Keyword list a mess

[John BM]

Hi

I have been incredibly disorganised and have a messed up list of keywords. Is there a way I can 'ditch' the current list and start a new one?

 

[Johan Elzenga]

Of course, but it does mean you lose all your existing keywords and have to start all over again, so you may think twice before doing that. What is so disorganised about it, and do you know you can create a hierarchy in your keywords by dragging one keyword on top of another in the keyword list?

 

[Tony Jay]

Hi John, welcome to Lightroom Forums.

There are many ways to resuscitate your keyword list without losing all the work already put in to keyword images.
Firstly, it is possible to edit a keyword, for example to correct a spelling mistake.
Secondly, it is possible that you have several similar keywords that really ought to have a single keyword (dog, dogs, canines) - in this instance simply select the most representative keyword (or create it if required) and keyword all the images in question with that keyword. after that delete those now redundant keywords.
Thirdly, keywords can be arranged in hierarchies. Keywords already in existence can easily be dragged and dropped to the appropriate hierarchy (and level in that hierarchy) without losing their connection to keyworded images.

Without knowing any more about your current approach to keywording it is difficult to be more specific, nonetheless there are lots of possibilities to optimise and fine-tune things apart from what is mentioned above.
Let us know, on more detail what you have been doing and I am sure we would be able to guide you further.

Tony Jay

 

[clee01l]

Create one item as a top level of a hierarchical list. Call it something like "Old Keywords". Select and drag all of your keywords onto this new top level keyword ("Old Keywords"). Create new organized keywords at the same level as the new top level keyword ("Old Keywords") If you have existing keywords that are good or can be renamed to be a "good" keyword and are now children of the new top level keyword ("Old Keywords") you can drag them outside of the parent ("Old Keywords") In each existing "dirty" keyword select all of the images by clicking on the arrow to the right of the "dirty" keyword. For each image in the grid view of this "dirty" keyword, create or assign a new appropriate keyword and remove the "dirty" keyword from the image. The image will disappear from this grid view. When the image count for the "dirty" keyword reaches zero the grid will be empty and the keyword can be deleted. Repeat for all "dirty" keywords until there are no more under the top level keyword ("Old Keywords").

 

[John BM]

Wow!. Thanks everyone. So quick.

Thanks Tony and Cletus, I think a combination of your suggestions will - with a little effort - solve my problems.

V Thankful

John

 

[Roelof Moorlag]

What i did is first made toplevel keywords a, b, c ~ z (instead of the "Old Keywords" from Cletus) and put all old keywords starting with 'a' in toplevel keyword 'a' etc. It saved me a whole lot of scrolling while working on the Keywords in the tiding up.

 

[Ian.B]

Create one item as a top level of a hierarchical list. Call it something like "Old Keywords". Select and drag all of your keywords onto this new top level keyword ("Old Keywords"). Create new organized keywords at the same level as the new top level keyword ("Old Keywords") If you have existing keywords that are good or can be renamed to be a "good" keyword and are now children of the new top level keyword ("Old Keywords") you can drag them outside of the parent ("Old Keywords") In each existing "dirty" keyword select all of the images by clicking on the arrow to the right of the "dirty" keyword. For each image in the grid view of this "dirty" keyword, create or assign a new appropriate keyword and remove the "dirty" keyword from the image. The image will disappear from this grid view. When the image count for the "dirty" keyword reaches zero the grid will be empty and the keyword can be deleted. Repeat for all "dirty" keywords until there are no more under the top level keyword ("Old Keywords").

was going to suggest similar. Adding the new k/words is done only when you have time or file/keywords pop up during a search. Don't try to do all tonight sort of thing .All new photos go into to new system of course. Make sure you remove the old keywords from the files. I still have very old ones showing up at times as I have messed things up big time [really BIG time] a few times .