The openlane media library

The media library is the central repository for files that describe your products: photographs, detail images, PDF technical data sheets and videos. To open it, select Media from the menu.

Each uploaded file becomes a media asset. A media asset is not a copy tied to a single product, but a library item that products, marketing tools and other records reference in their media attributes. The same media asset can appear on a hundred products: when you replace it with a new version, that version appears on all hundred, without you having to open each one individually.

Each media asset has a record containing its title, type, applicable languages, crops, previous versions and a list of the records that use it.

Library organisation

The library is organised into three levels, each serving a different purpose:

• workspaces define which area a media asset belongs to and, consequently, who can view and edit it;
• collections are manually curated lists that let you work with a set of media assets without moving them;
• approval indicates whether a media asset has been checked and is ready for use where a review is required.

A media asset always belongs to at least one workspace. A file uploaded from the library is assigned to the intake workspace; when it is ready, it is moved to the appropriate workspace.

Where media assets are used

You can browse media assets in the library, but you mainly use them in records. A product's media attributes display images as cards or table rows; from there, you can open a preview, download the file or go to the media asset's record. If you work on products, you may only interact with the library through these attributes, without opening it directly.