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Document Geek
Community Expert
Document GeekCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 7, 2025
Question

Bookmark from TOC linking to wrong document

  • May 7, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 291 views

Ive got strange issue I've never encountered before. I had a TOC misbehaving (with regard to the bookmarks it made). So used the Book function to import the TOC style from a properly behaving document.

 

On the surface, the bookmarks structure is correct, but under the hood, the Level 1 bookmark now points to the wrong document (the one I imported the TOC style from). So when I export the PDF, that bookmark doesn't work, and it just takes the user to the first page in the document.

 

Is there a way to relink a bookmark within InDesign, as part of an automatically generated TOC?

 

Or does someone know where this information exists that I might be able to edit the destination with some sort of script?

2 replies

Barb Binder
Community Expert
Barb BinderCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 8, 2025

Hi Kelly:

 

I've see something similar when I've tried to reuse an .indb file (with different files). InDesign hangs on to the old info even though the old files are no longer in the book.

 

You might try: 

  • Creating a new book file and then add the .indd files back in, and then
  • Delete the frames associated with the original generated TOC from the TOC .indd file and regenerate it into a new frame (or frames).

 

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
E
Community Expert
Eugene TysonCommunity Expert
Community Expert
May 8, 2025

Hi @Document Geek Kelly

 

Further to @Barb Binder 

I've found with an INDB that exporting older files to IDML first, then open them in the same version of InDesign as you're creating the book in. Save the files as InDesign files, then import them to the newly created INDB. 

 

This has worked for me in the past.

 

Although reminds of a perculiar issue that cropped up before regarding a table of contents pointing to wrong info. 

 

What worked was to create a new document with same Margins and Page Size then move the pages from the old document to the newly created one. And this fixed the strange TOC beahviour. 

 

 

Robert at ID-Tasker
Robert at ID-Tasker
Legend
May 7, 2025

Can you share your files? The one that you've copied from and to and the correct destination file. 

 

Please click my nickname if you prefer to send them privately - but you'll have to upload them somewhere first and send me link - private messages do not allow attachments. 

 

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