Who sees what: media library permissions

In openlane, media permissions are assigned per workspace, not per media item. For each user and workspace, an administrator defines what the user can do with that workspace's media: view, edit, delete or replace them.

Permission on one workspace is enough

A media item can belong to several workspaces. To perform an action on it, you only need the required permission on one of its workspaces. If an image belongs to the Products and Marketing workspaces and you can only view Marketing, the image is visible to you.

Moving media between workspaces is an exception: as well as permission to edit the media item, you need permission to edit the workspace you are adding or removing. Permission to edit an image does not let you move it into an area you do not have access to.

If you can view media, you can download it

There is no separate download permission. If you can view a media item, you can see the full-quality image, and anything displayed in your browser can be saved. A permission that prohibited downloads would promise protection that does not exist. Permissions determine who sees what, not at what resolution.

This is why the basic permission is called View & download: if you have it on a workspace, you can find, open and download that workspace's media.

Editing and deletion depend on approval

Edit and delete permissions have several levels. As well as "none" and "all", there are levels restricted to media not yet approved or media uploaded by the user. This allows a photographer to correct their own images while they are under review, but not after approval. The meaning of "approved" is explained in Media approval.

All workspaces

The All workspaces permission grants all permissions on all workspaces, including those created later. It is intended for library administrators.

It does not include permissions assigned separately: changing media workspaces, sharing media outside the company and managing shoots.

Media visible in product media attributes

A product's media attributes also show public media belonging to workspaces you cannot view: these are already visible outside openlane, so hiding them would not protect anything. You can preview and download these media, but you cannot open their details.

Private media belonging only to workspaces you cannot view are not shown.

The same rules throughout the library

The same rules apply throughout the library: in the media list, sidebar counts, collections and media awaiting approval. If a collection contains media you cannot view, you will see fewer items than its creator does.