Assets in content items

Jan Cerman
9 minutes
Assets / Content items / Components
Media files, such as pictures, videos, or documents, are essential to your content items. In Kontent.ai, these media files are called assets.You can do a lot with assets. It all depends on your content model and the options available to you as a content creator.
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Add assets to your content items

There are several ways to add assets. Which to choose? That depends on two criteria: your intent and how your content is structured.
Kontent.ai automatically puts new assets in your project’s asset library. You can reuse assets in the asset library any number of times you want.

Add assets in predefined fields

If your content item comes with asset elements, adding new assets is straightforward. Drag your file onto your asset element. Or click browse to select a file from your hard drive. You can also select an existing asset from your asset library. With asset elements, you can upload anything from pictures to videos or documents, such as PDFs. Your asset element might have guidelines that tell you what kind of assets you should use.

Add assets to the text

If you need to add an image without specifying information about the image’s width, alignment, or caption, insert the image directly in your text. In your rich text, click and then . The image will be inserted at the position of the cursor.
How to insert an image in the rich text editor

Add assets with single-use contextual information in the text

If you need to specify how the image should look in context with the text around it, you’ll want to insert the image through a component. For example, this lets you specify image metadata like width, alignment, caption, and more.
This approach requires having a dedicated content type for assets.
  1. In a rich text element, click and then .
  2. From the list of types, select Image.
    • Your content type for assets might have a different name.
  3. Fill in the elements.
The Image component is now a part of the content item, sharing the item’s workflow and lifecycle.
From single-use to re-useIf you later find another use for the content in your component, you can always convert it to a content item by clicking . This conversion cannot be undone. If done by accident, archive the new item and create your component again.

Customize assets for a better fit

You can customize images used in content items within a few clicks. This is especially useful when you add an asset to an asset element, and it doesn’t meet the element’s limitations specified in your content model.

Replace assets

Replacing assets is similar to adding new ones. After you upload a new asset, remove the outdated one by clicking in the top-right corner.
We recommend deleting the old asset afterward to avoid cluttering your project’s asset library.
If you convert your image component to a content item, you can replace the asset across your entire project. You only need to replace it with one content item, and it will be updated everywhere. To replace one image with another:
  1. In  Content & assets, enter the name of the image item in the filter at the top.
  2. Open the content item.
  3. (If your item is published) Click Create a new version at the top.
  4. Remove the current image and add a new one.
  5. (Optional) Click Publish… at the top of the page.
Your asset will be automatically replaced wherever it is used (you can see where under Used in in the right sidebar).
You can also try out the early access feature to directly replace your asset in the asset library without manually updating your content items.

Tag assets

Tagging your assets is like brushing your teeth. You may find it a chore at first, but everyone will be grateful if you keep at it in your day-to-day. Tagging helps you keep your library organized and the asset easy to find. Put a shiny smile on your assets with asset taxonomies.

Find your assets

Use the search bar to find the assets you need. The search looks into asset titles, file names (including file extensions), and descriptions. You can sort assets by name, creation date, or file size. In the asset library, Kontent.ai remembers your selected sorting option. You can also filter your assets by their assigned taxonomy terms. For example, you can quickly find assets based on their target region or which department they belong to. The options depend on how you set up your taxonomies and whether all assets are tagged.

Remove assets

You can remove an asset from a content item by clicking  in the top-right corner of the asset card. When you remove an asset from your content item, the asset is still kept in your project’s asset library. Make sure you delete the asset if you no longer need it. Less clutter helps in the long run.