Metadata fields

Metadata file specification

Required fields

Providing rich, detailed and informative metadata will help users to discover, interact with and learn about your items. Although not all fields are required, we recommend you submit as much detailed and comprehensive information as you have available. 

The following fields are required and values should be provided for each item included your metadata file:

Item ID   [itemid]
Definition

A unique identifier for the item.

Once assigned, the Item ID cannot be altered. We recommend using an original, unique, identifier from your own system, or a URI uniquely representing the item.

  • Required
  • Ensure Item IDs refer to the same unique item when providing future updates
  • Items with multiple digitizations should all specify the same unique Item ID
  • Example values:
    • 0001
    • p314
    • http://example.com/item/217
Example
... itemid ...
... p314 ...
Title   [title]
Definition

A short title for the item.

  • Required
  • Translation possible
  • Maximum 100 characters
  • For subitems this is a recommended field
Example
... title ...
... Photograph of Mount Olympus ...
File Type   [filetype]
Definition

Describes the type of file.

  • Required
  • Must contain one of the following values:
    • image
    • image_360
    • youtube
    • audio
    • sequence
    • 3d
  • For items with multiple digitizations, please use 'sequence'.
Example
... filetype ...
... image ...
... 3d ...
File Name   [filespec]
Definition

The filename of the image, audio file, 3d zip file or YouTube video ID.

[For audio files only] Translation possible.

  • Required
  • Leave this blank for items with multiple digitizations
  • Example values:
    • img46692.jpg
    • q-TxebxUD54
    • statue.zip
Example
... filetype filespec ​filespec​/fr ...    
... image img46692.jpg   ...    
... audio audiofile-en.wav audiofile-fr.wav
 
...
... 3d statue.zip   ...

Recommended fields

Creator   [creator]
Definition

Creator of item such as the author, painter, or photographer.

Example
... creator ...
... Pablo Picasso ...
Date Created   [dateCreated]
Definition

Date an item was created, such as when a painting was painted.

  • Multiple values possible
  • Translation possible
  • Will appear next to the title
  • Both start and end date fields must be included in order to display a date range
  • Accepted format: YYYY, YYYY-MM-DD, or YYYY-MM
  • A textual display date can be provided if appropriate
  • Example values:
    • 1889
    • 1889-06
    • 1889-09-28
  • Subattributes:
    • start: Date or start date
    • end: Optional, end date of a date range. If used the date range will be displayed.
    • display: Optional, text to display instead of date value (Translations can be provided)
Example
... dateCreated:start dateCreated:end dateCreated:display ...
... 1889-01 1905-12 c. 1889 - c. 1905 ...
Description   [description]
Definition

A lengthier description of the item.

Example
... description ...
... This photograph shows the snow-capped peak of Mount Olympus ...
Physical Dimensions   [format]
Definition

Physical dimensions of the object.

Example
... format ...
... 30cm x 48.5cm ...
Location   [location]
Definition

Name of the primary physical location for the item, such as the location where a photograph was taken.

  • Multiple values possible
  • Translation possible
  • Will appear next to the title
  • Provide the placename as a minimum
  • Longitude and latitude can be specified optionally
  • Subattributes:
    • placename: Location for the item, such as the location where a photograph was taken. This text appears in the item details. (Translations can be provided)
    • lat: Optional, latitude of location. If used, also provide longitude.
    • long: Optional, longitude of location. If used, also provide latitude.
Example
... location:placename location:lat location:long ...
... Mount Olympus, Greece 40.085556 22.358611 ...
Medium   [medium]
Definition

Material or form used by the artist/creator.

Example
... medium ...
... Oil on Canvas ...
Type   [type]
Definition

Physical or material type of the item.

Example
... type ...
... Document ...

Providing multiple values

Many of the fields listed above permit more than one value, for example it's possible to list two creators for the same artwork.

To add additional values for the same field, add #n after the field name in the header row, were n is a numerical digit.

Example
... creator#0 creator#1 creator#2 ...
... John Doe Sam Smith Jane Doe ...

