Please note, this feature may not be available with all plans. Please contact support@imagerelay.com with questions.. 

Metadata Templates allow you to customize the fields that describe the assets in your library. These fields can include information such as Title, Creator, Description, Usage, and much more. With the new Metadata Templates, you now have the option to create single select fields in addition to text fields. 

You can customize one or many metadata templates for various need. For example, you may need one template for Videos and one template for PDFs that each hold different information. We do recommend that you create the fewest number of templates necessary, as this will limit confusion when choosing which template to use upon upload. 

Creating a Template

Begin the Process by going to the Admin dropdown, and choose Metadata Tools. In the menu on the lefthand side, choose Templates, and click Create New. This is the screen you will see: 

Template Name

The first thing you will add is a Template Name. If you only have one template, or if this will be the most commonly used template, you may want to call it "Default." If you will have multiple templates, choose a descriptive name such as "Video Template" or "Photo Template." 

Text Fields and Single Select Fields 

Image Relay currently offers two types of metadata field options, single select fields and text fields. Each field is good for a specific purpose. You can mix and match both kinds of fields in a template to make exactly what you need. 

Text Fields

Text fields allow the person entering the metadata to type in any information they want. Text fields are the best choice when this information will be different every time, meaning that it is not standardized. 

Examples of text fields might me Creator, Description, Title, or Job Number. These are options that have hundreds (or thousands) of possibilities so it makes the most sense to type in the correct information. 

Single Select Field

Single Select Fields allow you to create a controlled list of options that users can then pick from in a drop-down menu when entering metadata. This controlled vocabulary allows for more standardized metadata which means better search results. 

Single select fields are best to use when there is a definitive value, and a finite amount of options. For example, you may have an option for seasons, agencies that you work with frequently, product lines, or departments. It is best to keep these lists below 25 options. (Image Relay does has another feature larger Controlled Vocabularies in the Tag Sets section. Learn more about Tagging and Tag Sets in this article.)

To create a single select field, first choose a name for the field. This field name is what will display next to your asset. Next choose "Add option," and fill in your field. You can currently enter up to 100 options. 

Map to IPTC

IPTC information is metadata that is frequently embedded in a photograph or other digital asset. Simple IPTC information can frequently be found on photos taken by your digital camera or phone including date taken and type of camera. However many photographers and designers frequently include more advanced metadata on assets including locations, rights restrictions, subjects and much more. 

You can map these IPTC fields to your template fields and the information will automatically populate upon upload. Simply start to type the name of the IPTC field you would like to map and you will see a list of terms to choose from. 

If you map a text field to an IPTC field, all content that is in that IPTC field will be the mapped automatically upon upload. If you map a single select field to an IPTC field, the system will search for terms that match those you have entered in the controlled term list. If a match is found, it will choose that term. If none are found, it will remain blank. 

Further Resources:
Creating and Using a Controlled Vocabulary with Tag Sets and Tags
IPTC Mapping to Metadata Fields