Content Import - Add Media to Your Library
Content Import lets you add images, videos, and graphics to your Media Library from multiple sources. Unlike live integrations that auto-update, imported content is stored in your library and updated on your schedule.
Understanding Content Import vs. Integrations
Content Import = Add to Library Once
- User-initiated import process
- Content stored in your Media Library
- You control when to update
- One-time process (import, use, update when needed)
vs. Live Integrations = Continuous Sync
- Automatic updates from external services
- Content fetched in real-time
- System controls refresh schedule
- Continuous process (always syncing)
When to Use Content Import:
- ✅ Brand-consistent graphics and designs
- ✅ Custom imagery and photos
- ✅ Content you own and control
- ✅ Designs that change infrequently
- ✅ Need offline reliability
When to Use Integrations:
- ✅ Real-time data (weather, stocks, news)
- ✅ Frequently changing content (calendars, social feeds)
- ✅ Collaborative content (Google Slides)
- ✅ Need automatic updates
- ✅ External data sources
Import Methods
Direct Upload
Drag and drop your media files directly into BrandCast.
Best For: Quick uploads, local content, custom media
Supported Formats:
- Images: JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP, SVG
- Videos: MP4, WebM, MOV
- Max File Size: 50MB per file
How to Upload:
- Go to Content Library → Media
- Click Upload Media or drag files to the upload area
- Select files from your computer
- Add metadata:
- Title (auto-populated from filename)
- Description
- Tags
- Category
- Click Upload
Batch Upload:
- Select multiple files at once
- Drag entire folder
- Up to 50 files per batch
- Progress indicator shows upload status
Use Cases:
- Product photography
- Store-specific imagery
- Event photos
- Staff photos
- Local graphics and logos
- User-generated content
- Video content
Tips:
- Optimize images before upload (compress to 1-2MB)
- Use descriptive filenames
- Tag consistently for easy searching
- Create folder structure
- Dimension files to display resolution (1920×1080)
Canva Import (Premium Feature)
Import professional designs from your Canva account.
Best For: Marketing graphics, branded content, professional designs
Availability: Included in all accounts
Prerequisites:
- BrandCast account (any size)
- Canva account (Free, Pro, or Enterprise)
- Designs created and saved in Canva
Setup: Connect Canva Account
- Navigate to Integrations → Canva
- Click Connect Canva Account
- Authorize BrandCast in popup window
- Grant permissions:
- View your designs (
design:meta:read) - Export your designs (
design:content:read)
- View your designs (
- Connection confirmed
OAuth Security:
- Industry-standard OAuth 2.0 with PKCE
- Tokens encrypted at rest
- Read-only access to designs
- Revocable anytime
Browse and Import Designs
- Go to Content Library → Import from Canva
- Browse your Canva designs
- Use search or filters:
- Search by name
- Filter by date
- Sort by recently updated
- Preview design thumbnails
- Click design to view details:
- Design title
- Dimensions (width × height)
- Last updated date
- Design type (graphic, presentation, etc.)
- Click Import Design
- Wait for export (2-10 seconds)
- Design added to Media Library
Import Process:
1. Canva exports design as high-quality PNG
2. Downloaded to BrandCast
3. Uploaded to your cloud storage
4. Thumbnail generated
5. Tagged automatically ('canva', 'import')
6. Available in Media Library
What Gets Imported:
- Full-resolution PNG image
- Original dimensions preserved
- Design title as library item name
- Canva design ID (for duplicate detection)
- Import timestamp
- Thumbnail preview
Canva Design Best Practices
Recommended Dimensions:
For Standard Displays (16:9):
- 1920×1080 (Full HD) - Recommended
- 3840×2160 (4K)
- 1280×720 (HD)
For Portrait Displays (9:16):
- 1080×1920
- 720×1280
Design Guidelines:
- Create at target display size
- Use high-resolution images (300 DPI source)
- Large, readable fonts (24pt minimum)
- High contrast colors
- Important content in center 80%
- Safe margins (10% from edges)
Canva Templates: Create reusable templates in Canva:
1. Design template with brand colors/fonts
2. Save as Canva template
3. Duplicate for each use
4. Customize content
5. Import to BrandCast
Managing Imported Designs
Updating Designs:
Process:
1. Update design in Canva
2. Re-import to BrandCast
3. New version added to library
4. Replace in layouts
5. Publish updated layouts
Note: Re-importing creates a new library item (version control)
Organization:
- Tag imports: 'canva', 'marketing', 'sale', 'menu', etc.
