Image Import

Image Import lets you upload local images (files, folders, or ZIP archives), match them to your records, and attach them during import.

How It Works

Image Import uses a guided 6-phase flow:

1. Upload - Upload images, folders, or ZIP archives to temporary cloud staging.
2. Match - Match images to records using selected data fields and vector-based matching.
3. Preview - Review and fix matches before import.
4. Distribute - Assign matched images to destination media fields.
5. Process - Set image processing and enrichment options.
6. Enrich - Run AI enrichment for selected options.

Requirements

• A valid UMIE license key.
• Source records loaded (file, AI extraction, or driver source).
• Local images in common formats (or ZIP archive).

Organizing Images for Better Matching

Best practices:

• Use descriptive filenames (nike-air-max-red.jpg instead of IMG_0042.jpg).
• Include IDs/SKUs in names if your records contain them.
• Keep each record’s images grouped in folders when possible.
• Use consistent naming patterns across batches.

Phase 1: Upload

Upload supports:

• Multiple image files
• Folder upload (including nested folders)
• ZIP archives (with extraction progress)
• Reusing a recent upload session

UMIE uploads images to temporary cloud staging first, then uses that session through matching and import.

Phase 2: Match

Select 1-3 fields that best identify records (for example: title, SKU, product name), then run matching. Matching is vector-based.

Confidence Levels

• 85%+: High confidence
• 70-84%: Medium confidence (review recommended)
• Below 70%: Low confidence (manual review recommended)

Phase 3: Preview

Preview is a split-screen workspace for validating and fixing matches before import.

Layout

• Left panel (Unassigned): image pool grouped by folder.
• Right panel (Records): matched records and unmatched records.
• Top summary bar: quick totals for assigned images, matched records, and remaining unassigned files.

Left Panel: Unassigned Files

You can manage unassigned images with:

• Folder grouping (including nested folder paths)
• Search by filename/path
• Folder filter (All folders or one specific folder)
• Expand All / Collapse All
• Per-folder collapse/expand
• Image zoom (lightbox preview)

Each unassigned folder can be dragged as a unit to assign all files in that folder to a record.

Right Panel: Records

Records panel includes:

• Tabs: Matched, Unmatched, All
• Search across record titles (and matched filenames for matched records)
• Collapsible sections for matched/unmatched groups
• Confidence badges on matched records
• Folder-grouped image display inside each record card
• Empty drop zones on unmatched records for quick assignment

Drag-and-Drop Operations

Supported reassignment actions:

• Drag single image from unassigned -> record
• Drag single image from record -> another record
• Drag single image from record -> unassigned (left panel)
• Drag folder group from unassigned -> record (bulk assign)
• Remove assigned image from a record (moves it back to unassigned)

UMIE automatically updates matched/unmatched record lists as you move files.

Low-confidence groups that are not auto-matched are surfaced as unassigned files here, so you can resolve them manually in Preview.

Phase 4: Distribute

If your destination has multiple media fields, assign matched images to specific fields.

Common presets include:

• first image -> featured, rest -> gallery
• all images -> first media field
• round-robin across available media fields

Phase 5: Process

Configure processing for matched images:

• Format: Original, WebP, or AVIF
• Max size: No limit, 1024, 1600, 2048, or 3840

Configure optional AI enrichment:

• SEO Filenames
• Alt Text
• Vision AI
• Context Fields (choose which source fields guide enrichment)

Phase 6: Enrich

If enrichment is enabled, UMIE processes images and stores generated metadata before import.

Live progress shows:

• current image/batch progress
• successful vs failed enrichments
• token usage summary

Website Context

For better enrichment quality, set your site context in:

WordPress Admin Sidebar > UMIE > Settings > Website Context

This context helps produce more relevant filenames and alt text.

Troubleshooting

Upload fails

• Verify license is active.
• Check outbound HTTPS access from your server/network.
• Confirm files are valid image formats or ZIP.

Low-confidence matches

• Use more descriptive filenames and folder names.
• Choose stronger matching fields (title/SKU/category).
• Organize images into clear folders to improve grouping context.

Unexpected matches

• Correct assignments in Preview before import.
• Check for duplicate or very similar record names.

Format conversion issues

• WebP/AVIF support depends on your server image stack.
• If unsupported, import falls back to original format.