# Who can see your gallery

> Every way to control who sees a CoreHue gallery: passwords, private client access, email registration, hidden and client-only chapters, and download PINs.

Source: https://help.corehue.co/docs/gallery-sharing/who-can-see-your-gallery/

Some galleries are happy to be seen by anyone with the link. Others need a lock on the door. CoreHue gives you a handful of separate controls so you can match the protection to the shoot, from a wide-open styled session to a boudoir gallery only your client should ever see.

A new gallery opens for anyone who has its link, which is fine for most work and easy to tighten when you need to. The one control that starts switched on is the download PIN: every new gallery gets one, so people can look freely but need the PIN to download.

## Gallery privacy controls at a glance

| Control | Where | What it does | Good for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Gallery password** | Settings → Access | Everyone needs one shared password to get in. | Any gallery you don't want strangers stumbling into. |
| **Client access** | Settings → Access | Gives your client their own private password and splits visitors into Client and Guest. | Galleries where your client should see more than their guests. |
| **Client-only chapters** | Settings → Access | Chapters only someone with the client password can see. | Boudoir sets, getting-ready shots, outtakes. |
| **Email registration** | Settings → Access | Visitors must give an email before viewing. | Knowing who's been looking. |
| **Chapter visibility** | Settings → Sharing | Hides a chapter from every visitor while you keep working on it. | Work you're not ready to show. |
| **Download PIN** | Settings → Downloads | Visitors can look, but need a 4-digit PIN to download. | Galleries you're happy to show but not hand out. |
| **Auto expiry** | Settings → Sharing | The gallery goes offline on a date you pick. | Keeping old galleries from living forever. |

These are separate switches, not levels. Turn on any mix of them.

## Picking the right setup

| Situation | What to turn on |
| --- | --- |
| Family portraits, most weddings, events | Nothing, or a **Gallery password** if your client asked for privacy |
| Wedding where the couple shares with family | **Gallery password** for everyone, plus **Client access** and **Client-only chapters** for the couple's private shots |
| Boudoir or other sensitive work | **Gallery password** and **Client access**, with the private chapters marked client-only |
| You want to know who's viewing | **Email registration** |
| Happy for people to look, not to take | A **Download PIN**, given only to your client |
| A chapter isn't ready yet | Hide it under **Chapter visibility** |

> **Client access on its own doesn't lock the gallery**
Turning on **Client access** gives your client a private password, but guests can still get in without one unless you also set a **Gallery password**. If the gallery itself must be private, turn both on.

## How the privacy controls fit together

**Seeing and downloading are separate.** Passwords and client access control who can open the gallery. The download PIN controls who can save files. An open gallery with a PIN is a perfectly sensible setup. See [Using a download PIN](/docs/gallery-downloads/download-pin).

**Visitors are asked only for what you've set up.** If you've turned on a gallery password and email registration, they're asked for both on one screen. With client access on, they first choose **Client access** or **Guest access**. See [Giving your client private access](/docs/gallery-sharing/client-access-and-private-passwords) for the full table.

**They're asked once per device.** After getting in, a visitor stays in on that device for 7 days.

**The link itself isn't a secret.** A gallery address like yourname.corehue.co/smith-wedding is easy to read and easy to guess. If a gallery genuinely shouldn't be found, give it a password.

**Wrong guesses are limited.** After several wrong password tries, the gallery pauses attempts for about 15 minutes, and the visitor sees a "Too many attempts" message that says how long to wait. The pause applies to everyone on the same internet connection, so a family all guessing on the same Wi-Fi shares it.

## Privacy settings in detail

- [Password-protecting a gallery](/docs/gallery-sharing/password-protecting-a-gallery)
- [Giving your client private access](/docs/gallery-sharing/client-access-and-private-passwords)
- [Keeping chapters private to your client](/docs/gallery-sharing/client-only-chapters)
- [Hiding chapters from visitors](/docs/gallery-sharing/hiding-chapters)
- [Collecting visitor emails](/docs/gallery-sharing/collecting-visitor-emails)
- [Setting a gallery expiry date](/docs/galleries/gallery-expiry-dates)
- [Protecting your photos online](/docs/gallery-sharing/protecting-your-photos)

## What your client sees

With nothing turned on, your client clicks the link and lands on your cover. With protection on, they see your cover image behind a small form that asks for exactly what you've set up: a password, their email, or a choice between **Client access** and **Guest access**. After that, the gallery opens and remembers them on that device.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is a gallery private by default?

No. A published CoreHue gallery opens for anyone with its link (drafts can't be opened by anyone but you). New galleries do come with a download PIN, so downloads are protected from the start. Add a gallery password if the gallery itself should stay private.

### Do my clients need an account to view a protected gallery?

No. Clients never need an account to view a protected gallery. They only ever enter the password or email you've asked for. There's no sign-up and nothing to install.

### Can I hide a single photo from my client?

No, not on its own. To keep one photo from your client, move it to a chapter that's hidden from visitors, or delete it from the gallery. Your client can hide photos from their guests if you allow it, but that works the other way round. See [Letting clients hide photos](/docs/gallery-favorites/letting-clients-hide-photos).

### What's the most private setup?

The most private gallery setup is a gallery password plus client access, with the sensitive chapters marked client-only and a download PIN you give only to your client. Guests with the gallery password see the rest; only your client sees everything and can download.