Anonymous Uploads (External Uploader)

This guide explains how to receive files from people outside your organisation using shareable upload links. External users can send files to the DAM without needing a portal account -- you generate a link, share it, and review the submitted files in your Inbox.

1. How It Works

The anonymous upload feature has three parts:

1. You create an upload link -- a unique, time-limited URL that you share with an external person (for example, a photographer, agency, or supplier).

2. They upload files -- the external person visits the link, selects their files, and submits them. No login is required.

3. You review and import -- the submitted files appear in your Inbox. You can preview them, import individual files into the asset library, or dismiss submissions you do not need.

Files sent via upload links are staged -- they do not appear in the asset library until you explicitly import them. This gives you full control over what enters the library.

Note: You need the DAM External Upload permission to use this feature. If you cannot see the Inbox link, contact your administrator.

2. Accessing the Inbox

If you have the External Upload permission, you will see an Inbox link in the user menu -- click the user icon in the top-right corner to open the user panel, where the Inbox link appears with a count badge.

The count badge shows how many submissions are waiting for your review. It updates every time a portal page loads.

3. Creating an Upload Link

1. Go to the Inbox page.

2. In the Your Upload Links section, click Create Upload Link.

3. Fill in the form:

4. Click Generate Link.

5. The link URL appears in a text field. Click Copy to copy it to your clipboard.

6. Share the link with the external person via email, message, or however you normally communicate.

4. Managing Your Links

The Your Upload Links section on the Inbox page shows all your links with the following information:

• Status badge -- green for Active, red for Expired, or grey for Deactivated.

• Label (if you provided one).

• Created date and expiry date.

• Submission count -- how many times the link has been used.

For each active link you can:

• Copy Link -- copy the URL to your clipboard to share it again.

• Deactivate -- permanently disable the link so it cannot accept new uploads. Existing submissions are not affected.

Tip: Deactivating a link is useful if you have received everything you need and want to close the link early, or if it was shared with the wrong person.

5. What the External User Sees

When someone visits your upload link, they see a simple, branded upload page with no login required. The page shows:

• Your name and organisation, so they know who will receive the files.

• A drag-and-drop zone where they can drop files or click to browse.

• A list of selected files with the option to remove individual files before submitting.

• Three form fields: Your Name (required), Your Email (required), and Message (optional).

• The link's expiry date, so they know how long they have.

The external user can upload up to 20 files per submission. If you set a maximum file size when creating the link, files exceeding that limit are blocked before upload.

After submitting, the external user sees a confirmation page and you receive an email notification with the sender's details and a link to your Inbox.

If the link has expired or been deactivated, the external user sees a friendly message explaining that the link is no longer active.

6. Reviewing Submissions in the Inbox

The Pending Submissions section of the Inbox page shows a table of everything that has been sent to you. Each row displays:

• Sender name and email address

• Number of files and total size

• Date submitted

• Actions -- Import All and Dismiss.

Expanding a Submission

Click a row to expand it and see the full details:

• The sender's message (if they included one).

• Which upload link was used.

• A list of every file in the submission, each showing a thumbnail or file-type icon, filename, and file size.

Each individual file has its own action buttons: Import, Download, and Dismiss.

7. Importing Files into the Library

Importing moves a submitted file from the staging area into the asset library, where it goes through the normal upload pipeline (including the approval queue if applicable).

Import a Single File

1. Expand the submission to see the file list.

2. Click Import on the file you want.

3. You will be prompted to enter an optional display name for the asset.

4. The file is imported and removed from the staging area.

Import All Files

1. Click Import All on the submission row (or in the expanded detail).

2. You will be prompted to enter an optional display name prefix that is applied to all files.

3. All eligible files are imported. A success message confirms how many were added.

Note: ZIP files cannot be imported directly. They are excluded from "Import All" and show a Download button instead, with a note recommending that you download the ZIP and use the CMS bulk uploader to import its contents. This ensures each file inside the archive gets its own metadata and goes through the normal validation process.

8. Downloading and Dismissing

Downloading

Click the Download button on any file to download it to your device. This is useful for reviewing files before deciding whether to import them, and is the recommended approach for ZIP archives.

Dismissing a File

1. Click Dismiss on the file you want to remove.

2. Confirm the action in the dialog that appears.

The file is permanently deleted from the staging area.

Dismissing an Entire Submission

1. Click Dismiss on the submission row.

2. Confirm the action -- all files in the submission are permanently deleted.

Note: Dismissing is permanent. Dismissed files cannot be recovered. If you are unsure, download the files first before dismissing.

9. Notifications

• New submission received -- when an external user uploads files via your link, you receive an email with the sender's name, email, file count, total size, and any message they included. The email contains a link to your Inbox.

• Confirmation to sender -- the external user receives a brief confirmation email that their files were received.

10. Expiry and Cleanup

Submissions that remain in the Inbox without being imported or dismissed are automatically cleaned up after 30 days. This keeps the staging area tidy and ensures old files do not accumulate indefinitely.

Expired upload links stop accepting new submissions automatically on their expiry date. You do not need to deactivate them manually.

11. Tips

• Give your upload links a descriptive label so you can tell them apart later -- especially if you have multiple active links for different contacts or projects.

• Set a file size limit on the link if you know the expected file types. This prevents unexpectedly large uploads.

• Choose the shortest expiry period that makes sense. A 7-day window is usually sufficient for a one-off file exchange and limits the window of exposure.

• Check your Inbox regularly -- the count badge updates on every page load, so a quick glance at the navigation tells you if anything is waiting.

• For ZIP files, download them and use the CMS bulk upload tool. This gives you per-file metadata control and proper validation for each file inside the archive.

• If you no longer need a link, deactivate it to prevent further uploads.