The Media Library

Owned by Alexandre Boyle
Last updated: Apr 29, 2024
8 min read
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The primary tool for managing your media files.

Sitecore's Media Library allows you to store all of your media files in one place and organize them in a folder structure similar to your website. Use it to:

  • Quickly find your images with the content tree or search functionality.

  • Upload media files to the Media Library.

  • Update images already in use on your pages from a single location.

Accessing the Media Library

The Media Library is accessed from the Sitecore Launchpad you are taken to when you first log in.

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To access the media library, click on the media library icon in the launchpad.

You can get to the launchpad from any section by simply clicking its large icon in the upper left corner.

 

Note: Sitecore will only allow you to upload and delete assets from your website’s assigned folder. Always make sure to navigate to your department’s folder first.

The Interface

A) Content tree

This is how you navigate to your department’s assets folder. Click the carats next to the folder to expand or collapse its contents. The structure of your website should match the folder structure. For example:

URL: https://health.usf.edu/nursing/research/

Folder path: Media Library/v3/USF Health/CON/Research

 

 

B) Content area

Displays the assets contained in a folder, and when selecting a media item, it will display the information of that item, such as name, path, alt name, etc. At the top of the content area, we have three buttons for you to create folders and upload files.

Create a folder in the media library:

  1. Select in the content tree the folder where you want to create the new section.

  2. Click the New Folder button.

  3. Enter a name for your new folder.

 

Upload a media file:

  1. Make sure that your image has been resized and optimized to appropriate web standards.

  2. In the content tree, select the folder that you want to upload your media file to.

  3. Click the Upload file button.

  4. Click the button Choose File and navigate your local files to the image you want to upload and click open.

  5. Click the blue Upload button.

 

Alternatives:

Select your folder and use the insert options in the ribbon tool.

 

Right click on your folder and select insert/upload file.

Upload multiple files:

  1. Click the button Upload files (advanced) on the top of the content area.

  2. In the Batch Upload dialog box, click choose file and navigate to the image you want to upload from your local files and click open.

  3. The name of your file will appear next to the choose file button, and a new button will be displayed below for you to repeat the operation. Do this until you have selected all your images.

  4. Click the Upload blue button.

  5. After all images have been uploaded, close the Batch Upload dialog box.

 

Pro-Tip: Place all your images in a compressed ZIP file to upload them all at once, and check the option Unpack ZIP archives.

If you have some updates in that batch, you can upload the new ZIP file with the same name. Select the parent folder to upload the new file and make sure to check the option overwrite existing media items.

Searching

In the content area you can search the media library items using the search box. If you don’t see it open, click the tab with the magnifying glass icon and enter the name of the file you are looking for.

Updating images

  1. Click on the image you want to update and locate the Media section under the content area. Download a copy of the image to your computer.

  1. Click on Detach and then click Ok on the message-warning that pops on your screen. The preview image will disappeared.

  2. Click Attach. In the dialog box that pops on your screen, click Choose File and navigate your local files to your new image. Click Open and then the Attach blue button.

  3. Save and publish.

 

 

C) Tool ribbon

Tools that allow you to manage and update your assets, such as upload, publish, delete, etc.

Save

Every time you make an update in a file or folder you have to save. Click on the save button or press Ctrl + S on your keyboard.

Example: Select one of your images and look for the Alt: field in the content area and provide a description of your image, then press the save button.

 

Insert options

This section allows you to upload new files or create new folders.

 

Publish

When you upload images using this media library view, they are only available for you as CMS draft. To make them available on the live website you have to publish them.

Select your image or folder and click the publish button. Then click publish again on the Publish Item dialog box. You will receive one more message-warning. Click the Ok button.

 

Unpublish & Delete

To delete an item it also has to be unpublished. Fortunately for you, the WebDev team has customized this action button to do both operations with one click. Select your image or folder and click Unpublish & Delete. You will get one message-warning to help you cancel the operation in case of a mistake, but if you are sure you want to delete that item, just click the Ok button, and if your image is not being used it will be removed.

 

However, if your image it’s being used in a page, a new Links dialog box will be displayed showing the links to the pages where the image is still being used. You can click the View Links button and the full list of pages will be displayed, from here you can open those pages to replace the image. Close the Links window and click Continue to finish removing the image or click Cancel.

 

 

Rename

In this section you have two options available, Rename will let you change the name of the file in Sitecore, which will also change the URL of the image, and Display Name, which will only change the name of the image or folder as it is displayed on the content tree (this option is for your own organization).

Select the image or folder and click the Rename or Display Name as needed. Enter a new name in the dialog box and click the Ok button. Save and publish.

 

Tools

Download

Allows you to save a copy of your file in your local files.

View

Opens your image in a new window so you can see it full size.

Favorites

Enables you to mark files and folders that you might often use to navigate faster to those items.

Select your file and click Favorites, then choose Add to favorites. A new message will confirm that your image has been added to your favorites. Click Ok.

Next time that you enter the media library, instead of using the content tree to find your folder, click on Favorites and you should be able to see the name of your folder listed in the drop down, click on it and it Sitecore will open it for you in the content tree.

To remove or rename your favorite items, click on Favorites and select Organize. Here you can remove, rename, or sort your items. Note that you have to click the Refresh button to see the updates you make. When you are done click the close button.

 

This tool allows you to see in which page component your image its being used. You can also click on one of the listed links and Sitecore will open that page on a new window tab, saving you a lot of time navigating to it through the Experience Editor.