A sneak peek lets you show a small first set of photos before the full gallery is ready. The client keeps one link. That link can grow from the sneak peek into the finished gallery later.
Sneak peek vs. full gallery
| Sneak peek | Full gallery | |
|---|---|---|
| What the client sees | Only the photos you chose, plus the sneak-peek cover | Every ready photo, the main cover, and your albums |
| Albums | Not shown; photos appear in one simple list | Shown as chapters the client can jump between |
| Link | The client's private gallery link | The same link, now showing everything |
| Can you go back? | You can add, remove, or reorder photos anytime | A full release can't be turned back into a sneak peek |
Start a gallery as a sneak peek
- Open Galleries and select Add Gallery.
- Add the gallery name, client, and tags.
- Turn on Start with a sneak peek.
- Choose the first photos and start the upload.
The first successful upload becomes the starting sneak-peek set. Photos you upload later stay private until you choose them for the sneak peek.
You can also turn on sneak-peek tools inside an existing gallery. Select Choose sneak peek photos at the top right of the gallery, or turn on Sneak peek photos in Settings.
Choose the first photos
Open the gallery and select the photos you want clients to see first. Choose a small set that feels complete on its own.
- Select photos with the circle in each corner.
- Select Add to sneak peek in the bar at the bottom.
Chosen photos show a Sneak peek badge. The sneak-peek cover shows Sneak cover.
The sneak peek has its own cover. Changing it does not change the cover for the finished gallery. Open a photo's … menu and select Set as sneak peek cover.
Select Done choosing when the set is ready. This hides the selection tools, but it does not erase your choices.
Preview and share
- Select Preview and choose View as a client under Sneak peek.
- Check the cover, photo order, watermark, and download settings.
- Select Share.
- Under What do you want to share?, choose Sneak peek. It shows how many photos you selected.
- Choose Only people I email or People I email + a password.
- Use Preview email under Sneak peek in the Preview menu to check the message.
- Select Share sneak peek. Vignette emails your client right away.
The client receives a private gallery link. Previewing does not send an email or give anyone access.
After sharing, the card says Sneak peek is live and offers Share full gallery for later.
Update a shared sneak peek
You can add, remove, or reorder sneak-peek photos after sharing. The same client link shows the current set. You do not need to send another email just to make the link update.
Use Email clients again only when you want to tell them that new photos are ready.
Before removing a photo: Open the client preview after the change. Make sure the cover and the remaining set still tell the story you want.
Release the full gallery
When the complete gallery is ready:
- Organize the photos and albums.
- Preview the Full gallery view.
- Open Share and choose Full gallery.
- Review the email, then select Share full gallery.
The clients' existing links now open the full gallery. A full release cannot be changed back into a sneak peek. This protects clients from seeing a smaller set after the finished gallery has already been delivered.
What Vignette does behind the scenes
Vignette keeps three things separate:
- Your working gallery, where you keep organizing photos
- The release clients can currently see
- Each person's permission to use their private link
That is why editing a shared set can update the same link without sending an email, and why removing one recipient does not remove access for everyone else.