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Asset Lifecycle and Notifications

How to set up an asset lifecycle and sufficiently deal with expiring assets.

Updated over a week ago

Asset Lifecycle is an enterprise feature. If you’re interested in acquiring it or have further questions, please contact us or your Customer Success Manager.

The asset lifecycle functionality allows you to define the period throughout which the asset is active. For each asset, you can set a 'Valid From' date and an 'Expires On' date to control when the asset is accessible to users before it expires. Whether it’s due to licensing agreements, or you just want it to expire, you’ll be able to retain the overview. Read along and learn how to set it up.

1. Define your expiry action

In the backend view of your Media Library, you’re able to define the expiry action all your digital assets should undergo as soon as they expire. Simply click on the cog wheel in the power bar > Media Library Settings, to do so. You can choose between applying a workflow status, deleting the asset, or doing nothing. In case you decide to apply a workflow status to your expiring assets, you’ll further have the option to choose what status it should be assigned to. 

2. Set the expiry period

Setting up the expiry period can be done by opening the asset in question in the workspace environment (click on an asset in the backend). Subsequently, click on the information icon in the power bar, and then switch to the metadata section. You’ll find a section called 'Asset Lifecycle'. In this section, you can set the date at which the asset is active and accessible to your users. This is useful when you don't want to notify your users too early about newly uploaded assets. You can set a date in the future at which your users get notified and are able to access the assets you shared with them. Likewise, in the field labeled 'Expiry On', you can either enter the expiry date manually or by choosing it from a drop-down calendar.

You can also set the expiry period to several assets at the same time by using the bulk actions in your Media Library. 

3. Make sure no expired assets are used

After having defined all expiry details, you want to close the asset lifecycle by really not using expired assets. The easiest way to do so is by excluding your expired assets from the frontend view of the Media Library. This can be done by entering the frontend of your Media Library, switching to the edit mode, and then clicking on the “Search Settings” button below the filter flyout. In the content settings tab, you then have the possibility to define which asset statuses the search should include.

Asset Expiry Notification

Notifications for assets that are about to expire can easily be set up, allowing all users who downloaded that asset (and library owners and editors) to receive an email notification when it’s no longer valid. The notification is sent out based on the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC timezone). Public viewers will not receive a notification, as they are not logged in users.

This will streamline the asset life cycle management, as you’re now able to notify everyone – preventing unintended use of expired assets.

The notification is also sent out retroactively. Meaning that even users that have downloaded the asset before the expiration notification was set up, will still receive a notification once you activate one.

Please note that this feature can only be enabled in the library by an owner.

Activate Asset Notification

In order to activate this feature, go to your Media Library on the backend, and in the Power Bar select the Settings cogwheel > Media Library Settings.

Once in the Settings, scroll down to the section on Asset Expiry Notifications and toggle to activate it. The option to set how many days before you want to notify your asset users can be selected in the list.

Email Notification

Consumers that downloaded the asset will receive an email notification, to advise them to stop using the asset (registered users only). The asset owners also receive an email on the day set for notification.

Assets that are due to expire at the same time will be sent in the same email.

The email will redirect you to a link where the owner can visualize the collection of assets.

if you'd wish to change the lifecycle setting for the assets, you can do so by navigating back to your Media Library.

Asset Deletion on Expiration

When the assets expire, they are removed from the Library and deleted. This way you can free up storage in your Library.

If you simply would like to remove an asset from the frontend Library and not delete the asset completely, you can have an expiration trigger a status change instead of expiration, as explained above in this help article. This way, the asset(s) will not appear in the frontend of the Library.

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