How to Create an Archive & Batch
Audience: Archivists — people who own and manage a family archive in Zeuge.
In Zeuge, your content is organized in a two-level hierarchy: Archives contain Batches, and Batches contain Items (photos, documents, etc.). This guide walks you through creating both.
Understanding the Structure
| Level | What It Is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Archive | A top-level container for a family or project | "The Johnson Family Archive" |
| Batch | A focused collection within an archive | "Mom & Dad's Wedding Photos" or "Grandpa's Army Slides" |
| Item | An individual photo or document inside a batch | A single scanned photo |
A typical workflow:
- Create an archive for your family or project.
- Create a batch for a specific set of photos you want contributors to comment on.
- Upload items into the batch.
- Invite contributors.
Step 1 — Sign In
Navigate to zeuge.io and sign in with your email and password (or Google account). If you don't have an account yet, click "Sign up" and follow the prompts.
📸 [SCREENSHOT: The Zeuge login/signup screen]
Step 2 — Go to Your Dashboard
After signing in, you'll land on the Dashboard — an overview of your archives, active batches, and any responses being processed.
📸 [SCREENSHOT: The Dashboard showing the summary cards and archive overview]
Step 3 — Create an Archive
If you don't have an archive yet:
- Click "New Archive" (found on the Archives page or from the dashboard).
- Enter an archive name (e.g., "The Johnson Family").
- Optionally, add a description (e.g., "Photos and documents collected from family members over several generations").
- Click "Create Archive".
📸 [SCREENSHOT: The "New Archive" dialog or form with name and description fields]
Your new archive will now appear in the archives list. You can create up to the number of archives allowed by your subscription plan (see Subscription Tiers).
Step 4 — Open Your Archive
Click on your archive name to open it. You'll see a list of batches (empty for a brand-new archive).
📸 [SCREENSHOT: An archive page showing an empty batches list with "New Batch" button]
Step 5 — Create a Batch
- Click "New Batch".
- Fill in the batch details:
- Title (required): A descriptive name for this group of photos — e.g., "Summer Vacations 1970–1985"
- Description (optional): Context for yourself and contributors — e.g., "These are all scanned from Mom's blue photo album"
- Prompt (optional): A personal note shown to contributors on their welcome screen — e.g., "Please share any names, dates, or stories you remember about these photos. Even partial details are really helpful!"
- Click "Create Batch".
📸 [SCREENSHOT: The "New Batch" form with title, description, and prompt fields]
Tip on Prompts: A well-crafted prompt dramatically increases the quality of contributor responses. Be specific about what you're looking for — names of people, approximate dates, locations, or any stories attached to events.
Step 6 — Your Batch Is Ready
After creating the batch, you'll be taken to the batch detail page. The batch will have a status of "Created" — meaning it exists but doesn't yet have items or contributors.
📸 [SCREENSHOT: Newly created batch detail page with "Created" status badge and empty tabs]
From here, you can:
- Upload items — add your photos
- Invite contributors — share the collection with family members
Managing Multiple Batches
You can have multiple batches per archive. For example:
- "Wedding Photos"
- "Baby Photos"
- "School Years"
- "Overseas Trip — 1978"
Each batch is self-contained — contributors are invited per batch, and responses are tracked per batch.
Common Questions
How many archives can I create? That depends on your subscription plan. Free accounts can create 1 archive. Paid plans allow more. You can upgrade from the Settings page.
Can I rename an archive or batch after creating it? Yes. On the archive or batch detail page, click the title to edit it inline.
Can I delete a batch? Yes — from the batch detail page, look for the delete option. Note that deleting a batch permanently removes all items, responses, and extracted metadata associated with it. This cannot be undone.
What's the difference between a batch description and a prompt? The description is context for you (the archivist) — it appears in your batch management view. The prompt is shown directly to contributors on their welcome screen. Use the prompt to give contributors specific guidance.