KB User's Guide - Documents Tab - Batch Update

This document will show KB Admins how to efficiently update documents. The Batch Update Tool options include all fields in the document editor not related to document access.

Search For Your Documents

  1. To navigate to a batch tool in the KB Admin Tools, click on the Documents Tab and click the appropriate link in the left navigation bar. The steps in this document specifically apply to:

    • Batch Update
    • Batch Access Change
    • Batch Transfer

    Screenshot showing the group of left-hand navigation links that include the three batch tools

  2. If you already know the document ID number(s) you would like to update, enter them in the Comma delimited doc ids field. Otherwise, you may use the available search filters to populate the list of documents.

    Screenshot showing the input fields and search filters on the batch tool pages
  3. Click on the Go button.

  4. After clicking on the Go button, the document results will appear with check boxes next to them in the Select column in the far right (as referenced by red circle in the image below). You may select them individually or select them all at once by clicking on the Select All button.

    Screenshot showing the checkboxes in the "Select" column on the right side of the table, with two of three documents checked
    • Note: You will only see results for documents that you have write access to.

  5. Under that table of documents, the batch change options will appear. Select the appropriate selections from the dropdown menus in this table.

Determine the Exact Fields to Update

Upon your selection, a text box with field-specific instructions will appear next to the field you have chosen to update. By not selecting any of the options from the dropdown menu, that field will remain unchanged.

Overview of the Fields Available

Fields available to change for Batch Update

  • Apply changes to - Draft and Active Versions, Draft version only
  • Title - Prepend, Append or Remove from
  • Search PriorityTop, High, Normal, Low, Exclude from Search
  • Page Header - change Header to "None". This dropdown menu will display all (if any) the headers in your group
  • Page Footer change Footer to "None". This dropdown menu will display all (if any) footers in your group.
  • Keywords - Prepend, Append, Remove from
  • Summary - Prepend, Append, Remove from
  • Body - Prepend, Append, Remove from
  • Internal Note - Prepend, Append, Remove from
  • SeeAlso - Reset SeeAlso
  • Type - Document, Template, Glossary
  • Topics - Reset Topics (list of topics will appear with unchecked check boxes next to each topic)
    • Note: If you are not finding what you need to make a Batch Change to Topics, please look at what our Batch Topic Assignment feature has to offer.

  • Audiences - Reset Audiences
  • Owner - This dropdown will display a list of your sub-site users
  • FeedbackToReset FeedbackTo
  • MiscOptions - Reset MiscOptions
  • JavaScript/CSS - Reset , Append
  • CommentThis field is required and allows a maximum of 1200 characters.

Select the Fields you want to Change

Using the drop down menus, select the fields you wish to change for the selected documents.

Add a Comment

  • We strongly encourage a detailed description here for record keeping purposes. This description will appear in the Show Comments and Events section of each document the Batch Update is applied. In the image below, the red arrow is pointing to a description detailing the nature of the Batch Update.

    Comment field is shown with a example comment describing the type of batch update.

    If you expand the Show Comments and Events section of one of the documents included in the Batch Update, you will see the description along with the name of the person who made the update, plus the time and date stamp.

    Comment box is right above the submit button, example comment included.


Check Your Work and Submit

Once you have made your selection(s), we strongly encourage you to check the:

  • document selection(s)
  • document version selection
  • field selection(s), especially if you chose the correct selection from the dropdown menus
  • description of the Batch Update in the Comment field is detailed

Once you are certain all your selections are accurate, click on the Submit button.

Batch Update Greater than 100 Documents

On a final note, documents will be updated 100 at a time.

For example, if you choose to update 398 documents at once, 100 documents will be updated at one time, then the next set of 100, then the next set of 100 and then the remaining documents until all your updates are made.

Only 100 documents are updated at a time to manage the load on our servers.

Please contact us at kb-team@lists.wisc.edu if you have any questions or need clarification on the Batch Update Tool.


Keywordssearch access change bulk multiple documents modify mass Batch Update quick view quickview Quick view Quickview group transaction batch change function append prepend reset remove re seDoc ID111813
OwnerLeah S.GroupKB User's Guide
Created2021-06-21 11:09:30Updated2021-08-05 12:15:23
SitesKB User's Guide
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