Getting started

I don't have an account. Should I click Sign up?

Ask an admin of your workspace to invite you instead (Settings → Members → Invite). The invitation is what gives you access to your organization's files. See Sign in.

I forgot my password.

Enter your email address, click Continue, then click Reset password on the next page. If you are still signed in somewhere, Settings → Profile → Reset password emails you a reset link. See Sign in.

Can I turn on two-step sign-in?

Yes. Open Settings → Profile and switch on Multi-Factor Authentication under Security. See Sign in.

I opened a folder and it says "No files found", but I know it isn't empty.

Files shows only the files sitting directly in a folder, not the ones in its subfolders. Open Folders to see the subfolders and step into them. See How Starchive is organized.

Can a file be in two folders?

No, a file lives in one folder. To gather files from several folders in one place, add them to a collection. See How Starchive is organized.

Why does Files at the top level list everything?

At the top of the workspace, Files lists every file you can see, wherever it is filed. Open a folder to narrow it down. See How Starchive is organized.

Will Starchive keep the view I picked?

In this browser, yes. On another browser or computer you start from the grid and Newest upload. See Views and sorting.

What is the difference between "upload" and "created"?

Uploaded is when the file arrived in Starchive. Created is the file's own date, the one its details list as Created on. See Views and sorting.

Can I change my own access level?

No. Your Profile shows it, but only a member who can manage members can change it. See Roles and permissions.

I can't see a folder a colleague talks about.

Your access level may not include it. Ask an admin to add you to that folder or collection, or to change your level. See Roles and permissions.

Can I always edit the files I uploaded?

Yes. Whatever your level, you can see, edit, remove, download and share the files you uploaded yourself. See Roles and permissions.

Finding files

Does search look inside documents?

No. A search for words from the Gettysburg Address does not find Gettysburg Address.docx. Search matches names, tags, AI tags and custom field values; put the words you need to find in a field or a tag. See Search.

Do I need the whole word?

No, part of a word is enough, and capitals don't matter. "chipp" finds Chippers Marinship 1942.jpg. See Search.

How do I search everything again after searching in a folder?

Click Search in the rail. Its scope is Everything. See Search.

Can I send a search to a colleague?

Yes, copy the address from your browser. The search is part of it, for example app.starchive.io/find?q=apollo. They need access to the same files to see the same results. See Search.

I ticked two tags and got more files, not fewer.

Values ticked in the same facet are alternatives. To require both, add the second condition from another facet, or search for the second word. See Filters.

How do I find files that still need describing?

Use an Advanced custom-field rule with "has no value". On the demo workspace, Original Date has no value on 260 of 265 files. See Filters.

How do I clear the filters?

Click the × on each filter's chip in the search box, or untick it in the pane. See Filters.

My bookmarks are gone.

Bookmarks are kept by the browser you saved them in. On another browser or computer, in a private window, or after clearing your browser's site data, they are not there. They cannot be recovered from Starchive. See Bookmarks.

Can I share a bookmark with my team?

Not as a bookmark. Copy the address of the search or filtered list instead and send that; it opens the same results for anyone with access to the files. See Bookmarks.

Does a bookmark remember the results or the search?

The search. Running it again shows what matches now, including files added since. See Bookmarks.

Adding files

Where do my files go?

Into the folder you have open when you click Upload. The list before the upload names that folder under every file; check it there, because once a file is uploaded, moving it is a separate step. See Upload files.

Can I stop an upload I started by mistake?

Yes, before you click Upload. Cancel closes the list and nothing is sent. Once the files are sent, move the ones you did not want to the Trash. See Upload files.

Will Starchive warn me if I upload a file that is already there?

No. A file with the same name in the same folder is not flagged. See [Avoid duplicates](/guide/add/avoid-duplicates). See Upload files.

Can I skip the list and upload straight away?

Yes. Settings, Preferences, Skip upload confirmation. Like your other preferences, it is kept by this browser only. See Upload files.

Why does my file say "Processing…"?

Starchive is still reading it. A 290 kB scan took about ten seconds; bigger files and video take longer. You can keep working meanwhile. See What happens after you upload.

Why does Created on say "Invalid Date"?

Created on is the file's own date, read from inside the file. A file that carries none, like this scanned PNG, shows Invalid Date. Record the date you know in a field such as Original Date instead. See What happens after you upload.

