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Gail Bergan
Inspiring
August 4, 2025
Answered

Trying to create a nav TOC style from book view

  • August 4, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 193 views

Is this possible? I have a 60-file InDesign book that I'm trying to convert to EPUB. I've just taken the LinkedIn Learning course on converting ID files to EPUB, but some of the features don't seem to be working as advertised. Specifically:

  • I created a nav TOC style, but was only able to do it with one of my chapter files open. Once I closed it and tried to export my EPUB from the book file hamburger menu, I wasn't able to select that nav TOC style in the EPUB dialog box - I selected Multilevel (TOC Style) yet my custom style isn't there in the dropdown menu, only [Default]. Why is this? I can choose it if I'm only exporting a single file, but of course that's not my goal.
  • The other thing I can't seem to do at the book level is map the paragraph styles to HTML tags, as she encourages us to do in the course. This dialog box is only available within individual files, not at the book level. I can't imagine doing this 60+ times.

Any guidance is greatly appreciated! Using ID on Windows 10, v. 20.4.1.

Gail

Correct answer Gail Bergan

I finally figured this out, with the help of Anne-Marie Concepcion on the InDesign Facebook group. Thought I would post it here for the benefit of others. She said to walk through this workflow:

1) Make sure to do the TOC and the export tagging in your Source doc (the one with the icon to the left in the Book panel).

2) Be sure to specify your custom-named TOC Style in your TOC in that doc and turn on Include Book Documents at the bottom of that dialog.

3) It makes no diff which docs are open when you export to EPUB, just make sure all changes are saved (no yellow triangles) and none are selected (click the gray area underneath).

4) Choose Synchronize Book from the book panel menu to make sure your tagging applies across the book's files.

5) Choose Reflowable EPUB when you export, select Navigation TOC > MultiLevel and then your custom TOC Style should appear as a choice.

 

Turns out I had missed two steps: I didn't have the very top document in the book set as the Source document, and I didn't Synchronize the book after I'd built the nav TOC and exported my paragraph style tag settings. Those two things made all the difference! I was able to select my custom nav TOC after that, in the Export EPUB dialog box.

 

So, this is the workflow that should be followed IF your book is set up with individual files for chapters, and NOT as one giant, single file. EPUB is a nightmare in my opinion, even more complicated than learning InDesign itself, esp when you don't get the desired result anyway (we are dependent on e-readers for the final look and feel of the document).

1 reply

Mike Witherell
Community Expert
Mike WitherellCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 5, 2025

In Layout > Table of Contents, did you show More Options and turn on the checkbox for Include Book Documents?

Mike Witherell
G
Gail BerganAuthor
Inspiring
August 5, 2025

Yes, that is checked.

G
Gail BerganAuthorCorrect answer
Inspiring
August 6, 2025

I finally figured this out, with the help of Anne-Marie Concepcion on the InDesign Facebook group. Thought I would post it here for the benefit of others. She said to walk through this workflow:

1) Make sure to do the TOC and the export tagging in your Source doc (the one with the icon to the left in the Book panel).

2) Be sure to specify your custom-named TOC Style in your TOC in that doc and turn on Include Book Documents at the bottom of that dialog.

3) It makes no diff which docs are open when you export to EPUB, just make sure all changes are saved (no yellow triangles) and none are selected (click the gray area underneath).

4) Choose Synchronize Book from the book panel menu to make sure your tagging applies across the book's files.

5) Choose Reflowable EPUB when you export, select Navigation TOC > MultiLevel and then your custom TOC Style should appear as a choice.

 

Turns out I had missed two steps: I didn't have the very top document in the book set as the Source document, and I didn't Synchronize the book after I'd built the nav TOC and exported my paragraph style tag settings. Those two things made all the difference! I was able to select my custom nav TOC after that, in the Export EPUB dialog box.

 

So, this is the workflow that should be followed IF your book is set up with individual files for chapters, and NOT as one giant, single file. EPUB is a nightmare in my opinion, even more complicated than learning InDesign itself, esp when you don't get the desired result anyway (we are dependent on e-readers for the final look and feel of the document).

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