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Known Participant
June 15, 2023
Question

Can InDsign automatically update the page numbers on the table of contents with the main text

  • June 15, 2023
  • 1 reply
  • 366 views

Can InDsign automatically update the page numbers on the table of contents with the main text?

I know, for simple directories,

When the page number of the main text changes, simply update the table of contents, and the page numbers on the table of contents will be automatically updated.

 

But the actual situation is that our directory is not simple. It may have undergone some design and layout. If the page number changes and the directory is updated every time, the overall appearance changes and needs to be redesigned.

 

My current solution is to wait until the client signs and finalizes the draft before creating the catalog.

But sometimes some customers don't understand and want you to create a catalog with the correct page numbers from the beginning, which can be very annoying, repetitive, and unnecessary work.

 

May I ask if you have any good solutions

Thank you for your manuscript

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1 reply

TᴀW
Legend
June 15, 2023

No, beyond what you mention ("Update table of contents") it can't be done.

What you'd need to do is change the TOC numbers to cross-references. These update automatically. So you'd link each number in the TOC to a particular paragraph text anchor, and that way the numbers would be "live".

Of course, this is a lot of work to do manually. But it's definitely possible, and it lets you have a TOC with as complex a design as you need, that won't be undone every time the page numbers have to be updated!

There is also my (not-free) LiveTOC script, which works in exactly this way (turning each entry into a cross-reference),. but does it automatically, so it can save a lot of time: LiveTOC - Id-Extras.com

Inspiring
June 15, 2023

that's great! I often wondered about this myself. I work on large documents that are usually split into a seperate document for each chapter. It doesn't sound like it, but would your solution also work on that?

TᴀW
Legend
June 15, 2023

Yes, it can create cross-refs to other documents. The other documents must all be open at the same time.