- Use folders: Promotions/2025-Fall/
- Naming convention: "sale-2025-fall-promo"
- Archive old versions
Duplicate Prevention:
- BrandCast detects if design already imported
- Warns before creating duplicate
- Option to force re-import for updates
Canva Import Troubleshooting
Cannot Connect Canva Account:
- Allow popup windows for brandcast.app
- Verify Canva login works at canva.com
- Clear browser cache and cookies
- Try incognito mode
- Check firewall allows api.canva.com
Designs Not Showing:
- Only YOUR owned designs appear
- Shared designs not accessible
- Draft designs not shown
- Verify correct Canva account connected
Import Fails:
- Check design ownership (can't import shared designs)
- Simplify complex designs
- Check storage quota available
- Verify internet connection
Poor Quality Display:
- Create design at target size (1920×1080)
- Use high-res images in Canva
- Match layout area to design dimensions
- Use "Contain" fit mode in layout
Canva Import Limitations
Current Limitations:
- ✅ Static graphics (PNG export)
- ✅ Single-page designs
- ⚠️ Multi-page designs (first page only)
- ❌ Animated designs (GIF/video)
- ❌ Auto-sync on Canva updates (manual re-import required)
- ❌ Bulk import (one at a time currently)
- ❌ Shared design import (own designs only)
Canva Plans Supported:
- ✅ Free
- ✅ Pro
- ✅ Teams
- ✅ Enterprise
URL Import
Link to images hosted on external servers.
Best For: Externally hosted content, CDN assets, dynamic URLs
How to Import from URL:
- Go to Content Library → Media
- Click Add from URL
- Enter image URL:
https://example.com/images/product-photo.jpg - Configure options:
- Title: Display name
- Description: Optional notes
- Tags: For organization
- Cache Duration: How long to cache (default: 24 hours)
- Auto-refresh: Automatically re-fetch on schedule
- Click Import
- Image fetched and cached
- Available in Media Library
Requirements:
- Publicly accessible URL
- Direct link to image file (ends in .jpg, .png, etc.)
- HTTPS recommended (HTTP works but less secure)
- Stable hosting required
Supported Image URLs:
- JPG:
https://example.com/image.jpg - PNG:
https://example.com/graphic.png - GIF:
https://example.com/animation.gif - WebP:
https://example.com/photo.webp
Cache Settings:
Cache Duration:
- 1 hour - Frequently changing content
- 6 hours - Daily updates
- 24 hours (default) - Standard content
- 1 week - Rarely changing content
- Never expire - Static content
Auto-refresh:
- Enable to automatically re-fetch image on schedule
- Useful for dynamic URLs that change
- Disabled by default (manual refresh)
Use Cases:
- Product images from ecommerce platform
- Dynamic content from APIs
- User-generated content from website
- Shared assets across multiple systems
- Real-time graphics (scores, prices, etc.)
Advantages:
- No file upload needed
- Link to existing assets
- Update at source
- Reduce storage usage
- Integration flexibility
Considerations:
- Requires reliable hosting
- External dependency (site must be online)
- Network latency
- Bandwidth costs on source side
- Less reliable than uploaded content
Troubleshooting:
Image Not Loading:
- Verify URL is publicly accessible
- Check HTTPS/HTTP protocol
- Ensure direct link to image (not webpage)
- Test URL in browser
- Check source site is online
Image Quality Issues:
- Verify source image resolution
- Check for compression at source
- Ensure image dimensions appropriate
- Test with different cache duration
Slow Loading:
- Check source server response time
- Consider uploading instead
- Increase cache duration
- Use CDN for source hosting
Google Photos Sync (FamilyCast Only)
Sync photo albums from Google Photos for family slideshows.
Available In: FamilyCast only Tier: All FamilyCast plans
How It Works:
- Connect Google Photos account
- Select albums to sync
- Photos sync automatically (6-hour intervals)
- Display in slideshow layouts
- New photos appear automatically
Use Cases:
- Family photo slideshows
- Vacation photo displays
- Holiday memories
- Kids' art and achievements
- Pet photos
- Shared family albums
Setup: Google Photos Integration Guide
Key Features:
- Album sync (select which albums)
- Smart albums (People, Places, Things)
- Shared albums (collaborative)
- Automatic updates (new photos within 6 hours)
- Facial recognition filtering
- Safe filtering (kid-safe)
Why FamilyCast Only: Google Photos is optimized for personal/family content. BrandCast users typically need professional graphics (use Canva Import or Direct Upload instead).
