Lytho Image Import Guide

Lytho Image Import connects your website directly to your Lytho Digital Asset Management (DAM) system, allowing you to browse, search, and import professional brand assets without leaving the editor.

Lytho is a Digital Asset Management (DAM) system that stores and organizes your brand's professional assets - logos, photos, videos, documents, and more. The Lytho integration brings these assets directly into your website editor.

Key Benefits:

• Centralized Assets: All brand assets in one place
• Automatic Updates: When assets change in Lytho, they automatically update on your site
• Metadata Preservation: Tags, names, and file information carry over
• Brand Consistency: Always use approved, up-to-date brand assets
• No Downloads: Import directly without downloading to your computer first

Lytho import is available in these locations:

✅ Media Blocks

• Full Lytho support with automatic sync
• Metadata tracking (tags, file info, modification dates)
• Can be cropped and edited after import

✅ Brand Logos

• Import Lytho assets for brand logos
• No automatic sync (logos don't have metadata storage)
• One-time import - update manually if needed

To import from Lytho:

1. Create or edit a Media block (or edit a Brand logo)
2. In the media form, click the Lytho tab
3. Click Browse Lytho Assets
4. The Lytho Asset Browser modal opens

The Asset Browser displays your Lytho assets in a grid layout with:

• Thumbnail Preview: Visual preview of each asset
• Asset Name: The name from Lytho
• File Type: Image format (JPEG, PNG, WebP, etc.)
• Pagination: Navigate through pages of assets (20 per page)

Navigation:

• Use Previous and Next buttons to browse pages
• Page numbers show your current position
• Click any asset thumbnail to preview it

The Asset Browser provides powerful search and filtering tools to find exactly what you need.

How to Search:

1. Type your search query in the search box
2. Press Enter or click the Search button
3. Results update instantly

What Gets Searched:

• Asset names
• File names
• Metadata fields
• Tags (if present)

Search Tips:

• Use specific terms for better results ("logo" vs "l")
• Search is case-insensitive
• Partial matches work ("roof" finds "roofing-project.jpg")

Narrow results by asset type:

• Images: Photos, logos, graphics (JPEG, PNG, WebP, etc.)
• Videos: Video files (MP4, MOV, etc.)
• Documents: PDFs, Word docs, presentations
• Audio: Sound files and music

How to Filter:

1. Select an asset type from the dropdown
2. Click Search or press Enter
3. Only assets of that type will appear

Pro Tip: For Media blocks, filter by "Images" to see only importable image assets.

If your Lytho assets are tagged, you can filter by tag IDs:

1. Enter tag IDs in the Tag IDs field (comma-separated)
2. Example: 123, 456, 789
3. Click Search
4. Only assets with those tags will appear

Finding Tag IDs:

• Tag IDs are available in your Lytho system
• Ask your Lytho administrator for commonly used tag IDs
• Document frequently used tags for easy reference

You can combine search with filters for precise results:

• Text + Type: Search "logo" + filter by "Images"
• Text + Tags: Search "roof" + filter by tag ID 123
• Type + Tags: Filter "Images" + tag IDs 123, 456
• All Three: Search "project" + "Images" + tag ID 789

Clear all filters by removing text and selections, then clicking Search.

Before importing, you can preview assets:

1. Click any asset thumbnail in the browser
2. A larger preview appears
3. Review the asset details (name, type, size)
4. Click Import This Asset to proceed

To import an asset from Lytho:

1. Find the asset using browse or search
2. Click the asset thumbnail (or click Import button)
3. The asset is downloaded from Lytho
4. The asset is attached to your Media block or Brand logo
5. Metadata is saved (for Media blocks)
6. The browser closes and you see the imported image

What Happens During Import:

• The original file is downloaded from Lytho
• The file is stored in your site's storage (ActiveStorage)
• The file is served through your CDN for fast loading
• Metadata is preserved (name, tags, file type, modification date)
• A sync record is created for automatic updates

For Media blocks, imported Lytho assets include rich metadata:

Stored Information:

• Source Type: "lytho" (identifies this as a Lytho import)
• Source ID: The Lytho asset ID for syncing
• Asset Name: Original name from Lytho
• File Name: Original filename
• File Type: MIME type (image/jpeg, image/png, etc.)
• Tags: All tags from Lytho
• Modification Date: When the asset was last modified in Lytho
• Last Synced: When the asset was last updated from Lytho

Why Metadata Matters:

• Enables automatic synchronization
• Tracks asset provenance
• Helps with asset management and organization
• Provides context for content editors

One of the most powerful features of Lytho integration is automatic synchronization. When assets change in Lytho, they automatically update on your website.

