Once you’ve uploaded files into PhotoShelter, it’s time to make sure they’re accessible to the people who need them.
In PhotoShelter, permissions are the settings that determine who has access to your files and what they can—or can’t—do with them. These settings are only accessible to the Admin and Editors on an account, and can be applied at the Collection or Gallery level. The settings themselves are what determine who can see what on your organization’s public Portal.
Typically, internal team members are granted access to a wider number of files, whereas partners or collaborators, and even the public, have much more limited access (or no access at all).
The exact setup of your account will be specific to you and your organization’s needs. As such, permissions settings are fully customizable and adjustable so you can make as many changes as you need.
Visibility Settings Explained
Visibility settings determine whether or not people can see a Collection/Gallery on your Portal. The Visibility Settings are always shown as the left “eye” icon in your Library.
All PhotoShelter for Brands accounts have three visibility settings for each Gallery or Collection that you create: “Everyone,” “Those with permission,” and “No one but me.”
Everyone – Anyone who visits your Portal will be able to view this Collection/Gallery and the files inside. This means the Gallery or Collection will be publicly visible, which includes people outside of your organization who may visit your Portal.
Those with permission – Only people you’ve invited will be able to view this Collection/Gallery on your Portal, allowing you to hand-pick which Invited Users or User Groups have access.
No one but me – This Collection/Gallery is only visible in the Library by Library Staff. It is not listed on your Portal and is the most secure setting option.
Each option listed above also has its own visual identity, using a stoplight system and that eye icon mentioned above. This allows Library Staff to quickly get a snapshot of the current settings on specific materials.
Access Settings Explained
Once you’ve selected your preferred visibility settings, you can move on to choosing what those users are allowed to do with your assets. Access permissions determine whether or not people can download from a Collection/Gallery on your Portal and are always shown as the right arrow icon in the Library.
Like the visibility settings, you have three options to choose from when granting download access:
People/Group – Invite individuals to a Collection/Gallery via their email address or share content with groups of stakeholders in an Invited Users Group. Stakeholders are required to log in with their email address and a password they set for themselves, or using Single Sign-On. As a result, their name and contact information will appear in your download reports.
Password – Require stakeholders to enter a password before they can view (or download) a Collection/Gallery. Only the stakeholder’s IP address will appear in download reports.
Any Portal visitor – Allow anyone who visits your organization’s Portal to view (or download) a public Collection/Gallery. Only the stakeholder’s IP address will appear in download reports.
Just like the visibility settings, each setting above uses the same stoplight system to show you your permissions at a glance:
What type of download do you want to permit?
After you decide the type of permission to use, the next step is to determine what kind of download permission to set for each kind of file type. This allows you to get quite specific:
Image DL Type – Sets the largest size/resolution for image downloads.
Video DL Type – Sets the largest size/resolution for video download
Audio DL Type – Determines whether or not audio files can be downloaded
Other DL Type – Determines whether or not non-media files can be downloaded
Note: Even if you grant another file size or format in your download settings, the original file uploaded and stored in your Library will remain untouched. We only convert the end user’s downloaded file to the size you have designated.
More of a Visual Learner? Us too.
Get an in-depth tour of Visibility & Access Settings below from Richard Voltz, PhotoShelter’s very own Onboarding Manager.
Save Time with Inheritance
Every Collection and Gallery in the Library has native permissions. These are specific permissions for that specific Collection or Gallery.
Native permissions apply whenever a Collection/Gallery does not inherit permissions from the Collection in which it’s contained, or is at the top level of a hierarchical folder structure.
In the example above, the faded icons of the “Inheriting” Collection indicate that permissions are being inherited from its parent Collection. The vivid green and red icons shown in the “Not Inheriting” Collection indicate that that Collection has native permissions, specific to the content within that Collection.
Think of inheritance as a trickle-down effect. Within your permissions settings, check the box and watch the settings cascade down your Library’s folder structure.
A tip I always have for PhotoShelter for Brands users is to use the “inherit permissions” option whenever you can. This allows your settings to automatically transfer from a root, or top level, Gallery or Collection to something nested within it.
Inherited permissions will always follow the permissions set at the root level, but can also be adjusted at specific levels. You can inherit settings from the top Collection, and even add additional download permissions as needed.
The settings are very customizable but that “inherit permissions” option will save you a lot of time.
Richard Voltz, PhotoShelter’s Onboarding Manager
To Inherit or Not Inherit, That is The Question
Remember: permissions work for you, not the other way around.
As Richard hinted, there are actually three ways to mix and match native and inherited permissions for Collections/Galleries contained in other Collections:
Inherited only
The Collection/Gallery inherits all of the visibility and access settings from its parent Collection.
Native only
The Collection/Gallery has its own visibility and access settings and does not inherit any permissions from the parent Collection.
Inheriting and Native
In other words, granting specific access to an inheriting Gallery or Collection. A Gallery can inherit all of the permissions from its parent Collection and have native permissions. Collections do not support this combination of permissions.
With the ability to combine permissions and single out certain content, there are countless configurations you can make to your account. Looking for examples of common setups? Check them out here.
Giving People The Freedom to “Find It Yourself”
Setting permissions and adjusting visibility settings are core functions of your PhotoShelter for Brands account. They give you the freedom to control who sees the content in your Library and what they are allowed to do with that content.
With the ability to set up multiple configurations, you can ensure everyone has access to what they need, even when their needs differ. Our stoplight permission indication system helps your library staff see what is going on, at what level, at a glance. Best of all, the Admin or any Editor can set these permissions and do so quickly by “inheriting permissions.”
Feeling inspired? Check your permissions here.
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