 

For metadata fields with subattributes, include the #n after the subattribute. For example:
dateCreated:start#0
If a you are providing translations for an attribute, include the #n before the language code. For example:
creator#0/en

Optional fields

Contributor   [contributor]
Definition

A person or organization that contributed to the creation of the item.

Example
... contributor ...
... Royal Academy of Arts ...
Date   [date]
Definition

Date or date range for the item. For example, the date the photograph was taken or the start date of the period a document was written.

  • Multiple values possible
  • Translation possible
  • Will appear next to the title
  • Both start and end date fields must be included in order to display a date range
  • Accepted date formats: YYYY, YYYY-MM-DD, or YYYY-MM
  • A textual display date can be provided if appropriate
  • Example values:
    • 1889
    • 1889-06
    • 1889-09-28
  • Subattributes:
    • start: Date or start date
    • end: Optional, end date of a date range. If used the date range will be displayed.
    • display: Optional, text to display instead of date value (Translations can be provided)
Example
... date:start date:end date:display ...
... 1889-01 1905-12 c. 1889 - c. 1905 ...
Date Published   [datePublished]
Definition

Date the item was published, such as a book.

  • Multiple values possible
  • Translation possible
  • Both start and end date fields must be included in order to display a date range
  • Accepted format: YYYY, YYYY-MM-DD, or YYYY-MM
  • A textual display date can be provided if appropriate
  • Example values:
    • 1889
    • 1889-06
    • 1889-09-28
  • Subattributes:
    • start: Date or start date
    • end: Optional, end date of a date range. If used the date range will be displayed.
    • display: Optional, text to display instead of date value (Translations can be provided)
Example
... datePublished:start datePublished:end datePublished:display ...
... 1889-01 1905-12 c. 1889 - c. 1905 ...
Location Created   [locationCreated]
Definition

Name of the primary physical location for the item, such as the location where a photograph was taken.

  • Multiple values possible
  • Translation possible
  • Will appear in the details
  • Subattributes:
    • placename: Location for the item, such as the location where a photograph was taken. This text appears in the item details. (Translations can be provided)
    • lat: Optional, latitude of location. If used, also provide longitude.
    • long: Optional, longitude of location. If used, also provide latitude.
Example
... locationCreated:placename locationCreated:lat locationCreated:long ...
... Mount Olympus, Greece 40.085556 22.358611 ...
Original Language   [language]
Definition

Language of the material (as opposed to the language of the metadata text).

Example
... language ...
... French ...
Original Source   [originalSource]
Definition

Should only be used if the item’s original source is different than the organization publishing the item and is used to provide attribution.

  • Subattributes:
    • url: URL of link
    • text: Optional, text to display as link (Translations can be provided)
Example
... originalSource:url originalSource:text ...
... http://www.example.com Example Museum of Fine Art ...
Provenance   [provenance]
Definition

Description of provenance of object.

Example
... provenance ...
... Acquired by the foundation of culture preservation ...
Publisher   [publisher]
Definition

A person or an organization responsible for publishing the item.

Example
... publisher ...
... News International ...
External Link   [relation]
Definition

To be used to provide a link to back to the institution's webpage for the item.

  • Multiple values possible
  • Translation possible
  • These links are only visible when the item details panel is expanded
  • Subattributes:
    • url: URL of link
    • text: Optional, text to display as link (Translations can be provided)
Example
... relation:url relation:text ...
... http://www.example.com Example Museum of Fine Art ...
Rights   [rights]
Definition

A statement about the various property rights associated with the item, including intellectual property rights.

  • Multiple values possible
  • Translation possible
  • Example: a copyright statement
  • May be used for either a textual statement or a URL pointing to a rights statement, or a combination
  • Example values:
    • Copyright Acme 1999 - All rights reserved.
    • http://example.org/static/terms
Example
... rights ...
... Copyright Acme 1999 - All rights reserved. ...
Subject Keywords   [subject]
Definition

Free text field for keywords representing topic of item.

Example
... subject ...
... Berlin Wall ...
Transcript   [transcript]
Definition

Transcript of any text in the image or video.

