How do client accounts work?

Regular clients can log on your website to access their own client space. There, they can easily access their order history, shared galleries, selections, etc…

Client accounts are usually created seamlessly, for example when they receive an invitation to access a private gallery or when they place an order for the first time.

Your visitors also have the possibility to create a Client Account by themselves from the registration page on your website. In this case, the client receives an email and must then click on a link to activate the account, to make sure they are not being impersonated.

Does my client need an account?

There are few things more annoying on a website than having first to create an account to be able to use it or to place an order. At PhotoDeck we believe in making your client’s life as easy as possible. A visitor can manage a selection and place orders without first creating an account.

An account is required to access login-protected galleries, but its creation happens seamlessly when accessing the first protected gallery. (Galleries protected by a simple general password don’t require login/client accounts.)

Having an account also offers more possibilities: a logged-in client can easily save and manage multiple selections, does not need to re-enter address information upon purchase, can view past orders, etc…

Client login page

Links to the login form are automatically presented on your website when needed or useful, for example when accessing a protected gallery, or in the cart or lightboxes.

You can also add a link to the Login page to your navigation menu, by selecting the type Client area: client login & logout, dashboard when creating a new link in the menu. If a client is already logged in, this link will bring them to their dashboard on your website.

If the client does not have an account, the same page can also be used to register and open an account on your website.

How do I create an account for my client?

You shouldn’t need to: for example when sharing a protected gallery to a new client via PhotoDeck sharing features, the process seamlessly has the client create the account in a secure way if needed, while accessing the gallery, i.e. without adding significant friction. In other words, you can authorize a specific client to access a gallery by login before they have created their account.

We do not recommend you create user accounts on behalf of your clients, for both security and liability reasons.

If for some unforeseen reason you really need to create a client account on their behalf, follow the same steps your client would follow:

  1. Go to your website’s client login page, for example from a protected gallery or from the cart, then enter your client’s e-mail address and register the new account in their name ;
  2. Your client will then receive an email with a link to activate their account ;
  3. Provide your client with the password in a secure way (remembering that plain email is not more secure than a postcard) and ask them to immediately change it.

NOTE: by creating yourself the account, you don’t get the client to accept your terms and conditions or validate their subscription to your newsletter, if you’ve enabled either of them, so your legal exposure might increase.

FAQ

  • Why can’t my client see the gallery I shared with them?

    Make sure the client is authorized with the exact email address they use to log in (check the gallery’s authorizations panel). Also note that a client’s space on your website only lists the galleries where they have login-based access.

  • Can visitors request access to a private gallery on their own?

    There is no built-in self-service access-request feature on PhotoDeck, but you can create a custom page with a dedicated form for clients to request access, and you will receive an email for each request. To give a client access, add their email address in the gallery’s authorizations panel (the client account for that email is created seamlessly when they first log in), or protect the gallery with a general password that you communicate yourself.

  • Can I share a gallery with a client who doesn’t want to create an account?

    Yes: if the gallery is protected by a simple general password instead of login-based authorizations, clients can view it and download the allowed files without needing an account.

  • Can I link to the client login page from another website?

    Yes. The login page is always available at the /client path of your PhotoDeck website URL (for example www.mydomain.com/client). You can also add a link of the type Client area: client login & logout, dashboard to your navigation menu: its URL can then be reused from anywhere, including from an external website.

  • How can a client change the email address of their account?

    The client can do it themselves: once logged into their account on your website (via the “Client area” link or a protected gallery), they can update their email address in their profile.