Frequently asked questions

1. Getting started

Q1. What is CurAI-it?

CurAI-it is an online collections catalogue for museums, archives and heritage groups, with built-in AI that helps draft records from your photos and documents. You create collections, add items, and use AI to draft titles and descriptions that you then check before they're final.

Q2. Who is CurAI-it for?

It's built for curators, volunteers and small heritage teams who need to catalogue a collection without specialist software or IT support. It works in a web browser, and you don't need to install anything.

Q3. Do I need technical skills to use CurAI-it?

No. If you can fill in a web form and upload a photo, you can catalogue in CurAI-it. The manuals take you through each task step by step.

Q4. How do I sign in to CurAI-it?

Sign in with your email address and password. Once you're in, the top navigation gives you Dashboard, Collections, AI Review, Archive Chat and Import / Export, and your user menu is on the right.

Q5. I've forgotten my password. What do I do?

Select Forgot your password? on the sign-in page, enter your email on the Request Password Link page and select Send Link. If an account exists for that email, CurAI-it sends a one-time link so you can set a new password. An administrator can also send you a reset link from Settings > Users.

Q6. What's on the Dashboard?

The Dashboard is your starting point after you sign in, with a welcome message, a search box and counts of your collection items, collections and AI drafts waiting for review. If you can view credits, your credit balance is shown too. Quick Actions take you straight to tasks such as adding an item, Batch Upload or creating a collection, and the Getting Started card points you to the main areas. Any items that failed AI processing are listed under Items Requiring Attention.

Q7. What's the quickest way to get started?

Create a collection, add one item with a photo, then select Process with AI and check the draft in AI Review. That one loop shows you how CurAI-it works. See Getting started > Your first collection.

Q8. How do I create a collection?

Go to Collections and create a new collection, then give it a name, a collection code and an accession template. You can also choose its AI settings, icon, colour and who can view it. See Collections > Create a collection.

Q9. What is a collection code?

A collection code is a short identifier for a collection, and it can appear in accession numbers through the [CollectionCode] variable. Choose something short and stable, because it becomes part of your numbering.

Q10. Can I have more than one collection?

Yes. You can create separate collections, for example one for objects, one for photographs and one for archives, and each one has its own fields, accession template and settings. See the pricing page for current plans. We don't list caps here.

Q11. What are the different roles in CurAI-it?

CurAI-it has four default roles: Administrator, Curator, Contributor, and Viewer. Administrators look after the account, users, and settings. Curators manage collections and cataloguing. Contributors add and edit items. Viewers can look and use Archive Chat. An administrator can change role permissions under Settings > Roles & Permissions.

Q12. Can volunteers use CurAI-it safely without changing important settings?

Yes. Give volunteers the Contributor role (or Viewer if they should only look). Contributors can catalogue without changing collection settings, fields, users, or account settings. Collection view permissions can also limit who sees each collection.

Q13. Can I control who sees a collection?

Yes. Each collection has view permissions, so you can decide who in your account can see it. See Collections > View permissions.

Q14. What do the tabs inside a collection do?

Items lists your records, Overview summarises the collection and Field Definitions is where you manage its custom fields. The header holds Import, Export, Batch Upload, Add Item and Edit Collection.

Q15. Can I change a collection after I've created it?

Yes. Use Edit Collection in the collection header, make your changes and select Update Collection. You can change the name, description, icon, colour, AI prompt, OCR entity categories, view permissions, collection code and accession template. Items you've already catalogued keep their accession numbers, and a new code or template only affects numbers assigned from then on.

Q16. Can I give each collection its own icon and colour?

Yes. You can set an icon and colour for each collection, which makes collections easier to tell apart on screen.

Q87. I can't see a collection that a colleague can see. Why?

You might not have view permission for that collection, so ask your account admin or curator to check the collection's view permissions.

2. Cataloguing

Q17. How do I add an item to a collection?

Open the collection and select Add Item. Fill in the details you know, add images or PDFs, and save. You can use Process with AI to draft the title and description for you.

