lightroom features

How to batch edit in Lightroom.

Discover how you can use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom to apply identical changes to multiple images at once.

Why should I batch edit photos in Lightroom?

Whether you’re importing photos from a professional photoshoot or from an afternoon hike with your family, you’ll most likely encounter a lot of images in need of the same basic edits and tweaks. In Lightroom, batch editing is a quick way to synchronize your edits across multiple selected photos and videos.

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An example showing three different photos being adjusted at once.

Streamline your editing workflow.

Save time by adjusting settings, including exposure, contrast, and color — for all your media at once.

Use your favorite presets.

Presets are a pre-made set of edits that function like a filter, instantly enhancing your photos. Use Lightroom presets to apply one set of changes to all of your media to create a specific look and mood.

A before and after photo with a preset applied. The before photo is colorized and the after photo is black and white.

An example showing a photo and video being edited in the same batch.

Edit both pictures and videos.

You can make the same changes to both your photos and your videos — all in the same batch.

Work smarter with AI masking.

Want to brighten every subject in your pictures, or darken every shot of the sky? AI masks can identify the same elements in different images, so you can adjust them to your specifications.

An example of an AI mask used to identify a person as an object in a photo.

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How to batch edit in Lightroom.

Lightroom has a few great options for applying your edits across multiple photos.

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Copy and paste edits from one photo to another.

Once you’ve applied edits or a preset to one photo, the best way to batch edit in Lightroom is to copy those edits and paste them onto the rest of the photos in your batch.

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1. Select it:

Select an image with the edits you wish to copy. Either use Command+C (on Mac) or Ctrl+C (on Windows) to copy all the edit settings.

2. Customize it:

To choose which specific edit settings to copy instead of copying them all — perhaps you want to copy over the Light adjustments but not the Color adjustments — hit Command+Shift+C (on Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+C (on Windows). This will bring up a dialog box where you can choose which types of edits to copy. You can also use the Select menu to choose between categories of changes, including All, Modified, Default, or None.

3. Paste it:

Hold Command (on Mac) or Control (on Windows) and click on the images you want to paste the edit settings to. Then hit Command+V (on Mac) or Ctrl+V (on Windows) to paste the edits onto all of the selected images.

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An example showing photos being edited as they are imported into Lightroom.

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Apply changes to a batch of photos as you import them.

To apply changes to a group of photos as you import them into Lightroom, go to Preferences › Import. Then change the Raw Default option from Adobe Default to a preset of your choice, including custom presets you’ve created from your own set of adjustments.

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How to batch edit in Lightroom Classic.

There are three additional ways to apply your editing settings across multiple pictures and videos in Lightroom Classic.

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A screenshot of the Library module in Lightroom Classic.

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Apply presets during import.

Use this option to apply a preset as you import photos and videos from your camera.

Open it:
In the Library module, click the Import button.
Choose it:
Open the Apply During Import panel on the right side of the Import window.
Select it:
Select a preset from the list. It will be applied to all the images and videos you’re importing.

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Apply During Import panel superimposed on three different photos.

Apply presets in the Library module.

Choose a saved preset or download one and apply it to a batch of multiple pictures and videos.

Select it:
In the Library’s grid view mode, select the photos and videos that you want to edit.
Change it:
Select the preset you want to use from the Quick Develop panel. Lightroom will apply it to all of your selected media.

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Sync button superimposed on five different photos.

Apply custom edits from one photo or video to a batch.

Fine-tune the settings of a single image or video, and then sync settings from the edited image with the rest of the batch.

Edit it:
Adjust the color, lighting, white balance, and other settings of an image or video using the Develop module.
Select it:
Select the photo or video you’ve edited. Then select the other photos and videos you want the edits applied to. Lightroom will designate the first photo or video you selected as the one to copy edits from.
Click it:
Slick the Sync button in the Develop module. To save time, you can also use the keyboard shortcut Command+Shift+S (on Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+S (on Windows).
Set it:
The Synchronize Settings window will open. From there you can choose which of the first image’s settings you want to synchronize to the other photos and videos in your batch.
Sync it:
Click Synchronize and Lightroom will apply your edits to every selected photo or video.