[Event Follow-Up] Navigating the Assets View UI in AEM Assets as a Cloud Service - 10/15/25

[LeslieSpier]

Thank you so much to Andrea Hardeman and Warren Barton for sharing their expertise on the Assets View UI and how it can enhance your workflows!  

If you missed the event, we’re including the recording and slides below. The deck, in particular, outlines some different use cases for Admin View UI (Touch UI) and the Assets View UI. Andrea talks through these at the beginning of the event and then Warren offers an insightful demo! 

There were tons of great questions – we're working on getting those compiled, answered, and we’ll be posting those here when they’re ready. Stay tuned! 

Slide deck 

Webinar recording 

Update: the Q&A has been posted below (I broke them into 6 comments to help space them out a bit). HUGE thanks to Andrea and Warren for tracking down answers on all 60 questions!!

[LeslieSpier]

Q&A Part 1

Is there a cap on how many assets you can upload in Bulk upload?

• Bulk Upload via Assets View: There is no explicitly documented hard cap for the number of assets you can upload at once in a bulk upload operation via the Assets View. You can drag-and-drop many files or folders, or add multiple files via the UI. The upload dialog allows you to queue and manage a large selection of assets before confirming upload.
• Known UI Limitation: Actions performed in the UI (such as publishing, editing, or bulk metadata updates) have a soft limit, typically around 100 assets per action, due to UI batching and payload constraints. For larger sets, actions are split into multiple batches (for instance, publishing more than 100 assets at a time triggers batch processing).
• Bulk Import Tool: For true large-scale migrations (thousands to millions of assets—usually sourced from cloud providers such as Azure Blob Storage, S3, Dropbox, etc.), Adobe recommends using the Bulk Import tool. This tool does not document a specific asset upload cap, and is designed for robust, cloud-to-cloud ingestion; performance is determined by bandwidth and practical cloud limits—not UI or single user session limits.
• Folder Size Recommendations: While not a hard cap, it is recommended to limit the number of assets per folder to 1,000 for optimal UI and backend performance. Folders with more than 3,000 assets may lead to performance degradation in browsing and processing.

Could you add custom "contextual filters" to the contextual search, like UPC Code for looking up Product images by UPC or SKU

Yes, you can add custom contextual filters such as UPC or SKU codes by extending your metadata schema. You can then expose those fields as custom filters following the Custom Search Filters documentation.

How do we revert a change in settings? Is there a version control to keep track changes?

No, there is currently no version control for configuration settings in Assets View. However, all asset changes are versioned, and you can restore previous versions of assets as described in the Asset Versioning documentation.

If you rename the files in the UI does that sync to the other Admin view?

Yes, when you rename a file in Assets View, the change is automatically reflected in Admin View because both views access the same repository.

If we rename the file, will it adjust the references?

No, renaming a file does not automatically update all external references. Dynamic references in Sites or other systems must be configured to sync. This may help: Managing Asset Relations.

Why would you call it something different in one view rather than maintain consistency between views? What is the advantage?

The two views are named differently by design. Admin View serves power users and administrators, while Assets View provides a simplified interface for business and creative users. Both access the same AEM Assets repository.

Is this going to be the default view going forward for managing assets/sites? We're migrating to AEM and going through enablement/training with the current layout. When should we expect this to be pushed live to all clients?

Assets View is currently designed to be the preferred interface for light DAM users. Admin View will continue to exist for advanced management functions. We suggest training against the current state of the capabilities in both views.

Can you please address the difference between AEM Assets and AEM Brand Portal and what's the best way to publish assets into the second?

AEM Assets is the main Digital Asset Management solution, while AEM Brand Portal sits on top of AEM Assets as a portal for users to quickly and intuitively search for, download and share assets that they have access to. You can publish assets from AEM Assets to Brand Portal following the Publishing to Brand Portal guide.

Does the New View show assets with "Missing Metadata" - Since Compliance is a big piece in our organization

No, Assets View does not currently highlight assets with missing metadata. You can create custom metadata validation workflows to identify incomplete metadata fields as outlined in Metadata in Assets View.

Is 'Top Searches' data pulled from across the site, or is it my personal top search terms?

