How do Instant Gallery States and Uploads work?

To provide a more structured experience, Zno Instant now uses two distinct gallery states: Draft and Published. This ensures you can fully set up and test your Instant Gallery before guests ever see a single photo, so you are ready to go on day one. 

In This Article

• Draft Mode
• Moving your Draft  to "Published"
• Upload Window
• Existing (Legacy) Galleries

Draft Mode

Every new gallery begins in Draft Mode. This is your private workspace to configure the event without the pressure of a live audience.

• Modify Freely: You can change the Event Name, Start Date, and End Date as many times as needed.
• The Testing Limit: You can upload up to 100 images in Draft mode. This allows you to test your tethering connection, check AI Retouching settings, and preview the "Guest View" yourself.
• Privacy: In Draft mode, the sharing link is disabled. Guests cannot access the gallery until you are ready.
• AI Culling: You can begin using AI Culling immediately in Draft mode with no time restrictions

Moving your Draft  to "Published"

When you are ready for the event to go live, you will click the Publish button.

• The Date Lock: Upon clicking Publish, a window will ask you to confirm your Event Dates and Time Zone. Once published, these dates are permanently locked to secure your gallery's lifecycle.
• Sharing Enabled: Your QR codes and gallery links become active, allowing you to share them with guests so they can access the page and view live photos
• Unlimited Uploads: Unlimited uploading will automatically unlock 24 hours before your scheduled Start Date.

Below you can find what features are available for draft mode, and what features are available for published mode:

Upload Window: How It Works

To ensure your event lifecycle matches your real-world event dates and to maintain peak performance for your live events, Zno Instant now uses a structured 'Upload Window.' Instead of capping the number of images you can upload, we are focusing on when those images are uploaded. The 'Upload Window' happens when the gallery is published, matching the event dates to allow unlimited uploads.

To ensure seamless photo delivery and sharing for live events, unlimited uploading is available from 24 hours before your scheduled Event Start Date until 24 hours after the End Date. Following this window, uploads will be frozen. However, you are granted two manual reopens for any additional edits, providing great flexibility for every event. 

A detailed breakdown of each phase is below:

The Pre-Event Buffer (24 Hours Before)

Unlimited uploading automatically unlocks 24 hours before your scheduled Event Start Date.

• Purpose: This allows you to tether and upload during rehearsals, venue setups, or early-arrival guest shots without any restrictions.
• Note: The 100-image testing limit remains in effect if you try to upload earlier than this pre-event buffer

The Live Event Window

Throughout the duration of your event (up to a maximum of 7 days), your upload capability remains completely unlimited.

The Post-Event Buffer (24 Hours After)

We know the work doesn't always end when the music stops. You have a 24-hour buffer after your scheduled Event End Date to upload any final "wrap-up" photos or late-night shots.

The Upload Freeze

Exactly 24 hours after your event ends, the upload window will automatically Freeze. At this point, no new images can be added to the gallery.

Manual Reopens

If you need to upload additional edits after the window has frozen, don't worry! You can manually reopen the window:

• Two Reopens: Each gallery is granted two (2) manual reopens.
• 24-Hour Access: Clicking "Reopen Upload Window" in your dashboard unlocks the gallery for exactly 24 hours.
• Final Lock: After your second manual reopen expires, the gallery is permanently locked against new uploads.

Automated Full Gallery Download Fulfillment for Buyers

One of the biggest benefits of the "Freeze" is automated guest satisfaction.

 Once the upload window freezes (either after the initial 24h buffer or a manual reopen), the system automatically pushes an updated download link to any guests who purchased a "Full Gallery Download." This ensures your buyers get your final, edited files without you having to manually send a single email.

Existing (Legacy) Galleries

If you have any galleries created before 6/17/2026 (specifically, the ones where you don't encounter a publish confirmation mode), we have implemented a "Grandfather" policy to ensure your workflow is not interrupted:

• Automatic Update: Your existing galleries will be automatically set to Published so your current shared links continue to work.
• Date Flexibility: Unlike new galleries, you can still manually change the dates on these legacy galleries..
• No Upload Blocks: You will not be subject to the new "Upload Window" or "Manual Reopen" logic for these specific galleries. Like the original model, please note that no more uploads will be accepted one year after their creation.
• AI Upgrades: Even your old galleries benefit from the removal of the 10,000-image Facial Recognition limit and the 48-hour Culling window.

Note: Reusing legacy galleries for entirely new events is a violation of our Terms of Service and may result in a loss of that gallery's features.

If our team can be of any additional assistance, please send us an email to support@zno.com or give us a call at 1-888-966-9539.