SmarterPhoto Gallery - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Quick answers to common questions about SmarterPhoto Gallery.
Last Updated: February 23, 2026
Table of Contents
- Getting Started
- Account & Billing
- Photo Uploads & Storage
- Gallery Management
- Custom Domains
- Payments & Payouts
- AI Features
- Privacy & Security
- Technical Issues
Getting Started
What is SmarterPhoto Gallery?
SmarterPhoto Gallery is a professional photo gallery platform designed specifically for photographers. It combines secure photo storage, client galleries, e-commerce for photo sales, and AI-powered workflow automation to save you hours of time per event.
How is this different from other gallery platforms?
- AI-Powered Workflows: Automated photo culling, action detection, subject recognition, and purchase prediction
- Revenue Split: You keep 90% of sales (most competitors take 15-30%)
- One-Time Custom Domain: $49 once, not monthly fees
- Professional Features: Password protection, watermarking, bulk downloads, smart albums
- Fast Performance: Optimized for handling 500+ photo galleries
How much does it cost?
Free Tier:
- 1,000 photos storage
- Unlimited galleries
- Basic features
- 90/10 revenue split on sales
Pro Tier ($29/month):
- Unlimited photo storage
- AI features (culling, predictions, action detection)
- Custom branding
- Priority support
- 90/10 revenue split on sales
Custom Domain ($49 one-time):
- Use your own domain (photos.yourdomain.com)
- Professional branding
- Works with any tier
Can I try it for free?
Yes! The free tier includes:
- 1,000 photos storage
- Unlimited galleries
- Full e-commerce features
- 90/10 revenue split
No credit card required to start.
Account & Billing
How do I upgrade to Pro?
- Log in to your account
- Go to Settings → Subscription
- Click Upgrade to Pro
- Complete payment via Stripe ($29/month)
- Pro features activate immediately
Can I cancel my subscription?
Yes, you can cancel anytime:
1. Go to Settings → Subscription
2. Click Cancel Subscription
3. Your Pro features remain active until the end of your billing period
4. No partial refunds (standard for monthly subscriptions)
What happens to my photos if I cancel Pro?
- Your photos remain accessible
- If you exceed free tier limits (1,000 photos), you'll need to delete photos or re-subscribe
- Galleries remain public and accessible
- E-commerce features continue to work
Do you offer refunds?
- Monthly subscriptions: No refunds (industry standard)
- Custom domain: Contact support within 7 days if DNS issues prevent use
- Photo sales: Refunds handled case-by-case via support
How do I change my password?
- Go to Settings → Account
- Click Change Password
- Enter current password + new password
- Click Update Password
Photo Uploads & Storage
What file formats are supported?
- JPG / JPEG (most common)
- PNG (supports transparency)
- HEIC (iPhone photos)
What's the maximum file size?
- 50MB per photo (covers most high-res DSLR shots)
- Larger files (RAW, TIFF) not currently supported
How many photos can I upload at once?
- No limit on batch uploads
- Upload 500+ photos at once using drag-and-drop
- Progress tracking shows upload status
How long do uploads take?
Depends on your internet speed:
- 10 photos: ~30 seconds (average home internet)
- 100 photos: ~5 minutes
- 500 photos: ~20-30 minutes
Tip: Use a wired connection for large uploads.
Do you compress my photos?
- Originals: Stored at full quality, no compression
- Previews: Resized for fast gallery browsing
- Downloads: Clients get full-resolution originals when they purchase
Can I download my original photos back?
Yes!
1. Go to your gallery
2. Click Bulk Actions → Select All
3. Click Download Originals
4. Photos download as a ZIP file
What happens if I delete a photo?
- Permanently deleted from our servers
- Cannot be recovered
- If photo was sold, client's download link still works (we keep a copy for 30 days)
Gallery Management
How do I create a gallery?
- Click Galleries → Create New Gallery
- Enter title, description, and slug (URL-friendly name)
- Choose privacy: Public or Password-Protected
- Click Create Gallery
- Upload photos to your new gallery
How do I set a cover photo?
- Open your gallery
- Hover over the photo you want as the cover
- Click ... menu → Set as Cover Photo
- Cover photo appears on your gallery list
How do I password-protect a gallery?
