--- title: Publishing from Lightroom Classic description: Publish client and Website galleries from Lightroom Classic, keep native photo order, and carry captions and accessibility alt text into ShootCal. url: "https://shootcal.com/docs/lightroom-plugin/" updated: "2026-11-13" category: ShootCal Galleries / Deliver galleries --- # Publishing from Lightroom Classic # Publishing from Lightroom Classic The ShootCal Galleries publish plugin turns a Lightroom Classic published collection into a client or Website gallery. Publish once, re-publish after edits, and keep the photos, captions and accessibility alt text up to date. Use Lightroom’s User Order for new galleries, or choose your own photo order in ShootCal. ## Install the plugin 1. [Download the plugin](https://galleries.shootcal.com/downloads/shootcal-galleries-lrplugin.zip) and unzip it. Inside is **ShootCal-Galleries.lrplugin** (on some systems it looks like a plain folder: that’s normal). 2. In Lightroom Classic, open **File → Plug-in Manager**, click **Add**, and pick the .lrplugin. 3. In the Publish Services panel (left side of the Library module), set up **ShootCal Galleries** and choose **Sign in to ShootCal**. 4. In the browser, sign in with your existing ShootCal account and approve the Lightroom device. Return to Lightroom and wait for the connected account to appear, then use **Test Connection** if you want to check it. **Started with Google or Microsoft without a password?** Sign in on the website with that linked identity. You do not need to add a ShootCal password or connect a calendar. The current public plugin (0.8.2) uses website sign-in and browser approval. There is no password field, code to enter, or address to copy in the plugin. If you need to open the approval page again while Lightroom waits, choose **Reopen Browser**. **Cancel** stops that sign-in attempt. If the approval page asks you to sign in first, ShootCal opens in a new tab. After signing in, return to the Lightroom connection page and choose **Continue after signing in**, then **Continue**, check the studio shown, and choose **Allow Lightroom to connect**. The request is carried automatically; you do not enter a code in the browser. ## Update the plugin 1. Quit Lightroom Classic completely before replacing your installed plugin folder with the downloaded version. Keep the plugin in the same location. 2. Reopen Lightroom Classic so the plugin can discover its new modules. In **File → Plug-in Manager**, select **ShootCal Galleries** and choose **Enable** if it is disabled. 3. Open your existing ShootCal publish service settings and **Save** once to refresh its metadata republish policy. Signing in again is not needed. 4. Use **Test Connection** and check for **Client Galleries** and **Website Galleries (optional)** in the publish service. Updating keeps your saved connection and published collections. Installing, enabling, saving settings and testing the connection do not export or publish photos. Use Lightroom’s explicit **Publish** or **Republish** action when you are ready. ## Publish a gallery Create ordinary client galleries directly in the ShootCal publish service. **Website Galleries (optional)** is the one special organizer for portfolio galleries used on your website. If you do not use ShootCal Websites, ignore that folder; it does not create or publish a website. Existing collections stay in place with their saved gallery links and photos. 1. Choose **Create Published Collection** directly in the service for a client gallery, or inside **Website Galleries (optional)** for a website gallery. Its name becomes the new gallery title. 2. For one gallery with sections, create a **Collection Set** directly in the service, then collections inside that gallery set. For example, a Wedding gallery set can contain Ceremony and Reception collections. 3. Drop photos into the gallery or section. Choose **User Order** in Lightroom’s Sort control when you want that sequence online, then click **Publish**. 4. Use **Show in ShootCal Galleries** from the collection’s menu to open the linked gallery. New galleries receive their own stable link to the native collection. They do not merge with an unrelated gallery just because its title matches. Existing linked collections keep their current gallery, purpose and access settings. Use a new collection inside Website Galleries for a new portfolio gallery. If an older linked collection cannot be moved safely, the plugin asks you to create a new collection inside Website Galleries. Uploads go directly to cloud storage. If an upload is interrupted, the next publish can resume it. Re-edit a photo and publish again to replace the gallery copy in place. Removing a photo and publishing removes it from that linked gallery while preserving copies in other galleries. ### Use a gallery on your Website New Website galleries start unlisted, with no expiry, downloads off and the Print Store off. Select the resulting gallery in a [Website Gallery block](./website-builder) and review its access settings before publishing. Creating it in the Website organizer does not make a private gallery public or publish your Website. ### Choose the photo order New galleries can follow Lightroom’s native **User Order**. Select that sorting mode in the Lightroom collection, arrange the photos, and publish again to send the sequence. Version 0.8.2 fixes the collection identifier used when Lightroom sends this order, including for Website galleries. In ShootCal, **Photo order** can choose Custom order, date taken oldest or newest first, or filename. Choose **Reorder** to arrange photos manually. An explicit order saved in ShootCal takes priority over later native ordering. Existing manual Custom orders remain in place when you republish. ### Captions and accessibility alt text The plugin sends Lightroom’s **Caption** and, with Lightroom Classic 13.2 or later, **Accessibility Alt Text**. Authored text appears in the gallery preview and supported public gallery and Website viewers. Captions are plain text, and alt text describes the image for assistive technology. The plugin does not generate alt text from a filename or caption. Caption supports up to 2,000 characters; alt text supports up to 1,000. A supported empty field clears its saved text when you republish. An unavailable SDK field is left unchanged, so older Lightroom versions do not erase saved accessibility alt text. ## Good to know - Favorites your client picked survive re-publishes: they’re tied to the photo, not the upload. - Date taken sorting uses the full camera capture date and time. The gallery’s shoot date fills automatically from the photos. - To see or disconnect the Lightroom devices you have approved, open **Settings > Preferences** in ShootCal and find **Lightroom Classic**. - Deleted the gallery in ShootCal? The next publish of its collection quietly creates a fresh one: nothing errors. --- ### Discover more from ShootCal Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.