Updating your artwork one record at a time adds up fast. Bulk Edit lets you change the same field across dozens or hundreds of Pieces in a single pass, so a job that would take an afternoon takes a couple of minutes.
It is the quickest way to fill in a field you have not used before, tidy up a batch of records after an import, or apply a price change across a whole body of work.
How to Bulk Edit Multiple Pieces
On the main Pieces page, select Bulk Actions > Bulk Edit from the top menu
Choose the artwork you want to edit using the Piece picker and the filters above it
Click the blue Add button to move your selections into the Selected Pieces section
Click Next at the bottom of the screen to continue
On the Edit Data screen, click the blue link for the field you want to change, such as Update Category. To change several fields in the same pass, click Update Multiple Fields at Once instead
Enter or select the new value, then click the blue Confirm Changes button at the bottom of the screen
You are returned to the main Pieces page, where green and blue notes under the Piece titles confirm what changed. Refresh your browser to see every update
What You Can Change with Bulk Edit
Under Update Individual Fields, you can update Category, Status, Medium, Subject Matter, Price, Condition, Signature, Dimensions, Framed Size, Paper Size, Description, and Creation Date Information. Update Multiple Fields at Once combines several of these into a single pass.
Two more groups sit below that. Under Prices, you can increase or decrease all prices by a percentage or by a dollar amount. Under Tags, you can add tags to all selected Pieces or replace their tags entirely.
Did you know?
Choosing Update Category opens both the Category and Subcategory dropdowns on the same screen, so you can set both in one pass. There is no separate Subcategory option to look for.
How to Add a Category to Multiple Artworks at Once
If you have been using Artwork Archive for a while, some of your artwork may not have a Category yet. You do not need to open each record. Filter for what is missing, then update the whole group together.
On the Pieces page, click More on the Filter bar
Scroll to the Missing Data filter and choose No category
Click the blue Apply button. Your Pieces page now shows only the artwork you have not classified
Select Bulk Actions > Bulk Edit and add those Pieces to your selection
On the Edit Data screen, click Update Category
Choose a Category, and a Subcategory if one fits. Leaving Subcategory blank is always a valid choice
Click Confirm Changes
Working through one Category at a time, a large inventory can be classified in a handful of passes. There is more on narrowing your Pieces page in How do I sort and filter my Pieces?
Did you know?
Your Category selections power filtering and search on your Public Profile and on Artwork Archive's Discovery platform, so classifying older artwork makes it easier for people to find. There is more in How to Use Categories and Subcategories to Organize Your Artwork.