Adobe InDesign: Feature Requests
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2. Why is this valuable to you?
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5502 results found
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Regression: Inability to cycle through Blend Modes using arrow keys in the Effects Panel
Hi Adobe Team,
I am reporting a significant workflow regression in the InDesign Effects Panel (and Properties Panel) that has persisted into the 2026 versions.The Issue:
In older versions of InDesign, users could click on a Blend Mode (e.g., "Multiply") in the Effects Panel and then use the Up/Down arrow keys to instantly cycle through other modes. The effect was applied immediately to the selected object, allowing for a fast visual preview of all blending options.Current State:
This functionality is broken.
Clicking a Blend Mode and using arrow keys often moves the object on the canvas instead of changing the selection in the dropdown menu.
The "focus" on the dropdown is lost immediately after selection.
Even when using the Properties Panel (Opacity > Blend Mode), the menu requires constant re-opening, making it impossible to quickly compare different effects.Why this matters:
This change forces users to manually open the dropdown menu for every single effect they want to try (e.g., 15 clicks to see 15 modes). This is a massive downgrade in UI efficiency for designers.Please restore the "Sticky Focus" on the Blend Mode dropdown menu in the Effects Panel, allowing the arrow keys to cycle through options with an instant live preview, as it functioned in legacy versions.
Thanks a lot, Pavla.
Hi Adobe Team,
I am reporting a significant workflow regression in the InDesign Effects Panel (and Properties Panel) that has persisted into the 2026 versions.The Issue:
In older versions of InDesign, users could click on a Blend Mode (e.g., "Multiply") in the Effects Panel and then use the Up/Down arrow keys to instantly cycle through other modes. The effect was applied immediately to the selected object, allowing for a fast visual preview of all blending options.Current State:
This functionality is broken.
Clicking a Blend Mode and using arrow keys often moves the object on the canvas instead of…1 vote -
Organize styles (any type: paragraph, character, objects, ...) like a PRO
How WONDERFULL would be to have the possibility of AUTOMATICALLY order styles. How? I wish InDesign would assign automatic cascading numbering to folders and the paragraph styles that it contains.
[I've attached an image example.]
The idea would be that each generated folder would have an automatic number (based on its order in the window): 01, 02, 03, ...; and the paragraph styles within that folder would have that same numbering: 01.00, 02.00, 03.00, ...
When adding subfolders to the main folder, the numbering would continue: 01.01., 01.02., 01.03, ...; and the styles within those subfolders would also have that numbering.I've been doing this manually for years, and having this option automatically would save me hours of work. The best part: if I want to change the order and move a folder up or down every folder and number within will change automatically too.
I know it might sound like I'm being obsessive about organization, but it would be a VERY USEFUL tool for keeping styles tidy.
How WONDERFULL would be to have the possibility of AUTOMATICALLY order styles. How? I wish InDesign would assign automatic cascading numbering to folders and the paragraph styles that it contains.
[I've attached an image example.]
The idea would be that each generated folder would have an automatic number (based on its order in the window): 01, 02, 03, ...; and the paragraph styles within that folder would have that same numbering: 01.00, 02.00, 03.00, ...
When adding subfolders to the main folder, the numbering would continue: 01.01., 01.02., 01.03, ...; and the styles within those subfolders would also have that…1 vote -
Feature request: one-click document sanitize / rebuild
Hello,
I’d like to submit a feature request based on a recurring issue we see in long-living editorial InDesign documents.
In some INDD files, font changes become impossible even though the UI accepts the change — the document internally reverts it due to broken or legacy font/style references. This typically happens after documents have passed through multiple InDesign versions, operating systems, or workflows (sometimes involving InCopy). At the moment, the only reliable fix is a full IDML round-trip, which effectively rebuilds the document and clears these ghost references.
It would be extremely helpful to have a built-in “document sanitize / rebuild” command that performs this internal cleanup in one step (essentially an IDML-like rebuild without manual export/import). This would be invaluable for editorial and production environments working with long-term documents.
Thank you for considering this — it would remove a lot of unnecessary friction from real-world production workflows.
Best regards
DanielHello,
I’d like to submit a feature request based on a recurring issue we see in long-living editorial InDesign documents.
In some INDD files, font changes become impossible even though the UI accepts the change — the document internally reverts it due to broken or legacy font/style references. This typically happens after documents have passed through multiple InDesign versions, operating systems, or workflows (sometimes involving InCopy). At the moment, the only reliable fix is a full IDML round-trip, which effectively rebuilds the document and clears these ghost references.
It would be extremely helpful to have a built-in “document sanitize /…
1 vote -
1 vote
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File save revisions
I will explain with an example, I will be working on a design and saves it.
Later I modify the design and save it and the client tells me that the old design was better. Now my problem is returning to the last saved version.1 vote -
1 vote
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Native Support for Bibliographic Citations and Plugin Integration with Reference Managers (Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley, etc.)
