Add or update documents using the new Bulk Processing

The key steps to a successful bulk process are:

1. Upload your files. For best performance, we recommended uploading files in batches of 10,000 or less. If you want to download a template that includes files names you should upload in batches of 5,000 or less.
2. Download the template. Make sure you download a fresh template each time.
3. Fill in the metadata template and upload it.
4. Run a test and check the log for errors.
5. Run the bulk process to update the document register.

Step 1: Open bulk processing

1. Click Documents
2. Under Actions click Start a Bulk Process - New. 

Step 2: Upload files

Note: If you want to update metadata only or create placeholders you can click Skip to move to the next step.

1. (Optional) Select an Upload Profile from the dropdown (or just leave it as default). Document upload profiles save you time by automatically populating metadata for you. 
2. Drag and Drop your file(s) from your computer into the space provided. Alternatively, click anywhere in the outlined space and choose the files from your computer. You can also Upload from Dropbox or Box. 
3. You’ll see a message that your files were uploaded to your Temporary Files area. 

Step 3: Download metadata template

Each project will have a unique template. Templates will change if fields are changed on your project, so it's always best to start with a fresh template.

1. Click Download Template.
2. If prompted, click to save the file on your computer. It may download directly depending on your web browser.

Are you updating existing documents? You can select up to 5000 documents from the document register and download a pre-filled template. The template will be populated with all the required metadata for the documents. After finding and selecting your documents click Tools and select Download Bulk Processing Template.

Important notes about the metadata template

• The metatadata template contains columns for all document fields (and applicable project fields) in your current project. The columns in bold are mandatory and must be completed for the process to work.  All other fields are optional. Project fields are displayed in blue font.
• If you've uploaded files, you'll find a worksheet containing your filenames. Copy these to the relevant worksheet for each document type. Make sure you enter the correct document numbers and other metadata against the correct files.  Note: If you uploaded a zip file, only the zip file will be listed (not the files within), even if your upload profile is set to extract files from a zip.
• Each project is different and fields can be changed by the Project Admins. The columns you see may be different in each project you work on. You should always start with a fresh metadata template file when beginning a new bulk process.
• For multi select fields, please type the relevant values and use commas to separate them. The values entered must match the system values exactly.
• If Project Fields are used in Document Types on your project:
  • You'll see a worksheet for each document type to help keep things organized. 
  • Single-select fields appear as a dropdown for faster, more accurate data entry.
  • You'll find instructions in the first worksheet of the template to guide you through each step.
  • The import process reads the worksheets from left to right. If a document is changing its document type from one version to the next, the order of the sheets can be changed to achieve the correct ordering of versions. Do not remove any of the worksheets otherwise the process may fail.

Step 4: Fill in the metadata template

To make this easier, you can copy and paste information from a report or other systems such as CAD if you like. Keep in mind if a document number already exists, it will be updated with the details you enter here.

1. Open your metadata template file.  
2. Complete all the mandatory fields. They're shown in bold in your file.
3. In the File field, if you wish to replace the current file, enter the full filename (including the file extension) of the replacement file. This is the filename that you will upload to the temporary files area in the next step. For example, DRW-0012_C.pdf.
4. Complete as many of the other fields in the template as you need to.
5. Check that you've entered the correct document numbers in your metadata template. 
6. Save your metadata as an Excel file.

Step 5: Upload the template

1. Upload the populated metadata file by dragging and dropping the file, or click anywhere in the outlined space and choose the file from your computer. 
2. Click Continue.

Step 6: Edit job name and rules

1. Enter the job name so you can find it again later, or just leave it as the pre-filled name. This field is mandatory.
2. Select the bulk processing rules. In most cases, you won’t need to change the defaults. However, if you're only updating documents, you may want to select the Supersede Documents Only rule. Below are the descriptions for each rule in the dropdowns.

Processing mode

• Auto (default): If the document number already exists in the register then supersede the document, otherwise upload it.
• Supersede Documents Only: If a matching number does not exist, an error is logged.
• Upload New Documents Only: If a matching document number already exists, an error is logged.

If Error Occurs

• Skip and continue the run (default): Does not process the document that caused the error, and continues the bulk process.
• Abort the run at this row: Does not process the document that caused the error, and stops the bulk process.

Cleanup Details of Run

• Automatically clean up details of this run: Removes the details of this job — the title, metadata file, error log and any rules configured. It doesn't affect the documents or their event log history.

3. Tick the box to receive an email notification when the job completes.
4. Click Continue.

Step 7: Test your template

Test your metadata template to check it for errors. After the test, view the log file and fix any errors before you run the bulk process job.

1. Click Run Test.

2. After about 10 seconds, click the Refresh button. 
3. You’ll see a file appear in the Log file section. Click it to open the log file.

Note: If the file does not appear, wait another 10 seconds and click Refresh again until it appears. You may need to repeat this a few times.

4. Check the Result column in the Log file.
5. If everything is marked as Okay, continue on to the next step to run the bulk process.
6. If there are any errors to correct:

• Edit your metadata file in Excel and fix the errors.
• In Aconex, click the Replace Template button to upload your updated metadata file into the same job.
• Repeat the Test procedure with your updated metadata file.

Step 8: Run the bulk process

When your test shows no errors in the log file, you can run the bulk processing job to update the document register.

1. Click Run Job to start the job.

2. Click the Refresh button.
3. Open the Log file report.
4. Check that Okay is recorded against all documents in the Results column. 
5. If there are no errors, your documents have been updated in the document register.