About
Private files stay on your own file server. Nothing is uploaded to us: your browser and your screens load the file straight from your server. Use it when company policy says confidential files must never leave your network. Your screens must be able to reach the server, and files aren’t converted or optimized. Pro and Ultimate.
Get Started
Your Library is at my.playsignage.com/library.
Set up and add
Set up your file server (once)
Your IT team can do this. Your file server must:
- Serve the files over the web (HTTP or HTTPS), so the address opens in a browser. FTP and network folders like
\\server\sharedon’t work - Send the header
Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *with every file (CORS) - For files over 25 MB on our Chrome extension player: also send
Access-Control-Expose-Headers: Content-Range - Open files without a login. Protect them by limiting access to your network instead
Use HTTPS: our web portal is HTTPS, and browsers block or change plain HTTP files on secure pages. Look for “CORS” or “custom response headers” in your server’s documentation.
Add a private file
- Go to Library (open a folder first if you like) and click From URL
- Click the Private file on local network tab (Private file on a narrow screen)
- Paste the file’s full address in File URL, for example
https://files.example.local/signage/welcome.jpg - Check the type next to it: Image, Video or SVG
- Click Load preview. When it shows, check the File name and click Add
Add only works once the preview loaded and your server passed the CORS check. If the file doesn’t show in the Library, refresh the page. Adding an address that’s already in your Library reuses that file.
Use a private file in a playlist
- Open the playlist, click Assets and click the private file
- Place it, and publish
You must be on the network with the file server to see private files in the Library and the editor.
Manage
Update a private file
You can’t change a private file’s address. To show a new version:
- Save it on your server under a new address, and add it as a private file
- In the Library, click the old file, then Replace Asset (shown when it’s used in a playlist), or click it on a slide and click Replace Asset
- Tick the playlists, choose Scale to fit or Scale to fill, click Select new asset and pick the new file
- Publish the playlists
If you only overwrite the file on your server, screens most likely keep showing their saved copy.
Rename a private file
- In the Library, click the file, then Rename
- Type the new name and click Save
This only renames it in Play, not on your server.
Switch between private and uploaded
There’s no switch. Add the file the other way (upload it, or add it as a private file), use Replace Asset on the old one, publish, and remove the old file.
Remove a private file
- In the Library, click the file, then Remove, and confirm
- If it’s used, Asset is in use lists the playlists. Click Remove anyway, or Skip
It’s removed from those slides too, so publish them afterwards. To remove several, tick each file and click Delete selected. The file on your server is never touched.
Options
Library → From URL → Private file on local network
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Tell me more about private files! | A short explanation, linking here |
| Upgrade | On Essential, for Owners and SuperAdmins |
| File URL | The full address of the file on your server |
| File type | Image, Video or SVG, picked from the extension (Image if unknown) |
| Load preview | Loads the file in your browser and checks the server allows it |
| Preview, Width and Height | The file and its size in pixels |
| File name | Its name in your Library, from the last part of the address |
| Add | Adds it. Available after the preview and CORS check pass |
The file’s details (click it in the Library)
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Download | Downloads through our servers, so most likely not for private files |
| Rename and Save | Changes the name in Play |
| Replace Asset | Replaces it in playlists. Only when it’s used |
| Remove | Removes it from your Library |
| Uploaded, Dimensions, Size | When it was added, its size in pixels, and its file size if your server reports it |
Replace Asset
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Playlists | Tick where to replace it |
| Scale to fit | Shows the whole new file in the old area; there may be empty space |
| Scale to fill | Fills the whole area; the file is stretched if needed |
| Select new asset | Picks the new file |
FAQ
Files and plans
Which file types can I use?
Images (.gif, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .webp), videos (.mp4, .m4v) and .svg: formats browsers and players show as they are. Others, like .pdf, .mov, .doc or .pptx, must be converted on our servers, so upload those the normal way.
Is there a size limit?
No, they’re never uploaded (normal uploads go up to 3 GB). But private files aren’t optimized for players, so very large files can make them slow.
Which plans include private files?
Pro and Ultimate.
Why are the fields on the Private file tab greyed out?
Your team is on Essential. Owners and SuperAdmins can click Upgrade on the tab.
What happens to my private files if we move to Essential?
They stay in your Library, but you can’t add new ones. Replace them with uploaded files, or upgrade.
Who on my team can add private files?
Everyone who can use the Library.
Can other teams see them?
No, each team has its own Library. But if you share a playlist with a private file, their screens load it from your server too, so they must be able to reach it.
Server and network
Does my file server have to use HTTP?
No, HTTPS works and we recommend it. FTP isn’t supported.
Can I use a file server that needs a login?
Most likely not. The web portal and players don’t send a user name or password.
Can I see private files away from the office?
Only if you can reach the file server, for example through your company’s VPN.
Will my screens keep playing if the file server goes offline?
Yes, they play the copy they saved. They need the server again to download new or changed files, for example after you publish. If a screen can’t download a file, it keeps its old content and you see an error with the screen’s name.
I changed the file on my server, but screens show the old one. Why?
Screens download a file once and play their copy. Save the new version under a new address, add it, use Replace Asset, and publish.
Does Play keep any copy of my private files?
The files never pass through our servers. Only the small preview pictures of your slides and playlists can show a tiny version of a private image. Play may also not know a private file’s size, so download progress and storage checks may not count it.
Does removing it in Play delete it from my server?
No. Only from your Library and slides.
Troubleshooting
Why is the Add button greyed out?
Click Load preview first. Add works once the file loaded and your server passed the CORS check. If you see The file server did not return cross origin headers, your server must send Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *.
What does "Asset load failed" mean?
Your browser couldn’t open the file. Check that you’re on the file server’s network, that the address is right (open it in a new tab), and that the right type is selected.
The file doesn't show up after I click Add. What do I do?
Refresh the page. It’s in the folder you were in.
Can I crop a private image?
Most likely not: the crop tool works through our servers. Crop it on your computer before you save it on your server.
Why doesn't Download work for my private file?
It goes through our servers, which can’t reach your network. Open the file from your server instead.
Can your support team help if a private file doesn't load?
We’re happy to help with Play, but we can’t open files on your network. Your IT team needs to check the server, its CORS headers and the network.
