Text Library allows you to store custom text within OpenAsset in an organized, easy-to-find manner. You know your written copy is a key component of helping you win new business. You use text in proposals, brochures, leave-behinds, interviews, and more. By using Text Library, you will have an organized, customizable, easy-to-search database so you and anyone in your firm can find exactly what they need. Store boilerplate text, text from proposals, testimonials, and any other text in your Text Library!

You’ll be able to store any text you want within your Text Library - the only limit is your imagination! When beginning to set up your Text Library, we recommend you start with text that’s used regularly in your proposals, or text you and your team are frequently searching for. It’s likely these types of text will fall into a number of broad categories, for example, “Service Descriptions,” “About Us,” or “Testimonials.” Each category can have any number of distinct text fields, similar to how different types of file categories have different fields. [link to that section] In this case, both “Service Descriptions” and “About Us” text assets are likely to just have one text field: Body Text. However, “Testimonials” may have a few text fields: Body Text, Date Provided, Client Name, etc. For all categories, you may wish to use reference fields, such as “How to Use” or “Review By.” Reference fields will apply to all categories.

[screenshot showing the 3 examples above]

You can have as many text categories, text assets, text fields, and reference fields as you need. With text and reference fields, we recommend you start simple and add as you need to.

Before beginning to create your Text Library, we recommend you sit down and organize your text by category, and add the appropriate text fields and reference fields.

Text assets are organized via category. Generally each category will contain text assets of a similar type and structure. You can add as many categories as you wish. You can change the width of the columns by hovering over the border between them, then clicking and dragging to the desired width. Note that text library categories are completely separate from other categories within OpenAsset, such as file categories or keyword categories.

To add a new text category, click the “Add Category” button at the bottom of the category column.

You will then need to give your new text category a name. Every text category name must be unique.

You will also decide which existing text fields [link to section on text fields] you wish to apply to that category. New text fields are added in the fields manager [link to that section].

You can also decide if any of the text fields should be required for that category. Note that the body text - the “main” text field - is always required for every category.

All categories will have all metadata fields available [link to that section].

Note that categories do not need to have different types of fields if you’d prefer to keep your system simple. For instance, every single one of your categories may only have the “Body Text” text field.

Once you have decided on a category name, applied text fields, and decided if any fields should be required, you have two options to move forward.

If you would like to add your new category, and continue on to create another category, click “Add & Add Another.” This will add the category and clear the dialog, allowing you to quickly add another category.

If you only want to add one category, simply click “Create & Close.”

Once a category is created, you can add text assets to it [link to section].

There is no limit to the number of categories you can create.

A text field can best be described as a field you’d directly copy and paste into a deliverable, or would export into a template. These are applied per category and will likely vary between categories. For instance, a category for testimonials may include text fields for the main testimonial, who said it, and when. A category for “About Us” text may include only the main text.

Text fields are created in the fields manager. They are applied to categories upon creation of a category [link to section], creation of a field [link to section], or when editing a category [link to section].

In order to create text fields, you will need permission to edit the fields manager, which is the Full System Admin permission [link to that article].

In the fields manager, navigate to the text tab. You’ll see that there are separate sections for text fields and reference fields. [link to section]. For more information on fields in general, see [this article]. To create a new field, click the “New Field” button. To edit a field, click the pencil icon by the field you wish to edit.

When creating or editing a text field, be sure to include a name and the type of field (single line, multiline, etc). Using the Theme dropdown, select “Text” to designate this as a text field.

Then, decide which categories should have this text field. If you like, you can set up a text field without applying it to any categories. It will then be available to use later, once you set up the categories you need.

Once you have applied the field to the categories, you can then decide if that field should be required for the selected categories. You don’t have to make any fields required. Note: While you can set a text field as a grid field, you cannot make it required. If you already have categories and text assets created, then create a new required field, it will not be retroactive. It will only be required for new text assets.

By default, all text fields are searchable, visible, and active.

Your default text fields are Name and Body Text. You can rename these and edit the order however you like, but note that these are required for every text asset.

A reference field provides key information about that text asset. All reference fields apply to all categories of text assets.

You can create as many reference fields as you wish in the fields manager, and decide if they are required. There are a few default fields to help you get started, but you will need to fill these in manually if you want to use them. You can also deactivate them if they’re not useful. They are:

Reference fields are created in the fields manager. They are applied to all categories of text assets.

In order to create text fields, you will need permission to edit the fields manager, which is the Full System Admin permission [link to that article].

In the fields manager, navigate to the text tab. You’ll see that there are separate sections for text fields and reference fields. [link to section]. For more information on fields in general, see [this article]. To create a new field, click the “New Field” button. To edit a field, click the pencil icon by the field you wish to edit.

When creating or editing a reference field, be sure to include a name and the type of field (single line, multiline, etc). Using the Theme dropdown, select “reference” to designate this as a reference field. You can also decide if you’d like this field to be required for all categories. Note: While you can set a reference field as a grid field, you cannot make it required. If you already have categories and text assets created, then create a new required field, it will not be retroactive. It will only be required for new text assets.

By default, all reference fields are visible, and active. They are not searchable at this time.

