Need help restarting a list

@BobLevine  hit the nail on the head.

You set your text to have a numbering style - but set it to nothing (no characters in the field) and set the numbering to start at 0. 

Then all your lists after this will start again with the correct setting applied.

If you need help with this let us know. 
But if you set it up correctly it works amazingly.

I long ago gave up on most of the 'automated' numbering restart functions, in InDesign, Word and elsewhere. They, and things like a manual restart override, have proven faulty and unreliable too many times; it seems like relatively benign editing and style applications can fool them into falling back into continuous numbering again... usually about the time I think I am ready to hit print or the equivalent.

So it may be suspenders-and-belt and extra effort, but I now always use at least a "numbering restart" style, if not the full triad of first/middle/last for both numbered and bulleted lists. The first is a descendand style, so that "Numbered" has a "Numbered 1" that is a cascading style with no change except numbering set to "Restart at 1." It's a bit of overhead in setup and work, but it never, ever just decides that I didn't really want my third list in the chapter to start at 11.

My usual method, though, to control numbering and have absolute control over list spacing, is to have a base "middle item" style, a "first item" style and a "last item" style. The latter two cascade from the middle style. The 'first' has both numbering restart at 1 and additional spacing above; the 'last' simply has additional spacing after. This allows me to fine-tune the spacing of the list within the body text AND force that numbering restart.

Yes, you can use the numbering restart methods or trust the automatic feature. Yes, you can use the new-ish "Space Between" feature to automatically set list spacing apart from body text. But like all automatic/helper/E-Z features... these have frustrated and failed on me too many times to not put in the bit of extra effort on the dual or triad styles. (What makes it more than just a quirk for me is that the triple style allows me to carry the spacing control into EPUB, where it's often essential; the export does not preserve either Word's semi-automatic space adjustments or InDesign's "Space Between" settings.)

It only takes a little time and planning to set up these styles; some may think that's too much given the automated options. But then, the irritation and time wasted on faulty numbering and crummy list spacing is worth avoiding... IMVHO.

This is a somewhat related question. No matter what I do, I can't “clear” the style override error for a numbered list to use continued numbering in a new list. Creating lists is nothing new to me, and I know how to restart the numbering for each list. I just don't understand why restarting the numbering for each list throws off a style override error. What am I missing? Was it always like this? Thanks!

OMG -  I found a solution. If you put your cursor at the start of your second list (that you want to start with Number 1), go over to the Paragraph window (not Paragraph Styles window) and look for Restart Numbering. This resets the counter. I'm not sure why the Paragraph Style "start at number" doesn't do this like it used to. I'm using InDesign 2023 - I never had to do this in previous versions.

There is a restart trick. You can create a new numbered list paragraph style that has no number defined and use that to restart, but honestly, the easiest way is to restart the number manually.

Put your cursor in the paragraph you want to restart at, right click and choose restart numbering.

Hi @IdiotsForDummies-:

There are several ways to restart lists in InDesign. All are outlined here:

https://www.rockymountaintraining.com/adobe-indesign-restart-numbered-lists-automatically/

Let us know if you have questions after working through the post. 

~Barb