How to remove a section without affecting overall page numbering?

[davidwarners21]

I'm working on a document in InDesign and I have a section that I want to remove. However, when I delete the section, it messes up my overall page numbering. How can I remove a section but keep the page numbers flowing correctly through the entire document?
Thanks in advance for any help!

[Robert at ID-Tasker · Accepted solution]

By "section" you mean "range of pages" - or actual Section? 

If a "range of pages" - start new section on the 1st page of the range you want to remove - add new Section and set page numbering to manual - then do the same on the next page AFTER the last page you want to remove. 

Now you can remove this range of pages. 

If you want to remove actual Section - you need to change page numbering from automatic to manual - for this Section and the next one - first. 

[davidwarners21]

Thanks, for your help.

[Barb Binder]

Hi @davidwarners21 :

Can you clarify what you mean by "messes up my overall page numbering"? Screenshots and details help us help you faster.

Depending on how the file was set up and how you want the numbers to increment, sometimes just selecting/deleting the content with the Type tool is the answer, instead of the more common approach of deleting the pages in the Pages panel.

~Barb

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

In addition to the questions asked by @Robert at ID-Tasker and @Barb Binder , when you delete the section (pages), do you:

Want the following page numbers to remain the same? For example, if I have a 64-page document, and I delete pages 12-21, do I want page 22 to STAY 22 or change to 12?

Also, if you are using facing pages and remove an odd number of pages, your following pages will have what I like to call "the good ol' left/right flip-flop". In other words, you following right-hand pages will switch to the left and vice versa. This can create layout problems and pagination problems. For example, photos may be on the wrong side of the new page position and pages meant to start on a right-hand page might not.