Yes, the Top Searches section includes both global and personal search history. Global searches are visible to all users with permissions, while personal searches are visible only to you.

[LeslieSpier]

Q&A Part 2

Why does search show the Weekend if this is fully launched on Production for everyone?

As an admin of the environment, you can configure the “Search First” view’s background image and log in General Settings.

On the workspace it would be great to be able to give a pinned item a "nickname." Because the folder names in the DAM need to follow a structure, but might not mean anything to the user.

This is a great feature request! Please submit that using the Feature Request form.

Can you use custom metadata in the filter? Or does it only allow the out of the box options?

Yes, you can use custom metadata fields in the filter panel by extending your metadata schema and enabling those fields for filtering. Learn how in the Custom Search Filters documentation.

Are you able to customize the "My Workspace" page with specific assets/collections or announcements for all users in the org?

No, you cannot currently customize the “My Workspace” page globally for all users in AEM Assets as a Cloud Service. Each user’s workspace is personalized to display their own pinned assets, recent activity, and searches. However, administrators can configure the default workspace layout and branding (such as logo and color scheme) in the General Settings of Assets View.

If you want to display organization-wide announcements or shared collections, you can create shared folders, collections, or dashboards accessible to all users instead. For more details, see the Assets View User Interface Overview.

Is this the new SKU UI? I'm on an older SKU.

The Assets View interface is not tied to a specific SKU. Instead, it is part of the AEM Assets as a Cloud Service offering, which provides the modern, cloud-native user interface for managing digital assets. If you are on an older AEM deployment (such as on-premises or Adobe Managed Services), you may still be using the classic Admin View and will not have access to Assets View until you migrate to AEM as a Cloud Service. You can learn more in the AEM Assets as a Cloud Service Overview.

Can you choose 1 specific rendition of multiple assets and share them, rather than sharing a zip file with a variety of renditions to another user? If so, how?

No, you cannot currently select and share a single specific rendition across multiple assets directly within the Assets View user interface. When you share multiple assets, AEM automatically packages all selected renditions into a ZIP file for download or sharing.

If you need to share a specific rendition type (for example, web-optimized PNG renditions) across multiple assets, you can either download that rendition type through Asset Download Settings or use an automated workflow or API-based export. Developers can achieve this by calling the AEM Assets REST API or configuring Asset Microservices to generate and distribute a specific rendition set.

Can I update metadata across multiple assets from different folders?

Yes, you can update metadata across multiple assets, even if they are in different folders, using the Bulk Metadata Edit feature. Details are available in the Bulk Metadata Editing documentation.

Curious why Tasks cannot be assigned to a folder and only assets. Our power users upload to their assigned campaign folder and we want to be able to assign a task on the folder to the DAM team to publish. Also be able to assign the task to more than one person so both of us on the team receive the task.

Currently, AEM Assets tasks are asset-centric and cannot be assigned directly to folders. Tasks are designed to facilitate review, approval, or publishing actions at the asset level rather than the folder level. If you want to manage folder-based activities, you can create a custom workflow model that triggers on folder uploads or metadata changes and assigns tasks to a user group instead of a single user.

Assigning a task to multiple users is supported indirectly by assigning the task to a group where all members receive the notification. You can learn more about configuring and customizing workflows in the AEM Workflows documentation.

What's the benefit of renaming an asset in Assets View if it does not sync with Admin View? How would an admin know that users have been renaming assets and a sync is needed and how does that benefit organization?

When you rename an asset in Assets View, the change is synchronized automatically with Admin View because both interfaces use the same underlying repository in AEM Assets as a Cloud Service. This ensures that all users, regardless of which interface they use, see the updated asset name.

The primary benefit of allowing renaming in Assets View is to empower business users and content contributors to manage naming conventions without requiring full administrative access. All name changes are tracked in the asset’s audit history, so administrators can review and monitor updates as needed. You can read more about asset name management and audit tracking in the Managing Assets documentation.

I don't see any forms yet in my site... If I create one is there any risk to the existing metadata schema?

