Note: This guide covers asset migrations supported by the Frontify Professional Services team. Talk to your Customer Success Manager before getting started to align on scope, timeline, and associated costs.
We’re excited that you’ve decided to implement Frontify as your new Brand Asset Management platform. If you already have a DAM system in place, you might want to migrate your assets to Frontify. In this article, we’re going to show you the steps you want to take, the information we need for migration, and how we’re going to do it.
Overview
Frontify’s Self-managed S3 Asset Migration is a flexible migration model where your team prepares the assets and metadata, and Frontify handles the technical execution.
This migration is designed for teams that have the internal capacity to export assets from their current DAM or file storage system, prepare a metadata sheet according to Frontify’s requirements, and upload the migration package to the temporary S3 bucket provided by Frontify.
Once the asset and metadata package is ready, Frontify validates the package, performs the programmatic upload to your Frontify libraries, applies metadata based on the submitted sheet, and shares a migration report after completion.
This option is cost-effective for teams with internal resources, supports large asset volumes, and gives your team control over the quality of the data being migrated.
Important: This is a self-managed migration model. Your team is responsible for exporting assets, preparing the metadata sheet, formatting the migration package, and uploading the files to the provided S3 bucket.
Frontify provides S3 credentials, migration templates, and technical execution once the package is ready. This migration does not include asset extraction from your former DAM, data analysis, taxonomy creation, metadata enrichment, or manual preparation of files or metadata.
Background: Assets & Metadata
An asset migration always has two main parts:
The assets themselves
The metadata associated with them
The following image shows you how the migration process looks like. You (or your former supplier) need to export everything from the former system to a cloud storage (Amazon S3), the metadata should be exported as a CSV file and structured accordingly to import to Frontify.
Usually, migrating the assets themselves is not really the issue, but the “pièce de resistance” often lies in the metadata and how to map it to the actual assets.
Some DAM systems allow full exports of assets and metadata from the UI of the system. If your former system has that functionality, you can perform a full download by yourself and provide us with:
The metadata sheet, after having done the adaptations necessary to match our structure (more about that structure later).
The assets in the S3 bucket we’ve prepared for you.
If your former system doesn’t allow a full export from the UI, you have two options:
Contact the former system provider and ask them to make that export for you. There are very different reactions from providers when you ask them to do so. Some are very cooperative and support you with it, but some aren’t really keen on helping. If the provider is somehow cooperative, it could make sense to set up a call with them and Frontify to discuss the details of the export. If your provider wants to charge money for the export, try to make sure that they export it in the structure that is needed right from the start.
If your former provider has an API in place, you can probably use this API to export your metadata and/or assets. Discuss that option with your former provider, and with us, to define if that way could be an option.
You can export the assets by yourself. If there are any kind of bulk downloads available, upload them to Frontify by yourself. If you do, you will only have EXIF data written to images, but no additional metadata associated with the assets. So this should really be considered as a last resort (or if you really want to build everything from scratch).
Now, let’s talk about which assets to migrate:
A DAM migration is your chance to get rid of old assets that you might not need any more in the future. Therefore we recommend planning some time ahead for cleaning up your libraries and assets. This can be done before the migration, or directly in Frontify after we’ve migrated the assets. If you want to get rid of assets before migrating them into Frontify (after the export to the cloud storage) you can just remove the assets from the metadata sheet as we only import assets that are represented in that sheet.
The same goes for metadata associated with the file: If you want to change/delete metadata before the migration, you can do that directly in the metadata sheet. But you can also easily do that after the migration directly in Frontify. One of the big advantages of our system is how easily you can apply metadata to assets. But you might already know that.
Is this migration option right for you?
The Self-managed S3 Asset Migration is a good fit if:
You have internal resources to export assets from your current DAM or file storage system.
You can prepare the metadata sheet according to Frontify’s requirements.
You want to stay in control of asset and metadata quality before migration.
You have a larger asset volume where manual upload is not practical.
You want Frontify to handle the technical import once the migration package is ready.
You are comfortable preparing and submitting the migration package through S3.
This option may not be the best fit if:
You need Frontify to extract assets or metadata from your current DAM.
You need support with metadata strategy, taxonomy design, data cleanup, or enrichment.
You do not have internal resources to prepare the assets and metadata sheet.
Your migration is small enough to handle manually through the Frontify UI.
Your files or metadata are not ready to be prepared according to Frontify’s migration requirements.
