InDesign

Preview records in the target document

Before you merge the target document and data source file, it’s a good idea to preview the records to make sure that field data will appear properly when the information is merged. When you preview records, the Data Merge panel displays actual data from the data source file instead of the field placeholders. For example, instead of seeing <<Company>>, you might see Adobe Systems, Inc. You can use the navigation buttons on the Data Merge panel to cycle through the records.

If you find problems with any of the records, such as typographical errors or extra spaces, it is recommended that you edit the source file in its original application. (See About data source files.)

  1. Click Preview at the bottom of the Data Merge panel, or choose Preview from the Data Merge panel menu.
  2. Click the navigation buttons to cycle through data from different records.
To go to a specified record, click the navigation buttons at the bottom of the panel. You can also type the number of the record you want to preview in the navigation text box at the bottom of the panel, and then press Enter or Return.