A public gallery is a type of gallery that allows you to generate a single shared gallery link for multiple people. Each of your clients browses the same photos, but places and pays for their own independent order. It's a simple way to organize your work, and the system automatically groups clients' selections.
Main benefits and use cases
Preschool and school galleries: Quickly share photos with an entire group (e.g. a class), with automatic separation into independent orders for each parent.
Wedding reportages and events: Guests with the link can browse and purchase prints or digital files for themselves.
Corporate portrait galleries: Employees independently select their best shots from the general pool shared by the company.
Time savings: Mafelo automatically tallies orders and processes payments for each client separately.
How to create and configure a public gallery
1. Adding a new gallery
Go to the Galleries tab and click the Create gallery button.
From the drop-down list, select the Public gallery option.
Fill in the basic details, such as Gallery name, Currency, and define the Price levels for files.
Set the Print budget if the client is guaranteed a specific amount to spend on prints as part of the base gallery price.
2. Configuring options and payments
Don't worry about technical matters – this step lets you automate most of your later work!
In the payments section, check the Enable the ability to pay for the galleries using online payments box, so clients can pay for their order right after selecting their photos.
⚠️Important: For this option to work, you must have payments fully configured on your account beforehand (including an added Terms and Conditions and other required details). See the guide How to prepare your page for online payments?
Check Additional options according to your own needs.
📣Note: If you want to protect your files, be sure to check the option: "Clients can only download the photos they have ordered and paid for". This will prevent free downloading of materials.
Add a friendly Welcome message that clients will see immediately upon opening the link.
Click Save.
💡Tip: Do you have an unusual offer or a specific billing method and aren't sure how to set it up in the system? Contact us on chat! We'll be happy to help you choose the right settings and assist with technical matters.
3. Adding products and print formats
While in the Details tab, scroll down to the Print formats section and click Manage print formats.
Click Add in the upper right corner.
💡Tip: If you already have default price lists configured in the main Mafelo settings, use the Copy from settings button to save time.
In the same way, add Products (e.g. albums) and Shipping methods.
Go to the Photos tab and upload the shots you have prepared for clients to choose from.
4. Sharing the gallery with clients
While in the Details tab, click the Share gallery button in the upper right corner.
Secure the gallery by entering a Password (a single character is sufficient, e.g. one letter or digit) and create a Friendly link for the gallery.
Copy the link and share it along with the password with your clients (e.g. via email, Messenger, or on printed cards).
💡Tip: Want to make the ordering process easier for your clients? Send them our ready-made video guides along with the link!
How to order photos from a computer
How to order photos from a phone
📣Note: In public galleries, everyone logs in through the same link and password. This mechanism differs from private galleries, where clients log in using their own email address and an individual password assigned to their gallery.
How does the system identify clients? Important rules!!!
In public galleries, everyone uses the same gallery link. Therefore, the Mafelo system identifies individual clients based on their device and web browser. This leads to key rules you need to know:
No cart preview
Because clients are identified by their devices (anonymously before the order is finalized), as a photographer you have no way to preview what a given client currently has in their cart. You will only see the order once the client submits it.
Order continuation and protection against double charges
If a client places an order and later returns to the gallery on the same device and in the same browser, the system will recognize them and treat their purchases as a continuation of the previous order.
⚠️Important: This is a safeguard that protects clients. The system will not charge again for the same digital file. If a client adds the same photo again to the cart, for example to additionally order a print for it, they will only pay for the print, not for the digital file they already purchased.
Editing a submitted order (adding and removing items)
Can a client independently edit an already submitted order in a public gallery? This is not possible. However, since clients often change their mind, we have prepared simple solutions for both situations:
The client wants to add more photos or prints: The client must re-open the gallery link on the same device (provided they have not logged out of it) and simply add the new shots to the cart and place the order. Thanks to the double-charge protection mentioned above, the system will link this to their previous order and will not charge again for the same files.
