Basic Hierarchy
Numbered vs Unnumbered Headings
Is There a \subsubsubsection?
No. The standard classes stop at \subsubsection, and the next level down is
\paragraph, followed by \subparagraph.
\paragraph{Title} is a genuine sectioning command, not a paragraph break. By
default it is a run-in heading — the text starts on the same line — which surprises
people expecting another numbered level.
By default \paragraph is also unnumbered and absent from the table of contents,
because secnumdepth and tocdepth stop above it. To number it and list it, raise
both counters in the preamble:
\setcounter{secnumdepth}{4} and \setcounter{tocdepth}{4}
If you genuinely need five levels of nesting, that is usually a sign the document
wants restructuring rather than another heading level. The titlesec package can
define deeper levels if you truly need them.
Best Practices
- Keep heading depth consistent across chapters.
- Avoid skipping levels (for example chapter directly to subsubsection).
- Use unnumbered headings only for front/back matter sections.