Downloads by Asset Type

When you set download permissions in an access rule, you're really setting a quality tier for the user. The tier is expressed using image resolution sizes (from Thumbnail (128px) to 5K (5120px), plus Original Quality), but the rule applies to every asset in your library - images, videos, audio files, and documents alike.

This page explains how each tier translates across asset types, so you can author rules that behave the way you expect.

The big idea

The Image download resolutions checkboxes on the Access Policy tab of a rule describe how much quality a user can take home. Picking only Thumbnail (128px) and Low (256px) is a way of saying "this user gets reduced-quality previews, not the full-quality file." That stance carries through to every asset type - but each type has its own way of expressing "reduced quality."

Images

The tiers map directly to image sizes. Each size fits the image within a square of that many pixels.

Thumbnail (128px) - fits within 128×128 pixels
Low (256px) - fits within 256×256 pixels
Standard (512px) - fits within 512×512 pixels
High (1024px) - fits within 1024×1024 pixels
Very High (2048px) - fits within 2048×2048 pixels
4K (4096px) - fits within 4096×4096 pixels
5K (5120px) - fits within 5120×5120 pixels
Original Quality - the source file at full resolution, called Original on this page

Users who match the rule see exactly the resolutions you check - no more, no less.

The download dialog for an image asset, showing the tiered size list

Videos

Videos don't have small / medium / large versions. The system stores one full video file; there are no tiered transcodes (no 480p / 720p / 1080p ladder).

So the rule is simple:

If the policy includes Original → users can download the video.
If the policy lists only image size tiers (Thumbnail, Low, Standard, etc.) without Original → users cannot download videos at all.

This is intentional. A "thumbnail-only" tier represents preview-only access, and there is no preview-quality video to deliver. Users at that tier still see video previews on the page; they just can't take the file with them.

The download dialog for a video asset, showing original-only availability

Audio files

Audio works the same way as video. There is one full audio file per asset, with no lower-bitrate or shorter-clip alternatives.

Original checked → audio download allowed.
Original unchecked → audio is not downloadable for this rule's users.

Documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)

Documents are special. The system automatically generates a PDF preview of every Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or LibreOffice document on upload (using Gotenberg). That PDF preview is itself a real, lower-fidelity rendition: it strips the editable Office source.

This gives you a meaningful middle ground:

Any non-empty tier checked (even just Thumbnail (128px)) → the user can download the PDF preview of the document.
Original also checked → the user can additionally download the editable source file (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx, .odt, etc.).
No tiers checked → no downloads.

Use this when you want to share a document for review without exposing the source - for example, share a Word doc as a read-only PDF with marketing reviewers, while keeping the editable copy available only to the brand team.

PDFs

Native PDF files behave the same as documents:

Any non-empty tier → user can download the PDF.
Original checked → same file (PDFs don't get a separate conversion).

Watermarks

The watermarking feature only applies to images. The system can render a watermark over an image at download time, but it cannot watermark a video frame-by-frame, and there is no audio watermarking pipeline.

If your access rule sets Watermarked preview as the preview type:

Image users see and download watermarked images, as expected.
For video, audio, and document users matched by the same rule, downloads are denied outright.

This is conservative on purpose. If you specifically required a watermark, serving a non-image without one would silently violate that requirement, so the system errs on the side of refusing the download. If you want video/audio/document users to still download, give them their own rule that doesn't require a watermark.

Quick reference

User policy includes ↓ Asset type →	Image	Video	Audio	Document / PDF
Some thumbnails only (no Original)	Picked sizes	Not downloadable	Not downloadable	PDF preview only
Original (with or without thumbnails)	All picked sizes	Original video	Original audio	PDF preview + source file
Watermarked preview required	Watermarked image	Not downloadable	Not downloadable	Not downloadable

Common scenarios

1. Marketing reviewers should see watermarked images but not download videos

Configure: visibility Visible to users, preview type Watermarked preview, check Thumbnail (128px), Low (256px) and Standard (512px) under Image download resolutions, leave Original Quality unchecked.

Result: Reviewers get watermarked image previews and can download those at the listed sizes. Videos and audio are not downloadable for them. Documents are not downloadable either (the watermark requirement blocks them).

2. External partners should see images and download PDF versions of documents, but not the editable Office sources

Configure: visibility Visible to users, preview type Full preview, check Standard (512px) and High (1024px) under Image download resolutions, leave Original Quality unchecked.

Result: Partners download images at up to 1024px. Documents download as PDF previews only - the source .docx / .xlsx / .pptx remain inaccessible. Videos and audio are not downloadable.

3. Internal staff should download anything at full resolution

Configure: visibility Visible to users, preview type Full preview, check Original Quality (and any other tiers you want for image flexibility).

Result: Full access. Images, videos, audio, and documents (both PDF preview and editable source) are all downloadable.

4. Anonymous public users should see thumbnails only - no downloads

Configure: visibility Visible to users, preview type Full preview, switch Download off (or check no tiers).

Result: Previews render, nothing is downloadable.