topic Re: Automate metadata to update summary section in Python Questions

Automate metadata to update summary section

AndreaB_ — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 20:31:45 GMT

Hello everyone,

I am not a developer, I'm using ArcGIS Pro 3.5.7. I am using ModelBuilder to run a scheduled model every 1st day of the month to export feature classes from a SQL geodatabase to a file geodatabase. The next script I would like to run after hours (every 1st of the month) is to update the summary section of the metadata of the feature classes in the file geodatabase with the current month and year and another 2 sentences added to the end of the current summary section.

I have asked my friend Google AI to tell me how to do this. It has failed. So I come to you, much smarter people. Here is what Google AI told me and I tried to run this in a ArcGIS Pro notebook.

from datetime import datetime import arcpy dataset_path = r"E:\ArcGIS Pro\Name.gdb\Name" try: # 1. Generate text snippet safely using built-in formatting append_text = datetime.now().strftime(", %B %Y. Please note that") # 2. Access the metadata object target_metadata = arcpy.metadata.Metadata(dataset_path) # 3. Safely read current summary using a rigid string conversion check raw_summary = target_metadata.summary # Check if raw_summary is a valid string, not a class type or None if isinstance(raw_summary, str) and not isinstance(raw_summary, type): current_summary = raw_summary else: current_summary = "" # 4. Append and write back target_metadata.summary = f"{current_summary}{append_text}" # 5. Save changes target_metadata.save() print(f"Successfully updated metadata summary.") except Exception as e: print(f"Failed to update metadata: {e}")

I get:

Failed to update metadata: <class 'type'> returned a result with an exception set

I have tried to find documentation on this and I searched the community for previous questions and answers but those are mostly very old so the software version is too old, and in some cases, they were using good old ArcMap. I did watch a few Esri videos about Metadata, very informative, but no mention of using python.

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-blog/live-training-seminar-metadata-essentials-for-ai/ba-p/1698657

https://mediaspace.esri.com/media/t/1_o8wuj2ba

https://doc.esri.com/en/arcgis-pro/latest/arcpy/metadata/what-is-the-metadata-module.html

Is this possible? Please help, thank you!

Re: Automate metadata to update summary section

BobBooth1 — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 21:39:04 GMT

This worked for me:

import arcpy from arcpy import metadata as md from datetime import datetime # Define the path to your dataset item_path = r"C:\Users\MyUserName\Documents\ArcGIS\Projects\MetadataTest\MetadataTest.gdb\OH_geol_poly" append_text = datetime.now().strftime(", %B %Y. Please note that") other_text = "Some arbitary other text." # Access the metadata item_md = md.Metadata(item_path) oldSummary = item_md.summary try: item_md.summary = oldSummary + "\r" + append_text + "\r" + other_text item_md.save() except: print("Ope! Could not write to metadata. Maybe locked?") item_md.summary

Re: Automate metadata to update summary section

BobBooth1 — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 22:08:01 GMT

This tutorial shows how you can schedule a Python script to run at specific times.

https://learn.arcgis.com/en/projects/schedule-automated-near-real-time-data-updates/

Re: Automate metadata to update summary section

GKmieliauskas — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 05:15:18 GMT

Hi,

Metadata can be read-only. So you need to check it before step 4.

if not target_metadata.isReadOnly: # 4. Append and write back target_metadata.summary = f"{current_summary}{append_text}" # 5. Save changes target_metadata.save() print(f"Successfully updated metadata summary.")

Re: Automate metadata to update summary section

AndreaB_ — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 18:26:12 GMT

Thank you!! It works great. I really appreciate it.

I highly enjoyed the 'ope' until I could get it to run - I had some permissions errors.

Re: Automate metadata to update summary section

BobBooth1 — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 13:03:58 GMT

Great, glad it worked for you!