How to Allow Guests to Upload Photos on SmugMug?

Introduction

SmugMug is a popular online photo sharing and image hosting platform that allows you to showcase your photos and
videos to the world. One of its key features is the ability to let your guests upload their own photos and videos to
your SmugMug galleries, which can be really useful for events like weddings, parties, reunions, etc.

In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the entire process of enabling guest uploads on SmugMug and
configuring the settings to your needs.

Prerequisites for Allowing Guest Uploads

Before you can allow guests to upload photos, there are a few requirements:

• You need to have a paid SmugMug account. Guest uploading is only available for power and portfolio users, not on
  the basic free plan.
• You need to create a gallery where your guests can upload images. Guest uploading can only be enabled at the
  gallery level.
• Your gallery needs to be Public or Unlisted for guest access. Private galleries don’t allow guest uploads.

Step-by-Step Guide to Enabling Guest Uploads

Follow these simple steps to start allowing your guests to upload photos to your SmugMug gallery:

Access Gallery Settings

1. Log in to your SmugMug account and go to the specific gallery you want to allow uploads to.
2. Click the Settings button to access the gallery settings.

Enable Guest Uploads

1. Under the Permissions tab, check the box for Allow guests to upload to this
   gallery.

Set Upload Requirements

1. Once guest uploads are enabled, you can set requirements like:
• Requiring a name for each uploader
• Requiring a caption for each image
• Enabling safety filters
• Limiting the number and size of uploads

Configure these settings as desired for your situation.

Share Gallery for Uploads

1. Under the Share tab, grab the guest upload link for your gallery.
2. Share this link with your guests so they can upload images.

That’s it! Your gallery is now equipped to securely receive photos from your guests.

Quick Tip to ensure your videos never go missing

Videos are precious memories and all of us never want to ever lose them to hard disk crashes or missing drives.
PicBackMan is the easiest and simplest way to keep your videos safely backed up in one or more online accounts. 

Simply Download PicBackMan (it’s
free!), register your account, connect to your online store and tell PicBackMan where your videos are –
PicBackMan does the rest, automatically. It bulk uploads all videos and keeps looking for new ones and uploads those
too. You don’t have to ever touch it.

Guest Upload Settings to Configure

When allowing guest uploads, there are a few key settings you may want to customize:

Request Name

• You can require guests to enter their name with each upload for identification.

Require Caption

• Making captions mandatory ensures context for guest photos.

Apply Safety Filter

• SmugMug’s safety filter restricts explicit/offensive images.

Limit Number of Uploads

• You can limit the number of images each guest can contribute.

Limit Upload File Size

• Restricting file size prevents huge uploads that take up space.

Best Practices for Guest Uploads

To ensure your guest upload gallery is a success, follow these best practices:

• Clearly communicate your upload instructions, requirements and deadline.
• Send guests the direct upload link to make it simple.
• Consider granting access in advance so guests are prepared.
• Remind guests near the deadline to collect all their photos.
• Moderate uploads to remove inappropriate images quickly.
• Thank all your guests for contributing photos!

Common Questions about Guest Uploads

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about enabling guest uploading on SmugMug:

How many guests can upload to a gallery?

There is no limit to the number of guests that can upload. Anyone with the link can contribute.

What file types can guests upload?

SmugMug supports standard image formats like JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF and RAW photos from cameras.

Can guests delete or edit images after uploading?

No, guests can only add images, not manage what’s already in your gallery.

What happens if guests exceed the upload limits?

If guests hit the per-uploader limits you set, they will not be able to upload more until you expand the limits.

Can I moderate guests photos before publishing?

Yes! You can review and edit guest uploads before making them visible in your gallery.

Conclusion

Allowing guests to upload event photos directly to a SmugMug gallery is a great way to collect and share memories.
With the steps and guidance above, you’ll be fully prepared to enable hassle-free guest uploading. Just be sure to set
clear expectations, share the upload link, and monitor the gallery to moderate. With SmugMug’s robust tools, your
guests can safely contribute their photos to your event gallery!