TOC shows but clicks don't work | Missing link targets | Regenerate TOC in Sigil |
| Some readers don't show TOC | Missing NCX file | Generate NCX in Sigil |
| TOC hierarchy is messy | Improper heading levels | Manual adjustment in Sigil |
| Jumps to wrong position | Anchor position offset | Check and adjust anchors |
FAQ
Q: Why does TOC work on Kindle but not other readers?
Kindle primarily uses NCX navigation, while some EPUB 3 readers prefer NAV. Ensure your EPUB includes both navigation files.
Q: Is there a faster way than manual creation?
If source files follow patterns (like chapters starting with "Chapter X"), use regex in Calibre to batch-identify chapters.
📖 Need to Convert Ebooks with TOC?
Our tool automatically preserves and optimizes table of contents
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