Indexing Help ocr

[Salvatore2258838220ca]

Hello, 

I have a large pdf file (11,000+ pages) of tax forms.  There is one field on each page (student id) that i want to index so that searching is fast. Is there a way to index that one field?

Thank you

[Tariq Ahmad Dar]

Hi @Salvatore2258838220ca, 

Thank you for reaching out.
You may use this document: https://adobe.ly/4hbu32S and check if the Structure tag is going to help.

Also, you can try the following suggestions: 

To set up indexing in Adobe Acrobat based on a unique form field, such as a Student ID, you must combine PDF indexing and metadata management. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Add Metadata to the PDF Files

To make the Student ID a searchable attribute, it must be added as metadata. Follow these steps:

1. Open the PDF in Acrobat.

2. Go to File > Properties or press Ctrl + D (Windows) / Command + D (Mac).

3. In the Description tab, click on Additional Metadata.

4. In the Custom Properties section:

   • Click Add.

   • Enter the Name as “Student ID” (or any relevant field name).

   • Enter the Value as the specific Student ID for that PDF.

   • Click OK to save.

Repeat this process for each PDF file, adding the unique Student ID as metadata.

Step 2: Create an Index for PDFs

Indexing PDFs allows Acrobat to search through a collection of files more efficiently.

1. Open Acrobat and go to Tools > Index.

2. Click New Index to start a new project.

3. In the Index Definition dialog box:

   • Specify the index filename and location.

   • Click Add Folder to select the folder containing your PDFs.

   • Ensure the “Include Metadata” checkbox is selected to include custom metadata like “Student ID.”

4. Save the settings and click Build to create the index.

Step 3: Test the Index with Advanced Search

1. Open Acrobat and press Shift + Ctrl + F (Windows) or Shift + Command + F (Mac) to open Advanced Search.

2. In the search options:

   • Choose to search within the index.

   • Enter the Student ID in the search field.

3. Acrobat will retrieve the PDFs with the corresponding metadata.

Alternative Using Preflight Tool (Optional)

If the Student ID is stored within form fields, use Preflight to extract the field content into a metadata structure:

1. Go to Tools > Print Production > Preflight.

2. Choose a Fixup or create a Custom Profile that extracts form field data.

3. Apply the profile to include the Student ID in the document’s metadata.

Benefits

  • Once indexed, searching for a specific Student ID will be instantaneous, even across hundreds or thousands of files.

  • Including the metadata makes it easier to organize and categorize files programmatically if needed.

Let me know if you have further questions.

~Tariq

[Salvatore2258838220ca]

Thank you, Tariq.
I am using Acrobat Pro version 2024.005.20320 and the menus do not match your instructions. Are there updated instructions for the version I am using?

Thank you,
Sal