Table of Contents
Defining metadata requirements for uploaded assets
30. April 2025
Table of Contents
Good practice for metadata requirements during upload
When configuring FotoWeb for upload, it's important to enforce the addition of some information to the assets being uploaded so that they can be found and used by others as well.
In that regard, it's essential to consider the types of assets users will upload. If you enforce a stringent scheme with many fields requiring filling in, users may find it too tedious to fill in all the information. As a result, it may not be easy to get users to adopt the system and see the benefits of using it. On the other hand, if you require too little information, it may be difficult to find and reuse the uploaded assets later, and the system may become no more useful than the old file server structure, where only a select few knew where to find information.
Metadata sets control the required fields when uploading
When you create a metadata set and assign it to an archive, that set is used both for upload to the archive and for users who edit the existing metadata of the assets that are in the archive. Therefore, for the archives with upload enabled, you need to pay special attention to how the metadata set is configured, especially regarding which fields you set as required. When users upload assets to the archive, they cannot start the upload unless the required fields are filled in. If only a few select fields are required, users may be perfectly willing to do so, but you should take care to make their job as easy as possible.
Tip: Metadata sets control requirements for upload to the archive from any device: web browser, all mobile apps, and FotoWeb Desktop plugins and extensions with upload capabilities.
Use taxonomies
To this end, taxonomies may prove indispensable. Using taxonomies, you can predefine values for the fields users have to fill in during upload. The same taxonomies will be available when users browse collections, so that they will immediately be able to recognize the types of content that are available. They can filter and find content with only a few clicks in the taxonomy navigation.
Cooperation with users is key
The person who configures the metadata set used for upload must collaborate with the system's users. They should attempt to find a compromise that works well in the long run and allows users to upload content easily and retrieve the assets they submitted easily.