P: Ability to NOT import image keywords

[Katrin Eismann]

It would be very helpful to have the ability to NOT import keywords when importing images. For example, I was reworking my large LR catalogue with older images that I had keyworded before I really know how to do keywords and all the mistakes (all caps, no heirachy, etc) came into my LR keyword list and made my keyword list unusable. As mentioned in a previous post managing keywords in LR is an exercise in frustration and dealing with all these mistakes in a 100,000+ image Library is untenable.

[amohnst]

Thank you for your answer, but unfortunately that will not resolve my special problem. I have some keywords with synonyms (for which I thought it would make sense to have them exported as well) and those are added to my keyword list when I export to JPEG and reimport to the catalogue. I think I have unchecked all "export synonyms" boxes by now, but still there happen surprises. 
Anyway it seems that this is not a mayor issue.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

good Like mobile phones and Tablets without the have cinemabox for PC various other hyperlink for iOS in our approaching content nice.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

For me, running "Purge unused keywords" would be somewhat disastrous, since I've spent a lot of time building up a hierarchical keyword list, much of which is there to apply to photographs I haven't taken yet (or at least haven't applied to my photos... yet). A lot of others have paid for large hierarchical keyword lists (and so are in a similar boat in that they definitely don't want to delete keywords they haven't tagged a photo with yet). I could see removing sections of such a keyword tree that I was sure I'd never use.

Anyway, the solution that does work for me, is to import new keywords into a parent term that I can (periodically) delete and re-create. Obviously there is a lot more work to maintaining my images' keyword metadata than that, but at least it helps avoid the issue of my keyword hierarchy base level getting flooded with duplicate terms that I don't want to keep and allows me to do just one "delete" action once I've migrated any wanted terms into the hierarchy or selected equivalent keywords.

[amohnst]

Also for me this seems to be a very good idea - I will try ist at soon as possible!

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

John, what is this Top Secret fix that prevents keywords from being added to the Keyword list? I'm new to Lr, studying information sciences, and baffled at this ludicrous wonk.

[johnrellis]

"What is this Top Secret fix that prevents keywords from being added to the Keyword list?"

When you import photos containing keywords in their metadata, there is no way to prevent them from being added to the catalog's keyword list.  You can stop them from being assigned to the imported photos, and you can have them placed under a distinguished root keyword to make them easier to find (see above for details on each method), but you can't stop them from being added to the keyword list.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

John, thanks so much for returning to an old(!) issue and answering thoughtfully yet again. This is such a frustration for users; it's tragic that Adobe has neglected this for so long.

[lazmag1]

I often use Adobe stock images and when I add them to Lightroom 11.2 all the keywords associated with the image automatically import creating a mess of my keyword hierarchy. Is there a way to not import keywords?

Thank you,

Ruth

[john beardsworth]

Create a metadata preset and enable just the keywords, which are set to blank. Apply that preset when you import the files.

[Bob Somrak]

This doesn't solve the issue for the OP of the keyword hierarchy getting messed up unless it has been fixed lately.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-ideas/lightroom-ability-to-not-import-image-keyword... 

[john beardsworth]

It resolves the OP's questions "How do I NOT import keywords in Lightroom Classic" and "Is there a way to not import keywords?"

[Bob Somrak]

But the OP also added the statement  "creating a mess of my keyword hierarchy" which your solution does not address unless this has changed from what was discussed in the link I posted.  

[Bob Somrak]

The only thing I can think of is to put the files in a folder and then run an Exiftool command like this on the files in the folder to remove the keywords and then import them.  I didn't try this!!!!  @john beardsworth  could probably give you the exact command. 

exiftool -keywords=  *.cr2 or whatever files your are using.

[john beardsworth]

I prefer to answer the question the OP actually asked.

[lazmag1]

Thank you for your prompt response. I tried what you suggested and it did not work. Possibly I am doing something wrong?

[GoldingD]

Probably use another bit of software to remove the keywords before using LrC to import.

• Bridge?
• Photo Mechanic
• Keyword Manager for MAC
• Thumbs Plus

[john beardsworth]

Probably, but I can't tell what. Did you save the metadata template, and did you apply it when you imported a photo with keywords? I just tested it again and it worked as expected.

[john beardsworth]

This is how Import should look. Notice against Metadata that I've selected "Blank keywords" - that's tbe Metadata template saved in my previous screenshot.

[john beardsworth]

There's really no need to do so.

[lazmag1]

Here is what I did

[john beardsworth]

You didn't enable keywords - see my first screenshot

[lazmag1]

Thank you. I've looked at this for too long today and missed it. Still didn't work. Am I missing something else?

[Bob Somrak]

There really is a need to do this if as the OP stated they don't want to "create a mess of my keyword hierarchy".  I just tested this and the issue of messed up keyword hierarchys discussed in my above linked thread still exists.  Using an empty keyword field metatadata import preset indeed does remove the keywords from the photo in LrC but does not prevent the keywords from being placed in the keyword hierarchy as the OP clearly stated they wanted to avoid.  You have to remove the keywords before you import.  

An easy LrC way to do this is 

1 use a temporary catalog

2 import photos into temp catalog using the empty keyword preset shown above or remove after import

3 save metadata to files

4 close temp catalog and import the files into your main catalog.  Keywords are gone and more importantly not in the Keyword Hierarchy!!!

OR use a different program that will do this as @GoldingD  suggested.

[john beardsworth]

OK, sorry, I do see that you have been correct, and while my one-step solution prevents the keywords being applied to the photo, LR still imports the keyword hierarchy from the file. It's also reasonable to assume that the hierarchy xmp would be present in these Adobe stock files.

So either of those two-step solutions would be needed. I'd probably choose Bridge, which the OP will already have it. Create the template with Tools > Create Metadata Template and then use Tools > Replace Metadata on each new batch of stock files, then import into LR.

[lazmag1]

Thank you all for replying and your suggestions. The Bridge option worked. It's a 2 step process, but easy to execute. I'm surprised there is not an easy Lightroom process. I suspect I am not the only person with this issue.