Once you have a Gallery created, and photos uploaded, you'll need to get it to your Clients and other visitors. You can easily share a Gallery from your account through direct emails to Clients, Guests, or other visitors you have an email address for; or you can get the direct link to the Gallery to post to social media or send other ways outside of Zenfolio.
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Magic Links and Access Codes When inviting a client or guest to their gallery, ensuring seamless access is essential — no forgotten passwords, no cumbersome login screens, and no prolonged troubleshooting. Zenfolio's gallery access system employs an efficient combination of Magic Links and Access Codes, allowing your clients to view their photos promptly and securely. Additionally, this system enables you to address any access concerns independently, without the need to contact support. |
To share your Galleries, follow these steps:
- In your account, click on the Galleries icon
on the far left-hand side.
- Select the Gallery you want to share.
- In the Gallery, click on the Share button, in the top right-hand corner.
- A menu will appear with the sharing options for Direct Link, Email, SMS, and Messages.
For those subscribed to the Advanced plan level, you will also see the QR Code option, see this support article HERE for more information.
Direct Link
Upon the initial creation of a Gallery in your account, the title assigned to the Gallery will automatically determine its default URL. Should you wish to establish a more personalized URL for the Gallery, you may do so by selecting the Share option within the Gallery and selecting Direct Link.
Within the Direct Link section, you can input the specific segment of the URL that you desire for this Gallery. A preview of the complete link will be displayed below the input field. Once you have defined a custom Direct Link, proceed to click on Save & Copy. For those subscribed to the Advanced plan, you will also notice the QR code changing as you change the direct link. More information regarding QR codes HERE.
If you ever need to copy the direct link, you can come to this same place and just use the copy button.
Please note that the access settings of the Gallery will dictate its visitors. If you intend to share this direct link publicly, ensure that the Gallery is set to be publicly viewable. See this support article for more information about controlling the Access settings of the Gallery.
Send an Invite Email
Upon selecting Email from the Share dropdown menu, a new page will be loaded displaying the default Gallery Invite Email Template automatically. See these instructions HERE for using Email Templates.
- In the top left-hand area of this page, use the Select Email Template dropdown to select which Email Template you want to use.
- Any Clients, Guests, or Visitors that have their email address already associated with the Gallery will automatically get added as the recipients of the email. However, you can remove any of these contacts if needed. Additionally, if you would like to send this email to someone that has not already been associated with the Gallery, you can add their email address as an Additional Visitor.
- You can then review the Content and Design of the email template that will be used. If you need to make any changes to this email, you can do so here. Click HERE to see learn more about Email Templates and Variables, if needed.
- The preview of the email will update automatically as you make changes so that you can see a live preview of the email that will be sent.
- If you make changes to the Content and Design of the email template, you can Save Changes to replace the existing Template in your account, or you can Save as a New Template.
- Once you're happy with the email that is going to be sent, click on Send Email.
When inviting new clients or guests to view their initial gallery, they will be automatically assigned an account on your website with a pre-generated password. Upon visiting the gallery, they will be presented with the assigned password and given the option to either retain the provided password or set up their own. It is crucial for clients or guests opting for the pre-generated password to securely store this information for their records.
For information regarding how many emails can be sent from your account, click here.
Sharing Directly to a Client's Phone With SMS Texting
Upon selecting Share by SMS from the Share dropdown menu, a new page will be loaded displaying the default Gallery SMS Email Template automatically. See these instructions HERE for using SMS Templates.
- You can use the dropdown menu to choose a different SMS template than the default template.
- Any applicable contacts associated with the Gallery that have a phone number present in their contact information will automatically be added as SMS recipients. You can also add or remove contacts from receiving the SMS message. For more information about managing your Gallery contacts, click HERE.
- Use the Filter by Action option to filter who you are sending the SMS message to based on the criteria of the filter(s). (i.e. contacts that have not placed an order in the last 30 days)
- You'll see a preview of the SMS message on the right-hand side.
- And you can even change the sharing method between Email and SMS at the top left. If you'd like to also send out Emails and SMS messages at the same time, you can choose Both to setup an email invite and and SMS message invite to send at the same time.
- Once everything looks good, click Send SMS to send the message to the selected contacts.
