Lightroom Bulk Select by Filename: The CSV Workflow for Client Proofing

Introduction: the Ctrl+F nightmare

You deliver a beautiful gallery. The client is excited. Then they send the email:

"We want to retouch 50 photos. Here are the filenames: DSC_8821, DSC_8824, IMG_002…"

If you’ve ever tried to convert that list into a Lightroom Classic collection manually, you know the pain: search, flag, repeat—over and over. It’s slow, it’s boring, and it’s easy to make a costly mistake when you shot the same event with multiple cameras that both produced files like DSC_0001.jpg.

This post focuses on a practical CSV workflow: turn a client’s selections into a Lightroom edit list fast. The key is exporting a list that’s accurate enough to handle duplicates—not just by filename, but by exact uploaded file path.

What is a CSV workflow for client proofing?

A CSV (comma-separated values) file is just a spreadsheet-friendly table. In a client proofing context, it’s the bridge between:

• Client decisions (favorites / hearts / selects)
• Your Lightroom Classic catalog (folders, collections, labels)

Instead of “50 filenames in an email,” you get a structured export you can filter, sort, and process—fast.

The 9Pic Select advantage: CSV + Exact Uploaded File Path

Many systems can export a filename list. The real problem is duplicate filenames. If you shot “Camera A / Camera B” (or multi-day folders), you can easily have DSC_0001.jpg in more than one place.

That’s why 9pic Select includes an Exact Uploaded File Path in its CSV export. It tells you which folder the selection came from, so you can target the correct subset in Lightroom and avoid accidental mismatches.

If you want to see how 9pic Select fits into the broader workflow, check out 9pic Select and How it Works.

The fast workflow (copy → paste → collection)

Lightroom Classic’s built-in filters are great for finding a single filename. But if you want a true “paste a big list and go” workflow, you’ll typically use a Lightroom search tool that accepts large pasted text lists.

One widely used option is Jeffrey Friedl’s “Extended Search” Lightroom plugin, which is designed for advanced searching in Lightroom Classic and supports cut-and-paste of large filename lists.

Here’s how to convert a client proofing CSV into a Lightroom edit list in under a minute.

Step 1: Download the client selection CSV

1. Open your 9pic Select dashboard for the event.
2. Click Download CSV.
3. Open it in Excel / Google Sheets / Numbers.

In the CSV, locate:

• Filename (what we’ll paste into Lightroom search)
• Exact Uploaded File Path (what prevents duplicate-filename mistakes)

Step 2: Group selections by Exact Path (for duplicate filenames)

If you’re a single-camera shooter and you never have duplicate filenames, you can skip this. But for multi-camera events, do this one step and you’ll never flag the wrong DSC_0001 again:

1. Sort the CSV by Exact Uploaded File Path.
2. Work one folder/path group at a time (e.g., “Camera A”, then “Camera B”).

This keeps your Lightroom selection step accurate, even with duplicates.

Step 3: Paste the filename list into Lightroom (bulk search)

In Lightroom Classic:

1. Go to the Library module (Grid view recommended).
2. Click the Folder that matches the path group you’re working on (this is where “Exact Path” pays off).
3. Open your bulk-search tool (for example: File → Plug-in Extras → Extended Search if you’re using the Extended Search plugin).
4. Choose a filename-based search and paste your filename list from the CSV.

Lightroom will narrow the grid down to the client-selected photos from that folder—without searching them one-by-one.

Step 4: Create your Lightroom “Edit List” collection

Once you see the filtered results:

1. Press Cmd+A (Mac) / Ctrl+A (Windows) to select all.
2. Press B to add to a Quick Collection, or create a new collection called “Client Selects – Edit List”.
3. Optionally, apply a color label (e.g. 6 for Red) to make them obvious anywhere in your catalog.

Pro tip: the “Exact Path” strategy for duplicates

Duplicate filenames usually happen because of one of these:

• Multiple cameras (each starts at DSC_0001)
• Multi-day shoots stored in separate folders
• Separate card dumps into different “Camera A / Camera B” folders

The solution isn’t “be more careful.” The solution is to let the data define the scope:

• Use the CSV’s Exact Uploaded File Path to choose the correct Lightroom folder first
• Then paste filenames (so duplicate filenames outside that folder can’t interfere)

This is why 9pic Select’s “Exact Path” column matters: it makes your Lightroom edit list deterministic.

Troubleshooting: common Lightroom bulk selection pitfalls

My filenames don’t match after import

If you rename files on import, the client’s filename list won’t line up. In that case, keep a consistent naming strategy (or export a filename field that matches your Lightroom catalog naming).

RAW + JPG pairs

If you import RAW+JPG and treat them as separate photos, a filename list may match both. Decide whether you want only RAWs (recommended for editing) and filter accordingly.

File extensions

Some lists include extensions (.JPG) and some don’t. If your search expects “base filename” only, remove extensions in your spreadsheet before pasting.

9Pic AI’s recommendation

If you want your client proofing workflow to stay fast as your event volume grows, optimize for one thing: structured exports.

• CSV exports turn subjective “favorites” into a machine-readable edit list
• Exact file paths prevent duplicate-filename errors across cameras and days
• Folder-first + paste-list turns selections into Lightroom collections in minutes, not hours

Want to see 9pic Select in action? Contact us or start from your dashboard at https://app.9pic.ai/events.

FAQ: Lightroom bulk selection from client proofing

How do I bulk select photos in Lightroom Classic by filename?

The reliable way is to use a structured list (from a CSV) and a Lightroom Classic bulk-search tool that can accept pasted filename lists, then select all results and add them to a collection.

Why do duplicate filenames cause problems in Lightroom?

If two different photos share the same filename in different folders, a filename-only selection list can point to the wrong file. That’s why a file path (folder context) is critical.

What should a client proofing CSV include?

At minimum: filename. For professional workflows: an exact folder/path field so you can scope searches correctly, plus any selection metadata (favorites, ratings, notes).

Conclusion

You’re a photographer, not a data entry clerk. A good client proofing system shouldn’t hand you a messy email—it should hand you a clean, accurate list you can turn into a Lightroom edit list quickly.

With 9pic Select, you can close the loop between the client’s picks and your Lightroom catalog: export CSV → use Exact Path → paste filenames → create collection → edit.

Stop hunting for filenames. Copy, paste, edit.