What is metadata?
Metadata is information about your digital assets, like images or files. It can include information such as image dimensions, file size, camera model, GPS location, and more. Your assets in Dash will also have metadata information like filenames, folders, and any custom fields you've added to describe your assets.
You can import a CSV file into Dash to update the metadata of a large number of assets in one go. This is something you may want to do if:
You've just completed a bulk import of a large number of local files into Dash and want to now add additional information to them
You want to bulk update the metadata of existing assets in Dash
In any of these scenarios, to successfully import your metadata into Dash you'll need to make sure the data in your CSV is correctly prepared and formatted, but note:
✅ If you've already done a metadata export of your existing Dash assets, you won’t need to make any changes to the header structure of your CSV - as it's already in the correct format for the import. Just make sure that the data in the file follows our data formatting tips.
❗️If your metadata comes from an external provider please ensure that your file follows the structure and formatting requirements explained from this article.
Metadata import template
Click here to download our CSV metadata import template:
Importing metadata from a different provider: structure requirements before importing
If your metadata was obtained from a different provider (not Dash), there are a few structural and data formatting requirements that your CSV file needs to follow to ensure that the import process is successful:
File structure requirements
The following steps assume you're editing the sheet in a spreadsheet application:
The first row must always contain the relevant headers listed in the next few bullet points (e.g. "Filename to match on", "Title", etc).
The first column heading must be "Filename to match on" - changing this will cause the import to fail.
Some column headers will represent an existing field title from your Dash (e.g. "Auto tags") - so these will need to be matched to your particular Dash settings.
✍️ A few notes to keep in mind...
The field must already exist in your Dash, although the values within it don't need to be populated in advance. These can be built-in fields such as "Title", or new custom fields you've created
For example, "[custom field name 1]" would be filled with the name of a custom field you've created (without the square brackets)
Each subsequent row represents a single asset
Any fields (headers) that aren't mentioned in the import CSV won’t be modified.
Data formatting tips
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 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"""
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 to edit information. However, it is important that you 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.
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.
Appending/adding new metadata
If you want to append metadata (add on to the existing metadata), you'll need to include the previous metadata in the import sheet as well. To obtain the existing metadata in your Dash, request a metadata export to our team.
❗IMPORTANT: Any metadata you upload will overwrite existing metadata for that field.
E.g. if you have an asset with Auto tags "plane, bird, sky" and your import sheet contains the word "dog" in the Auto tags column for that asset, the asset will result in a single tag of "dog" and the previous tags will be removed.
Please keep this in mind when importing your metadata files into Dash.
How do I import the completed metadata file into Dash?
Once your file is ready and fits the formatting and structural requirements:
Navigate to Admin > Import > Metadata
Click on “Import .csv file” and select your metadata file
Done! Your metadata is now updated in Dash. 💫
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, semi-colons, which won't work.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.