No, creating a new metadata form in Assets View does not pose any risk to your existing metadata schema. Each form you create is stored as a separate configuration and does not overwrite existing forms unless you intentionally modify a schema with the same name or path. However, it’s a best practice to review your organization’s metadata structure before adding new forms to ensure consistency across teams and avoid duplicate fields.

You can safely create and manage new forms following the guidance in the Manage Metadata Forms documentation.

[LeslieSpier]

Q&A Part 3

Asset unpublish capabilities missing here which adds additional dependency on admin view. Any thoughts on this when this feature will be added?

At this time, asset unpublish capabilities are not available in the Assets View interface. Actions such as unpublishing, deactivating, or retracting assets from delivery endpoints must still be performed in Admin View. Adobe is actively expanding feature parity between Assets View and Admin View, and unpublish support is on the product roadmap for future releases.

You can stay updated on new capabilities and release timelines through the AEM as a Cloud Service Release Notes.

Is there a way to auto-approve assets when you upload them via the asset view so they show on the content hub? Ours has a mis-match that we can’t fix dam:Status vs. dam:assetStatus <- this one goes to the hub, the other doesn’t set assets as approved.

No, there is currently no built-in mechanism in Assets View to automatically approve assets upon upload. The difference between dam:Status and dam:assetStatus occurs because these are separate metadata properties used by different components of AEM. To ensure assets appear as approved in the Content Hub, you can configure an AEM workflow that automatically updates the dam:assetStatus property to “approved” after upload or synchronize it with dam:Status. You can achieve this using a custom post-upload workflow or Asset Microservices automation. Learn more in the AEM Workflows documentation and the Asset Microservices overview.

Is it possible to have ZIP folders auto-extract when uploading to the dam (perhaps via plugin)?

No, Assets View does not automatically extract ZIP folders upon upload. However, you can configure a custom AEM workflow that unpacks ZIP files after ingestion or leverage Asset Microservices to handle the extraction. These workflows can automatically detect ZIP uploads, extract the contents, and organize them within the correct folder structure. For detailed setup steps, see the Asset Processing Profiles documentation.

Can you bulk-edit smart tags in this UI?

No, smart tags cannot be bulk-edited directly in Assets View. You can edit or remove smart tags in bulk only in Admin View or by using the AEM Assets API. Refer to the Smart Tags documentation for more information.

Can I import or convert an existing metadata schema from Admin view to these forms?

Yes, you can import an existing metadata schema from Admin View into Assets View to maintain consistency. This allows you to reuse existing metadata configurations without rebuilding them from scratch. You can follow the steps in the Import Metadata Form documentation.

Is there a way to track history of changes to a watched assets?

No, there is no dedicated “watched assets” tracking feature in Assets View. However, you can use the built-in asset versioning and audit logs to monitor changes, such as uploads, metadata edits, or status updates. Administrators can access these through version history or audit reports in Admin View. Learn more in the Managing Versions documentation.

Also, anyway to sync trash feature from admin view and Asset view?

Yes, both views use the same underlying repository, so deleted assets are synchronized. The restore option, however, is only available in Assets View. When an asset is deleted, it appears in the shared trash container and can be restored within the defined retention period. See the Assets View documentation.

Is trash not synched? If I throw an asset away in Assets View, is it still in Admin View? That’s very problematic.

Yes, trash is synchronized between both views because they share the same AEM repository. If you delete an asset in Assets View, it will also be removed from Admin View. However, only Assets View displays the trash folder for restoration.

More specifically, there is not restore/trash feature in admin view so there isn’t anyway to restore those assets or folder if they were deleted in error. It seems only assets deleted in Asset View are stored in trash and able to be restored.

That’s correct. The Admin View does not include a restore interface. Only Assets View provides the option to restore deleted assets within the retention period. Beyond that, administrators can use repository backups to recover deleted assets if necessary.

If new metadata forms are created in assets view, does the metadata for the same metadata sync to assets view? And vice versa? Or are the metadata forms in assets and admin view completely separate and only specific it’s respective view?

Metadata forms in Assets View and Admin View are based on the same repository schema, ensuring metadata consistency. However, the configuration and layout of those forms may differ between interfaces. To learn more, refer to the Manage Metadata Forms documentation.

[LeslieSpier]

Q&A Part 4

Is there a way to set a rendition rule to get a background removed?

