No vendor lock-in: why you should be able to export your galleries as a ZIP anytime
Your images, tags, selections and comments belong to you — not the platform. Why a complete data export isn't a bonus but a must, and what to watch for in providers.
It’s a question you rarely ask when starting on a new platform — and all the more painful when switching: can I get my data back out? Anyone who can’t export their galleries, original files and the entire selection history is trapped. That’s exactly what vendor lock-in is.
What “your data” really includes
With a gallery platform that’s not just the images. It includes the original files in full quality, but also the metadata: which tags you assigned, which images the client selected, which comments and markups were made. This selection history is part of your job documentation. An export that delivers only the image files but loses the context is only half the job.
Why this is more than convenience
A complete export is important for several reasons:
- Independence. You can switch providers without losing your work. The mere possibility also disciplines the provider — they have to hold you through quality, not captivity.
- Backup. Regular exports are an additional backup layer, independent of the platform.
- Archiving. Completed jobs belong in your own long-term archive, not permanently in a running (and costing) active gallery.
What to watch for
A good export is complete (originals plus metadata), in an open format (a ZIP with normal files, no proprietary database) and available without artificial hurdles — ideally per gallery as its own archive and also for all galleries at once. That download links are time-limited (e.g. 30 days) is normal and uncritical, as long as you can trigger a new export anytime.
Conclusion
The exportability of your data is a litmus test for fairness. Anyone who can get originals along with tags, selection and comments as an open ZIP at any time is independent, well backed up and cleanly archived. Check this function before you commit — not only when you want to switch.
Lumio is built exactly for that: you export per gallery or all galleries at once the original files along with metadata — tags, selection and comments — as a ZIP archive. No lock-in, your data belongs to you.