Does my table of contents need to include the list of figures and appendices in the page numbering?

Include the list of figures, list of tables and any appendices in the table of contents, but treat them as part of the front‑matter pagination. The front matter (title page, abstract, acknowledgments, TOC, list of figures/tables, etc.) is normally numbered with lowercase Roman numerals (i, ii, iii…) and the page numbers themselves are usually omitted from the TOC entries. When you reach the main body of the essay, switch to Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3…) and restart the numbering; the TOC should then show those Arabic numbers for chapters and sections. For example, if your appendix starts on page “xvii” in the front matter, the TOC will list “Appendix A … xvii” and the main text will begin on page 1. This keeps the numbering consistent with most university style guides and makes it easy for readers to locate each part. Use Word’s section break and page‑number format options to set the Roman numerals for the first section and Arabic for the second. This way the TOC reflects the correct numbering throughout.

You definitely need to include your list of figures and appendices in the page numbering sequence, but the specific style depends entirely on whether your university treats those sections as part of the front matter or the main body. Since you mentioned being confused by the automatic Word tool, it helps to remember that software often defaults to a single continuous count, which is rarely what academic guidelines want. You are right to feel a bit stressed by this; formatting is that tedious final hurdle that makes you question every tiny detail, but once you get the logic down, it clicks into place. Think of your document like a movie: the front matter is the credits and trailers, while the main text is the actual film. Usually, the "credits" get their own separate numbering system, often using lowercase Roman numerals, to keep them distinct from the story itself. If your guidelines follow standard academic conventions, your list of figures and appendices likely belong in that front matter section, meaning they should share the Roman numeral pagination with your table of contents and abstract. However, some institutions prefer appendices to be part of the main body, in which case they would switch to Arabic numerals right after your conclusion. The key is to check if your style guide explicitly separates "preliminary pages" from the "main text." If it does, keep the Roman numerals going through your lists and appendices. If not, you might switch to Arabic numerals earlier. Don’t let the technical side of Word overwhelm you; use section breaks to manually control where the numbering restarts or changes style. This gives you full control over the output rather than relying on the automatic generator to guess your intent. Take a deep breath, double-check that specific rule in your handbook, and trust that getting this right now saves you from having to redo it later.