First encountered issue: https://community.adobe.com/t5/InDesign/Data-Merge-to-PDF-ignoring-text-variables-in-tag-line/td-p/10606867

Data Merge to PDF ignoring text variables in tag line

I posted the previous in Communities over 5 years ago on Sep 13, 2019 and it still hasn't been addressed.

Is there any reason that a file merged directly to a PDF (rather than to an Indesign file, then saved as a PDF) would refuse to parse text variables set in InDesign?

Document has text variables selected so that final will have a tag line with date and page count.

When I merge my data to an InDesign file, then save as PDF, the tag line I created with text variables print. It works but it is very time consuming and eats up a lot of hard drive space.

My tag line includes:

File Name | Output Date/Time | Sheet: Page Number / Last Page Number

"merged to indd then saved as PDF.png" shows how the tag line is supposed to appear.

When I use the Data Merge Panel to select Merge to PDF, InDesign happily prints my file name, date and time, but ignores my text variables for the page number and last page number in document. It's treating my merge as if there is only one page and it's the same exact tag line.

"Merged to pdf.png" is how the tag line looks when I merge to PDF. Note that EVERY page is page 1. Not great for the bindery operator who is cutting these out and trying to keep them all in order.

Surely using the Data panel, InDesign understands that the resulting PDF will be more than one page considering there are over 6,000 records merging?

What is going on? Can this be fixed? Have I found a bug?

Sherry Baker