PhotoShelter is a platform built for photographers, offering portfolio websites, client galleries, photo storage, and print and digital sales through an online store. While PhotoShelter websites look professional out of the box, they don't include a built-in community forum or discussion feature.
That's where Website Toolbox comes in. You can add a fully featured discussion forum to your PhotoShelter website, or simply link to your forum from your site's navigation. Either way, you get user accounts, moderation tools, and real-time conversations.
This works really well for:
- Photography communities
- Client feedback and Q&A
- Workshop and course discussions
- Peer critique and portfolio reviews
- Equipment and technique discussions
- Local photography group forums
This step-by-step guide walks you through the process:
Step-by-Step: Add Your Forum
Option A: Embed the Forum
- Log in to your Website Toolbox account or create a new forum if you don't already have one.
- Go to Integrate → Embed → Embed your forum, and copy the embed code.
- Visit PhotoShelter.com and log in to your account. If you don't have one, click Get Started to create one.
- Enter the Site Builder from your dashboard or by visiting photoshelter.com/mem/site/design.
- Click the blue edit icon that says navigation when you hover over it.
- On the left, click the add to navigation button and choose page. Enter a navigation label (for example, "Forum") and click +add, then save.
- Click the name of your new page in the navigation area to open it.
- Click the blue button that reads Content Area when you hover over it. The text editor will open.
- Click the <> button in the text editor toolbar to switch to HTML mode.
- Paste your Website Toolbox embed code, then click Save in the left pane.
- Copy the URL of your published forum page.
- Go to your Website Toolbox embed settings and paste the URL into the Forum URL field to complete the configuration.
Note: PhotoShelter's custom page editor does not run script-based embeds. If your forum does not appear after you publish, use Option B below to link to your forum instead.
Option B: Link to the Forum
- Log in to your Website Toolbox account or create a new forum if you don't already have one.
- Copy your forum URL from the Integrate → Embed page.
- Visit PhotoShelter.com and log in to your account.
- Enter the Site Builder from your dashboard or by visiting photoshelter.com/mem/site/design.
- Click the blue edit icon that says navigation when you hover over it.
- On the left, click the add to navigation button and choose link.
- Paste your forum URL into the Link URL field, add your desired navigation label (for example, "Forum"), and click +add.
- Click Save to publish your changes.
Single Sign On
To set up Single Sign On between your PhotoShelter website and your Website Toolbox forum, go to your Single Sign On settings, select Other from the Your Website Builder dropdown, and follow the prompts to purchase the custom SSO integration for $199. The Website Toolbox team will handle the integration.
What Your Members Can Do
Members
- Create discussion topics
- Reply to existing threads
- Like and react to posts
- Search the forum
- Receive notification alerts
- Edit and delete their own posts
Admins
- Moderate all content
- Ban or suspend users
- Create and manage categories
- Customize the forum appearance
- Set user permissions
- Access analytics and reports
Frequently Asked Questions
Does PhotoShelter have a built-in forum feature?
No, PhotoShelter does not currently have a native forum feature. However, you can easily add a forum to your website using Website Toolbox, either by adding it to a custom page or by linking to it from your navigation.
Should I embed the forum or link to it?
Both work well. Embedding keeps the forum on your PhotoShelter site, but note that PhotoShelter's custom page editor does not run script-based embeds, so linking is often the more reliable choice. Linking opens the forum in its own page, which is also a great experience on mobile devices. Choose whichever fits your workflow.
Can I customize the look of my embedded forum?
Yes. Website Toolbox provides a theme editor with a variety of themes you can choose from to match your PhotoShelter website's design. You can customize colors, fonts, layout settings, and more to create a seamless look.
Can I make the forum private or members-only?
Absolutely. You can restrict forum access to logged-in users, create invite-only communities, or charge for access with subscription plans. Combined with the SSO integration, you can seamlessly connect your PhotoShelter website's user system with the forum.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. PhotoShelter uses a visual Site Builder. You only need to switch a custom page to HTML mode and paste the embed code, and Website Toolbox handles the rest. Linking to your forum requires no code at all.
Will the forum work on mobile devices?
Yes. Website Toolbox forums are fully responsive and work great on phones, tablets, and desktops. If you embed the forum, the iframe adapts to the container size automatically. Website Toolbox also offers a mobile app so your members can participate from their phones.