Microsoft features a tool called the Navigation Pane in Word 2013 that provides a convenient location for you to navigate through your document. You may have gotten used to using it, only to open Word one day and find that it is gone. The Navigation Pane is an optional part of the Word 2013 layout, and it can be hidden from the program at any time.
So if you want to use the Navigation Pane for your document, but it is currently hidden, then you can follow the steps below to open it and display it at the left side of the Word window.
Show the Navigation Pane in Word 2013
The steps in this article will open the Navigation Pane at the left side of the window in Word 2013. You can use similar steps to open the navigation pane in word 2010. If you find later that you do not like using the Navigation Pane, then you can click the x at the top right corner of the pane, or you can follow the same steps below to remove the check mark from the box instead of add it.
- Open your document in Word 2013.
- Click the View tab at the top of the window.
- Check the box to the left of Navigation Pane in the Show section of the ribbon.
The Navigation Pane should now be open at the left side of the window.
Outlook Navigation
Sep 19, 2017 This tutorial shows you how to use the Navigation Pane in Microsoft Word 2016. I cover everything that you'll need to know for the headings section of the navigation pane including how to modify. The Word Navigation Pane is a great way of looking through a document. On the Mac, click the Sidebar option to show the drop-down menu. Click the arrow next to the option and click Navigation. (On older versions of the Mac software, the option is called Document Map Pane.) On the Mac, use Sidebar Navigation to navigate through a document.
You can enter search terms into the Search field, or you can click the Headings, Pages or Results options for ways to navigate through your document. Note that the visibility of the Navigation Pane is something that is remembered in the Word application, so if you open the Navigation Pane in one document, and don’t closeit, then it will be open and visible for the next document that you open in Word 2013.
Microsoft Word 2013 has a lot of great grammar and spelling tools that can help fix problems in your document. For instance, learn how to check for passive voice in Word 2013 and find instance where you have written in the passive voice so that you can fix them.
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Have you ever heard of Word’s Navigation Pane? It’s a sidebar you can view on the left of your document that allows you to move more quickly through your Word document. Use it to browse your document by Headings, Thumbnails, and Searching for words. To turn it on using a PC, go to the VIEW Tab and put a CHECK in front of NAVIGATION PANE. On a Mac, go to the VIEW menu and highlight SIDEBAR, then select any of the choices there.
Browse by Headings
To browse by Headings, you need to format your sections using the Styles gallery, using the Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3 styles. Once you’ve applied this organizational formatting, the FIRST VIEW in the Navigation Pane becomes a list of your sections and subsections.
A tiny triangle appears before each heading level that has subsections. Click on the TRIANGLE to expand and collapse the list. Second-level headings are slightly indented.
Click on the HEADINGS to jump to that section. On a PC, use the UP AND DOWN arrows to skip from section to section. Click and drag the SECTION BARS to rearrange the document. Much faster than cutting and pasting!
The PC version of Word also allows you to instantly change between Heading 1, 2, or 3 styles, and change the section’s indent. Right-click on a SECTION and choose PROMOTE or DEMOTE.
Navigate by Thumbnail
Thumbnails show tiny previews of each page so that you can jump around by appearance.
On a PC, click on the SECOND Tab to see a picture of each page (on a Mac, it’s the FIRST button).
Click on the PREVIEWS to move from page to page.

Locate Using Search
Click on the THIRD Tab for a SEARCH BOX. On a Mac, it’s the FOURTH button.
Navigation Pane Word Mac
When you type in A WORD OR A PHRASE, all occurrences become highlighted in yellow, and are listed in the Navigation Pane along with their context.
Click on EACH MATCH or use the UP AND DOWN ARROWS to visit each one.
On a Mac, you can also use this pane as a Find and Replace tool!
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Update Navigation Pane In Word

For the complete collection of time-saving tips and tricks, buy my book, Microsoft Word 2010 Tips & Tricks. Available in eBook, iBook, Multi-touch, and paperback versions.