Managing content and media in bulk | Doghouse SaaS Knowledge Base [Skip to content](#main) [ ![Doghouse SaaS Knowledge Base](/storage/branding/01M3N8PQ7PSDNQBBKKJM6XGW03.svg) ](https://nginx.deploy-lagoon-production.districtcms-docs.dh1.amazee.io) [Product documentation](/articles) [Roadmap](/roadmap) Toggle navigation [Product documentation](/articles) [Roadmap](/roadmap) 1. [Home](/) › 2. [Product documentation](/articles) › 3. [Creating & editing](/articles?category=17) › 4. Managing content and media in bulk Managing content and media in bulk ================================== Updated 5 days ago · 5 min read Search Search Overview -------- Most edits are made a page at a time. When the same change applies to many items, the content and media lists can carry it out across a whole batch in one pass, which saves opening each item in turn. Four screens support this kind of work: Screen What you can do there Content Delete, the front page and sticky settings, and re-saving. Publishing in bulk is limited, see below. Media Publish, unpublish and delete files in the library. Trash Restore deleted content, or remove it for good. Administrators only. Bulk upload Upload a batch of files in one go, rather than one at a time. The first three work the same way: tick the items, choose an action, apply it. Bulk upload is a separate screen with its own form. --- Applying an action ------------------ 1. Open **CMS** in the sidebar. 2. Narrow the list with the filters above it, so you are working with the right items. 3. Tick the box at the start of each row you want. To take everything on the page, tick the box in the header row instead. 4. Choose what to do from **Action**. 5. Press **Apply to selected items**. ![The content list with three rows ticked, the Action menu and the Apply to selected items button outlined in red.](/storage/GjKGSq9z0z9m96nswxATC5OCXRiWXecqi1DRJkiG.png) A counter beside **Action** tells you how many items you have picked. Check it before you apply anything, because it is the quickest way to catch a stray tick. For a single item there is no need for any of this. The **Operations** column at the end of each row acts on that row alone. > **⚠️ Important:** The list shows 50 items per page, and the box in the header row is labelled **Select all rows in this table**. It selects this page only, not everything that matched your filter. If your filter returned several pages, work through them one page at a time. --- What the content actions do --------------------------- Action Effect Delete content Moves the items to the trash. See below. Promote content to front page Marks them for the front page listing. Remove content from front page Reverses the above. Make content sticky Holds them at the top of a listing. Make content unsticky Reverses the above. Save content Re-saves without changing anything. Rarely needed. Publish content and Unpublish content Listed, but they skip articles, events and landing pages. See below. ### Why publishing in bulk is skipped Articles, events and landing pages all go through a workflow, where a page moves between **Draft**, **Published** and **Unpublished**. Publishing and unpublishing are decisions the workflow owns, so the two bulk actions leave those items alone and the screen says they were skipped because they are under moderation. Nothing is harmed. To change the status of the skipped items, open each one and choose the new state from **Change to** before saving. [**Content workflow and statuses**](/articles/content-workflow-and-statuses) explains the states. --- Deleting a batch ---------------- Deleting content in bulk is safer than it sounds, because it is not permanent. The confirmation page lists everything you picked and says it is going to the trash. Read the list. It is the last point at which a wrong tick is free to fix, and **Cancel** costs nothing. ### Getting deleted content back Deleted content waits in **Trash**, the last tab on the Content screen. Content editors can see what is there, but restoring an item, or removing it for good, is an administrator's job. Ask an administrator, and tell them which items you need back. Nothing in the trash disappears on its own, so there is no rush. > **💡 Note:** The trash covers pages and other content. It does not cover files in the media library. --- Media works differently ----------------------- Open **Media** in the sidebar for the same layout. The **Action** menu sits at the foot of the list, with four actions: **Delete media**, **Publish media**, **Save media** and **Unpublish media**. There are two views of the library, and both behave the same way: **Table** lists files in rows, and **Grid** shows them as thumbnails. Use whichever makes the files easier to recognise. ![The Media screen, with its Table and Grid views outlined in red above the list of files.](/storage/a3OUPyAF3N5RAvz03RTMKQf5qMMnVDKoNnHvlV0D.png) The difference is what deleting means. There is no trash for files, and no way back once a file is deleted. > **⚠️ Important:** Before deleting a file, check nothing is using it. A file in the library can be placed on many pages, and deleting it breaks the image or the download on every one of them. --- Adding many files at once ------------------------- Adding files has its own screen, which takes a whole batch in one pass instead of one file at a time. 1. Open **Media**, then press **Add media**. 2. Choose the kind of file you are adding. 3. Select every file you want. The screen states the size limit and which file types it accepts. 4. Each file then appears with its own details to fill in. For an image that includes its alternative text. 5. Press **Save**. ![The bulk upload screen offering the kinds of file you can add in one batch.](/storage/ihAa9dxQqfU4en8D041v4tewodqdUvNcdcRybJHo.png) > **💡 Note:** This saves you the navigation, not the describing. Every image still needs its own alternative text, which is why the screen grows longer with each file you add. --- What your role allows --------------------- These screens show every action, whether or not your account can carry it out on the items you have picked. Content editors can delete articles, events and landing pages and can see the trash, but restoring from the trash needs an administrator. If an action does not take effect on part of your selection, that is usually why. Related articles ------------------ - [ Roles and what they let you do → ](/articles/roles-and-what-they-let-you-do) - [ Glossary → ](/articles/glossary) - [ Scheduling content to publish later → ](/articles/scheduling-content-to-publish-later) - [ Reviewing and restoring previous versions → ](/articles/reviewing-and-restoring-previous-versions) Was this article helpful? ------------------------- Your feedback helps us prioritise what to rewrite. Yes No [ Back to Creating & editing ](/articles?category=17) On this page **Need additional help?** Submit a support request through the [**support portal** ](https://doghouse.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portals)or email © 2026 [Doghouse SaaS](https://doghouse.agency) [Glossary](/articles/glossary)