Creating document families using metadata import : Opus 2 Platform

Minimum Software Version	8.18.10
Solution(s)	Hearings ⨉ Cases International ✓ Cases US ✓ Institutions ⨉ Counsel ✓

Explains how to create document families using metadata import, including how to establish relationships between documents such as translations, attachments, duplicates, email threads, and custom relationship types.

Document families allow related documents to be grouped using a defined relationship type. While relationships can be created manually through the Relationships dialog, they can also be created in bulk using a metadata import. This method is particularly useful when large numbers of relationships need to be established or when relationship data is already available in a spreadsheet.

Metadata import is the recommended approach for creating document families at scale, for example when document families have been identified before content is loaded into Opus 2, or when existing relationship data is held in a spreadsheet. The relationship is created by importing metadata that references the related document using the relevant relationship field.

Common relationship types include Translation, Attachment, Duplicate, Email Thread, Custodian Copy, and custom relationship types.

Creating document families via metadata import

Step 1: Identify the documents

Navigate to the appropriate project.
Locate the documents to be grouped into a family.
Use the checkboxes to select all documents to be included.
Export the selected documents as either an .xlsx or .csv file.

Step 2: Update the metadata spreadsheet

The spreadsheet must contain:

A column to match on, such as Opus ID.
A column for the relationship type to be created, such as Translation.

Important: The order of the documents in the spreadsheet determines which document acts as the parent (principal) document in the family. The order number is not imported into the Platform, so check the order of the rows before you import.

Example: In this example, Match On is set to Opus ID, and the relationship being imported is Translation.

Step 3: Import the metadata

Navigate to Manage > Import Metadata.
Select the spreadsheet containing the relationship data.
In the Import Document Metadata dialog:
1. Set Match On to Opus ID.
2. Map the relationship column to the corresponding relationship field using the table below.
Click Import.

Spreadsheet column names may differ between clients, so the values in the "Spreadsheet column" list below are examples. The Platform field is what determines the relationship created.

Spreadsheet column	Platform field
Translation	Translation
Attachment	Attachments
Duplicate	Duplicates
Email Thread	Email Thread
Redacted	Redacted
Source formats	Source Formats
Custom Name	Family Name

Note: To create a custom family, map the column containing your chosen name to Family Name and complete the import under that field. If no family name is provided, the relationship created by the import is labelled either Import or the identifying name of the principal document.

Step 4: Review the family

Navigate to the Documents page.
Select any document that was included in the import.
Open the Details Pane.
Select the Related Documents tab.
Verify that:
- Related documents are displayed.
- The correct relationship type has been applied.
- Documents appear in the expected family grouping.

Understanding family structure

When relationships are imported:

The parent document, as determined by the order number, becomes the Principal Document.
All related documents become members of the same family.
The family is displayed in the Related Documents tab.
Users can navigate between related documents directly.