Every few months I get the same question: "How do I export 200 InDesign files to PDF without clicking export 200 times?" The answer isn't the same for everyone, so here's the full breakdown.
Method 1: InDesign's built-in Book feature
If your files are already organized as an InDesign Book (.indb), the Book panel has an Export Book to PDF option. This is the right tool when you're producing a single continuous PDF from multiple chapter files.
What it doesn't do: export each file as a separate PDF. It produces one document.
Method 2: Adobe Bridge + Image Processor
Bridge can batch-process InDesign files through its Tools > InDesign > Create PDF menu. It works, but it uses the document's embedded export preset — whatever was last saved with the file. You can't easily override the preset without modifying each source document.
I've seen this cause problems when a designer set up a file with a low-res screen PDF preset during layout, then forgot to change it before handing the files to production.
Method 3: InDesign's built-in scripts
InDesign ships with a sample script called ExportAllStories.jsx. It's not what you want for PDF export, but it shows the pattern. The app.activeDocument.exportFile() method is the API you want to call.
A basic batch export script iterates over every .indd file in a folder, opens it, calls exportFile() with your target PDF preset, writes the output file to the same folder, then closes the document without saving. The whole thing is about 15 lines of ExtendScript.
This is the approach I use most often. You can customize it to: use a specific PDF preset, apply preflight before export, rename files based on document properties, export individual pages as separate files.
Method 4: Command line with InDesign Server
If you're doing this at scale — thousands of documents, automated as part of a production pipeline — InDesign Server with a custom script runner is the industrial solution. It's expensive and requires infrastructure, but a major publisher I worked with was processing 40,000 document variants a month this way.
What I recommend for most people
For occasional batch export (10–50 files): use Method 3, the simple script. It takes about an hour to write the first version and the time investment pays off immediately.
For regular production workflows (100+ files, multiple times a week): invest time in a proper script with a preset selector, error recovery, and an output manifest. The upfront time investment pays off in the first week.
The edge cases the simple scripts miss
Missing fonts: if a document has a missing font, the export will complete but the text will be in a fallback. You need to trap this explicitly and flag the file.
Preflight failures: not all preflights produce export errors. Check doc.preflightProfiles if this matters to your workflow.
Variable page counts: if you're exporting specific page ranges, the script needs to validate that the requested pages exist before calling export.
Package links: if linked images are missing, you'll get low-res placeholders in the export. Pre-validate with doc.links before exporting.