Bulk edit tool for metadata

[JasonBarney]

There needs to be a way to do bulk edits across multiple feature classes. I have custodians within my organization who manage many feature classes. Its a pain to go and update the SAME contact info across each feature class. Should be able to apply a template which is common to all the feature classes, and then just go in and update the relevent information specific to each feature class.

[Anonymous User]

Excellent suggestion! I struggle this with over 50 feature classes to update with the same contact information. 

[JenniferBorlick]

We have feature classes in the hundreds. Although, I guess I don't have to be the one to worry about changing the contact information. It would be the person that would come after me that would have to deal with it. :)

[ChrisFox]

Below is a help document topic that discusses how to accomplish this workflow:

http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//003t00000026000000

[JasonBarney]

I appreciate that there is a backend solution, but having worked with XSLT, this isn't a very client friendly approach. I work in a large municipal/local government organization, and the onus would be on a developer to modify the stylesheets and run it through the GP tools, and that's specific to one custodian. We have dozens of custodians responsible for hundreds of feature classes. Getting custodians to maintain metadata is hard enough as it is.

[JordynMitchell]

I don't understand why there still isn't a user configurable pick list for editing metadata contacts, and other common repeated elements when editing metadata.
I also don't like how when you use a template that it overwrites all existing metadata - what if you just want to change one or two things, and do that in batch mode?  The NPS metadata tool did this pretty well.
You should be able to select a group of featureclasses, and be able to change just selected attributes in the metadata in batch mode....

[RichardHowe]

Seems like this should be pretty easy to add-in and would save lots of time!! Let's see it ESRI!

[VictorKing]

XTools Pro has exactly what you are looking for

Batch Metadata Editing. 
http://www.xtoolspro.com/tools.asp#gu20

[BruceGodfrey]

This might be helpful?:

http://cloud.insideidaho.org/helpdocs/batch_metadata_modifier_tool.html

[jcokin1]

The following ideas have all been merged together as of 7/26/2017. Do not know why the scores have not been summed up yet.

Just FYI

1.	Bulk edit tool for metadata (Primary / Lead Idea)

https://community.esri.com/ideas/4726

Vote Score = 700

2.	Metadata search-and-replace (Merged)

https://community.esri.com/ideas/4014

Vote Score =  290

3.	Batch Update Item Descriptions when necessary (Merged)

https://community.esri.com/ideas/5919

Vote Score = 110

4.	Batch Editor for XML Metadata for Universal Changes (Merged)

https://community.esri.com/ideas/9492

Vote Score = 10