Private Links

A Private Link is an unlisted web address you send only to the people you choose. It looks like imageevent.com/c/ followed by 32 random characters—no username in the URL. Recipients open that album or folder listing in a browser; they do not need an ImageEvent account. Turn a link off anytime so old emails stop working.

At a glance:

Unlisted and hard to guess; not listed on your public Home page
Album link → photos; folder or Home link → listing of what is inside (not a photo wall)
Optional password per link (not your account password); optional downloads
Optional expiry — Never (default), 7 / 30 / 90 days, or a custom date; stops at 11:59 PM Pacific that day
Create as many as you need (one label per group); track opens
Photos and videos load from a private media host (not indexed); passworded links use a short-lived access cookie so files stay gated after unlock

What a Private Link is
Private Links are private sharing addresses—only people you send the link to (or who scan the QR) should open them. They are not for the public listing on your site.

No username in the URL — the address does not reveal whose account it is.
Scoped access — an album Private Link opens that album only. A folder or Home Private Link shows the folders and albums nested inside (a friendly listing). Guests can open items they are allowed to see and move among them; they do not get a wall of photos on the folder page itself.
Optional password — per link; separate from album guest passwords (which still protect your public username URL). The create form may prefill the guest password; clear it for an open link.
Turn off anytime — new visitors stop getting in without changing Shared/Hidden on the album or folder.
Where it works — albums: Shared, Hidden, Gallery, and Linked—not Personal. Folders: Shared and Hidden—not Personal. Private Links is hidden on Personal folders from the Folder Bar.

Important: A Private Link is unlisted and hard to guess, but anyone who has the URL can open it until you turn it off. Add a password when the content is sensitive.

How it works (three steps):

Create a link — Give it a label only you see (Family share, Scout review, Client proof). Set a password, or leave the box empty.
Share URL or QR — Use Share link (Messages/email), Copy link, or Download QR to attach, print, or put on a sign.
They view — Album links open photos and videos in the browser. Folder or Home links show the nested listing so guests can open albums inside. Turn a link off anytime so new visitors stop getting in without changing Shared/Hidden.

The Private Links page also has a How it works panel with the same idea while you manage links.

When to use a Private Link
Choose a Private Link when you want one or more of these:

Recipients should open only this album (or this folder listing), not wander your whole site from a username URL
The address should not show your username
You may need to revoke access later by turning the link off (including links already sitting in old emails)
You want separate links per group (family vs bridal party vs client) with their own labels, passwords, and open counts

Prefer the normal album URL (with or without a guest password) when the album is meant to sit on your public or passworded site navigation. Prefer a single photo/video link when sharing one file. Prefer Guest Uploads when people should add files, not only view them. Full chooser: Share Albums → Choose how to share.

Create a Private Link for an album

Quick way: On the album title row, open Share and tap Private link. That copies an unlisted /c/… URL (and creates one automatically if you do not have a view link yet). Use Manage private links in the same menu when you need the full page.
Full page: Click Private Links on the Album Bar (also from Guest Upload → Private links tab, or listing-row Private Links).
Under Create a private link, type a Label only you see (for example “Smith family” or “Scout review”). Optional: open Password and enter one; set Downloads on or off when the form offers it; choose Expires (Never, 7 / 30 / 90 days, or a custom date).
Click create. You get the /c/… URL and a QR code.
Use Share link, Copy link, or Download QR to send or print it.

Make as many links as you need—one per group. The title-row Private link action is for a fast first (or existing) view link; use this page when you want separate labels, passwords, expiry, or several links. Open Edit this link to change label, password, expiry, downloads, or whether the link is on. Cards show how many days are left (or Expired); use Extend 30 days / Re-enable + 30 days to push the end date out. Also covered under Share Albums → Private link in Share.

Private Links for a folder or Home

Quick way: On Home or inside a folder, open title-row Share → Private link to copy (or auto-create) an unlisted listing URL.
Full page: Open Private Links from My Home Bar or Folder Bar (or Manage private links in Share).
Create a link with a label and optional password. You get a URL and QR right away.
Share it. Visitors land on a list of the folders and albums inside—they can open those and wander among them. They will not see a wall of photos on that page; use an album Private Link when you want them to land on the photos.

Use a folder link for a client delivery folder with several galleries; use an album link for a single event gallery. Folders themselves can still be Shared, Hidden, or Personal (folder security).

What guests see
Guests open the Private Link in a browser. If you set a password, they see a password box first (no ImageEvent account required). After that they see the album or the folder/Home listing, with the usual guest tools your settings allow (slideshow, Download all when downloads are on, guestbook if enabled, and so on). Photo and video files load from private.imageevent.com; with a password, the browser keeps short-lived access so those files stay gated after unlock.

