Most platforms make you sync between your DAM and your workflow. Aproove makes them the same drive.

Why it matters

The standard pattern in enterprise marketing operations is two systems: a DAM that stores assets and a workflow tool that runs reviews. Between them, an integration. This kind of online brand portal software with approval workflows breaks down too easily. The DAM holds the master file. The workflow tool downloads it for review. The reviewed version gets uploaded back. The approved version gets pushed to the DAM. Versions multiply. Sync breaks. Source of truth becomes unclear.

Aproove eliminates the sync. The file is in one place. The workflow runs against the file in its place. The approved file does not get pushed somewhere else; it gets marked approved and stays where it is. Search returns results from the same drive that holds the proofs in review.

This unification has consequences beyond convenience. The permission model that gates project access also gates file access. The audit trail that captures decisions also captures file history. The integration surface that admins maintain shrinks from "DAM-to-workflow sync" to "drive." Files do not exist in two states with different metadata; they exist in one state.

For organizations that already have an enterprise DAM, the Asset Browser can be repointed via API to browse the external system instead of (or alongside) the Aproove Drive. Aproove does not require customers to replace what they already have.

How it works

Getting files in

Files enter the Aproove Drive through several paths:

• Drag and drop directly into the target folder in the Aproove interface.
• Upload from cloud storage: Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, or Google Drive. The connection wizard runs once per cloud account.
• Upload request task. A user with the right permissions can task another person (internal user or guest) to upload files into a specific drive location. The tasked person gets a notification, drops the file into the upload area, and the requester is notified on delivery. These tasks can be part of a pre-defined workflow (a project kickoff task that asks the requester for a creative brief, for example).
• Hot folders and API ingestion for system-driven uploads from production systems, scheduling tools, or external integrations.

Previews of 180+ formats

Every file gets a preview generated on upload. Single-page assets get a single preview. Multi-page documents get a preview of every page. Office files, PDFs, images, video, and the rest of the 180+ supported formats are all previewable in-browser without the native application. Reviewers and stakeholders see file contents at a glance, even on devices that do not have Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office, or the application that created the file.

Organize and navigate

The Drive uses a folder hierarchy that users with the right permissions can create, move, rename, and delete. Files can carry tags and metadata that drive search and filtering. The Asset Browser file tree on the left side of the screen lets users navigate by folder; the content panel on the right shows what is in the selected folder.

Search across everything you can see

Search runs across file names, folder names, tags, metadata, and project names, all scoped to the files the user has permission to access. Search can be run from the top level or from inside a specific folder to narrow the result set. For users on the enterprise edition, advanced filters and saved searches let teams reuse common queries.

Use what you find

Selecting a file in the Asset Browser opens a set of actions:

• Preview the file. Single-page or multi-page previews open inline. Multi-page documents render every page in the preview.
• Open the associated project. If the file is part of an Aproove project, a button opens that project directly.
• Reveal in the file tree. A button locates the file in its folder, useful for moving or context-checking.
• Open in the Review Interface. If the file is stored as an Aproove proof, clicking the preview takes the user straight into the proofing interface to annotate.
• Add to collection. Files added to the collection accumulate in a basket. The basket can be downloaded (in original format or as JPEG), shared via secure download link, or used to create a new project.

Sharing and distribution

Files and folders can be shared with people inside or outside Aproove through email-delivered secure links. Recipients land directly on the shared file or folder; they cannot access anywhere else on the drive. Links can carry an expiry date. Sharing can also be automated as part of a workflow step (a workflow Action that, on project approval, shares all approved project files with a specific external distribution list, for example).

For larger distribution, the collection basket pattern allows a user to gather a selection of assets and produce a single shareable download link or trigger a new project that uses the collection as its starting assets.

Convert files to proofs

Any file in the Drive can be converted into an Aproove proof for review with a single action. This means stored assets that were not originally created as proofs (reference material, historical files, supplied creative) can enter a review cycle without leaving the platform.

Integrating with existing DAM or ERP

Customers with an enterprise DAM (Xinet, FullPress, MediaBeacon, or others) or an ERP system can point the Asset Browser at that external system via the Aproove API. The Asset Browser navigation, search, and selection patterns then run against the external repository. This lets organizations keep their existing asset library as the source of truth while using Aproove for the workflow and proofing layer.

Benefits

• One source of truth. The same file your team reviews is the same file your library stores. No sync between DAM and workflow.
• No file format barrier. Previews for 180+ formats including multi-page documents mean reviewers and stakeholders can see file contents without the native application.
• Search across permissions. Every user sees what they have permission to see, with search and filtering scoped to that view.
• Multiple ways to get files in. Drag and drop, cloud connections, upload-request tasks, hot folders, API. The right path for the right scenario.
• Sharing with control. Email links with expiry dates and scoped access mean external sharing does not become a permanent open door.
• Activate stored files into new work. Convert any file to a proof. Use a collection to kick off a new project. Trigger tasks from a selected asset.
• Integrates with the DAM you already have. Customers with an enterprise DAM or ERP can point the Asset Browser at it via API.‍
• Permissions, audit, and workflow are unified. The drive uses the same permission model, audit trail, and workflow integration as the rest of the platform.

Who it's for

• Marketing operations leaders running asset programs at scale who want one source of truth across active work and approved archive.
• Brand and creative teams managing both production work and ongoing asset libraries.
• Agencies with multiple client engagements where each client's assets need clear separation and external distribution.
• Compliance and regulatory teams who need the storage layer to share the same permission and audit model as the workflow layer.
• IT and platform owners evaluating whether to maintain two systems (DAM + workflow) or consolidate to one.
• Customers with an existing DAM or ERP who want workflow and proofing on top of their current asset library.

Under the hood

The Aproove Drive is the underlying storage layer of the Aproove platform, accessed through two presentation layers: the project file view (within-project context) and the Asset Browser (cross-project context). Both layers run against the same storage and respect the same permissions. File previews are generated by the Aproove Processing Agent at upload, supporting more than 180 file formats including multi-page document rendering. Upload paths include direct drag-and-drop, cloud storage connectors (Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, Google Drive) via OAuth, upload request tasks issued through the workflow engine, hot folder ingestion for system-driven uploads, and direct API upload. Sharing operates via signed URLs with configurable expiry, scoped to specific files or folders. The Asset Browser supports repointing to external DAM or ERP systems via the Aproove API connector pattern, allowing customers to use existing asset repositories as the underlying source while preserving the Aproove Asset Browser UI for navigation, search, and project creation. All file operations (upload, move, rename, delete, share, version, convert) are captured in the project audit trail.