Publish or hide the album
An album is public from the moment it exists: anybody plus the link spots the contributions that are approved and not hidden.
You can go private, and then the link shows nothing at all. Or keep it public and put a password in front of it, which each viewer types once.
The 3 states
Public, public with a password, or private. Public is standard and suits a party of invited guests, while a password leaves the link usable and adds one step. Private means the link leads nowhere, which is right while you're still setting up.
Uploading has its own switch. An album can be private while uploads are fully open, and vice versa.
- Decide before you share the link. A link that shows nothing looks broken to a guest who wasn't told.
- Set a password if you want a middle option. At least 8 characters. Viewing then needs it; uploading does not.
- Say which state it is in. One sentence on the table card saves the questions afterwards.
| State | Guest with the link sees | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Public | The album, straight away | A party among invited guests |
| Public with password | A password prompt, then the album | Anything semi-public |
| Private | Nothing at all | Before the party, or after you have downloaded |
None of these touches uploading. A guest can contribute to an album they can't view.
What private actually means
The link lands nowhere. Not an error page explaining the situation, not a preview — nothing. That's correct behavior and it's also why a private album confuses guests who were told to inspect it.
Use it while you're setting up, or after you downloaded it all and want the album offline.
The viewing password
A password rests before viewing, and each visitor types it once. It needs to be at least 8 characters. That's the middle option: the link keeps working keeps getting forwarded, but the person receiving it needs something you shared separately.
It's separate from the download password, which gates taking files away instead of looking at them.
What a public album shows
Contributions that are approved and not hidden. Anything still prepping, anything waiting in the review queue, and anything you have hidden is left out. So the album a guest spots is a subset of what you see in the dashboard, and that's by design.
The count on the guest page tracks the same rule, which is why it may trail what somebody just told you they sent.
When to switch what
Keep it public during the party and the days after, while the second wave arrives. Think about going private once you downloaded it all, since an album no one is adding to has little reason to stay reachable.
It goes unreachable by itself eventually: 30 days after the event on the free tier, with 90, 183 or 365 for the paid ones.
Tell your guests which it is
A guest who taps a link and spots nothing assumes everything is broken, and they don't upload either. One line on the card handles it: the album opens post-party, or the album needs the password from our message.
The same applies when you switch it to private afterward. Say so, or you will be answering messages for a week.
Common questions
Is my album public by default?
Yes. Anyone with the link sees the approved, unhidden contributions.
What does a guest see when it is private?
Nothing. The link lands nowhere at all, not to an explanation.
How long must the password be?
At least 8 characters. It is separate from the download password.
Can guests still upload to a private album?
Yes. Viewing and uploading are separate switches.
Why does the album show fewer items than I expect?
It shows only what is approved, prepared and not hidden.
Hide or delete uploads
Why the album shows fewer items than the dashboard.
Guest page, album and live wall
3 views behind 1 code.
When to create it, how long it collects
When the album goes away on its own.
A guest album for a wedding
Open for the day, and for the week after it.
Guests say the link shows nothing
Confirm whether the album is private and whether a password is on. Those two handle most of it — get us the album name if not.