Please forgive me if this has been covered. I did a search and didn’t find the answer I need.
I would like to use the same set of keywords for multiple projects. I’m in the process of writing my second book, and I realized that I need to use the same set of keywords from my first book. I’d like to import them some way.
What is the best way to do that?
You can create a custom template that contains those keywords (section 5.4.3 of the manual), or you can copy files and folders between projects (page 79 of the manual). There may be other ways, but searching for “keyword” in the manual gives these two right away. What’s “best” is what works for you.
Thanks for your response.
I tried to do what was quoted in the manual before posting here, and I must be doing something wrong, because it doesn’t work. In general, I’ve found the manual to be woefully inadequate in instruction and presentation
If I try to drag and drop the keywords, it doesn’t work. It simply keeps focus on the current project and doesn’t drop into the new project.
If I go to Documents>Copy to project> There is no option to move the keywords over. There are plenty of options to move everything else, but not keywords. Since Keywords are not a document, inside of the binder, I don’t understand exactly which document to copy over.
I don’t want to create a template, because I already have a binder set up for my current project, exactly as I want it, and I’m well into writing already.
Hi Windflower,
(I like your user image, by the way. 
)
It’s surprisingly straightforward.
Method #1 - ETA - SORRY, but ignore this. There’s a better Method #2 at the bottom of this post.
Open both projects in Scrivener - the one with all the keywords (source) and the one you want to copy them to (target).
In both projects, launch the Keywords manager (Project > Project Keywords).
Select the Keywords you want to copy in the Keywords manager of the source project, then drag & drop all of them at once into the Keywords manager of the target project.
The Keywords should all be copied into the target project . Unfortunately, the Keyword colors don’t seem to come over correctly. My assumption is that’s a bug.
Let me know if that doesn’t work for you.
Method #2 - The one that works.
In your source project, create a new document, let’s call it ‘Keywords’, and assign all of your keywords to it.
Then open the target project side-by-side with the source project.
Drag and drop the ‘Keywords’ document from the source Binder to the target Binder. That should add all the Keywords into the target project AND assign the correct colors.
Let me know if that doesn’t work for you.
Best,
Jim
Hi Jim,
Thanks so much for the reply.
I tried both of your methods and they both work . . . to a point. When I tested, I found the same as you, that with method 1, the colors don’t transfer. That’s not a big deal for me at all, but might be for some.
Method 2 also works, and keeps the colors.
What neither method is able to do, is keep the hierarchy structure. I have tags and then sub tags (tags within other tags). Those don’t transfer. Everything is in one hierarchical level. I’m not going to pick nits, because just being able to get them over to the new project is awesome! I can simply copy them a bit at a time.
So thank you, thank you, thank you!
Windy
Please avoid Method 1. It messes up the project index (I know, I tried it). Method 2 is the only way to copy that is suggested in the manual.
Hope this helps.
Is it possible to turn a list of words into keywords? I have a large number of keywords and am hoping to avoid having to manually enter them. I see there’s something about exporting and importing, but nothing that quite lets me do that. .
The importing and exporting allows you to move keywords and color assignments between projects – basically you open both projects, open the “Show Project Keywords” page, and then drag and drop keywords between them. That’s not really importing and exporting as I would understand it – it’s simply bulk transfer of keywords between projects.
There doesn’t seem to be any way to bulk import keywords from a text file.
That would be a useful method. .
Or to simply convert selected text to a keyword, or from a list in a document in the project itself.
Still can’t quite believe the option isn’t there, hiding under a menu somewhere.
If it can rename a document based on selected text, it should be able to make that same text into a keyword.
That would be useful, but it would also be something that would be useful on both Mac and Windows versions. If you have the time, you might want to post this as a new thread on the Wish List forum.