The Dartfish library can be displayed in two ways:

  1. Folders - where selecting a folder or drive reveals its content. This concept is already very familiar to Windows users
  2. All videos - all videos from a set of monitored folders (defined in library options) are shown. This view also allow keyword management; the subject of this article.

    This image shows the Library panel in All videos view. In this view a keywords toolbar is visible and categories and keywords can be created to organise and find content.

Why use keywords?

Keywords are used to add information to a file. They are both searchable and filterable so they make specific videos easy to retrieve from the library.

Isn't the file name also searchable?

True, you could include all the information that you might want to search for in the file name but there are a few reasons why using keywords is better:

  • Efficiency: All of Dartfish's import and file creation processes include methods to add keywords
  • Consistency of information provided with each video
  • Dartfish.tv uses keywords too. By applying them in Dartfish software you get a head start on correctly organizing a dartfish.tv channel

How to add monitored folders to the Dartfish library

  1. Open the Options via the tools panel and open the library settings
  2. Under library actions you find all the folders monitored by Dartfish.
  3. It is imperative to add the file in the list of documents monitored by Dartfish otherwise the keywords are not added to the video.

Why not use folders?

Dartfish software allows you to use both but often the use of video is not best suited to rigid folder hierarchies

Keyword categories

In Dartfish Software, keywords must be grouped into categories. For example, the keywords discus, longjump, 100m, pole vault might be grouped in the category of event.

Adding keywords and categories to the library

  1. Select the All Videos view using the button at the top of the library
  2. On the library toolbar, click the New Category... button and enter a name for the new category
  3. Repeat for each required category
  4. Select the category to which keywords will be added
  5. Click the New Keyword... button and enter the keyword
  6. Repeat for each required keyword

A category must be created before keywords may be added to the library.

Adding keywords to video 

Add keywords

  • Drag a video or selection of videos from the Items List or Tray sections of the lbrary onto a keyword
  • Add multiple keywords from the same category by pressing the CTRL key while adding keywords

Change keywords

  • Adding another keyword overwrites any previous keyword(s)

Remove keywords

Keywords may be directly added, edited and removed in the Items List Details view


  1. From the Items List menu, select View...
  2. Select Details or Thumbnail Details
  3. Keywords can now be edited by first selecting the item, then clicking the keyword