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About indexing

You can create a simple keyword index or a comprehensive, detailed guide to the information in your book. You can create only one index for a document or book. To create an index, you first place index markers in the text. You associate each index marker with the word, called a topic, that you want to appear in the index.

When you generate the index, each topic is listed, along with the page on which it was found. The topics are sorted alphabetically, typically under section headings (A, B, C, and so on). An index entry consists of a topic (the term readers look up) paired with either a page reference (page number or range) or a cross-reference. A cross-reference, preceded by “See” or “See also,” points the reader to other entries in the index, rather than to a page number.

Parts of an index

A.
Title

B.
Section heading

C.
Index entry

D.
Subentry

E.
Topic

F.
Page reference

G.
Cross-reference

Tips for creating an index

Creating a well-planned and complete index can help make the information in your document immediately accessible to your readers. Here are a few guidelines to consider:

  • Think about how you want your index to look. How many topic levels will it have? Will it refer the reader to other related topics? Will a simple keyword index suffice, or do you want a more complex index with cross-references to related topics and a well‑researched list of equivalent terms?

  • Anticipate the variety of ways by which your readers might look up information. For instance, one reader may search for information on animals by looking under beasts; another may look for wildlife or fauna.

  • Add index entries when the content of your document is fairly stable. If you delete large portions of your text later, you may lose some of your indexing work.

  • A well-planned index presents topics consistently. Common indexing problems include mixing uppercase and lowercase (cats and Cats) and singular and plural forms (cat and cats). Use a topic list to keep terms consistent.

  • Review your index several times before you generate the final index. Look for duplicate entries, weak subject areas, misspellings, and inconsistencies in capitalization and wording; for example, InDesign treats Cheetah, cheetah, and cheetahs as separate entries.

Workflow for creating an index

To create an index, follow these basic steps:

1. Create a topic list (optional)
A topic list helps you maintain consistency in your index entries. (See Create a list of topics for an index.)

2. Add index markers.
Add index markers on the pages in your document that you want the index entries to refer to. (See Add index entries.)

3. Generate the index.
Generating the index creates a set of entries for markers and their accompanying page numbers. (See Generate an index.)

4. Flow the index story.
Use the loaded text cursor to flow the index into a text frame. In most cases, you’ll want the index to start on a new page. After you flow the index, you can format the pages and index.

You’ll likely repeat these steps several times as you refine your index prior to publication.

For a video on creating an index, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0220.