> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.3q.video/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.3q.video/user-guide-new-ui/projects/general-settings.md).
# General Settings
Project settings define the basic behavior, metadata defaults, access rules, and project-specific options of a project.
The available settings depend on the project type. On-demand projects and livestream projects share several basic settings, but also include project-specific options.
Project settings can be opened from the project overview by selecting the settings action of a project.
From the project settings, users can:
* Edit the project image
* Change the project title
* Assign the project to a group
* Manage the project key
* Enable content protection through the project key
* Define the default metadata language
* Set default publication behavior
* Configure project-specific advanced settings
* Configure livestream-specific options such as automatic event creation or eCDN provider settings
***
### Opening Project Settings
To open the settings of a project:
1. Open **Projects** in the main navigation.
2. Find the project you want to configure.
3. Open the project actions.
4. Select the **Settings** icon.
5. The **Project Settings** side panel opens.
The side panel contains the available settings for the selected project.
Depending on the project type, the following tabs may be available:
* **General**
* **Advanced Settings**
***
### General Settings
The **General** tab contains the main project configuration.
These settings define the project’s identity, language defaults, publication defaults, and access behavior.
***
### Project Image
The project image is used as the visual representation of the project in the project overview and in other platform areas where the project is displayed.
Users can upload or select an image for the project.
The image area may show:
* Current project image
* Image dimensions
* Image selection button
* Image actions such as replace, download, or delete, depending on permissions
Use a clear and recognizable image, especially when multiple projects or content pools are used in the same account.
***
### Title
The **Title** is the visible name of the project.
Choose a clear and descriptive title so users can easily identify the project in lists, filters, upload workflows, analytics, notifications, playlists, and other modules.
Example project titles:
* Public Videos
* Product Videos
* Tutorials
* Townhalls
* Webinars
* Internal Training
* Event Livestreams
***
### Group
{% hint style="info" %}
**Availability note:** The **Groups** feature is not available for all accounts (tenants). The available groups depend on the account configuration and your desired account structure.
{% endhint %}
The **Group** setting assigns the project to a project group.
Groups help organize projects in larger accounts and make it easier to manage multiple content pools, departments, brands, customers, or workflows.
Example groups:
* Default
* Demo Group
* Marketing
* Internal Communications
* Customer Projects
* Event Production
***
### Project key
{% hint style="info" %}
Handle project keys carefully, especially when they are used for protected content or external integrations.
{% endhint %}
The **Project Key** is private technical key associated with the project.
It can be used for the player token protection as well as the content protection for the CDN.
The project key can be copied from the settings panel. Depending on permissions and configuration, users may also be able to regenerate or edit the key.
***
### Content protection through project key
The **Content Protection through Project Key** option restricts access to content by requiring valid tokens calculated from the project key.
{% hint style="info" %}
When this option is enabled, content can only be accessed using tokens that are generated from the project key.
{% endhint %}
This is useful for protected delivery workflows where content should not be accessible through unprotected URLs.
Use this option when:
* Content access must be restricted
* Token-based access is required
* Content should only be available through authorized systems
* External integrations need controlled access
When content protection is enabled, make sure that the consuming application or website can generate or request the required tokens.
***
### Default Metadata Language
The **Default Metadata Language** defines the primary language used for metadata in the project.
This setting affects metadata fields such as titles, descriptions, and other localized values.
Example:
* German (Germany)
* English
* Other available account languages
Choose the language that matches the main editorial workflow of the project.
***
### Hide Local Language Variants and Scripts
The **Hide Local Language Variants and Scripts** option can be used to simplify language selection by hiding local variants and script-specific language options.
This can make metadata editing easier when users should only work with general language options.
***
### Default Publication Status
The **Default Publication Status** defines the release status that is applied to new content by default.
For on-demand projects, this setting controls how newly uploaded or processed media is published initially.
For example, if the default publication status is set to **Published**, newly processed content may become available automatically after processing.
Use this setting carefully, especially in projects with required metadata fields.
If a project contains several required fields, it is not recommended to publish media automatically, because it cannot be guaranteed that all required fields have already been completed.
Common use cases:
* Use **Published** when uploaded content should become available automatically.
* Use a restricted or unpublished default status when content should be reviewed before publication.
The available publication statuses depend on the account configuration.
***
### Apply Publication Period to Playout
The **Apply Publication Period to Playout** option controls whether content can be accessed outside its defined publication period.
When this option is active, content can no longer be accessed through the playout outside the publication period.
