How do I use the Outline panel to organize my book?

The Outline panel is where you manage the overall structure of your book — front matter, chapters, and back matter — without leaving the editor. You can open it from the left sidebar of the editor.

What's in the Outline panel?

The Outline panel is split into three sections:

• Front matter — content that appears before your main chapters, such as a table of contents
• Body — your chapters
• Back matter — content that appears after your main chapters, such as an appendix or acknowledgements

Front matter

Under Front matter, you can add elements such as a table of contents. The table of contents is set to Auto by default, meaning it updates automatically as you add, remove, or reorder chapters. Click the + next to Front matter to add other front matter elements.

Chapters (Body)

Under Body, each chapter in your book is listed in order, along with its live word count. This lets you see at a glance how long each chapter is and where the weight of your manuscript sits.
To add a new chapter, click the + next to Body.

Managing a chapter

Click the ⋮ icon next to any chapter to open its options:

• Edit — rename the chapter
• Set status — mark the chapter's progress as Draft, Revising, or Done
• Delete — remove the chapter

Setting a status for each chapter is a quick way to track what's left to do across your whole manuscript, especially useful if you're working with collaborators.

Back matter

Under Back matter, you can add content such as an appendix or acknowledgements. Click the + next to Back matter, or use the prompt in the panel, to add a new back matter section.

Why use the Outline panel?

The Outline panel gives you a full view of your book's structure in one place. You can use it to:

• Check how long each chapter is
• Track which chapters still need work
• Reorganize chapters without scrolling through the whole manuscript
• Make sure front and back matter are in place before publishing

For more on organizing front matter, parts, and back matter as part of your book's overall formatting, see: How do I format my book for publication?

Related articles

• How do I edit, comment, and collaborate in real time?
• How does PubliWrite's collaborative editor work?
• What permissions do collaborators have in the editor?
• What should I check before submitting my book?
• What are the manuscript and interior file requirements?
• How long does the book review process take?

Updated on: 05/08/2026