FAQ: Why is the Title of my Document NOT the File Name?

Nextpoint provides a comprehensive export template library along with an expanded set of metadata fields. These fields allow for more refined searching, exporting, and data analysis, enabling Nextpoint to extract and display more information from your documents.

As a result, certain fields that were previously populated from one document attribute may now be populated differently. One common example is the blue Document Link shown when viewing documents in the Grid View. This link is populated based on metadata priority (see the full field list and priority order here).

A common question we receive is: “Why isn’t the title of my document the same as the file name?” Let’s take a closer look at how and why this happens.

Question

“I renamed multiple documents before importing them into Nextpoint. After import, I noticed that the document link name in the Grid View is displaying a metadata value instead of the file name I assigned prior to import. Why does this happen?”

Response

The blue document link displayed in the Grid View is not the document’s title or file name. Instead, it is populated using a prioritized list of metadata fields.

The priority order is as follows:

1. Subject / Title
2. Original File Name
3. Untitled

If a Subject or Title value exists in the document’s metadata, that value is used for the document link. If no Subject/Title is present, the Original File Name is used instead. If neither value exists, the document link will display “Untitled.”

Question

“How can I change this behavior, or prevent it from happening in the future?”

Response

Solution 1: Adjust Your Grid View

Add the Subject/Title, Original File Name, Shortcut, or any combination of these fields to your Grid View Template. This provides visibility into the various names associated with a document before and after import.

Solution 2: Preserve Bates-Based File Names

If you are importing PDFs that contain Bates numbers in the file name (such as documents produced to you) and those names change during import, you can preserve the Bates-based naming by creating a simple CSV load file.

This approach allows you to retain the Bates start number as the file name while also enabling Bates-based searching within Nextpoint.

To create the load file, follow these steps:

1. Create a directory listing of the documents to be imported.
2. Paste the directory listing into Column A of Excel so each file appears on its own row.
3. Add a header to Cell A1 named image_file.
4. Add a header to Cell B1 named bates_start.
5. In Cell B2, enter the formula =LEFT(A2,8) and drag it down to populate all rows.
   • Note: Adjust the number of characters if your Bates format uses fewer or more than eight characters.
6. Save the file as nextpoint_load_file.csv in the same directory as the documents.

Once saved, upload the unzipped files and CSV to your parent folder in the Nextpoint File Room and complete the import.

Solution 3: Contact Support

For additional assistance with creating load files or for an ESI protocol consultation, contact the Nextpoint Product Support team .