Bulk File Operations

Save time by performing actions on multiple files simultaneously. Learn how to bulk upload, edit, delete, and organize files efficiently.

Overview

Bulk operations allow you to manage many files at once instead of one at a time. This is essential for stores with large file libraries.

Available Bulk Operations

✅ Bulk Upload (multiple files at once)
✅ Bulk Delete (remove multiple files)
✅ Bulk Category Assignment
✅ Bulk Tag Management (if available)
✅ Bulk Export (download files)

Bulk Upload

Uploading Multiple Files

Upload many files in a single operation:

Navigate to Files & Packs
Click Add New File
In the file picker:
- Windows: Hold Ctrl and click each file
- Mac: Hold Cmd and click each file
- All files: Ctrl+A / Cmd+A

Click Open
Files upload sequentially

Upload Queue Management

While uploading multiple files:

**[Image: Upload queue interface showing:

File 1: Complete ✓
File 2: Complete ✓
File 3: Uploading… 67%
File 4: Queued
File 5: Queued]**
View Progress: See which files are done, uploading, and queued
Pause Queue: Pause all uploads
Cancel Individual: Remove specific files from queue
Retry Failed: Retry files that failed

After Bulk Upload

Once all files upload:

Review uploaded files in the file list
Assign categories (optional, can do in bulk)
Verify thumbnails loaded correctly
Check for errors (any failed uploads)

Selecting Files for Bulk Operations

Selection Methods

Method 1: Click Checkboxes

Check the box next to each file you want to select

Selected count appears at top
Bulk actions menu becomes available

Method 2: Select All

Click Select All checkbox (top left of table)
All files on current page are selected

Method 3: Select Range

Click first file’s checkbox
Hold Shift
Click last file’s checkbox
All files between are selected

Method 4: Filter Then Select

Apply filters (category, file type, etc.)
Click Select All
Only filtered files are selected

Bulk Delete

Delete multiple files at once:

Steps

Select files to delete (checkboxes)
Click Bulk Actions dropdown
Select Delete Selected

Confirmation dialog appears

Review what will be deleted:
- File names
- Total storage to be freed
- Affected product mappings
Type DELETE to confirm (for safety)
Click Confirm Delete

What Happens During Bulk Delete

✅ Files removed from storage
✅ Storage quota freed immediately
✅ Files removed from file library
⚠️ Product mappings broken (products lose these files)
⚠️ Packs updated (files removed from packs)
❌ Cannot be undone

Safety Tips

Before bulk deleting:

Export file list - Keep record of what you’re deleting
Check product mappings - Ensure files aren’t actively used
Download backups - Save local copies if needed
Delete in batches - Don’t delete everything at once

Bulk Category Assignment

Assign categories to multiple files simultaneously:

Steps

Select files (checkboxes)
Click Bulk Actions → Assign Category

Category assignment modal opens

Select category from dropdown
- Or click Create New Category
Click Apply
Confirmation appears

Overwrite Existing Categories

If files already have categories:

Replace: Overwrites existing category with new one
Keep Existing: Only assigns to files without categories
Merge: Adds as secondary category (if multi-category supported)

Bulk Download/Export

Download multiple files from the cloud to your computer:

Use Cases

Create local backups
Archive old files
Transfer files to another system
Share with team members

Steps

Select files to download
Bulk Actions → Download Selected

Choose download method:

Option A: Individual Downloads

Each file downloads separately
Browser may prompt for each file
Good for small selections (< 10 files)

Option B: ZIP Archive

All files combined into one ZIP
Single download
Better for large selections

Click Download
Files download to your computer

Bulk Edit (Advanced)

Edit multiple files’ metadata at once:

Available Bulk Edits

Depending on your plan, you may be able to bulk edit:

Categories (covered above)
Tags (if tagging enabled)
Descriptions (apply same description to all)
Visibility (public/private if supported)

Steps

Select files
Bulk Actions → Bulk Edit

Enter values for fields you want to change
Leave blank any fields you don’t want to change
Click Apply to X files

Bulk Add to Pack

Add multiple files to a pack in one action:

Steps

Go to Packs tab
Open an existing pack (or create new)
Click Add Files in the pack editor

File selector opens
Select multiple files (checkboxes)
Click Add Selected Files to Pack

All selected files added to pack

Alternative Method: From Files View

Select files in Files & Packs view
Bulk Actions → Add to Pack
Choose pack from dropdown
Click Add

Bulk Operations Best Practices

Plan Before Acting

Before bulk operations:

✅ Filter files to exactly what you need
✅ Double-check selection
✅ Review impact (especially for deletes)
✅ Create backups if deleting
✅ Test on small batch first

Start Small

When learning bulk operations:

Test with 2-3 files first
Verify results
Then scale up to larger batches

Use Filters Effectively

Combine filters with bulk operations:

Example: Delete all test files
1. Filter by category "Test Files"
2. Select All
3. Bulk Delete

Avoid “Select All” Without Filters

Don’t accidentally:

Delete all files (use filters first)
Change all categories (be specific)
Download entire library unnecessarily

Bulk Operation Limits

Performance Limits

For optimal performance:

Recommended: 50 files per bulk operation
Maximum: 500 files per bulk operation
Large batches: Will process in background

What Happens with Large Batches

When selecting 100+ files:

Operation starts
Moves to background processing
You can continue using the app
Notification when complete

Bulk Operation History

View Past Bulk Operations

Track what bulk operations were performed:

Go to Settings → Activity Log
Filter by “Bulk Operations”

Shows:

Date/Time: When operation occurred
User: Who performed it
Action: What was done (delete, categorize, etc.)
File Count: How many files affected
Status: Success, partial, or failed

Troubleshooting Bulk Operations

Bulk Upload Fails

Issue: Some files fail to upload

Common Causes:

Files too large
File type not allowed
Storage limit reached
Network timeout

Solution:

Check error message for each failed file
Fix issues (compress file, check type, free storage)
Retry failed uploads

Bulk Delete Doesn’t Free Storage

Issue: Storage still shows same usage after delete

Solution:

Refresh the page (storage updates may be cached)
Wait 1-2 minutes for cache to clear
Check if delete actually completed successfully

Bulk Category Assignment Not Working

Issue: Files still show old category

Solution:

Refresh page
Check if operation completed (Activity Log)
Verify permissions
Try smaller batch

”Bulk operation in progress” Error

Issue: Can’t start new bulk operation

Cause: Previous bulk operation still running

Solution:

Wait for current operation to complete
Check Activity Log for status
If stuck, contact support

Keyboard Shortcuts for Bulk Operations

Speed up your workflow:

Shortcut	Action
`Ctrl/Cmd + A`	Select all files on page
`Shift + Click`	Select range
`Ctrl/Cmd + Click`	Toggle individual selection
`Delete`	Delete selected files
`Escape`	Clear selection

Advanced Bulk Operations (API)

For very large operations (1000+ files):

Use the Alva Digital Downloads API:

Bulk operations via API endpoints
Programmatic file management
Automated workflows
Integration with external systems

See API Documentation for details.

Bulk Operation Checklist

Before performing bulk operations:

Bulk Delete:

Bulk Category Assignment:

Created category if needed
Selected correct files
Chosen correct category
Decided on overwrite/merge behavior

Bulk Upload:

Checked file sizes
Verified file types allowed
Confirmed sufficient storage
Organized files locally first

Next Steps

Managing Your File Library - Organize files effectively
Understanding Categories - Use categories for bulk operations
Creating Packs - Bulk add files to packs