đź”— Understanding text and page preview mismatches in InDesign files
This guide explains why the text order or page numbers shown in Redokun’s Web Editor might not match what you see in your original InDesign file. It also offers ways to fix these issues and improve preview accuracy.
🧩 Two common issues you might notice
🧠1. The page number shown in Redokun is different from the one in InDesign
Why it happens:
InDesign lets you start page numbering from any page. For example, your document might show "Page 1" on what is actually the fifth page in the file. Redokun uses the file’s absolute page order, not the visible page number set by the designer.
âś… Tip: This mismatch affects only the Web Editor. It does not impact your final translated document.
🧵 2. A segment appears on the wrong page or lacks a preview
Why it happens: Some types of content in InDesign don’t include clear preview data in the IDML file. This can happen when:
- The text comes from a threaded text frame (text flowing across multiple frames — this can be fixed using the Redokun InDesign Extension, see below)
- The text is on a Parent Page (formerly called Master Page)
- The segment is part of a variable (e.g., running headers or footers, text headers, etc...)
In these cases, Redokun might:
- Show the segment on the wrong preview page
- Omit the preview image entirely
âť— Note: These issues affect only the Web Editor preview. The exported translation will still appear correctly in your final IDML file.
🛠️ How to improve preview accuracy
🔌 Use the Redokun InDesign Extension (recommended)
We recommend using the extension to improve how segments are mapped to page previews—especially when working with threaded text frames.
👉 Learn how to install and use it in our dedicated guide: 🧩 Using the Redokun InDesign Extension
✂️ Split threaded text frames (alternative method)
If you can’t use the extension, break all threaded frames manually:
- In InDesign, go to
Scripts > Application > SplitStory.jsx. - Run the script to split all linked frames.
- Save your file under a new name.
- Export a new IDML file.
- Upload the IDML to Redokun.
⚠️ This method avoids threaded-frame issues but may affect layout structure.
đź“ť Summary
- Redokun uses absolute page order — not designer-defined numbering.
- Some segments may show the wrong preview or no preview at all.
- Use the Redokun InDesign Extension for best preview accuracy.
- Alternatively, split threaded text frames to reduce confusion.
- Web Editor previews do not affect your final translated document.
Need help? Contact us at support@redokun.com — we’re happy to assist!