What is Bulk Updater?

Bulk Updater is a web application that lets you update in bulk the properties (also called metadata) of your AODocs documents.

Automatically generated table of contents


Who can use Bulk Updater?

All users can use the export feature (simple exports) in Bulk Updater; only library administrators and super administrators can use the export and update feature (advanced exports).

Bulk Updater is available for users of AODocs for Life Sciences.

You can use Bulk Updater for all types of AODocs library.

When you export from an AODocs library, you own the resulting Google spreadsheet. You can share the spreadsheet with other users who can help prepare the document update. Your organization can delegate ownership of spreadsheets to specific users.

Important:
– Google users automatically have access to Bulk Updater.
– Microsoft users must request for their domain to be allowlisted to use Microsoft authentication with Bulk Updater. Contact your AODocs sales representative or send an email to sales@aodocs.com.
– Only the super administrator or library administrator who ran the export can launch the update.
– Your organization can limit access to advanced exports to a specific list of users. If you're a library administrator and you can't access advance exports, contact your system administrator.


The Bulk Updater process

With Bulk Updater you can:

1. Configure and run an export of your properties into a Google spreadsheet.

You must select a domain and a library. If required, you can export a subset of documents by selecting a document class and/or view. You can also apply filters and a search query to further refine your selection.

2. Edit the content of the exported spreadsheet.

3. Run the update to apply your changes to the documents in your AODocs library.

Notes:
– The more you pre-filter your documents, the fewer properties will be exported with Bulk Updater. Exporting a lot of properties can take a while.
– You can update as many folders or categories as you like in one go.
– The spreadsheet doesn't support more than 5 million cells.


Usage examples

You can use Bulk Updater in different ways, depending on your needs.

In this example, you have 50,000 documents in one document class in your AODocs library and you've realized that one property is filled out incorrectly in 1,000 of your documents.

Bulk Updater: fast method

I want to change a single property to the same value in my subset of 1,000 documents.

1. Create a view in AODocs displaying the single property you want to update.

2. Filter the view in AODocs using the required property, to display the 1,000 documents to update.

3. In Bulk Updater, select the view you created when you configure your export. Then run the export. The spreadsheet will contain only one editable column containing this property.

4. Edit the spreadsheet as required.

5. In Bulk Updater, run the update. The property you edited is updated in all documents of this class in your library.

Bulk Updater: detailed method

I want to change a single property to different values in my subset of 1,000 documents. For example, I want to change the property To Archive to True in all documents that are older than a given date.

1. Create a view in AODocs displaying:

  • the property you want to change (in this example, To Archive)
  • one or more properties that will determine the value of the property you want to change (in this example, the document creation date)

2. Filter the view in AODocs to display the 1,000 documents to update.

3. In Bulk Updater, select the view you created when you configure your export. Then run the export. The spreadsheet will contain the properties you selected.

4. Edit the spreadsheet: enter a formula in the column displaying the property you want to change.

5. In Bulk Updater, run the update. The property you edited is updated in all documents of this class in your library.

Bulk Updater: advanced method

I don't want to create a view in my AODocs library, but I know the query to use in Bulk Updater to filter my subset of 1,000 documents.

1. In Bulk Updater, select a document class and define a query that will filter your subset of 1,000 documents of this class when you configure your export. Then run the export. The spreadsheet will contain all the properties in the document class, including the system properties, but will list only documents that match your filter.

2. Edit the spreadsheet as required.

3. In Bulk Updater, run the update. The property you edited is updated in all documents of this class in your library.

Bulk Updater: explorer method

I want to export all the properties of all my documents in a given class to Bulk Updater and explore the properties to find the ones I want to edit.

1. In Bulk Updater, select a document class when you configure your export. When you run the export you'll export all the properties of all 50,000 documents of this class in your library.

Note: There is no pre-filter to identify your subset of 1,000 documents, so your spreadsheet will contain a lot of data. Take care when editing.

3. Edit the spreadsheet as required, either manually or using a formula.

4. In Bulk Updater, run the update. The property you edited is updated in all documents of this class in your library.

Was this article helpful? 5 out of 6 found this helpful
If you didn’t find what you were looking for, don’t hesitate to leave a comment!
Have more questions? Submit a request

Comments

4 comments
  • Can I combine different export into one spreadsheet ? For example lets say my documents are parts and their properties. Can I search and select one part, then one other one, and maybe 10 other, and export them all at once ?
    Bonus points if I can select the properties I want exported ?
    This would be similar to a "cart" on a shopping website.
    Thank you.

    1
    Comment actions Permalink
  • You can't natively combine exports in the same speadsheet, but I sugegst that you review this tips and tricks:
    https://support.aodocs.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/115009589146-Create-a-multi-library-view
    It might help you for the process of combining spreadsheets.

    0
    Comment actions Permalink
  • Thank you but that doesn't really correspond to what I am looking for. There are too many sheets to combine and by the time I get the formula to combine them typed in I might as well just copy and past them in one, as I don't need the update part.

    0
    Comment actions Permalink
  • Hello all,

    I need to add 100 or 200 registers. How I can to add with Bulk Updater?

    1
    Comment actions Permalink

Please sign in to leave a comment.