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:
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 | ... |
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 | ... |
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 | ... |
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
Definition
Creator of item such as the author, painter, or photographer.
- Multiple values possible
- Translation possible
Example
| ... | creator |
... |
|---|---|---|
| ... | Pablo Picasso | ... |
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 dateend: 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 | ... |
Definition
A lengthier description of the item.
- Translation possible
- Maximum 2000 characters
Example
| ... | description |
... |
|---|---|---|
| ... | This photograph shows the snow-capped peak of Mount Olympus | ... |
Definition
Physical dimensions of the object.
- Multiple values possible
- Translation possible
- Example values:
- 11in x 23in
- 400mm x 350 mm
Example
| ... | format |
... |
|---|---|---|
| ... | 30cm x 48.5cm | ... |
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 | ... |
Definition
Material or form used by the artist/creator.
- Multiple values possible
- Translation possible
- Example values:
- Oil on Canvas
- Watercolor
- Linograph
Example
| ... | medium |
... |
|---|---|---|
| ... | Oil on Canvas | ... |
Definition
Physical or material type of the item.
- Multiple values possible
- Translation possible
- Example values:
- Document
- Photograph
- Video
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 | ... |
#n after the subattribute. For example:
dateCreated:start#0#n before the language code. For example:
creator#0/enOptional fields
Definition
A person or organization that contributed to the creation of the item.
- Multiple values possible
- Translation possible
Example
| ... | contributor |
... |
|---|---|---|
| ... | Royal Academy of Arts | ... |
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 dateend: 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 | ... |
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 dateend: 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 | ... |
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 | ... |
Definition
Language of the material (as opposed to the language of the metadata text).
- Multiple values possible
- Translation possible
Example
| ... | language |
... |
|---|---|---|
| ... | French | ... |
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 linktext: Optional, text to display as link (Translations can be provided)
Example
| ... | originalSource:url |
originalSource:text |
... |
|---|---|---|---|
| ... | http://example.com | Example Museum of Fine Art | ... |
Definition
Description of provenance of object.
- Multiple values possible
- Translation possible
Example
| ... | provenance |
... |
|---|---|---|
| ... | Acquired by the foundation of culture preservation | ... |
Definition
A person or an organization responsible for publishing the item.
- Multiple values possible
- Translation possible
Example
| ... | publisher |
... |
|---|---|---|
| ... | News International | ... |
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 linktext: Optional, text to display as link (Translations can be provided)
Example
| ... | relation:url |
relation:text |
... |
|---|---|---|---|
| ... | http://example.com | Example Museum of Fine Art | ... |
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. | ... |
Definition
Free text field for keywords representing topic of item.
- Multiple values possible
- Translation possible
Example
| ... | subject |
... |
|---|---|---|
| ... | Berlin Wall | ... |
Definition
Transcript of any text in the image or video.
- Translation possible
Example
| ... | transcript |
... |
|---|---|---|
| ... | This is some text that was seen in a painting | ... |
Definition
The order that your items will appear once online on your Partner Page.
Example
| ... | priority |
... |
|---|---|---|
| ... | 1 | ... |
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 |
Definition
The nationality of the creator.
-
Translation possible
-
Leave this property blank for multiple or non-peson creators
Example
| ... | creator_nationality | ... |
|---|---|---|
| ... | French | ... |
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 |
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.
Definition
The individual(s) who designed the object.
- Multiple values possible
- Translation possible
Example
| ... | fashion=designer |
... |
|---|---|---|
| ... | Christian Dior | ... |
Definition
The name of the fashion house which the creator has made the object for.
- Multiple values possible
- Translation possible
Example
| ... | fashion=fashionHouse |
... |
|---|---|---|
| ... | Christian Dior | ... |
Definition
Details about the manufacturer of the item, or the maker of specific parts of the items.
- Multiple values possible
- Translation possible
Example
| ... | fashion=manufacturer |
... |
|---|---|---|
| ... | Bianchini-Férier (Silk velvet and faille) | ... |
Definition
Title of the fashion show or collection that displayed the item.
- Multiple values possible
- Translation possible
Example
| ... | fashion=fashionShow |
... |
|---|---|---|
| ... | Ligne Milieu du Siècle |
.. |
Definition
Information about the collection type and season the item belongs to.
- Multiple values possible
- Translation possible
Example
| ... | fashion=season |
... |
|---|---|---|
| ... | Haute couture, Autumn / Winter 1949 -1950 |
... |
Definition
Information regarding the person(s) who photographed the item.
- Multiple values possible
- Translation possible
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 
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 | ... |
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 | ... |
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 dateend: 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 | ... |
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 linktext: Optional, text to display as link (Translations can be provided)
Example
| ... | customlink:label:url |
customlink:label:text |
... |
|---|---|---|---|
| ... | http://example.com | Example Museum of Fine Art | ... |