Unlike Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign lacks built-in tools for managing bibliographic citations, in-text references, and automated bibliography generation. This is a major limitation for users creating academic papers, scientific publications, books, theses, or any long-form documents with sources.Currently, we rely on workarounds like:Drafting in Word with citation plugins (e.g., Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley), then placing static text into InDesign.
Third-party scripts (e.g., zot2indd for Zotero), which are unofficial and limited.Requested features:Native dynamic citation fields (similar to Word's References tab) for inserting in-text citations and auto-generating/updating a bibliography.
Official plugin/extension support or API integration for popular reference managers like Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley, Citavi, etc.
Support for common styles (APA, MLA, Chicago, IEEE, etc.) with automatic formatting and updates when sources change.
Hyperlinks between in-text citations and bibliography entries.This would make InDesign much more viable for professional and academic publishing workflows without forcing users to switch apps mid-process.Thank you for considering this—it's a highly requested improvement for many in education, research, and technical authoring
Unlike Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign lacks built-in tools for managing bibliographic citations, in-text references, and automated bibliography generation. This is a major limitation for users creating academic papers, scientific publications, books, theses, or any long-form documents with sources.Currently, we rely on workarounds like:Drafting in Word with citation plugins (e.g., Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley), then placing static text into InDesign.
Third-party scripts (e.g., zot2indd for Zotero), which are unofficial and limited.Requested features:Native dynamic citation fields (similar to Word's References tab) for inserting in-text citations and auto-generating/updating a bibliography.
Official plugin/extension support or API integration for popular reference managers like…1 vote -
Table of Contents updates
When making changes in the TOC dialogue box, if you just press "OK", the changes are only made until you next update the TOC (why?? Where's the warning??!) It's intuitive to expect that pressing OK is updating the TOC style permanently.
Instead, you need to press "Save Style" & go through the process of overwriting the style. OK should automatically overwrite the style & then you "Save Style" if you want to create an alternate.
I had a large print job stuffed up because of this. I know that others have mentioned this (but I couldn't go through 57 pages of search results to find it).I also 'second' requests:
• IMPERATIVE - be able to resize the TOC dialogue box (even automatically to fit the length of the list) - this is currently frustrating & time-consuming to have to scroll through to find the correct Paragraph Style & not being able to see the entire name of them (other boxes were previously changed to allow this but this one was neglected);
• The ability to insert a set distance between the page number & the contents text to allow for automatic soft returns.• HANDY - To be able to update the TOC from the right-click context menu when the TOC text box is selected; &
• Option to update TOC on export or close might be nice.When making changes in the TOC dialogue box, if you just press "OK", the changes are only made until you next update the TOC (why?? Where's the warning??!) It's intuitive to expect that pressing OK is updating the TOC style permanently.
Instead, you need to press "Save Style" & go through the process of overwriting the style. OK should automatically overwrite the style & then you "Save Style" if you want to create an alternate.
I had a large print job stuffed up because of this. I know that others have mentioned this (but I couldn't go through 57 pages…1 vote -
CRITICAL: Restore Hebrew Nikud Functionality in InDesign (Latest Versions) Issue:
Issue: The latest Adobe InDesign versions have broken Hebrew nikud (vowel points) rendering, which worked perfectly in older versions. This is preventing designers, publishers, and educators from properly typesetting Hebrew religious texts, children's books, educational materials, and more.
Impact: Thousands of users working with Hebrew content are either:
Losing productivity and revenueRequest: Please restore full nikud support as it existed in previous versions. This is not a feature request—it's a critical bug fix for a writing system used by millions.
If you work with Hebrew text in InDesign, please vote to prioritize this fix! 🙏
1 vote -
Add-on the package shortcut for Japanese product
Dear Adobe,
I have been wondering why InDesign in Japanese wouldn't have a shortcut key for "package".
In the CA (English) version, it has the one as shift+option+command+P, though.
It bothers me a little, and I would appreciate it if you could make it an add-on.
Best,1 vote -
Selected or Page in Find/Change
Earlier versions of InDesign included a “Search: Selected” option in Find/Change.
This made it possible to safely replace text only within a selected area or page.In current versions, this option has been removed, and Search: Document ignores selections entirely, making page-specific replacements impossible when text exists in multiple, unthreaded text frames.
This is a serious regression for production and packaging design workflows, where the same value (order number, batch number, SKU) appears multiple times per page and must be changed per page only.
Please restore Search: Selected, or introduce a Search: Page scope in Find/Change.
1 vote -
Convert imported bullets to bullets when assigned bulleted style.
When you assign a bulleted paragraph style to pasted or imported text, convert the imported bullets to the paragraph style bullets (instead of treating the imported bullets like the rest of the text resulting in bulleted bullets). It's tedious deleting, either manually or via F&R, all the imported bullets.
