An online gallery in Granit is not a download link: it is a private client space, under your own name, where a project lives from the first media you add to the delivery of the original files.
You create the project, pick the media, and open access to one or more recipients. Your client gets an email, signs in with their password, browses, selects, and downloads what you allowed. No third-party tool to install — on your side or theirs.
An online photo gallery and a client space are not the same thing
A WeTransfer link expires. A shared folder gives access to everything or nothing, and pulls your client out of your brand. A Granit gallery does the opposite: it is scoped to a project, it carries your identity, and it keeps a record of what happened.
- one project, one gallery, one set of named recipients;
- personal password access instead of a guessable public link;
- a clear status at every stage: preparation, selection, delivery;
- an activity log: who viewed what, when, and what was picked;
- your media and your data hosted in Europe.
The workflow, in five steps
The path is the same for a portrait session, a corporate campaign, a brand film, or a visual identity to hand over. Five steps, no improvisation.
1. Create the project and link it to a client
From your client directory, you create a private project: a name, a description, and an expiry date if you want one. The project stays attached to the contact record, with their details, your notes, and their previous projects in one place.
2. Add the media you want to share
You pull the photos and videos meant for this client from your catalogue, without duplicating files or maintaining a parallel folder tree. Whatever you leave out simply does not exist for the client. You can also attach a moodboard to recall the art direction agreed upfront.
3. Open access and notify your client
You add one or more recipients, then send the invitation. Your client receives an activation email, chooses a password, and lands straight in the project; from then on they simply sign in. This is also where you decide whether downloads are allowed and whether the project stays active. Each stage triggers the matching email without you having to think about it.
4. Selection, feedback, and approval
If you turn on client selection, your client bookmarks favourites, annotates an image, then submits their selection — capped at a maximum number of picks if you set one. You receive the selection and either approve it or request a change, explaining why. Without that option, the gallery stays a viewing followed by a delivery, which is often enough for reportage or an already-settled commission.
5. Delivery of the original files
Once approved, your client downloads. Granit builds a ZIP archive of the selected media from the original files as you imported them, then keeps it available for fifteen days. The project status moves from “ready” to “delivered” on first view: you know the work landed without chasing anyone.
What your client sees — and what they don’t
The client portal only shows the projects assigned to them. They cannot reach your catalogue, your other clients, or any media you did not share. They see a space under your name, a three-milestone progress bar, their moodboards if they have any, and the files you allowed.
You stay in control throughout: turn downloads off, set or push back an expiry date, deactivate the project, or delete it. Access that is open is never access that is permanent.
A gallery in your image, not ours
The gallery lives on your subdomain, or on your own domain name if you connect one, SSL included. It carries your portfolio’s identity, and emails go out under your name. Your client never leaves the world that convinced them in the first place.
You can also set the licence and usage rights attached to each individual media file.
Granit gallery, WeTransfer, or Google Drive
All three move files around. Only one holds a project together.
- WeTransfer: ideal for a one-off send, but the link expires and there is no selection, no history, no branding.
- Google Drive or Dropbox: handy for archiving, at the cost of a folder tree to maintain, permissions to watch, and an interface that is not yours — with no approval workflow at all.
- Granit: one project per client, selection and approval built in, ZIP delivery of the originals, history kept, European hosting.
More importantly, the gallery is not a separate product. It shares your portfolio’s catalogue: a file imported once serves both your public site and your client deliveries.
Where your files live
Your media and your data are hosted in Europe, in Paris. Granit uses no tracking cookies and trains no AI model on your content. What you deliver to your clients stays your work, on infrastructure whose address you know.
Frequently asked questions
Does my client need a Granit account?
No. They receive an activation link, choose a password, and reach their space. No creator account, no subscription, nothing to install.
Can I share high-resolution original files?
Yes. If you allow downloads, the ZIP archive is built from the originals as you imported them, with no recompression.
How long does the gallery stay accessible?
As long as you decide: leave the project open, give it an expiry date, or deactivate it at any time. An archive that has already been generated stays downloadable for fifteen days.
Can I give access to several people?
Yes. A project accepts several recipients: both members of a couple for a wedding, the art director and the art buyer for a campaign. Each one gets their own access.
What if my client changes their mind after approving?
You can request a change to the selection with a message attached, or move the project back to preparation and add new media. The project status follows along.
Are client galleries visible on Google?
No. Client projects are private and password-protected; they are excluded from indexing. Only your public portfolio is meant for search engines.
Does this replace a full client portal?
It is a client portal: gallery, moodboards, selection, approval, delivery, and history in a single space. We unpack the reasoning in our article on the client portal for creatives.