Writing and manuscriptsLesson
How to build an index for a book
Mark a word in Write, file it as an index entry, and add an Index page that prints each term with the page a reader turns to before you order a proof copy.
In short
In Write, select a word and press ⌘⌥I (Ctrl+Alt+I on Windows), or choose Index entry from the + beside the paragraph. Open the Outline, and under Back matter click Index to add the page that lists each term with its page number.
A hand-typed index goes stale the moment you add a paragraph. The page number you wrote in chapter two now points at the wrong page, and the error is invisible until a reader hunts for a term and cannot find it. Chapter headings do not fill this list for you. You mark the words a reader would look up, and the Index page prints each term with the page it lands on, so you can read the list before you order a proof.
Build the index#
Open Write
Open your book. In the bar under the header, click Write, next to Layout. The manuscript opens as one continuous column, so you can select a word without the page breaks in the way.
Select the word
Select the word a reader would look up. A caret with nothing selected does not file: Index entry stays in the menu, and no term is created. One word is enough. You can change what it is called after it is filed.
File the term
Press ⌘⌥I (Ctrl+Alt+I on Windows). To use the menu instead, click + in the left margin (its name is Insert) and choose Index entry.
The Index panel opens on the right, under Notes. The word is already in the field whose placeholder reads Term. The button beside it shows the page that word will print on. The sentence itself does not change.
Add the index page
Click the Outline button in the bar under the header. Its tooltip reads Show or hide the outline. Under Back matter, click Index, on the row that reads add.
The row changes to in book · view. The page is in the book. It does not open yet.
Open the index page
Click that Index row again, now that it reads in book · view. The editor switches to Layout and opens the page. The heading reads Index, and each term you filed is listed with its page number. Terms you marked in different parts of the book point at different pages.
Reading the Index panel#
| In the panel | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Term | The word that prints in the index. Change it and every place you filed that word takes the new term. |
| Sub-entry (optional) | A finer term, printed indented under the main one. Leave it empty for a single line. |
| Find | Jumps to that word in the manuscript. |
| Remove | Drops the term everywhere you filed it. |
The button beside Term shows the page numbers that entry will print. A dash means the entry has no page yet, and a dash does not print. The same word filed on several pages stays one row, and the button lists each page.
Take an entry back#
Remove, on that term's row in the Index panel, drops the term everywhere you filed it. Press ⌘Z (Ctrl+Z on Windows) before you make another change and the term comes back.
To remove the page, click Layout, point at the Index page in the page rail, and click Delete page. Undo puts the page back. The terms you filed stay in the Index panel, so you can add the page again later without marking the words a second time.
For the rest of what a print file is checked for before you upload, read what KDP checks in an interior PDF.
Common questions
Do chapter headings become index entries?
No. The index lists only the words you select and file. A chapter title stays a chapter title unless you select those words and file them the same way as any other term.
Can one term show more than one page?
Yes. File the word each time a reader would look for it. The Index panel keeps a single row for that term, and the button beside it lists every page the word lands on.
Why does a term show a dash instead of a page number?
The dash means that entry has no page yet, so it will not print. File the word in the manuscript and let the book lay the pages out. The dash then becomes the page numbers.
Can I file a sub-entry under a term?
Yes. In the Index panel, the second field reads Sub-entry (optional). What you type there prints indented under the term. Leave the field empty when the term stands on its own.
Do I need a paid plan to add an index?
No. Marking a term and adding the Index page work on every plan. Nothing on this path asks you to upgrade.
Try it on your own book
Open a book in SmartKDP and follow the steps above. It takes about 6 minutes.