The primary goal of these updates is to create a single source of truth for all assets used in your InDesign documents. By ensuring every link points to an asset in the Pics.io cloud, you can share InDesign files with your team without causing errors from links that point to a specific user's local computer.
Availability and access
The Links and Local Files panels are part of the updated Adobe plugin experience.
• Small plan – full access included
• Solo and Micro plans – available as a $100 add‑on
• Legacy Micro and Small plans – can see the panels, but actions are locked until the updated plugin is purchased
If you see the “Unlock the updated Pics.io plugin” message, it means your plan doesn’t include access yet. Please reach out to support to activate the plugin.
The Links Panel: Your Command Center for InDesign Assets
The new Links Panel gives you a complete overview of all assets (images, graphics, etc.) placed in your active InDesign document. It shows you the status of each link and provides the tools to fix any issues, ensuring your documents are always ready for collaboration.
Understanding Link Statuses
Each asset in the Links Panel displays a status, letting you know if it's properly linked to both your local machine and the Pics.io DAM.
Available Locally and in Pics.io DAM: The ideal state. The file is on your computer and properly synced with your central Pics.io library.
Missing Locally, but Available in Pics.io DAM: The file exists in your Pics.io library but has not been downloaded to your local workstation. Your teammates can work with this file, but you will need to download it to see the high-resolution preview.
Available Locally, but Missing in Pics.io DAM: (Action Required) The file is on your computer but has not been uploaded to Pics.io. This is a critical status to fix before sharing your document, as teammates will not have access to this file.
Missing Locally and in Pics.io DAM: The link is broken. The file cannot be found on your local machine or in the Pics.io DAM.
Actions on Individual Links
Next to each asset, you will find several action icons that allow you to manage the link.
Upload Local File to Pics.io DAM:
What it does: This action uploads a file from your local computer directly into your Pics.io DAM. It is available when a link points to a local file that doesn't exist in the cloud.
Best Practice: Before sharing an InDesign file, scan the Links Panel for any assets "Missing in Pics.io DAM" and use this button to upload them. This is currently a manual, per-file operation.
Download from Pics.io DAM:
What it does: If a file is "Missing Locally," this button downloads it from the DAM to your designated working directory. The icon will be inactive if the file does not exist in the DAM.
Relink from Pics.io (Auto-Search):
What it does: This powerful feature automatically searches your Pics.io DAM for a file with the same name as the missing asset. The search is performed only within the collections you have permission to access. If matches are found, a window will appear, allowing you to select the correct asset to relink.
Best Practice: This is the fastest way to fix broken links when you know the assets are stored in Pics.io, especially after migrating from another system.
Important Note on Asset Visibility: Assets located in special sections like Archive, Lightboards, Trash (not yet permanently deleted) or Inboxes are recognized by the plugin as existing in the DAM (the cloud icon will appear active). However, the 'Relink from Pics.io' auto-search function does not search within these specific locations. If you need to relink an asset from one of these sections, you must use the main plugin search bar or the Pics.io web application to locate it first.
The Three-Dot Menu (More Options)
Clicking the three-dot menu on any link reveals more options:
Open in Pics.io: Opens a full-screen preview of the asset in the Pics.io web interface.
Reveal in file system: Opens the local folder where the file is stored (if it has been downloaded).
Refresh link preview: If an image preview doesn't update correctly in your InDesign document after relinking, this option will manually force a refresh of the frame's content.
Panel-Wide Actions: Refresh All Links
Icon: (Located at the top right of the panel)
What it does: In the current version, the Links Panel does not update in real-time when changes are made outside of the plugin (e.g., using InDesign's native relink function). Click this button to manually refresh all link statuses and ensure you are seeing the most up-to-date information.
Best Practices for Collaboration and Fixing Links
Initial Team Setup for Smooth Collaboration
To prevent permission-related issues, it is vital to establish a clear policy for storing and accessing InDesign assets in your Pics.io DAM.
If a user (User B) does not have permission to access a collection where another user (User A) uploaded an asset, the plugin will report that asset as "Missing in Pics.io DAM" for User B. This is a security measure to prevent users from knowing about assets they are not authorized to see.
