AEM Assets Power users - features/usage

Hi ​@Vishal_Anand ,

1. How to define and manage AEM Assets Power Users
In practice, treat AEM Assets Power Users as your DAM operators, not every casual asset user. A good definition:

• They regularly work in the AEM Assets UI (Assets console / Assets view).
• They need to:
  • Run bulk edits (metadata, move/rename, delete on many assets).
  • Start/manage custom workflows (ingest, approval, post‑processing).
  • Control renditions and processing profiles.
  • Help manage permissions and governance on /content/dam.

To maximize productivity and avoid governance/performance issues:

• Use group‑based permissions (not individual ACLs):
  • Create groups like dam-admins, dam-librarians, dam-contributors-<BU>, dam-readonly-<BU>.
  • Give Power Users read/write/replicate only on the folders they truly own.
• Keep heavy capabilities (bulk operations, mass reprocessing, workflow design) limited to a small Power User group.
• Follow least‑privilege: authors/marketers who only need to browse and place assets via integrations (Sites, Workfront, Asset Link, Content Hub) should not be in the Power group.

Adobe’s guidance on user types and privileges is here:

• https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/experience-manager-cloud-service/content/assets/assets-ultimate-overview
• https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/perspectives/user-group-and-permission-best-practices-for-aem-assets

2. Do you have to buy Power User licenses?
It depends what you are actually doing:

• On AEM Assets Prime / Ultimate:
  • A Power User is any named individual who may use all AEM Assets capabilities, whether directly or via an integration https://helpx.adobe.com/legal/product-descriptions/aem-cloud-service.html
  • If a user enters the Assets UI and does full DAM work (bulk edits, workflows, renditions, governance), they are a Power User from a licensing perspective.
  • Collaborator and Limited users are for:
    • Working with assets only via integrations/portals (Sites asset picker, Workfront, Express, Content Hub, etc.), or
    • Read‑only access via Content Hub. https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/experience-manager-cloud-service/content/assets/assets-ultimate-overview

So:

• No, you don’t need Power seats for everyone doing basic day‑to‑day consumption.
• Yes, you do need Power User seats for the smaller group that actually:
  • Lives in the Assets UI, and
  • Performs bulk edits, custom workflows, rendition control, or DAM governance.

A common pattern is: a small, clearly defined Power User group (DAM admins/librarians + a few advanced marketers) and the rest on Collaborator/Limited/basic Sites access.

Thanks,
Amit