How to Put a Table of Contents in a Beamer Headline

Beamer can show section links across the top of each slide, but that headline is a narrow strip rather than a regular page area. For a reliable layout, use the built-in section navigation in the headline and put a multi-column table of contents on a separate frame. The example below shows both.

Use section navigation in the headline

The command \insertsectionnavigationhorizontal prints links to the presentation’s sections across a specified width. Put it in the headline template to show the navigation at the top of each frame:

\setbeamertemplate{headline}{%
  \begin{beamercolorbox}[
    wd=\paperwidth,
    ht=2.5ex,
    dp=1ex,
    leftskip=.3cm,
    rightskip=.3cm
  ]{section in head/foot}%
    \usebeamerfont{section in head/foot}%
    \insertsectionnavigationhorizontal
      {\dimexpr\paperwidth-.6cm\relax}{}{}%
  \end{beamercolorbox}%
}

Here, wd=\paperwidth makes the color box span the slide. The ht and dp options reserve space above and below the baseline. The navigation width subtracts the two side margins. If you use a theme with a different header design, you may need to adjust these dimensions or its colors.

This navigation is horizontal; it does not create two columns. It is intended as a compact way to jump between sections, and long section titles may need shorter wording or a smaller font.

Put a full table of contents in columns

For a multi-column contents page, use Beamer’s native columns environment and split the table of contents across calls to \tableofcontents, filtering each call to a range of sections. The following complete example puts section navigation in the headline and a two-column contents list on a frame:

\documentclass{beamer}

\setbeamertemplate{headline}{%
  \begin{beamercolorbox}[
    wd=\paperwidth,
    ht=2.5ex,
    dp=1ex,
    leftskip=.3cm,
    rightskip=.3cm
  ]{section in head/foot}%
    \usebeamerfont{section in head/foot}%
    \insertsectionnavigationhorizontal
      {\dimexpr\paperwidth-.6cm\relax}{}{}%
  \end{beamercolorbox}%
}

\begin{document}

\begin{frame}{Contents}
  \begin{columns}[T]
    \begin{column}{.48\textwidth}
      \tableofcontents[sections={1-2},hideallsubsections]
    \end{column}
    \begin{column}{.48\textwidth}
      \tableofcontents[sections={3-4},hideallsubsections]
    \end{column}
  \end{columns}
\end{frame}

\section{Introduction}
\begin{frame}{Introduction}
  First section content.
\end{frame}

\section{Methods}
\begin{frame}{Methods}
  Second section content.
\end{frame}

\section{Results}
\begin{frame}{Results}
  Third section content.
\end{frame}

\section{Discussion}
\begin{frame}{Discussion}
  Fourth section content.
\end{frame}

\end{document}

The hideallsubsections option keeps the contents list to section entries; remove it if you want subsections included. Adjust the section ranges to suit your presentation. Beamer’s columns environment is designed for frame content, unlike the multicols environment, which relies on LaTeX’s output routine and is not suitable inside Beamer’s boxed frame content.

Common mistakes

• Using a multi-column contents list in the headline. A headline has limited, template-controlled height, so a contents list there can overflow or behave inconsistently.
• Confusing navigation with a contents page. \insertsectionnavigationhorizontal creates section links in one horizontal strip; it does not make columns.
• Using multicol in a Beamer frame. Use Beamer’s native columns environment for frame content instead.
• Expecting a populated contents list on the first compile. Beamer records section information in auxiliary files. Compile the document again if entries are missing or out of date.
• Trying to fit too much in the header. Use brief section names in the headline and place detailed section and subsection listings on the contents frame.