Create an index in Microsoft Word

You can create a simple keyword index or a comprehensive, detailed index of topics in your publications using the built-in tools for Microsoft Word and Typefi 8. Index entries can be created for:

• Individual words, phrases, or symbols;
• Topics that span a range of pages; and
• Cross-references that point to related entries, such as Fauna, See Animals.

When you select text and mark it as an index entry, Microsoft Word adds an XE (Index Entry) field that includes the marked main entry and any cross-reference information.

{XE "Machiavelli:The Prince"}

You can also use professional tools like CINDEX or SKY Index to build an index outside of Microsoft Word and then embed your index back into your original document using a third-party tool like DEXembed or WordEmbed. Benefits of having an embedded index are that its page numbers are always up-to-date, and it will work for both print and EPUB.

Add index entries

To create an index entry, click Mark Entry in the Index group on the References tab.

Mark words or phrases

To mark words or phrases:

1. Select the text you want to mark, or click where you want to insert the index entry.
2. On the References tab, in the Index group, click Mark Entry to open the Mark Index Entry dialog.
3. Edit the Main entry and customise the other settings as needed.
4. Click Mark.

To create a third-level index entry, enter the subentry text followed by a colon (:) and then the third-level entry text.

Mark topics that span a range of pages

To mark a topic that spans a range of pages:

1. Select the range of text that you want to mark.
2. On the Insert tab, in the Links group, click Bookmark.
3. Enter a unique name for your bookmark and then click Add.
4. On the References tab, in the Index group, click Mark Entry.
5. Enter your topic name in the Main entry field.
6. Under Options, select Page range and select the bookmark you created earlier.
7. Click Mark.

Currently, Typefi does not support index entries that reference the same bookmark more than once and index entries that appear before, after or inside a bookmark that is used to define a page range. 

Edit an index entry

When you mark text as an index entry, Microsoft Word creates it an XE field. The XE field appears between curly braces ({}). When you view the XE fields in your document, it looks like this:

{XE "Text" [switches]}

If you don’t see the XE fields in your document, click Show/Hide ¶ in the Paragraph group on the Home tab.

"Text"

"Text" is how you want your index entry to appear in the index. For example, entering "Machiavelli" as a Main entry in the Mark Index Entry dialog creates this XE field:

{XE "Machiavelli"}

If you have added a subentry to your index entry, each level is separated by a colon (:).

{XE "Machiavelli:The Prince"}

To override the default sort order of an index entry, add a semi-colon (;) after your subentry and then enter the custom sort text.

{XE "Machiavelli:The Prince;Prince, The"}

While Microsoft Word allows you to apply local font formatting within the "Text" portion of an XE field when it generates its own indexes, the Typefi Import DOCX workflow action requires you to use character styles to apply custom formatting within an index entry.

To include a colon within an index entry, escape it with a backslash. For example, enter "Luke 9\:21" to create the index entry Luke 9:21.

Switches

These optional switches may be used to change how an entry appears in the generated index:

\b	Emphasizes the page number of the entry with +bold (can also be used with \i); added by selecting "Bold" as the Page number format in the Mark Index Entry dialog.
\i	Emphasizes the page number of the entry with +italic (can also be used with \b); added by selecting "Italic" as the Page number format in the Mark Index Entry dialog.
\r bookmark	Inserts a range of pages according to the named bookmark; added by selecting "Page range" under Options in the Mark Index Entry dialog.
\t “text”	Inserts text instead of a page number (the text must be enclosed in quotation marks); added by selecting "Cross-reference" under Options in the Mark Index Entry dialog.