Metadata Sets

You can define metadata fields that users fill out when they create or edit Document Library files. You do this by creating metadata sets and then associating them with document types, which wrap Document Library files and thus apply your metadata fields to the files. Although you apply metadata sets via document types, metadata sets exist independently and you can apply them to any number of document types.

Managing Metadata Sets

To see the available metadata sets, open the Menu (), expand your site’s menu, and navigate to Content & Data → Documents and Media. Then click the Metadata Sets tab. Any existing sets appear in a table.

To select a metadata set, select the checkbox to its left. To select all the sets, select the checkbox in the Management Bar. With one or more sets selected, an X icon appears in the Management Bar. Clicking it deletes the selected metadata set(s). Note that metadata sets don’t support the Recycle Bin. If you delete a metadata set, it’s gone forever.

The Management Bar also contains other options for managing the metadata sets. The selector menu to the right of the checkbox filters the sets the table displays (it’s set to All by default). The Order by selector orders the sets by Modified Date or ID. The up and down arrows sort the sets in ascending or descending order, respectively. You can also use the Search bar to search for a set.

In the table, each metadata set has an Actions button () for performing the following actions on that set:

Edit: Edit the set. Alternatively, click the set’s name in the table.

Permissions: Configure the set’s permissions.

Copy: Copy the metadata set.

Delete: Delete the set.

Figure 1: The Metadata Sets management window lets you view existing sets and create new ones for applying to document types.

Creating Metadata Sets

Follow these steps to create a metadata set:

1. From the Menu (), click your Site’s name and navigate to Content & Data → Documents and Media. Then click the Metadata Sets tab.

2. Click the Add button (). The New Metadata Set form appears.

3. Give your metadata set a name.

4. Open the Details section of the form to give your metadata set a description or select a metadata set to extend (both are optional). To select a metadata set to extend, click the Select button for Parent Metadata Set and then select the metadata set. When a user creates a document of a document type that uses an extended metadata set, the parent metadata set’s fields appear above the extended metadata set’s.

5. Add the metadata fields that should be part of this metadata set. To do this, first select the editor’s View tab and select the Fields tab within it. Icons representing the field types are listed on one side and the metadata set’s canvas is on the other side. To add a field type to the metadata set, select its icon, drag, and drop it onto the canvas. The field appears on the canvas as it does for users. By dragging a field onto a field that’s already on the canvas, you can nest the new field in the existing field. When you mouse over a field on the canvas, the field action icons () appear. Clicking the + icon creates a duplicate of the current field and adds it below the current field. Clicking the trash can deletes the field.

   The following metadata fields are available:

   • Boolean: A check box.
   • Color: Specifies a color.
   • Date: Enter a date. A valid date format is required for the date field, but you don’t have to enter a date manually. When you select the date field a mini-calendar pops up which you can use to select a date.
   • Decimal: Enter a decimal number. The value is persisted as a double.
   • Documents and Media: Select a file from a Documents and Media library.
   • Geolocation: Specify a location to associate with the document.
   • HTML: An area that uses a WYSIWYG editor to enhance the content.
   • Integer: Enter an integer. The value is persisted as an int.
   • Link to Page: Link to another page in the same site.
   • Number: Enter a decimal number or an integer. The value is persisted either as a double or an int, depending on the input’s type.
   • Radio: Displays several clickable options. The default number of options is three but this is customizable. Only one option can be selected at a time.
   • Select: This is just like the radio field except that the options are hidden and must be accessed from a drop-down menu.
   • Text: Enter a single line of text.
   • Text Box: This is just like the text field except you can enter multiple lines of text or separate paragraphs.
   • Web Content: Select web content.

   

   Figure 2: Add your metadata set's fields to the canvas.

6. Edit your fields to reflect their intended metadata. For example, a text field’s default label is Text. If you want to use the text field as a title, for instance, then you should change the field’s label to Title. To do this, first select the field on the canvas. This automatically selects the Settings tab on the left. Alternatively, you can access the Settings tab by clicking the field’s wrench icon. To edit a setting value, double-click it in the Settings table and enter the new value.

   Labels, default values, variable names, mouse-over tips, widths, and other settings can be configured for most fields. Some fields have a Required setting for specifying whether users must populate the field. If a field’s Repeatable setting is Yes, users can add multiple consecutive instances of the field to the document’s metadata.

   Also note that you can translate each of a metadata set’s field values to any supported locales. To specify a field value for a translation, select the flag that represents the locale and enter the field value for the locale.

7. Click Save when you’re done specifying your new metadata set.

   

   Figure 3: Edit your metadata set's fields to match the metadata that you want each field to hold.