What Are Visual Catalogs?
Visual Catalogs help you organize images together with structured information. You can use them for product catalogs, image inventories, shot lists, property records, client selections, creative assets, equipment lists, portfolios, lookbooks, and other visual collections.
Each catalog can include:
- A main image plus optional additional image columns
- Custom columns for text, numbers, dates, URLs, statuses, and more
- Table view for spreadsheet-style editing
- Grid (gallery) view for visual browsing
- Bulk image upload, ZIP upload, and CSV/Excel/Google Sheets import
- Shareable read-only links with optional password and custom URL
- CSV, Excel-with-images, and PDF gallery exports
Plan Limits
Your plan controls how many catalogs you can create and how many rows each catalog can contain.
If you reach a catalog limit, delete an unused catalog or upgrade your plan. If you reach a row limit, remove rows you no longer need or create a new catalog.
Creating a Catalog
- Open Visual Catalogs from the FileDrop menu.
- Click New Catalog.
- Enter a name and an optional description.
- Choose a default view (Table or Grid).
- Click Create Catalog.
FileDrop opens a starter catalog with an image column and empty rows so you can begin adding content immediately.
You can rename or edit catalog details at any time by clicking the catalog name in the header.
Duplicating a Catalog
Use Duplicate on the catalog list to copy a catalog’s columns and structure. Useful when you want to reuse a layout for a new project.
Views
Table View
Table view works like a lightweight spreadsheet. Use it when you want to:
- Edit many rows quickly
- Add structured metadata
- Sort, search, or bulk-edit rows
- Work with many custom fields
- Prepare data for export
Common actions:
- Click any cell to edit it directly.
- Click an empty image cell to upload an image. Click an existing image to replace it. Hover an image and click the × overlay to delete just that image while keeping the row.
- Click the expand icon on a row to open the slide-in row details panel.
- Click the × icon at the end of a row to delete the entire row.
- Use Add Row at the bottom of the table to insert a new empty row.
- Use the row height controls (Compact, Normal, Comfortable, Large) in the toolbar to adjust how tall rows appear.
- Use the search box to filter loaded rows.
Grid View
Grid view shows each row as a visual card with the image on top and selected fields below it. Use it when you want to:
- Browse images quickly
- Review a product or asset collection visually
- Present options to clients or teammates
- Drag-and-drop to reorder items
Common actions:
- Click a card to edit row details.
- Click an image placeholder on an empty card to upload an image.
- Use the edit button on a card to open row details.
- Use the delete button to remove a row.
- Drag a card to reorder rows.
You can switch between Table and Grid view at any time using the view toggle in the header. The default view is remembered per catalog.
Adding and Managing Rows
Add One Row
- Open a catalog.
- Click Add Row (table view) or the Add row placeholder (grid view).
- Fill in fields or upload an image.
Delete a Row
- Table view: click the × at the far right of the row.
- Grid view: click the delete button on the card.
Deleting a row removes its data and any S3-hosted images associated with it.
Bulk Operations
- Reorder rows (grid view): drag and drop cards.
- Reorder columns: drag handles in the Columns panel.
Uploading Images
Upload to a Single Cell
- Click an empty image cell (table) or image placeholder (card).
- Pick an image from your computer.
- Wait for the upload to finish.
Click an existing image to replace it. The previous image is removed from storage automatically.
Delete an Image Without Deleting the Row
In table view, hover an image cell and click the × overlay. The image is removed but the row stays. Useful when you want to keep the row’s other data and re-upload later.
Upload Many Images at Once (Upload Panel)
The upload panel sits on the right side of the editor. To open it, click the upload-panel toggle in the header (table view) — in grid view it’s always visible.
- Drag and drop images into the drop zone, or click to browse.
- Choose a Sort order (Default, By name, By date).
- (Optional) Check Insert files horizontally to spread images across multiple image columns of the same row instead of creating one row per image.
- Choose an Insert as mode:
- Image in cell — uploads images into the primary image column, creating one row per image (or filling empty rows first).
- Image + name & date — same as above, but also auto-fills a Name column with the filename and a Date column with today’s date. Creates the columns if needed.
- Link only (no image) — uploads the file but stores only its URL in a URL column. Useful when the catalog should reference assets without displaying them as image cells. Creates a Name and URL column if needed.
- Click Upload Files.
The panel shows progress and a queue of files. Drag queue items to reorder them before uploading. Switch between list view and grid (thumbnail) view in the queue header.
