INDEXIA BLOG
How to index your self-published book with Indexia
Getting started with Indexia is straightforward. Here's how to create a professional index for your book:
1. Create Your Project
First, create an account and then name your project. Each project represents a single book or long-form text, so choose something that helps you keep track of what you're indexing.
2. Upload Your PDF
Next, upload your PDF. In the "Select Page Range" tab, make sure you set the correct starting page. This should match the PDF page that corresponds to page 1 of your text.
Example: If the first page of your introduction is on PDF page 12, set your start page to 12.
Choosing the right start page ensures accurate page references throughout the index.
3. Configure Term Extraction
Once the PDF is loaded, you can tailor how Indexia reads it. The "Term Extraction Preferences" tab allows you to specify exactly the kinds of material you want the system to focus on in your index:
- Names
- Concepts
- Organizations
- Technical terms
- And more
This helps shape the initial draft of your index toward the content that matters most.
4. Start Indexing
When you're ready, start the indexing process. Depending on the length and complexity of your document, this can take anywhere from 15 to 75 minutes. Indexia will:
- Extract terms
- Analyze their context
- Structure the results into your main index view
5. Refine Your Index
After processing finishes, you'll land on the Index Editor page. This is where the real shaping happens. You can:
- Modify or delete terms
- Merge or relate them
- Create cross-references
- Build out subentries
Every change updates the structure instantly, giving you full control over the final index.
6. Export and Share
When you're satisfied, you can export your index:
- Word format for immediate use
.ixmlformat for compatibility with professional indexing tools
And if you want your index to be publicly viewable—whether for collaboration, transparency, or simply to showcase your work—you can publish it as a public index and share the link with anyone.
Indexia handles the heavy lifting, but the craft remains yours.