1 vote -
The ability to find/change Table, Cell styles and Object Styles
It would be great if we could find/replace specific Table styles, Cell styes and Object Styles. So basically have them available under the Find/Change options. This would be so useful for replacing Table and Cell styles in a large number of tables in a document. Now we have to manually select each table or cell/row/column to change them individually. It would save a lot of time if this could be more automated. Zie attached image for interface example.
1 vote -
Show Count of Pages a Parent is Applied to
When dealing with large documents with multiple parents, it would be helpful to know how many pages a certain parent is applied to. There is an old script out there, Check Master Page Numbers.jsx, but it does not show a total count for each parent. (Script results screenshot attached.)
1 vote -
Option to hide only ruler guides in Normal View Mode
When working with complex layouts and many ruler guides, it can be a bit frustrating to work further with the layout as the guides can block the view.
Also, it would be nice to be able to see the layout without the ruler guides, in Normal View, while still seeing the bleed edge and margins. A cleaner look of the layout without looking without the bleed.1 vote -
CHANGE THE SCALE OF AN OBJECT INSIDE A CONVERTED GRAPHIC CELL
USING THE FIND/CHANGE DIALOG BOX, SINCE IM USING TABLES IN ALL OF MY LAYOUT, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO FIND AND CHANGE THE SCALE OF ALL THE OBJECTS INSIDE A CONVERTED GRAPHIC CELL SO IT WILL BE EASIER TO CHANGE ALL THE SCALE OF ALL THE GRAPHIC OBJECT INSIDE A TABLE....
1 vote -
No gap between QR-Code and surrounding object frame
... or else it is much more work to give the QR-Code an exact size or correct alignment with other objects.
1 vote -
Hanging Punctuation needs to include more characters and be customizable #Optical Margin Alignment
Many people need more characters to hang when Optical Margin Alignment is turned on than what is provided by default. This panel should have settings to customize from the default. The workaround to add a space before the character you want to hang and then adding a huge amount of negative kerning, works, but seriously that's all we've got? That is not a real solution, nor is it efficient for multiple instances in multiple documents worked on by multiple people every week. The time used fussing with this alignment must add up to dozens of hours per month, just within our small group. This feature really needs attention. For example:
In typography, a reference relating to the main body of text, positioned at the bottom of the page. Footnotes are referenced by certain symbols (*, †, ‡, etc.), letters, or numbers, most often in superior or superscript form.
A footnote begins on the same page as its reference call, but it may be carried over to the bottom of successive pages. A short rule or additional space should separate the footnote from the text. The first line of each footnote is normally slightly indented.
Point sizes for footnotes are usually 7- or 8-point. By law, footnotes in financial forms, annual reports, prospectuses, and other SEC documents must be no smaller than the text size, which is 10-point.
The most common sequence of footnote reference marks is: 1. asterisk (), 2. dagger (†), 3. double dagger (††), 4. paragraph symbol (¶), 5. section mark (§), 6. parallel rules (||), 7. number sign (#). If more are required, they can be doubled up: double asterisks (*), double single daggers (††), double double daggers (††††), etc. However, when many footnotes are used, it is more practical to use consecutive numbers to identify each footnote.
The Story panel could have options such as "include all characters defined as punctuation in this font" or "only include characters defined as punctuation in this font" and even the ability to define your own list of characters. The characters defined as punctuation are already "known" to InDesign, see the Glyphs panel. It must be possible to link this definition that InDesign already "sees" to Optical Margin Alignment in the Story panel.
I know this feature was not developed for lists, but it could be very useful for lists with these improvements!
Many people need more characters to hang when Optical Margin Alignment is turned on than what is provided by default. This panel should have settings to customize from the default. The workaround to add a space before the character you want to hang and then adding a huge amount of negative kerning, works, but seriously that's all we've got? That is not a real solution, nor is it efficient for multiple instances in multiple documents worked on by multiple people every week. The time used fussing with this alignment must add up to dozens of hours per month,…
1 vote -
Help search function to find how to do something like endnotes. (Like in google docs)
Help search function to find how to do something like endnotes. (Like in google docs)
1 vote -
Gaußscher Weichzeichner für Bilder und Schnittmaske über das ganze Bild
Damit man z.B. einen Glass-Effect in Indesign herstellen kann, ohne den Umweg über Illustrator oder Photoshop zu machen und es dann wieder in Indesign importieren zu müssen, wäre es prima, wenn man einen Gaußschen Weichzeichner hätte und eine Schnittmaske über das ganze weichgezeichnete Bild verwenden könnte, wie in Illustrator..
To create a glass effect in InDesign, for example, without having to go through Illustrator or Photoshop and then import it back into InDesign, it would be great to have a Gaussian blur and be able to use a clipping mask over the entire blurred image, like in Illustrator.
1 vote
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