Organizing Imported Content
Tagging Strategy
Use Consistent Tags:
Source Tags:
- 'canva' (automatic for Canva imports)
- 'upload' (for direct uploads)
- 'url-import' (for URL imports)
- 'google-photos' (FamilyCast)
Content Type Tags:
- 'menu'
- 'sale'
- 'product'
- 'event'
- 'staff'
- 'promotional'
Time-based Tags:
- '2025-fall'
- '2025-october'
- 'holiday-2025'
- 'back-to-school'
Location Tags:
- 'store-123'
- 'headquarters'
- 'all-stores'
Folder Structure
Recommended Organization:
Media Library/
├── Promotions/
│ ├── 2025-Fall/
│ ├── 2025-Holiday/
│ └── Ongoing/
├── Menus/
│ ├── Breakfast/
│ ├── Lunch/
│ └── Dinner/
├── Products/
│ ├── Category-A/
│ └── Category-B/
├── Events/
│ └── 2025-Events/
└── Brand/
├── Logos/
└── Templates/
Metadata Best Practices
Complete Metadata:
- Title: Descriptive, searchable
- Description: Context and notes
- Tags: Multiple relevant tags
- Category: Primary category
- Created Date: Auto-populated
- Imported From: Source tracking
Example:
Title: "Fall Sale 2025 - 40% Off"
Description: "Promotional graphic for fall clearance sale, valid Oct 1-31"
Tags: ['canva', 'sale', '2025-fall', 'promotional']
Category: Promotions
Imported From: Canva
Created: Oct 1, 2025
Using Imported Content
In Slideshows
Add to Slideshow:
- Open Layout Editor
- Add Image/Slideshow area
- Click area → Select Content
- Browse Media Library
- Filter by tags or folders
- Select imported content
- Configure slide settings
- Save layout
Mix Import Sources:
Slideshow Example:
- Slide 1-3: Canva imports (marketing)
- Slide 4-6: Direct uploads (photos)
- Slide 7-8: URL imports (products)
- Slide 9-10: Google Slides (live menu)
In Static Layouts
Single Image Display:
- Create layout
- Add Image area
- Select imported content
- Set fit mode (contain, cover, fill)
- Position and size
- Save and deploy
In Playlists
Rotate Imported Content:
Playlist: "Weekly Promotions"
- Layout 1: Monday special (Canva import)
- Layout 2: Tuesday deal (direct upload)
- Layout 3: Wednesday sale (URL import)
- Layout 4: Weekend event (Canva import)
Each layout: 5 minute duration
Transition: Fade
Performance Tips
Optimize File Sizes
Before Upload:
- Compress images (target 1-2MB)
- Resize to display resolution
- Use appropriate format:
- JPG: Photos and complex images
- PNG: Graphics with transparency
- WebP: Modern format, smaller files
Compression Tools:
- TinyPNG.com - Online compression
- ImageOptim - Mac application
- Squoosh.app - Browser-based
- Canva built-in optimizer
Storage Management
Regular Cleanup:
- Archive old seasonal content
- Delete unused imports
- Remove duplicate imports
- Review storage usage monthly
Storage Limits:
- Included: 2GB per display
- Overage: $1/GB per month
- Enterprise: Custom limits available
Monitor Usage: Settings → Billing → Storage Usage
Caching Strategy
For URL Imports:
- Frequently changing: 1-6 hour cache
- Daily updates: 24 hour cache
- Rarely changing: 1 week cache
- Static content: Never expire
Benefits:
- Faster display loading
- Reduced external requests
- Offline reliability
- Lower bandwidth costs
Comparing Import Methods
| Feature | Direct Upload | Canva Import | URL Import | Google Photos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speed | Instant | 5-10 sec | 2-5 sec | 2-6 hours |
| Quality | Full control | High (PNG) | Varies | High |
| Storage | Uses quota | Uses quota | Minimal | Links only |
| Offline | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ⚠️ Cached |
| Updates | Manual | Manual | Auto option | Automatic |
| Design Tools | External | Canva | External | Google Photos |
| Tier | All plans | Premium+ | All plans | FamilyCast |
| Best For | Quick, local | Marketing | External assets | Family photos |
Best Practices
Workflow Recommendations
Standard Workflow:
1. Plan Content
→ Map out what content needed
→ Choose appropriate import method
2. Create/Source Content
→ Design in Canva (marketing)
→ Photograph locally (events)
→ Host externally (products)
3. Import to BrandCast
→ Use appropriate method
→ Add complete metadata
→ Organize with tags/folders
4. Create Layouts
→ Mix import sources
→ Configure slideshow settings
→ Test on one display
5. Deploy
→ Assign to displays
→ Monitor performance
→ Update as needed
Update Cycle:
Daily: Check URL imports (if auto-refresh enabled)
Weekly: Review Canva designs for updates
Monthly: Clean up old content
Quarterly: Archive seasonal content
Annually: Full library audit
Design Consistency
Brand Guidelines:
- Use Canva brand kit
- Consistent templates
- Standard dimensions
- Color palette adherence
- Typography standards
File Naming:
Convention: [type]-[date]-[description]
Examples:
- menu-2025-10-breakfast
- sale-2025-fall-40percent
- event-2025-halloween-party
- product-category-a-featured
Next Steps
Get Started:
- Slideshow Content - Use imported content in slideshows
- Layout Editor - Create layouts with imported media
- Media Library - Organize and manage content
Advanced:
- Playlists - Schedule content rotation
- Performance Optimization - Optimize content delivery
- Content Strategy - Plan your content calendar
Related:
- Integrations - Live data feeds
- Templates - Pre-built layouts
- Display Management - Deploy content
Ready to import content? Choose your method above and start building your media library!