> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://cloudinary.com/documentation/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# FADEL integration (Beta)


This integration helps organizations that already use, or plan to use, **FADEL's Rights Cloud** to manage digital rights, while also leveraging Cloudinary's asset management, transformation, optimization, and delivery capabilities.

> **INFO**:
>
> The **FADEL integration** is currently in **Beta**. There may be minor changes to functionality, user interface, and other implementation details before the general access release. We invite you to try it out. We would appreciate any feedback via our [support team](https://support.cloudinary.com/hc/en-us/requests/new).
> **READING**:
>
> :no-title
> **Enterprise plans**: 

> * The **FADEL integration** is a premium offering for our **Assets** product. Availability depends on your account setup and requires that you have an active FADEL account. If the integration isn't yet enabled for your account and you'd like to activate it, please contact your Customer Success Manager.
> **Free plan**: 

> * This feature isn’t included in the Media Library available with the **Assets Free** plan, which offers basic management. It's part of the Media Library for **Assets Enterprise** plans.

>     * To learn more about the features available in the **Assets Free** plan and how they can support development workflows, see [Media Library for Developers](media_library_for_developers). 

>     * For upgrade options or more information, [contact us](https://cloudinary.com/contact).

## Overview

[**FADEL's Rights Cloud**](https://fadel.com/) is a platform for managing rights, licensing, contracts, usage restrictions, and compliance across digital assets.

The **FADEL–Cloudinary integration** connects your Cloudinary Assets environment with FADEL, ensuring your assets' rights and availability information stays accurate. Cloudinary automatically adds assets marked for tracking to FADEL, and FADEL writes updates, such as new agreements, territories, or usage rules, back to Cloudinary.

Once configured, users can check an asset's current clearance directly from Cloudinary and view detailed rights information inside the asset's metadata. This workflow keeps compliance aligned without requiring users to leave the Media Library.

![FADEL clearance check](https://cloudinary-res.cloudinary.com/image/upload/f_auto/q_auto/bo_1px_solid_grey/v1759053990/docs/DAM/fadel_clearence_check.png "thumb: w_700,dpr_2, width:700, popup:true")

## Setup

### Set up FADEL's Rights Cloud

* Upload and manage licensing and rights contracts.
* Link contracts directly to specific digital assets.

For details, see the [Rights Cloud v3.0.7 User Guide](https://support.fadel.com/support/solutions/articles/13000066186-rights-cloud-v3-0-7-user-guide) (login required).

### Set up the integration

To enable the FADEL integration for your Assets environment, contact your Customer Success Manager or submit a [support request](https://support.cloudinary.com/hc/en-us/requests/new).

Setting up the integration includes:

* Establishing the connection between Cloudinary and FADEL

* Configuring authentication for both systems

* Creating and mapping structured metadata fields

* Enabling scheduled sync flows, including:
  * **Cloudinary → FADEL**: asset creation and metadata updates
  * **FADEL → Cloudinary**: rights, agreements, and availability **updates**

These sync flows rely on structured metadata values to detect which assets require updates.

### Label tracked assets (optional)

To visually flag assets managed in FADEL, set the **Rights Managed** structured metadata field as your [primary attribute](dam_admin_media_library_options#primary_attribute) on the [Display](https://console.cloudinary.com/app/assets/media_library/preferences/display) page of the Media Library Preferences.

Assets synced with FADEL then show a **Yes** label, while assets not synced show **No**. Hovering over the label shows the metadata field: **Rights Managed: Yes** or **Rights Managed: No**

![Rights Managed primary attribute](https://cloudinary-res.cloudinary.com/image/upload/f_auto/q_auto/bo_1px_solid_grey/docs/DAM/fadel_primary_attribute.png "thumb: w_451,dpr_2, width:451, popup:true")

### Configure FADEL sync on upload (optional)

When an asset is uploaded with the **Needs Rights Management** structured metadata field set to **Yes**, the asset is created in FADEL, set up for automatic syncing, and its digital rights information becomes available within the Cloudinary Media Library.

