How to install Adobe InDesign 2023 as CC desktop app can't find it now

[Shen, Lei]

Background is our project is using InDesign server to trigger PDF generation function through SOAP call at backend. We are using InDesign server 2023 (18.xx) and use InDesign 2023 desktop tool to edit/develop INDT file.  As time goes by, InDesign 2023 can't download anymore from CC desktop app, Adobe only allows to install one previous version. It’s 2025 now(20.xx), only 2024(19.xx) is available.

Our company starts to use Adobe Enterprise license, we have to re-install InDesign desktop tool with latest version, then 2023 will disapper in our laptop. Install process is automated, we can't control to keep 2023.

Upgrade InDesign server is potential option, but will bring a lot of dev and test effort, related legacy system of this project will also be reitred in 2-3 years. So am worndering if it's possible to get 2023 install package or any other suggections for current situation.

[leo.r]

The only thing you can try is to contact Adobe support and present your case. They may provide you with a download link to InDesign 2023, but don't count on it. Other than that, there's no official way to obtain InDesign 2023 and earlier.

[Joel Cherney]

My understanding was that you have access to older installs of Creative Cloud apps with an Enterprise license, but I have honestly never seen it in action. Take a look at https://helpx.adobe.com/enterprise/using/create-nul-packages.html and scroll down to "Older Versions" in step 6. That seems to match up with this statement regarding three (?!?!!) past versions for Enterprise users, instead of the n-1 versions that everyone else sees in our Creative Cloud desktop apps:

Adobe's documentation that I find with a web search isn't always current, or correct, so don't take the above as gospel. But if I'm in any way accurate here, trying to ask Adobe Customer Service to let you have access might be less successful than rolling your own installer pacakges (and keeping them safe forever).

However, I see you're thinking long-term, which is good if you are trying to build something infrastructural on InDesign Server. Adobe's current policy seems to be to remove older versions of applications, so building a product on a server app that you can never download again seems like a dicey proposition. Your server-app foundation will always be a moving target. So it is critical that you do what you are allowed to do, and always download installer packages, and save them forever. 

Install process is automated, we can't control to keep 2023.

I think that there are preferences in the Admin Console (I am certain that there are in the desktop CC app) that control whether old versions are removed. 

[Shen, Lei]

Thanks for checking, that's a nice catch. Will consider your suggestion as backup solution.

[Abhishek Rao · Accepted solution]

Hi @Shen, Lei,

Thanks again for sharing all the context. I've just sent you a DM with the next steps. Please check your inbox when you get a moment and let me know if you have any questions.

Happy to help further!

Abhishek 

[Shen, Lei]

@Abhishek Rao  I have to say that's a very direct and helpful answer! Many thanks for your support. Considering our company's security policy, I can't download it through your private link. But that's a amazing progress, giive me sometime to discussess with my manager.  you can give us 24-hour downlaod link where never we need, right?

[Shen, Lei]

Sorry for typos,  'whenever we need'.