Smaller migrations or assets without structured metadata
For migrations with fewer than 100 GB of assets, a few thousand files, or assets that do not require structured metadata during import, you may want to consider uploading assets manually to Frontify instead.
In this approach, you can:
Upload the assets directly through the Frontify UI.
Export a metadata CSV from your Frontify library.
Update the CSV with the metadata values you want to apply.
Reimport the CSV using the Bulk Metadata Manager app.
The Bulk Metadata Manager app can update existing asset metadata from a CSV and supports updates to fields such as title, description, expiration date, copyright fields, alternative text, tags, and custom metadata fields. It can also create new custom metadata fields when values are provided in the correct column format.
This can be a good alternative when the main effort is applying metadata to assets that are already uploaded, rather than running a full migration package through S3.
Important: The Bulk Metadata Manager app updates existing assets only. It does not create new assets, and it only accepts CSV files exported from Frontify. It is also experimental, so we recommend testing with a small CSV first before applying changes at scale.
More information can be found here.
What is included
The Self-managed S3 Asset Migration includes:
Temporary S3 credentials and upload instructions
Metadata guidance and migration template
Validation of the submitted S3 package
Programmatic upload to Frontify libraries
Metadata application based on the submitted sheet
Post-migration validation
Migration report
One validation cycle
One-time delta upload before final completion
Frontify provides the S3 credentials and metadata guidance during preparation, then validates the asset and metadata package during execution.
What is not included
This migration model assumes that your team prepares the assets and metadata internally.
The following services are not included:
Asset extraction from your former DAM
Metadata extraction from your former DAM
Data analysis or research
Metadata enrichment
Taxonomy creation
Manual handling of asset preparation
Manual handling of metadata formatting
Ongoing support by the Services team
These exclusions help keep the migration scoped, cost-effective, and predictable.
Customer responsibilities
Your team is responsible for preparing the migration package before Frontify can run the technical import. This includes:
Exporting assets from your current DAM or storage system
Exporting metadata from your current DAM or source system
Uploading assets to the provided S3 bucket
Preparing the metadata sheet according to Frontify’s requirements
Submitting metadata in CSV or XLS format only
Ensuring every asset referenced in the metadata sheet exists in the S3 bucket
Ensuring filenames and file paths match exactly
Deciding which assets should be migrated
Cleaning up or removing assets before migration, if needed
Confirming which metadata should be migrated
Reviewing migrated assets and metadata after handover
Reporting migration-related issues within the review window
Only assets represented in the metadata sheet are imported. If you want to exclude assets after they have been exported to S3, remove those assets from the metadata sheet before submitting the final migration package.
Before you start
Before preparing your migration package, make the following decisions.
Decide which assets to migrate
Decide which assets to migrate
A migration is a good opportunity to review your existing assets and decide what should move into Frontify. You may want to remove:
Duplicate files
Outdated files
Unused campaign assets
Assets that are no longer approved
Files that do not belong in your future Frontify libraries
This cleanup can happen before migration or after the assets are migrated into Frontify. However, if you want to prevent assets from being migrated, remove them from the metadata sheet before submitting the migration package.
Decide which metadata to migrate
Decide which metadata to migrate
Your metadata sheet determines what metadata and tags will be applied to your assets during migration.
Before preparing the sheet, decide which metadata fields should be migrated, which values should be cleaned up, and whether any outdated or unused metadata should be excluded.
You can clean up metadata directly in the migration sheet before submitting it. You can also update metadata in Frontify after migration, but preparing the metadata properly beforehand usually leads to a cleaner library from day one.
Confirm your Frontify library structure
Confirm your Frontify library structure
Before preparing the metadata sheet, confirm where assets should be imported in Frontify.
Depending on your setup, this may include:
Target libraries
Backend folder structure
Collections
Tags
Metadata fields
Asset titles and descriptions
Your metadata sheet determines where assets are imported and which metadata is applied.
Preparing your S3 migration package
Your migration package contains two main parts:
The asset files
The metadata sheet
Both need to be prepared before Frontify can run the migration
1. Upload assets to the provided S3 bucket
1. Upload assets to the provided S3 bucket
Frontify will provide S3 credentials and instructions for temporarily storing your assets.
Your team is responsible for uploading the exported asset files to the S3 bucket.
When uploading assets, make sure that:
All files included in the metadata sheet are present in S3.
Folder paths match the paths referenced in the metadata sheet.
Filenames match exactly.
