Expolumi Alamy Publisher

Before you start

You need Lightroom Classic, an Alamy contributor account with FTP access, and finished .jpg or .jpeg files imported into your catalog. Keep their original files available locally or on an accessible drive.

This is an independent transfer tool, not an editing or agency-management tool. It does not apply Lightroom edits, submit forms, or track quality-control approval. It works independently of the other Expolumi plug-ins.

Public downloads are coming soon. These instructions describe installation from the complete plug-in ZIP once available. No Node.js, development tools, or separate FTP client is needed.

Check Alamy's current contributor requirements before submitting. Image quality, file requirements, account eligibility, and any first-submission rules remain your responsibility.

Install & connect

1. Extract the ZIP to a permanent folder. In Lightroom Classic, choose File > Plug-in Manager > Add.
2. Select the complete AlamyPublish.lrplugin folder and enable it. Keep this folder in place and install only one copy.
3. Open Library > Publish Services > Alamy Publisher > Set Up.
4. Choose Set credentials..., enter your Alamy email and password directly in Lightroom, and select Save locally.
5. Read the warning before enabling Allow unencrypted FTP. Choose Test connection to check login and directory-listing access.
6. Save the connection. Use Stock uploads or another collection under the service.

The server and Stock folder are fixed by the plug-in. A connection test does not upload or delete anything, and it does not prove upload permission or QC eligibility. One Alamy account is shared by this plug-in's publish connections for the local Lightroom user.

Save locally takes effect immediately, even if you later cancel Publishing Manager. Avoid changing credentials during uploads.

Publish your photos

1. Prepare submission-ready JPEGs and import them into Lightroom Classic.
2. Drag them into Stock uploads or another collection under Alamy Publisher. This queues them; it does not upload yet.
3. Click Publish. Review the result dialog for completed, failed, or unfinished transfers.
4. Check the contributor dashboard for ingestion and QC. Complete captions, tags, licensing, and release information in Alamy Image Manager.

Published means transferred, not accepted or available for sale. A file disappearing from FTP may simply mean it has been ingested. Check Alamy before retrying any uncertain transfer.

Files & metadata

The original JPEG is sent unchanged with its original filename. The plug-in does not render, resize, recompress, watermark, write metadata, or delete source files. RAW, TIFF, PNG, video, virtual copies, and missing originals are rejected. Standard Stock JPEG submissions are supported, not Live News, Archive Stock, vectors, or video.

Catalog-only keywords, captions, and Develop changes are not applied. Save metadata into the finished JPEG or export an edited, full-resolution JPEG and import it before publishing. Verify the actual file. All embedded metadata, including GPS if present, is sent as-is.

Other software and Lightroom's automatic metadata-writing settings can independently change the source. Do not edit, rename, or move it during transfer. The plug-in does not run a complete agency QC preflight.

Tracking & retries

Remote filename checks and local upload history help block duplicates. Re-publishing an already uploaded item is blocked because FTP is an ingestion channel, not an update API.

Protection is local and best-effort. Renaming a file, resetting preferences, using another computer, or uploading through another client can bypass it. An uncertain transfer requires confirmation before retrying; there are no automatic transfer retries. A failure stops the remaining batch.

Cancellation takes effect between operations. An in-flight FTP call may still complete, and successful transfers remain recorded. Removing photos or collections in Lightroom removes local tracking only; it never deletes or withdraws submissions from Alamy.

If upload succeeded but Lightroom did not record it, verify the photo on Alamy first, then use Mark as Up-to-Date where appropriate. Keep your own submission record for important work.

Credentials & privacy

Credentials are stored through Lightroom's encrypted local password storage, not in publish presets, source files, catalog properties, or plug-in logs. Password fields are masked and cleared when the dialog closes. Canceling without saving preserves the previous credentials.

There is no Expolumi-operated backend, analytics, or remote credential store. Credentials are sent directly to Alamy for authentication. Local encryption does not encrypt FTP traffic or protect a compromised computer.

Forget credentials clears the saved values, not your upload history, agency password, or submissions. It does not guarantee erasure from backups. Read the privacy and data-handling guide.

Update & troubleshoot

Close Lightroom before replacing the complete installed plug-in folder, then restart it. Keep the same location and avoid duplicate copies. Forget credentials before disabling or removing the plug-in; removal alone does not clear credentials.

For rejected files, check the original is available and is a genuine JPEG, not a virtual copy. For uncertain uploads, check Image Manager before trying again. Reload through Plug-in Manager after updating files.

Local diagnostics use AlamyPublish.log. Typical locations are %LOCALAPPDATA%\Adobe\Lightroom\Logs\LrClassicLogs on Windows and ~/Library/Logs/Adobe/Lightroom/LrClassicLogs on macOS. Older versions may use Documents/Lightroom Logs.

Logs record stage names, counts, and batch indexes, not credentials, filenames, source paths, or directory listings. Review any attachment for personal information before sharing it.

Compatibility

Automated SDK-mock checks cover core workflows, but are not proof of native Lightroom UI or live agency compatibility. The SDK declaration is 6.0, not a tested Lightroom-version matrix. Back up your catalog and verify your Lightroom and operating-system combination before relying on the workflow.