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cooldood144
Known Participant
May 7, 2024
Answered

How to mass update keywords

  • May 7, 2024
  • 4 replies
  • 1691 views

Is there a way to import/export keywords?  It would be good to fix spelling errors and make updates.  It would be cool to use this to create bird "life list"

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Correct answer johnrellis

"At the bottom of the Metadata menu are both of the commands you asked about, Import Keywords and Export Keywords."

 

Note that the Import Keywords command won't let you change keywords. For example, if there is currently a keyword "Thier House", and you change the spelling to "Their House" in the exported text file and import that file, a new keyword "Their House" will be created.

 

In contrast, the Any Tag plugin lets you do bulk editing of keywords (run a spelling corrector of the entire file, change keyword attributes in bulk, rearrange the hierarchy, etc.). 

4 replies

Conrad_C
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 7, 2024

In Lightroom Classic, in the Library module click the Metadata menu. It’s on the menu bar, so if a full screen mode is hiding the menu bar, first reveal it. At the bottom of the Metadata menu are both of the commands you asked about, Import Keywords and Export Keywords.

 

For some common taxonomies, controlled vocabulary lists are available. The example behind this link is a keyword list sold for birds, which a web search found in a few seconds. I am not endorsing it because I haven’t used it and don’t know if it’s good, but it’s an example of what’s out there.

 

For spelling errors, you can look at the Keyword List panel because it lists keywords that have been used. For example, if some images contain the keyword “eagle” but some images use the misspelled keyword “ealge”, both appear in the Keyword list for you to see. If you hover the pointer over the misspelled keyword in the list, an arrow appears. Click the arrow for the misspelled keyword, and all images using that keyword are shown in search results. Select all of those images, apply the correct keyword (for example, drag them all and drop them on the correctly spelled keyword in the Keywords List), then remove the incorrect keyword (for example, while those images are still selected, in the Keywords list deselect the checkbox for the misspelled keyword), all in a few seconds. In this way you can use the Keywords List panel to sort of “audit” the list and correct errors, consolidate similar keywords, etc.

johnrellis
johnrellisCorrect answer
Legend
May 7, 2024

"At the bottom of the Metadata menu are both of the commands you asked about, Import Keywords and Export Keywords."

 

Note that the Import Keywords command won't let you change keywords. For example, if there is currently a keyword "Thier House", and you change the spelling to "Their House" in the exported text file and import that file, a new keyword "Their House" will be created.

 

In contrast, the Any Tag plugin lets you do bulk editing of keywords (run a spelling corrector of the entire file, change keyword attributes in bulk, rearrange the hierarchy, etc.). 

johnrellis
Legend
May 8, 2024

I have tried both txt and csv  using WIN11 Excel and Notepad .  I tried again today and noticed it is hung on exporting kewords

 

 


Try a different location to store the file, preferably on a different disk or device. LR isn't very good about properly notifying you of problems it might have with disks and permissions.

 

If that doesn't help, upload the .lrcat file to Dropbox, Google Drive, or similar and send me the sharing link in a private message. I can see if the issue happens on my LR installations, narrowing down whether your catalog is corrupted or something is amiss with your installation.

kglad
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 7, 2024

in the future, to find the best place to post your message, use the list here, https://community.adobe.com/

p.s. i don't think the adobe website, and forums in particular, are easy to navigate, so don't spend a lot of time searching that forum list. do your best and we'll move the post (like this one has already been moved) if it helps you get responses.



<"moved from cc desktop">
Known Participant
May 7, 2024

Sorry it is not should be lightroom classic

kglad
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 7, 2024

is this an acrobat pro question?