SharePoint Site Assets Library: what it stores

Key insights

• Find the Site Assets Library from the gear icon by choosing Site contents.
• It stores site and thumbnail logos, page images, custom Quick Links icons, and other site resources.
• SharePoint keeps old assets after you replace a logo or remove content from a page.
• Use the Documents library for working files, not the Site Assets Library.
• If the library is deleted, the description recommends restoring it from the Recycle Bin.

The SharePoint Site Assets Library stores files that support a site’s branding, pages, and components, so deleting the wrong item can leave a logo or page image missing. It matters to site owners and page authors who add images or manage site content, as well as administrators investigating broken visuals. SharePoint Maven Inc demonstrates where the library is and describes the kinds of files that can accumulate in it.

What it does

Site Assets is a system library used to hold resources that SharePoint pages and site features rely on. It is different from the Documents library, which is the usual place to store and collaborate on Word, PDF, Excel, and PowerPoint files. The library can look like an ordinary document library, but its role is to support the site rather than serve as a general document workspace.

Examples in the demonstration include site logos and thumbnail logos, header images, images added to pages or news posts, custom images and icons for Quick Links, and images associated with lists. The video description also names Hero, Image, and Image Gallery web parts, event banners, section and Countdown Timer backgrounds, embedded Office files and videos, the Excel file used to create a list, a Team Site OneNote notebook, and approved Copilot agents.

Content varies with how the site is used. Some folders may be named for pages or lists, while individual files may have names that do not make their purpose obvious. The library is described as having one Site Assets library per site; that does not mean the site has only one library overall.

Who it is for and what you need

This is useful for site owners and page authors who add or replace images, and for administrators who need to investigate why a page element no longer appears. You do not need to manage the library for routine page editing, but knowing its purpose helps prevent accidental changes to resources the site uses.

The material does not specify a license, plan, permission requirement, rollout stage, or regional availability. It describes the library in a SharePoint site and demonstrates opening it through Site contents. The demonstration uses an intranet home site, but does not say that the examples apply identically to every site configuration.

For ordinary documents, use the Documents library instead. Site Assets may accept uploaded documents technically, but the demonstration advises against treating it as a working-document location because general files can become mixed in with resources used by the site.

How it works

SharePoint puts assets used by parts of a site in this library. For example, when a site logo is uploaded or a page author adds an image, the file can be stored in Site Assets and referenced by the site or page. That reference is why removing a file can affect what visitors see.

1. Open the site and select the gear icon.
2. Choose Site contents to see the site’s lists and libraries.
3. Open Site Assets and inspect its files or folders when you need to identify a resource.
4. Before deleting or changing an item, check whether a page, web part, logo, list, or other site feature may use it.

Replacing an image does not necessarily remove the earlier file. The demonstration notes that older logos and images remain, and that removing a news post or list entry does not necessarily remove its associated images from Site Assets. This can leave a buildup of files over time, including items that appear similar or have unclear names.

Limitations and open questions

The key caution is that the library is actively used by the site. Deleting a logo can remove it from the site, while deleting an image used in a news post or list can leave that content without its image. The demonstration advises against deleting files unless you are certain they are no longer in use.

Deleting the library itself is riskier still. The video description says to restore it from the Recycle Bin rather than letting SharePoint recreate an empty one. It does not explain how to identify every file dependency or provide a safe automated cleanup procedure, so the material does not establish that a particular file is unused just because its name is unfamiliar.

The demonstration also does not explain retention, permissions, or administrative controls for this library. If you are trying to clean it up, the supported guidance in the material is limited: avoid using it for working documents, be careful with deletion, and restore the library from the Recycle Bin if it has been deleted. It does not provide a verification process for old assets.

Sources

• SharePoint Maven Inc’s Site Assets Library demonstration
• SharePoint Maven Inc website

Frequently asked questions

Where do I find the SharePoint Site Assets Library?

Open the site, select the gear icon, choose Site contents, and open Site Assets.

What files are stored in SharePoint Site Assets?

Examples include site logos, page and news images, header images, custom Quick Links icons, and files associated with lists and web parts. The contents vary with how the site is used.

Can I use Site Assets to store working documents?

The demonstration advises against it. Use the Documents library for files people need to store and collaborate on.

What happens if I delete the Site Assets Library?

The material warns that the site can break because pages and features rely on files in the library. Its stated recommendation is to restore the library from the Recycle Bin rather than rely on an empty recreation.