If a link’s expiry date has passed, guests see that the link has expired (different from a link you turned off), and the files stop serving. Use Re-enable + 30 days on the card to turn it back on with a new end date.

Tip: While you are signed in as owner you may not be asked for the link password, and photos may load without the guest unlock step. View as Guest still keeps you logged in as owner, so it does not show the real Private Link password / file-access experience. Open the link in a private/incognito window (or another browser where you are signed out) to test as a guest.

Passwords on a Private Link
Each Private Link can have its own optional password—separate from your account password and from any album or folder guest password. Guest passwords still gate your normal username URL; they do not apply to Private Links unless you put a password on the link itself.

When creating or editing — open Private link password, enter one, or leave empty for an open (no password) link. If the album/folder has a guest password, that value is prefilled as a starting point; change it, keep it, or clear the box. Prefill does not mean the public guest password still gates the Private Link.
What guests see — only if the Private Link has a password: a password form before the album or listing. No ImageEvent account is required. Open (no password) Private Links open with no prompt.
After unlock — the page and photos/videos stay available in that browser for a limited time. Guests do not need to re-enter the password on every single image; when access expires they are prompted again.
Forgot or change — Edit this link, set a new password, or clear the field and save to remove it. You may not be able to view an existing password that cannot be shown.
Sensitive content — anyone with the URL can open an open link until you turn it off. Add a password when the content should not travel with a forwarded URL alone.

Testing tip: open the link in a private/incognito window so you are treated as a guest, not as the signed-in owner.

Link expiry
Optional expiry controls how long a Private Link stays valid.

Choices — Never (default), 7, 30, or 90 days from create/edit, or a custom date.
When it ends — at 11:59 PM Pacific on the chosen day (not midnight UTC).
Past dates — you cannot set an expiry in the past; pick today or a future day (or Never).
Expired vs turned off — expired links show guests an expired message. Links you Turn off are disabled by you; both stop access and stop serving files. Turning a link back on restores the same URL; for expired links use Re-enable + 30 days (or edit a new end date).
On the card — remaining days, or Expired. Extend 30 days pushes the end date out without changing the URL.
Edit — change Never / days / custom date anytime while the link exists.

Use expiry for proofing windows and temporary deliveries; use Turn off when you want to revoke immediately regardless of the calendar.

How photos and videos are served
Photos and videos opened from a Private Link load from private.imageevent.com, not the same public image host used for ordinary album pages.

That host is meant for private sharing: responses are marked private and ask search engines not to index the files.
The gallery page stays on the usual imageevent.com/c/… address; only the image and video file URLs use the private host.
With a passworded link, files require the short-lived browser access granted after unlock. Without that access, photos and videos will not load even if someone has a direct file URL.
Open (no password) Private Links still use the private host; guests do not need a password step for the files.
When a link is turned off or expired, both the page and the files stop working for new visitors.

If images appear broken after unlock, try a private/incognito window (to match a real guest), confirm the link is still on and not expired, and that the password was entered correctly. Direct “hotlink” reuse of private file URLs outside the Private Link page is not supported the same way as public album embeds.

Downloads on a Private Link
Whether people with a Private Link can download depends on more than the link alone:

Global Settings → Let guests download — if this is off for the account, downloads stay off for Private Links too.
Album right-click / download disable — if the album hides download links, guests will not get them even if a link setting says On.
Per-link Downloads (on album Private Links when offered) — On or Off for that link.
For folder and Home Private Links, downloads follow each album inside (and Global Settings).

When downloads are allowed, guests can use Download all (and related download tools) on albums they can open. Owner Full Archive of every Original is separate: Download all your Original files.

Send a Private Link in Email Album or Invite Friends
Both Email Album and Invite Friends include Link in the email—the address recipients click to open the album:

Album URL — the normal imageevent.com/username/… address. It follows the album’s own privacy (Shared/Hidden/password).
A Private Link you already made — listed by its label, so you can send one link to each group.
Create a private link — creates an unlisted link while you send; manage it later under Private Links.

Choose a Private Link when recipients should open only this album and should not see your username in the address. A Private Link can be turned off later, so the link in an old email stops working when you no longer want it open.

Invite Friends sends recipients as BCC so addresses stay private. Full form steps: Email Album and Invite Friends.

