Create or open the document you want to use as the target document.
Last updated on
Jun 2, 2026
Learn how to create and configure Adobe InDesign documents with placeholder fields for merging variable data from source files.
After you create the data source, set up the target document and insert its data fields. The target document contains placeholder text and graphics used in every output. Once you select a data source, the fields become available to insert, and when you merge, InDesign creates a new document that replaces placeholders with your data. You can place data fields on either a parent page or a document page.
Select and load the data source
Select a data source in the Data Merge panel before inserting fields. Each target document can use only one data source.
Open the Data Merge panel (Window > Utilities > Data Merge).
Select the Data Source from the Data Merge panel menu.
Turn on Show Import Options to manually control how the file is interpreted.
InDesign usually detects the correct delimiter and encoding automatically, but you can change them if they are not identified correctly.
Locate your data source file and select Open.
Adjust the delimiter and encoding options if you select Show Import Options.
Verify that the field names are displayed in the Data Merge panel.
If you see an error or incorrect fields, edit the source file and save it as a comma-, tab-, or semicolon-delimited file.
Update the data source whenever it changes so the latest data appears in the target document.
Insert text data fields
Create a text frame on a document page or parent page.
Place the insertion point inside the text frame or select existing text that you want to replace with a data field.
In the Data Merge panel, select the text field name you want to insert.
Format the placeholder text using character and paragraph formatting as needed. The formatting you apply carries through to all merged records.
Repeat for additional text fields, adding punctuation, spaces, and static text between placeholders.
Text field placeholders appear in double angle brackets (such as <<Name>>) and use the current text formatting. You must insert them from the Data Merge panel, not by typing the field name.
Insert image data fields
Use image data fields to place image placeholders that pull images from your data source during a merge.
Select Window > Utilities > Data Merge.
Use one of the following methods to insert an image placeholder, depending on where it should appear in the layout:
- Inline image placeholder: Drag an image field into a text frame to insert it in line with text.
- Floating image placeholder: Drag an image field onto an existing graphics frame to insert it as a floating image.
- Image placeholder in grouped or nested objects: Drag the image field onto the target group, table cell, or nested object to insert the placeholder.
Confirm the placeholder appears correctly. Image placeholders appear as frames that display the field name.
Configure parent page placeholders for enhanced workflow
Use parent pages to place data fields when working on complex or frequently updated projects. This approach provides more control, keeps the merged document linked to its data source, and lets you reuse merge settings to easily recreate or update layouts.
Open the Pages panel and navigate to the parent page where you want to place data fields.
Ensure the text frame containing the data fields has Allow Parent Item Overrides On Selection enabled (Pages panel menu).
Insert data field placeholders following the same methods described for document pages.
Placeholders remain on the parent and appear as overridden items on document pages in the merged output.
Apply the parent page to the first page of your document. Data fields cannot exist on both parent and document pages at the same time.
If you see an error that no placeholders are found, check that the fields are placed on the right parent page, since page 1 is based on the right parent. Select Update Content In Data Fields to refresh the merged document after you change the data or layout.
Preview and verify placeholder setup
Preview your records before merging to make sure the data appears correctly in the layout. When the preview is on, InDesign replaces field placeholders with actual data from your source file. For example, instead of seeing <<Company>>, you might see Adobe.
Select Preview in the Data Merge panel to replace placeholders with actual data from the first record.
Use the navigation arrows to cycle through data from different records.
Edit the source file in its original application if you find issues such as typos or extra spaces in the records.
Deselect Preview to return to placeholder view before saving the target document.
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