Upload a ZIP File
If you have many images in a folder, compress them into a ZIP file and drop the ZIP into the upload panel. FileDrop extracts the images server-side and adds them to your catalog in the background. Supports .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .webp, .gif (max 200 images per ZIP, 20 MB per image).
Custom Columns
Columns store information about each row. You can add as many as you need.
Supported Column Types
| Type | Use for |
|---|---|
| Text | Names, SKUs, short labels |
| Long text | Notes, descriptions |
| Number | Prices, quantities, counts |
| Date | Dates, deadlines |
| URL | Clickable links — renders as a hyperlink that opens in a new tab |
| Checkbox | Yes/no states |
| Status | Color-coded badges: Not Started, In Progress, Review, Done, Blocked |
| Image | Additional image cells beyond the primary image |
| Select | Pick-one list with custom options |
Add a Column
- Open the Columns panel.
- Type a column name.
- Pick a type.
- Click Add Column.
The new column appears at the right of the table and on every existing row.
Rename / Change Type / Delete
Hover the column header in table view and click the menu icon to open the column popover. From there you can rename, change the type, or delete the column.
When you delete an image or URL column — or change its type away from image/url — FileDrop also removes any associated files from storage so you don’t leave orphans behind.
Reorder Columns
Drag the handle in the Columns panel to move a column up or down. The order also affects export order.
Image Columns
Every catalog includes a main image column. You can add more image columns for workflows that need multiple images per item:
- Front and back product photos
- Before and after images
- Reference and final images
- Room photo and material option
- Main image and detail close-up
In the Columns panel you can also pick which image columns appear in the gallery view (up to 6) and which non-image fields appear under each card (up to 3) as a card preview.
Display Settings
Click the display-settings icon in the header to open the panel. Adjust:
- Card image width and height — preset (Square, Portrait, Landscape) or custom.
- Image fit:
- Cover crops the image to fill the space.
- Contain shows the full image inside the space.
- Fill stretches the image to the exact dimensions.
- Show file names on cards — display the original filename below each gallery image.
- Table row height — Compact, Normal, Comfortable, or Large.
Changes are saved per catalog and take effect immediately. You do not need to re-upload images.
Row Details Panel
Click the expand icon on a row to open a side panel with one input per column. Useful for editing long text, dates, URLs, or multiple fields at once without scrolling sideways in the table.
Searching Rows
Use the search field in table view to filter rows by any field value.
If a catalog is large, FileDrop may initially load only part of it for faster performance. The search applies to the rows currently loaded in your browser. Click Load all rows if you need to search across the entire catalog.
Large Catalogs
For performance, large catalogs open with the first batch of rows loaded (typically 1,000). FileDrop shows a banner like:
Showing 1,000 of 10,000 rows for faster loading.
You can keep working with the loaded rows or click Load all rows to fetch the rest. Loading all rows on very large catalogs may take a few seconds.
Importing Data
Click Import to bring in data from a spreadsheet.
CSV or Excel File
- Open the import panel.
- Drop a
.csvor.xlsxfile (or click to browse). - FileDrop previews the first rows and asks how to map each CSV column to a catalog column.
- Decide whether the first row is a header.
- Click Import rows.
Existing columns can be reused or new ones created on the fly.
Google Sheets
- Switch to the Google Sheets tab in the import panel.
- Paste a Google Sheets URL.
- The sheet must be set to “Anyone with the link can view.”
- Click Fetch, then map columns and import.
Sharing a Catalog
Share lets viewers open a read-only copy of the catalog without an account.
- Open the catalog.
- Click Share.
- Turn on Public sharing.
- Copy the share link and send it.
Custom URL
By default the share URL contains a random token (e.g. /catalog-share/abc123…). Enter a custom slug in the share panel (lowercase letters, numbers, hyphens) to get a friendly URL like /c/my-product-line. You can change the slug at any time — old slugs continue to redirect.
Password Protection
Enter a password in the share panel to require a passcode before viewers can see the catalog. (Plan-dependent.)
Public View Mode
Choose what shared visitors see:
- Gallery and table (default) — both layouts, viewer can switch.
- Gallery only — visual cards only.
- Table only — spreadsheet only.
Regenerate Share Link
Click the regenerate (↻) button to invalidate the existing share link and create a new one. Use this if a link has been shared with the wrong audience.
Custom Branding
In Catalog details, enable Use default branding to apply your account’s logo, colors, and footer text on the shared page. Otherwise the public page uses FileDrop’s default look.
Exporting a Catalog
Click Export in the header to access export options.
CSV
Plain text export. Image fields export as URLs, not embedded files. Best when you need lightweight data for import into another tool or for spreadsheet analysis.
