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Inspiring
October 15, 2025
Answered

indexing proper names

  • October 15, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 521 views

Ia m working on a book, which requests a proper names index. I have done it before, it works perfectly in older version of InDesign (5.0).

Now I am using a new version of InDesign and the command simply does not work (shift+ctrl+alt+]).

How can it be fixed?

Yours, Janja

Correct answer naš_časd97534772

So when you remove the shortcut at First Object Above, it still doesn't work at Add new index entry (reversed)?

That's strange.


I have figured it out (partialy). Changing entrie in in Show set was not useless, saving txt file  for a new  set was not succesfull (or I did not know how propery save it, of course at another set name and use it). At the end of all trials,  I create a new set in menu Keyboard comand and just change the shortcut for the desired index. It works for the old file, the same idml file, old other files, but not for the new file.

Makes me crazy. I need that solution too.

2 replies

Peter Kahrel
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 16, 2025

Go to the Keyboard Shortcut editor (Edit > Keyboard shortcuts), then click Show set. That opens a text version of the shortcuts in your OS's default text editor. Search for Index: Add new index entry and check which shortcut is defined. 

 

 

Inspiring
October 16, 2025

I need this one ... Copied from show set:

Index: Add new index entry (reversed) --- Text: Shift+Ctrl+Alt+]

 

Peter Kahrel
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 16, 2025
  1. Well, ok, anyway it shows that the key is defined ok. But if you look for Shift+Ctrl+Alt+] (just that, without the Text: label), do you find it elsewhere in the file? 
Joel Cherney
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 15, 2025

Hi Janja, can you provide more details? I'm using InDesign 20.5 on Windows and find that the keyboard shortcut works just fine for me in a brand-new file:

 

Does the shortcut fail to work in a brand-new file, or is it only one file? If you're working on one of your old files from version 5 (CS2 I believe) did you try exporting to IDML and reopening? Are you working on Windows platform, or on MacOS where the shortcut is different? (Shift+Command+Option+]) Did you check the shortcut in Edit -> Keyboard Shortcuts -> Product area: Panel Menus -> Index: Add new topic entry (reversed)?

Inspiring
October 16, 2025

Hi Joel,

working on InDesign 20.5, Windows platform. 

It is the same - exporting to indl and opening or making on the brand new file. 

The shortcut is working for align or not text to baseline grid.

Checked shorcuts, thanks. I disabeled shortcut (shift+ctrl+alt+G) for aligning. 

Still does not work ...