No, there is no out-of-the-box feature in Assets View to remove backgrounds from images automatically. You can create a custom Asset Microservice or third-party integration that performs background removal as part of the asset processing workflow. Details are available in the Processing Profiles documentation.

Will Assets View UI replace the AEM desktop tool?

No, the Assets View UI will not replace the AEM Desktop App. Assets View offers a browser-based experience for asset management, while the Desktop App supports direct local file interaction. Both tools serve complementary purposes and remain supported. See the AEM Desktop App documentation.

Can modify layer position in PSDs for different renditions in AEM assets?

No, AEM Assets cannot modify Photoshop layer order or visibility directly. Renditions are generated based on the original PSD file’s structure. To modify layer positioning, make the change in Adobe Photoshop and re-upload the updated file. For details, read the Asset Renditions documentation.

Where can you see references on an asset in Assets View?

You can view asset references in Admin View under the References panel, which shows where assets are used across Sites, components, or collections. Assets View provides limited reference visibility at this time. Learn more in the Managing Asset Relations documentation.

Are we able to see what specific assets are downloaded, versus how many assets are downloaded?

No, Assets View does not currently show per-user download tracking. You can integrate Adobe Analytics or enable asset audit logging to gain detailed insight into download activity. For details, see the Asset Insights documentation.

When you’re linking assets through “relations” do assets share same metadata?

No, assets linked through relations do not share metadata automatically. Relations connect assets for association or dependency purposes only. Metadata synchronization requires a custom workflow or script. See Managing Asset Relations documentation.

If you delete an asset from the admin view, can you go into the UI view to recover it?

Yes, deleted assets can be recovered through the Assets View trash folder if they are still within the retention period. Admin View does not include restore functionality.

Does the insights view also provide the analytics from any assets referred by Sites consuming them from Dynamic Media Open API?

No, the Insights view currently shows analytics for assets managed in AEM Assets or Content Hub only. External usage data, such as Dynamic Media API calls, is not automatically included. You can extend analytics through Adobe Analytics or external API telemetry integrations. Refer to the Asset Insights documentation.

Any Documentations on How I can check assets insights used in Asset Share Commons Implementations?

Yes, you can gather insight data for assets used in Asset Share Commons by integrating AEM audit logs or Adobe Analytics. Since Asset Share Commons is community-supported, documentation is available in the Asset Share Commons GitHub repository.

What’s the “restore period” for deleted assets?

The restore period depends on your organization’s configuration in AEM as a Cloud Service. Deleted assets typically remain in the trash for a defined retention period, often 30 days, before permanent removal. You can verify your tenant’s retention policy with Adobe support via a support ticket.

[LeslieSpier]

Q&A Part 5

Do we have the ability to Sort Assets based on Custom Metadata in Asset List View?

Yes, you can sort assets by custom metadata fields if those fields are configured as sortable in your schema. Administrators can add sortable fields to the list view configuration.

Can you share a link to a folder instead of an asset? Does the user need to have an account? Are the shares kept track of for an admin to see them all?

Yes, folder sharing is supported in Assets View when permissions are enabled. Shared links can be accessed by internal users or external collaborators based on the configured access level. Admins can view and manage all active shares in the Share Management interface.

Can you create a collection with rules to pull in specific assets by creation date or metadata schema?

No, dynamic collections are not yet supported in Assets View. You can create static collections manually, or configure automated collection creation through APIs or workflows in Admin View.

I tried to upload 1 asset but it’s getting stuck on a spinning circle icon. It doesn’t show the preview like you have in your screenshare. What might be going on?

If you encounter an upload spinner that doesn’t stop, it could be due to a temporary processing delay or browser caching issue. Refresh the folder and check whether the asset appears. If not, confirm that the file type and size are supported, and verify upload status under Processing Profiles.

Can you use a distro list/group instead of assigning a task to specific person?

Yes, you can assign tasks to AEM groups instead of individuals. All group members will receive task notifications.

Once I assign tasks, am I able to see all of the tasks I have assigned for a particular asset in one place?

