How to number clauses in Google Docs
Contracts, policies and terms need clauses numbered 1, 1.1, then (a) and (i), and references like "see clause 4.2(b)" that stay right when a clause is added. Google Docs has no setting for either. Here's how to get both.
Updated October 2026
Set up the structure with heading styles
Give each level of clause its own heading style, so its level is known:
| Level | Style | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Clause | Heading 1 | 1. |
| Sub-clause | Heading 2 | 1.1 |
| Paragraph | Heading 3 | (a) |
| Sub-paragraph | Heading 4 | (i) |
If (a) and (i) items shouldn't look like headings, change how Heading 3 and 4 look: format one the way you want, then choose Format → Paragraph styles → Heading 3 → Update 'Heading 3' to match. They keep their level without being big and bold.
Option 1: a custom numbered list
Format → Bullets & numbering → Numbered list offers a few preset styles. Pick the closest, apply it to your clauses and press Tab to move each sub-clause down a level. Docs doesn't let you set the format of each level yourself, so the exact 1. · 1.1 · (a) · (i) mix usually isn't on offer.
- Levels follow the indent, not the heading style, so every sub-clause needs indenting by hand.
- Lists restart at 1 when sections are pasted in from another document, which is how contracts are usually put together.
- Cross-references have to be typed. Once clause 4 becomes clause 5, every "clause 4.2" in the document is wrong, and nothing tells you.
Option 2: Heading Numbering & Table of Contents
Heading Numbering & Table of Contents numbers headings by their style, so the levels are always right, and it writes the numbers into the text so they appear in exports and the table of contents.
- Install it from the Google Workspace Marketplace, then choose Extensions → Heading Numbering & Table of Contents → Open.
- Choose the Legal style: 1. · 1.1 · (a) · (i). For schedules or articles, use Custom with a pattern such as Clause %1, Article %1 or Schedule %1.
- Press Update numbering. After adding, moving or deleting clauses, press it again and everything renumbers.
Clause references that update
Put your cursor where the reference goes, open the Outline tab, hover over the clause and press Ref. Choose how it reads, for example "clause 3.2(a)". The reference is a link to the clause, and when the numbering changes, every reference changes with it. If someone deletes a clause that's referred to, its references are highlighted in yellow and listed in the sidebar, so a broken reference doesn't go out in a signed contract.
Legal and custom styles and cross-references are part of Pro, at $4 a month or $29 a year. Teams pay $3 a person a month, from 3 people, and colleagues at your work email domain join automatically. Decimal numbering is free.
Get Heading Numbering & Table of Contents
Common questions
Can I keep "Definitions" or "Schedules" unnumbered?
Yes. Add the heading to the add-on's "don't number" list, and the headings under it stay unnumbered too.
What about a contract that already has typed numbers?
The add-on spots headings that start with a typed number such as "2.1 Payment" and can replace them with its own, so you can renumber an old template without retyping it.
Does my contract get sent anywhere?
No. The add-on can only open the document it's used in, and the text is processed by Google Apps Script on Google's servers. Only your email address is sent to us, to check your plan.
Not a contract?
For reports and theses, see how to number headings in Google Docs.
Google Docs™ and Google Apps Script™ are trademarks of Google LLC. This add-on is not made or endorsed by Google.