What are SmugMug Privacy Settings?

Managing your online photo gallery requires careful attention to privacy. If you use SmugMug to share your photography, understanding the privacy settings is essential to control who sees your work. This article breaks down SmugMug's privacy options so you can share your photos confidently while protecting your content.

SmugMug Privacy Settings Overview

SmugMug offers various privacy controls that let you decide who can view, share, or download your photos. These settings work at different levels - from your entire account down to individual images.

The platform balances being a showcase for photographers with protecting your work from unauthorized use. Let's explore how these settings work and how to set them up correctly.

Account-Level Privacy Settings

The broadest privacy controls in SmugMug apply to your entire account. These settings form the foundation of your privacy strategy.

Profile Privacy

Your SmugMug profile contains your bio, contact information, and links to your galleries. You can set your profile to:

• Public: Anyone can find and view your profile
• Unlisted: Only people with a direct link can see your profile
• Private: Only you and people you specifically authorize can view your profile

To change these settings, go to your account settings and look for the "Privacy" tab. From there, you can adjust who can view your profile information.

Search Engine Visibility

SmugMug lets you control whether search engines like Google can index your content. This setting affects how discoverable your photos are online.

To modify this setting:

1. Log into your SmugMug account
2. Go to "Settings"
3. Select "Privacy"
4. Look for "Search Engine Visibility"
5. Toggle the option on or off

Turning this off prevents search engines from indexing your galleries, making them harder for strangers to discover.

Gallery-Level Privacy Settings

SmugMug organizes photos into galleries, and each gallery can have its own privacy settings. This gives you flexible control over different sets of photos.

Gallery Visibility Options

SmugMug offers several visibility options for galleries:

Setting Gallery Privacy

To set privacy for a gallery:

1. Log into your SmugMug account
2. Navigate to the gallery you want to modify
3. Click the gallery settings (gear icon)
4. Select "Security & Privacy"
5. Choose your preferred privacy level
6. Save your changes

You can change these settings anytime, giving you control over when and how your work becomes visible.

Photo-Specific Privacy Controls

Beyond gallery settings, SmugMug allows privacy controls for individual photos, giving you granular control over each image.

Hiding Individual Photos

You can hide specific photos within a gallery while keeping others visible. This is helpful when you want to temporarily remove an image without deleting it.

To hide a photo:

1. Open the gallery containing the photo
2. Hover over the image and click the settings icon
3. Select "Hide This Photo"

Hidden photos remain in your gallery but aren't visible to viewers. You can unhide them anytime using the same menu.

Password Protection for Specific Images

While SmugMug doesn't offer password protection for individual photos, you can create a separate gallery for sensitive images and password-protect that gallery.

This workaround gives you control over specific images that need extra protection.

Sharing Controls and Permissions

SmugMug's privacy settings extend beyond visibility to include what viewers can do with your photos.

Download Permissions

You can control whether visitors can download your photos. Options include:

• Allow downloads of original files
• Allow downloads of smaller sizes only
• Disable downloads completely

To set download permissions:

1. Go to the gallery settings
2. Select "Security & Privacy"
3. Look for "Downloading & Sharing"
4. Choose your preferred option

Social Media Sharing Options

SmugMug lets you control how your photos can be shared on social media platforms:

1. Open gallery settings
2. Go to "Security & Privacy"
3. Find "Social Sharing"
4. Enable or disable sharing options

You can allow or prevent sharing on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Watermarking as a Privacy Tool

Watermarks add a layer of protection by making your photos less attractive to steal.

Setting Up Watermarks

To add watermarks to your photos:

1. Go to your account settings
2. Select "Watermarking"
3. Upload your watermark image or create a text watermark
4. Customize the position, size, and opacity
5. Save your watermark

Applying Watermarks to Galleries

After creating watermarks, you can apply them to entire galleries:

1. Open gallery settings
2. Select "Watermarking"
3. Choose the watermark you want to apply
4. Save changes

You can create multiple watermarks for different purposes - perhaps a subtle one for client previews and a more prominent one for public galleries.

Privacy for Commercial Photographers

If you use SmugMug for client work, additional privacy considerations come into play.

Client Access Controls

SmugMug allows you to give clients limited access to their photos:

• Viewing rights: Let clients see their photos without access to other galleries
• Selection capabilities: Allow clients to mark favorites or selections
• Download permissions: Control what files clients can download

Setting Up Client Galleries

For client work, consider this setup:

1. Create a password-protected gallery
2. Enable watermarks on preview images
3. Set download restrictions until payment
4. Share the gallery link and password directly with your client

This approach balances client access with protecting your work.

Managing Privacy for Events and Weddings

Event photography requires special privacy handling, especially for weddings and private celebrations.

Balancing Privacy and Sharing

For event galleries:

• Use password protection to limit access to event attendees
• Consider time-limited access (30-90 days)
• Disable social sharing if the event was private
• Allow downloading only for purchased images or with client permission

Communicating Privacy Options to Clients

Always discuss privacy options with clients before an event. Some may want strict privacy while others may want easy sharing. Having this conversation upfront prevents misunderstandings later.

Monitoring and Managing Access

SmugMug provides tools to track who's viewing your photos and manage access over time.

Access Logs and Statistics

You can monitor gallery activity through:

• View counts for galleries and individual photos
• Download statistics
• Visitor information (on higher-tier plans)

This data helps you understand how your content is being used and spot any unusual access patterns.

Revoking Access

To revoke access to a gallery:

1. Change the gallery password
2. Switch from "Unlisted" to "Private"
3. Remove specific users from access lists

This flexibility lets you adjust privacy as needed over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have different privacy settings for different galleries in SmugMug?

Yes, SmugMug allows you to set unique privacy controls for each gallery. You can have some galleries public, others password-protected, and some completely private, all within the same account.

If I change a gallery from public to private, what happens to people who had the link?

When you change a gallery from public to private, anyone who previously had access will no longer be able to view it, even if they have the direct link. They'll see an access denied message instead.

Does SmugMug protect my photos from being screenshot?

No, SmugMug cannot prevent screenshots. While you can disable downloads, determined users can still take screenshots. Watermarking is your best protection against this type of copying.

Can I temporarily make a gallery public and then switch it back to private?

Yes, you can change privacy settings as often as needed. This is useful for temporarily sharing work with clients or making seasonal content available for limited periods.

Will changing my privacy settings affect my existing share links?

Yes, if you make a gallery more restrictive (like changing from unlisted to private), existing share links will no longer work. If you make it less restrictive (private to public), old links will start working again.

Conclusion

SmugMug's privacy settings give photographers comprehensive control over who sees their work and how it can be used. From account-wide settings to gallery-specific controls and individual photo options, you can create a privacy strategy that protects your images while still sharing them appropriately.

Take time to explore these settings and set up a system that works for your photography business or personal sharing needs. The right privacy configuration ensures your photos are seen by the right people while keeping your work secure from unauthorized use.