Manage Document Metadata

Add metadata to documents to enable filter-based searches and improve retrieval precision.

Table of Contents

· [What is Metadata?](#what-is-metadata)

· [Manage Metadata Fields](#manage-metadata-fields)

· [Edit Metadata](#edit-metadata)

· [Filter Documents with Metadata](#filter-documents-with-metadata)

· [FAQ](#faq)

What is Metadata?

Overview

Metadata is supplementary descriptive information attached to documents in a Knowledge Base. Metadata allows you to categorize, organize, and filter documents, significantly improving retrieval accuracy.

Core Concepts

Concept	Description	Example
Field	The label of a metadata field	"author", "language", "category"
Value	The information stored in a metadata field	"John Smith", "English", "policy"
Value Count	Number of values in a metadata field (including duplicates)	"3"
Value Type	The type of value a field can contain	String, Number, Time

ClickAI supports 3 value types:

Type	Description	Example
String	Text-based information	"Product Manual", "Vietnam"
Number	Numerical data	42, 3.14
Time	Dates/timestamps	"2024-01-15", "2024-03-20T10:30:00"

Manage Metadata Fields

Default Metadata Fields

Each Knowledge Base comes with default metadata fields:

Default Field	Type	Description
document_name	String	Document name
uploader	String	Person who uploaded
upload_date	Time	Upload date
last_update_date	Time	Last update date
source	String	Data source

Create New Fields

1. Click +Add Metadata to open the New Metadata dialog

2. Choose the Value Type (String, Number, or Time)

3. Name the field

4. Click Save to apply

Edit Field Names

5. Click the edit icon next to a field

6. Enter the new name

7. Click Save to apply

Delete Fields

Click the delete icon next to the field to remove.

🚨 WARNING: Deleting a metadata field removes the field and all associated values from ALL documents in the Knowledge Base. This action cannot be undone.

Edit Metadata

Bulk Edit in the Metadata Editor

8. In the Knowledge Base, select documents using checkboxes on the left

9. Click Metadata in the bottom action bar

10. In the Metadata Editor:

· Click +Add Metadata to add existing fields or create new ones via +New Metadata

· New fields are automatically added to the Knowledge Base

· Click Manage to access the Metadata Panel

11. (Optional) Enter values for new fields

12. Click Save to apply

Editor actions:

Action	How to
Add Values	Type directly in field boxes
Reset Values	Click the blue dot that appears on hover
Delete Values	Clear the field or delete the Multiple Value card
Delete Fields	Click the delete icon (fields appear struck through and grayed out)

📝 NOTE: Deleting a field from the editor only removes it from that document, NOT from the Knowledge Base.

Edit on Document Details Page

13. Open the document details page

14. Click Edit in the top right

15. Click +Add Metadata to add fields

16. Edit values or delete fields

17. Click Save to apply

Filter Documents with Metadata

Metadata allows you to filter documents during retrieval, narrowing the search scope and improving accuracy.

See details on using metadata filtering in applications at: [Integrate Knowledge in Apps](./12-integrate-in-apps.md)

FAQ

What can I do with metadata?

· Find information faster with smart filtering

· Control access to sensitive content

· Organize data more effectively

· Automate workflows based on metadata rules

Fields vs Values: What's the difference?

· Field is the label (e.g., "category") — defines the type of information

· Value is the specific content (e.g., "policy") — the actual data

How do different delete options work?

Action	Scope
Delete field from Metadata Editor	Only removes from current document
Delete field from Metadata Panel	Removes from ALL documents in Knowledge Base
Delete value	Only removes the value, field still exists

📖 Previous: [Documents & Chunks](./08-manage-documents-chunks.md) · Next: [Knowledge Settings](./10-settings.md)