Using folders as metadata-masters

A handy feature to use when bulk-uploading documents to Sharepoint is the “Default Column Value”. This feature shines when using folders.

For example, say $user wants to upload 2000 images to an assetlibrary and wants to tag these with managed metadata values, 3 of them for a third of the lot and something else for the rest. Managed metavalues can’t be edited in datasheet view when using multiple values so this might take some time for $user.

In this case $user could create three folders in the assetlibrary and from Library Settings>Column Default Values > Folder  change the values as $user wants.

Now all documents copied to this folder, even from ExplorerView, will get these default values. Unless manually specifying something else.

The cool thing is that when the values have been set, $user can copy the images elsewhere in the documentlibrary and the metadata will still be attached. So folders can be used as a transitstation for settings metavalues. Or just be presented with a flat structure in the view.

References:

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/11301.sharepoint-2010-bulk-metadata-tagging.aspx