Managing Media

Once your library starts to fill up, you’ll want to see what each file is, grab a copy back when you need it, and tidy up files you no longer use. The media library has a few tools for exactly that.

Media Detail Panel

Select a file in the media library to open the detail panel. The panel shows:

• A preview of the file
• File metadata (name, type, size, upload date)
• A Download button to save the file to your computer
• Options for managing the file, including deletion

Downloading a file

Click Download on the detail panel to save the file to your computer. This is handy when you need the original back, for example to re-edit a graphic in another tool or to share the source asset with a teammate.

Deleting media files

You can delete files from the media library when they are no longer needed. Before deleting, Slate scans your account to find every place the file is currently used.

Deletion permissions in team workspaces

In a team workspace, deletion permissions follow the same pattern as course deletion:

• Admins and the team owner can delete any file in the team media library
• Editors can only delete files they personally uploaded

What Slate checks

Before deletion, Slate looks for references to the file in:

• Lesson blocks - Image, Video, Audio, and Document blocks across all courses
• Course logos - any course using the file as its logo
• Cover pages - cover page images on any course
• Theme presets - logos saved into theme presets
• Block templates - media saved into reusable block templates
• Lesson templates - media saved into reusable lesson templates
• Active preview links - preview links that display the file
• Tracked sharing links - shared links that include the file
• Custom fonts - custom font files that reference the media file
• Version history snapshots - previous versions of lessons that reference the file
• Published review snapshots - review snapshots that include the file

Understanding the warning

If references are found, Slate shows a detailed breakdown of every location that would be affected by deletion. Version history and published review references are listed separately, since those are historical records that cannot be updated after the file is removed.

Proceeding with deletion

Deletion is never blocked. After reviewing the reference list, click Delete Anyway to proceed. Any references to the deleted file will show as missing media in those locations.

If a file is used in active courses, consider replacing it in those blocks before deleting the original from your library.

Free up space

When your storage starts to fill up, Free up space finds files you’ve uploaded but aren’t using anywhere, so you can clear them out in a few clicks.

Open Settings > Storage and click Free up space. Slate scans your library and lists everything that isn’t being used in a course, on a cover page, in a theme preset, in a block or lesson template, on a preview or shared link, or in a version or review snapshot.

Reviewing the list

Every file is selected by default, since they’re all candidates for cleanup. For each one you’ll see:

• A thumbnail or media-type icon
• The original filename
• The file size and when you uploaded it

Click a row to take that file off the list. Use Select all or Clear all to flip everything at once. The footer keeps a running tally of how many files are selected and how much space you’ll free up.

Deleting

When you’re happy with the selection, click Delete N files (size). The files are removed right away and can’t be brought back, so review the list first.

If every file in your library is being used somewhere, Slate shows a friendly “Nothing to free up” message and there’s nothing to do.

In a team workspace

Free up space works the same way on a shared team library, with the same access rules as deleting a single file:

• Admins and the team owner can clear out any unused file
• Editors can only clear out files they uploaded themselves