A Script to Empty Selected Text Frames in InDesign
A simple fix for a missing feature in InDesign, with the help of AI
In my opinion, scripting is the area where generative AI has the greatest potential to help creative professionals. We’re suddenly at the point where if you’re frustrated that a feature doesn’t exist in InDesign, Photoshop, or Illustrator, you can take a shot at making it yourself—even if you’ve never written a line of code in your life.
Case in point: The other day I wanted to quickly clear out the contents of a number of text frames on a spread in InDesign, while leaving the rest of my layout alone. For a minute, I thought there had to be an easy way to do that but I was just forgetting it. Alas, no.
No problem. I just fired up the MATE extension, and told it to make me a script that would delete the contents of all selected text frames, including frames that are grouped or threaded. A few moments later, I was in business.
If you’re logged in as a member, you can download the script with the button above.
Bonus tip: Run this or any other script in InDesign quickly and easily by using Quick Apply. Just launch Quick Apply by pressing Command+Return/Ctrl+Enter. From the panel menu, select Include Scripts. Now, you any time you want to run a script, launch Quick Apply and start typing the name of the script. When you see it highlighted, press Return/Enter.
For more about using AI to write scripts, check out Jean-Claude Tremblay’s article on MATE in issue 46 of CreativePro Magazine, and my article, The Power of Scripts, in issue 47.
This article was last modified on September 16, 2025
This article was first published on September 16, 2025
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