Limiting gallery access time is a great way to motivate clients to choose their photos and pay for their orders faster. Mafelo allows you to automatically disable a gallery on a selected day, so you don't have to remember to close the gallery manually.
Key benefits
Faster order completion. Clients, aware of the deadline, are less likely to put off choosing their shots "for later".
Workflow automation. The system will block access on its own, so you don't need to watch the calendar.
Additional revenue. You can offer extended gallery access as a paid add-on service.
How to enable the gallery time limit
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to configure the gallery expiry date and the message shown to the client:
Go to the selected gallery and click the Edit gallery settings button.
Scroll down to the More options section.
Check the box Disable access to photo selection after a specified date (the client will not be able to order photos and products).
Enter the date from which the gallery will be disabled.
(Optional) Fill in the Message that will be displayed to the client when they enter the disabled gallery field.
You can enter, for example: "Your time for choosing photos has expired. Contact me to extend access to the gallery. Your paid orders are still available for download."
Click Save to confirm the changes.
💡Tip: The expiry date means that on that day the ability to select photos will become inactive.
The expiry date is not visible to the client in the photo gallery view. It is worth adding information about the deadline in the Welcome message or in an email.
Access to files: Gallery expiry only blocks the selection of new shots and placing new orders. If the client previously paid for an order and you shared the files with them, they will still be able to download them, even after the gallery expires.
Troubleshooting and Best Practices
What does the client see after the gallery expires?
The client will not be able to browse the gallery to choose new shots or place further orders – they will only see the message you have set.
Can I restore access?
Yes. Simply remove the expiry date in the settings or change it to a date in the future.
📣Note: If a client started placing an order (has products in their cart) but did not complete it before the deadline, the cart will not disappear, however the client will not be able to finish placing the order (after clicking Place order the message: "Gallery access has expired" will appear). To allow them to complete it, you will need to temporarily extend the gallery's validity.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does gallery expiry delete photos?
No. Gallery expiry only blocks client access to the selection. Photos remain safely stored in your Mafelo account.
Will the client receive a notification about an expiring gallery?
Yes, you can enable an automatic notification. To do so:
In the left-hand menu, click Settings.
In the Galleries section, select Gallery notifications
Check the box: Send notifications to clients regarding gallery access termination deadline.
Enter the number of days in the How many days before deactivation should the notification be sent? field.
Click Save.
Can I set an expiry date for multiple galleries at once?
Currently, the expiry date is set individually for each gallery in its settings.