Should Photoshop batch errors stop the run or be written to a log for later review?

Illustrative exercise

Illustrative exercise: prepare a test copy of three files for a fictional product-image action. Two files have the expected document structure; the third is intentionally incompatible. This is a planning example, not a completed Photoshop test. Run the same test batch once with Stop for Errors and once with Log Errors to File.

With Stop for Errors, the incompatible file is the intervention point: observe where processing stops and identify which outputs were produced before the stop. With Log Errors to File, observe that processing continues for eligible files, then locate the error entry and reconcile it with the output manifest. Treat the test as a pass only when the failed input is identifiable and every produced output can be traced to an intended input. Stop the review if an output cannot be traced, appears overwritten, or requires a semantic product decision that the error log does not answer.

1. Preserve the approved originals and use a test copy or separate destination.
2. Record the three input filenames and the intended action before running either mode.
3. Compare the stopped run, the log entry, and the produced outputs; do not describe this illustrative exercise as a software test result.

When to stop

Select Stop for Errors when the next files should not be processed until someone resolves the current failure. This is appropriate when the action may produce misleading deliverables, when the batch depends on a consistent document structure, or when an operator must inspect the failed file before continuing. The observable result is an interrupted run that creates a clear intervention point.

Stopping is an operational control, not a validation of product meaning. A run can stop because a file is incompatible while still leaving earlier outputs that need inspection. Review those outputs against the input list and the intended naming plan before releasing them.

1. Use Stop for Errors when immediate intervention is required.
2. Identify the failed input and inspect the outputs created before the stop.
3. Fix or separately process the affected input only after deciding what the action should do with that document.

When to log and continue

Select Log Errors to File when the batch should continue for files that can still be processed and the team has a later review procedure. The log gives you a record of errors to reconcile after processing; it does not turn the run into an automatic approval. Continue only when an incomplete set is acceptable during production and no downstream step will mistake missing outputs for successful completion.

A log-based workflow needs two records: the error log and an output manifest. The manifest can be a manually maintained list of intended inputs and resulting filenames. Mark each input as produced, failed, or requiring review. A missing output is an exception even when Photoshop reports that the batch completed.

1. Use Log Errors to File when continuation is intentional and review capacity exists.
2. After processing, match each log entry to its input filename or other traceable identifier.
3. Compare the expected and actual output lists before moving files into the release set.
4. Escalate any unmatched error, unexplained output, or naming collision instead of treating the batch as complete.

Scope and release check

The documented controls here are Photoshop Batch and droplet processing options. They are not Lightroom Classic, Lightroom, web, or mobile controls. Do not transfer the menu behavior or acceptance criteria to those applications without separate documented support.

Photoshop can process selected sources such as a folder, imported files, opened files, or Bridge items. Include All Subfolders expands the input scope, so the manifest must reflect that broader set. Destination None leaves files open unless the action saves them; Save and Close overwrites originals; a selected folder sends output elsewhere. Preserve originals and use a test copy while establishing the workflow.

File naming needs at least one unique element to avoid overwriting. If Override Action Save As Commands is used, the chosen batch destination takes precedence over a folder recorded in the action. Override Action Open Commands can prevent a recorded Open file from replacing selected source files, although some actions deliberately require fixed files. These controls affect routing and file handling, not whether a file represents the correct SKU or has the intended layer meaning.

The release condition is therefore two-part: every intended input has a known outcome, and a person has reviewed the outputs for the product-specific meaning the batch cannot establish. If either part is missing, hold the release set.

Use this question’s review worksheet

The sample rows are fictional exercise data. Preserve the example, save a working copy and record your own inputs, observations and decisions. The example is not a test receipt.

Illustrative manual batch review worksheet (CSV)