Q18. What fields does an item have as standard?

Every item has a title, description, location, condition, estimated value, currency, acquisition date and tags. You can add custom fields too.

Q19. Can I type my own accession number when adding an item?

If your collection allows it, yes. With Let people enter their own accession numbers turned on, Add Item and Edit Item show a box where you can type a number, or leave it blank to use the next number from the template. When that setting is off, each new item gets the next number automatically. Existing numbers can also come in through Import with From file.

Q20. When is the accession number assigned?

When you save a new item, CurAI-it can assign the next accession number from the collection's template. If a number does not appear on save, check with your account admin - some accounts may still be catching up to this behaviour.

Q21. How do accession templates work?

An accession template is a pattern that CurAI-it fills in automatically. It can use [YYYY] (four-digit year), [YY] (two-digit year), [MM] (month), [CollectionCode], and a running number as [NNNN], [NNN] or [NN]. For example, a template of [CollectionCode]-[YYYY]-[NNNN] gives numbers in the form CODE-2026-0001.

Q22. What is the difference between [NNNN], [NNN] and [NN]?

They set how many digits the running number has, so [NNNN] gives 0001, [NNN] gives 001 and [NN] gives 01. Choose a size that leaves room for how big the collection could grow.

Q23. What are custom fields?

Custom fields let you record information that the standard item fields don't cover, such as maker, material, donor or period. You add them to a collection under Field Definitions.

Q24. What types of custom field can I use?

You can use Text, Text Area, Number, Decimal, Date, Date & Time, Boolean (yes/no), Select, Multi-Select, Email, URL and Classification. Currency is already built into every item, so you don't need a custom field for it.

Q25. Should I use Text or Text Area?

Use Text for short, single-line entries like a maker's name, and Text Area for longer notes like provenance or condition details.

Q26. When should I use Select or Multi-Select?

Use Select when an item should have exactly one value from a fixed list, for example a single material, and Multi-Select when several values can apply. Fixed lists keep your data consistent, which makes search more reliable.

Q27. Can I add File, Image or Rich Text custom fields?

No. They aren't available for general use at the moment. Add images and PDFs to an item using its Images and Documents sections instead.

Q28. What is a classification tree?

A classification tree is a structured list of categories, from broad to narrow, that you can use to classify items consistently. For example, Domestic life > Kitchen > Cooking utensils. Classification trees are set up in your account settings.

Q29. How do Classification fields work?

A Classification field links to a classification tree, and each item can have one node from the tree in that field. If you need to classify an item in more than one way, add more Classification fields.

Q30. How do I add photos to an item?

In the item's Images section, select Add Images or drag and drop files onto it, or use Take Photo to capture an image with your device's camera. By default an account accepts JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, WEBP, BMP and TIFF images up to 10 MB each, but your account's settings may differ.

Q31. Can I photograph objects with my phone or tablet?

Yes. Take Photo lets you capture an image with your device's camera straight from the Add Item page, which helps when you're cataloguing in a store room.

Q32. Can I attach documents to an item?

Yes. You can attach PDF documents in the item's Documents section. Text in those documents can be searched and can help the AI when it drafts the record.

Q33. How do I edit an item?

Open the item from the collection's Items list or from search, then select Edit. Make your changes on the Edit Item form and select Update Item to save, or Cancel to leave without saving.

Q34. What does Process with AI do?

Process with AI looks at the item's images and documents and drafts a title and description for you to review. Nothing is final until a person has checked it.

Q35. Do I have to use the AI?

No. You can catalogue everything by hand. The AI is there to save time on drafting, not to replace your judgement.

Q36. What is AI Review?

AI Review is where you check what the AI has drafted before it goes onto the item. On the AI Processing Review screen you can change the Title, Description and Tags, then select Mark as reviewed to save them to the item, or select Discard draft if you don't want it. Until you mark a draft as reviewed, the item keeps its existing title and description. You can also Retry failed drafts and Cancel queued ones.

Q37. Can I change how the AI writes descriptions for a collection?

