Updates
Short notes on Archive Buddy development, new features, roadmap items and service announcements.
September 2026
Development note
A Professional workflow now reviews supplied checksum manifests or fixity verification reports and produces a register, exceptions-only CSV and Markdown record. It does not upload, open, scan or hash original collection files in the web workflow. The Archive Buddy team can help set up managed Archivematica hosting. Reach out to us at info@archivebuddy.ai.
September 2026
Development note
A Professional workflow now turns a supplied file listing or directory CSV into a reviewable born-digital triage register, Markdown plan and CSV export. It works from listing evidence only: no original binaries are uploaded, no checksums or migrations are run, and duplicate or format signals remain prompts for professional review.
September 2026
Development note
A Professional workflow now records supplied collection policy, appraisal criteria, material facts, risks and a proposed action into a reviewable appraisal decision log, Markdown record and one-row internal CSV. Missing facts stay missing, and the output is not final appraisal authority or permission to dispose, transfer, destroy or sell material.
September 2026
Development note
A Professional workflow now composes supplied copyright, privacy/sensitivity, donor and reading-room facts into a reviewable access plan, Markdown record and one-row internal CSV. Missing facts stay missing, and the output is not legal advice or permission to publish.
September 2026
Development note
The Professional authority-record workflow now drafts version-2 ISAAR(CPF) / EAC-CPF snippets. It adds language of names, legal status, functions, resource relations, maintenance-agency identity, and optional VIAF/Wikidata checks that the archivist must accept. Missing facts still stay blank. Version 3 and later are the intended path for mandates, internal structure and further linked-data work. The XML remains a draft for professional review, not a live catalogue import.
September 2026
Development note
A Professional workflow has been prepared for turning a supplied obituary, CV or biographical note into a reviewable first-version ISAAR(CPF) / EAC-CPF snippet. Missing facts stay blank. Version 2 and later are the intended path for language of names, functions, resource relations and optional linked-data checks. The XML is a draft for professional review, not a live catalogue import.
September 2026
Development note
Two Professional workflows have been prepared. Exhibition label drafts wall text to a chosen word count from a supplied description. Finding-aid cleaner joins OCR line-breaks and extra space, then inserts the cleaned text into chat as supplied source material.
September 2026
Development note
A Professional workflow has been prepared for turning a legacy catalogue export and an OCMF mapping workbook into a reviewable AtoM information_objects.csv, with a data-loss register and load playbook. It does not invent catalogue values or import into a live AtoM instance.
September 2026
Development note
Two new chat procedures have been prepared. Oral history index extracts people, places and themes from a supplied transcript and uses timestamps only when they are already in the text. Deaccession drafts a weeding proposal from supplied collection policy and material facts for Professional users, and does not make a final disposal decision.
September 2026
Development note
A draft accession record workflow has been prepared for Professional users. It turns supplied donor, extent, condition and inventory notes into a reviewable record and one-row ArchivesSpace-oriented CSV, leaves missing facts blank, and does not store donor data or import into a live catalogue.
September 2026
Development note
A conservative public-domain questionnaire has been prepared for Professional users. It covers Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy, France, Brazil, India, Pakistan, Indonesia and Turkey, generates a draft Rights Assessment Record, and does not invent dates or treat the result as legal advice or permission to publish.
September 2026
Development note
A review-first sensitivity redaction workflow has been prepared for Professional users. It can scan a pasted transcript for likely PII, optionally ask Buddy for extra name or sensitivity spans, and export redacted text only after the archivist approves or ignores each flag. It does not auto-redact, store the transcript, or treat the result as a completed access decision.
September 2026
Development note
A review-first wording assist has been prepared for the IIIF manifest workflow. It can suggest improvements to supplied titles, summaries, canvas labels and metadata wording, but it does not auto-apply changes, fill canvases, invent image or service URLs, infer dimensions, set rights, create identifiers or publish manifests.
September 2026
Product update
The IIIF manifest workflow can now import an existing Presentation 3 manifest JSON or a canvas CSV, then populate the editable draft for review. Canvas imports focus on the repetitive image fields: labels, image URLs, service URLs, width, height and notes. Archive Buddy still does not host images, fetch arbitrary image URLs on the server, infer rights or publish the manifest automatically.
September 2026
New feature
Professional users can now upload a DROID or Siegfried characterisation CSV and receive a draft format-risk summary with buckets, counts, byte totals, uncertainty flags and Markdown/CSV exports. The workflow analyses the supplied CSV only: it does not ingest original files, run characterisation itself, invent PUIDs or replace a preservation decision.
September 2026
New feature
Professional users can now convert one ISAD(G) description or an AtoM-style CSV into reviewed RiC-O Turtle. The mapper is deterministic: it flags file-versus-item and other decisions, checks a SHACL profile, and returns Turtle for download or a summary back into chat. It does not invent creators, dates or identifiers.
September 2026
Product update
Users can now choose additional workspace languages in Settings, including Arabic, Hindi, Swedish, Turkish, Dutch and Polish. Settings also includes optional house style preferences so researcher replies and description drafts can follow an archive's local voice and descriptive convention while keeping professional review in control.
September 2026
New feature
Conversation exports now include Markdown and PDF options for the visible thread. Assistant replies can also be exported as draft archival working files, including EAD snippets and Dublin Core XML, for professional review and adaptation.
August 2026
New feature
Dictation is now available to all users. Professional users can now upload file attachments (PDF/DOCX/TXT/Images), explore IIIF manifests, and connect read-only metadata streams from ArchivesSpace and AtoM. Microsoft Workspace (Outlook/OneDrive) and Google Workspace (Gmail/Drive) connectors are also available.
August 2026
New feature
Professional users can now compare a structured retention schedule CSV with a disposal or transfer list CSV, review suggested matches and uncertainty, filter results, export draft review tables, and carry a focused summary into chat for further drafting. The workflow is designed as decision support for archivists, not as an automated disposal authority.
August 2026
Development note
Archive Buddy now has an implementation for Gmail send and Google Drive file creation using narrow Google scopes.
July 2026
Product update
Archive Buddy's optional calendar connector has been approved for calendar read and event scopes. Users can connect their own calendar, view upcoming events and create calendar events after explicit confirmation.
July 2026
Product update
Archive Buddy is now available as an early specialist workspace for archival chat, saved conversations, streaming responses and archivist-focused Quick Actions.
July 2026
New feature
The initial workflow set now includes researcher responses, scope and content notes, preservation advice, digitisation planning, rights and sensitivity review, reference interviews, archive administration, description drafting and appraisal support.
July 2026
Development note
The service now supports Google sign-in, Stripe subscriptions, free and paid usage limits, and account-specific allowances for early testers.
Roadmap
Roadmap note
Planned development includes retrieval over institutional sources and configuration for local descriptive practice.