InDesign Next Style not applied when pasting text?

[ZinaFattah]

I’ve been trying out InDesign’s “Next Style” feature recently in an attempt to automate text styling and would like to find an answer to a question that occurred to me while doing so.

I don’t understand why “Next Styles” are not applied when pasting several paragraphs inside a text box. With the “first” paragraph style of a "Next Styles" “chain” applied to a text frame, why are all pasted paragraphs styled according to the preferences set for the first paragraph, instead of following the sequence set up in the "chain"?

When I paste text and do a hard return, the Next Style won't apply. It only works if I type out everything manunally in InDesign. Is there a way to make it work with pasted copy? It would save a lot of time. I really don't want to have to manually click each part and apply a style when I know it can do it automatically. 

[jmlevy]

When I paste text and do a hard return, the Next Style won't apply. It only works if I type out everything manunally in InDesign

Yes, it's the way it works.

Is there a way to make it work with pasted copy?

Select the paragraphs you want to format, hover the name of the first paragraph style you want to apply, then right-click on it. You will see this:

[ZinaFattah]

Yes I tried that, but it only works if I type in content manually. When I copy and paste text from word to InDesign and then apply the Paragraph style that has the Next Style option, it does not compute. 

[jmlevy · Accepted solution]

No, it works. Select the paragraph containing the book title AND the one containing the ISBN number. You will see that you will be able to apply the "book title" style then "next style".

[ZinaFattah]

oooooh Yay! It worked! So I have to select all the copy in the paragraph, then the "next style" option shows up. Thank you so much!!!