Importing description and custom attributes for files directly from Excel

[dharasZZELB]

When users bulk upload files either via drag & drop or by selecting them from their system, they typically rename each file according to a predefined naming standard. However, updating the description and custom attributes for each file individually becomes not only time-consuming but also confusing, especially when dealing with large volumes (e.g., 100+ files). The naming standard alone often doesn't provide enough clarity to identify the exact content or purpose of each file.

Users maintain an Excel sheet where they generate file names as per the naming convention and simultaneously document the corresponding descriptions and attributes. If ACC could support a feature that allows users to bulk update metadata (description and custom attributes) by matching file names from an Excel sheet, it would significantly streamline the workflow and reduce manual effort.

Would love to hear thoughts from others, has anyone implemented a similar solution or workaround?

[Adam_McLoughlinWUR3J]

Hi Dharas,

Completely agree, there should be a native solution for bulk editing attributes based on data in an excel sheet.

The bulk uploading is great but almost makes it half baked when you need to update every custom attribute individually. 

There are 3rd party app's (like Powersearch by BlackSmithSoft), but this should be part of the vanilla ACC package so ACC can be more of an "out of the box" solution.

[Renata_Rogic01]

YES! Thank you! I have been asking for this for the last year. We really need mass edit for description, ideally in excel template.  Funny thing is they developed ´´ mass import from excel template´´ for issues and they stopped there. It would be great if we can have the same mass update as in issues in files and submittals. 

[dharasZZELB]

Hi Adam and Renata,

Thank you so much for your responses. I really appreciate the support and insights!

Adam, I completely agree with your point about the bulk upload feeling “half-baked” without a way to mass update metadata. It’s great to know about PowerSearch by Blacksmith Soft, I’ll definitely look into it as a temporary workaround. But yes, having this functionality natively in ACC would make it a much more seamless solution.

Renata, I didn’t know they had already implemented mass import from Excel for issues, that’s a great reference point! It shows that the capability exists within the platform, so extending it to files seems like a logical next step. It would save so much manual effort and keep the workflows consistent.

Would love to keep this thread going and hear if anyone has tried any creative workarounds or automations using APS or other integrations. Maybe even a Power BI connector or Forge script?

Thanks again for engaging!
Dhara

[abreckenridge]

We’re all feeling this pain — it extends to the Desktop Connector as well, where the Description and other defined attributes aren’t visible. This makes it quite difficult to navigate and identify files effectively in that space.

Our current workaround, while less than ideal, is to include the Description within the filename for WIP files only. This helps slightly with manual verification that the filename and file description align, though this information drops off once the file moves to Shared or Published.

We’ve also noticed that the Description only carries over the first time a file is copied to Shared or Published — and I suspect this behaviour is intentional from Autodesk. A custom attribute (such as Title) doesn’t have this same restriction, but the risk with relying on such attributes is that they can be easily modified without Doc Control’s awareness. This creates downstream issues, particularly when exporting from ACC to SharePoint or other systems, as the appended attribute (like Title) in the filename can lead to duplicate files. In contrast, Description is only updated for Version 1 in a workflow, which helps maintain control and consistency.

Additionally, Transmittals currently only use the Description field. A potential improvement would be to append the description to filenames within Transmittals, ensuring downstream recipients can clearly identify files rather than receiving a ZIP archive full of non-descriptive filenames.

I’m aware of the Blacksmith app, which is fantastic however, we’re currently under a complete software freeze. Realistically, what we’re discussing here should be an out-of-the-box capability rather than something that depends on third-party solutions.

I have to say, I’m really enjoying working with ACC overall, but there are certainly plenty of nuances to work through — some less than ideal. Still, hang in there — it’s evolving continuously, and the improvements are coming through steadily.

[katarzyna_jarzebowska9BCET]

Has this feature been implemented?

It is a standard in other CDE platforms.