Extending the Assets Server functionality with plug-ins

Plug-ins are one of the ways of extending the functionality of Assets Server. They make it possible to schedule regularly occurring tasks in Assets Server, or add buttons, menus or panels in Assets and/or the Brand portal.

Plug-in types

Various types of plug-ins exist:

• Schedule plug-ins are automated server tasks that require no user interaction. They are typically used to:
• Integrate external systems in Assets Server
• Import assets (including from other DAM systems)
• Export assets
• Move or delete assets based on metadata values

For more information, see Scheduling tasks in Assets Server with Schedule plug-ins.

• Action plug-ins are used for adding custom menus and buttons to Assets and/or Brand portal with which windows or tabs can be opened that contain specific features or integrations. Examples of using them include:
• Converting images or videos to a different format
• Creating approval workflows
• Searching external sources
• Printing assets on a contact sheet

For more information, see Adding custom functionality to Assets Server with Action plug-ins.

• Panel plug-ins add functionality to Assets in the form of a panel. After selecting one or more assets, specific information about these assets is shown in the panel or a specific action can be applied to the assets from within the panel. Use Panel plug-ins to:
• Display additional information such as from an external PIM system
• Display reporting or analytics data about various ways in which assets are used
• Apply a pre-defined set of metadata values, such as copyright information

For more information, see Adding custom functionality to Assets by using Panel plug-ins.

• API plug-ins make it possible to route API requests through Assets Server instead of directly to an API of an external service, thereby making it possible to use the security and authentication features of Assets Server.

For more information, see Routing API requests through Assets Server using API plug-ins.

Internal versus external plug-ins

Plug-ins can either be internal or external:

• Internal plug-ins are locally stored as part of an on-premise Asset Server installation. Using the plug-in on multiple Asset Server installations requires installing it separately on each Asset Server.

Note: The use of internal plug-ins has been deprecated in Assets Server 6.73. Plug-ins should instead be created as an external plug-in.

• External plug-ins are hosted externally and can be registered on multiple Asset Server installations. Changes that are made to the hosted plug-in are immediately available for all Asset Server installations that make use of it.

Sample plug-ins

To get you started, various sample plug-ins are provided with Assets Server. These show typical use cases such as an upload portal, a Web CMS integration, contact sheets, reports, and more.

For more information, see Assets Server sample plug-ins.

Installing and managing plug-ins

For information about installing and managing plug-ins, see the following articles:

• For internal plug-ins: Working with internal plug-ins in Assets Server
• For external plug-ins: Working with external plug-ins in Assets Server

Plug-in overview

An overview of each available plug-in type and its status is available in the plug-ins pages of the Management Console.

For more information, see Managing Assets Server.