View all client photos in a gallery layout and manage photo collections for each client in your caseload.

### Overview

The client photos feature in eCourtDate provides a visual, card-based gallery that displays photos across your entire client base. This is especially useful for agencies that need to quickly identify clients, maintain photo records for case files, or manage photo-based check-ins. Instead of navigating through individual client profiles one at a time, the photos gallery gives you an at-a-glance view of every client with their associated photos.

- Browse all client photos in a visual card-based gallery
- Search clients by name to locate photos quickly
- View photo counts for each client at a glance
- Click through to manage individual client photo collections
- Support photo-based identification workflows for hearings, check-ins, and supervision

Court clerks, probation officers, and administrative staff who handle client identification or supervision check-ins will find this feature particularly valuable.

### Prerequisites

Before you begin working with client photos, make sure you have:

- An active eCourtDate account with Admin or Officer role permissions
- Access to the **Clients** module in the top navigation bar
- Client records already created in the system ([learn how to manage clients](/how-to-manage-clients))
- Photos available in supported formats (PNG, JPG, JPEG, or GIF)

### How-To Steps

#### Browse the Client Photos Gallery

1. Click **Clients** in the top navigation bar.
2. Click the **Photos** tab to switch to the photo gallery view.
3. Browse the card-based gallery. Each card displays the client's name, their most recent photo, and a count of total photos on file.
4. Scroll down to load additional client cards. The gallery loads clients in batches as you scroll.

> **Tip:** The gallery sorts clients by most recently updated, so clients with new or recently added photos appear first.

#### Search for a Client's Photos

1. Navigate to **Clients** > **Photos** tab.
2. Locate the **Search** field at the top of the gallery.
3. Enter the client's first name, last name, or full name.
4. Click the **Search** button or press **Enter**.
5. The gallery filters to show only clients matching your search term.
6. To clear the search and return to the full gallery, remove the text from the search field and click **Search** again.

#### View and Manage a Client's Photo Collection

1. From the photos gallery, click on the client's card to open their photo collection.
2. Review all photos associated with the client. Each photo displays the upload date and any notes.
3. To add a new photo, click the **Add Photo** button.
4. Click **Choose File** to select a photo from your device.
5. Enter an optional **Note** to describe the photo (for example, "Intake photo, January 2026").
6. Click **Upload** to save the photo to the client's collection.

#### Delete a Client Photo

1. Navigate to the client's photo collection by clicking their card in the gallery.
2. Locate the photo you want to remove.
3. Click the **Delete** button beneath the photo.
4. Confirm the deletion when prompted.

> **Tip:** Deleted photos cannot be recovered. Make sure you no longer need the photo before confirming the deletion.

#### Upload Photos from a Client Profile

1. Click **Clients** in the top navigation bar.
2. Search for the client using the **Search Clients** form or the quick search icon.
3. Click the **Edit** button next to the client to open their profile.
4. Scroll to the **Photos** section on the client profile.
5. Click **Add Photo**, select a file, and click **Upload**.

This method is useful when you are already working on a client's profile and need to add a photo without navigating to the gallery.

### What to Expect

After uploading photos, they appear immediately in both the client's profile and the photos gallery. Photo counts on each gallery card update automatically. When searching by client name, results filter in real time to show matching clients. All photos are stored securely on eCourtDate's cloud infrastructure and are accessible only to staff with the appropriate permissions.

### Best Practices

- **Add notes to every photo.** Include the date and purpose (for example, "Check-in photo, 02/13/2026") so your team can quickly identify when and why a photo was taken.
- **Use consistent photo standards.** Establish guidelines for photo quality, such as clear lighting, front-facing orientation, and a neutral background, to maintain professional records.
- **Review photo collections regularly.** Remove outdated or duplicate photos to keep client records clean and reduce clutter in the gallery.
- **Leverage the gallery for quick identification.** Before hearings or check-ins, use the gallery to visually confirm client identity rather than searching through individual profiles.
- **Restrict photo access by role.** Go to **Admin** > **Settings** > **Roles** to ensure only authorized staff can view or manage client photos.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What file types are supported for client photos?**
A: eCourtDate supports PNG, JPG, JPEG, and GIF formats. Each photo can be up to 10 MB in size.

**Q: Is there a limit to how many photos I can upload per client?**
A: There is no hard limit on the number of photos per client. However, keeping collections focused on relevant, current photos is recommended for performance and organization.

**Q: Can clients upload their own photos through a portal?**
A: Yes, if your agency has a web portal configured with photo upload capabilities enabled. Clients can sign in to the portal and submit photos, which then appear in their profile with a **Pending Review** status.

**Q: Who can see client photos?**
A: Only staff members with the appropriate role permissions can view client photos. Photo access is controlled through role settings under **Admin** > **Settings** > **Roles**.

**Q: How do I find a specific client if I only have a partial name?**
A: Enter the partial name in the search field on the **Photos** tab. The gallery filters results based on partial matches, so entering a first name or last name fragment will return all matching clients.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** Photos do not appear in the gallery after upload.
**Symptoms:** You uploaded a photo from the client profile, but the gallery does not show the updated photo or photo count.
**Solution:**

1. Refresh the page by clicking your browser's refresh button or pressing F5.
2. Navigate back to the **Photos** tab under **Clients** to reload the gallery.
3. If the photo still does not appear, verify the file was under 10 MB and in a supported format (PNG, JPG, JPEG, or GIF).
4. Try uploading the photo again from the client's profile.

**Issue:** Search returns no results for a client you know exists.
**Symptoms:** Entering a client name in the photo gallery search field returns an empty result.
**Solution:**

1. Verify the spelling of the client's name.
2. Try searching by first name only or last name only.
3. Check if the client has been archived or trashed. Archived and trashed clients do not appear in the photos gallery.
4. Navigate to **Clients** and use the advanced search with the **Archived** or **Trashed** checkbox to locate the client.

> **Important:** If you continue to experience issues after following these troubleshooting steps, sign in to eCourtDate and create a ticket by clicking the ticket button in the bottom right corner of the screen.

### Related Articles

- [How to Manage Clients](/how-to-manage-clients)
- [How to Manage Files](/how-to-manage-files)