CI HUB requires a paid subscription (free trials available here). You can add CI HUB licenses directly to your Frontify contract. Please contact your Customer Success Manager if you have questions.
Before getting started, make sure you can log in to your organization's Frontify.
Verify that you have at least viewer access to a backend library.
Viewer Access: Allows you to browse and use assets within a library from Adobe Link.
Editor Access: Required if you need to upload assets to the library from Adobe Link.
Getting Started with CI HUB Connector
First Time Login
After installing the CI HUB Connector plugin, launch it within your preferred application (e.g., Word, InDesign, Figma, etc.).
Not installed yet? See our CI HUB overview article for a full list of compatible tools and step-by-step installation guides tailored to each platform group.
You will have the option to either "Register" or "Login". If you do not have a CI HUB account, create one first. If you do have a CI HUB login, enter your username and password. Both buttons will link you to the CI HUB Connector website to complete your login or registration.
Once you're logged in, the Connector interface will become active. Initially, you’ll see a minimal interface – that’s expected. No integrations have been added yet. Here’s what you’ll see:
1. Adding Frontify as a Connection
After logging in, you will now be prompted to add a connection to begin using the plugin.
In the 'Connections' section, click the '+' icon to see a list of available connections. The + will blink blue if you have no connections.
Search for "Frontify" and click '+'.
You will be taken to a window to enter your Frontify portal URL.
Once the URL is entered, you will then login to Frontify using your username and password.
Select the brand you would like to use within the Connector. If you have multiple brands you'd like to connect, follow the connection instructions again to add another brand.
Navigating CI HUB Connector
Connections
1. Loading Saved Connections
To restore a saved setup:
Click the Load Profile icon in the Connections menu.
Enter the same password you used when saving your connections.
Your previously connected services—including Frontify—will reappear in the panel.
Why Save Connections?
Saving connections allows you to quickly transfer your setup between environments. For example:
If you connect Frontify in Adobe InDesign, then switch to PowerPoint, simply load your saved profile to continue working without setting everything up again.
This works across any supported CI HUB host application (e.g., Word, Illustrator, SharePoint, etc.).
2. Saving Your Connections
To save your current connections:
In the Connections panel, click the Save Connections icon.
A dialog will prompt you to set a password (minimum 6 characters).
Enter your password and click Save.
3. Add a Connection
To connect a new service:
Click the "+" (Add Connection) icon.
Use the search or filters to find a provider.
Click to authenticate and connect.
The new service will appear in your Connections list.
4. Delete Connection
To remove a service:
Click the Delete Connection (bin) icon next to the service name.
This removes the service from your panel but does not affect your actual provider account.
5. Activate/Deactivate Connection
To toggle visibility of a connected service:
Use the blue checkbox next to the service name.
Checked = active and visible in navigation/search.
Unchecked = temporarily hidden but still connected.
Helpful for decluttering when working with many services.
Navigation
1. Brand/Library/Folder Navigation (Breadcrumbs)
At the top of your active connection, you’ll see the current folder path displayed using forward slashes (/). This breadcrumb-style navigation shows where you are in the brand/library/folder hierarchy and lets you quickly jump back to any level by clicking on a folder name. If this view is ever hidden, click the Folder View icon to restore it.
2. Favorite
You can mark any connected service or folder as a favorite using the star icon. This helps prioritize frequently used connections, bringing them to the top of your list for faster access.
3. Add Folder
Use the Add Folder button to create a new folder within the currently selected location
4. Folder View
Toggles the folder path (breadcrumb view) on or off. It’s especially useful when working in nested folders or when you need to reclaim screen space and bring the folder view back.
5. Search
Click the Search icon to run a full-text search across your connected services. You can search using keywords or advanced logic like AND, OR, and NOT. You can also switch between active connections directly in the search dropdown to narrow results by provider.
6. *Links
In supported applications, the Links button shows an overview of all assets currently linked in your document and their sync status.
*This area is known as the External Content Panel. This panel includes additional features and will be covered are covered here.