Yes. Each collection has its own AI model and prompt settings, so you can steer the style and focus of drafts, for example toward archive-style descriptions or object descriptions.

Q38. What are OCR entity categories?

OCR entity categories tell CurAI-it what kinds of information to pick out of text it reads from your documents, such as names, places or dates. Every collection uses the default types: Person, Location, Organisation, Date, Event, Artwork, Material, Technique, Period, Reference and Measurement. You can add your own in Custom Entity Categories for OCR on Edit Collection, as a comma-separated list, for example Surname, Church, Parish. The details picked out are included in search.

Q39. How accurate are AI-drafted descriptions?

The drafts are usually a useful starting point, but they can be wrong or incomplete, so always check them in AI Review before treating them as final. Your expertise and knowledge of your collection matter most.

Q40. Can AI catalogue my whole collection automatically?

No, and we don't recommend it. Process with AI drafts a title and description for an item, and the draft waits in AI Review until a person checks it and marks it as reviewed. AI Enhancement on import works differently: it writes a description straight onto imported items that have a title but no description, without going through AI Review, so check those items after the import.

Q83. Process with AI hasn't produced a draft. What should I check?

Check that the item has at least one image, a document whose text has finished being read (OCR), or a spoken transcript, because a title on its own isn't enough. Then check your credits: if they've run out, the item waits rather than failing, and carries on once credits are topped up. If the draft failed, select Retry in AI Review. If it still doesn't work, contact support.

Q84. My photo won't upload. Why?

The file is probably a type your account doesn't accept, or larger than its size limit. By default accounts accept JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, WEBP, BMP and TIFF images up to 10 MB, but your account may be set differently, and the error message shows its list and limit. Some phone formats, such as HEIC, aren't in the default list, so save the photo as JPEG and try again. Take Photo uploads the same way, so the same limits apply.

3. Import (and export)

Q41. Can I import my existing catalogue into CurAI-it?

Yes. Use Import to bring records in from a spreadsheet saved as CSV. The wizard takes you through Upload, Map Fields, Configure, Review and Progress.

Q42. What file formats can I import?

You can import CSV, JSON, or XML. For most collections we recommend CSV, which is the format of the sample template. JSON and XML are also supported in the import wizard.

Q43. How do I prepare a spreadsheet for import?

Save your spreadsheet as a UTF-8 CSV with a header row and one item per row, and make sure every row has a Title. Use commas between columns, and write dates as 2026-10-07 and numbers as 150.00. For the column layout, select Download Sample CSV Template in the import wizard. Tidy obvious inconsistencies first, for example spelling variations in values.

Q44. What does Map Fields mean in the import wizard?

Map Fields is where you tell CurAI-it which column in your file goes into which CurAI-it field, for example "Object name" into Title. Columns you don't map aren't imported.

Q45. What happens to accession numbers when I import?

In the Configure step you choose one of three strategies. From file uses the numbers in your file. Auto-generate keeps any numbers you've mapped from the file and numbers the blank cells using the collection's accession template. None doesn't assign numbers.

Q46. Will Auto-generate overwrite the accession numbers I already have?

No. Auto-generate keeps the numbers you've mapped from your file and only fills in rows where the accession number is blank.

Q47. How does CurAI-it handle duplicates on import?

In the Configure step you choose Skip Duplicates to leave an existing item alone when the accession number matches, or Allow All to import every row even if it looks like a duplicate. Do not rely on Update Existing to change an existing item. Today it still creates a new item instead.

Q48. What is AI Enhancement on import?

AI Enhancement is an optional switch in the Configure step that writes a description for imported rows that have a title but no description. It works from the title, location and condition, not from images, and it uses credits. If there aren't enough credits, the description is left blank. The description is saved straight onto the item rather than going to AI Review, so check those items afterwards. It's off by default.

Q49. What does Priority mean in the import wizard?

Priority Processing puts your import ahead of other queued jobs. It doesn't use extra credits and doesn't change how accession numbers or duplicates are handled. It's off by default.