Are the AI tags reliable?

They are Starchive's guesses, kept apart from your own tags, and they can be wrong; the Apollo 15 crew portrait on this workspace is tagged with a footballer's name. Use your own tags and fields for anything people rely on. See What happens after you upload.

Does search find a file by its new name?

Yes, straight away. Search for part of the new name; the old name no longer matches. See Name your files.

Can I change the extension?

No. Rename edits the name in front of it; .png stays .png. See Name your files.

Can I rename many files at once?

Not in the app. Rename them on your computer before you upload, or ask about Star-Tools, Starchive's companion app for bulk work. See Name your files.

Should I use a tag or a field?

A tag is a free label, good for loose themes like "correspondence". A field holds one kind of fact (a date, yes or no, a term from a fixed list, a note), so everyone fills it in the same way and you can filter on it exactly. See Tags and fields.

Why doesn't the Tagging drawer show what the file already has?

The drawer adds values to every selected file; it does not list their current ones. Check the file's details on the right before and after. See Tags and fields.

Who can create a custom field?

The app says Total access members configure custom fields. This page was walked as the workspace owner. See Tags and fields.

Do links in a Paragraph field work?

Yes. A web address typed into a Paragraph field becomes a clickable link. See Tags and fields.

What is the difference between a list term and a tag?

Tags are one shared, open pool. A list field has its own vocabulary, so "Correspondence" as a Subject cannot be confused with a tag of the same name, and everyone picks from the same spelled-out terms. See List fields and their vocabularies.

Who sees a list field?

Whoever its visibility allows. Subject is Limited, so every member of the workspace sees it. The visibility shows at the top right of the field's page. See List fields and their vocabularies.

Can a flow add tags?

Not from the Create Flow dialog. It sets custom fields; to tag on arrival, use a list field instead of a tag. See Flows.

Can one flow set several fields?

One field per flow. Make a second flow on the same folder for the next field; a list field can get several terms in one flow. See Flows.

Is a flow a metadata template?

It is the closest thing Starchive has. Starchive has no separate template; a flow on an intake folder gives every new file the same starting values. See Flows.

Does Starchive warn me about a duplicate?

No. Picking a file with the same name as one already in the folder gives no warning in the upload list; it would be uploaded as a second file. See Avoid duplicates.

How do I find the duplicates already in my workspace?

Starchive's companion app, Star-Tools, finds and handles duplicates. This guide does not cover it; ask your Starchive contact about access. See Avoid duplicates.

Working with files

Can I undo a batch edit?

The message after a field is written offers no Undo. To put a value back, select the same files and write the old value the same way. See Edit many files at once.

Why are the rows in the batch pane empty?

The batch pane writes values; it does not show the ones the files already have, which may differ from file to file. Click a single file to see its own. See Edit many files at once.

How do I add a value to every file as it is uploaded, instead of afterwards?

Give the folder a flow. See [Flows](/guide/add/flows). See Edit many files at once.

Who can see a Restricted field?

The Create Custom Field dialog says only Total access members. Limited fields are seen by all members of the workspace; Public fields by anyone, which the dialog calls useful only when sharing files. See Rights and restrictions.

Does adding a file to a collection move or copy it?

Neither. The file stays in its folder, and the collection lists it. A file can be in several collections. See Collections.

What is the difference between a collection and a folder?

A file lives in exactly one folder; that is where it is kept. A collection is a selection for a purpose, an exhibit or a display, drawn from any folders. See Collections.

Are a collection's tags the same as file tags?

No. A collection's tags label collections, and the Collections screen filters by them. They are not added to the files inside. See Collections.

Which one should I send to a printer or keep as the archival copy?

The Original. It is the file exactly as it was uploaded; the Preview is a smaller copy made for viewing. See Preview and original.

The photo is upright in Starchive but sideways on my computer. Why?

The original is stored sideways with a note inside it (EXIF orientation) saying which way is up. Starchive reads the note; some programs ignore it. The Preview and Thumbnail have the turn built in, so they are upright everywhere. See Preview and original.

Can I straighten a sideways photo in Starchive?

No. The viewer's Zoom / Rotate turns your view of it and has no Save; the file is not changed. See Preview and original.

Which should I download, the Original or the Preview?

The Original for print, production or the archival copy; the Preview to look at, send for review or put in a presentation. See [Preview and original](/guide/work/preview-and-original). See Download files.

