DocumentationExperience Cloud KCS

Upload button missing for some users in AEM Assets

Last update: October 22, 2026

✨ This content is AI generated and could be inaccurate. Generative AI Terms

This article explains how to resolve situations where certain users with the same access level in Adobe Experience Manager Assets are unable to upload assets because the upload option is missing.

Description description

Environment

Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) as a Cloud Service (all versions)

Symptoms

  • Some users with the same assigned access level (such as the AEM Users profile) cannot upload assets in the Assets interface.
  • Affected users do not see the Create button or the option to upload files, while other users with the same profile can upload successfully.
  • Granting temporary Admin access allows uploads, but this is not intended as a permanent solution.
  • The issue is reproducible for specific users.
  • No explicit error message is shown; the upload option is missing from the UI.
  • The problem persists even though product profiles appear identical in the Admin Console.
  • Folder-level permissions may differ between users, affecting visibility of upload options.

Cause

Folder-level permissions in AEM Assets can override or restrict upload capabilities, even when users share the same product profile. Ensuring correct group membership and folder permissions resolves the issue.

Resolution resolution

Follow the steps below to resolve the issue.

  1. Confirm that affected and unaffected users are accessing the same AEM environment, Assets interface, and folder path.
  2. Record the folder path and interface URL where the upload option is missing.
  3. In the Admin Console and AEM, compare the full set of product profiles and group memberships for affected and unaffected users.
  4. Ensure that users are members of the intended groups with upload permissions.
  5. In the Assets interface, open the target folder’s Manage permissions dialog.
  6. Confirm that the relevant user group has Can edit or equivalent write access on the folder.
  7. In the Admin view, check the folder and its parent folders for any restrictive deny rules or missing write permissions.
  8. After updating folder permissions, have the affected user sign out and back in, then reopen the folder and attempt to upload a small test file.
  9. If a user was given temporary Admin access as a workaround, remove this elevated access once folder permissions are corrected and verify upload functionality with least-privilege access.
recommendation-more-help
experience-cloud-kcs-help-kbarticles