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:
- Content type: Blog article, guide, whitepaper, documentation
- Length: TOC most valuable for 1000+ word content
- Platform: Web, mobile, both
Placement Strategies
| Placement | Best For | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| After intro | Most articles | Natural flow; visible early | Can scroll out of view |
| Floating sidebar | Very long content | Always visible | More complex; mobile challenges |
| Collapsible | Long articles | Less intrusive | May be overlooked |
| Top of article | Mobile-first | Accessible on all devices | Takes 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
<nav aria-label="Table of contents">
<ol>
<li><a href="#section-1">Section Title</a></li>
</ol>
</nav>
SEO Best Practices
| Practice | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Schema.org TableOfContents | Help search engines understand structure |
| Keywords in headings | Natural integration; avoid stuffing |
| Jump links in SERP | Google 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
| Requirement | Practice |
|---|---|
| ARIA | aria-label="Table of contents" on nav |
| Keyboard | All links keyboard-accessible |
| Screen readers | Proper 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