Your default reference fields are Description (single line), How to Use (multiline), and Review By (date). You can rename these, edit the order, or deactivate them entirely if you don’t need these reference fields.

There are some built-in, native metadata fields that will automatically be created and updated for each text asset. They are:

Permissions for Text Library are robust and granular. This allows you to ensure only the right people can see the information they need. Permissions for text assets are per category of text asset. For instance, you may want a technical team to have edit access to technical text assets, but view-only access to boilerplate text.

In order to access the Text Library, a user group have “Access Text Assets” turned on in the General permissions tab. However, they still then need further access per category.

For each category of text assets, a group may have the following options:

Note that permissions must be assigned logically. For instance, if you give someone edit permission for a category, you also need to give them view permission - otherwise can’t see what they need to edit!

In order to manage categories of text assets, user groups must have the following permissions:

Note that in order to manage fields - and therefore, apply text fields to categories - a user must have the System Admin permission.

In order to edit a text asset category, hover over the 3 dots and click edit.

You can then edit the name, as well as change any text fields that are applied to the category. We recommend that you check with your CS manager before removing or applying new text fields, as they may have unintended consequences. Press “Save Changes” to save your changes.

If you apply a new text field to a category, it will be available to all existing text assets within the category. If you make that field required, it will not be retroactive, meaning it will only be required for new text assets in that category.

If you remove a text field from a category, the text field and all that field’s text text, across all text assets within the category, will be removed. If you change your mind, you can add the field back to the category, and the field and the field’s text text will also be restored.

In order to delete a text asset category, hover over the 3 dots and click “Delete”.

You will need to confirm that you do indeed want to delete the text asset category. Note that when you delete a text asset category, you will also be deleting every text asset within that category. This action cannot be undone, so be very careful.

To add a text asset within a category, navigate to the category name and select it. Then, at the bottom of the text asset column, click “Add Text”.

You will then need to fill out all required fields before clicking add. Remember:

You can choose to see all fields in the add text asset dialog, or just the required ones, by changing this toggle.

Text library supports spell check on all text assets, and supports UTF8/unicode characters.

Once you have filled in all required fields, you have two options to move forward.

If you would like to add your new text asset, and continue on to add another one, click “Add & Add Another.” This will add the asset and clear the dialog, allowing you to quickly add another text asset.

If you only want to add one text asset, simply click “Create & View.”

Note that any text or reference field that is a grid is not able to be edited in the Add Text Asset dialog. You will need to edit it in the text asset editing view.

You will then be taken to the text fields tab of the text asset editing view. Any further edits you make are saved automatically.

To make any further changes to the reference fields, click the reference fields tab and fill in the fields. The fields are saved automatically.

To return to the main Text Library screen, click “Return” in the upper left corner.

There is no limit to the number of text assets you can create.

To edit a text asset, hover over the 3 dots, then click “Edit” in the dropdown. You can access this menu via the 3 dots next to the asset’s name in the asset column, or next to the “Copy All” button.

You will then be taken to the editing view, where you can edit any text or metadata field. You can paginate through text assets in the same category, your search, or your selection - whichever is relevant - by using the pagination arrows on the top right and left of the screen. To return to the main Text Library screen, click “Return” in the upper left corner.

You can edit reference fields of multiple text assets at once via a selection. [link to that section]

You can also move assets from one category to another via selections and the action bar. [link to that section]

To delete a text asset, hover over the 3 dots, then click “Delete” in the dropdown. You can access this menu via the 3 dots next to the asset’s name in the asset column, or next to the “Copy All” button.

You will then need to confirm that you want to delete the text asset. Note that this action cannot be undone, so be sure you are happy with deleting it!

You can also delete a single text asset while in the editing view. In the upper right hand corner, click the delete icon

You will then need to confirm that you want to delete the text asset. Note that this action cannot be undone, so be sure you are happy with deleting it!

You are able to delete multiple text assets via a selection. [link to that section]

You may wish to add multiple text assets that are very similar. For instance, perhaps you have multiple “About Us” paragraphs, with each focusing on a different office or sector: “About Us - Aviation” and “About Us - Education.” In this instance, it will be helpful to duplicate an existing text asset rather than creating an entirely new one from scratch.

Duplicating a text asset will duplicate all fields, both reference and text. Note that the added date/by will reflect the duplicating action, not the creation date of the original asset. All required fields must be filled out in order to duplicate the asset.

To duplicate a text asset, hover over the 3 dots, then click “Duplicate” in the dropdown. You can access this menu via the 3 dots next to the asset’s name in the asset column, or next to the “Copy All” button.

You will then need to name your new text asset. Remember that text assets within a category must all have unique names.

You will then be taken directly to the new text asset, where you can make any changes necessary.

Searching for text assets is easy and intuitive. You can search for an exact word or phrase within any category title, text asset title, or text field. Note that search will only return results that are exact matches to your search term.

Use the search bar to search for your word or phrase. The search will run automatically; you don’t have to press enter.

You can see any matches highlighted in yellow in any category name, text asset name, or text field, making finding the right asset a breeze.

