# How to Make a Table of Authorities on a Mac (2026 Guide)

> Every real way to build a table of authorities on a Mac in 2026: legacy Word dialog, Windows Word in a VM, manual dot-leader build, add-ins, PDF tools.

*Updated: 2026-09-24*

**The short answer:** Microsoft says Tables of Authorities aren't supported in Word for Mac, so on a Mac you have five real options — use the legacy TOA dialog if your Word build still has it, run Word for Windows in a virtual machine or over remote desktop, build the table by hand with search and a right tab with dot leaders, pay for an add-in or formatting service, or generate the table from the final PDF. For a single brief due soon, the manual build or a from-PDF tool is usually fastest; for a firm filing briefs every week, Word for Windows with marked citations is the established workflow.

This guide walks through each method honestly, with the time, cost and accuracy risk of each, and closes with the deadline habits that prevent the most common TOA errors. It is a formatting guide, not legal advice — your court's rules control.

**Fast facts**

- Microsoft's support page states: "Tables of Authorities aren't supported in Word for Mac or Word for the web."
- Some older or legacy Word for Mac builds still expose an Insert › Index and Tables › Table of Authorities dialog and the ⌘⌥⇧I (Mark Citation) shortcut. If yours does, it works like the Windows feature, with the same quirks.
- Word for Windows marks each citation as a hidden TA field, then builds the table from those fields (Alt+Shift+I on Windows).
- FRAP 28 requires an appellant's brief to include "a table of authorities—cases (alphabetically arranged), statutes, and other authorities—with references to the pages of the brief where they are cited."
- Apple Pages and Google Docs have no Table of Authorities feature; a TOA there is built by hand.
- Page references must match the pages you actually file, so the final page pass always comes last.

## Method A: the legacy Word for Mac dialog (if your build has it)

Microsoft's current documentation covers Word for Windows only. In practice, some Mac Word builds still show **Insert › Index and Tables › Table of Authorities**, and the **⌘⌥⇧I** shortcut opens a Mark Citation dialog. Check your own copy before planning around it: if the menu item or shortcut is missing, your build does not have it, and there is no supported way to add it back.

If you do have it, the workflow mirrors Windows: select the first full citation, press ⌘⌥⇧I, edit the long citation, set the category (Cases, Statutes, Rules and so on), set the short citation, then **Mark** or **Mark All**. When everything is marked, insert the table where it belongs in the front matter. Expect the same weaknesses as on Windows — Mark All can over-mark matching text, and manual edits to the finished table are lost when it updates. See [why Word for Mac won't make a table of authorities](/word-for-mac-table-of-authorities) for the details.

## Method B: Word for Windows in Parallels, a VM or remote desktop

The supported route on a Mac is to run the Windows version of Word. On Apple silicon Macs that usually means Parallels Desktop (or another virtualization app) running Windows 11 for ARM with Microsoft 365 installed. A firm with Windows machines can also give you remote desktop access through Microsoft's Windows App.

Once you are in Word for Windows, use **References › Mark Citation** (Alt+Shift+I) on every authority, then **References › Insert Table of Authorities**. Before you insert or update the table, hide field codes and hidden text — Microsoft notes this is needed "to make sure that the document is paginated correctly." This is the most established workflow, but it costs a virtualization licence and a Windows licence on top of Microsoft 365, and marking a long brief still takes time.

## Method C: build it by hand on any Mac (step by step)

A manual table needs no special software and works in Word for Mac, Pages or Google Docs. It is slow for long briefs but completely under your control. Work from the **final** version of the brief.

**Manual build: the steps**

- **1. Collect every authority.** Use ⌘F to search for " v. ", "U.S.C.", "C.F.R.", "Fed. R.", "Const.", "§" and your state's reporter abbreviations. Paste each full citation into a scratch list.
- **2. Resolve short forms.** Search each case's short name (e.g. "Rehaif"), plus Id. and supra, so pages that cite an authority only by short form are not missed.
- **3. Sort into categories.** Cases (alphabetical), constitutional provisions, statutes, regulations, rules, other authorities — or whatever headings your court requires.
- **4. Record page numbers from the final PDF.** Open the exported PDF in Preview and use its search; note the printed page numbers, not the PDF viewer's page count, which includes the cover and front matter.
- **5. Set a right tab with a dot leader.** In Word for Mac: Format › Tabs, set a tab at the right margin, Alignment: Right, Leader: dots. In Pages: Format sidebar › Layout › Tabs, add a tab, set it to Right and choose a leader.
- **6. Type each entry** as citation, Tab, page list ("3, 7, 12" or passim). Italicise case names consistently with the body of the brief.
- **7. Proofread against the brief** — every authority present, every page correct, alphabetical order right.