Turn off, edit, extend, or delete a link

Turn off — the URL stops working immediately; you can turn it on again later. Use this after a delivery window or when a link was forwarded too widely.
Turn on — restores a previously disabled link (same URL).
Edit this link — change label, password, expiry, downloads (when available), and whether the link is on. If a password cannot be shown, enter a new one or clear the field and save to remove it. Expiry cannot be set to a past date.
Extend 30 days — on cards that have an end date still in the future; keeps the same URL and password.
Re-enable + 30 days — for expired links; turns the link back on with a new end date ~30 days out.
Delete — removes the link permanently. Create a new one if you still need access (new token / new URL).

Open counts and labels are only for you; guests never see them.

Common setups

One link per group — Create Private Links labeled “Family,” “Bridal party,” and “Vendors.” Optional different passwords. Turn each off when that group’s access should end.
Client delivery folder — Put galleries in a Shared or Hidden folder. Folder Bar → Private Links → create a folder link (password on). Client browses the listing and opens albums. Optionally turn downloads on only for albums they may take home.
Email with revoke later — Email Album or Invite Friends → Link in the email → Create a private link (or pick an existing label). When the project closes, Turn off that link so old messages no longer open the album.
Guest Upload + browse — Upload link for contributing; Private Link for browsing the same album. See Guest Uploads → Private links.

Private Link vs album URL vs guest password

Album / folder / Home URL — Includes your username path. Guests may reach other listed albums if navigation and privacy allow. Created when you create the album/folder; you cannot rename the path later without moving content.
Guest password — Gates Shared/Hidden (and Home) username URLs only. Can be appended as ?pa= so guests are not prompted again. Does not gate Private Links. See guest password in URL.
Private Link — Unlisted /c/… token, no username, scoped to that album or folder listing; optional per-link password and expiry; photos from private.imageevent.com; turn off without renaming the album. An open Private Link needs no password even if the album has a guest password.
Photo/video link — Direct link to one file from the enlarged Share menu. Album privacy does not always behave the same as a page link—treat single-file links carefully. See Photo and video links.
Guest Upload link — For adding files (/u/…), not the same as a Private Link for viewing.

Also see Privacy & security.

Private Links FAQ

Do guests need an account? No. They open the link in a browser.
Can they reach my other albums from a Private Link? An album Private Link opens that album only. A folder/Home Private Link shows the listing inside; they can open nested items they are allowed to see, but they do not get your whole account from a username browse the way a public Home URL might allow.
My album has a guest password—will the Private Link ask for it? No. Guest passwords gate the username URL only. A Private Link asks for a password only if you set one on that link (the create form may prefill the guest password as a starting point).
I forgot the link password. Open Edit this link and set a new password (or clear the field and save to remove it). You may not be able to view an existing password that cannot be shown.
Photos broken after the password? Confirm the link is on and not expired. Retry in a private window as a true guest. Passworded Private Links need a successful unlock in that browser before private.imageevent.com files load.
Why private.imageevent.com? Private Link photos and videos use a dedicated private media host so file access stays tied to the link (and password when set), and so the files are not treated like public gallery assets.
When does expiry stop working? End of that calendar day, Pacific time (11:59 PM). Guests see expired; use Re-enable + 30 days or edit a new date. Past dates are rejected when saving.
Expired vs Turn off? Expired is the calendar end. Turn off is manual revoke. Both block the page and the files.
Why can’t guests download? Check Global Settings → Let guests download, the album’s right-click/download setting, and the per-link Downloads option (when the form offers it). Folder/Home links follow each album inside.
Private Links missing on the Folder Bar? Personal folders do not offer Private Links. Change folder security or use a Shared/Hidden folder.
Does Hidden still need a Private Link? Hidden albums are not listed on Home; a direct album URL or a Private Link both work. Private Link adds no username in the address, optional expiry, and easy revoke without renaming the album.
How do I stop a forwarded link? Turn that Private Link off. Optionally create a new link (new token) for people who should still have access.
Can I send different groups different links? Yes—create one Private Link per group with its own label, optional password, and expiry. Email Album / Invite Friends list existing links by label under Link in the email.
Is a Private Link the same as Guest Upload? No. Private Links are for viewing (and optional downloads). Guest Upload links are for adding files. You often use both: upload QR on the table, Private Link for browsing.
Where else can I open Private Links? Title-row Share → Private link (quick copy/create) or Manage private links; Album Bar Private Links; Guest Upload → Private links tab; My Home Bar / Folder Bar; listing-row Private Links.
Does Share → Private link create a labeled link? It uses or creates a view link for quick sharing. Add labels, passwords, expiry, and extra links on the Private Links page.