keywords in relevant order

[alenad12263735]

Hello!

I generate keywords in a relevant order, but when I add them to the Lightroom window, they are automatically displayed in alphabetical order. It does not suit me how to cancel this function.

[richardplondon]

I don't think keyword order is considered to be significant, in the design of the software. It's just a database of references (one-to-many).

The relative 'importance priority' of the application of different keywords to a given photo, cannot IMO be usefully declared for a given photo in any case. Because: "important towards what particular usage need?". The LR keywording functions, like much else in the paradigm, are usage-neutral.

If you want a 'fuzzy' image search that can put greater weight on some keywords than others, in how it ranks the results, that functionality sits better as a dynamic part of a search tool (e.g. DAM or stock photograph service) surely? Each time we search, a given keyword may be of more or less interest to us, at that particular moment. Different than last time. And that will naturally influence how we search, each time: what priorities we employ, in doing that.

[alenad12263735]

I agree with you. It does not matter

I work with microstocks. No one is required to put words on relevance. But Adobe stock requires just such a sequence. It is strange that there is a requirement, but it is not possible to do this in their program.

[Tony_See]

Can you illustrate the 'relevant order' you mention and how you add them to Lightroom thanks?

A screen shot would help others better understand your issue perhaps.

[alenad12263735]

Yes of course

The upper image shows how I just insert the words

At the bottom, as they automatically line up alphabetically

[johnrellis · Accepted solution]

A number of stock agencies, including Alamy and Adobe Stock, want keywords ordered from most relevant to least. Unfortunately, LR wasn't designed to maintain the order of keywords you enter in the Keywording panel.  But there is (or was) a LR plugin that made keywording for Alamy easier -- it might help with other agencies too.

You might read through this feature request in the official Adobe feedback forum for more details about the issue and how others cope with it: Lightroom: Custom sort order of keywords (instead of alphabetic). | Photoshop Family Customer Commun... . Click Vote and Follow in the upper-right corner to make it a tiny bit more likely Adobe might implement the feature in the future.

(I'm skeptical Adobe will ever implement it, since they've long since stopped putting any effort into new features for LR Classic's Library. I'm also skeptical they'd put something in the cloud-focused Lightroom -- formerly named Lightroom CC -- since a senior Adobe product manager has indicated publicly he doesn't believe in keywords.)

[alenad12263735]

Thank you very much

I will understand more

[DAndison]

As a contributor to many stock agencies, Adobe Stock included, the requirement to order keywords is important to two... Alamy and Adobe Stock. Quite ironic then that Adobes own software does not allow you to order keywords correctly as per their own requirement at Adobe Stock.

I do use photoshop and have LR as well but, there is no way I’d use LR until they allow the ordering of keywords otherwise it doubles my workload. For now I will continue with Capture One which does allow drag and drop custom ordering of keywords. This is a shame as there is a lot to like about LR but for stock work, keyword functionality is critical.

[johnrellis]

Adobe product developers almost certainly won't see your post -- they rarely participate in this forum. If you want to influence Adobe, add your opinion to this feature request in the official Adobe feedback forum, where product developers do read everything posted: Lightroom: Custom sort order of keywords (instead of alphabetic). | Photoshop Family Customer Commun... . Be sure to click Vote and Follow in the upper-right corner.

[DAndison]

I hear what you're saying, but, as that thread has been rumbling on for 6 years without and positive results, I think we can safely say nothing is going to happen.

I think they're happy doing what they're doing and for those that need to keyword files that meet Adobe Stock requirements, to look elsewhere. I came to accept that some time back and use Phase Ones Capture One Pro which is great.

Unfortunately C1 are rather reluctant to embrace the iPad Pro as a way to process images... thankfully Apple stepped in with Sidecar that so far works flawlessly and I can use my apps on the MacBook on my iPad over the wifi.

Top and bottom of it, no app is perfect so you have to make the best of it but it is somewhat ironic that Adobe Stock want keywords to be in non alphabetical order and yet they don't offer the tools in their own software to prevent it. You would think they'd put their heads together and come up with a great idea