Bulk Operations
Bulk Operations
Bulk operations let you change several records at once. They are useful after imports, during cleanup, when organizing folders, and when assigning physical storage locations.
Bulk actions are powerful, so DeepGrooves should always make three things clear:
- how many records are selected,
- which action is about to happen,
- and whether the action can be undone.
Enter Multi-Select Mode
Open Collection and use the multi-select control. Selected records should show a clear checkmark, highlight, or selected state.
You can usually select records from grid or list views. Some grouped or specialized views may limit which actions are available.
Select Records Safely
Before using a bulk action, check:
- the selected count,
- whether search or filters are active,
- whether you are in Collection, Wishlist, Favorites, a folder, or a Smart Collection,
- and whether the visible records match your intent.
If you are unsure, clear selection and start again. It is better to take one extra moment than to change the wrong batch.
Select All and Clear Selection
Bulk tools may offer:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Select visible | Selects the currently visible records |
| Select all matching | Selects every record in the current filtered result, if supported |
| Clear selection | Removes all selected records |
| Cancel | Exits multi-select mode |
If the app distinguishes visible records from all matching records, read the wording carefully. This matters when pagination or filters are active.
Bulk Action Bar
When records are selected, the bulk action bar should show available actions.
Common bulk actions include:
| Action | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Add to folder | Put selected records into a manual folder |
| Favorite or unfavorite | Mark or clear favorites on selected records |
| Assign Vault location | Move selected records to a physical storage location |
| Move to Wishlist | Change selected records into wanted items where supported |
| Clear selection | Stop bulk editing |
| Delete or remove | Remove selected records, usually after confirmation |
Only actions that make sense for the selected records should be enabled.
Bulk Add to Folder
Use bulk folder assignment when several records belong in the same folder.
- Enter multi-select mode.
- Select the records.
- Choose add to folder.
- Pick the folder.
- Confirm or save.
Adding records to a folder should not remove them from Collection or from other folders unless the app explicitly says it will.
Bulk Favorite or Unfavorite
Use favorite actions to mark records you want to find quickly.
Bulk favorite is helpful for:
- top records,
- records to feature in a share,
- listening priorities,
- or quick personal highlights.
If the selection contains a mix of favorited and unfavorited records, the app should make the resulting action clear.
Bulk Assign Vault Location
Use bulk Vault assignment when a group of records physically live together.
- Select the records.
- Choose assign location.
- Pick the room, rack, bin, shelf, or slot.
- Confirm the assignment.
Bulk Vault assignment should update only selected records. It should not move other records already in that location unless the app explicitly supports a replacement workflow.
Bulk Move to Wishlist
If supported, moving records to Wishlist changes their collecting status. Use this carefully because owned records and wanted records mean different things.
Before confirming, check whether the action:
- keeps an owned copy,
- converts the selected records into Wishlist items,
- removes ownership data,
- or creates wanted targets.
If the wording is unclear, do not proceed until it is clarified in the app or by QA.
Bulk Delete or Remove
Delete is the riskiest bulk action.
Before deleting, confirm:
- the selected count,
- the record titles if shown,
- whether deletion is permanent,
- whether related history, values, runouts, notes, alerts, or folder assignments will also be removed,
- and whether you really mean to delete records rather than remove them from a folder.
The app should show a confirmation dialog for destructive bulk actions.
Bulk Actions and Filters
Bulk actions usually apply to selected records, not every record in your account.
Still, filters matter because they affect what you see and what you may select. If you are in a filtered view, the safest workflow is:
- Apply the filter.
- Review the visible records.
- Select only the records you mean to change.
- Confirm the selected count.
- Run the action.
After a Bulk Action
After a bulk action finishes, the app should show success or error feedback.
For partial failures, you should be able to tell:
- how many records changed,
- which records failed if available,
- and what to try next.
Refreshing the Collection should not undo successful changes.
Mobile Bulk Actions
Bulk selection can be harder on mobile. Use mobile bulk actions for smaller batches and desktop for large cleanup sessions.
On mobile, check that the action bar does not cover selected records or hide the confirmation button.
Troubleshooting
The wrong records are selected
Use clear selection and start over. Also clear search or filters if they are making the view confusing.
An action is disabled
The selected records may not support that action, or the current view may not allow it. Try selecting fewer records or using Collection instead of a specialized scope.
A bulk action partly failed
Read the error message and check the affected records. Some records may be missing required data, blocked by permissions, or already in the target state.
I meant to remove records from a folder, not delete them
Use the folder remove action. Delete should remove records from the collection; remove from folder only changes organization.
The count changed after the action
That can be expected if the action moved records out of the current filter, folder, Wishlist, or Smart Collection view.
Related topics:
- collection
- folders
- vault
- wishlist
- collection-health