The Bulk metadata manager app helps DAM admins quickly update asset metadata in Frontify by uploading a CSV file
WARNING: This app is experimental and can cause unexpected behavior. Please use with caution and test thoroughly before applying changes in production.
You export a CSV metadata sheet from your library, update it with the values you want to apply, and then import it back through the app. This allows you to make changes at scale without editing assets one by one.
Before you begin
Please note: Only Frontify admins can install apps
Ensure you can export metadata from your Frontify library.
Make a backup copy of your CSV export. This will allow you to restore the original data if needed.
Remember to keep this app open during processing. If the app window or browser tab closes, the process aborts.
Important: Ensure the app window and the browser tab remain open throughout the process.
How to use
Ensure all assets that require metadata updates are uploaded to the Frontify Library before starting this process.
Export a metadata CSV from your Frontify library.
Edit the CSV file with the metadata changes you want to apply.
Note that you can run a small-scale test by keeping only one or two lines in the CSV.
Pay close attention to date formatting - see Tips below
Upload the CSV file to the Bulk Metadata Manager app.
Click New on the top right of your library from the backend, then select Update Library Metadata from CSV.
Review the detected columns and mappings, and select the columns you wish to update.
Click on Process Data. Keep the window open until completion.
Download the error report if prompted, fix issues, and retry.
What it does | What it does not do |
If it's not listed here, assume it is not supported. |
|
Tips
CSV Row Limit
CSV Row Limit
The app can process up to 50,000 rows of data. If you have more than 50,000 rows, you will need to split your data into multiple CSV files.
CSV Columns
CSV Columns
Do not delete the id or the apiId columns. Feel free to delete any other columns that you do not wish to update.
Creating new custom metadata fields
Creating new custom metadata fields
If you wish to create new custom metadata fields when assigning values to an asset, you can do so by adding a new column to the CSV with the desired field name and type. The app will automatically detect the new field and create it in the target library.
The available custom metadata field types are: SELECT, MULTISELECT, TEXT, LONGTEXT, URL, NUMBER, and DATE.
To create a new custom metadata field, add the field name and type to the CSV with the following format:
field_name(type)
For example, to create a new SELECT field called "Color", you would add the following column to the CSV:
Color(SELECT)
To create a new MULTISELECT field called "Colors", you would add the following column to the CSV:
Colors(MULTISELECT)
To create a new TEXT field called "Description", you would add the following column to the CSV:
Description(TEXT)
To create a new LONGTEXT field called "Long Description", you would add the following column to the CSV:
Long Description(LONGTEXT)
To create a new URL field called "Website", you would add the following column to the CSV:
Website(URL)
To create a new NUMBER field called "Price", you would add the following column to the CSV:
Price(NUMBER)
To create a new DATE field called "Release Date", you would add the following column to the CSV:
Release Date(DATE)
Fields with multiple values
Fields with multiple values
Some fields, such as MULTISELECT fields and tags, utilise a pipe character (|) to detect multiple values. To set multiple values for an asset, separate the values with a pipe character. For example, to set a MULTISELECT field to "Red" and "Blue", you would add the following value to the CSV:
Red|Blue
To set the tags field to "Red", "Blue", and "Green", you would add the following value to the CSV:
Red|Blue|Green
Multiple fields with the same name and type
Multiple fields with the same name and type
If you wish to set values for multiple fields with the same name and type combination (e.g. fields that may be linked to metadata dependencies), it is recommended to temporarily rename the fields in your library backend to have unique names before exporting the CSV. This will make editing the CSV much easier, while also allowing you to update values in those fields. After the update is complete, you can rename the fields back to their original names. This will not affect frontend library filters.
Formatting dates (Expires At and DATE fields)
Formatting dates (Expires At and DATE fields)
Spreadsheet apps may reformat dates, causing API validation to fail. If you encounter errors, format your date column with one of these formats:
YYYY-MM-DD (example: 2026-01-31)
yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss+"00:00" (example: 2026-01-31T12:00:00+00:00")
The app attempts to parse many common date formats, but not all variations are supported.
Copyright status
Copyright status
The copyrightStatus column accepts only these values: PUBLIC, COPYRIGHTED, UNKNOWN. If a different value is provided, the app will set the value to UNKNOWN.
Troubleshooting
Make sure you have the latest version of the app installed. Frontify account admins can manage this in Marketplace.
Certain characters appear incorrectly on updated assets: Special characters including those with accents may appear incorrectly if the file was not saved in the correct format. The Frontify export is UTF-8 encoded, so make sure to save the file in the same format when editing in Excel:
- File → Save As
- Choose CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (.csv) instead of just "CSV"The progress bar stops moving: The app makes use of exponential backoffs to retry failed updates. If you are updating many assets, be patient and give it a few minutes — it should restart automatically. Another possibility is the app is retrying a failed update. Opening the browser console may provide more information.
Nothing updates: Confirm the CSV is exported from the correct Frontify library and that you have selected the correct columns to update.
Date fields failed to update: there was a problem with date parsing. Please see "Formatting dates" in the FAQ section or this article
could not be converted to RFC3339_EXTENDED date format: there was a problem with date parsing. Please see "Formatting dates" in the FAQ section or this article
Fields with multiple values update incorrectly: Fields with multiple values such as MULTISELECT fields and tags utilize a pipe character
|to detect multiple values. Please check the CSV for any values that are not separated by a pipe character.
Output and reports
On success, assets are updated in Frontify.
Empty cells clear existing values for that field on the asset.
On failure, an error CSV is provided describing the issues per row.
Related Tool: Symphony Metadata Schema Duplicator
For managing metadata schemas across multiple libraries, consider using the Symphony metadata schema duplicator app. This complementary tool helps you:
Copy and align metadata fields and values from one or more source libraries into a target library
Keep metadata schemas consistent across multiple libraries
Automate comparison and merging of metadata structures
Disclaimer
the app experimental and we would love to hear your feedback! contact us