# How to Auto-Number Headings in Confluence (H1–H6, With Live Preview) July 23, 2026 · 6 min read [NGPilot](https://ngpilot.com) Who should read this * **Technical writers** building structured documentation in Confluence * **Compliance teams** who need formal numbered sections (1.1, 1.2, 1.2.1) * **Anyone** tired of manually typing and re-numbering headings when content moves What you'll learn 1. Why Confluence doesn't number headings natively (and why manual numbering breaks) 2. How to auto-number H1-H6 with 5 styles (Decimal, Roman, Alphabetic, …) 3. Choosing heading levels and hierarchical indentation 4. Maintaining numbering when you add, remove, or reorder sections The scenario every documentation team hits: you're writing a policy doc or technical spec in Confluence, and it needs numbered sections — `1. Introduction`, `1.1 Overview`, `1.2 Getting Started`, `2. Configuration`. So you type the numbers manually into each heading. Then product changes the structure: a section moves up, a new one gets inserted in the middle, and now every number below the change is wrong. You spend twenty minutes renumbering by hand, miss one, and the doc ships with `1.2` followed by `1.4`. Confluence has no native heading-numbering feature. Headings are just styled text — there's no automatic `1.1` / `1.2` scheme. [**Modern Numbered Headings for Confluence**](https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/2096741841/modern-numbered-headings-for-confluence) fixes this by generating numbered headings automatically from your H1-H6 structure, with a live preview and five numbering styles. When you reorder sections, the numbers update. This guide walks through setting it up. ## Why manual heading numbering breaks[​](#why-manual-heading-numbering-breaks "Direct link to Why manual heading numbering breaks") Manual numbering fails for one reason: it's disconnected from the document structure. When you type "1.2" into a heading, Confluence treats it as plain text. It has no idea that: * This heading is the second child of section 1 * Inserting a new heading before it should bump it to 1.3 * Deleting the parent section should remove the number entirely So every structural change — adding a section, reordering, merging — requires a manual renumber pass. On a 30-section document, that's a fragile, error-prone chore. The fix is to derive the numbers from the actual heading hierarchy, which is exactly what an auto-numbering tool does. ## Step-by-step: auto-number Confluence headings[​](#step-by-step-auto-number-confluence-headings "Direct link to Step-by-step: auto-number Confluence headings") ### 1. Install Modern Numbered Headings for Confluence[​](#1-install-modern-numbered-headings-for-confluence "Direct link to 1. Install Modern Numbered Headings for Confluence") Install [Modern Numbered Headings for Confluence](https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/2096741841/modern-numbered-headings-for-confluence) from the Atlassian Marketplace. It's free for up to 10 users. After installation, no setup is needed — the app works immediately. ### 2. Open a page with headings[​](#2-open-a-page-with-headings "Direct link to 2. Open a page with headings") Navigate to any Confluence page that contains headings (H1 through H6). Look for the numbered-headings icon (📋) in the page byline, just under the page title. Click it to open the configuration modal. If you don't see the icon, make sure the page actually has headings — the app only activates on pages with heading structure. ### 3. Pick a numbering style and heading levels[​](#3-pick-a-numbering-style-and-heading-levels "Direct link to 3. Pick a numbering style and heading levels") The configuration modal gives you two main choices: **Numbering style** — five professional formats, each suited to different document types: | Style | Format | Best for | | ------------------------- | ------------------ | ------------------------------------ | | **Decimal** (default) | `1. → 1.1 → 1.2` | Technical documentation, general use | | **Roman numerals** | `I. → I.I → I.II` | Formal documents, academic papers | | **Alphabetic** | `A. → A.A → A.B` | Structured lists, procedures | | **Legal** | `1. → 1.1 → 1.1.1` | Legal documents, compliance specs | | **Numbered with restart** | restarts per H1 | Long docs with independent chapters | **Heading levels** — choose which levels (H1-H6) to include in the numbering. Most documents number H1 through H3 and leave H4-H6 unnumbered. Use the checkboxes to select any combination; only headings present on the page get processed. ### 4. Configure indentation and preview[​](#4-configure-indentation-and-preview "Direct link to 4. Configure indentation and preview") Two display options shape the final result: * **Hierarchical indentation** — when enabled, child headings indent visually to show their place in