Artwork Intake: Create Records from PDFs, Images & Text | ARTERNAL Help Center

Artwork Intake: Create Records from PDFs, Images & Text

Upload PDFs, text, or images to extract artwork details and create reviewed records in ARTERNAL with one approval step.

Written by Kalila Richards
April 7, 2026

How It Works

  1. Upload a document or paste text
  2. Let the agent extract fields
  3. Review extracted details
  4. Approve and create the record

Nothing is created in ARTERNAL until you explicitly confirm.

Step 1: Start a New Intake

  1. Go to Agents → Intake Agent
  2. Click + New Intake
  3. Upload a file or paste text
    Click Process Documents.

💡 Supported file types:

Step 2: Review Extracted Fields

Once processing is complete, the artwork appears in the left panel under Pending. Click the artwork to review. You’ll see:

If a value looks incorrect, you can edit it directly in the Intake Agent review screen before approving. Click into a field (such as Price, Medium, or Dimensions), make your changes, and confirm using the checkmark.

View the Original Source

If you would like to verify the information, you can:

  1. Click View Source (top right)
  2. A side panel opens with the original document preview
  3. Compare extracted fields with the source content

Step 3: Review Images (If Included)

If your intake included images, you can find them under the Images section. Here you can add more and update the main image.

Step 4: Approve the Record

Once you’ve reviewed the details:

  1. Click Approve
  2. Confirm by clicking Create Record

You’ll see a confirmation message:

This action cannot be undone from this interface.
Once created, the record will be saved in your inventory and must be managed there.

After confirming, the artwork record is created in ARTERNAL. To view the artwork, click on the "approved" tab and then click Open:

Duplicate Detection

Before a record is created, the Intake Agent checks for possible duplicates. A duplicate warning is triggered if:

Reviewing a Duplicate

When a duplicate is detected, you’ll see a comparison modal showing:

You can then choose:

Intake Statuses

In the left panel, you’ll see:

This makes it easy to track intake progress.

Important Notes

Common Use Cases

Exhibition Intake

Upload a PDF checklist from an artist studio and quickly generate draft records for review.

Art Fair Preparation

Batch upload intake documents and approve works one by one.

Estate Intake

Upload structured PDFs or spreadsheets and convert them into artwork records.

❓FAQs

Q: Does the agent automatically publish artwork records?
A: No. You must click Approve and confirm record creation.

Q: Can I edit the information before approving?
A: Yes. You can edit fields directly in the Intake Agent review screen before approving.

Q: Where can I see the original document?
A: Click View Source in the top right of the review screen to open the original document and verify the extracted details.

Q: What triggers a duplicate warning?
A: A duplicate is flagged if:

Q: What happens if a duplicate is found?
A: You can review the comparison and choose to update the existing record or ignore and keep both.

Q: Can I ignore a duplicate warning?
A: Yes. If the works are different, you can choose Ignore.

Q: Can I edit the record after it’s created?
A: Yes. Once the record is created, it behaves like any other artwork record in ARTERNAL and can be edited in Inventory.

Q: What file types are supported?
A: PDF, JPG, PNG, TIFF, CSV, Excel, and pasted text.

Q: What if the extraction looks incorrect?
A: You can edit the fields before approving. If needed, you can also discard the intake and create the record manually.