Add or update documents using Bulk Processing

Step 1. Download a blank metadata file

1. Click Documents
2. Under Actions click Bulk Processing.
3. Click the New Bulk Process button.

4. Fill in the Title field to give this bulk processing job a name. This way, you'll be able to find it easily if you come back to complete the job later. It will also make relevant document reports more meaningful.
5. Click the Metadata Template button.

6. If prompted, click to save the file on your computer. It may download directly depending on your web browser. By default, the file will be named TemplateMetadata.xls. 

Things to note

• The metatadata template contains columns for all document 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.
• Each project varies 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.
• Once you are familiar with the process, you may choose to bulk upload all your documents in a single worksheet.

Step 2. Enter the details for your documents in the metadata file

Next, open the spreadsheet and fill in the details for the documents.

To make this easier, you can cut 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 3. Upload your documents into the Temporary Files area

There are two methods you can use to upload your files:

• (Recommended) If you are using the new upload, use Add/Update Documents from the Documents menu. After your files have been uploaded, click Save in Temporary files.
  
  
• If you are using classic upload, use the Multi File Upload tool. Come back to this process after your files have been uploaded to the temporary files area. Do not move them to the register. 

At the end of either upload process, you’ll see a confirmation that files are available in your Temporary Files area.

Step 4. Test your template

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

1. Click the Metadata File button to upload your saved metadata template.

2. Click Local Computer/Network button.
3. Click Choose file.
4. Select the metadata template you saved to your computer earlier.
5. Click Attach. You'll see the name of your template appear next to the metadata file button.
6. (Optional) You can make changes to the default bulk processing rules by clicking on the Rules button. 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.

7. Click the Test button.
8. After about 10 seconds, click the Refresh button. 
9. You’ll see a file appear next to 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.

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

• Edit your metadata file in Excel and fix the errors.
• In Aconex, click the Copy button to create a new job with the same details.
• Click Metadate File and repeat the Test procedure with your updated metadata file.

Step 5. 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 the Run button 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.