Asset structure - Folders (video tutorial)

Overview

Watch this video tutorial to gain effective strategies for optimizing your folder structure to enhance asset organization and searchability.

Video tutorial

Tutorial contents

This tutorial presents the following topics. Click a timestamp to jump to that part of the video.

Introduction

0:00	This is the second video in a two-part series that explores asset structure within the Media Library and how it can help you organize your Media Library content, making asset searches more efficient. The first video focused on metadata and tags. This video covers folders. Folders, in additional to metadata, offer a great way to organize your assets within the Assets platform.

Folder structure

0:13

To optimize digital asset organization, we recommend using a combination of folder structure and metadata (as detailed in the Metadata and tags tutorial). Folders offer a familiar way to organize, access and reuse content, but it's vital to keep the structure relevant and avoid excessive layering, which can deter users. Recognize that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't apply, as organizational definitions, business language, and user requirements vary. Additionally, folders serve as a means to manage and control user and user group access to assets, allowing you to apply permissions to restrict content visibility.

Folder structure example 1

1:27	The example in the tutorial shows a logical, easily navigable, business logic and language-based folder structure that uses a limited number of layers.

• Accessories
• Fashion
• Boys
• Girls
• Mens
• Jackets
• Womens
• Footwear
• Household
• Jewelry

Folder structure example 2

1:47

You can switch views using the tabs at the top of the Media Library. The Assets view shows a continual scrolling view of all your assets, and the Folders view displays the assets within the folder hierarchy. In the tutorial, the view switches to Folders, where you'll see another example of a folder structure, ensuring that assets are easy to find. It's easy to access men's fashion wear, as it's only two layers deep:

• product
• Children's SS23
• Men's SS23
• Women's

Search for assets by folder

2:28

You can also search for assets by their containing folder. Switch to the Assets view using the tab at the top of the Media Library, and set the Folders filter to your desired folder. You can select multiple folders simultaneously to view all the assets within any of them, such as Men's SS23, Women's SS23 and Children's SS23. To further refine your search, apply additional filters. For example, set the Asset Type filter to display assets with the Product value in that field, and set the Asset Subtype filter to Agency. This combination narrows down the results to assets generated by an agency, related to products, and residing within any one of the three selected folders.

Apply permissions

3:29

You can also establish permissions and access restrictions for your assets using the folder structure. When you set permissions at a higher-level folder, they automatically apply to all folders within the hierarchy. For example, permissions applied to the product folder extend to Men's SS23, Women's SS23, and Children's SS23. However, applying permissions to a lower-level folder, such as Men's SS23, won't affect the others. Setting folder permissions is especially important when creating Media Library user roles. Without shared folders, those users won't have access to any content. To set folder permissions, access the (3-dots) option menu on the folder and select Share. In the dialog box, invite individuals and groups, and grant permission levels such as Can manage, Can edit, Can contribute, or Can view.

Create a folder

4:22

To create a folder, simply navigate to the Folders view and click the plus icon. Name the newly created folder Summer to categorize assets related to the summer campaign. Save the folder, and it will appear in the Media Library labeled as New. Within the Summer folder, you can enhance organization by clicking the plus icon to create sub-folders like Socials, Giveaways and Influencer. This structure is designed for efficient asset management.

Move content to folders

5:20

To move content into a folder, begin by locating the content you want to move. Head to the Assets view and initiate a search. In the Asset Type filter, choose Marketing collateral to locate all assets with the Marketing collateral value in the Asset Type field. From the results that come up, select the assets you want to move and, within the asset toolbar, select Move to Folder. Locate the desired destination folder, such as Summer or its sub-folder Socials. A confirmation message will appear, and upon navigating to the Socials folder, you'll find the moved assets residing there.

Popup view for folder hierarchy

6:23	A popup view for the folder hierarchy can be accessed by clicking the folder icon. This view offers an overview of how folders are nested. When you click on a folder within the popup view, it will immediately display the folder and its contents in the primary Media Library panel.

Dynamic folders

6:41

The dynamic folders feature is a remarkably powerful tool. With dynamic folders enabled, changes such as moving content and renaming folders don't alter the public ID on which the delivery URL is based. Consequently, these changes won't disrupt the delivery URL of the asset. Whether you need to correct a spelling error in a folder name or adjust it to align with changes in business language, you can do so without worry. As long as the public ID remains the same, the delivery URL will remain intact. If you're unsure whether you have this feature enabled, check the indication in the Media Library Preferences, or contact your Customer Success Manager.

Cloudinary knowledge base

7:24

Explore Cloudinary's valuable resources to enhance your knowledge and proficiency with the platform. Visit the Knowledge Base for a comprehensive repository of information. Additionally, engage with the Cloudinary Community where users and Cloudinary administrators share questions and solutions. If you're looking to expand your skills, the Cloudinary Academy offers a variety of courses to help you make the most of Cloudinary's capabilities.

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