diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/datamerge.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/datamerge.rs
index 4d3cd5dd6..e834127fd 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/datamerge.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/datamerge.rs
@@ -482,6 +482,20 @@ fn add_placeholder(d: &mut Document, sel: &Selection, p: &Value, name: &str) ->
         if matches!(role, PlaceholderRole::Image | PlaceholderRole::Qr) {
             return Err(bad("data.placeholder.add", "image and qr placeholders bind to a frame"));
         }
+        // The insertion point is in a table cell: the field goes into the cell's text as its
+        // marker, which the merge fills as it fills a typed one. A cell's text is a story of its
+        // own that a placeholder can't name, and the selection's offsets are the cell's, so they
+        // used to put the marker in the table's story instead (#2315).
+        if !explicit_story && let Some(t) = sel.text.filter(|t| t.cell.is_some()) {
+            if role != PlaceholderRole::Text {
+                return Err(bad("data.placeholder.add", "a hyperlink field can't go in a table cell; insert it as text"));
+            }
+            let marker = format!("<<{name}>>");
+            let st = d.text_story_mut(t.story, t.cell).ok_or_else(|| bad("data.placeholder.add", "no table cell there"))?;
+            let at = designcraft_doc::floor_char_boundary(&st.text, t.range().start.min(st.text.len()));
+            st.replace(at..at, &marker);
+            return Ok(json!({"cell": true, "marker": marker}));
+        }
         let (story, at, end) = text_target(p, sel).ok_or_else(|| bad("data.placeholder.add", "select text or a frame"))?;
         if d.story(story).is_none() {
             return Err(bad("data.placeholder.add", "no story"));
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/datamerge/fill.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/datamerge/fill.rs
index 825179ac9..288dbf44f 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/datamerge/fill.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/datamerge/fill.rs
@@ -228,6 +228,7 @@ pub fn fill_row(
     let Pending { mut reps, links, parent, mut report } = pending;
     typed_reps(doc, fields, row, maps, &placeholders, &mut reps);
     apply_reps(doc, &reps);
+    fill_nested_markers(doc, fields, row, maps);
     for (anchor, dest, field) in links {
         let anchor = match anchor {
             PlaceholderAnchor::Text { story, start, end } => {
@@ -331,6 +332,44 @@ fn typed_reps(
     }
 }
 
+/// The `<<Field>>` markers in the table cells and footnotes of the stories being filled. A cell's
+/// or a footnote's text is a story of its own inside its story, which no placeholder can name and
+/// `typed_reps` doesn't read, so a field in a table was left as its marker (#2315). Only a table
+/// or note that holds a marker is copied.
+fn fill_nested_markers(doc: &mut designcraft_doc::Document, fields: &[DataField], row: &[String], maps: &Maps) {
+    let fill = |st: &mut Story| {
+        let found: Vec<(usize, usize, String)> =
+            find_markers(&st.text).into_iter().filter(|(_, _, name)| fields.iter().any(|f| f.name == *name)).collect();
+        for (start, end, name) in found.into_iter().rev() {
+            st.replace(start..end, cell_of(fields, row, &name));
+        }
+    };
+    let has = |st: &Story| find_markers(&st.text).iter().any(|(_, _, name)| fields.iter().any(|f| f.name == *name));
+    let mut mapped: Vec<StoryId> = maps.stories.values().copied().collect();
+    mapped.sort();
+    mapped.dedup();
+    for sid in mapped {
+        let Some(st) = doc.story_mut(sid) else { continue };
+        for t in st.tables.values_mut() {
+            if t.cells.iter().any(|c| nested_has(&c.text, &has)) {
+                for c in &mut Arc::make_mut(t).cells {
+                    c.text.for_each_text_mut(&mut |x| fill(x));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        for n in &mut st.notes {
+            if nested_has(&n.text, &has) {
+                Arc::make_mut(n).text.for_each_text_mut(&mut |x| fill(x));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Whether `st` or a text inside it (its table cells and notes) satisfies `has`.
