How to Auto Flow text into two columns, linked to a parent?

[zvi_t]

In my 180-page Word document, there is one column containing a glossary. My goal is to place this into InDesign, where it will autoflow and have two columns per page. After watching some YouTube videos, I created a Parent page, added a two-column text box on each side and linked them together. However, when I paste the Word document into my InDesign page, it autoflows well, but the pages it creates only have one column. On a spread, I can select two text boxes at a time from two pages and change them to two columns, but I cannot select all the text boxes from all 180 pages. My text is linked to my parent pages that have two-column text boxes, so I don't understand why InDesign doesn't place it in two columns on all pages. What should I do?

[zvi_t]

Making the Word document two columns before placing didn't help; InDesign still brought it in as one column.

[Jeff Witchel, ACI]

My guess is the new Parent Page is Based On another Parent that has a Primary Text Frame.  So the text is flowing into the original single column frames instead.  To fix, go the the Parent Page in question and under the Options menu of the Pages panel make sure the new Parent is Based On "None."

Hope this helps!

[Jeff Witchel, ACI]

Now that I've checked further into this, I don't think my answer will help. Can you post a screenshot of the Parent Page in question along with the Pages panel?

[zvi_t]

It was based on none. Attached are the screenshots you requested.

[zvi_t]

I also tried the parent layout below, but it didn't work. At first, it DID work - sort of - it only placed the text on the left side of each spread. Then, it stopped working and only places one column.

[Rishabh_Tiwari]

Hi @zvi_t ,

Thanks for reaching out. In addition to the suggestions shared above, I found a similar discussion which you can refer to here https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/flowing-text-to-second-column/m-p/9452780#M72870

Let us know if this helps or if you need any further assistance.

Regards

Rishabh

[Creamer Training]

Is it possible that you changed the column settings on the parent page but NOT the primary text frame (or vice versa)? 

[zvi_t · Accepted solution]

Sorry guys, thank you for all your help. There were SO many various suggestions here and other places I asked, and many were not working, and I couldn't spend so much time on such a small task. I just exported my Word document to PDF and imported it into InDesign with the built-in Javascript: "PlaceMultipagePDF.jsx" and everything is fine. If I need to edit the text, I can just edit the PDF and update the link in InDesign. I will keep this post in case it helps someone else.

[zvi_t]

There's a lot I love about Adobe, but also a lot that I hate - including the fact that I had to reply to myself to write this because there is no "edit post" on the Adobe forums. Unbelievable. 

[Creamer Training]

That's a feature--imagine if a post was edited to the point that all the replies no longer made sense. 

[zvi_t]

Can you point me to one forum platform where the replies make no sense? E.g., Reddit, Quora, Stackexchange, Facebook, Google Community Forum, etc., and they all allow you to edit your post.