Deleting an image file: Confirm or Deny?

[Anonymous]

When you delete an image file that's in the design studio, and used in email programs... when you delete that image, will it auto-strip that image from pre-existing/approved emails?

Not a problem, just an observation:

I was just cleaning up some images I didn't want in the design studio (duplicate files, images that never got used, etc.), they say "Used by: None"... however, when I came across a file I wanted to replace later today, I went to delete that and realized: 

A - While it IS used in an active/approved email, it still said "Used by: None"...

B - When I deleted it (again, this is fine, cause I was going to delete it anyhow today), I went back to the email, and the image is still there. It didn't get stripped out.

This leads me to think that when you delete out of the Design studio, once they're integrated into a campaign, the images won't be stripped out (unless you manually delete them while editing the email.)

**Separately, I believe that when you "update/replace" an image, this action replaces the image everywhere that image is used... though I haven't had great luck with that feature, and tend to just upload a brand new file and use that, though I can certainly imagine scenarios where the update/replace feature would be handy and may work just fine for others!**

[Anonymous]

Whether in an email or landing page Jen - an image is simply being called from it's location on the server.  If you delete that image, it won't show in any of the assets that it's being used in.
And yes if you update/replace an image it will automatically update in the assets - again because the asset is simply referring to the image location and not storing a physical copy of the image within the asset.
Hope that helps

[Michelle_Tizian]

I just noticed that yesterday when I was deleting some images from Design Studio that I know are in use in emails, it says that the files are not in use, however they are being used but the emails are not approved.  Shouldn't you at least get a message that you are about to delete a file that's being used in an unapproved file?  

[Anonymous]

That's what I thought Stephen however, it seems I've deleted an image... and it's still showing in the email. I've opened the email, looked at the image used, and re-checked it's URL and "description/title".... I then go back into Design Studio, and do a search for that exact image... and it's not there. But yet, it's showing in my email editor still.

Again, not an issue, I'm changing the image anyhow... so this is more to confirm my understanding of how this is working for the future.

And, again, the file said it wasn't used by anything... seems like it should have listed this specific email?

[Anonymous]

Michelle, I'm with you! I was confused by the "Used by: None"... when I knew it was being used. Seems like a pop-up or warning should come up to warn you you're deleting if it's in use. That said: for some reason the file itself didn't think it was being used, so that's probably why it didn't give me a warning?  It let me delete it freely... which made me go back and double check the file that was being used. Alas, sure enough, the file remains in the email, but no longer exists in Design Studio.

Stumped!

[Michelle_Tizian]

And another issue that I found was that when I was training someone, she deleted the images that said that it was not being used.  She uploaded the files not knowing that the naming convention was the exact same thing as the old files that she removed.  Then when she viewed the email campaign with the "replaced images" the old image was being shown.  She had to approve and clear her cache and history for the change to take place, it took a few refreshes to make it work

[Anonymous]

Good point Michelle (and probably why I haven't been able to get my previous attempts to use "update/replace file" to work in the past. Should have tried clearing cache, etc., as the updates never showed... leading me to just upload new files, with a new/slightly different name).

[Anonymous]

Any chance you're seeing cached pages?  I've had isssues in the past where I updated an image and the new image didn't show; then I remembered to clear my cache and reload the page and the new image appeared.
I agree that regardless of whether an image/file is being called out from an approved or unapproved asset, there should always be a warning issued prior to deletion.

[Anonymous]

Circling back on this from yesterday... I just cleared my cache, and the image that I deleted, that was still appearing in my email, is now no longer in my email. So, cache was the culprit for that part (thanks to both of you for chiming in with that reminder!)

Still not sure why the image in the Design Studio said it was Used by: None, when it clearly was. But, again, not the end of the world, as I was replacing that graphic anyhow. Alas, something to maybe keep an eye on when deleting files... just in case?!

Thanks guys!

[Michelle_Tizian]

Thanks Jen.  It's a cache problem.  However, you migth want to post a new idea that if an image is in use from an unapproved email campaign, it should show that it's being used.  I'd vote for it.