Paralegals on Apple's own community forum describe exactly this approach when Word's TOA tools are unavailable. Budget roughly a minute or two per authority for a careful job; a brief with 60 authorities can take a few hours.

## Method D: add-ins and formatting services

Several vendors sell TOA help. The descriptions below are their public positioning only; check each vendor's site for current Mac support and pricing.

- **Litera Best Authority** — a long-standing TOA add-in for Word on Windows; pay-per-document pricing has been reported at around $65 per document (LawNext, 2019). Not a Mac option without a Windows setup.
- **Benchly (ezBriefs)** — says it "automatically generates TOAs directly within Word"; its pricing page lists a solo plan at $600/year (as published, September 2026).
- **Clearbrief** — an AI and citation tool that works inside Word; see its pricing page.
- **TypeLaw** — a human brief-formatting service; you send the brief and they prepare it.
- **Jurisage** — an upload-based TOA service: you send the document to them.

Most of these need Word add-in support on your setup, an account, or uploading the brief to a third party. That is fine for many firms, and a deal-breaker for others with strict confidentiality policies.

## Method E: generate the table from the final PDF

A newer approach skips marking entirely: read the finished PDF, detect the citations, show you every authority with its pages for review, and export a formatted table. Because the page numbers come from the PDF you will file, pagination changes in Word stop being a trap. BriefAuthority is built this way and is currently pre-launch — see the note below. Whatever tool you use, treat its output as a draft to review, not a finished filing.

**The five methods compared**

| Method | Typical time (40–80 authorities) | Cost | Accuracy risk | Uploads the brief? | Works on a Mac? |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A. Legacy Word for Mac dialog | 1–3 hours of marking | Included with Word | Mark All over-marking; edits lost on update | No | Only if your build still has it; officially unsupported |
| B. Word for Windows (VM / remote) | 1–3 hours of marking | VM + Windows licence, or firm access | Same as Word on Windows; hidden text can skew pages | No (VM) / firm network (remote) | Yes, via Windows |
| C. Manual build | 2–5 hours | Free | Missed short forms, wrong pages | No | Yes — Word, Pages, Google Docs |
| D. Add-ins and services | Varies by product | Per document, subscription or service fee (as published) | Depends on product; review required | Some yes, some no — check each | Varies — check vendor |
| E. From-PDF tool (e.g. BriefAuthority, pre-launch) | Minutes plus review | Planned $39 one-time or $9 per brief | Short-name references need review | No — processed in the browser | Yes, any modern browser |

> **Myth:** "You can't make a table of authorities on a Mac." **Correct:** You can — Microsoft simply doesn't support the Word feature on Mac. Some Mac builds still have the legacy dialog, Windows Word runs fine in a VM, and a manual table built with a right tab and dot leaders is perfectly acceptable to courts.

## Deadline tips that prevent most TOA errors

**Before you file**

- **Do the page pass last.** Any edit — a new footnote, a font change, a reflowed heading — can move citations to different pages.
- **Update after final pagination.** In Word, update the table (click it and press F9 on Windows; use Update Field on Mac builds that support it), then re-check a few entries by hand.
- **Use printed page numbers.** Match the numbers in the brief's footer, not the PDF viewer's count.
- **Pick a passim rule and apply it consistently.** Many practitioners use passim for an authority cited on many pages (often five or more); follow your court's rules or firm style.
- **Decide how Id. and supra pages count** and apply that rule to every authority.
- **Hide field codes before updating** in Word, or hidden TA text can push content onto the wrong page.
- **Check your court's rules** — FRAP 28 and Supreme Court Rule 24 set contents; local rules may add requirements.

> **Where BriefAuthority fits:** **Where BriefAuthority fits.** BriefAuthority is a browser tool, currently in development and pre-launch, designed to build a table of authorities from your final PDF. It reads the PDF page by page on your computer — the brief is never uploaded — detects cases, statutes, regulations, rules and constitutional provisions, and shows every authority with its pages on a review screen before you export a formatted .docx with dot leaders and optional passim. In an internal pre-launch test on two U.S. Supreme Court merits briefs, it found 129 of the 131 cases in the briefs' own tables. It formats and indexes only; it does not check whether citations are good law, and a Windows firm already paying for Best Authority may not need it. Planned price: $39 one-time or $9 per brief. [Join early access](/early-access) to get the launch price first.