File extensions are included and correct.
The S3 structure is final before submitting the package.
You retain your own backup of the exported files.
The migration checks whether the assets referenced in the metadata sheet are present in the S3 bucket before moving the assets into Frontify.
2. Prepare the metadata sheet
2. Prepare the metadata sheet
The metadata sheet is the backbone of the migration. It determines which assets are imported, where they are imported, and which metadata and tags are applied.
Your metadata sheet should follow Frontify’s required structure and formatting rules.
At minimum, it should include the required migration fields and any additional metadata columns that should be applied during import.
Your team should make sure that:
Required fields are complete.
Asset IDs are unique.
Filenames are correct.
File paths match the S3 structure.
Metadata columns use the correct format.
Multi-value fields use the correct separator.
Date fields use the required format.
Values are cleaned and ready to apply in Frontify.
Submit the final metadata sheet as a CSV or XLS file.
3. Check asset and metadata alignment
3. Check asset and metadata alignment
Before submitting the migration package, confirm that the assets and metadata match. Check that:
Every row in the metadata sheet points to an asset in S3.
Every required file is included in the S3 bucket.
The same filename and path format is used consistently.
Assets that should not be migrated are removed from the metadata sheet.
Metadata values are final and approved.
Library or folder destinations are correct.
Mismatches between the S3 package and the metadata sheet can delay the migration.
4. Submit the migration package
4. Submit the migration package
Once the S3 upload and metadata sheet are ready, submit the package for validation.
Frontify will then validate the S3 package, including both the asset files and metadata, before running the programmatic upload.
Migration process
The Self-managed S3 Asset Migration follows three main stages.
Stage 1: Preparation
Stage 1: Preparation
During preparation, Frontify provides the materials needed for your team to prepare the migration package.
Frontify provides | Your team prepares |
This typically takes around 1 business day. |
The timing for this stage depends on your team’s readiness and the complexity of the asset and metadata preparation.
|
Stage 2: Execution
Stage 2: Execution
Once the migration package is ready, Frontify validates and runs the migration.
During execution, Frontify will:
Validate the S3 package, including assets and metadata
Perform the programmatic upload to Frontify libraries
Apply metadata according to the submitted sheet
Run the asset import
Typical import speed is around 5,000–10,000 assets per day, depending on asset size and metadata complexity. The exact timeline depends on asset volume and the readiness of the migration package.
Stage 3: Review and completion
Stage 3: Review and completion
After the migration is complete, Frontify performs a post-migration review and shares a migration report.
This stage includes:
Validation of migrated assets
Generation and sharing of the migration report
Customer review of migrated assets and metadata
Customer confirmation of completion by email
The post-migration review typically takes around 1-2 business days for an averaged sized migration (50k assets), but can take longer depending on migration size. One validation cycle is included.
Validation cycle and review period
One validation cycle is included after the migration report is shared. During this validation cycle, your team should review the migrated assets and metadata carefully.
We recommend checking:
Asset files were imported successfully.
Files are in the expected libraries.
Folder paths or directories are correct.
Asset titles are correct.
Metadata has been applied correctly.
Tags have been applied correctly.
Required assets are present.
Excluded assets were not migrated.
Any agreed delta upload items are included, if applicable.
After handover, you have a 1-month error reporting window to report migration-related issues.
Important limitations
The Self-managed S3 Asset Migration depends on the completeness and accuracy of the migration package prepared by your team.
Frontify can validate and import the submitted files and metadata, but your team is responsible for ensuring that the correct assets and metadata are included before submission.
Frontify cannot migrate assets that are missing from the S3 bucket or assets that are not represented correctly in the metadata sheet.
If the submitted metadata sheet references files that are not available in S3, the migration may be delayed while the package is corrected.
Domain changes during migration
Please note that any changes or redirects made to your Frontify domain during the asset migration will cause the migration to fail.
If a restart is required, this will impact the agreed-upon timeline. Please let the Services team know about any planned or potential domain changes as early as possible so we can plan accordingly.
Need Specific Support? We’ll Help You Out
Your Customer Success Manager will be happy to support you during this clean-up for general questions that are product-related. If you have more specific needs and require deeper consulting about the structure, the metadata of your assets, or you need someone to take care of the clean-up, please contact us. Please note that these services are supported by our Professional Services team and may be subject to additional charges. We are happy to connect you to external specialists for that topic.
Here are other help articles about Asset Migration: