How to Link Text to InCopy and Tables to Excel in InDesign Without Losing Links

[annikab88051026]

I am working with an InDesign-document where I want to link text content to InCopy and tables to Excel. For example:
Frame 1 Text linked to InCopy

Frame 2 Table linked to Excel

Frame 3 Text linked to InCopy

I get it to work but when I try to thread the frames the link to Excel dissapears. Maybe it´s not possible to achieve this?

<Title renamed by MOD>

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Links are to "single" files - the same reason you can't link Rectangle Frame to multiple images. 

[annikab88051026]

Aha, so to have text and tables floating in the correct order with links to different places is not possible?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Only if you link to InLine / Anchored frames. 

But then tables can't be too long. 

Do you have Named Regions in Excel and work on a PC - but it's not a free solution:  

 

[annikab88051026]

Ok I have to check into that 🙂 Thanks!

[Laubender]

Hi @annikab88051026 ,

you say: "I get it to work but when I try to thread the frames the link to Excel dissapears."

Exactly. That's also my experience. Even if you have your text cursor set between some text and try to place and link the Excel file you end up with a table that is placed but not linked.

Tested with InDesign 2024 version 19.5.0.84.

So instead of threading the frame with the table to another text frame just anchor it to an insertion point if you like to flow the placed and linked table with other text contents (if that's possible, because the table is not that long and will not break between text columns or text frames).

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )