Did you know SmugMug has a plug-in and a connector for Lightroom? And, even better, they're free? Your workflow just became a little bit easier.
You may be asking yourself what the difference is between our plug-in and connector. Basically, the plug-in works only with Lightroom Classic (LrC), and the connector works only with Lightroom. Not sure which version of Lightroom you have? Classic is the desktop-only version of the software from Adobe. You can use it on your desktop computer or laptop but not on your phone. Lightroom includes the mobile and web versions of the software but lacks some of the more robust features from its desktop-only Classic version.
The quickest way to check which version of Lightroom you have is to fire it up, then click on Help System Info. You can check on Adobe's help page for which version of Lightroom Classic and Lightroom are most current. If you're running Classic, grab our plug-in. If you're running Lightroom, get our connector.
If you’re updating an existing version of our plug-in or connector, you’ll first want to quit Lightroom before proceeding with your installation method of choice.
- Use the SmugMug plug-in with Lightroom Classic
- Publish with plug-in
- Use the SmugMug connector with Lightroom
- Upload RAWs from Lightroom with a SmugMug Source subscription
- FAQs
Use the SmugMug plug-in with Lightroom Classic.
Install plug-in with Creative Cloud (LR Classic and LR6).
- Grab the Creative Cloud App Manager and install it if it isn’t already on your machine.
- Turn on file syncing in Creative Cloud by selecting the cloud icon in the upper right, and select the play button to turn sync on. This ensures your connector will be automatically synced.
- Still within the Creative Cloud App Manager, click on the magnifying-glass search icon at the top right of the window and type "smugmug publish" to search for the plug-in, then click Stock & Marketplace.
- Click Learn More on the SmugMug Publish plug-in result.
- Install the SmugMug plug-in by clicking the Get button.
- Restart Lightroom Classic.
- Allow the plug-in to update, then have fun editing your photos!
Install plug-in manually (LR6 and earlier).
The usual installation locations are normally hidden in both Mac OS X and Windows, so you’ll need to make them visible. But first:
- Download the latest version of the plug-in here.
- Unzip the plugin file.
- Move SmugMug.lrplugin to one of the folders below, replacing "your-username" with your username.
- Mac OSX: /Users/your-username/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom/Modules
- Windows Vista/7/8/10/11: C:\Users\your-username\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Lightroom\Modules
- Windows XP: C:\Documents and Users\your-username\Application Data\Adobe\Lightroom\Modules
In some cases, you might need to make the above folders visible on your system.
- On a Mac, this user library folder is hidden by default. To make the library folder visible, go to Finder and click your user. Select the list view, then press command+J. Check the box to show the library folder.
- On Windows, you can follow these instructions to make the folder visible. You might need to create the Modules folder for a first-time installation.
Make sure your plug-in is up to date! Neither Adobe nor SmugMug supports older versions of our plug-in, and we don’t want your experience to degrade in any way. The latest version auto-updates and should keep your workflow running smoothly without worry.
After installation, you should see the plug-in in the lower-left corner of Lightroom when you open it.
If you don't see it, you can help Lightroom find and install it:
- Start Lightroom.
- Select File > Plug-in Manager.
- Click the Add button in the lower left.
- Browse to the folder where you saved the plug-in and select it. Then click Add Plug-in.
- The plug-in should show that it's “Installed and running.” Click Done, and you're set.
Publish your photos with the plug-in.
Authorize your account.
Fire up Lightroom and look for the familiar green SmugMug logo under Publish Services.
If you don't see it, click Lightroom's Help > Check for Updates... and make sure you have the latest version.
- Click Set Up near the SmugMug logo to open the Lightroom Publishing Manager, then select SmugMug.
- Choose Authorize Account to allow SmugMug to transmit your account info to Lightroom. Your default web browser should open so you can verify your information. When you're done, Lightroom will appear in your SmugMug Account Settings' Privacy tab, under Authorized Services.
- New to SmugMug? We'll give you a brand-new account to play with. Your trial is totally free for 14 days, so you can start uploading and sharing with zero wait.
- Go back to Lightroom and choose how you want your files to be named, resized, etc. in the Publishing Manager window. To open this window, right-click on SmugMug in the Publishing Services section and select Edit Settings.
- Tip: If you want to offer clean images for print, we recommend Portfolio and Pro account owners use our watermark feature rather than the watermarking tool in Lightroom. Lightroom's settings will apply text directly to your finished photo, which will appear on all prints and digital downloads. SmugMug's watermark feature won't appear on prints or downloads.
- Click Save when you're done. If you kept Sync Folders and Galleries checked, Lightroom will take a few minutes to pull in your SmugMug galleries. Your galleries will appear at the left, arranged by folders.
Tweak these settings at any time by right-clicking the SmugMug pane and choosing Edit Settings.
Publish.
Once you’re ready to upload your photos to SmugMug, pop back over to Lightroom’s Library module to access your SmugMug folders and galleries in the Publishing Services tab.
To upload your photos to an existing gallery on your SmugMug site, drag the images from your Library into the SmugMug gallery you want on the left. Right-click on that gallery name and select Publish Now, or select the gallery name and click the Publish button.
To upload photos to a new gallery, follow the steps below to create your new gallery right from within Lightroom.
- Create new galleries by right-clicking a folder name on the list and selecting Create Gallery. When you publish your photos to SmugMug, the new galleries will be created on your site.
- Edit your gallery settings by choosing one of your existing gallery presets. Or change the Visibility and Access settings right below the Quick Settings drop-down. Want to get more granular? Select Advanced Settings from the Quick Settings drop-down menu.
- When you're ready to upload, drag the images from your Library into the SmugMug gallery you want on the left.
- Click the Publish button in the Library pane and relax as your photos get uploaded to SmugMug.
Tip: Received comments on your SmugMug site? Highlight the photo in Lightroom and view them under the Comments panel (located on the right in Lightroom's Library module).
Organize and synchronize.
Lightroom knows when you delete photos or galleries from SmugMug. It will ask if you want to remove them locally (Sync Folders and Galleries) or create them again (Republish).
Not seeing your changes in Lightroom? Right-click on SmugMug and click Edit Settings to bring up the Publishing Manager box. Hit the Sync Now button under SmugMug Settings to force a refresh.
Similarly, creating a new gallery with the same name as an existing one will automatically publish to the original if you've chosen Sync Folders and Galleries in the Publishing Settings. Otherwise, you'll get two galleries with the same name on your site.
Modifying images, captions, keywords, or GPS data triggers Lightroom to republish the photo information, even if it already exists in your gallery. This won’t replace the photo itself.
Duplicate photos will be skipped unless you flag them. Right-click and Mark for republish, and they'll be uploaded the next time you publish.
Proof delay.
Set up proof delay and replace your ordered photos all from within Lightroom! To take advantage of this feature, right-click on a SmugMug gallery within Lightroom and select Edit Gallery. Then select the Shopping tab and choose the number of days you'd like from the Proof Delay drop-down.
To sync any incoming orders with Lightroom, right-click the SmugMug plug-in and expand Publishing and Syncing. Tick the checkboxes next to Sync Orders and Proof Delay.
Now when a customer places an order, a new gallery will appear in your left-hand navigation called SmugMug Pro Orders > In Proof Delay. Expand it to select the order and see which photos have been ordered, then make your edits directly within Lightroom. Once you've finished making your final edits, click Publish in the top-right corner to upload your edited photos back to your online SmugMug gallery.
If you're ready to release the order for printing, right-click the order in the left-hand navigation within Lightroom and select Edit Gallery > Release Order. That's it! Your edited photos will now be sent off for printing or download for your customer.
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Set pricing.
You can also set pricing for your gallery or folder from within the gallery or folder settings. To take advantage of this feature, right-click on a SmugMug gallery within Lightroom and select Edit Gallery. Then select the Shopping tab and use the drop-down menu by Pricelist to select the pricelist you want to apply to the gallery.
You can do the same from the folder level by selecting Edit Folder and using the same Pricelist drop-down menu to choose the pricelist to apply to the entire folder. All galleries within that folder will inherit the pricelist assigned to the folder unless a gallery has a different, manually assigned, pricelist.
Use the SmugMug connector with Lightroom.
Install connector (Lightroom).
- Grab the Creative Cloud App Manager and install it if it isn't already on your machine.
- Turn on file syncing in Creative Cloud by clicking on the cloud icon in the upper right and selecting the play button to turn sync on. This ensures your connector will be automatically synced with Adobe's cloud storage.
- Open Lightroom.
- Expand the All Photos section to reveal the Connections.
- Click on the Add Connection button, then select the next Add Connection button for SmugMug.
- After you add the connection for SmugMug, you'll see a green checkmark confirming that SmugMug is now connected. Now you can close the connection panel and go back to your photos in Lightroom.
- You're done! The SmugMug connector is now installed in Lightroom.
Upload with the connector.
- Select the photos you want to upload in Lightroom.
- Right-click a photo after you have your photo(s) selected, then click Share To SmugMug.
- Alternatively, in the upper-right corner, you can select the share icon and choose SmugMug.
- First time sharing to SmugMug? After selecting Share To SmugMug, enter a new gallery name. Then select the Continue button. A browser window will open asking you to authorize SmugMug's access. This only happens the first time you share from Lightroom with the connector.
- Important: Browser pop-ups need to be allowed to complete this step.
- Now just sit back and relax while your photos begin to upload!
FAQs.
What versions of Lightroom support SmugMug's plug-in?
Lightroom Classic 4.0–12.0.
Where can I find the SmugMug publish option in Lightroom Classic?
Go to the Library module. Click Publish Services. Then double-click the SmugMug option.
What does Sync Folders and Galleries do?
Syncs your SmugMug folder and gallery structure into the Lightroom publish service.
What does Sync Photos do?
This will scan your SmugMug galleries and attempt to match them to photos that already exist in your Lightroom catalog, then link them. After they're matched, they work just like the other photos you've uploaded through the SmugMug Publish service. Useful if you've uploaded photos via the web uploader or from other computers, and for downloading your client's event favorites.
My client picked their favorites from their event. How do I get those into Lightroom?
First, you'll want to sync your folders and galleries. Then, you'll want to Sync Photos for that particular gallery (right-click on the gallery in the publish service, check the sync photos box, then choose Edit Gallery). You can then edit those images and republish all their favorites with a click!
If I delete a photo in a SmugMug gallery in Lightroom, will it delete it from my SmugMug site as well?
Not right away, but the next time you publish that gallery, those missing photos will be deleted to keep both in sync.
I have 15,000 photos on SmugMug. When I use Sync Photos, do I have to do all of them?
You can sync individual galleries. Just visit the gallery in Lightroom, then use right-click > Edit Gallery, and check Sync Photos for just that gallery. If you choose Sync Photos from the Lightroom Publishing Manager, or right-click Edit on the publishing service, then, yes, it will sync your whole hierarchy on SmugMug.
How will I know when there's a new Lightroom plug-in update?
With versions 1.0.2.19 and above, you can check Check for Updates in the Plug-in Manager. We'll let you know when there's a new version.
It told me there was a new version, but I dismissed it. How long will it wait to ask me again?
Twenty-four hours, but you can check for an update and install the latest version anytime via File > Lightroom Plug-in Manager.
What causes this LR plug-in error: "Could not contact SmugMug web service. Please check your connection."
Most likely you need to install the root certification for starfield. Download the “Go Daddy Class 2 Certification Authority Root Certificate” right here.
I'm using Windows and my LR plug-in just stopped working.
We disabled SSLv3 on SmugMug due to a vulnerability that was found. To resolve this issue, disable SSLv3 in your Internet Options in the Control Panel.
What's the difference in POST and PUT for upload method? It defaults to POST, so should we leave it be?
Some ISPs and corporate firewalls block HTTP PUT, which is the upload method we've used up until now. To cater for users that experience this problem, we've added the option to choose HTTP POST.
I'm trying to set up the Lightroom Publish service, but when I try to authorize, I get an error saying, "the system cannot find the file specified." What does this mean, and how do I fix it?
When authorizing in the LR Publish Service, LR will attempt to launch your default web browser, then open your SmugMug account, so you can grant the plug-in access. If Lightroom is unable to open your default web browser, you may see the above error. Example: You're using Internet Explorer, but your default web browser is set to Firefox, or the default browser has been deleted. Fix this by setting your preferred web browser as your default web browser.
How should I upgrade Lightroom?
What works:
Before upgrading, first make sure you have a backup of your Lightroom catalog saved somewhere safe.
Install the new version of Lightroom, open the existing Lightroom catalog, and let it upgrade the database.
What doesn't work:
Any variant of export/import catalog. This strips a lot of information from the database (LR4/LR5 is not part of this problem—it would be the same from LR2 to LR3).
Copying the images (with XMP sidecar files) to a new location and building a new catalog by importing them.
How do I import my photos from Picasa?
Picasa creates subfolders (.picasaorignals) where copies of original JPGs are kept. If you have multiple folders, each one will contain a .picasaoriginals subfolder. When importing to the Lightroom catalog, import your main Pictures folder instead of the various subfolders. This allows you import both original and edited versions.