Share links allow you to create a public URL to an asset that you can then copy through the UI, export via Tailored Export or retrieve via the Product API this feature to help companies easily distribute their assets without needing to host images with third parties or having to download zip files.
Global activation
In order to ensure only companies wishing to allow their employees to share links to assets can do so; we have made a global activation setting in the system settings so no public links can be created for your assets unless you activate this setting.
To reach this setting, go to “System > Configuration” and there will be a new Share Assets setting at the bottom of the page. Activating this setting creates a new public instance where any assets you then share will be hosted. Note: the activation itself does not move any of your data to this location or share any of your assets.
Please note: Activating the feature involves a series of processes which include registering a unique sub-domain for your assets, creating a new public bucket for the shared assets to be stored in. As such we recommend waiting for a couple of minutes after either activating or deactivating the feature.
Create Share Links
Next you need to decide which asset families you want to create Share Links for. To do this go to “Edit Family > Properties” and find the “Share Links” section
By enabling this setting, we will create a public link for each asset in that family. Depending on the number of assets you have in the family this may take some time.
While there will now be public links available for all the assets in the family, this in itself doesn’t share them with anyone. They will be on unlisted URLs that will not be discoverable unless the link is known.
Please note: Activating the setting for a family with existing assets can take some time depending on how many assets you have. Your assets will need to be copied to the public bucket so they can be shared with people without an Akeneo login.
See the links in the asset edit form
You will then be able to see the links for the assets by opening any of the assets in the family. You can quickly share a single link from here or test the link to ensure the links are working as expected.
Share at scale with Tailored Export
The beta also includes a new option for your Tailored Export profile where you will be able to export the share link.
Distribute your assets with your products with the product API
Another feature of beta is the ability to share asset links via the product API. With beta where the product is linked to families that have share links enabled, additional information is available in the response without needing to make additional API calls.
The share links function is currently supported on the following product APIs:
- GET Product
- GET Product (UUID)
- GET Product model
To use the new API parameter to get share links, you will need to add the boolean “with_asset_share_links” set to true.
When this is enabled, you will see a new linked data section in the response.
example:
"Test_asset_collection": [
{
"locale": null,
"scope": null,
"data": [
"admete_packshot_1"
],
"linked_data": {
"admete_packshot_1": {
"share_links": [
{
"_links": {
"self": {
"href": "https://myaccount.asset.akeneo.cloud/familyname/assetname.jpg"
}
}
}
]
}
}
}
],
FAQs
Is there a usage charge for this feature?
We are happy to offer Share Assets to our existing Enterprise customers at no extra cost but subject to fair usage.
Is there a limit on share link bandwidth?
Enterprise customers have a quota of 500gb of download bandwidth per month included in their package. This is a maximum per month so you cannot carry over unused bandwidth. If you expect to exceed this you can contact our team to discuss options.
Which product assets can I create share links for?
Why do I have to enable sharing at a configuration level?
Why do I have to enable sharing at the asset family level?
Enabling the ability to share assets at the Asset Family level creates another level of security for your product assets. For example, you may not want some Asset Families to be made public, such as raw files or working files. Turning on share links at the Asset Family level gives you an additional layer of control over which assets can be shared outside of Akeneo PIM.
How long will I have to wait for the share links to be created?
When you enable Share Assets at the family level the links will be automatically generated and quickly populated on the asset pages. The timing depends on how many assets are in the Asset Family. It usually takes a few minutes but if you have a family with a large number of existing assets it could take a bit longer - eg 30 minutes if you have a million assets.
What happens to a share link if I make a change to my asset? Will the link no longer work?
As long as the asset file name and format (.png, .PDF, .jpeg, etc.) do not change the link will not break. The file type is part of the link, so if a .png file is replaced with a .jpeg file the link will change and you will need to share the new link.
Why can’t I export the share links via the asset API?
We prioritized the Product API and tailored exports for the initial release as we recognized that the main use case for share links is to link to the product asset to product information. The Product API can be leveraged to provide the product information and now the product asset in one complete package. The Asset API is on the product roadmap as a fast follow after the initial release of Share Assets.
Can I create a share link of a media link?
No, Akeneo PIM won’t generate share links to share access to an existing link, such as an asset where the main media is linked to a 3rd party DAM or a link to a video on YouTube.
What happens if I turn off sharing for an asset family?
The previously created share links will be deleted from the Akeneo PIM UI. Any links that had been previously shared will no longer provide access to the asset. As with activation, this will take a little time to complete depending on how many assets you have shared.
Can I use the share link to host images on my ecommerce site?
No, the share link is not designed to be used like a CDN. It should not be embedded on an ecommerce site or your website. The share link provides access to an asset. The links can be used to share assets with business partners and internal teams who need product assets but don’t need access to your Akeneo PIM. The recipient of the share link needs to download that product asset and then upload it to their commerce system to serve the assets to customers via the ecommerce site.