--- title: Assets description: The asset manager handles your images, videos, audio, and text. url: https://storyblok.com/docs/manuals/assets --- # Assets Storyblok includes a native [digital asset manager](https://www.storyblok.com/mp/asset-management-system) (DAM) to upload images, videos, audio, and text in popular formats (including PDF, DOC, and TXT). Navigate to the **Assets** tab to manage your files. Assets in Storyblok can either be tied to a specific space or scoped under an organization and available as shared assets to selected spaces. This manual covers both space-scoped and shared assets. To manage and configure shared assets, see the [Shared asset libraries](#shared-asset-libraries) section below. > [!NOTE] > For technical details about how to handle assets in your codebase, visit our [Assets Developer Documentation](https://storyblok.com/docs/concepts/assets). ## Upload To upload one or more files, click **Upload files** or drag and drop them into the active window. > [!NOTE] > Some file types are only available on paid plans. Learn more on our [pricing page](https://www.storyblok.com/pricing). Inside the **Upload** window, rename the file, mark it as private, provide metadata via **Advanced options**, add more files, or delete assets before uploading. This is the only opportunity to rename the file, as file names cannot be changed after uploading. Depending on the space settings, some metadata fields may be required during the upload process. In this case, select Advanced options and fill in the required fields at the top (marked with a red asterisk). [![The asset overview window: Edit meta fields, access the Image Editor, and track where the asset is used](https://a.storyblok.com/f/212319/3563x2101/67b556fd3d/assets_overview.png/m/720x0/)](https://a.storyblok.com/f/212319/3563x2101/67b556fd3d/assets_overview.png) The asset overview window When an asset is marked as private, it is hidden. To mark a file as private, toggle the lock button. Optionally, schedule a publishing date and time to make the asset public at a later date. ## Organize Use the asset manager to search, filter, and sort files. The asset manager includes both a tagging system and a folder system for organizing assets. > [!NOTE] > Access to assets may depend on your [role](https://storyblok.com/docs/manuals/roles). For more information, contact your space administrator. Use the **Search** bar to find assets by file name or file type. Use the **Sort** dropdown menu to order displayed assets. The default sorting is by creation date (that is, when assets were uploaded), from newest to oldest. Use the **Filter** dropdown menu to perform an advanced search. Apply one or more filters and create queries to display results based on the relevant criteria. Use the checkboxes to select assets and perform bulk actions. The **Deleted assets** tab stores discarded files until emptying. To recover a deleted asset, click the restore icon. To recover multiple deleted assets, select them by their checkboxes and click **Restore assets**. To “empty the trash”, click **Permanently delete all**. Note that this action cannot be undone and affects all assets. There's no way to remove files individually. The tagging system offers a way to organize assets across folders. Asset tags are separate from block, [story](https://www.storyblok.com/docs/editor-guides/tags), and [idea](https://storyblok.com/docs/manuals/ideas) tags. ## Edit There are three ways to perform actions on a single file, each providing slightly different functionality. - Click the asset to open the **Overview** window. - Hover over the asset, open the three-dot menu, and click the relevant action. - Select the **checkbox** in the upper-left corner and choose the relevant action from the top toolbar. The universal actions available in all methods are: - Preview - Edit an image - Copy the URL - Move to folder - Delete To tag, move, or delete multiple assets, select them and then choose the desired option from the toolbar. Additionally, a **Convert to shared asset** action is available for space assets. It moves the selected asset to a shared asset library and updates all references to this asset to point to the new path. You will need to resolve any metadata fields and tags that differ between the space and the target library. Open the **Overview** window to add or edit asset metadata such as tags, title, alt text, copyright, and other custom fields. Depending on the project's setup, this information may be visible on the website. The **Overview** window provides additional options for JPEG and PNG files: - Add a focal point. To mark the area that should remain centered when resizing the asset, hover over the image and click. To remove a focal point, click the **camera focus** button. - Change the background color of a PNG file. - Apply [image transformations](https://storyblok.com/docs/manuals/image-editor). If AI alt text is enabled in your space (under **Settings** → **AI Settings**), the **Generate Alt Text** button will produce alt text for PNG, JPEG, and WEBP images. Always verify AI-generated text. ### Translate metadata fields To translate an asset's metadata fields, open the **Assets** library, select the file, and then choose a language from the drop-down. Toggle the globe icon to enable translation and provide the appropriate translation to match the **Default language** value. > [!NOTE] > [AI translation](https://www.storyblok.com/docs/manuals/ai-assistance#ai-translations) doesn't apply to Asset metadata fields, except for the Alt text field. ### Track The **References** tab on each asset displays the stories that include the asset. The [Replace Asset app](https://www.storyblok.com/apps/replace_asset) will swap assets globally from the main asset manager window. This is useful when you need to upload a new version of a file that's used across multiple stories. ## Shared asset libraries > [!NOTE] > Shared asset libraries are only available on specific Storyblok plans. Refer to the [pricing](https://www.storyblok.com/pricing) page for details. A shared asset library enables assets to be available across multiple spaces. Navigate to **Shared Assets** in the organization settings to manage shared asset libraries. ### Create a library In the **Shared Assets** section of your organization settings, use the **New Library** button to create a new shared asset library. Enter a name and description, and also configure its region. Select a specific region to restrict access to assets from spaces in other regions. [![Storyblok interface showing "Create shared asset library" form with options for name, region, and editing settings.](https://a.storyblok.com/f/212319/2880x1680/6dd5954847/create-a-new-shared-asset-library.png/m/720x0/)](https://a.storyblok.com/f/212319/2880x1680/6dd5954847/create-a-new-shared-asset-library.png) Create a new shared asset library ### Manage space access Configure which spaces have access to the library's assets. Select which spaces can additionally edit assets and metadata under the **Spaces with editing permissions** dropdown. For read-only access, select specific spaces under the **Spaces with read-only access** dropdown. To make changes to an existing library, hover over it, then choose Settings from the three-dot menu. You can duplicate an existing library using the **Duplicate** option. ### Browse and manage assets Shared asset libraries available to the current space are represented as separate tabs. Navigate to the relevant tab to browse and manage its assets. The actions you can take on a shared asset depend on the permissions defined for the shared asset library. [![Storyblok dashboard displaying the "Assets" section with a sidebar menu and two image files listed.](https://a.storyblok.com/f/212319/2880x1680/5d987b6b33/shared-assets-library-browse-in-space.png/m/720x0/)](https://a.storyblok.com/f/212319/2880x1680/5d987b6b33/shared-assets-library-browse-in-space.png) Browse shared assets in a space ### Settings To manage shared asset libraries, navigate **My Organization** → **Settings** → **Shared Assets** in the organization settings. Learn more about the various settings you can configure in the Organizations [manual.](link-to-manual) ### Activities Navigate to the **Activities** tab in your organization's settings to monitor activities related to shared assets. todo: add screenshot here, this UI section is currently in development ## Pagination - [Previous: AI Assistance](https://storyblok.com/docs/manuals/ai-assistance) - [Next: Concepts](https://storyblok.com/docs/manuals/concepts)