Filters
1. Asset Type Filter (Folder View Only)
When viewing assets, you can filter by asset type (e.g., images, layouts, videos, etc.). This helps narrow down results when browsing large libraries.
2. Sort Options
Click the Sort dropdown to rearrange your results based on:
Relevance
Newest
Oldest
Title (A–Z)
Title (Z–A)
Sorting is available both while browsing and after running a search.
3. Metadata Filters (Search View Only)
When you're in the Search navigation, you can apply filters based on the custom metadata defined in the selected Frontify library.
A library must be selected to enable filtering by metadata. The available metadata fields depend on how the library is configured in Frontify.
Results
When you browse a folder or run a search, assets appear in the Results pane. The CI HUB Connector offers multiple ways to view, sort, and interact with your results.
1. Root Folders (Libraries)
In the Frontify CI HUB connection, the top-level folders displayed when connecting a Brand are its libraries. Each library contains folders, assets, and collections if available.
2. Refresh Button
The Refresh button allows you to manually reload the contents of a folder. Since CI HUB uses local caching to improve performance, refreshing ensures that you’re viewing the most up-to-date version of your files.
3. Multi-Select
When multi-select is enabled, you can select multiple assets simultaneously to perform bulk actions—such as uploads.
4. Collections
Within each Frontify library, you may see collections—curated subsets of assets displayed at the first folder level after selecting a library folder.
5. Add File
The Add File button allows you to upload files directly to Frontify. Supported actions:
Uploading new files from your local machine
Replacing or updating an existing linked file
Uploading full composite documents (e.g.,
.indd,.ai,.pptx)
6. List View
Displays your assets in a row-based format with visible metadata columns.
Sort assets by clicking on a column header (ascending/descending)
Customize which columns are shown using the settings cog.
7. Tile View
The default view for most workflows, ideal for visually browsing images and documents.
Assets are displayed as thumbnails in a grid layout
Use the settings icon to adjust preview size (S to XXL), show/hide folders, and toggle image titles or filenames
Right clicking thumbnails will reveal placement information or image renditions (e.g., low-res preview vs. original)
8. Details View
Provides a large preview of the selected asset with in-depth metadata displayed below; including Frontify custom metadata.
Accessible via the Details View button or by double-clicking an asset
Tabs include Basic and Custom metadata
For information on the buttons, visit the 'Details Panel' section.
9. Settings
The Settings icon (gear) in the results toolbar allows you to customize how assets are displayed based on the current view:
In Tile View: Adjust preview size, toggle file names and folder visibility, enable or disable tooltips
In List View: Configure visible metadata columns and tooltip settings
Placing and Using Assets
Placing assets from CI HUB Connector into your working document is quick and flexible.
Placing an Asset
To place an asset into your document:
Drag and drop the asset directly from the CI HUB Connector into your application.
Or, right-click the asset thumbnail and select "Place and Link" (or "Place", depending on the application).
This inserts the asset into your layout and, where supported, maintains a link for future updates.
Right-Click Options
Right-clicking on any asset thumbnail reveals a context menu with additional actions:
Replace: Replaces the currently selected asset in your document with the one you clicked.
Replace All: Replaces all instances of a selected asset across your document with the new asset.
**Open In [Application]: Opens the asset in the corresponding creative tool (e.g., Photoshop, Illustrator), if installed and supported.
**Open in Local Application: Downloads and opens the asset in the default application on your device (e.g., Preview, Photos, etc.).
**Save Local: Saves a local copy of the asset to your predefined CI HUB download location on your computer.
Select Rendition: Choose from available renditions of the asset (e.g., original, small, medium, large, and thumbnail).
**Available in select platforms.
Expiration Status
Expired assets have a information icon in the top right corner. Expiration status can also be seen in the 'Details Panel'.
Expired assets cannot be placed.
Details Panel
When you select an asset in CI HUB Connector, the Quick Details pane appears at the bottom of the plugin. This area provides a snapshot of the asset’s key information and access to additional actions.
1. Metadata
By default, the Quick Details pane displays the asset’s name, file size, dimensions (width × height), and modified date.
