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Participant
December 12, 2025
Answered

IDEA FOR DEVS: Links auto update

  • December 12, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 137 views

Please add the feature of links automatically updating as soon as the file (e.g. photo) is edited outside of InDesign (e.g. going directly through finder instead of editing via Links panel). If there is a legitimate reason for this not to be the default then at least add it as a preference.

Correct answer Dave Creamer of IDEAS

One of the reasons one doesn't want this is that the file may have unwanted edits by someone else. If the image auto-updates, the InDesign user may not notice it until it is too late. One can, however, auto-update any modified files when opening the InDesign document, but this should only be done if the designer knows what has been updated (or it is a time-sync issue).

 

2 replies

Dave Creamer of IDEAS
Community Expert
Dave Creamer of IDEASCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
December 12, 2025

One of the reasons one doesn't want this is that the file may have unwanted edits by someone else. If the image auto-updates, the InDesign user may not notice it until it is too late. One can, however, auto-update any modified files when opening the InDesign document, but this should only be done if the designer knows what has been updated (or it is a time-sync issue).

 

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
BobLevine
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 12, 2025

The links do autoupdate if you use edit with or edit original.