How client favorites work
Clients and guests can star photos and organize them into collections. You can review their choices in the gallery's Activity tab, or send a selection request with instructions and a photo limit.
Collections are on for every new gallery and available on every plan.
How it works for your client
- Your client taps the star on a photo. On a computer it appears when they hover over the photo. On a phone, they open the photo first.
- The first star asks for their email ("Save your selections"). That's what ties the list to them, and it brings the same list back on any device where they use that email.
- A small label at the bottom of the screen shows the collection they're adding to and how many photos are in it. Tapping it opens Your selections.
- When they're done, they open the collection and click Send to photographer, adding a message if they like.
From Your selections your client can also:
- Remove photos they've changed their mind about.
- Start more collections with New collection, say one for the album and one for prints, and switch which one they're adding to.
- Add a note to a photo, like "Can we crop this one square?", if you allow notes.
- Open a full-page view to review everything before sending.
Once a collection is sent, the button becomes Send update so they can make changes and send again, unless you've locked collections after submission.
What you get when your client sends favorites
You're notified when a collection is submitted. Open the gallery's Activity tab and choose Collections to see every collection, who it belongs to, how many photos are in it and whether it's been sent. From there you can copy the file names into your editing software, download the photos, or send them to an album designer. See Reviewing your client's favorites.
You can see a collection as soon as your client starts it, not only after they send it, so you can peek at progress.
Set it up for the job
Collections work out of the box, but a couple of choices make them fit the job:
- Lock after submission stops changes once your client sends their list. Turn it on when their selection starts work, like an album layout. See Collection settings for client favorites.
- Selection requests let you go first: you create named collections with a brief and a photo limit, like "Album picks, choose 40". Clients finish a clear task much faster than an open "let me know which you like". See Requesting client selections.
For a full walkthrough of an album or retouching selection from start to finish, see Running an album or retouching selection.
What can't be starred
Photos only. Videos don't have a star and can't go into collections. There's no limit on how many photos a client can star, unless you set one in a selection request.
What your client sees
A star on every photo, a pill at the bottom showing their current collection, and the Your selections panel. If you've turned collections off, there are no stars at all, which keeps a straightforward delivery free of a task your client didn't ask for. Choosing your favorite photos is written for your client, so you can link it in your email.
Frequently asked questions
Do my clients need an account to pick favorites?
No. Clients don't need an account to pick favorites. They give their email on the first star and that's it. Using the same email on another device brings their collections back.
Can guests star photos too?
Yes. Guests can star photos too: anyone who can open the gallery can make collections under their own email, and you'll see each one separately in Activity, labelled with their email.
Can I limit how many photos my client picks?
Yes, with a selection request. Set Max photos and your client sees a count like "12 of 40 photos" and can't go over. See Requesting client selections.
Can clients comment on photos?
Yes, with notes. When Collection notes is on, your client can leave a note on any photo in their collection and a note on the collection as a whole. There's no back-and-forth comment thread, just one note per photo and per collection, which you read in Activity.
Can I turn favorites off for a gallery?
Yes. Turn off Allow collections under Settings → Collections and the stars disappear from that gallery.