Excel Updates
11. March 2025
You can import values via Excel. You can export values in Excel. This App was formerly called Data Exchange or Excel Roundtripping App.
The Excel Roundtripping App is developed by Picturepark and saves you time when updating content or metadata. You can export data such as Content Items, content metadata, and List Items on a massive scale, editing the data within Excel or other spreadsheet tools and then re-importing it for the update of existing data in the Content Platform.
The app is also helpful when importing data from other sources such as from other DAM, PIM, or MDM systems. It also provides data exports for the purpose of data reviews and analytics. Editors can use facets and simple search to filter items to export and choose fields which will be exported. Each field represents a column in Excel. On import, the application will automatically map the columns of the Excel file to the fields in the list if the name in the Excel equals the field id. Alternatively, editors can select which data fields to map and if to update them at all.
Create Template for Metadata Update
See the accepted values per individual field type.
- Edit 1-4 Content Items from your selection in Picturepark using the Batch Editor and applying your desired Layer and values.
- Export all Content Items you wish to update
- Include previously edited content
- Export Layer with metadata you edited
- Adapt the Excel
- Update IDs from the Content Items you edited.
- Update your values.
- Import Excel to update Content Items
Picturepark uses the Picturepark ID as a unique identifier. Do not delete this column.
Problem: Content Items couldn't be updated with Layer.
- Search for the ones that weren't updated to validate what went wrong.
- Conclusion: These are the 5 Virtual Items to which I cannot apply the Layer. This is a layer setting which is called "Available for", which prevents the layer from being assigned to Virtual Items.
Export Content or Metadata (Export Manager)
- Find and select items using the search or the filters in the sidebar (in Content Browser, or List Browser)
- Click the Export button.
- The Export window will open where you can select the layers and fields you would like to have in your export. You are also shown the extracted metadata (which can be exported but not imported).
- The first column of the exported Excel file will contain the Picturepark ID (the GUID of the Item in Picturepark). These are the ones you are updating on import. Do not change that.
Picturepark uses the Picturepark ID as a unique identifier. Do not delete this column.
Update Content or Metadata (Import Manager)
Do not select any item.
- In Content Browser or List Browser select Import from the toolbar.
- Upload your Excel file for updating content or metadata.
- Map the Excel column headers to Picturepark fields for updating.
- While mapping you can see validation errors if mapped columns do not contain the correct values.
- Picturepark auto-maps fields to columns with a matching name. To save time just name columns in Excel directly like Picturepark fields.
- Preview will display a preview of the items you are updating along with any errors you need to fix, like required fields without values. Go to the "Previous" step to adapt your mapping or update the Excel and restart the whole process.
- The Update will then execute the update of content, List Items and metadata of the Content Items. The app will let you know if your items were successfully updated or the ids of any items that failed.
Picturepark uses the Picturepark ID as a unique identifier. Do not delete this column.
Dates must be formatted as “Custom” in Excel, export date fields from Picturepark to get the correct formatting.
Picturepark does not create List Items (Tags) on update import. Those must be created prior to updating Content Items (using Excel Update for List Items).
Create List Items
Do not select any item.
- In List Browser, select the three-dot icon from the toolbar, then Excel Update in the extended menu.
- If you import List Items that you exported from another Picturepark List, you must update the exported Excel file and remove the first column, "Picturepark ID"
- Map the Excel column headers to Picturepark fields for updating.
- While mapping, you can see validation errors if mapped columns do not contain the correct values.
- Picturepark auto-maps fields to columns with a matching name. To save time, name columns in Excel directly like Picturepark fields.
- Preview will display a preview of the items you are creating along with any errors you need to fix, like required fields without values. Go to the "Previous" step to adapt your mapping or update the Excel and restart the whole process.
- The Update will then execute the creation of List Items. The app will let you know if your items were successfully updated or the ids of any items that failed.
Picturepark does not create List Items (Tags) on Content Item update import. Those must be created prior to updating Content Items (using Excel Update for List Items).
Picturepark uses the Picturepark ID as a unique identifier. Delete this column when you create List Items from a previously exported Picturepark List.
Excel Roundtripping App Limitations
- Relationship fields (single, multi), Multi-Fieldset fields are not supported.
- For tag boxes and relationship values, the id is exported in a separate column.
- Only Excel files can be used for import. There is no configuration for the export File Type this will always be an "xlsx".
- Only the Channels you have permissions on and Content Items you have access to will be displayed.
- The creation of Virtual Content Items is not supported.
- The creation of List Items while updating metadata is not supported.
- All values of the required fields must be provided.
- Layers and fields available for export are limited to those already assigned to the Content Items.
- Date Fields will be recognized as custom formatted in Excel. You can change them to date manually in Excel.