Q50. Can I import images along with my records?

Yes. In the Upload step, add an optional Media ZIP alongside your data file. Each row must name its files in a column such as ImageFileName or DocumentFileName, as in the sample template, and you can list several files in one cell separated by semicolons. CurAI-it matches by the path inside the ZIP first, then by file name. Files that aren't named in your data file aren't attached.

Q51. What happens if some rows in my file have errors?

Rows with errors aren't imported, but the rest of the file still can be. The Review step lists valid rows, error rows and warnings, with each issue shown by row and field, for example "Title is required". Rows flagged as duplicates under Skip Duplicates aren't imported either. After you select Execute Import, the Progress step shows how many rows succeeded, failed or were skipped. Open My Imports to look at the job afterwards, then fix the file and import the failed rows again.

Q52. Can I check my import before it runs?

Yes. When you select Validate Import in the Configure step, the Review step shows a summary of valid rows, error rows and warnings, and lists any issues. Nothing is imported until you select Execute Import, and you can still go Back to Configure or Cancel Import.

Q53. What is the difference between Import and Batch Upload?

Import brings in records from a data file, such as a spreadsheet, and maps its columns to CurAI-it fields. Batch Upload creates items from images and PDFs that you drag and drop, one item per file or grouped together, with optional AI drafting, OCR and automatic titles. They are separate screens with different permissions: by default Administrators and Curators can use Batch Upload, while Import is also open to Contributors.

Q54. Can I export my catalogue from CurAI-it?

Yes. Use Export in the collection header, or Import / Export in the top navigation, and choose JSON, XML or CSV for the whole collection or selected items. Metadata Only gives you a file of your records, and Metadata & Assets gives you a ZIP that also includes images and documents. Export may need a paid plan, and by default only Administrators and Curators can download the finished file.

Q55. Can I take my data with me if I leave CurAI-it?

Data is deleted automatically 30 days after your account is closed. You can export data at any time, where your plan includes it.

Q56. Can I move records from my old collections software into CurAI-it?

Usually, yes. If your current system can export to CSV, you can map those columns into CurAI-it with the import wizard. Try a small test file first.

Q85. My import finished but some records look wrong. What now?

Check your column mapping first, because a column mapped to the wrong field is the most common cause. If the import created items you don't want, open My Imports and select Rollback within 24 hours of it finishing to remove them, then fix the mapping and import again. Skip Duplicates won't change items that already have the same accession number, and Update Existing doesn't overwrite existing items today; it adds new ones instead.

Q86. My accession numbers didn't appear after import. Why?

You probably chose None as the accession strategy, or From file with an empty column. Use Auto-generate to number blank rows from the template.

4. Search and Ask

Q57. How do I search my collection?

Use search to find items by words in their titles and descriptions, in custom fields that are set as searchable, and in the text of attached documents.

Q58. Can I search inside PDFs?

Yes, once the PDF has been through OCR (text recognition). CurAI-it reads text from PDF, JPEG and PNG documents, including scanned pages, and search then includes that text. OCR runs by default when you add documents to an item and uses credits, but searching doesn't. Word, Excel and text files can be attached, but their contents aren't searched.

Q59. Why can't I find an item by a custom field value?

That custom field probably isn't set as searchable. Check it under the collection's Field Definitions.

Q60. What is the Archive Assistant?

The Archive Assistant lets you ask questions about your collection in plain English and get answers based on your own records. You'll find it under Archive Chat in the top navigation.

Q61. What kinds of questions can I ask the Archive Assistant?

Ask the questions you'd ask a colleague who knows the catalogue, for example "What do we hold relating to the railway?" or "Which items came from the 1950s?". It works best when your records are well described.

Q62. Does the Archive Assistant use information from the internet?

No. The Archive Assistant answers from your collection's records. It is not a general web search.

Q63. Can I trust what the Archive Assistant tells me?

