When working with any Library in Frontify, you need to start with the concept of the backend and frontend, the backend where you upload assets, frontend where others can view them.

The backend of a Library is the one you create under the Libraries tab within your Brand. That is where you can upload the assets without exposing them to other users just yet.

In the backend of the Library, you can upload both assets and folders, organize them within the Library, and add metadata and tags.

You can invite other collaborators through the Team Icon in the Power Bar on the left-hand side by selecting and clicking on one Library.

Note that only invited users will have access to the backend of the Media Library, and only Editors and Owners will be able to contribute or upload assets and folders.

While it is beneficial to ensure that your metadata is complete, we also recommend adding a description for your library. That will help you find the correct library or project while navigating or searching for them in the backend.

To fill in the description, simply click on the cogwheel on the top right-hand corner of the library in the Libraries tab.

In the backend, you can also create Folders. Folders are the best way to organize assets and are not displayed on the frontend.

To present related groups of assets in the frontend, you can create Collections. Collections are built in the backend and will be visible in the “consumer view” frontend if you enable it with the "Show in Media Library" toggle.

Here is how you create Folders:

Here is how you create Collections:

And this is how you add the assets in the Folder to a Collection:

You can add attachments to Documents, Icons, and the Logo Library. This way, you have a second option at hand to upload these assets in different formats. Plus, you can now provide icon and logo bundles for download.

To add them, just open the editing sidebar from the asset overview or in detail asset view, and in the Relations tab, you will find the Attachments section.

When working on the backend, you can move assets from specific libraries to others of the same type. The libraries with this feature are currently: Icon, Logo, and Media Libraries. You can only move the assets within the same kind of libraries, e.g., from icon to icon library or from logo to logo library.

Select the asset you’d wish to move. And using the bulk actions buttons, select “Move,” where you can move the chosen assets to the corresponding library or project.

The frontend of a Library is the "consumer view," where all the users who have access to the Style Guide can view and download the images. You can’t upload assets or folders in the Library frontend.

The frontend is a part of your Style Guide – it's one of the elements in the top navigation. You can create the frontend by choosing the "Media Library" option when adding a new Document in the top navigation.

In the frontend, you can define the search and filter settings to help users find the assets they need. You can also specify how Collections and assets are presented in the frontend with Layout Settings.

When working in the backend, you can reach the frontend by clicking the Style Guide icon in the Power Bar.

You can reach the backend by clicking the Projects icon in the Power Bar and switching to the Libraries tab when working on the frontend.

Note that the Library backend will only be available if somebody specifically invited you to it.

We hope you have found this article helpful.

In case you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our support team.