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Rick Baumhauer
Rick Baumhauer
Inspiring
July 3, 2019
Answered

Copy keywords in desktop Lightroom (not Classic)

  • July 3, 2019
  • 3 replies
  • 3838 views

I'm trying to fix some keywording issues which propagated from Lightroom Classic to Lightroom (keep wanting to call it CC) - at some point, keywords applied in Photo Mechanic with the vertical pipe separator character stopped getting split when uploaded to Creative Cloud, so I have a bunch of photos with keywords that look like "USA|CT|Hartford" and "Bird|Finch|House Finch" in Lightroom. I was further dismayed to find that the keywords aren't editable in Lightroom - they can only be deleted - so there went my plan to replace the vertical pipes with commas.

The next option was to copy and paste keywords after correcting one in a series of shots - this works on my iPad, but the workflow is still not optimal, so I figured I'd try it on the desktop instead. Try as I might, though, I can't find any way to copy and paste keywords in the desktop version of Lightroom. Am I missing it somewhere, or is it really not there?

I won't even get into the fun of remembering that I have to do all of my keywording BEFORE syncing to Creative Cloud after forgetting for a couple months...

    Correct answer Jim Wilde

    https://forums.adobe.com/people/Rick+Baumhauer  wrote

    The next option was to copy and paste keywords after correcting one in a series of shots - this works on my iPad, but the workflow is still not optimal, so I figured I'd try it on the desktop instead. Try as I might, though, I can't find any way to copy and paste keywords in the desktop version of Lightroom. Am I missing it somewhere, or is it really not there?

    No, you can't copy and paste keywords using LrDesktop.....but you don't need to.

    If you have an image with an assigned keyword that you want to apply to a bunch of other images, in the grid select the image that has the keyword AND all the images that you want to apply the keyword to. Then click on the "tag" icon the near the bottom of the right-hand tool bar, which will open the keywording panel. With multiple images selected the keywording section will be in two parts: one will list the keywords that are applied to all the selected images, the other will list the keywords that are applied to only some of the selected images. Obviously, the latter section will contain the keyword that you want to apply to all the selected images....and to do that hover the cursor over the target keyword and it should turn blue, and at that point if you click on that keyword it will automatically be assigned to all the images in the selection (it will move from the second section to the first).

    3 replies

    A
    alang55846478
    Participant
    October 20, 2019

    Thank you so much! 

    Jim Wilde
    Community Expert
    Jim WildeCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    July 3, 2019

    https://forums.adobe.com/people/Rick+Baumhauer  wrote

    The next option was to copy and paste keywords after correcting one in a series of shots - this works on my iPad, but the workflow is still not optimal, so I figured I'd try it on the desktop instead. Try as I might, though, I can't find any way to copy and paste keywords in the desktop version of Lightroom. Am I missing it somewhere, or is it really not there?

    No, you can't copy and paste keywords using LrDesktop.....but you don't need to.

    If you have an image with an assigned keyword that you want to apply to a bunch of other images, in the grid select the image that has the keyword AND all the images that you want to apply the keyword to. Then click on the "tag" icon the near the bottom of the right-hand tool bar, which will open the keywording panel. With multiple images selected the keywording section will be in two parts: one will list the keywords that are applied to all the selected images, the other will list the keywords that are applied to only some of the selected images. Obviously, the latter section will contain the keyword that you want to apply to all the selected images....and to do that hover the cursor over the target keyword and it should turn blue, and at that point if you click on that keyword it will automatically be assigned to all the images in the selection (it will move from the second section to the first).

      Rick Baumhauer
      Rick BaumhauerAuthor
      Inspiring
      July 3, 2019

      Jim - thanks so much! That does the trick.

      Keywording in Lightroom still has a ways to go before it can serve a pro's needs, but that does take care of one substantial hurdle.

      Rick

      Akash Sharma
      Akash Sharma
      Legend
      July 3, 2019

      Hi RickBaumhauer,

      First off, thanks for the great explanation. Lightroom desktop does not have the feature to copy paste the keywords. Here's a similar feature request we're working on: Lightroom CC: Ability to copy and paste keywords | Photoshop Family Customer Community (Feel free to add your vote and feedback to it)

      I think using Lightroom Classic and then syncing the keywords across to connected devices will be your best option for now. Still there could be great workarounds to this that our Lightroom experts can put some light to.

      Thanks,

      Akash

      F
      fendergradgeb75593448
      Participant
      July 3, 2019

      I have a keyboarding question.  LR5 did not properly migrate from my old to my new computer.  Will a simple download of LR5 reinstall the application without eliminating the keywords now attached to my images.

      Thank you.

      Jeff

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