Edit linked content in its original Writer subdocument, save that file, then update the master document. On a Mac, open the source through the master’s Navigator; the linked text displayed inside the master is not directly editable. LibreOffice Help

This workflow is for someone assembling an existing LibreOffice Writer master document on a Mac who needs a chapter or reference record correction to remain present after refreshing links. The instructions draw on the current online Help, labeled LibreOffice 26.8, and the Writer Guide 26.2 chapter published in March 2026. Menu appearance can vary between versions. Writer Guide 26.2: Master Documents

Which file should own the revision?

A master document brings separate Writer files together. LibreOffice explicitly states that changes made to the master do not change its subdocuments. That makes the editing location consequential: a correction belonging to a linked chapter belongs in that chapter’s source file. Master Documents and Subdocuments

Before editing, describe the change in one sentence. For example, “Correct record REF-102’s title in the reference chapter” identifies a source-content change. “Add an introduction used only in this assembled document” identifies master-owned text. This small decision prevents you from placing a correction somewhere other than the file intended to retain it.

Intended change Editing location or action
Revise a linked chapter’s wording or record values Open and edit its source subdocument
Add text belonging only to the assembled document Insert a master-owned Text section
Change the order of linked chapters Rearrange entries in the master’s Navigator
Refresh a generated table of contents Update the index in the master

LibreOffice documents these separate operations: double-clicking a subdocument opens it for editing; Insert > Text adds master-owned text; dragging Navigator entries changes their order; and selecting an index and using Update refreshes it. Working with Master Documents and Subdocuments

Here, ownership means which file stores the content. For example, if a reference chapter is maintained as a reusable subdocument, keep its reference records there. Use the master for assembly-specific material. This is an editorial application of LibreOffice’s linked-file model.

How to edit the linked source on a Mac

Start with the existing master document open. Use View > Navigator to display the Navigator. This menu route avoids relying on a function-key shortcut. LibreOffice also provides a Navigator button in the sidebar. Navigator

  1. If the Navigator shows ordinary document categories rather than linked components, use Toggle Master View.
  2. Find the subdocument containing the material you need to revise.
  3. Rest the pointer over its name to inspect the full source path. Check the folder as well as the filename.
  4. Double-click the subdocument entry to open its source for editing. Alternatively, select the file entry and use Edit.
  5. Make the correction in the opened source document and choose File > Save before returning to the master.

The master-mode Help documents the path tooltip, view toggle, and Edit command; the working guide documents double-clicking a source entry. Navigator for Master Documents, Working with Master Documents and Subdocuments

You can also open the subdocument from its folder in Finder. The Writer Guide supports opening the source directly from its location. Opening it through the master is useful when similarly named copies exist, because you can first inspect the linked path. On macOS, use Control-click where these instructions call for a context menu if that is how your Mac is configured. Writer Guide 26.2: Master Documents

How to refresh the master after saving

Return to the master and use the Navigator’s Update menu. Choose Links to refresh linked content. Choose All to update all contents, or Indexes when you specifically need to refresh indexes. These choices have different scopes; select the one appropriate to the task. Navigator for Master Documents

For a chapter revision that might change headings or pagination, use this practical sequence: save the source, refresh the master’s links, update its generated contents, inspect the revised passage, and save the master. The Writer Guide says to manually update the table of contents, bibliography, and index after editing and saving a subdocument. Writer Guide 26.2: Master Documents

Verify the actual corrected wording before judging the result by page numbers or appearance. A useful check compares two things: whether the source contains the intended revision and whether the refreshed assembly displays it. This separates the editing task from the assembly refresh.

Worked example: revise a synthetic reference record

The following example is illustrative, not a reported software test. Assume an existing master named Assembly.odm links to ReferenceRecords.odt. The source contains these invented records as ordinary text or table rows; they are not Writer bibliography fields.

Record ID Title Revision label
REF-101 Cedar Sample Catalogue A
REF-102 Birch Component Notes A
REF-103 Maple Assembly Overview B

The task is to change REF-102’s title to “Birch Component Guide” and its revision label to B, while keeping the record in the linked reference document.

Open ReferenceRecords.odt through the master’s Navigator after checking its path. Locate REF-102 and change only that row’s title and revision label. Save the source. Return to Assembly.odm, refresh its links, and inspect REF-102 in the assembled document.

The intended result is the same record ID with the revised title and label in both places. REF-101 and REF-103 provide nearby comparison rows so you can check that you edited the intended record. If you also changed a chapter heading, inspect the regenerated table of contents separately.

For a practical persistence check, close the saved source and reopen it through the master’s Navigator. Confirm the revised record, then refresh the master again. This is a suggested verification procedure derived from the documented workflow; it does not imply that a desktop test was performed for this article.

What to check when a revision seems to disappear

Does the linked source contain the saved correction?

Open the source through the master again and inspect the target passage. If the correction is absent, check whether you saved the edit and whether you edited a different copy. Compare the Navigator’s full-path tooltip with the file you intended to maintain. The tooltip is the documented way to identify the linked location. Navigator for Master Documents

Did you refresh the links or only the indexes?

If the source contains the correction but the master still shows older wording, use Update > Links in the master’s Navigator. Updating Indexes alone has a different documented scope. After the linked text is current, refresh generated contents as needed. Navigator for Master Documents

Was the source renamed?

The Writer Guide documents that renaming a source file can leave a broken link highlighted in red. To repair it, Control-click the affected Navigator entry and use Edit link. In Edit Sections, keep Link selected, use Browse to select the renamed source, and confirm with OK. Save and refresh the master, then inspect the target passage. Writer Guide 26.2: Master Documents, Navigator for Master Documents

Is the wording correct but the formatting different?

LibreOffice gives styles already present in the master precedence over imported styles with the same names. A source paragraph can therefore retain its wording while looking different in the assembly. The source’s own style definition remains unchanged by the master. Master Documents and Subdocuments

For example, if REF-102 contains the correct revised title in both windows but its font differs, investigate style definitions. Re-entering the title will not resolve a same-name style difference. LibreOffice recommends using the same document template for the master and subdocuments to reduce this confusion. Master Documents and Subdocuments

Keep the linked workflow intact

Direct editing of a subdocument’s displayed content inside the master is outside the documented editing model. The supported route is to open the source. Likewise, the Navigator’s Save Contents as well option stores a copy of linked contents in the master for availability when sources cannot be accessed; it does not change where source revisions belong. Master Documents and Subdocuments, Navigator for Master Documents

For each revision, identify the owning source, open it from the master, save the correction there, and refresh the assembly. Finish by checking the exact passage in both files. That gives you a concrete way to confirm the revision while preserving the linked document’s role as the maintained source.

Sources