Linked text frames overwrite paragraph styles – how to preserve local formatting?

[Hari1968]

Hi everyone,

I’m working with linked text frames in InDesign (v2025) and trying to keep content synchronized across multiple frames. The problem is:

Whenever I update the source text, the linked text frame also resets its paragraph style to match the original – but I want each frame to keep its own style (different font, size, etc.).

I already tried the “Linked Content Options” and enabled:

•:ballot_box_with_check: Appearance

•:ballot_box_with_check: Frame Content

•:ballot_box_with_check: Warn when local changes are overwritten

Still, the paragraph style from the source frame replaces the one in the target, which I don’t want.

Maybe somebody having a solution

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Can you post some screenshots of your design / layout / contents? 

[Hari1968]

First frame has stye format 1 / Second frame hast format 2. if I change the text in Frame 1 (format 1) - it also changes the style, of the Frame 2. What I want is, only the contet should change, but not the format.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Looks like a bug...

But there is an easy solution - you just need to define Style Mappings for each TextFrame.:

[Willi Adelberger]

Did you apply an object style to the text frames? It is good to do.

In the object style  define the paragraph style from the frame.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Did you apply an object style to the text frames? It is good to do.

In the object style  define the paragraph style from the frame.

By Willi Adelberger

But with Object Style - you have to also clear overrides on the TextFrame after update.

[Hari1968]

thank you for the help, but i think there must be something eles wrong - maybe a bug ?

lookk here: https://www.loom.com/share/90c89904071148a68754c8f9db0df85a?sid=168609ca-1df3-44c2-b43a-7640fd8641c0

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Hari1968

I'll have to test your steps - but when I set mapping from the Links panel - it works.

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @Hari1968,  

Thanks for sharing the details! I see that Robert and Willi have provided some great insights, and I appreciate you trying out their suggestions. I tried reproducing this and it worked the same for me. 

I’m currently checking with the product team to confirm whether this is the intended behavior or if something else is going on here. I’ll update you as soon as I have more information. In the meantime, if you notice any specific patterns or additional details that might help, feel free to share them. 

^
Abhishek

[Hari1968]

Thank you all so much for your support!

Just to recap: I believe the steps I’m following—and the ones shown in the video—are correct. I’ve tried several other approaches, but they all lead to the same issue. My only guess at this point is that it might be related to the language version, since my InDesign is set to German.

[Robert at ID-Tasker · Accepted solution]

@Hari1968 

You forgot to select SOURCE style:

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @Hari1968,  

The product team confirmed that the issue happens because the 'Select Source Style or Style Group' option wasn’t set in the Custom Style Mapping dialog. When this isn’t selected, the formatting in the linked frames resets, requiring manual style selection afterward.  

Can you give it a try and see if selecting the Source Style keeps the paragraph styles intact? I see that Robert also pointed this out, great insight! Thank you.  

^
Abhishek

[S Hopkins]

I have done some testing. Question: are you using a script to open the document  (has linked text that will update) or are you opening the document manually and updating in the Links panel? 

1. The document I am using for test has an object style applied to each text frame (paragraph style is part of  style)
2. The script I am using to open the document and update links uses clear object style overrides (after updating). Have not tested LinkedStoryOptions (currently using default values)
3.  The text files I am using are plain text. (Could make a difference if files are .doc or rich text format). I need to test these.

Hope this gives you some options to try. 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@S Hopkins

OP forgot to define source style. 

[Laubender]

Hallo @Hari1968 ,

es wäre gut, wenn wir ein Test-Dokument hätten.

Sonst ist es ein wenig wie "Kaffeesatzleserei" dahinter zu kommen, was da schiefläuft.

Bei verwendeten Objektformaten stellt sich auch die Frage, welches Format das bestimmende Grundformat ist.

Muss nicht unbedingt das Objektformat mit Namen [Einfacher Textrahmen] sein, kann auch ein anderes sein.

Je nachdem, an welchem Objektformat das kleine [T] am rechten Rand des Objektformate-Bedienfeld hängt.

Was noch wichtig ist:

Bei den Zeichenformaten sollte immer das Format mit Namen [Ohne] ausgewählt sein, wenn Text in irgendeiner Form importiert wird. Sonst kann es passieren, dass das im Zeichenformat-Bedienfeld ausgewählte Zeichenformat dem aufgefrischten Text mitgegeben wird.

Gruss,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Laubender

Problem has already been resolved 😉 

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/linked-text-frames-overwrite-paragraph-styles-ho...