Excel (.xlsx) with Images
Generates an Excel file with images embedded as objects in the cells.
- Excel — high-quality embedded images.
- Excel compact — smaller, web-optimized images.
Large catalogs queue in the background; the file downloads automatically when ready.
Use Excel export when you need a client-ready product sheet, an image-rich inventory report, or an offline catalog that works in Excel.
PDF Gallery
Generates a PDF with one card per row.
Click PDF export… to open the options dialog:
| Setting | Choices |
|---|---|
| Paper | A4 / Letter |
| Orientation | Landscape / Portrait |
| Cards per row | 1–4 |
| Rows to export | up to 1,000 |
| Image height | 140–520 px |
| Image quality | Original / Web (smaller) |
| Font size | 8–14 |
| Image fit | Contain / Cover |
Use PDF export to send a portable, print-ready brochure or share a snapshot of a catalog with someone who doesn’t use Excel.
Common Workflows
Product Catalog
Recommended columns:
- Product name, SKU, Price, Category, Status, Supplier URL, Notes
Use grid view to review products visually and table view to edit SKU data. Use PDF export for line sheets.
Creative Shot List
Recommended columns:
- Shot name, Status, Owner, Shoot date, Reference URL, Notes
Use the Status column to track production. Share read-only with the production team.
Visual Inventory
Recommended columns:
- Item name, Location, Condition, Serial number, Status, Last checked, Notes
Use Excel export with images for offline inventory reports.
Client Selection Board
Recommended columns:
- Option name, Category, Price, Selected, Client notes, Vendor link
Set the public view mode to Gallery only and share with the client. Add a password if the selection is confidential.
Portfolio / Lookbook
Recommended columns:
- Project name, Year, Tags, External link
Use multiple image columns to show variants of each piece. Set custom branding to match your studio identity on the share page.
Troubleshooting
I selected an image but it doesn’t appear.
Wait a few seconds for the upload and thumbnail to finish. If it still doesn’t appear, check the file is a supported image type (.jpg, .png, .webp, .gif), try a smaller file, refresh the catalog, or try again.
My catalog is missing rows.
Large catalogs open with a partial load. Click Load all rows to fetch the full catalog.
I cannot create another catalog.
You may have reached your plan’s catalog limit. Delete an unused catalog or upgrade.
I cannot add more rows.
You may have reached the row limit for this catalog. Remove rows, create another catalog, or upgrade.
My Excel export does not show images.
Make sure you chose Excel, not CSV. CSV files cannot embed images. For very large catalogs, wait until the export finishes processing before opening the file.
The share link doesn’t work.
Open the share panel and confirm public sharing is on. If a password is set, the viewer must enter it. If you regenerated the link recently, anyone holding the old link will need the new one.
A pasted Google Sheets URL doesn’t fetch.
The sheet must be set to “Anyone with the link can view” in Google’s sharing settings. Edit-only or restricted sheets cannot be imported.
Image cells in the table show a broken thumbnail.
This can happen briefly while a thumbnail is being generated after upload. Refresh the catalog after a few seconds.
Best Practices
- Keep one catalog focused on one purpose.
- Use clear column names — they appear in shared views and exports.
- Use Status columns to track progress at a glance.
- Use grid view for review, table view for bulk editing.
- Use ZIP upload for large batches.
- Use Link only mode in the upload panel when you want references without inline images.
- Use the row expand panel for long-text fields instead of fighting the table inline editor.
- Use custom share slugs for catalogs you reuse with clients — they’re easier to remember.
- Split very large workflows into multiple catalogs.
Glossary
Catalog
A collection of visual rows with images and custom fields.
Row
One item in a catalog.
Column
A custom field used to store information about each row.
Primary image / image_url
The main image column every catalog has by default.
Image column
Any additional image field beyond the primary image.
Table view
A spreadsheet-style layout for editing rows and columns.
Grid (gallery) view
A visual card layout for browsing.
Row expand panel
A side panel for editing one row’s full set of fields.
Upload panel
The right-side panel with the drop zone, queue, and insert-mode options.
Insert mode
How uploaded images become rows: as images in cells, as images with name + date metadata, or as link-only URL references.
Bulk job
A background processor that handles ZIP uploads and large image batches.
Share link
A read-only public URL for a catalog.
Custom slug
A friendly path segment in the share URL (/c/your-name) instead of a random token.
Public view mode
Whether the shared page shows the gallery, the table, or both.
Excel export with images
An .xlsx file where images are embedded as objects in spreadsheet cells.
PDF gallery export
A formatted PDF with one card per row, configurable per export.