Update Table of Contents not working

[Sarah Schweiger]

I made a file for my students to work on back in 2019 to learn about styles and automating the TOC. The Update Table of Contents button works great when they are using that file it updates the pages automatically. When student make their own files using 2024 software the Update Table of Contents no longer works. I have to go in each time and reselect the style make for TOC, the page number style. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. I can make video if you would like.

UPDATE:

I needed to choose Save Style in the Table of Contents box before clicking on the OK button, otherwise the styling of the TOC would not save, resulting in when I clicked on the update table of contents it would resort to [No Paragraph Style].

When I made my 2019 template I did not do this extra step. So now when I chose the styling for my tables of contents I will always Save Style first, then click on the OK button. It is working like a champ now.

[HARSHIKA_VERMA]

Hi @Sarah Schweiger,

Thank you for reaching out and reporting the issue. It would be really helpful if you can share a short video of the issue for better understanding. Please also share the details of your operating system and the version of InDesign installed on your machine.

We will try our best to investigate the issue and help you.

Thanks,

Harshika

[Sarah Schweiger]

Harshika,

Thank you for checking in on this subject matter. I think I have solved my issue. It took awhile for the solution to sink in after reading other people's posts and letting my brain absorb the answer (so yes I am admitting user error). I needed to choose Save Style in the Table of Contents box before clicking on the OK button, otherwise the styling of the TOC would not save, resulting in when I clicked on the update table of contents it would resort to [No Paragraph Style].

When I made my 2019 template I did not do this extra step. So now when I chose the styling for my tables of contents I will always Save Style first, then click on the OK button. It is working like a champ now.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

It is absolutely not clear that changes to the TOC are not automatically preserved — either with other document settings when saved, or even in between TOC updates. You have to know, and have it pounded into you, that "Save Style" is essential before you click "Ok" to either exit or create an updated list. And without knowing that subtle point, it can become a maddening mystery why TOC flaws keep recurring. (I can't think of any other ID feature where changes aren't preserved at least for the session!)

The other factor is that the TOC "style" is so much more than what that term means elsewhere in ID. It's a complete preset, schema, model, structure — and thinking of it as a 'style' tends to blunt correct understanding of the feature.

But glad you solved it!

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

I am having no problem with a recent TOC I created in v19.5. However, it's my impression that ID is now fussier about whether or not the cursor is placed in the TOC to be updated (or the TOC text frame selected) before the Update Table of Contents menu option is active.

(That is, I seem to recall being able to update whether the TOC was the selection point or not. Now, ID insists on that cursor placement/selection first. This makes a certain degree of sense in that you can define and place multiple TOCs, and selecting the one to update is a good requirement.)