Hyperlinks not showing up in Hyperlinks pane

[Angela PS Chan]

Hyperlinks that are visible within the doc: text > Hyperlinks > edit hyperlinks pane  are not showing up in the Window > Interactive > Hyperlinks pane. (see screen shot).

2 links are listed in the Hyperlinks pane and they work.

The rest of the hyperlinks can go to the destination within and to other InD docs. But when compiling all the 20+ docs into a book, those links don't work. They default to the 1st page of the book.

Tech specs: Mac OS  Sequoia 15.1.1
InDesign v20.0.1

So how can the links be restored to appear in the Window>Hyperlinks Pane?

And then made to work in the Book PDF? 
Urgent help needed, please!  I have already:

• re-saved as idml & updated the doc.

• deleted cache & preferences a few times. 

• tried to re-create a few links, but they still don't appear in the hyperlinks pane

Some background: this InD Book has been in use for years and regularly updated and has functioned as expected in the past. This problem has not come up before. Possibly upgrading to new OS & latest InD has changed something?

Many thanks in advance,

Angela

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Can you share your file - a sample? 

If it's confidential - please click my nickname to send it privately. 

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @Angela PS Chan,

I checked this on my end, and the hyperlinks show up in the Interactive panel via Window > Interactive > Hyperlinks. If they’re not showing for you:

1. Is this happening with one file or across all files, including a new simplified test file?

2. As the experts mentioned, we'd need the file to test it ourselves. Could you share a screenshot of the Hyperlinks panel or a test file for a closer look? If the file’s confidential, feel free to DM it.

Let us know-we’re happy to help!

Best,
Abhishek

[Angela PS Chan]

Hi @Abhishek Rao  and @Robert at ID-Tasker ,
Thank you for responding! 

"1. Is this happening with one file or across all files, including a new simplified test file?"
• The missing hyperlinks in the hyperlinks pane is only in one file: the Table of contents (TOC). The other 20+ files are showing hyperlinks as expected, and have been checked. When the book PDF is created (without TOC), those hyperlinks work except for one - which is another issue needing to be solved.

All iterations of 1 hyperlink goes to 1 specific location in a sep doc. In the InD doc, it jumps to the proper destination. But in the Book PDF, it defaults to the 1st page. I've tried:

• recreating the link
• changing the destination from a page to a text anchor
• creating a new link to the same place
• re-saving both docs as idml

So far, no progress. Do you have advice?

Note: This TOC was not created with InDesign's TOC function - because the original was done over a decade ago and the other sections of the book are separate files. But I'm open to recreating the TOC if there's a way to do so across separate files.

I will send the files by DM. Since the TOC is the main problem, and it links to the whole book, it will be a large zipped folder.
Many thanks,
Angela 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Angela PS Chan

Quick ssuggestion - can you recreate your Book / INDB file? 

[Angela PS Chan]

@Robert at ID-Tasker 

I have recreated the Book /INDB file from scratch twice.   But things have updated since then. Should I make a new Book again?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Robert at ID-Tasker 

I have recreated the Book /INDB file from scratch twice.   But things have updated since then. Should I make a new Book again?

By @Angela PS Chan

Won't hurt.

I'm checking your file right now.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

From what I can see:

Goes as defined - to "Page 1" - Blue rectangle.

The second Hyperlink - looks to be damaged - Green Rectangle:

RED cell means that my tool couldn't read Destination info...

[Angela PS Chan]

@Robert at ID-Tasker 

Thanks, I've never seen these diagnostic tools before.
It appears the destination file is the problem. Saving as IDML doesn't change anything.

I created NEW source INDD & destination INDD (renamed "XXX-NEW) test files.
• then stripped out everything except 1 paragraph each.

• in the source file, 1 new link was created to the destination page; another new link was created to the destination text anchor

• made a new Book with just those 2 docs

• resulting Book PDF shows the hyperlinks work

Conclusion: create a new destination file that hopefully doesn't contain the corrupting element.  
This will be laborious; I'm concerned that copying/pasting content may include the bad element. Do you have any thoughts that might streamline this task?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

This tool - that's my creation - and it's way more than just a diagnostic tool 😉

You could try:

- create a BLANK document - with EXACTLY the same page size - but don't use any of the old documents as a template,

- open your corrupted document,

- select all pages in the Pages Panel,

- Move them to this new, blank document:

This might fix the document...

Depends on how much time you have till the deadline - I could use my ID-Tasker to convert all Hyperlinks to a "local tags" - then remove them - then re-create them from scratch, based on those "local tags".

Or convert to tags, remove, copy contents, re-create Hyperlinks.

But I'll have to create a few Tasks and do some testing and that can take some time...

[Angela PS Chan]

Recreating hyperlinks from scratch for the whole book will take hours. I've already done that a few times. 
I'll try your first suggestion and report back.
Thank you!  Just having your knowledgable input has lowered my anxiety to more manageable levels.  

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Angela PS Chan 

You are welcome.

[Angela PS Chan]

It worked! (creating a new destination file by moving pages from old file)

Instead of saving over the old file, I gave it a new name & re-linked the problem hyperlinks.
Now the Book PDF shows those links go to the right destination.  Progress!
Many, MANY thanks!!!
Next: What do you advise about the TOC problem?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

It worked! (creating a new destination file by moving pages from old file)

Instead of saving over the old file, I gave it a new name & re-linked the problem hyperlinks.
Now the Book PDF shows those links go to the right destination.  Progress!
Many, MANY thanks!!!

By @Angela PS Chan

ROTFL 😄 😄 😄 

It was a complete shot in the dark 😄😄‌ more like 6th sense 😉 

Great it worked. 

About TOC - try to do it "as normal"? If your files are fixed now - then maybe TOC will generate properly? 

[Angela PS Chan]

The TOC doesn't link to the rest of the book, and the hyperlinks don't show in the hyperlinks pane.

Learning from before, I created a new doc & moved the TOC pages over.  The hyperlinks now show in the hyperlinks pane.  Yay!

However, they are not named properly (defaulted to a number system) and some are unable to go to the destination - this message popped up:

The "update hyperlink" in the Hyperlinks fly-out menu is greyed out.
Any ideas on how to update links & their names quickly?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Do you have ALL your INDD files open? Or at least those for which you are editing Hyperlinks? 

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/help-indesign-book-toc-and-anchors-cross-referen... 

[Angela PS Chan]

Yes, the destination files to those problem links are open. Haven't worked through the entire TOC yet.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Can you share your updated INDD files? Just INDD files - I think I can easily rename those Hyperlinks. 

[Angela PS Chan]

Will do. I'll DM you a link.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I think that's what you are looking for, right? 😉

[Angela PS Chan]

Yes!!

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Yes!!

By @Angela PS Chan

30 seconds and I'll send you your file back 😉

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

[Angela PS Chan]

Amazing!!! 🙏. Is this a proprietary script or can it be done through InD?

And do the links work ?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Amazing!!! 🙏. Is this a proprietary script or can it be done through InD?

And do the links work ?

By @Angela PS Chan

I've just sent you link to your file.

It's an external application that I've created - way more powerful than what can be achieveed through "regular" scripting.