the hierarchy (1.1 sits slightly right of 1). This makes the document structure scannable. Disable it for a flat, compact look. * **Live preview** — the modal shows exactly how the numbered headings will appear before you apply them. Use this to verify the style and levels are right. ### 5. Apply and maintain[​](#5-apply-and-maintain "Direct link to 5. Apply and maintain") Click **Insert** to apply the numbering. The page reloads with numbered headings. To navigate, click any numbered heading entry to scroll to that section. **When the structure changes** (you add, remove, or reorder sections), simply reopen the app icon and re-apply — the numbers regenerate from the new hierarchy. No manual renumbering. To remove numbering entirely, open the modal and select **Remove TOC**. ## When to use numbered headings vs. a table of contents[​](#when-to-use-numbered-headings-vs-a-table-of-contents "Direct link to When to use numbered headings vs. a table of contents") Numbered headings and a table of contents (TOC) solve related but different problems: | You want to… | Use | | ------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | | Make sections referenceable ("see section 1.2.3") | **Numbered headings** | | Give readers a clickable navigation overview at the top | **Table of contents** | | Meet a compliance spec that requires numbered sections | **Numbered headings** | | Help readers jump around a long page | **Both** (numbered headings + a TOC macro) | Many formal documents use both: numbered headings for the referenceable structure, and a TOC at the top for navigation. Modern Numbered Headings focuses on the numbering; pair it with Confluence's native TOC macro for the navigation overview. ## FAQ[​](#faq "Direct link to FAQ") ### Does Confluence number headings automatically?[​](#does-confluence-number-headings-automatically "Direct link to Does Confluence number headings automatically?") No. Confluence has no native heading-numbering feature. Headings are styled text with no automatic 1.1 / 1.2 scheme. To auto-number headings (so they update when you reorder sections), you need a Marketplace app like Modern Numbered Headings for Confluence. ### Can I number headings in Confluence without a plugin?[​](#can-i-number-headings-in-confluence-without-a-plugin "Direct link to Can I number headings in Confluence without a plugin?") You can type numbers manually into headings ("1.2 Overview"), but this is plain text — it doesn't update when you add, remove, or reorder sections, so you must renumber by hand after every structural change. Automatic numbering (derived from the H1-H6 hierarchy) requires an app. ### What heading levels can I number?[​](#what-heading-levels-can-i-number "Direct link to What heading levels can I number?") With Modern Numbered Headings, you can number any combination of H1 through H6. Most documents number H1-H3 and leave finer levels unnumbered, but you have full control via checkboxes in the configuration modal. ### What numbering styles are supported?[​](#what-numbering-styles-are-supported "Direct link to What numbering styles are supported?") Five: Decimal (1.1, 1.2), Roman numerals (I.I, I.II), Alphabetic (A.A, A.B), Legal style (1.1.1), and a restart-per-H1 style for long documents with independent chapters. ### Is Modern Numbered Headings for Confluence free?[​](#is-modern-numbered-headings-for-confluence-free "Direct link to Is Modern Numbered Headings for Confluence free?") Yes — Modern Numbered Headings is free for up to 10 users. Beyond 10 users, standard Atlassian Marketplace licensing applies. ## Related guides[​](#related-guides "Direct link to Related guides") Try Modern Numbered Headings for Confluence Auto-number H1-H6 headings in 5 styles (Decimal, Roman, Alphabetic, Legal) with live preview — free for up to 10 users. [Get it on the Atlassian Marketplace](https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/2096741841/modern-numbered-headings-for-confluence?utm_source=ngpilot.com\&utm_medium=website\&utm_campaign=modern-numbered-headings-for-confluence) ## Related guides * [How to Create Mermaid Diagrams in Jira](/blog/how-to-create-mermaid-diagrams-jira.md) * [Export Jira Issues to Excel or CSV](/blog/export-jira-issues-to-excel.md) * [Bulk Download Jira Attachments](/blog/bulk-download-jira-attachments.md) * [How to Migrate Confluence Content](/blog/how-to-migrate-confluence-content.md) Explore NGPILOT[Browse Solutions](/solutions.md)[All Apps](/apps.md)[Atlassian Marketplace →](https://marketplace.atlassian.com/vendors/1226848/?utm_source=ngpilot.com\&utm_medium=blog\&utm_campaign=hub-links) **Tags:** * [confluence](/blog/tags/confluence.md) * [numbered-headings](/blog/tags/numbered-headings.md) * [table-of-contents](/blog/tags/table-of-contents.md) * [how-to](/blog/tags/how-to.md) * [documentation](/blog/tags/documentation.md)