Asset Intake and Metadata Gate (Onboarding)

Asset Intake and Metadata Gate (Onboarding)

1. 01

   Inventory every source location where client brand files currently live

   List shared drives, ad platform libraries, email attachments, and prior vendor portals. Name one owner per location before any migration begins.

2. 02

   Freeze the asset set at a dated snapshot and assign a version prefix

   Tag the snapshot with the intake date so later additions are traceable. Without a frozen baseline, version disputes during delivery have no reference point.

3. 03

   Define the metadata schema before uploading a single file

   Agree on required fields (brand, campaign, channel, rights window, approval status) and which are optional. Platforms such as Canto and Bynder auto-generate tags, but the schema still has to be set by the agency.

4. 04

   Separate rights-restricted assets into a quarantined collection

   Flag stock, talent, and music files with expiry dates. Rights management is where client brand violations most often originate.

5. 05

   Run a duplicate and orphan sweep on the frozen set

   Resolve near-identical files to one canonical version and log what was retired. Duplicates are the main cause of billable hours lost to asset hunting.

6. 06

   Publish the schema and naming convention as a one-page client-facing reference

   Keep it to a single page the client will actually read. Longer governance documents get ignored and the schema drifts within weeks.

7. 07

   Confirm the intake gate with the client in writing before production starts

   State what was received, what is missing, and what the agency will not be accountable for. This protects the retainer scope.