--- title: "Assets FAQs" description: "Discover the frequently asked questions for Assets in Contentstack." url: "https://www.contentstack.com/docs/assets/faqs" product: "Contentstack" doc_type: "guide" audience: - developers - admins version: "current" last_updated: "2026-05-12" --- # Assets FAQs ### When should a space be created instead of a workspace? Create a **space** to separate brands, websites, or business units that require independent governance. Create a **workspace** to isolate short-lived work such as campaigns, seasonal updates, or experimentation inside the same space. ### Are spaces mapped to stacks in Contentstack CMS? Yes. In Contentstack CMS implementations, teams commonly map **one or more spaces to a stack** (brand or site) and use a shared space (eg., “Global Brand Assets”) for assets reused across stacks through linking. ### Can assets be reused across multiple stacks? Yes. When a space is linked to multiple stacks, content teams can reuse assets across stacks through the asset picker, subject to roles, space access, and localization rules. ### Can the same asset exist in multiple spaces without duplication? No. An asset belongs to a single space. To reuse an asset across projects, store it in a shared space (eg., Global Brand Assets) and reference it where needed. ### Where are languages configured for asset localization? Add languages **globally** in **Assets** > **Settings** first. Then enable only the required languages inside specific **workspaces**. Only workspace-enabled languages become available for localization in that workspace. ### If Assets supports five locales, can a workspace use only two? Yes. Add only the required languages at the workspace level. Only those enabled languages become available for localizing assets in that workspace. ### Does asset localization support changing the actual file (binary)? Yes. Asset localization can include localized metadata (title/description/tags) and can also include replacing the file when the localized version requires it (eg., an image with translated on-image text). ### What happens to localized data when an asset is unlocalized? Unlocalizing removes the localized variant, and the asset starts pulling values again from the **default language** for that locale. ### Can any asset be selected in the CMS asset picker for any entry locale? No. The asset picker respects locale rules. Entries can select assets that match the entry locale or the locale fallback chain, depending on how fallback is configured. ### What is the difference between system metadata and user-defined fields? **System metadata** is generated by Contentstack, is read-only, and tracks file and activity details. **User-defined fields** are configured through fields and asset types to store business metadata (eg., product ID, usage rights, campaign name). ### Do changes to an asset always create a new version? Yes. Each save creates a new version with asset versioning (eg., updates to file or configurable metadata). Versioning preserves history and enables restoration. ### Does the permanent URL change when an asset version changes? No. The **permanent URL remains constant** across versions, even when the file is replaced, while version history continues to track changes. ### Can an asset version be deleted? Contentstack supports restoring older versions, but selective deletion of specific versions is not supported as a standard end-user action. Version history exists to support traceability and rollback. ### Can version names be longer than 32 characters? No. Custom version names have a maximum length of **32 characters**. ### What happens when a workspace is deleted? Deleting a workspace deletes the workspace and the assets associated with it. This action is destructive and intended for cleanup of temporary workspaces. ### Can a workspace UID be edited after creation? No. Workspace UID is read-only after creation. Create a new workspace if a different UID is required. ### What does “Fork workspace” do? Fork creates a new workspace using an existing workspace as the source. Teams commonly fork a campaign workspace to create a new variation without starting from scratch. ### Can assets be searched by user-defined fields? Yes. Search and filtering support system fields and user-defined fields. Advanced search supports constructing complex queries across multiple fields. ### Do spaces and workspaces have separate roles? Yes. Contentstack Assets provides organization/product roles, and each space supports space-scoped roles. Users must be assigned to a space to access its assets, even if a user has a product role. ### Can a workspace be converted into a space? No. Spaces and workspaces serve different purposes and cannot be converted. ### Is it possible to give a user access to Assets but restrict them to specific spaces? Yes. Assign a Contentstack Assets role and then grant access only to specific spaces. ### Can external vendors be restricted to uploading assets only? Yes. Create a custom role (eg., Vendor) with limited permissions and assign it to one or more spaces. ### Do AI features work for all asset types? AI features such as tag suggestion, description suggestion, alt text suggestion, visual markup suggestion, and reverse image search depend on asset type and format. Some AI capabilities apply primarily to image formats. ### Does visual markup work for every file type? No. Visual markup applies to supported image formats and is not available for non-visual file formats (eg., most documents). ### Can Contentstack Assets enforce required metadata during upload? Yes. Asset types can require specific fields and apply validation rules. Assets must meet required-field rules before saving. ### Can folder/asset deletion be undone? Deleted folders/assets can be restored from trash for up to **14 days**. After this, the assets or folder and all its contents will be permanently deleted.