This is useful for workflows with:
* Licensed content windows
* Time-limited campaigns
* Event-specific availability
* Scheduled publication and expiration
* Internal release control
***
## Advanced Settings for On-Demand Projects
The **Advanced Settings** tab contains additional project-specific options for on-demand projects.
These settings can affect metadata behavior, upload workflows, image handling, and automatic deletion.
***
### Activate Recommendations
The **Activate Recommendations** option allows the system to create recommendations for files based on their metadata.
When enabled, recommendation data can be generated and updated continuously.
This can be used to support related-content workflows or frontend recommendation features, depending on the account and player configuration.
***
### Limit Categories
By default, all globally defined categories are available in every project.
The **Limit Categories** setting allows users to restrict which categories are available in the selected project.
This is useful when a project should only use a specific subset of the account’s global category structure.
To limit categories:
1. Open the project settings.
2. Open **Advanced Settings**.
3. Click **Set Categories**.
4. Select the categories that should be available in the project.
5. Save the configuration.
After limiting categories, editors will only see the selected categories when managing content in this project.
This is useful for:
* Department-specific content pools
* Customer-specific projects
* Editorial workflows with restricted metadata
* Preventing incorrect category assignment
* Keeping upload and editing workflows simpler
***
### Upload Confirmation Template
The **Upload Confirmation Template** allows administrators to define a text that users must confirm before uploading files to the project.
If this field is filled out, each user must explicitly confirm the text before each file upload.
This can be used for legal, editorial, or operational confirmations.
Example use cases:
* Confirming that upload rights are cleared
* Confirming that content does not contain restricted material
* Confirming internal compliance rules
* Informing upload users about project-specific requirements
* Adding customer-specific upload instructions
The template supports multilingual input where available.
***
### Activate Image Gallery
The **Activate Image Gallery** option allows users to create and manage an image gallery for each file.
Images from the gallery can then be displayed, for example, in a frontend integration.
This is useful for workflows where video files should be accompanied by multiple images, stills, or visual assets.
Example use cases:
* Product videos with additional product images
* Editorial videos with image galleries
* Event videos with supporting photos
* Frontend pages that display video and image content together
***
### Automatically Delete Media
The **Automatically Delete Media** setting defines whether new uploads should be deleted automatically after a specified number of days.
If a value greater than **0** is entered, each new upload is automatically configured so that it is deleted after the specified number of days.
Use this setting for projects where media should only be stored temporarily.
Example use cases:
* Temporary upload projects
* Review workflows
* Short-term campaign material
* Automatically expiring test uploads
* Compliance-related deletion rules
Set the value to **0 days** if media should not be automatically deleted by this project setting.
***
## General Settings for Livestream Projects
Livestream projects include several settings that are specific to live workflows.
In addition to the common project settings such as title, group, project key, and default metadata language, livestream projects may include options for automatic event creation and eCDN delivery.
***
### Create Events Automatically
The **Create Events Automatically** option allows the system to create livestream events automatically when a signal is detected.
When this option is enabled, the system automatically creates events when a signal is present or ends.
This is useful for the analytics for the livestreams.
***
### eCDN Provider
{% hint style="info" %}
This option is available after you have connected a E-CDN Provider in the [Partner and Services](/user-guide-new-ui/account/partners-and-services.md) section.
{% endhint %}
The **eCDN Provider** setting defines the enterprise CDN provider used for the livestream project. An eCDN provider can be used to optimize livestream delivery in enterprise or internal network environments.
Use this setting when livestreams should be distributed efficiently inside corporate networks or controlled enterprise environments. More Information you can find [here](/user-guide-new-ui/projects/livestreaming/e-cdn-for-livestreaming.md).
***
## Difference Between On-Demand and Livestream Project Settings
On-demand and livestream projects share several general settings, but each project type also has specific options.
**On-demand projects** focus on uploaded media, metadata management, publication behavior, image galleries, category restrictions, and automatic deletion.
**Livestream projects** focus on live signal workflows, automatic event creation, livestream delivery, and eCDN configuration.
When editing project settings, always check the project type and review the available options carefully.
***
## Typical Use Cases
Project settings can be used for different workflows, for example:
* Creating separate projects for departments or customers
* Defining default metadata and publication behavior
* Protecting content with project-key-based tokens
* Restricting available categories per project
* Adding upload confirmation text for compliance workflows
* Enabling automatic deletion for temporary projects
* Creating livestream events automatically
* Configuring eCDN delivery for livestream projects
***
## Notes
The available project settings depend on the project type, account configuration, enabled modules, and user permissions.
Changes to project settings may affect uploads, publication behavior, metadata editing, content access, livestream workflows, and frontend integrations.
Review settings carefully before applying changes to production projects.
---
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