Best practices for organizing assets

A consistent approach to organizing assets in Optimizely Content Management System (CMS) helps editors find and reuse uploaded content. Follow the standards your organization defines, and document those standards so every editor has access.

If your organization has not defined standards, use the following tips to build a folder and naming structure. Adjust the structure over time as needs change.

Store assets

A clear folder structure helps editors find content without browsing multiple levels. Keep the structure simple and intuitive.

Blocks and media share the same folder structure. Creating a folder under Shared Blocks adds the same folder under Media automatically. Go to Folders for details.

Folder and content sort order depends on names. Go to Name folders and assets for naming tips.

Global or local folder

Three containers hold assets, each supporting any number of folders. The three containers are For All Sites, For This Site, and For This Page. When editing a block, the local container is For This Block. Go to Folders for details on each container.

• Store assets in a global folder (For All Sites or For This Site) when they apply to multiple pages. Logos, icons, and teaser blocks are common examples.
• Store assets in a local folder (For This Page or For This Block) for single-use content. Campaign images and event photos are common examples.

Access rights

Control who creates, updates, and deletes assets by assigning access rights to folders. Assign rights to specific users or user groups. Developers and administrators can restrict which block or asset types editors create. Page type definitions control which block types content areas accept.

Uploaded assets are either published automatically or require a separate review and publish step.

Name folders and assets

Use names that describe the content clearly. These guidelines apply to folder names and individual asset names, such as block names.

Use descriptive file names such as AlloyMeet_women_spring_campaign_2020.jpg. A name like img_12345678_a.jpg does not help other editors identify the content.

Start with general-area folders and add subfolders with increasing detail. For example, use a path like Products/Alloy Fashion/Campaigns/Womens/2-for-1/teaser_images.

Sort folders and assets

The Assets panel sorts folders and assets in the following order:

1. Names starting with an underscore
2. Numerically
3. Alphabetically

For example, _TeaserImages sorts first, followed by 1_Logos, 2_Images, Images, and then Logos. Use this sort order to control folder positioning.

Group assets in folders

Group assets using one of the following approaches, or combine them based on your site and organization needs:

• Page tree structure – Mirror the page tree hierarchy in the Assets panel. For example, create asset folders for Product A, Product B, Events, and Contact us.
• Usage type – Group assets by function, such as Campaigns, Banners, Buttons, and News.
• Brand or product area – Group assets by product line, such as Clothing and Shoes. For a multi-site CMS installation, create brand folders under For All Sites to share assets between sites.
• Language – Group assets by language when running culture-specific campaigns. For example, create an EN folder for English assets and an FR folder for French assets.
• Access rights – Create editor-specific folders when multiple editors share a site. This mirrors the access-rights structure of the page tree.

Remove unused assets

Organizing assets includes removing outdated content. Establish a routine for deleting or archiving unused assets. A clean library helps editors find content faster.