A Better Way to Fix an Index?

I have a master document.

The indexing has been done wrong on multiple subdocuments. The Entry and Keys have been entered backwards. For instance,

at Lourdes, France
…independent analysis of
…Miracles 147pp.

Was wrongly entered as:

Entry: Miracles
…1st Key: at Lourdes, France
…2nd key: independent analysis of

The only process I can find for fixing the backwards entries, involves either manually finding and editing every entry (over 150 pages) or going through the index in the master document. And, for each entry:

  • Find the entry in the master document
  • Copy a unique phrase
  • Figure out which chapter it is in
  • Opening that chapter
  • Searching for the unique phrase
  • Edit the entry

The one time saver seems to be generating an index on each chapter and then jumping to the page and scanning through all the entries on the page for the relevant one.

Is there a faster way to do this? e.g.:

  • an add-on/plug-in/whatever that let’s one click on an entry in an index and go to the entry (or just edit it where one is)
  • a spread-sheet like editor that let’s one see all the index entries for a file (chapter)

See if answer to 274226/change-name-of-index-and-delete-blank-entries-in-index “Stray entries” could help you. Apply the procedure in every sub-document because the entries are in there.

Thanks. That does work.

How to navigate between index entries is described in answer to 274226/change-name-of-index-and-delete-blank-entries-in-index.

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The linked answer while not ideal is workable. Tweaked for my question:

  1. Open the actual file (as opposed to the master document)

  2. Hover the mouse over an existing index entry (you should see a tooltip Alphabetical Index: xxx). Right-click and Index Entry. The dialog shows two heavy arrows which allow you to navigate to next and previous entries.

  3. Edit entries as needed