Components: Table of Contents (TOC)#

Guides TOC implementation for long-form articles, guides, and whitepapers. TOCs improve UX and SEO by enabling quick navigation and reducing bounce rates.

When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1-2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

Initial Assessment#

Check for project context first: If .claude/project-context.md or .cursor/project-context.md exists, read it for content structure.

Identify:

1. Content type: Blog article, guide, whitepaper, documentation
2. Length: TOC most valuable for 1000+ word content
3. Platform: Web, mobile, both

Placement Strategies#

PlacementBest ForProsConsAfter introMost articlesNatural flow; visible earlyCan scroll out of viewFloating sidebarVery long contentAlways visibleMore complex; mobile challengesCollapsibleLong articlesLess intrusiveMay be overlookedTop of articleMobile-firstAccessible on all devicesTakes space

Technical Implementation#

Heading Structure#

• One <h1> per page
• <h2> for major sections
• <h3> for subsections; avoid skipping levels
• Headings >=15 characters for SEO

Jump Links#

• Assign unique IDs to headings (e.g., id="keyword-optimization")
• Use kebab-case for IDs
• Link TOC entries via anchor tags ( #section-id)
• Descriptive anchor text; include target keywords naturally

Semantic HTML#

html

<nav aria-label="Table of contents">
  <ol>
    <li><a href="#section-1">Section Title</a></li>
  </ol>
</nav>

SEO Best Practices#

PracticePurposeSchema.org TableOfContentsHelp search engines understand structureKeywords in headingsNatural integration; avoid stuffingJump links in SERPGoogle may feature TOC links; increases CTR; see serp-features

UX Guidelines#

Visibility & Interaction#

• Clear visual hierarchy; indent nested items
• Highlight current section when scrolling (optional)
• Smooth scroll behavior for jump links

Mobile#

• Minimum 16px font size
• Touch targets >=44x44px
• Responsive layout; consider collapsible on small screens

Accessibility#

RequirementPracticeARIAaria-label="Table of contents" on navKeyboardAll links keyboard-accessibleScreen readersProper heading structure; TOC aids skimming

Output Format#

• TOC structure (sections, nesting)
• Heading/ID mapping suggestions
• HTML/ARIA notes
• SEO checklist

Related Skills#

• tab-accordion: Collapsible TOC uses same disclosure pattern; details/summary implementation
• heading-structure: TOC built from heading structure
• content-optimization: H2 structure, lists, tables for Featured Snippets
• featured-snippet: Featured Snippet optimization; TOC supports snippet structure
• serp-features: SERP features; jump links in results
• article-page-generator: TOC common in long-form article pages