How can I create automatic numbering?

At the very least we're going to need to see a screen shot of that master page in the sample file with non-printing characters visible. We may need to see the file itself.

You can embed a screen shot in a post using the camera icon on the web page like this:

Jerry,

Attachments don't work. You have to come back to the web page and use the camera icon to embed an image.

Yes, that's a variable. The 00 variable is looking for text with the "paper number" character style applied, and it uses the last instance it finds on the page, or on a previous page if no instance is on the current page.

<level number> is also a variable, and will work ina similar fashion, but you'll have to check what it's looking for.

When variables are placed on the master page you won't see any change on the master, but the actual document pages should update with changes to the text (sometimes you have to scroll off the page and back to get the display to update).

@peter

JerryPF wrote "Changing the paper number in the anchored frame automatically changes the number on the master page item in the top corner of the layout. The master page hasn't been overridded and isn't immediately selectable"

why the changes are replicating on the master page even when it is not overrided, and how jerryPF is making the changes when it is a master page item.

Bit confusing ?????

I'm guessing the numbers aren't really updating on the master page (especially since the varible name is showing) and that Jerry just didn't express what was happening very well.