+fn nested_has(st: &Story, has: &impl Fn(&Story) -> bool) -> bool {
+    has(st) || st.tables.values().any(|t| t.cells.iter().any(|c| nested_has(&c.text, has))) || st.notes.iter().any(|n| nested_has(&n.text, has))
+}
+
 fn find_markers(text: &str) -> Vec<(usize, usize, String)> {
     let mut out = Vec::new();
     let mut i = 0;
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/cmd/datamerge/tests.rs b/crates/engine/src/cmd/datamerge/tests.rs
index e2c76a90f..66eaea7de 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/cmd/datamerge/tests.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/cmd/datamerge/tests.rs
@@ -1285,3 +1285,55 @@ fn merged_records_give_anchored_objects_their_own_ids() {
     doc.check().unwrap();
     designcraft_format::load(&designcraft_format::save(doc).unwrap()).unwrap();
 }
+
+/// The cell texts of the first table in the active document's first story that has one.
+fn cell_texts(s: &Session) -> Vec<String> {
+    let doc = &s.documents()[s.active_index().unwrap()].doc;
+    let t = doc.stories.values().find_map(|st| st.tables.values().next().cloned()).expect("a table");
+    t.cells.iter().map(|c| c.text.text.clone()).collect()
+}
+
+/// A field inserted with the insertion point in a table cell goes into that cell, and the
+/// preview and the merge fill it. The cell's offsets used to put the marker in the table's own
+/// story, outside the table, and the merge never read a cell's text (#2315).
+#[test]
+fn a_field_inserted_in_a_table_cell_goes_there_and_is_filled() {
+    let mut s = Session::new();
+    new_doc(&mut s, 1);
+    select_csv(&mut s, "Name,City\nAda,London\nGrace,Arlington\n");
+    let made = text_frame(&mut s, [36.0, 36.0, 400.0, 200.0], "Who\tWhere", None);
+    exec(&mut s, "text.select", json!({"story": made["story"], "anchor": 0, "focus": 9}));
+    exec(&mut s, "table.convertFromText", json!({"columnSeparator": "tab"}));
+    let story_text = |s: &Session| s.documents()[s.active_index().unwrap()].doc.stories.values().next().unwrap().text.clone();
+    let before = story_text(&s);
+    exec(&mut s, "table.select", json!({"story": made["story"], "rows": [0, 0], "cols": [1, 1]}));
+    let r = exec(&mut s, "data.placeholder.add", json!({"field": "City"}));
+    assert_eq!(r["marker"], "<<City>>", "{r}");
+    assert_eq!(cell_texts(&s), ["Who", "<<City>>Where"], "the marker is in the cell with the caret");
+    assert_eq!(story_text(&s), before, "and not in the table's story");
+
+    exec(&mut s, "data.preview", json!({"record": 2}));
+    assert_eq!(cell_texts(&s), ["Who", "ArlingtonWhere"], "the preview fills the cell");
+    exec(&mut s, "data.preview.stop", json!({}));
+    assert_eq!(cell_texts(&s), ["Who", "<<City>>Where"], "stopping it puts the marker back");
+    exec(&mut s, "data.merge", json!({}));
+    let merged = &s.documents()[s.active_index().unwrap()].doc;
+    let mut cities: Vec<String> =
+        merged.stories.values().flat_map(|st| st.tables.values().map(|t| t.cells[1].text.text.clone()).collect::<Vec<_>>()).collect();
+    cities.sort();
+    assert_eq!(cities, ["ArlingtonWhere", "LondonWhere"], "one table per record, filled");
+}
+
+/// A field typed (or inserted) in text that is then converted to a table is filled in its cell.
+#[test]
+fn a_field_converted_into_a_table_is_filled_in_its_cell() {
+    let mut s = Session::new();
+    new_doc(&mut s, 1);
+    select_csv(&mut s, "Name,City\nAda,London\n");
+    let made = text_frame(&mut s, [36.0, 36.0, 400.0, 200.0], "Name\t<<Name>>", None);
+    exec(&mut s, "text.select", json!({"story": made["story"], "anchor": 0, "focus": 13}));
+    exec(&mut s, "table.convertFromText", json!({"columnSeparator": "tab"}));
+    assert_eq!(cell_texts(&s), ["Name", "<<Name>>"]);
+    exec(&mut s, "data.preview", json!({"record": 1}));
+    assert_eq!(cell_texts(&s), ["Name", "Ada"], "the field is filled in its cell");
+}