In the worlds of marketing, retail, nonprofits, and education, gathering visual assets from external contributors can be challenging. DBGallery’s new Public Uploads feature changes that—with a simple, secure, login-free link that turns any folder into a smart upload drop zone.
10 Practical Use Cases
Across diverse applications, a secure upload-only link enables organizations to maximize external content contributions by removing the inconvenience of logins, limitations of emailing images, or awkward file upload applications, while ensuring a controlled, organized, and auditable intake process.
Here’s how Public Uploads can be extremely convenient for gathering images from external sources, grouped by industry.
Clarification Note: The term Public Uploads can be misleading, since only those sent the upload invitation link can upload. Other names that could be used: Guest Uploads, Invite Links, Guest Uploader, Secure Dropzone, Asset Contribution Portal, External Ingest Link, One-Way Asset Collection, or even Fast File Drop.
Marketing & creative agencies
Marketing teams constantly collect assets from external partners, clients, and field contributors. Public upload links simplify that intake.
Usage scenarios
- Event content gathering – staff and photographers upload photos and videos from trade shows, conferences, or product launches into a dedicated event folder.
- Client asset collection – clients upload logos, brand guides, product images, videos, and design files to a project folder.
- Influencer & creator submissions – influencers drop campaign photos and clips into a single upload link instead of sending files via email or messaging apps.
- Freelancer and contractor deliveries – photographers, videographers, editors, and designers upload final deliverables directly to your DAM.
Nonprofit organizations
Nonprofits depend on authentic media from volunteers, field staff, and partners. Public upload links make it easy for non-technical contributors to send material.
Usage scenarios
- Volunteer photo collection – volunteers upload photos from charity runs, food drives, and community programs.
- Field reporting – program staff in remote areas upload photos and short clips used in reports, grant applications, and donor updates.
- Stories from partners and beneficiaries – local partners or beneficiaries upload photos and video stories for communications and fundraising teams.
Retail & e-commerce
Retail and e-commerce teams collect assets from suppliers, stores, photographers, and franchisees. Public upload links provide a single, controlled intake point.
Usage scenarios
- Vendor product uploads – suppliers upload product imagery, packaging shots, and marketing collateral directly to designated product or brand folders.
- Store-level visual compliance – store staff upload photos of shelves, in-store displays, and signage to verify planogram and campaign compliance.
- Franchisee portals – franchise owners upload localized marketing materials or store images for review.
Education (schools, colleges, universities)
Educational institutions handle assets from staff, students, alumni, and partners. Public upload links give them a controlled way to contribute media.
Usage scenarios
- Student submissions for media programs – photography, design, and film students upload high-resolution projects straight into a course or department folder.
- Event imagery – staff and students upload photos from graduation ceremonies, sports events, competitions, and campus activities.
- Faculty and research uploads – researchers upload lab photos, fieldwork imagery, and documentation to shared research collections.
- Alumni stories and archives – alumni upload historical photos or testimonial videos for marketing, fundraising, or archival projects.
Cross-industry patterns
Across all industries, public upload links are ideal for:
- Crowdsourcing photos and videos for campaigns or archives
- Collecting user-generated content (UGC)
- Providing partner and vendor upload portals
- Handling one-time or short-term upload projects
- Replacing email attachments and unmanaged file-transfer links
Tip: Create a dedicated folder for each campaign, event, or partner, then generate a unique public upload link per folder. This keeps uploads organized and makes it easy to disable a link when the project is finished.
Security
The Public Uploads feature is designed with robust security in mind, ensuring that only individuals who receive the shared link can contribute files. Access is strictly limited to uploads: no viewing of existing images in the folder, no deletions, no edits, and no other manipulations are possible, preventing unauthorized exposure or alteration of assets. Links are generated exclusively by SuperAdmins and can be configured with an expiry date, suspended, or fully revoked via the Share Management page at any time, rendering them inactive and displaying an error to any further access attempts. Without password protection (which requires full user accounts for enhanced controls), this link-based model prioritizes simplicity and containment, making it an ideal solution for secure, one-way contributions from external collaborators.
Workflow
To further enhance this valuable feature, consider using it as part of an asset ingestion workflow. Either a simple and more complex workflow could work.
Simple: When uploads are complete, someone internal to your organization reviews the uploaded images and either moves them to an appropriate folder within DBGallery, or deletes those not needed.
Complex:
Step 1: All newly added images automatically have the "New" or "Needs Review" workflow status applied. When these uploads occur, the person who created the link in DBGallery receives notifications so they are aware new images are available for review.
Image Workflow Status: New or Needs Review.
Step 2: Review new files and set the workflow status to Approved or Not Approved. Optionally, edit or enter data for the images.
Image Workflow Status: Approved / Not Approved.
Step 3: Move the images to appropriate folders for a larger audience within your organization. Typically, the upload link folder is visible only by those managing this specific project, and then moved after review.
Image Workflow Status: No change.
See more on our Knowledge Base Workflow page.