To avoid this, we recommend one of the following strategies:
Strategy 1: Create a Central 'InDesign Data' Collection
Create a dedicated collection in Pics.io named "InDesign Data" or similar.
Establish a team workflow where all assets used in any InDesign document must be placed or added into this collection (assets in Pics.io can reside in several collections at the same time).
Assign permissions (e.g., View, Upload, Download) for this specific collection to all team members who use the InDesign plugin. This can be managed efficiently by creating a "Design Team" user group in Pics.io and assigning the group to the collection.
Strategy 2: Broad Collection Access
If your team structure is simpler, you can grant the "Design Team" user group access to all collections that may contain assets for InDesign projects. This offers more flexibility but requires careful management of permissions across your library.
The Golden Rule: The ultimate goal is for every link in your InDesign document to point to an asset stored in the Pics.io DAM.
Workflow for Fixing Broken or Local Links
Assess the Situation: Open your InDesign document and check the Pics.io Links Panel for any statuses with red icons ("Missing in Pics.io DAM" or "Missing Locally and in Pics.io DAM").
Attempt Auto-Relinking: For broken links, first try the Relink from Pics.io (auto-search) icon. This is the quickest method.
Use Manual Search in Pics.io: If the auto-search fails, you can manually find the asset.
In the InDesign document, select the frame containing the missing image.
Use the main search bar in the Pics.io plugin to find the correct asset in your DAM.
Hover over the correct asset in the plugin's grid view and click the Place icon. This will insert the Pics.io-hosted asset into the selected frame, fixing the link.
Handling New Local Files (Last Resort): If you must relink to a different local file that is not yet in Pics.io:
Use InDesign's native relinking tool. In the native Links panel, right-click the broken link and choose Relink. Select the new file from your local computer.
CRITICAL NEXT STEPS:
In the Pics.io Links Panel, click the main Refresh All Links button. The status will update to "Available Locally, but Missing in Pics.io DAM".
Click the Upload Local File to Pics.io DAM icon for that asset to sync it with the cloud. Now your teammates can access it.
Handling Concurrent Work (Avoiding Conflicts)
The current version of the plugin does not have a real-time file locking or check-in/check-out system. This can lead to conflicts if one user edits a file via the plugin while another uploads a new version of the same file through the web interface.
Best Practice: We strongly recommend creating a manual "locking" rule within your team. When a user begins working on an asset in InDesign, one should immediately mark that asset in the InDesign interface with a visual indicator like color or flag (this feature is in development atm) so that other team members looking at the same asset in Pics.io web interface know the asset should not be edited or updated while being used by someone in InDesign. The same logic is applicable for those working with the asset in Pics.io web UI.
Examples: Apply a specific color tag (e.g., red for "In Use").
This visual cue signals to all other team members that the file is actively being modified and should not be touched until the marker is removed.
Troubleshooting & Known Issues
(Known Issue) Panel Does Not Update Automatically:
The plugin panel may not always reflect changes instantly. This is a known limitation of the initial version.
A common scenario is when you download a file to fix a "Missing Locally" link. The progress window may seem to "stick" without the link status updating in the panel.
Solution: In almost all such cases, clicking the 'Refresh all links' icon in the top-right corner of the panel will resolve the issue. It will pull the correct, updated status and show the link as fixed. We recommend using this refresh button whenever the panel state seems incorrect.
The Local Files Panel: Quick Access to Your Recent Assets
Located at the bottom right of the plugin, the Local Files Panel acts as a smart history list, showing the Pics.io assets you have most recently used or cached locally across your Adobe Creative Cloud applications. It's designed for quick access to frequently used files. Assets are sorted with the most recently cached appearing first.
Note: If you cannot use any of the panel's actions, it may mean your team doesn’t have the updated plugin add-on activated yet.
Actions in the Local Files Panel
Open icon: This appears for documents (like .indd files) and allows you to quickly open a recent project directly from the panel.
Place icon: Available for images and other placeable assets, this allows you to insert an item from your recent files list into your currently active document.
Managing Your Local Files (Three-Dot Menu)
The three-dot menu for each item provides several management options:
Open in browser: Opens the file in the Pics.io web viewer.
Remove from list: Hides the item from the Local Files list without deleting the file from your computer.
Delete file: Permanently deletes the file from your local file system and removes it from the list.