Put each client's photos on their own password-protected page, show every photo with a number, and add a form under the gallery where the client types or ticks the numbers they like. A form can't show each client their own photos, and EverWeb doesn't remember "hearts" as clients browse, so the photo numbers do the work. You get the client's choices by email.
- A wedding photographer posts 400 edited proofs and asks the couple to choose 60 for their album.
- A newborn photographer shows 30 images, the parents choose the 10 in their package, and pay for any extras.
- A headshot photographer shows six shortlisted shots, and the client picks one to retouch.
- An event photographer shares a gallery with the organiser, who picks images for a press release.
Step 1: Make a private page for each client
| Simple Password | Membership Sites | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | One gallery per client, with its own username and password | Groups who share a gallery, such as everyone at one event |
| Hosting | EverWeb + Hosting only | EverWeb + Hosting, or another host with PHP |
| Cost | Included | Separate add-on, with a free Starter plan |
With Simple Password (on EverWeb + Hosting):
- Click Add Directory in the toolbar and name it for the client, such as smith-wedding-2026. Put the gallery page inside it.
- Select the directory. In Inspector > Page Settings, untick Include page in navigation menu. Under Search Engine Optimization, untick Include page in search engines, and untick Include in Site Search so it doesn't appear in your own search box. Do the same for the page inside.
- Open Password Protection, click Simple Password, then Add. Click OK on the reminder and type the client's username and password.
- Go to File > Publish Entire Site and open the page in a private browser window to check it asks for the password. It doesn't in Preview.
Membership Sites opens pages by membership level, so every member of a level sees every page for that level. That suits a shared event gallery. One gallery per client would need a level for each client. See Members-only pages, logins and paid subscriptions: EverWeb Membership Sites.
The pictures themselves aren't password protected. Anyone with a picture's direct address can open it. That's fine for proofs, but use a dedicated private gallery service for sensitive work such as boudoir.
Step 2: Add the numbered photos
- In your photo app, export the proofs at about 1600 pixels on the long edge, as JPEGs, with numbered file names (Smith-001.jpg, Smith-002.jpg). Add a watermark if you like: see Protect your photos online: watermarks, image sizes and copyright notices.
- Drag Responsive Image Gallery onto the client's page (use Image Gallery on a Centered Layout page) and add the photos in Inspector > Widget Settings.
- Give each photo its number. Two ways:
- Tick Show Image Counter. The large view then shows "12 / 60". Keep the photos in file-name order so the count matches the file numbers.
- Type the number in each photo's Caption, which shows under the photo when it opens large. Use this when a gallery is split across pages, because the counter starts at 1 on each page.
- Keep Click to Open SlideShow ticked and Show Download Button unticked (it starts unticked).
- Keep each page to about 50 to 100 photos. For a full wedding, make pages such as Ceremony and Evening inside the client's directory, with captions such as C-041.
Step 3: Add the selection form
Drag Contact Form Advanced under the gallery. The form itself is free. The extras payment, the confirmation email and online storage of submissions need the Contact Forms Enhanced add-on.
| Field label | Control Type | Settings / Price |
|---|---|---|
| Gallery | Hidden Field | Default Value: Smith wedding, ceremony |
| Your name | TextBox | Required |
| Required | ||
| Your favourite photo numbers | Text Area | Required. Placeholder Text 003, 017, 042. Control Instructions/Tip Separate numbers with commas. Choose up to 60. |
| Photo for the album cover | TextBox | |
| Black and white copies | Text Area | Photo numbers |
| Retouching notes | Text Area | |
| Extra photos beyond your package | Stepper | Min 0, Max 100, Step 1, Unit Price 15 (add-on, EverWeb 4.6 and later) |
Set Submit Caption to Send my favourites and Forward To Page to a thank-you page.
For up to about 30 photos, use Choice Chips or Checkbox (with Alignment set to Three Columns), one option per photo number, so clients tick instead of typing. To have a client pick one of a few shots, such as six headshots, use Image Select, which shows each option as a picture card.
What you receive
An email with the client's name, the gallery name from the Hidden Field and the numbers they chose. With the add-on, each selection is also stored in your Client Area under View Form Submissions, where you can export to CSV. If the client paid for extras, the email is marked Paid.
Good to know
- Delivering the final photos: EverWeb isn't built for full-size files. They'd fill your hosting storage (shared with your email), and a linked file isn't password protected. Send finished photos with a file-sharing link or a client gallery service, by email.
- Clear out old galleries. Deleting a directory in EverWeb doesn't remove its photos from your server, and a 400-photo gallery at 300KB a photo uses about 120MB. See I deleted a page in EverWeb but it's still online and My hosting is full. What is using my space and how do I clear it? (Error 55).
- The password box is the browser's own. There's no "forgot password" link, and iPhones may ask again between pages. Send each client their page address and password by email.