Yes, all assigned tasks are visible in the AEM Inbox or through workflow reports. While Assets View doesn’t show a consolidated “task per asset” history, administrators can review all workflow instances from Admin View.

When I download a rendition it just names the file for example PNG-Web. Why doesn’t it use the file name?

By default, rendition names use the processing profile name (for example, “PNG-Web”) rather than the original filename. You can customize the naming convention by adjusting the processing profile settings. See the Asset Processing Profiles documentation.

Can you show where we can see what page or pages is assigned to an asset?

You can identify all pages and components referencing a specific asset in Admin View using the References tab. This feature is not yet available in Assets View. For more information, refer to the Managing Asset Relations documentation.

How can I bring over custom filters and custom metadata fields into the new UI?

You can bring custom filters and metadata fields into Assets View by extending your metadata schema and adding those fields to the filter configuration. Follow the Custom Search Filters documentation for detailed steps.

Can you share the Content Hub demo recording that was mentioned?

Yes! Unlock the Power of AEM Content Hub event recording.

[LeslieSpier]

Q&A Part 6

How can we give reporting capability to non admin users as of now this feature is only available for admins and it’s very challenging for us as this reporting feature need to be used by the asset librarians.

You can enable reporting for non-admin users by creating custom dashboards or reports with restricted permissions. This can be done using Adobe Analytics or AEM custom reporting frameworks. Learn more in the Asset Insights documentation.

Are we able to view where an asset is referenced in Sites?

Yes, you can view asset references within AEM Sites using the References tab in Admin View. This capability is not currently available in Assets View. Review the Viewing Asset Relations documentation.

Where can we find the list of what can and cannot be done in either Admin or Asset views?

You can review Adobe’s official feature comparison in the AEM Assets Overview documentation, which lists current functionality for Admin and Assets Views.

If we have done some customizations like naming rules upon upload - how can we map those to the new UI? This is blocking us from onboarding some light users.

You can maintain custom naming rules during upload by ensuring your existing workflows and scripts are compatible with the Assets View upload API. Both interfaces share the same repository, so custom workflows will continue to work once properly referenced.

While viewing assets in a folder, is there an easy way to switch from Admin View to Assets View? Aside from editing the URL in the browser.

No, there is currently no one-click toggle between Admin View and Assets View. Users can switch by manually editing the URL or using bookmarks. Adobe has acknowledged this feedback, and it may be addressed in future releases. See the Assets View Overview documentation.

What is the best way to see where logos in the DAM are being used?

You can view where logos or brand assets are used by checking the References tab in Admin View or by running a repository search for references across AEM Sites. For detailed usage analytics, integrate Adobe Analytics or custom reporting. Learn more in the Managing Asset Relations documentation.

When we rename an asset using the Asset View, the references in Sites will also be updated, and the change will be reflected in the Admin View as well.

Yes, renaming an asset in Assets View automatically updates the name across both interfaces since they share the same repository. In most cases, references in AEM Sites are also updated, provided the references are dynamically linked. See the Managing Asset Relations documentation.

Since we’ve moved to AEM Cloud (from AEM on premise) some of my teams have noticed review type tasks for assets in the AEM inbox (the tasks are only visible to the specific user, though we can’t work out why some of them are assigned to a particular user). These tasks are really helpful things, like flagging use of an asset where the expiry date for that asset is coming up. Are you able to share a link to documentation where we can find out more about this functionality and see what things are possible and where/how we set it up please?

Yes, asset review and task workflows are supported features in AEM Cloud. You can configure them using AEM workflows to automatically notify users of upcoming asset expirations or approvals.

Does Assets View use an OOTB email server or is it using the one we configured in Admin View?

Assets View uses the same email configuration as Admin View since both operate on the same environment. There is no separate mail server configuration. You can learn more in the Email Service documentation.

On the Brand Portal topic… Will AEM assets be able to mirror itself in the Portal like it does in Content Hub? Maintaining two systems can be a challenge as does training light users in the assets UI.

Yes, AEM Assets can publish and synchronize content with Brand Portal in a similar manner to Content Hub, allowing approved assets to be distributed externally. Admins can configure publishing workflows or scheduled syncs for this purpose. Refer to the Publishing to Brand Portal documentation.