Choose what to share to the open web
Build a selective Open Web syndication strategy—what to share or skip, photos vs posts, captions for strangers, link destinations, cadence, and why automatic “share everything” is the wrong default.
After Turn on Open Web Distribution, you choose each post or photo. There is no library-wide “share everything.” That is intentional.
Use the Share control on the post editor or portfolio media item. The rest of this page is about what to choose and why.
What should be syndicated
- Flagship portfolio frames that represent how you want to be found.
- Stories with a clear home on your site (series page, blog post, booking).
- Teaching or conservation posts you want strangers to finish on your domain.
- Work you are willing to see cached on remote servers.
What should not
- Client-confidential, embargoed, or unreleased commissions.
- Vault-only or confidential portfolio work.
- Vulnerable locations or private moments you would not put on a postcard.
- Near-duplicates that dilute the feed.
- Anything you are not ready to explain to a stranger with no studio context.
Photos vs posts
| Photos | Blog posts | |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | Immediate visual follow | Depth, SEO, longer stay |
| Needs | Strong frame + caption | Title + excerpt + public publish |
| Link home | Photo detail / series | Post URL |
| Cadence tip | Fewer, stronger frames | Align with RSS writing rhythm |
A healthy mix often works: photos attract follows; posts teach and convert.
Portfolio work that benefits from discovery
Public showcase collections with photo pages on, not hidden from search, and not confidential. Resource-only or private delivery collections are the wrong surface.
Choosing strong representative images
- One readable subject at small size.
- Consistent with the landing page the link opens.
- Rights cleared (models, property, partners).
Writing captions and descriptions for outside your site
Assume the reader has never heard of you:
- Caption — the first line in Mastodon-style apps; story over filename.
- Description — optional context, series, or careful place names.
- Title — human label for the link home (avoid
_DSC3084when you can).
Linking back to the right destination
Prefer the URL that continues the story: photo detail with prints/contact, or the full post—not a generic homepage if a deeper page exists. Open-web links include UTM tags so your analytics can attribute fediverse traffic when configured.
How frequently to publish
- Quality over volume.
- A short series over thirty unrelated drops.
- Pause when you have nothing worth caching remotely.
Why selective beats automatic everything
Automatic syndication trains remotes to ignore you and raises rights risk. Selective distribution keeps the follow worth something and matches the product philosophy: travel without surrendering the business to another platform’s content firehose.
Edits and removal
- Edit caption/description → update when delivery succeeds.
- Share off → deletion signal; caches not guaranteed.
- Share on again after tombstone → new public object.
Checklist before Share on
- Workspace Open Web Distribution is on; handle resolves in Mastodon search
- Item is public the way you intend
- Caption (and description if used) ready to be quoted elsewhere
- Destination link is the right home on your site
- You accept remote caching limits