How It Works:

1. You import an asset from Lytho to a Media block
2. The system stores the Lytho asset ID and modification date
3. Background jobs periodically check Lytho for updates
4. If an asset has been modified in Lytho, it's automatically re-downloaded
5. Your website now shows the updated version

Benefits:

• Brand Consistency: Logo updates propagate automatically
• No Manual Work: No need to re-import updated assets
• Always Current: Your site always shows the latest approved assets
• Audit Trail: Sync timestamps track when updates occurred

⚠️ Important Notes:

• Auto-sync only works for Media blocks (not Brand logos)
• Brand logos must be manually re-imported if they change in Lytho
• Cropped versions are preserved during sync (only the original updates)

While automatic sync runs in the background, you can manually sync at any time:

1. Edit a Media block that contains a Lytho asset
2. Look for the Sync from Lytho button
3. Click it to immediately fetch the latest version
4. The asset updates if changes are found

When to Use Manual Sync:

• You just updated an asset in Lytho and want it live immediately
• You want to verify an asset is current
• Automatic sync hasn't run yet

Media blocks that contain Lytho assets display a Lytho badge or indicator. This helps you quickly identify:

• Which assets are from Lytho (vs. uploaded or URL imports)
• Which assets will auto-sync
• Which assets have sync capabilities

Look for the Lytho indicator in:

• Media block previews
• Block lists
• Media forms

After importing a Lytho asset, you can edit it just like any other image:

• Crop: Use the Image Editor to crop, rotate, and apply filters
• Filters: Apply grayscale, brightness, contrast, saturation, sepia
• Aspect Ratios: Crop to specific dimensions

Important: When you crop a Lytho asset:

• The original is preserved and will auto-sync
• The cropped version is separate and won't be overwritten by sync
• If the original updates via sync, your crop remains intact
• You can re-crop at any time

See the Image Editor Guide for complete editing instructions.

Asset Organization in Lytho:

• Use consistent naming conventions in Lytho
• Tag assets appropriately for easy filtering
• Organize assets into logical folders/collections
• Document commonly used tag IDs for your team

Importing Strategy:

• Use Lytho for brand-critical assets (logos, official photos)
• Use direct upload for one-off or temporary images
• Import high-resolution originals - you can crop later
• Add descriptive captions after import

Sync Management:

• Trust automatic sync for most assets
• Use manual sync when you need immediate updates
• Monitor sync status in asset metadata
• Coordinate with your Lytho admin on asset updates

Performance:

• Lytho assets are cached and served via CDN
• Import once, use everywhere - no need to re-import the same asset
• Large files may take a moment to import - be patient

Asset Browser won't open:

• Check your internet connection
• Verify Lytho integration is configured (contact your administrator)
• Try refreshing the page

No assets appear in browser:

• Check that you have assets in your Lytho account
• Try clearing search filters
• Verify you're searching the correct asset type
• Contact your Lytho administrator to verify permissions

Import fails:

• Check your internet connection
• Verify the asset still exists in Lytho
• Try a different asset to isolate the issue
• Check browser console for error messages

Asset won't sync:

• Verify it's a Media block (Brand logos don't auto-sync)
• Check that the asset still exists in Lytho
• Try manual sync
• Verify the asset was actually modified in Lytho
• Check the last synced timestamp

Wrong asset imported:

• Delete the current asset
• Re-import the correct asset
• Use search/filters to find the right asset

The system supports three ways to add media:

1. Lytho Import

• ✅ Best for: Brand-critical assets, official photos, logos
• ✅ Automatic synchronization
• ✅ Metadata preservation
• ✅ Centralized asset management
• ❌ Requires Lytho account and configuration

2. URL Import

• ✅ Best for: External images, one-time imports
• ✅ No upload needed
• ✅ Source tracking
• ❌ No automatic sync
• ❌ Requires publicly accessible URL

3. Direct Upload

• ✅ Best for: Custom images, screenshots, temporary content
• ✅ Works offline
• ✅ No external dependencies
• ❌ No sync capabilities
• ❌ No source tracking

Recommendation: Use Lytho for brand assets that may change, URL import for external content, and direct upload for everything else.

Now that you understand Lytho integration, explore these related features:

• Image Editor: Learn how to crop and apply filters to imported assets
• Media Blocks: Understand how to use imported images in your pages
• Block System: Learn about all available block types