## Frequently asked

**Can Word for Mac make a table of authorities?**

Officially, no. Microsoft's support page says Tables of Authorities aren't supported in Word for Mac or Word for the web. Some legacy Mac builds still show the Insert › Index and Tables › Table of Authorities dialog and the ⌘⌥⇧I Mark Citation shortcut; if yours has them, you can use them, but Microsoft doesn't document or support that path.

**What is the fastest way to make a table of authorities on a Mac?**

For one brief with a close deadline, the fastest routes are a careful manual build from the final PDF or a from-PDF tool that detects citations for you to review. Marking citations in Word for Windows is thorough but slower, and needs a Windows setup on a Mac.

**How do I add dot leaders to a table of authorities in Word for Mac?**

Open Format › Tabs, set a tab stop at the right margin, choose Right alignment, pick the dotted leader, and click Set. Then type each citation, press Tab, and type the page numbers.

**How do I make a table of authorities in Pages or Google Docs?**

Neither app has a TOA feature, so you build it by hand: collect every authority, sort by category, record page numbers from the final PDF, and format entries with a right-aligned tab. In Pages, add a right tab with a leader in Format › Text › Tabs.

**Can I run Word for Windows on a Mac just for the table of authorities?**

Yes. Many Mac users run Windows 11 in Parallels Desktop or another virtual machine, or connect by remote desktop to a Windows computer, and use Word's Mark Citation and Insert Table of Authorities tools there.

**When should I use passim in a table of authorities?**

Where your court allows it, many offices switch to *passim* at five or more page references — that threshold comes from Microsoft Word's built-in "Use passim" option. The U.S. Supreme Court's Rule 34.2 says a table of authorities should not use passim (added in the 2023 rules and kept in the rules effective March 16, 2026), and the D.C., Tenth and Eleventh Circuits bar it too (D.C. Cir. R. 28(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 28.3(C); 11th Cir. R. 28-1(d)). Follow your court's rule.

**Is it safe to upload my brief to a table of authorities tool?**

That depends on your confidentiality obligations and the vendor's terms. Some tools require uploading the document to their servers; others run inside Word or entirely in your browser. If your office policy forbids sending client work product to third parties, choose a local method.

**Keep reading**

- [Why Word for Mac won't make a table of authorities](/word-for-mac-table-of-authorities) — What Microsoft says, what legacy builds still do, and what breaks.
- [Table of authorities from a PDF](/table-of-authorities-from-pdf) — Why the final PDF is the right source for page numbers.
- [Table of authorities in Google Docs and Pages](/table-of-authorities-google-docs-pages) — Building a TOA in apps with no TOA feature.
- [Table of authorities rules](/table-of-authorities-rules) — FRAP 28, Supreme Court Rule 24 and common local requirements.
- [Best Authority alternatives](/best-authority-alternative) — Options for Mac users and firms without a license.
- [Early access](/early-access) — Get BriefAuthority at the launch price.
- [What is a table of authorities?](/what-is-a-table-of-authorities)
- [Table of authorities order and alphabetizing](/table-of-authorities-order)
- [Table of authorities for paralegals on deadline](/table-of-authorities-for-paralegals)

**Sources**

- [Microsoft Support — Create a table of authorities](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/create-a-table-of-authorities)
- [Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, Rule 28 (Cornell LII)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frap/rule_28)
- [Supreme Court of the United States — Rules and guidance](https://www.supremecourt.gov/filingandrules/rules_guidance.aspx)
- [Apple Community — Table of Authorities](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254989283)
- [LawNext (2019) — Levit & James pay-per-document pricing for Best Authority](https://www.lawnext.com/2019/08/ahead-of-iltacon19-levit-james-finalizes-its-pay-per-document-pricing.html)
- [Benchly — Pricing](https://benchly.com/pricing)
- [Clearbrief — Pricing](https://clearbrief.com/pricing)
- [TypeLaw — Pricing](https://www.typelaw.com/pricing)
- [Jurisage — Table of Authorities](https://jurisage.com/toa-page/)