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Importing Existing Documents

Already have documents in a shared drive, a legacy system, or a folder of signed agreements? This guide walks you through getting them into Locker in a way that keeps the library organized and searchable from day one.

Before You Import: The Decisions That Matter Most​

The work you do before uploading is what separates a searchable, well-organized library from a pile of files. Answer these questions first:

What document types do you have? Map them to Locker's eight categories: Contract, Invoice, Receipt, Report, Certificate, Policy, Agreement, Other. Everything else is Other.

What do you need to keep? Don't migrate everything. Leave behind drafts, superseded versions, duplicates, and files you no longer need. A smaller, cleaner import is always better.

How will you tag documents? Tags are how you filter and find things later. Agree on a tagging scheme with your team before you start uploading, for example: vendor: acme, region: EMEA, status: active. Consistent tags applied consistently are what make search work at scale.

What are the file names like? Locker uses the file name as the document name. Rename files before importing if they have unhelpful names like Contract_v3_FINAL_USE_THIS.pdf. Something like Acme-MSA-2024.pdf is far more useful in a list.

Convert to PDF where possible

For executed, final documents: convert to PDF before importing. PDF preserves exact formatting and gets full AI Search indexing. Word (.docx) is also fully indexed. Legacy .doc and Excel files can be stored but are not AI-indexed.

Choose Your Approach​

How many files?Recommended approach
Fewer than 20Upload via the UI, drag and drop multiple files at once from Locker → Documents
20–500Upload via the UI in batches; use the API afterward to apply tags and metadata in bulk
500 or moreUse the API to upload and tag in a single automated pass

Uploading via the UI​

  1. Go to Locker → Documents and click Upload.
  2. Drag and drop a batch of files, or click to select them.
  3. Each file becomes a separate document record.
  4. Set the category and tags for each document at upload, or use the API to apply tags in bulk afterward.
Coming Soon

Screenshot: locker-bulk-upload, the Documents upload area with multiple files selected

note

The UI doesn't support applying the same category or tags across an entire batch in one step. For large imports, use the API to tag documents in bulk after uploading, see API Integration.

Importing at Scale (API)​

For large imports, the API lets you upload documents and set all their metadata in a single automated pass, no manual catch-up tagging needed.

The general approach:

  1. Build a spreadsheet or CSV mapping each file to its name, category, tags, and owner.
  2. Run a script that uploads each file via the API with the metadata included in the request.
  3. Log the Locker document ID returned for each upload, you'll need these to create obligations or set retention overrides later.

See API Integration for authentication and request details.

After You Import: Checklist​

  • Document count matches your source, no files missing
  • All documents have a category (none stuck as "Other" that should have a specific type)
  • Spot-check 10–15 documents to confirm tags were applied correctly
  • Search for a few key vendor names or document types, results look right
  • Create Obligations for any documents with renewal or review dates
  • Set up Retention Policies so documents are archived or deleted automatically when their time comes
  • Confirm access levels, only the right people can upload or delete documents. See Roles & Permissions

Common Pitfalls​

Importing everything. The more noise you put in, the harder search becomes. Be selective.

Skipping the tagging convention. Teams that plan to "tag later" usually don't. Define your scheme before the first file goes in.

Ignoring retention from day one. Documents without retention policies pile up indefinitely. Set policies before or right after import.