How to create a Hierarchial Structure From Existing Keywords

[Don26812]

I have several Keyword Tags already assigned to photos in my Lightroom CC Catalog. I want to assign one of them to the top level and have the rest be sub-tags. In older versions, I believe all I would do is just drag/drop those that I wanted to be sub-tags into the assigned top level tag. I cannot seem to drag them in the latest version of LR Classic, and I cannot find a specific command to move them.

How do I do this? By the way, dragging and dropping them could be problematic since my Keyword List is quick long and the tags are spread throughout it.  So I am hoping for a command to do this.

TIA

[dj_paige]

Drag and drop is the method. I am not aware of anyone else reporting that drag and drop is not working in any version of Lightroom Classic. What is your exact version NUMBER of Lightroom? (we need the version NUMBER and not words like "latest" or "up-to-date").

[Pam_Owen]

Cannot drag and drop in keyword list: 10.4 release

[dj_paige]

Works for me. What happens when you try? Please describe in detail.

[johnrellis · Accepted solution]

A screen recording of your entire LR window as you attempt to drag and drop might shed some light:

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/how-to-video-screen-capture-windows-10

How to record the screen on your Mac

By the way, dragging and dropping them could be problematic since my Keyword List is quick long and the tags are spread throughout it.

A trick to make that easier: type one or more search strings in the Keyword List filter box, and you'll see just those keywords containing those search strings:

Include search strings for the parent keyword and the keyword(s) you want to drag-and-drop.

[Don26812]

John,

Once again, you saved my rear end. Way back in the days when you were involved with Photoshop Elements I had a problem with my Catalog. You personally, maybe along with your special software, fixed the problem for me. I was very grateful back then and am once again in your debt.

I am still not able to drag/drop keywords without using your quick tip. I have no idea why. However using your tip to get the applicable tags close together, I am able to perform the operation.

When you moved on to support Lightroom users, it was a big loss to Elements users. I think that was about the same time that Adobe abandoned Access as the database engine.

Thank you very much!

Don Stouder

P.S. Have you developed similar software to manipulate the Lightroom database?

[johnrellis]

I am still not able to drag/drop keywords without using your quick tip.

Are you on Windows, and do you have more than about 1500 keywords? There's a longstanding bug where LR can display no more than about 1500 keywords in the Keyword List panel, 1500 collections, or 1500 folders. The workaround is to introduce hierarchy (which you are doing) and then keep most of the parent keywords collapsed, so that at any one time less than 1500 are showing.

One of the symptoms of having more than 1500 keywords is that drag and drop can fail.

[Don26812]

I would not be surprised if my Catalog does indeed have more than 1500 tags. I was not aware of the mentioned bug. I converted two large PSE Catalogs to create my LR Catalog. Some strange things happened, and that is what I am trying to clean up now.

Thanks again for your insight.

[johnrellis]

If you do have that many keywords, then add your Me Too and opinion to this long-standing bug report: Lightroom: Chokes on large keyword lists (Windows only) | Photoshop Family Customer Community . Who knows, Adobe might choose to fix it?

[johnrellis]

Ah, I refreshed my memory of repairing your PSE catalog from my email archives.  PSE was kind of a mess then.

Have you developed similar software to manipulate the Lightroom database?

Fortunately, LR is much more robust than PSE was at the time, so there's been little need for utilities to repair the catalog database. I do, however, offer a fair number of LR plugins: Any Filter Lightroom Plugin