--- title: Media slug: cms-12/docs/media docTags: createdAt: 2026-08-10T15:56:00.000Z --- **Media** in Optimizely Content Management System (CMS) are images, documents (such as PDF or Word documents), videos, or mp3 files. Media files must be stored in the media library on the **Media** tab in the assets panel to be available in CMS. You can upload a media file to the assets panel and then drag and drop it onto a page or a block from the assets panel, or you can drag and drop the file straight from your computer onto a page or block. In this latter case, the file is automatically uploaded to the assets panel, and is stored in the **For this Page** or **For this Block** folder. See the [Folders](docId\:kF3hS6kg4GSuAvQNF5VX7) topic for information on organizing your files in folders. ![Media folders](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/9H_TM-eu6GawAUrf0iBIe-20260720-145556.png) ## Search for media Use the search field at the top of the panel to [enter search criteria](https://support.optimizely.com/hc/en-us/articles/4413205667597) and retrieve media files. Clicking a search result expands the folder where the file is located. To browse for media files, click a folder to expand the folders and content beneath it. ## Upload media Media files are uploaded through drag and drop from a file location on your computer to the upload area. You can also click directly in the upload area to add files. Or, you can select **Upload Files** in the context menu for the target folder to which you want to upload files. :::hint{type="info"} **Note** You must have **Create** access rights to the global or site-specific folder under **For All Sites** or **For This Site** where you want to upload a media file or the current page when uploading media files to the local **For This Page** folder. ::: ## Publish media If your system is not configured to publish media files when uploaded automatically, you must manually publish or schedule for later publishing media files, just as with other items. :::hint{type="danger"} **Warning** **There are a few important things to know regarding publishing media files.** - If media files should be automatically published on upload, you must have **Publish** access rights for the folder where you upload the files. See [Access rights](docId\:e3x3piHYkRsoW3PVOv6i2). - When a media file is automatically published, it may be immediately indexed by search engines and can be found in searches. This is worth remembering if you upload sensitive information that should not be accessible until a set time, such as an annual report. - If [a content approval sequence](docId\:FJT9V4MfH6aJdlcxjWAxh) is set on your media folder or if you have [a project enabled](docId\:g4UJNKfHcyTSrAXBTc5fI) when uploading media, media files are *never* published automatically. ::: ## Insert media You can add links to uploaded media files or insert images and embedded media such as videos. See also: [Add links](docId\:U66LIuIrIB8J0KIvN69O4) and [Add and edit images](docId\:VjnOnlLqbGmLtl_P3oL-q). ## Preview media Media files in list views are represented by thumbnail images. Common image file formats are rendered for preview by default in Optimizely, but other rendering formats can be developed. ## Download media Select the desired media file in the **Media** structure and **Download** in the context menu. Or, if you are previewing the media file, select **Download this file** from the **Options** menu. ## Edit metadata for media Available metadata fields depend on the implementation; images can have photographer, description, and copyright information. Select **Edit** for the desired media file in the **Media** structure, and then the [All Properties view](docId\:xPwEwIq7g_f5ddmy1qv1E) to edit the metadata properties. ## Rename media Select the media file in the **Media** structure, then the [All Properties view](docId\:xPwEwIq7g_f5ddmy1qv1E), and change the **Name** and the **Name in URL**. :::hint{type="info"} **Note** Renaming a folder or media file changes its URL. This does not break internal links on the website, but incoming links from external websites may break. ::: ## Replace media To replace an existing media file with another, upload a new file with the same name to the same folder as the file you want to replace. A replaced media file is published immediately, affecting places on the website where the file is used. :::hint{type="info"} **Note** If you change the name property, the file name in the database is also changed. If you rename an image, for example, from *Button1.png* to *Button1*, and you later want to overwrite this image, you have to upload an image with the name *Button1* without the file extension. Otherwise, it is uploaded as a new file. ![Renamed image property name](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/Rqpe331OqKzdluUldbR9B-20260720-145556.png " Renamed image property name") ::: :::hint{type="info"} **Note** Due to website caching, the changes may not be immediately visible when replacing images. Refresh the page to see the changes. ::: ## Manage media file versions Versions for media files are managed like for other types of content, that is, by using the **Versions** gadget. See [Publish and manage versions](docId\:wv4E12dJGXVlrYYjDEQIi).