- Edit gallery settings
- Toggle Password Protected to ON
- Set a password (e.g.,
wedding2026) - Click Save Settings
- Share the password with clients
Can I rearrange photos in my gallery?
Yes!
1. Open gallery
2. Click Reorder Photos
3. Drag and drop photos to rearrange
4. Click Save Order
How do I delete a gallery?
- Go to Galleries → Find the gallery
- Click ... menu → Delete Gallery
- Warning: Deletes all photos in the gallery
- Confirm deletion
What's the gallery slug?
The slug is the URL-friendly name for your gallery:
- Example title: "Sarah & Mike's Wedding"
- Auto-generated slug: sarah-mikes-wedding
- Final URL: smarterphoto.gallery/gallery/sarah-mikes-wedding
You can customize it when creating the gallery.
Custom Domains
What is a custom domain?
Instead of username.smarterphoto.gallery, use your own domain like photos.johndoe.com.
Benefits:
- Professional branding
- SEO benefits (your domain gets search credit)
- Client trust
How much does it cost?
$49.00 one-time fee (no monthly charges)
How do I set up a custom domain?
See our Custom Domain Setup Guide for step-by-step instructions.
Quick summary:
1. Purchase custom domain feature ($49)
2. Add CNAME record to your DNS (photos → smarterphoto.gallery)
3. Wait 10-60 minutes for DNS propagation
4. Click "Verify DNS" in settings
5. Your custom domain goes live!
Can I use my root domain (johndoe.com)?
No, you must use a subdomain:
- ✅ photos.johndoe.com
- ✅ gallery.johndoe.com
- ✅ clients.johndoe.com
- ❌ johndoe.com (root domain not supported)
My DNS verification keeps failing. Why?
Common causes:
1. Too soon: DNS can take 10-60 minutes to propagate. Wait and try again.
2. Wrong CNAME value: Must point to smarterphoto.gallery (exactly)
3. Wrong record type: Must be CNAME, not A record
4. Cloudflare proxy: Turn OFF orange cloud (DNS only mode)
Does my custom domain work immediately?
After DNS verification:
- ✅ photos.yourdomain.com shows your galleries immediately
- ✅ username.smarterphoto.gallery still works (backward compatible)
- ✅ Both URLs work simultaneously
Payments & Payouts
How much do I earn per photo sale?
You keep 90% of the sale price.
Example:
- Client pays $25 for high-res download
- You receive: $22.50
- Platform fee: $2.50 (10%)
How do I set photo prices?
- Go to Gallery Settings → Pricing
- Set prices for:
- High-res download (default $25)
- Social media size (default $10)
- Web quality (default $5)
- Click Save Pricing
When do I get paid?
- Payout schedule: Weekly (every Monday)
- Payment method: Bank transfer via Stripe
- Minimum payout: $25
How do I set up payouts?
- Go to Settings → Stripe Connected Account
- Click Connect Stripe Account
- Complete Stripe onboarding:
- Bank account details
- Tax information (W-9 for US)
- Identity verification
- Payouts activate immediately
Can I issue refunds?
Yes!
1. Go to Purchases in sidebar
2. Find the purchase
3. Click Issue Refund
4. Choose full or partial refund
5. Refund processes in 5-10 days
Do clients need an account to purchase photos?
No! Clients can:
- Browse galleries without logging in
- Add photos to cart (session-based)
- Checkout as guest via Stripe
- Receive download links via email
What payment methods do you accept?
All major credit cards via Stripe:
- Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover
- Secure checkout (PCI compliant)
- International cards accepted
AI Features
What AI features are available?
Pro Tier Only:
- AI Photo Culling: Auto-identify best shots, detect burst sequences
- Purchase Prediction: Predict which photos clients will buy (40% sales increase)
- Action Detection: Find peak action moments in sports photos
- Subject Detection: Find all photos of a specific person (jersey numbers, faces)
- Smart Albums: Organize 500 photos into albums in 8 seconds
All Tiers:
- Auto-Captioning: AI-generated searchable descriptions
How accurate is the purchase prediction?