Sharing by SMS is only available for Zenfolio accounts in the United States and Canada. By using SMS gallery sharing, you confirm that you have obtained any required consent from your recipients and will comply with all applicable messaging laws and carrier requirements. Message frequency varies. Standard message and data rates may apply to recipients based on their mobile carrier plans. Delivery is not guaranteed and depends on third-party carriers. Sending Limits may apply and may change at any time to ensure compliance and system reliability.
SMS Restrictions
Because this feature involves communicating directly to a recipient’s phone number through the Zenfolio platform, there are important requirements and limitations to keep in mind.
SMS sharing is currently only supported in the United States and Canada. This means SMS delivery can only be used when sending messages to U.S. or Canadian phone numbers, from Zenfolio accounts based in the U.S. or Canada.
When using SMS sharing, you are responsible for ensuring that you have permission to contact the recipient. SMS messages should only be sent to individuals who have voluntarily provided their phone number to you and would reasonably expect to receive communication related to your photography services, bookings, or Galleries.
Please keep the following guidelines in mind when using SMS sharing:
- SMS delivery is only supported to phone numbers in the United States and Canada
- Only send messages to recipients who have provided permission to be contacted
- Do not use SMS sharing for spam, mass unsolicited outreach, or unrelated marketing
- Do not send misleading, inappropriate, or unlawful content
- Avoid sending SMS messages during quiet hours: Messages should not be sent before 8:00 AM or after 9:00 PM based on the recipient’s local time zone
- Only use phone numbers that you have the right to use and store
- Ensure your communications comply with applicable local privacy and messaging laws
Improper use of SMS sharing may result in restrictions to messaging functionality or further review of account activity in accordance with Zenfolio’s Terms of Use.
SMS Send Limits
The SMS usage count will reset to zero on the first day of each month.
- Basic plan (formerly Portfolio: Limited to 500 messages per month.
- Professional plan (formerly PortfolioPlus): Limited to 2500 messages per month.
- Advanced plan (formerly ProSuite): Limited to 5,000* messages per month.
| Trial accounts can send up to 10 SMS messages during the trial period. To send more messages, upgrade to a paid plan. This limit ensures fair use and prevents abuse. |
Sharing Via Other Messaging Options
Mobile
When utilizing a mobile device or tablet, employing the Message sharing feature will enable you to share the Gallery through various applications such as text messaging (iMessage), Facebook Messenger, Instagram Messages, WhatsApp, and more.
- Tap on the Share Gallery button within a Gallery
- Select Send as a Message,
- Select the desired application for sharing the Gallery.
| Client Tip: When a client is viewing a Gallery on their mobile device, they can pinch & zoom when viewing an photo in the lightbox view. Allowing them to take a closer look at some of the details in the photos. Once they release the zoom, by lifting their fingers, the photo will scale back down to its normal viewing size. |
Desktop
In order to utilize the Message share option on a desktop computer or laptop, it is necessary to enable the Web Share API for your browser. This will grant access to sharing via applications that are compatible with this web sharing functionality. How to enable Web Share API will differ greatly for each browser.
For further guidance on enabling the Web Share API, please consult the developer of the specific browser being used.
Once the web share API is enabled within the browser, clicking on the Message option from the Share dropdown will provide you with different applications where you can share the Gallery.
Sharing Complications
Should you encounter a message indicating limited functionality upon clicking the Share button, it is likely attributed to the current configuration of the Gallery settings.
This issue commonly stems from a particular setting in the Gallery configuration that mandates the assignment of at least one designated client. For instance, if the Gallery is configured to permit downloads exclusively for clients or the gallery is not publicly accessible, a client must be specified in the Access settings section of the Gallery.
If there are no specific clients to allocate to the Gallery, it may be necessary to activate Public access and modify any download settings that are presently restricted to clients.
Email Send Limits
With the capability to send gallery invite emails from your account, there will be specific send limits assigned to each subscription level per month. These limits are put in place to regulate the number of gallery invite emails that can be sent based on the type of subscription you have. The send limits ensure that the email sending activity remains within reasonable boundaries, preventing abuse or overuse of this feature.
The email usage count from the previous month will be reset to zero on the first day of each month.
- Basic plan (formerly Portfolio: Limited to 500 per month.
- Professional plan (formerly PortfolioPlus): Limited to 2500 per month.
- Advanced plan (formerly ProSuite): Limited to 5,000* per month.
When scheduling an email, it is important to consider that the email will be included in your monthly email count, even prior to its actual delivery.