Open a document and ensure the Pages panel is visible (Window > Pages).
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Manage parent items
Last updated on
Jun 2, 2026
Learn how to override parent page objects to control updates and restore or detach overridden items, and hide parent items in Adobe InDesign.
Override specific parent items on a page
Overriding creates an editable copy of a parent item on a document page while keeping it linked to the original. You can modify specific attributes, and only those that stop updating. Other attributes continue to follow the parent until overridden. Overrides can be removed to match the parent again.
You can override strokes and fills, frame content, transformations, corner options, text frame options, lock state, transparency, and effects.
Select the Pages panel menu icon, and ensure that Parent Pages > Allow Parent Item Overrides on Selection is selected.
Select Ctrl + Shift (Windows) or Command + Shift (macOS) and select the parent item on the document page.
Modify the selected item using the required formatting or transformation tools.
Override all parent items on a spread
When you override threaded text frames, all visible frames in the thread are overridden simultaneously, even if they appear on different pages in the spread.
Target the spread where you want to override all parent items within the Pages panel (Window > Pages).
Select the Pages panel menu icon and then select Override All Parent Page Items.
Select and modify any parent items as needed.
Restore overridden items
You can restore overridden items to match the parent. This removes the local copy and reapplies the parent item, which updates automatically and appears with a dotted border. You can restore selected items or all items on a spread, but not the entire document at once.
Open the Pages panel (Window > Pages).
In the Pages panel, select one or more pages from which you want to remove overrides.
Select the Pages panel menu icon and then select Parent Pages > Remove All Local Overrides.
Detach parent items
Detaching creates permanent independence from parent pages, allowing complete customization without future parent updates affecting those objects.
Use this when you need full control without the parent page's influence. Detaching breaks the connection completely, and the object won’t be updated by the parent. To restore it, delete the object and reapply the parent.
Open the page containing the parent item you want to detach in the Pages panel (Window > Pages).
Press Ctrl + Shift (Windows) or Command + Shift (macOS) and select the parent item to override it.
With the item still selected, select the Pages panel menu icon and select Detach All Objects from Parent. If the Detach All Objects from Parent command is unavailable, the selected spread contains no overridden objects.
Hide parent items
Hiding parent items removes them from view, print, and export on selected pages while keeping the parent assignment. Unlike overriding or detaching, hidden items remain linked and unchanged. Use this process to vary layouts without detaching objects.
Select Window > Pages.
Select the pages or spreads where you want to hide the items in the Pages panel.
Select the panel menu icon and then select Parent Pages > Hide Parent Items.
To display parent items again, select the panel menu icon, and then select Parent Pages > Show Parent Items.
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