How can I export nested keywords without them also being added to the Keyword List?

Question

I have an ongoing problem related to keywords when I am exporting photos. I have my Keyword List organized where many are nested under other keywords. For example, under "Objects" I have "bag" and under "Architecture" I have "boathouse." When I export a RAW photo to JPEG in a different folder, I want those keywords and any synonyms I've created to continue to be associated with the JPEG, but what keeps happening is that if Objects isn't checked (which is intentional) Lighroom adds the nested keywords to the top level list. In other words, in the screenshot attached, I exported photographs at different times, one of which was of a boathouse and one was of a bag. At another time I exported a photo of a plant where the Latin name Taxodium distichum is a synonym within the keyword tag for "bald cypress". After the exports, those three terms suddenly appeared in the top level of the Keyword List, too. They're still under Objects, Architecture, and bald cypress, so now I have these duplicates that I don't want. Now I have the tedious job of deleting all those duplicate keywords and purging the list. I cannot find any information anywhere about how to prevent those duplicate keywords from being created.

This is an issue that has been annoying me for at least a couple of years. I am currently using Mac OS 12.3.1 Monterey, and Lightroom Classic 11.3.1. But it does not have anything to do with the OS, as it's been going on in prior versions of the Mac OS and of Lightroom. If you can tell me how to fix this I will be grateful!

johnrellis · Accepted Answer

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As you've observed, when you uncheck Include On Export for a parent keyword and reimport an exported photo into the catalog, child keywords are treated as top-level keywords.

Worse, synonyms are always exported as top-level keywords and reimported as such.

A lot of people have complained about this over the years:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-ideas/lightroom-better-handling-of-exporting-and-reimporting-keyword-synonyms/idi-p/12249145

but Adobe has shown no interest. For synonyms, there is no workaround other than to uncheck Export Synonyms. For parent keywords like Objects, you'll have to keep Include On Export checked.

johnrellis · Answer

I take it that you are setting the Export option Add To This Catalog, so the export photos get reimported?

LR doesn't handle keywords and synonyms in this situation in a way that people want. But before discussing it further, let's get the precise options you've set for your keywords. In the Keyword List, please right-click Object, do Edit Keyword Tag, and post a screenshot of the Edit Keyword Tag window. Do the same thing with the "bag" keyword.

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