When building a table of contents for a PDF hosted on your company’s intranet, prioritize clarity, logical flow, and alignment with enterprise-wide communication standards.
Corporate intranet documents differ from public-facing content—they’re used by employees searching swiftly for employee handbooks, process SOPs, compliance frameworks, or ketik training modules.
The table of contents functions as the central navigation hub, minimizing uncertainty and streamlining access to critical information.
Start by defining your primary users—such as HR personnel, department heads, or shop-floor workers—and adjust the terminology and level of detail to match their needs.
Adopt language that reflects your organization’s standard terms, avoiding unnecessary complexity while staying true to internal parlance.
Cluster similar items under unified headings—each section should represent a single, identifiable theme, not a vague collection of unrelated items.
Ditch ambiguous labels like “Miscellaneous” or “Overview”—replace them with precise, actionable headings like “New Hire Documentation Requirements” or “Travel and Expense Submission Guidelines.”
Numbering sections sequentially improves reference accuracy, especially when citing documents in emails or meetings.
Always confirm that the TOC page references align with the final exported PDF—any layout adjustment can break the mapping and cause confusion.
When the document spans many pages, indent subheadings to show their relationship to parent sections, enhancing scannability and comprehension.
If the document exceeds 20 pages, add an index or bookmarks within the PDF file to complement the table of contents.
Always review the document structure with a cross-functional team to ensure all departments find their content accurately represented.
Perform real-world usability tests: give employees a task, like “Find the parental leave policy,” and observe where they struggle or hesitate.
A well-crafted table of contents isn’t optional—it’s a vital tool that ensures employees spend less time searching and more time doing.