The number of text assets that match your result will be displayed to the right of the search bar. If your search matches the name of a text asset category, then all text assets within that category will count as a result. You can paginate through all your results by using the arrow buttons.

You can also sort your text asset categories and text assets at any time.

To sort your categories, click the arrows on the category column. You can sort them by added date, last updated, and alphabetically. Note that added date is the date the category itself was updated. Last updated is when any text asset within the category was updated [link to that section] or the category configuration itself was updated [link to that section]. You can sort by ascending or descending.

To sort your text assets within a single category, click the arrows on the text asset column. You can sort them by added date, last updated [link to section], and alphabetically. You can sort by ascending or descending.

You are able to use text assets in documents via one-click copy or by using them in OpenAsset templates.

You can easily copy the text fields of a text asset into any other document or tool.

To copy all text fields of a text asset, click the “Copy All” button in the upper right. This will not copy the title, the field names, or any metadata fields.

This function also will not copy grid fields, as they will be in grid format. To copy a grid field, open the field and use the copy function on the grid.

You can also one-click copy individual text fields by using the copy button to the left of each field.

You can also of course highlight and copy selected portions manually as well.

You can copy multiple text assets in order via the selections tab. [link to that section]

Like files, employees, or projects in OpenAsset, you can create a selection of text assets in order to action them.

To select a text asset, click the circle that appears on hover.

You can also select the asset while in editing view. Simply click the checkmark in the upper right to add it to your selection.

To select every text asset in a category, select the circle that appears next to the category name.

To select every text asset in your system, click the circle next to the “Categories” header. Note that you can select a maximum of 1000 text assets at once.

Once a text asset or multiple assets have been selected, they will appear on the selected tab.

In order to clear your selection, uncheck the blue checkmark on an individual asset. This can be done on the selected tab, on the main results tab, or in the editing view. You can also remove them all by pressing “Clear Selection."

You can browse your assets by clicking on them, and can access the usual functions like coping, editing, and deleting as normal.

It may be helpful to change the order of your selection. This may be for export, review, or editing.

In order to change the order of an asset, use the 6 dots drag handle to drag the text asset to the desired location, then drop it in place.

You may wish to copy all selected assets in order. For instance, you can use the selected tab to curate the exact text you need for a proposal. To easily get it into your document, use the “Copy all in order” button. This will copy all the text fields in the order of your selection.

After you have made a selection, you can move those assets to a new category. Click the move button on the action bar

Note that you must have edit permission for all assets in your selection in order to move them.

You can then choose which category to move all the selected text assets into. The dropdown will only show categories that you have edit permission for.

Keep in mind that if you are moving assets from a category with a specific text field, that the destination category does not have, the data will be hidden. If you were to move the asset back to the original category, the data will be restored.

You can edit the reference fields of multiple text assets at once via a selection. Once you’ve made a selection, click the edit button on the action bar. Note that you must have edit permission for every text asset in your selection in order to edit that selection.

You’ll then see the multi-edit dialog to edit the reference fields of all the selected text assets.

If there isn’t anything in a reference field, it will be blank, and you can fill in the field as normal.

If all the fields of the assets selected have the same value, then you can edit it as you would normally.

Sometimes the selected assets may have different values in a specific reference field. In this case, you’ll see this as “Multiple values (Click for options)”

To see what is currently listed in the reference field across the assets, click into the form field.

You’ll see all of the current values of the reference field listed, with the number of selected assets that have that value in it listed next to the value.

You can then choose any of the values to apply to all of the selected text assets by clicking on it.

If you would like to clear all the values, simply click the X. This will then return the field to the blank state, and you can fill in whatever you wish.

You may delete all the text assets within your selection. Once you’ve made a selection, click the delete button on the action bar. Note that you must have delete permission for every text asset within your selection.

You will then need to confirm that you want to delete these assets. This action cannot be undone.

Text assets are available to be used in templates in three different ways. In order to use a template, including the CSV export, you must have permissions for that template enabled.

First, you can select multiple assets to be used in a text-only template. Once you’ve selected your assets, click the export button on the action bar, and choose your selected template.

Note that you can also export a single asset to a template via the editing view, in the upper right corner.

Second, you can use specific text assets in text-only templates. For instance, perhaps you always include a page in every proposal that covers “About Us” and “Our Approach.” Any changes you make in your “About Us” text asset would then be reflected in newly generated templates. Note this does not work off of a selection of any kind.

Third, you can use specific text assets in ‘cover pages’ for project or employee templates. For instance, you may wish to create a project-based template with cover pages that include “About Us,” “Our Mission,” etc. Any changes you make in your “About Us” text asset would then be reflected in newly generated project templates. Note the selection that you make for this template would be a selection of projects, not a selection of text assets.

For more information on using text assets in templates, speak to your Customer Success Manager.

You can also export a selection of assets to CSV, as long as you have the correct template permissions. This may be helpful for auditing or clean up purposes. For more information, [link to relevant article].

In order to export your selection to CSV, click the export button on the action bar, and choose the built-in CSV template.

Note that you can also export a single asset to CSV via the editing view, in the upper right corner.

You’re able to share text assets and categories via link, as each text asset and category has a unique URL.