Canto will recognize if an uploaded asset is a duplicate of a preexisting file in the system. 

Administrators can set up options for how to deal with duplicates.

1) As an admin, navigate to Settings > Configuration Options > Duplicates Check.

2) Select on what base you would like to identify duplicates.

Filename: If the asset - you are about to upload - has the identical file name as an existing one in Canto, it will be detected as a duplicate. Note that the extension of a file is included in that check. So, "My Picture.jpg" and "My Picture.jpeg" would be two different files and would therefore not be considered duplicates!

MD5: The MD5 value is like a digital fingerprint for files. It tends to change on any kind of modification, even if it's just an additional tag, keyword or a Smart Tag in Canto. Therefore, an asset that seems like a duplicate might not be recognized as one even if it appears to be identical to another asset at first glance!

3) Select if duplicates should be removed during an upload.

Automatically: When choosing this option, Canto removes duplicates automatically without asking you for permission.

With Dialog: A pop-up appears giving you additional options when a duplicate is recognized.

You can then choose to create a new version of the existing asset, create a new separate version in Canto or skip the process altogether. 

Please note, that the "New Version" option is not available when selecting "MD5" as the identifying base for duplicates.

If you are working with Upload Links, the Advanced Uploader, Workspaces or external cloud storage services (Dropbox, Google Drive, Box...) you can also activate the removal of duplicates during an upload.