Treat its answers as a helpful starting point and check important facts against the items themselves. Each answer lists Retrieved Sources with links to the items it drew on, so you can open them and check. It only uses items you're allowed to see, mainly text read from documents, so its answers can only be as good as your catalogue. Each question that reaches the model uses credits.

Q64. Is the Archive Assistant the same as search?

No. Search finds items that match your words, while the Archive Assistant answers questions in plain English using your records. Use search when you know what you're looking for, and the Archive Assistant when you're exploring.

Q65. Can members of the public use the Archive Assistant?

No. The Archive Assistant and your catalogue are only for people signed in to your CurAI-it account.

5. Accounts and credits

Q66. What are credits?

Credits are how CurAI-it measures AI use in your account, and they are checked before each AI action runs. Actions that use credits are Process with AI (including in Batch Upload), AI Enhancement on import, reading text from documents (OCR), picking out names, places and other details from that text, preparing it for the Archive Assistant, asking the Archive Assistant a question, and automatic page ordering for documents. Typing and editing records, managing fields and searching the catalogue don't use credits.

Q67. How do I check how many credits I have left?

Select the coin badge in the top bar, beside your user menu, to open Settings > Credits & Billing, where you'll see your balance and transaction history. Your balance also shows on the Dashboard. By default only Administrators and Curators can see credits, so if you can't see the badge, ask your administrator.

Q68. Do unused credits roll over to the next month?

No, credits do not roll over.

Q69. What happens when I run out of credits?

You can still catalogue by hand, but AI actions wait until you have more credits. You'll see "Your AI credits have run out. Buy more credits to keep using AI." Queued AI jobs, such as drafts and OCR, are held and start again automatically once credits are topped up or renewed, and the Archive Assistant won't answer questions until then. Select Buy more credits to top up, or cancel queued items in AI Review if you don't want them to run.

Q70. Does cataloguing without AI use credits?

Adding and editing items by hand, managing fields, and searching the catalogue do not use AI credits. The Archive Assistant does use credits for each question that reaches the model.

Q71. Is there a free plan?

Yes. The Basic plan includes free credits so you can try CurAI-it. See the pricing page for current plans.

Q72. How much does CurAI-it cost?

Plans and prices are on the CurAI-it pricing page.

Q73. Can several people from our organisation share one CurAI-it account?

Yes. One account can have several users with different roles, such as volunteers, curators and account admins. See the pricing page for current plans. We don't list caps here.

Q74. Who manages users in our account?

Administrators manage users, under Settings > Users. There they can add users, edit them, assign roles, make a user active or inactive, send a password reset link and delete users. Role permissions are set under Settings > Roles & Permissions, and by default other roles can't manage users.

Q75. Where are classification trees managed?

Classification trees are managed in Settings > Classifications, and they belong to your whole account, so several collections can use the same tree. You can also get there from Manage Classifications on the Dashboard. By default Administrators and Curators can create and edit trees, and everyone can view them.

6. Privacy and hosting

Q76. Where is my data stored?

CurAI-it's core hosting is in the UK/EU. Some AI processing may use US endpoints. Full detail is in our terms and privacy policy.

Q77. Is my collection used to train AI models?

No, your collection is never used to train AI. Full detail is in our terms and privacy policy at https://curai-it.io/curai_terms_and_privacy.html.

Q78. Who can see my collection?

Only people in your CurAI-it account who have permission to view it can see it, and you control this with each collection's view permissions.

Q79. Is CurAI-it suitable for collections containing personal data?

CurAI-it gives you role-based access and UK/EU core hosting, but you're still responsible for how you record personal data under your own data protection policies.

Q80. Does CurAI-it publish my catalogue online?

No. Your catalogue is only visible to signed-in users with permission.

Q81. What happens to my images and documents when the AI processes them?

They are used to help draft that item's record. Your collection is not used to train AI. Core hosting is in the UK/EU; some AI processing may use US endpoints. See our terms and privacy policy for sub-processors and full detail.

Q82. Where can I read CurAI-it's terms and privacy policy?

The terms and privacy policy are at https://curai-it.io/curai_terms_and_privacy.html.