Is the actual heading using auto numbering followed by a tab? In that case, there should be a tab in the TOC entry as well. Note that you can adjust the tab stop positions by dragging them on the ruler. Since the TOC styles, by default, are set to update automatically, you only have to this once for each TOC level, and the modifications will be incorporated into the style.

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Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional