DocumentationAEMAEM Assets Tutorials

Import and export metadata metadata-import-and-export

Last update: September 1, 2026
  • Applies to:
  • Experience Manager 6.4
  • Experience Manager 6.5
  • Experience Manager as a Cloud Service

CREATED FOR:

  • Intermediate
  • Admin

When you manage thousands of files, you cannot afford to update metadata one asset at a time. With metadata export and import, you pull existing metadata into a CSV file, edit it in a spreadsheet, and push the changes back to AEM Assets in bulk. This lets your team fix or standardize metadata across large batches of assets in minutes instead of hours.

Admin view

Metadata export metadata-export

embed
https://video.tv.adobe.com/v/22132?quality=12&learn=on

https://video.tv.adobe.com/vc/22132/eng.json

note tip
TIP
When opening metadata export CSV file in Excel, use the Excel importer rather than double-clicking the file to avoid issues with UTF-8 encoded CSV files.
To open the metadata export CSV file in Excel, follow these steps:
  1. Open Microsoft Excel
  2. Select File > New to create an empty spreadsheet
  3. With the empty spreadsheet open, select File > Import
  4. Select Text file and click Import
  5. Select the exported CSV file from the file system and click Get Data
  6. On step 1 of the import wizard, select Delimited and set File origin to Unicode (UTF-8), and click Next
  7. On step 2, set the Delimiters to Comma, and click Next
  8. On step 3, leave the Column data format as is, and click Finish
  9. Select Import to add the data to spreadsheet

Metadata import metadata-import

embed
https://video.tv.adobe.com/v/21374?quality=12&learn=on

https://video.tv.adobe.com/vc/21374/eng.json

note
NOTE
When preparing a CSV file to import, it is easier to generate a CSV with the list of assets by using the Metadata Export feature. You can then modify the generated CSV file and import it using the Import feature.

Metadata CSV file format metadata-file-format

First row

  • The first row of the CSV file defines the metadata schema.

  • The First column defaults to assetPath, which holds the absolute JCR Path for an asset.

  • Subsequent columns in the first-row point to other metadata properties of an asset.

    • For example : dc:title, dc:description, jcr:title

  • Single Value Property format

    • <metadata property name> {{<property type}}
    • If property type is not specified, it defaults to String.
    • For example: dc:title {{String}}

  • Property Name is case-sensitive

    • Correct : dc:title {{String}}
    • Incorrect: Dc:Title {{String}}

  • Property Type is case insensitive

  • All valid JCR Property types are supported

  • Multi Value Property format - <metadata property name> {{<property type : MULTI }}

Second row to N rows

  • The first column holds the absolute JCR path for an asset. For example: /content/dam/asset1.jpg
  • Metadata property for an asset could have missing values in the CSV file. Missing metadata properties for that particular asset are not updated.
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