- 40% increase in sales when using predictions
- Based on composition, facial expressions, quality, and action
- Works best with 100+ photos per gallery
How does subject detection work?
Sports Photography:
- Detects jersey numbers
- Finds all photos of a specific player
- Works with most sports (soccer, basketball, football, baseball)
Wedding Photography:
- Facial recognition to group photos by person
- Find all photos of bride, groom, or specific guests
Can I use AI features on existing galleries?
Yes! AI features work on:
- ✅ Newly uploaded photos
- ✅ Existing galleries (retroactive analysis)
- ✅ Any gallery size
Just open the gallery and click AI Tools in the menu.
Do AI features cost extra?
AI features are included in Pro subscription ($29/month):
- Unlimited AI processing
- No per-photo charges
- All features included
What's the difference between caption styles?
- Descriptive: Neutral, factual descriptions (e.g., "A bride in white dress holding bouquet")
- Creative: Artistic, emotional language (e.g., "A radiant bride bathed in golden light")
- Technical: Camera details, settings, composition (e.g., "Portrait shot at f/2.8, shallow depth of field")
- Social: Casual, emoji-friendly for Instagram/Facebook (e.g., "Bride vibes ✨💐")
Privacy & Security
Are my photos secure?
Yes! Security measures include:
- Encrypted storage: All photos encrypted at rest
- HTTPS: Secure connections (SSL)
- Backup system: Daily backups for disaster recovery
- Access control: Password protection for private galleries
- No public indexing: Private galleries not searchable by Google
Can people find my private galleries?
No, password-protected galleries:
- ❌ Not indexed by search engines
- ❌ Not listed in public gallery directory
- ❌ Require password to access
- ✅ Only accessible via direct link + password
Who owns the photos I upload?
You own all rights to your photos:
- We store photos on your behalf
- You retain full copyright
- You can download or delete photos anytime
- We cannot use your photos for marketing without permission
Can I delete my account?
Yes! Contact support to delete your account:
- All photos permanently deleted within 7 days
- All galleries removed
- Personal data deleted (GDPR compliant)
- Warning: Cannot be undone
Do you sell my data?
No. We do not:
- ❌ Sell your personal information
- ❌ Sell your client data
- ❌ Share data with third parties (except payment processor Stripe)
We only use data to provide the service.
Technical Issues
My gallery is loading slowly. Why?
Common causes:
1. Large photos: 50MB photos take time to load
2. Slow internet: Test your connection speed
3. Server issues: Check status page or contact support
Fix: We automatically generate optimized previews for fast browsing.
Photos uploaded in wrong order. How do I fix?
- Open gallery
- Click Reorder Photos
- Drag photos to correct order
- Click Save Order
Or upload photos in smaller batches to maintain order.
Client says download link expired. What do I do?
Download links expire after 7 days for security.
Fix:
1. Go to Purchases → Find the order
2. Click Resend Download Link
3. Client receives new email with fresh link
I forgot my password. How do I reset it?
- Go to login page
- Click Forgot Password?
- Enter your email address
- Check email for reset link
- Create new password
Can I use this on mobile?
Yes! SmarterPhoto Gallery works on:
- ✅ Desktop (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
- ✅ Mobile browsers (iOS Safari, Chrome)
- ✅ Tablets (iPad, Android)
No mobile app currently available.
Photos rotated incorrectly after upload. Why?
Some cameras store rotation info incorrectly. We read EXIF data to auto-rotate.
Fix:
1. Download photo
2. Rotate correctly on your computer
3. Re-upload photo
Watermark not showing on previews. Why?
Check watermark settings:
1. Go to Settings → Watermarking
2. Make sure watermark is enabled
3. Upload watermark image (PNG with transparency)
4. Apply to gallery
Watermarks only show on preview images, not purchased downloads.
Still Have Questions?
Can't find your answer?
- Email Support: support@smarterphoto.gallery
- Help Center: smarterphoto.gallery/help
- Response Time: 24-48 hours (weekdays)
Feature Requests?
We love feedback! Email us your ideas and we'll consider them for future updates.
Quick Links
Version: 1.0
Last Updated: February 23, 2026