To ensure that your metadata import is successful, your import spreadsheet must be formatted correctly, otherwise the import will fail.
The import spreadsheet needs to adhere to:
Column naming conventions
Cell data formatting conventions
Creating your metadata import sheet
The simplest way to ensure your columns are correct is by doing a metadata export. This will provide you with a CSV containing all the columns you need to then update your assets via a metadata import.
Alternatively you can download our import template sheet below:
Populating your metadata import sheet
Now that you have your metadata sheet created, you can begin populating it!
The following details the requirements for how the sheet should be formatted. If you are finding that your metadata import is not working, please review each of these requirements carefully and check your sheet to ensure it is compliant.
Column naming conventions
First column: Must be titled either "Filename to match on" or "asset id"
Use "Filename to match on" if you didn't get the sheet from an existing metadata export. If not, it will be "asset id" if you exported this sheet from an existing metadata export in Dash
First row: Must contain column headers that match Dash field names
These headers represent the fields you want to update (e.g., "Title", "Auto tags", "custom field name") and must exactly match the field names in Dash
If you used a metadata export to create your import sheet, this header row will already be correct.
Subsequent rows: Each row represents a single asset and its metadata values
Important notes
Fields must exist in Dash first: Every column header must correspond to a field that already exists in your Dash (either a built-in field like "Title" or a custom field you've created). Admins can create custom fields in Dash. The values can be empty; you're just establishing which fields you'll populate with the metadata import.
Use exact field names: If you've created a custom field, use its exact name in the header. For example, if your custom field is called "Production Notes", write exactly that, not variations.
Unmapped fields won't change: Any fields in Dash that don't appear as column headers in your import sheet will remain unchanged. This is safe; you're only updating what you explicitly include.
Cell data formatting conventions
Forward slashes in folder names
If you have a folder containing a forward slash. For example, to import a field value of "Rock/Pop", write the following:
Rock\\/Pop
The date information isn't importing correctly
If you are having problems importing dates, make sure the dates are formatted in standard ISO format: yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss, e.g.
2019-08-14T23:16:002019-08-14
Be sure to keep leading zeros, e.g. 01 not 1
Adding multiple values to a field
Multiple-valued fields should be separated by semicolons; e.g.
bird;plane
Adding multiple folder levels
Nested folder fields should be separated by forward slashes / e.g.
Brand A/Campaign B
Adding commas within a field value
To use commas inside a field, you should surround that field with double quotation marks, e.g.
"Mountain, snowy"
Using commas and quotation marks in the same field value
In instances where you need to use commas and a quotation mark in the same field, put a double quotation mark around the entire phrase, and then use two sets of double quotation marks where you would normally use one, e.g. to import the value She said, "I wish it were sunny, write:
"She said, ""I wish it were sunny"""
Importing your completed import file
Once your file is ready and fits the formatting and structural requirements, refer to our article Importing metadata into Dash to import the file into Dash and update your assets.
Tip💡: We always recommend importing one or two rows first, then checking the asset/s were updated as expected, before then conducting a larger import.
Metadata Import Troubleshooting
If you're having trouble importing metadata, we suggest doing the following checks:
Look for any data or formatting issues, and ensure everything follows the guidelines explained above.
Confirm that the CSV uses commas for delimiters. Delimiters are the characters that separate the different values in the CSV file. Dash only supports using commas for delimiters, but we have seen instances of some applications replacing commas with, for example, semicolons, which won't work.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I have multiple assets with the same name?
If you think there may be assets with the same filename in your account, you should add an additional matching criteria as a column to the import spreadsheet:
Required "Filename to match on"
Optional "File size to match on"
Optional "Folder path to match on"
To find the file size from your Dash, open the embedded file data for the asset and locate the filesize attribute, which should show you the numeric data in bytes for the file size of that asset. Use this figure in the "File size in bytes to match on" column for the row that relates to this asset in your metadata import sheet.
How do I add/edit metadata to the template?
Open the file in a text editor or a spreadsheet application to add your metadata.
It's often easier to edit the file in a spreadsheet application like Google Sheets or Excel to add your metadata, as it’s a friendlier interface for editing information. However, you must always save the file as a CSV file - many spreadsheet applications will attempt to save the file in their own native file formats, such as .XLSX, which is not accepted for the import.
Which fields can I update?
You can update any field that exists in Dash. Simply add the name of the field in the first row (to find the field name, go to Admin > Fields).
You cannot update filenames using the metadata import. Filename is protected metadata, as this directly refers to the original file uploaded into Dash. You can use the Title field for your own customisation, but if you did want to update the filename, you can do this by uploading a new version of the file.
Can I create a new field in Dash via the import if I create a new column with a new field title in the heading?
No, all fields that you want to update must already exist in Dash before you do the import. The fields don't have to be populated with entries; any field entry included in a row in the import file will be created in that field when you do the import.
Can I import assets into multiple folders?
Yes, in the Folders column, separate each folder tree with a semicolon, e.g.
Brand A/Marketing/Promos;Brand A/Marketing/Campaigns/Summer 2023
Would add an asset into the following folders:
Brand A/Marketing/Promos
Brand A/Marketing/Campaigns/Summer 2023
How do I import a hierarchy of controlled tags?
You can create a hierarchy using "/" between the levels, e.g. tag/childtag;tag2/childtag2
Can I pre-populate a field in Dash with a set of options/tags?
Yes, you can populate your Dash fields with options/tags in advance of uploading assets. Refer to our dedicated article on this for full instructions.