Overview
Document metadata helps you organize, find, and manage your files in CalmCompliance. Properties like the document name, description, category, and tags make it easy to filter, search, and understand what each document is for—without opening it. Well-organized metadata transforms a simple file library into a powerful knowledge management system.
When you upload or edit a document, you can set these properties to ensure your team can quickly locate the right information when they need it.
Core Document Properties
Document Name (Required)
The document name is the title users see in the library and search results.
Best practices:
Be specific and descriptive: "Fire Safety Policy" instead of "Policy Document"
Use consistent naming: Follow a pattern your team recognizes (e.g., "Department - Topic - Type")
Avoid file extensions: Don't include ".pdf" in the name—CalmCompliance handles that automatically
Keep it concise: Long names get truncated in lists
Examples:
✅ "Employee Code of Conduct"
✅ "Kitchen Cleaning Procedure"
✅ "COVID-19 Risk Assessment"
❌ "Document1.pdf"
❌ "New policy updated final version 2"
Description (Optional)
The description provides context about the document's purpose, scope, or when to use it. This appears below the document name and helps users determine if it's what they're looking for.
Best practices:
Explain what and when: "Use this procedure for daily kitchen cleaning and end-of-day sanitation"
Add scope or audience: "For all front-of-house staff working customer-facing roles"
Highlight key points: "Covers PPE requirements, chemical handling, and emergency procedures"
Examples:
✅ "Comprehensive guide for conducting fire drills, including assembly points and evacuation routes."
✅ "Required reading for all new hires before starting work—covers company values, policies, and expectations."
Category (Optional)
Categories are broad groupings that your administrator sets up to organize documents by topic, department, or document type. Each document can be assigned to one category.
Common categories:
Health & Safety
HR Policies
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Quality Assurance
Compliance & Legal
How categories help:
Filtering: Users can filter the document library to show only documents in a specific category
Organization: Related documents appear together
Access control: Categories can manage who can view or access documents
Clarity: Categories signal the document's purpose at a glance
Note: If you don't see an appropriate category, ask your site administrator to create one in Settings > Documents > Categories.
Tags (Optional)
Tags are flexible labels that you can apply to documents for more granular organization. Documents can have multiple tags, making them ideal for categorizing content in different ways simultaneously. Tags are created and managed in Settings > Tags and can be used across different modules.
Common tag uses:
Department: "Facilities," "HR," "Operations"
Location: "Building A," "Kitchen," "Warehouse"
Audience: "Managers Only," "All Staff," "Contractors"
Document Type: "Policy," "Procedure," "Form," "Checklist"
Compliance: "ISO9001," "GDPR," "Fire Safety"
How tags help:
Multi-dimensional filtering: A document can have multiple tags (e.g., "HR" + "Policy" + "Managers Only")
Search: Users can search by tag to find related documents across categories
Cross-module consistency: Tags created in Settings can be used in Documents, Risks, Incidents, and other modules
Best practices:
Use existing tags first: Check what tags already exist before creating new ones
Be consistent: If you use "Health and Safety," don't also create "H&S" or "Safety"
Keep tags short: "Fire Safety" instead of "Fire Safety Procedures and Protocols"
Governance Properties
These properties control how documents are reviewed and approved.
Approval Workflow (Optional)
Assigns an approval policy to the document. When you publish a new version or make changes, the document must be approved by designated approvers before going live.
When to use:
Documents with legal or compliance implications
Policies that require executive approval
Procedures affecting safety or regulatory requirements
Example: A "Health & Safety Policy Approval" workflow might require approval from the Health & Safety Officer and a Director before publication.
Review Schedule (Optional)
Assigns a review policy that sets reminders to review and update the document regularly.
When to use:
Compliance documents with expiration dates
Policies that must be reviewed annually
Procedures that need regular validation to stay current
Example: A "Quarterly Review" policy sends reminders every 3 months to the document owner to verify the content is still accurate.
Editing Document Properties
You can update document properties after uploading:
Open the document you want to edit
Click Edit Details (usually in the document actions menu)
Update any of the fields:
Document name
Description
Category
Tags
Approval workflow
Review schedule
Click Save Changes
Note: Changing the approval workflow or review schedule only affects future versions—it doesn't trigger approval or review for the current version.
Common Questions
What's the difference between categories and tags?
The key difference is how many you can assign:
Categories: Each document can have one category. Categories are predefined by administrators, typically represent broad groupings (like "HR" or "Health & Safety"), and can manage access control to documents.
Tags: Documents can have many tags. Tags are flexible labels managed in Settings > Tags that work across all modules for multi-dimensional filtering and search.
Can I change the document name after uploading?
Yes, you can edit the document name anytime by clicking Edit Details on the document. This doesn't affect the version history or file itself—just the displayed title.
Do I have to add tags or a category?
No, both are optional. However, adding at least a category and a few relevant tags makes documents much easier to find later, especially as your library grows.
Can I create new tags?
Tags are created in Settings > Tags, not directly when uploading documents. To create new tags, you need the appropriate permissions for the Tags module. If you don't see the option to create tags in Settings, ask your site administrator to grant you access.
What happens if I assign an approval workflow after a document is already published?
The approval workflow applies to future versions. If you upload a new version after assigning an approval workflow, that new version will go through the approval process. The current published version isn't affected.
Can I see all documents with a specific tag?
Yes, use the Filter or Search functionality in the Documents library. Select the tag you're interested in, and CalmCompliance will show all documents with that tag.
Should I add a review schedule to every document?
Not necessarily. Review schedules are most useful for compliance-critical documents that need regular updates (like safety policies or procedures tied to regulations). For static documents like one-time announcements or archived records, a review schedule isn't needed.
Best Practices
Plan Your Metadata Strategy
Before uploading lots of documents, decide on:
Naming conventions: How you'll structure document names (e.g., "Department - Type - Topic")
Categories: What high-level categories make sense for your organization
Tags: A core set of tags everyone will use (departments, locations, document types)
This makes your library consistent and easy to navigate.
Use Tags for Cross-Module Organization
Tags in CalmCompliance work across modules—the same "Fire Safety" tag can apply to documents, risks, incidents, and work orders. This creates a unified way to find everything related to a topic, regardless of where it lives in the system.
Keep Descriptions User-Focused
Write descriptions as if you're answering: "Why should I read this?" or "When do I need this?"
✅ "Use this checklist for daily kitchen opening procedures—covers equipment checks, temperature logs, and cleaning tasks."
❌ "Updated procedure for kitchen operations."
Review Metadata Regularly
As your library grows, periodically review tags and categories:
Consolidate duplicates: Merge similar tags ("H&S" and "Health and Safety")
Archive unused tags: Remove tags that are no longer relevant
Update descriptions: Ensure descriptions still accurately reflect document content
Related Topics
Creating editor documents - Write documents directly in CalmCompliance
Uploading documents - Upload PDF documents and set metadata
Tag-based filtering and search - Find documents using tags and categories
Creating organizational tags - Set up tags for consistent organization
Creating approval policies - Assign approval workflows to documents
Creating review policies - Set up review schedules for regular updates