By default, the **Needs Rights Management** field is set to **Yes**, meaning every uploaded asset is automatically created in FADEL and set up for syncing. You can change this configuration to require users to explicitly decide for each asset, or to make rights management optional:

**To require a sync decision on each upload:**

1. On the [Manage Structured Metadata](https://console.cloudinary.com/app/assets/media_library/metadata_fields) page, click **Needs Rights Management** to open the field management pane.
2. Ensure the field is set to **Mandatory** (this is the default setting).
3. Remove the default value.

With this configuration, Cloudinary prompts users to choose either **Yes** (add to FADEL) or **No** (don't add to FADEL) on upload. If left blank, the upload fails.

**To make rights management optional:**

1. On the [Manage Structured Metadata](https://console.cloudinary.com/app/assets/media_library/metadata_fields) page, click **Needs Rights Management** to open the field management pane.
2. Remove the **Mandatory** setting.
3. Set the default value to **No** (or leave it empty).

With this configuration, assets aren't added to FADEL by default unless users manually set the field to **Yes**, either during upload or by changing the metadata field value for existing assets.

> **TIP**: For information on all structured metadata fields for this integration, see [Metadata fields](#metadata_fields).

## Metadata fields

The FADEL–Cloudinary integration uses structured metadata fields to control syncing and capture rights, availability, and agreement information returned from FADEL. These fields are created automatically during setup.

![FADEL metadata sync](https://cloudinary-res.cloudinary.com/image/upload/f_auto/q_auto/bo_1px_solid_grey/docs/DAM/fadel_smd_fields.png "thumb: w_701,dpr_2, width:701, popup:true")

Here's a summary of the structured metadata fields:

> **NOTE**: Your organization may have set up additional structured metadata fields along with your CSM to work with this integration according to your specific needs.

{table:class=no-borders overview middle-cols} Label | External ID | Possible Values | Description |
|-------|-------------|-----------------|-------------|
| Needs Rights Management | `needs_rights_management` | **Yes** / **No** | Mandatory. Default: **Yes**. Primary control for adding an asset to FADEL. Set to **Yes** on upload to create the asset in FADEL and enable Cloudinary-FADEL sync. Automatically updates to **No** after the asset is successfully created in FADEL. **Note:** You can prevent automatic FADEL integration for all uploaded assets and require users to explicitly choose whether or not each one should be added to FADEL. See [Configure FADEL sync on upload](#configure_fadel_sync_on_upload_optional).|
| Rights Managed | `rights_managed` | **Yes** / **No** | Read-only. Default: **No**. Automatically updates to **Yes** after the asset is successfully created in FADEL. Can be used as a [primary attribute](dam_admin_media_library_options#primary_attribute) to visually identify assets synced with FADEL. |
| Business Unit | `business_unit` | text | Read-only. Identifies the FADEL business unit managing the asset. |
| Force Sync | `force_sync` | **Yes** / **No** | Default: **No**. Set to **Yes** to perform an immediate one-time sync to FADEL. Must be used with **Needs Rights Management** = **Yes**. Automatically resets to **No** after sync.**Note:** There's only a need to force sync if **Rights Managed** = **No**. When **Rights Managed** = **Yes**, that means the asset is already created in FADEL and configured to sync with Cloudinary.  |
| Project Name | `project_name` | text | Optional custom field. Only included if your integration has project metadata sync enabled. |
| Project Type | `project_type` | text | Optional. Only included if your integration has project metadata sync enabled. |
| Resource Code | `resource_code` | text | Optional. Only included if your integration has project metadata sync enabled. |
| Resource Type | `resource_type` | text | Optional. Only included if your integration has project metadata sync enabled. |
| Synced | `synced` | **Yes** / **No** | Default: **Yes**. Controls updates from **FADEL → Cloudinary**. Set to **No** to refresh rights, agreement, and availability information during the next sync. Updates back to **Yes** automatically after sync. **Note:** Cloudinary is automatically updated during the next sync if relevant information is changed in FADEL.|
| Last Sync Date | `last_sync_date` | any date | Read-only. Shows when FADEL last updated the rights metadata. |
| External URL | `external_url` | URL | Read-only. Contains rights and agreement metadata that FADEL retrieves. |
| FADEL Rights Information | `fadel_rights_information` | JSON | Read-only. Shows agreement data that FADEL retrieves for the asset. |
| FADEL Rights Availability | `fadel_rights_availability` | JSON | Read-only. Contains where the asset is cleared for use (territories, channels, etc.). |
| FADEL Parties Agreements Information | `fadel_parties_agreements_information` | JSON | Read-only. Displays all agreements and parties associated with the asset. |

## Workflow

The workflow below describes how the integration behaves at a system level, based on structured metadata values.

