Table of Contents Styles: Which One Fits Your Brand?

Style Matters

A TOC isn't just functional. It's a design element. The wrong style creates visual discord. The right style feels native to your site.

Table of Contents Pro includes 4 distinct styles. Here's when to use each.

1. Minimal

Best for: Clean themes, personal blogs, corporate sites

The Minimal style is exactly what it sounds like. Simple list, subtle styling, no visual weight. It does the job without demanding attention.

Characteristics:

• Clean typography
• Subtle hover effects
• No borders or backgrounds
• Integrates with any color scheme

Use when: Your theme is already minimal. You want the TOC to be functional but invisible. You don't want another design element competing for attention.

2. Notion

Best for: SaaS blogs, tech documentation, modern startups

Inspired by Notion.so's clean aesthetic. A subtle left border, slight background tint, modern feel.

Characteristics:

• Subtle left border accent
• Light background
• Clean, modern typography
• Tech-forward aesthetic

Use when: Your audience is tech-savvy. Your site has a modern, SaaS-like design. You want something more distinctive than Minimal but still clean.

3. Wiki

Best for: Educational content, knowledge bases, reference sites

The classic encyclopedia look. Centered, bordered box with clear visual boundaries. Familiar to anyone who's read Wikipedia.

Characteristics:

• Centered layout
• Clear border
• Background color
• "Contents" header
• Traditional, authoritative feel

Use when: Your content is educational or reference-focused. You want the TOC to feel authoritative and familiar. Your readers expect traditional documentation style.

4. Accordion

Best for: Mobile-heavy sites, space-constrained layouts, FAQs

A collapsible TOC that expands and contracts. Shows the title by default, content on click. Saves vertical space.

Characteristics:

• Collapsed by default
• Click to expand/collapse
• Minimal footprint when closed
• Good for mobile

Use when: Vertical space is limited. Your readers are often on mobile. You have very long TOCs that would overwhelm the layout. You want the TOC available but not always visible.

Fixed Position: A Separate Decision

Any style can be pinned to the left or right side of the screen. Fixed position means the TOC stays visible while scrolling.

Use fixed position when:

• Articles are very long (3,000+ words)
• Readers frequently jump between sections
• You have adequate horizontal space (wide layouts)

Avoid fixed position when:

• Layout is narrow
• Mobile traffic is high (fixed works, but takes space)
• Articles are short enough to scroll quickly

Typography Customization

Beyond style, you can customize fonts, sizes, and colors to match your theme. The goal is a TOC that feels integrated, not bolted on.

Key typography options:

• Font family: Match your theme's typography
• H2 size and color: Main items
• H3 size and color: Sub-items (usually slightly smaller/lighter)

Making the Choice

Here's a quick decision framework:

Style	Best For	Visual Weight	Mobile-Friendly
Minimal	Clean themes, personal blogs, corporate	Low	Yes
Notion	SaaS blogs, tech docs, startups	Medium-low	Yes
Wiki	Educational, knowledge bases, reference	Medium	Yes
Accordion	Mobile-heavy sites, space-constrained layouts	Minimal when collapsed	Excellent

1. Look at your theme: What's the overall aesthetic? Minimal? Bold? Traditional?
2. Consider your audience: Tech-savvy readers expect different design than general consumers.
3. Check your content type: Documentation needs differ from blog posts.
4. Test on mobile: How does each style look on smaller screens?

Conclusion

There's no universally "best" TOC style. The best choice is the one that fits your specific site, audience, and content.

Minimal for clean sites. Notion for modern tech. Wiki for educational content. Accordion for space-saving.

The good news: you can switch anytime. Try one, see how it feels, adjust as needed.

Manual CSS vs Plugin Styles

Approach	Setup Time	Switching Styles	Mobile Responsive
Custom CSS	2-4 hours per style	Rewrite from scratch	Build yourself
Table of Contents Pro	30 seconds	One dropdown change	Built-in

If you build TOC styles manually: You spend hours on CSS, it looks good on desktop but breaks on mobile, and switching styles later means starting over. Meanwhile, your competitors ship content faster.