Example
... transcript ...
... This is some text that was seen in a painting ...
Priority [priority]
Definition

The order that your items will appear once online on your Partner Page.

Example
... priority ...
... 1 ...
Creator Lifespan[creator_lifespan]
Definition

The lifespan of creator, including at least one of birth and death date.

  • Translation possible

  • Leave this property blank for multiple or non-person creators

  • Both start and end date fields must be included in order to display a date range

  • Accepted format: YYYY, YYYY-MM-DD, or YYYY-MM

  • A textual display date can be provided if appropriate

  • Example values:

    • 1889

    • 1889-06

    • 1889-09-28

  • Subattributes:

    • start: Date or start date

    • end: Optional, end date of a date range. If used the date range will be displayed.

    • display: Optional, text to display instead of date value (Translations can be provided)

Example
... creator_lifespan:start  creator_lifespan:end  creator_lifespan:display
...  1889-01  1905-12  c. 1889 - c. 1905
Creator Nationality [creator_nationality]
Definition

The nationality of the creator.

  • Translation possible

  • Leave this property blank for multiple or non-peson creators

Example
... creator_nationality ...
... French ...
Creator Birthplace[creator_birth_place]
Definition

The location of the birthplace of a creator.

  • Translation possible

  • Leave this property blank for multiple or non-peson creators

  • Provide the placename as a minimum

  • Longitude and latitude can be specified optionally

  • Subattributes:

    • placename: Location for the item, such as the location where a photograph was taken. This text appears in the item details. (Translations can be provided)

    • lat: Optional, latitude of location. If used, also provide longitude.

    • long: Optional, longitude of location. If used, also provide latitude.

Example
... creator_birth_place:placename  creator_birth_place:lat creator_birth_place:long
...  Mount Olympus, Greece 40.085556  22.358611
Creator Death Place[creator_death_place]
Definition

The location of the death place of a creator.

  • Translation possible

  • Leave this property blank for multiple or non-peson creators

  • Provide the placename as a minimum

  • Longitude and latitude can be specified optionally

  • Subattributes:

    • placename: Location for the item, such as the location where a photograph was taken. This text appears in the item details. (Translations can be provided)

    • lat: Optional, latitude of location. If used, also provide longitude.

    • long: Optional, longitude of location. If used, also provide latitude.

Example
... creator_death_place:placename  creator_death_place:lat creator_death_place:long
...  Mount Olympus, Greece 40.085556  22.358611

Art Schema Fields

If you are providing data for art object, you can use the art schema fields to specify more information specific to these kinds of objects.

Art Genre [art=genre]

Definition

Categorization of the subject of the artwork. Examples of art genre: portrait, landscape, still life, history (grande genre), abstract art, scenes of everyday life (genre works, or petit genre).

  • Multiple values possible
  • Translation possible
Example
... art=genre ...
... Portrait ...

Art Movement [art=movement]

Definition

The school or style of the artwork, commonly associated with a distinct period in history, and often end in '-ism'. Examples: Impressionism, Cubism, Expressionism.

  • Multiple values possible
  • Translation possible
Example
... art=movement ...
... Baroque ...

Art Form [art=form]

Definition

The form of expression the artist chooses to employ. Examples: photography, painting, sculpture, etc.

  • Multiple values possible
  • Translation possible
Example
... art=form ...
... Painting ...

Support [art=support]

Definition

The support is the substance that a two-dimensional artwork is applied to. For example, the support of many oil paintings is canvas; for many lithographs, it is paper.

  • Multiple values possible
  • Translation possible
Example
... art=support ...
... Canvas ...

Depicted Location [art=depictedLocation]

Definition

Information related to the location depicted in the artwork

  • Multiple values possible
  • Translation possible
  • Subattributes:
    • placename: Name for the location depicted (Translations can be provided)
    • lat: Optional, latitude of location. If used, also provide longitude.
    • long: Optional, longitude of location. If used, also provide latitude.
Example
... art=depictedLocation:placename ...
... London ...

