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Known Participant
Dec 3, 2021 12:18 AM UTC
Answered

How to manage and search shared albums?

I've used Lightroom Classic for over a decade, never tried the cloud-based. Now, finally, I find myself in a situation of needing to share an album with someone else. That part was easy. But now, I'm wondering how to manage the content?

 

In Lightroom Classic there are all kinds of tags, flags, ratings, picks, rejects, metadata, etc, and filters to find stuff based on all those things. But, search doesn't work for shared folders. So, how do you ever find anything you need? Can't set ratings. Can't set flags. Can't add tags. Can't pick or reject photos. Can you even make subfolders within an album? A feature I wouldn't even need if I could just filter the photos. 

 

There doesn't seem to be ANY organizational features in a shared album other than likes. And even then, there doesn't seem to be a way to filter on liked photos. Am I missing something, or are shared albums really that limited?

Jim Wilde
Jim WildeCorrect answer
Community Expert
Dec 3, 2021 11:11 AM UTC

At this time only the "owner" of the shared album can add metadata (such as keywords, flags, ratings) to the images in the shared album. The people that you share the album with cannot add anything other than comments/likes (and can make selections if the "collaborative proofing" Technology Preview is used). There is no doubt an existing feature request ("idea") for this functionality to be added (though I must confess to be in two minds about having other people adding metadata to my images), you should add your vote to that.

14 replies

rachel_0639
Participant
Jan 29, 2026 8:14 PM UTC

How is this still not adjusted? This would be so convenient with my team and I to do photo selects at the same time on our own machines. This should be prioritized. Also, strange as it lets them adjust filters and NOT just star, flag, or color code a image???

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Participant
Jan 8, 2024 11:35 PM UTC

This is crazy! How can Adobe after more than 3 years, claim this fills their goal of 'supporting creative collaboration' as mentioned on their reason for discontinuing Synced files, https://helpx.adobe.com/au/creative-cloud/kb/eol-creative-cloud-synced-files.html?promoid=XXTQGVPB&mv=other&product-version=6.1.0.587&mv=product&mv2=accc

 

Not good enough Adobe! Listen to your users!!

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Participant
Oct 27, 2023 7:54 AM UTC

I just spent ages tagging my photos and shared them with my team saying it would be easy for them to search for anything... foolish me. Imagine assuming such a basic feature would be available for shared album! It is ridicukous that other people cannot search my album by tag. Not add metadata or edit anything, just search... come on Adobe!!

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Participant
Nov 28, 2023 1:35 AM UTC

Exactly! I have a coworker that will help me manage the titles, keywords and tags for the many albums I created at work. we both have fully paid accounts with Adobe. I've shared 'edit' access to these albums with her but she can only do photo editing, not informational metadata help. THAT IS WHAT I NEED! this should be an access type that we can toggle on or off. Help us out Adobe! 

 

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dominiquev7391348
Known Participant
Jan 27, 2022 2:39 PM UTC

Hi, I have, like many others, requested a search feature within shared albums for a long time now.

It makes no sense not to be able to search a large shared library per keywords but it's been over a year and several hundreds of dollars in licence fee, and lightroom is still not a viable solution for cooperation even within CC Teams.

And there has been no feedback from any Adobe Developers on the matter.

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Participant
Nov 15, 2022 5:06 PM UTC

In the same boat. Search for keywords in a shared album in Lightroom is a very desirable feature!

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dominiquev7391348
Known Participant
Mar 30, 2023 3:21 PM UTC

After 4 years without nor an answer nor a solution we are moving on to an affordable DAM solution. "KONTAINER". (Dash is also great)

We will cancel 5 licences just because we can't search in shared albums and that is a No-Go for Team Work.

The function is simply disabled too bad and too late for us.

And please no techies or sales person  from adobe should answers this (its been 4 years already, too little, too late bye)

 

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Jim Wilde
Community Expert
Jim WildeCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
Dec 3, 2021 11:11 AM UTC

At this time only the "owner" of the shared album can add metadata (such as keywords, flags, ratings) to the images in the shared album. The people that you share the album with cannot add anything other than comments/likes (and can make selections if the "collaborative proofing" Technology Preview is used). There is no doubt an existing feature request ("idea") for this functionality to be added (though I must confess to be in two minds about having other people adding metadata to my images), you should add your vote to that.

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artkehAuthor
Known Participant
Dec 4, 2021 1:42 AM UTC

Yes, I can see where other people adding metadata to your images can be a worry. But, in a true collaboration, there has to be a way for people to select and organize photos. Not just the owner. I'll find the feature request and add my vote, and can't wait to try the collaborative proofing in a future release. Thank you so much!

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Jim Wilde
Community Expert
Community Expert
Dec 4, 2021 11:35 AM UTC
quote

and can't wait to try the collaborative proofing in a future release.

 

You can use that feature already in the LrWeb app (click on your avatar top-right of the main screen and select Technology Previews from the drop-down list, then enable Collaborative Proofing). It's still pretty basic, but might offer some use.

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