How do client accounts work?

Regular clients can log on your website to access advanced 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 his is not being impersonated.

Does my client need an account?

There are few things more annoying on a website that 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 his 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 his name ;
  2. Your client will then receive an email with a link to activate his 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 him to immediately change it.

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