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J
JS2354
Participant
November 5, 2025
Answered

Need help with InDesign Book troubleshooting (TOC links and button links to other doc in the book)

  • November 5, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 265 views

Hello,

 

I have been frustrated working with InDesign book. 

I have an InDesign book that has 18 Indd doc within.  And I have a main TOC that links to each chapter in the book, which is separated by each indd doc.

After I packaged the book doc into another folder, and exported a PDF from that packaged folder into an interactive PDF, my TOC links stopped working. I have to open my TOC doc in that new packaged folder, and updated the TOC again in order for it to be working.

 

This also happens to the button links that I have. I have a main link on top of each doc that will make ppl easily click to jump to different doc withou having to go back to the main TOC. These links stopped working in the newly packaged folder.

 

All of the TOC links and the button links are all working already in the other doc.

 

From a logical point of view, this shouldn't be happening as when packaging the book should be the way to do it.

 

The reason I have to package the book is because I periodically need to make updates to the content and the company needs to retain the older versions for legal reasons.

 

This is very frustrating and I am at a total loss. If I have to keep checking the TOC links and button links everytime I packaged the book, that will be very unproductive. 

Anyone have any insights on this?

 

Btw I am still using InDesign CC v 19 because the last time I tried using the new InDD version, I got a lot of trouble exporting to a PDF, which made me move back down to InDesign CC v19.

 

Thank you!

Correct answer JS2354

Your second workaround could work with a slight modification: package the book to gather all the assets, then _copy_ the InDesign files over from the original folder. (Let me know if it works... I'm too lazy to try right now... 😜)


So if my understanding is correct, this is what I did:

I packaged the book files and duplicated the book files.

Then, i copy over the duplicated book files into the packaged book files folder. The PDF TOC links and button links are working. 

1 reply

Dave Creamer of IDEAS
Community Expert
Dave Creamer of IDEASCommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 6, 2025

Have you selected "Create PDF Bookmarks" and "Include Book Documents selected in your TOC Style?

What are your PDF export settings? For example, if you export to any PDF/X setting, it will remove bookmarks and links. 

 

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
J
JS2354Author
Participant
November 6, 2025

Yes, I selected "Create PDF bookmarks" and "include Book documents" in my TOC style.

I exported PDF as an interactive PDF.  See screenshots for the settings. Like I mentioned, everything works until I packaged the files and then trying to generate PDF from the packaged file. Thanks.

Dave Creamer of IDEAS
Community Expert
Dave Creamer of IDEASCommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 12, 2025

Thanks for the insight! If i understand correctly, bookmarks are created from the TOC, right? So if the TOC is messed up, the bookmarks will be as well.

Another workaround that I found was instead packaging the book file, I duplicated the folder. I know not super ideal but I will always make sure to have all my asset links lined up correctly in the appropriate folder.


Your second workaround could work with a slight modification: package the book to gather all the assets, then _copy_ the InDesign files over from the original folder. (Let me know if it works... I'm too lazy to try right now... 😜)

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
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