Select Window > Type & Tables > Index.
Last updated on
Jun 2, 2026
Learn how to modify topics, update references, and refine entries before generating your final index in Adobe InDesign.
Manage index entries to maintain consistency and accuracy. Edit topics to update multiple entries or adjust individual references as needed. Changes in the Index panel are retained when you regenerate the index, while edits to the generated index story are overwritten. Use Topic mode to edit shared topics and Reference mode to modify page references and cross-references.
Edit a topic
Edit a topic in Topic mode to automatically update all entries that use that topic, ensuring consistency across your entire index.
Select the panel menu icon, then select Topic.
In the preview area, double-click the topic you want to edit.
Modify the topic name or sort order in the Topic Options dialog box.
Select OK.
Edit an individual index entry
Use Reference mode when you need to modify a single entry without affecting other instances of the same topic.
Select Window > Type & Tables > Index.
Select Reference.
In the preview area, locate and select the entry you want to modify.
Double-click the entry or its page reference icon.
Adjust the topic level, page range type, or cross-reference as needed.
Select OK.
Delete an index entry
Remove unwanted entries to streamline your index. Deleting a topic-level entry removes all associated page references and subentries.
Select Window > Type & Tables > Index.
Select the entry you want to remove.
Select Delete selected entry at the bottom-right of the panel. You can delete index markers directly from your document by selecting Type > Show Hidden Characters, then selecting the marker, and pressing Delete.
If the entry contains sub-entries, confirm the deletion when prompted.
Remove unused topics
Clean up the topic list after creating your index by removing topics without associated page references.
Select Window > Type & Tables > Index to open the Index panel.
Select Topic.
Select the panel menu icon, then select Remove Unused Topics.
Find specific entries in the Index panel
Find the exact position of an index marker to verify context or adjust placement.
Select Window > Type & Tables > Index.
Select the panel menu icon, then select Show Find Field.
Type the entry name in the Find field.
Select the up or down arrows to navigate between matching entries.
Locate an index marker in your document
Find the exact position of an index marker to verify context or adjust placement.
Select Type > Show Hidden Characters to display index markers as blue anchor icons.
Select Window > Type & Tables > Index.
Select Reference.
Select the entry whose marker you want to locate.
Select the panel menu icon, then select Go to Selected Marker. The insertion point moves to the marker's location in your document.
Update capitalization across multiple entries
Maintain consistent capitalization throughout your index, fixing issues where the same term appears with different capitalization.
Select Window > Type & Tables > Index.
In the panel preview area, select an entry.
Select the panel menu icon, then select Capitalize.
Select whether to capitalize the Selected Topic only, the Selected Topic and All Subtopics, All Level 1 Topics, or All Topics.
Select OK.
Import topics from another document
Reuse existing topic lists to maintain consistency across multiple documents or books.
Select Window > Type & Tables > Index.
Select the panel menu icon, then select Import Topics.
Navigate and select the InDesign document containing the topics.
Select Open.
View all index topics in a book
Use the Book option to display entries from the entire book, not just the current document.
Open the book file and all the documents it contains.
Select Window > Type & Tables > Index.
Select Book.
Note
When indexing a book with multiple documents, generate an index for all documents so you can view all topics without manually importing them into each file.
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