Custom Fields and Filters in Beeldbank.nl: Text, Choice, Number and Date Fields Explained

When you set up an image bank for your team or organisation, metadata fields are the foundation of finding images later. Beeldbank.nl provides seven field types: text, long text, numbers, links, dates, single choice and multiple choice. The key is choosing exactly what your people will actually fill in during upload and later search by, rather than adding every possible field.

The central question is not how many fields are available, but which ones to make required, which to hide during upload, and which to turn into searchable filters. The platform puts control in your hands: you decide which fields appear when someone uploads an image, whether they are required, and which appear in file details. That flexibility means you can start simple and add more later as your needs grow.

The Seven Field Types Available for Image Metadata

Text fields are the simplest: a single line for short entries like photographer names, location codes, or project IDs. Long text fields handle multi-line descriptions or notes. Number fields store figures without text, tracking image dimensions, stock quantities, or revision counts. Link fields store URLs, useful when each image needs to point back to its source or a related web page.

Date fields let you mark when an image was taken, when a model's consent expires, or when a project ends. Beeldbank.nl provides two choice field types: Single Choice (pick one preset option) and Multiple Choice (tick several options). A photographer might tag an image with a single season (Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring), or tick multiple usage rights (Web, Print, Social Media).

Alongside these custom fields, Beeldbank.nl automatically creates fields for information it tracks itself. Each image gets fields for people named in it, tags you add, the original file name, file size, image dimensions, orientation, who uploaded it, when it was uploaded, a description, download count, and view count. These automatic fields appear in file details and are searchable without any setup on your part. Learn more about organising structure in Designing Your Image Bank Structure.

Which Fields to Show During Upload: Administrator Control

Not every field needs to appear when your team uploads images. Administrators can choose exactly which fields appear during upload and editing, saving time and reducing errors. In Beeldbank.nl, you make this choice under Instellingen > Velden, where you control whether each field is required or optional. If a field is optional and you do not want it cluttering the upload screen, simply do not add it there.

Setting field order is part of that control too. You drag fields in the Bewerken column under Instellingen > Velden > Volgorde to arrange them in your workflow order. If your people always tag photographer first, then location, then project, you can arrange the upload form that way. This small change speeds up uploads and ensures the most important fields get filled in first.

The platform also lets you control where fields appear: during upload, in file details, in the list of images, or as filters on the search panel. One field might only appear in file info, while another appears both during upload and in list view. This flexibility keeps the upload form simple while storing rich metadata in the background. Learn more about user roles in Permissions per Team or Department.

Turning Fields into Searchable Filters

One useful feature is the ability to turn fields into filters that appear on the left side of the image bank. Filters let your team quickly narrow down to the images they need without typing. However, not every field type works as a filter. Beeldbank.nl only allows single and multiple choice fields to be filters, not text or number fields. A text field like "photographer" could have hundreds of values, making a filter cluttered and slow. A choice field with options like "Studio, Outdoor, Beach" is fast and clear.

An administrator controls which filters appear under Instellingen > Voorkeuren > Filters. You choose which single and multiple choice fields become active, so your team sees only options that help them find images. If you create a field called "Product Category" with choices like Electronics, Furniture, Clothing, it can become a filter. If you create a "Notes" text field, it will not appear as a filter option, keeping the filter panel focused and fast.

Setting Up Fields: The Configuration Checklist

Setting up fields is the first task a new administrator completes in Beeldbank.nl. There are only a few decisions to make. First, under Instellingen > Voorkeuren > Velden, you decide which custom fields you need. Second, you arrange the order using the Bewerken column so fields appear in a logical sequence during upload. Third, you mark which fields are required and which are optional.

The platform makes this checklist manageable because you complete it in one place. The fields you create are immediately available to all users; there is no separate step to publish or deploy them. Once you mark a field as visible during upload, it appears the next time someone opens the upload screen. This is why administrators can configure the system in their first week and then rarely need to adjust it. For large organisations, see how this connects to Central Image Management for Multiple Branches.

How Field Types Serve Different Metadata Needs

Requirement	How Beeldbank.nl Handles It
Need multiple field types for different metadata	Beeldbank.nl provides text, long text, number, link, date, single choice and multiple choice fields.
Want to hide fields that slow down uploads	Administrators choose which fields appear during upload under Instellingen > Velden.
Need to decide which fields become searchable filters	Only choice fields can be filters. You activate them under Instellingen > Voorkeuren > Filters.
Want automatic metadata fields without configuration	Beeldbank.nl automatically creates fields for people, tags, file info, upload data, descriptions and view counts.
Need control over field order during upload	Drag fields under Instellingen > Velden > Volgorde to set your preferred order.

Why Field Configuration Matters for Your Organisation

For a small or medium-sized team, field configuration is not a technical hurdle but a practical asset. When you get the fields right, uploads move faster and your team finds images without frustration. The fields you choose become part of how your organisation thinks about images: if you have a Studio/Outdoor filter, everyone recognises that choice. If you mark fields as required, every image has the key metadata.

Beeldbank.nl puts this power in the hands of the administrator, not a vendor. You log into settings, make your choices, and they take effect immediately. The ability to change field order, hide unused fields, and adjust which are required means your image bank evolves with your needs. Many teams discover they use far fewer fields than they initially thought. You can also explore how downloads work in Download in the Right Format.

Getting Started: No Technical Training Required

Field setup requires no formal training. An administrator with basic familiarity can open the settings, review field options, and make the right choices. The platform provides a simple guide through the steps: decide your fields, arrange their order, mark which are required, choose which appear at upload, and select which become filters.

Because this setup is straightforward, your organisation can be live with a working image bank in days, not weeks. New staff need only a quick walkthrough of which fields exist and what each means. The work itself is small enough that administrators handle it on their first day, freeing time for training people on how to use the image bank, not how to build it.

Summary: Build Your Image Bank Around How People Work

Field types are the foundation of a working image bank. You choose from text, long text, number, link, date, single choice and multiple choice types. You decide which appear during upload, which are required, and which become filters. It automates the tracking of people, tags, file metadata, and view counts from the start. Because field setup is simple and visible, your organisation can have a fully configured image bank within days of starting a demo. The result is an image bank built around your real workflow, not vendor requirements.