Click the Settings icon to customize which metadata fields are shown and reorder them using drag-and-drop.
2. Open in Browser
Opens the selected asset in Frontify’s web interface in a new browser tab—ideal for viewing or managing the asset directly in your Brand Portal.
3. Use File
Same functionality as in the right-click context menu.
4. Update File
Re-uploads the selected asset back to Frontify. This is useful if the file has been edited locally and you want to update the version stored in the DAM.
5. Delete File
Permanently deletes the asset from Frontify.
⚠️ This action cannot be undone.
6. Settings
Click the gear icon in the top-right of the Quick Details pane to:
Show or hide specific metadata fields
Reorder fields using drag-and-drop
Tailor the information display to your workflow
External Content Report
1. Source/Design File
The main design or document file (e.g., .indd, .pptx, .fig) is shown at the top of the panel as a managed asset.
2. Source Connection
Displays which connected system the file or asset originated from (e.g.,Frontify, Dropbox).
3. CSV Report
Exports a list of all assets—including metadata, link status, and usage—into a .csv file for documentation or auditing purposes.
4. Add File
Upload the currently source/design file into the active connection.
5. Refresh
Reloads asset data and updates the status view (e.g., detects new versions, checks for broken links).
6. Update
Update the source/design file in the active connection.
7. Settings
Click the gear icon in the top-right of the Quick Details pane to:
Show or hide specific metadata fields
Reorder fields using drag-and-drop
Tailor the information display to your workflow
8. Check Status Button
Verifies the current status (e.g., linked, missing, outdated) and refreshes visual indicators.
ExCoP (External Content Panel)
The External Content Panel (ExCoP) gives you complete visibility and control over the assets used in your document—regardless of which CI HUB-supported platform you’re using. Whether you're working in Adobe, WordPress, Figma, Sharepoint, Sketch or PowerPoint (Pro), the ExCoP centralizes asset information and status in one accessible panel.
With the ExCoP, you can:
View which assets are placed in your document
Identify the source system of each asset (e.g., Frontify, Dropbox, Adobe Stock)
Detect missing or locally unavailable assets
Check if assets are embedded or linked (Adobe)
Switch between high-resolution and low-resolution renditions
Relink assets to newer versions from your connected system
Upload local or embedded assets back to Frontify or another connected system
Move assets between connected systems
Access complete metadata including:
File size
Last modified date
Local and remote paths
Remote ID (from the source system)
Rendition info
Page or location within the document
Run batch operations such as Check, Relink, and Upload
Receive warnings when:
A newer version is available
An asset has been modified locally
1. Asset Link
Each placed asset is shown here. The row represents the link itself and includes status icons, relinking, adding asset, updating asset, and check status.
2. Source Connection
Indicates the connected system where the asset is (or was) located—such as Frontify, Dropbox, or Google Drive. This is used to determine how the asset was originally linked.
3. Asset Link Status
Green Laptop Icon: Asset is available locally.
Red Laptop Icon: Asset is not currently available locally and may require relinking or download.
4. Relink Asset Link
Even if the source system shows as Frontify (or another system), the asset still needs to be explicitly relinked to establish an active link. This is especially relevant when opening a shared or previously exported document.
Refer to point Connection Asset Selection below for how to confirm the correct match before relinking.
5. Add Asset
Uploads the selected asset into the currently active source system (e.g., from local storage into Frontify). Use this when working with embedded or local-only assets that should be made available in your Frontify DAM.
6. Update Asset
Upload the Asset Link into the connected system again.
7. Check Asset Status
Triggers a manual check for the selected asset. This includes verifying file availability, local sync status, and whether a newer version exists.
8. Asset Information Panel
Click the white arrow to expand asset details. Information includes:
File name
Remote ID (if applicable)
Rendition type (Original, PNG, JPEG)
Modified date
File size
Whether the asset is embedded or linked
Page or frame location in the document
9. Connection Asset Selection
When relinking, the CI HUB Connector will attempt to match the asset name to assets in the connected system.
Important: Even if there’s only one match, you must select it manually. Otherwise, the Relink button will remain disabled.