# Approvals & governance for assets

**Category:** [Digital Assets](https://help.totalctrl.app/hc/totalctrl/totalctrl-help-center/en-US/categories/assets-1)
**Updated:** 2026-10-04

## Control what's ready to use

Assets carry a review status — **Draft → In review → Approved** (or **Archived**). This lets teams keep work-in-progress separate from brand-approved, ready-to-use assets.
## Requiring approval

In **Asset Settings → Governance**, turn on **Require approval**. New uploads then start as *Draft* instead of *Approved*, and someone reviews them before they're considered final. When approval is off, uploads are approved by default and nothing changes.
## Setting a status

Open an asset and set its status from the review card, or select several assets in the grid and use the bulk **Set status** action. Filter the library by review status from the **All Assets** status dropdown. Every status change is recorded in the Audit Log.

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## Related Articles

- [Track rights, metadata, and versions](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/track-rights-metadata-and-versions)
- [Use AI tools on your assets](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/use-ai-tools-on-your-assets)
- [Control asset access and share links](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/control-asset-access-and-share-links)
- [Folder permissions: restrict who sees a folder](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/assets-folder-permissions)
- [Asset analytics: views & downloads](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/assets-analytics)

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