Tag and edit asset metadata

This guide explains how to add and update asset metadata, including keywords, descriptions, and availability, across many assets. You can edit a selection from the toolbar, import changes from a spreadsheet, or let AI apply descriptions and keywords automatically with smart tagging.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

Admin access to the Assets section of Administration.
Assets already uploaded to edit. See Upload assets.

Edit metadata from the toolbar

Use the toolbar to apply the same metadata across the assets you select on screen.

In Administration > Assets, select the assets you want to edit using their checkboxes.

To work on a single upload batch, filter to it first using its upload label. See Upload assets.
With one or more assets selected, the contextual toolbar appears at the top of the list.
Choose a keyword category, then apply one or more keywords to every selected asset.

You can add several categories and keywords in a single edit action.
Apply descriptions and availability dates to the selection in the same way.

The Assets view shows 30 assets per page, so a toolbar selection covers only the 30 assets currently visible. To edit a larger set in one action, use the CSV method below.

Edit metadata with CSV export and import

For large-scale updates, export the metadata to a spreadsheet, edit it offline, and import it again.

Export the selected assets as a CSV file.

The file contains the asset names and all metadata fields.
Edit the spreadsheet offline, updating keywords, descriptions, and any other fields.
Select Import and choose the edited file.
Choose whether to replace or append the existing metadata.

Replace overwrites the existing metadata for each asset with the values in the file. Append adds the values from the file to the existing metadata. Choose carefully to avoid losing current values.

Apply smart tagging automatically

Smart tagging uses AI to generate a description and apply keywords for you, instead of entering them by hand. It runs from the admin Assets view, so accounts without admin access cannot run it.

In Administration > Assets, select the asset you want to tag.
Select Smart Tagging on the asset.
In the confirmation prompt, check the asset name and type, then select Confirm.

A notification confirms the job has been submitted. After a short queue, the description and keywords appear on the asset. Keywords are matched to your taxonomy.

Smart tagging generates the description and applies keywords automatically. You do not write the description or assign the keywords manually.

Other ways to run smart tagging

You can also run smart tagging without opening each asset individually:

During upload, using the smart-tagging-on-upload option. See Upload assets.
As part of a workflow that publishes assets to the DAM, configured in Collaboration Hub.