Can I choose the size for each file in a zip?

No. One choice covers the whole zip, Previews or Originals. See Download files.

What is the CSV?

A spreadsheet of the file's details. The menu describes it as containing all metadata of the file. See Download files.

Sharing

Does the person I send the link to need a Starchive account?

No. The link opens in any browser without signing in. See [Open a shared link](/guide/share/open-a-shared-link) for what they see. See Share a link.

Does deleting a link delete the files?

No. The confirmation says so. The files stay where they are; only the address stops working. See Share a link.

Can I make a link that stops working on a set date?

No. Delete the link when the person no longer needs it. See Share a link.

Should I share previews or originals?

Previews for someone who needs to look, review or lay out a page; originals for print, production or an archival copy. Originals are larger downloads. See [Preview and original](/guide/work/preview-and-original). See Share settings.

Does Starchive send the password to the person?

No. You send it yourself, preferably by a different route from the link (the link by email, the password by phone or text). See Share settings.

Which of a file's details does the person see?

Only custom fields set to **Public** visibility appear on the link's page. Limited and Restricted fields do not. See Share settings.

Do I need an account or an app?

No. The link opens in your browser without signing in. The **Join free** button is for making a Starchive account of your own, which you do not need to see the files. See Open a shared link.

The link asks for a password.

The person who shared it set one. See [Password-protected links](/guide/share/password-protected-links). See Open a shared link.

The link says the page doesn't exist.

The person who shared it has deleted the link. Ask them for a new one. See Open a shared link.

Why is there a watermark over the pictures?

The person who shared them turned on screenshot protection. See Open a shared link.

There is no download button.

The person who shared the link did not allow downloads. Ask them if you need copies. See Download from a shared link.

The file I downloaded is smaller than the size on the page.

The page shows the size of the original. If the link was shared with previews, you receive the preview, a smaller copy made for viewing. See Download from a shared link.

Can I choose between the original and the preview?

No. The person who shared the link made that choice for everyone who opens it. Ask them if you need the other one. See Download from a shared link.

Where do I get the password?

From the person who sent you the link. Starchive does not send it. See Password-protected links.

I typed the password and it says Incorrect password.

Type it again carefully. If it still fails, ask the person who shared the link. See Password-protected links.

Do I have to type it every time?

On this page's run, reloading the page in the same browser window opened the files without asking again. See Password-protected links.

Administration

When does a change to a member's permissions take effect?

On the member's next page load. After Can view all files was ticked and saved, the member's Files screen showed every file as soon as it was reloaded. See Members and roles.

A member can see every file but no collections. Why?

Collections are given to members one by one, from the collection's own Members dialog. Can view all files covers files and folders, not collections. See [Collections](/guide/work/collections). See Members and roles.

Does deactivating a member delete their files?

No. As the page says, their files remain, but they can no longer sign in to the workspace. See Members and roles.

What happens to the members when I delete a group?

They stay members. As the page warns, they lose any permissions they had through the group. See Groups.

Where does a member see their groups?

On their own Settings → Profile, under Groups. An admin sees them on the member's page too. See Groups.

Does changing a field's visibility change its values?

No. The values stay on the files; only who can see them changes. See Custom field visibility.

Which visibility should a rights or restrictions note have?

Restricted, if only staff with Total access should read it; Limited, if every member should. Public only when people you share files with should see it under each file. See Custom field visibility.

Does a change show a confirmation?

No message appears. The button beside the field's name shows the new level straight away. See Custom field visibility.

How do I export the details of only some files?

Select them in Files, right-click, and choose Download as… → CSV; see [Download](/guide/work/download). See Import and export.

Can members export?

The Import & Export page is not in a Limited member's Settings menu. See Import and export.

Housekeeping

Does moving files to the Trash free up space?

No. As the dialog says, a file in the Trash still takes its space; only Delete permanently frees it. See Delete and recover files.

Where does a restored file go?

Back into the folder it was trashed from, with its tags and custom field values. See Delete and recover files.

Can I undo Delete permanently?

No. The dialog warns that it is irreversible. See Delete and recover files.

How quickly does support reply?

Settings → Support says it asks for 24 business hours to reply. See Get help.

Is the Knowledge base the same as this guide?

No. It opens Starchive's Help Center at support.starchive.io in a new tab. See Get help.