> **NOTE**: For step-by-step instructions on adding assets to FADEL, forcing immediate syncs, and refreshing rights information in the Media Library, see 
[FADEL rights management integration (Beta)](dam_manage_asset_protection#fadel_rights_management_integration_beta) in the User guide.

### Asset creation and initial sync (Cloudinary → FADEL)

When an asset is uploaded with **Needs Rights Management** = **Yes**, the integration creates the asset in FADEL and syncs asset information, metadata, and digital rights management information between Cloudinary and FADEL. The same process occurs when a user sets **Needs Rights Management** = **Yes** for an existing asset that's not yet added to FADEL. This allows for: 

* The Media Library Preview Pane and Manage Page to show FADEL information for the asset (this information may not be up to date).
* Users to select the **Check Clearance** option in the asset's context menu to view its most current digital rights information in FADEL.
* Automatic periodic syncing to occur from Cloudinary to FADEL whenever custom fields (such as **Project Name**, **Project Type**, **Resource Code**, or **Resource Type**) are updated.
* Automatic periodic syncing to occur from FADEL to Cloudinary whenever rights management changes occur that affect Cloudinary assets.

**When the asset is successfully created in FADEL, Cloudinary automatically:**

* Updates **Needs Rights Management** = **No**
* Updates **Rights Managed** = **Yes**
* Populates additional fields like **Business Unit** (a FADEL-specific field) and custom fields such as **Resource Code** that depend on your integration configuration.

#### Force Sync

Setting the **Force Sync** field to **Yes** triggers an immediate asset creation in FADEL instead of waiting for the next scheduled sync. This is primarily used in two scenarios:

* **Immediate visibility**: When the scheduled sync runs infrequently (e.g., nightly) and you need the asset to appear in FADEL right away.
* **Backup for failed creation**: When the initial asset creation on FADEL fails and you need to run it again.

> **NOTE**:
>
> **Prerequisites**: **Needs Rights Management** must be set to **Yes**. Force Sync is only relevant when **Rights Managed** = **No**, which indicates the asset hasn't been created in FADEL yet.

**When Force Sync is triggered, the integration:**

* Creates the asset immediately in FADEL
* Resets **Force Sync** to **No**
* Updates **Needs Rights Management** to **No**
* Updates **Rights Managed** to **Yes**

> **NOTE**:
>
> Force Sync is designed for initial asset creation scenarios. For assets already integrated with FADEL (Rights Managed = Yes), use the automatic periodic sync for project metadata updates, or set **Synced** = **No** to refresh rights information from FADEL.

### Rights and agreement updates (FADEL → Cloudinary)

After successful initial upload or forced sync, the metadata states are automatically set to:

* **Needs Rights Management** = **No**
* **Rights Managed** = **Yes**  
* **Synced** = **Yes**

In this state, digital rights management information is only pulled from FADEL to Cloudinary when assets are added to agreements or agreements are updated.

The metadata displayed in the Media Library Preview Pane or Manage page may not reflect the most current information from FADEL. To view the most up-to-date rights information, users should click **Check Clearance** to open FADEL directly.

Alternatively, setting **Synced** = **No** marks the asset for a rights information refresh during the next scheduled **FADEL → Cloudinary** sync. After that sync completes, the metadata shown in the Media Library is updated.

**During the sync, Cloudinary automatically updates:**

* **Synced** = **Yes**
* **Last Sync Date**
* **FADEL Rights Information**
* **FADEL Rights Availability**
* **FADEL Parties Agreements Information**
* **External URL** (link to the corresponding FADEL asset)

### Asset deletion

When an asset is deleted in Cloudinary, the integration automatically triggers a flow that removes the corresponding asset from FADEL.