Depicted Person [art=depictedPerson]

Definition

Name of a person depicted in the artwork

  • Multiple values possible
  • Translation possible
Example
... art=depictedPerson ...
... Marshal Matthias von
Schulenburg
...

Depicted Topic [art=depictedTopic]

Definition

Topic depicted in the artwork, i.e. anything depicted in the artwork that is not a person or location. Examples: car, dress

  • Multiple values possible
  • Translation possible
Example
... art=depictedTopic ...
... Armour ...

Fashion fields

If you are providing data for Fashion objects, you can use the fashion schema fields to specify more information specific to these kinds of objects.

Designer  [fashion=designer]
Definition

The individual(s) who designed the object.

Example

... fashion=designer ...
... Christian Dior ...
Fashion House   [fashion=fashionHouse]
Definition

The name of the fashion house which the creator has made the object for.

Example
... fashion=fashionHouse ...
... Christian Dior  ...
Manufacturer  [fashion=manufacturer]
Definition

Details about the manufacturer of the item, or the maker of specific parts of the items. 

Example
... fashion=manufacturer ...
... Bianchini-Férier (Silk velvet and faille) ...
Fashion Show [fashion=fashionShow]
Definition
Title of the fashion show or collection that displayed the item.
Example
... fashion=fashionShow ...
... Ligne Milieu du Siècle

..

Season [fashion=season]
Definition
Information about the collection type and season the item belongs to.
Example
... fashion=season ...
... Haute couture, Autumn / Winter 1949 -1950

...

Photographer[fashion=photographer]
Definition
Information regarding the person(s) who photographed the item.
Example
... fashion=photographer ...
... Mario Testino

...

Custom fields

Use custom metadata fields to provide metadata that is not already defined by any of the fields described above. Include a label to reference the custom metadata you are providing. This is demonstrated in the examples below.

After uploading custom metadata, you will see the Custom properties  Custom properties menu item in the content manager. This allows you to specifiy display names for each of the labels you have given to your custom metadata.

Custom Text   [customtext]
Definition

To be used if there is additional metadata you would like to provide.

  • Multiple values possible
  • Translation possible
  • Example: to explicitly include the name of a photographer, use a 'photographer' label
Example
... customtext:label ...
... Anna Atkins ...
Custom Location   [customlocation]
Definition

To be used if there is additional location metadata you would like to provide.

  • Multiple values possible
  • Translation possible
  • Example: to explicitly include the location of discovery, use a label like 'discovery'
  • Subattributes:
    • placename: Location for the item, such as the location where a photograph was taken. This text appears in the item details. (Translations can be provided)
    • lat: Optional, latitude of location. If used, also provide longitude.
    • long: Optional, longitude of location. If used, also provide latitude.
Example
... customlocation:label:placename customlocation:label:lat customlocation:label:long ...
... Mount Olympus, Greece 40.085556 22.358611 ...
Custom Date   [customdate]
Definition

To be used if there is additional custom date fields you would like to provide.

  • Multiple values possible
  • Translation possible
  • Example: to explicitly include the date of discovery, use a label like 'discovery'
  • Both start and end date fields must be included in order to display a date range
  • Accepted format: YYYY, YYYY-MM-DD, or YYYY-MM
  • A textual display date can be provided if appropriate
  • Subattributes:
    • start: Date or start date
    • end: Optional, end date of a date range. If used the date range will be displayed.
    • display: Optional, text to display instead of date value (Translations can be provided)
Example
... customdate:label:start customdate:label:end customdate:label:display ...
... 1889-01 1905-12 c. 1889 - c. 1905 ...
Custom URL   [customlink]
Definition

To be used if there is additional URL you would like to provide.

  • Multiple values possible
  • Translation possible
  • Example: to explicitly include a wikipedia link, use a label like 'wikipedia'
  • Subattributes:
    • url: URL of link
    • text: Optional, text to display as link (Translations can be provided)
Example
... customlink:label:url customlink:label:text ...
... http://www.example.com Example Museum of Fine Art ...

 

Was this helpful?

How can we improve it?
Search
Clear search
Close search
Google apps
Main menu