Are you unsure of where to get started with DAM taxonomy for your digital asset management (DAM) tool? It’s not as difficult as it might sound. Many companies and individuals will work with you to create a custom taxonomy depending on your choice of software vendor or if you choose to hire a consultant, but it’s also something that you can do yourself with the right advice from taxonomy experts! If you can make a list, then you can take a stab at taxonomy. We’ve created a short guide that outlines the high-level steps you need to take to create a great DAM taxonomy from scratch in as little as five steps!

1. Create a DAM taxonomy in 5
easy steps
Taxonomy and metadata for digital asset
management

2. 1. Appraise your digital assets
2. Make controlled lists of terms
3. Create and document taxonomy
4. Test and verify
5. Rinse and repeat

3. Appraise your digital assets to help
shape your DAM taxonomy

4. Create a DAM taxonomy in five easy steps
Asset appraisal
• Determine which digital assets to appraise & scope of DAM system
• Audit all possible folders and drives that are in scope
• Gain an understanding of the variety of digital assets in each
department
• Compile list of file types (.jpg, .png,) and asset types (photography,
documents)
• Use the digital asset appraisal guide and tracking sheet to
complete the audit
• Send out free DAM survey to each business unit or team to
complete

5. Make controlled lists of terms to be
used in your DAM taxonomy

6. Create a DAM taxonomy in five easy steps
Make controlled lists of terms
• List all possible values for a term (for example the data field
“month” will only have the options January through December)
• Keep the list clean by staying within a class or category
• Analyse existing search behaviour or existing metadata schemas
• Check file-naming standards and required metadata fields
• Determine relationships between fields, dependencies and
hierarchies
• Use a whiteboard, excel, or a concept mapping tool

7. Create & document DAM taxonomy

8. Create a DAM taxonomy in five easy steps
Create & document taxonomy
• Create metadata dictionary that lists terms with operational
definitions and relationships to other terms
• Use Excel, a concept mapping tool, or taxonomy documentation
tool to create a “final” output of the taxonomy
• Determine which parts of the taxonomy are meant to be
searchable, which are administrative, structural and which are
purely informational
• Don’t forget to document embedded XMP data that you will add
to your taxonomy (colorspace, creator, rights, etc)

9. Test & verify DAM taxonomy

10. Create a DAM taxonomy in five easy steps
Test & verify taxonomy
• Conduct audit searches for known-items
• Conduct audits for serendipitous browsing
• Verify upload experience for various types of digital assets and
user groups to ensure that taxonomy and metadata are scalable
• Conduct user acceptance testing (UAT) with specific measurable
criteria, document and analyze, update DAM taxonomy with
consolidated findings

11. DAM taxonomy rinse & repeat

12. Create a DAM taxonomy in five easy steps
DAM taxonomy rinse & repeat
• Audit on yearly or quarterly basis depending on business needs
• Use search metrics from DAM analytics to determine usage and
popularity of terms
• Document updates
• Adjust DAM taxonomy as new asset types are ingested
• Adjust DAM taxonomy as new user groups are on-boarded into the
system

13. Ready to organize the
content chaos with DAM
software?