The client wants to remove selected photos from the order: In this situation, you, as the photographer, must delete their order from your panel. Then ask the client to place the order again.
💡Tip for the client: Remind them that the confirmation email for the deleted order contains the full list of photo and print numbers. They can use it as a handy "cheat sheet" when rebuilding their cart.
Placing orders for multiple people from one device
We do not recommend this approach, but we know there are situations when one person places orders for multiple people from a single device (e.g. a teacher at a preschool ordering photos for the entire class on their computer).
📣Note: For the system to correctly separate these orders, after each order submitted for one child, the person ordering must log out of the gallery before starting the selection for the next one. Otherwise, the system will treat everyone as a single client.
Switching devices and double charges
Since the system identifies clients by their device, subsequent orders must be placed from the same location.
📣Note: If the same person places their first order on a computer and then logs into the gallery on a mobile phone, the system will treat them as a new, separate client. Digital file charges will then be applied again. Additionally, if a client wants to continue their purchases on the same device, they should not log out of it.
Managing orders and delivering photos
Order and payment overview
Once clients start selecting photos and finalize their carts, all orders will appear in one place.
Open your gallery and go to the Client orders tab. You will find a list of people, amounts due, and statuses there.
If a client paid via quick online payments, the system will automatically mark their order as "Paid".
If a client pays by cash or traditional bank transfer, click the Actions button next to their name and select Mark as paid.
Exporting files and client data
Instead of manually searching for ordered shots on your computer's hard drive, let the system do it for you.
Export of ordered photo files (copy scripts): Important: Scripts differ depending on the operating system.
.cmdfiles only work on Windows. If you are using a Mac, select the option intended for macOS.Export to Excel file: An order list for a convenient summary.
💡Tip We describe this in more detail in the article: What is the order export option for (photos and prints)
Additionally, you can export a list of your clients' email addresses - click the "Export" button above the order list. You have several options to choose from:
email addresses of clients from all orders or from paid orders only,
a list of ordered prints from all orders or from paid orders only,
client data from all orders or from paid orders only.
Finalizing and delivering finished photos
After editing the selected shots, go to the Photo transfer tab.
Upload the finished files to the appropriate folders (Full resolution / Web version)
Click Notify clients.
⚠️Important: For a client to be able to download files, their order must have the status "Paid". The email notification with a download link for the finished photos is sent to the client only once.
A detailed description of the entire file sharing and client notification process can be found in a separate guide. How to share photos in public galleries?
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
How does a public gallery differ from a private gallery?
A public gallery uses a single, shared link distributed to many people (ideal for schools, preschools, or events), where each person creates their own cart. A private gallery is an individual gallery assigned to a specific email address of a single client.
Can a client download photos they haven't paid for yet?
No, if you have enabled the option "Paid photos only: a client downloads only the photos they ordered and paid for" in the gallery settings, the system will block the ability to download photos until the online payment is recorded or the order is manually marked as "Paid".
Could someone else have downloaded a photo I uploaded to a public gallery?
People browsing the gallery see photos for selection with a watermark (optionally also protected against screenshots), but browsing itself does not mean they can download the file. Downloading shared photos in public galleries without the watermark is only possible in two cases:
You selected the "Paid photos only: a client downloads only the photos they ordered and paid for" option. In this case, the client can download only the photos they ordered and paid for but only if you have added photos with the same filenames to the "Photo transfer" tab.
You selected the "All photos for free: anyone with access to the gallery can download any photo without paying" option. In this case, anyone with access to the gallery can download any photo added to the "Photo transfer" tab.
How do clients pay for orders in a public gallery?
Clients pay for orders in public galleries via integrated quick online payments (if you enable them) or by traditional bank transfer/cash. You can provide bank transfer details in the Settings -> Online payments tab.
Important: Remember that for such payments you must manually mark the specific order in the system as paid.
Is the notification about finished photos sent automatically to all clients?
After uploading the photos and clicking the "Notify clients" button, the email with the download link will be sent only to those people who have placed an order and it has been fully paid.