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Self-service photo upload lets you collect ID photos from people remotely. Instead of organising an on-site photo session, you send a secure link — the person clicks it, takes or uploads a photo, and submits it for your review. No app to install, no account to create.

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How it works

  1. Enable self-upload on a session and configure your settings
  2. Send invitation links to the people who need to submit photos
  3. People upload their photo via the link (works on any device with a browser)
  4. You review submissions in the normal approval queue — approve, reject, or request a retake
  5. They’re told the outcome automatically — approved or rejected, by email
Photos submitted via self-upload go through the same approval workflow as capturer-submitted photos. You’ll see them in your session’s Submissions tab alongside any on-site captures.

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Setting up self-upload on a session

  1. Open your session
  2. Go to the session’s self-upload settings
  3. Enable Self-Service Upload
  4. Configure your options:

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What the person hears back

You don’t need to chase anyone. When you approve or reject a self-uploaded photo, CaptrID emails the person automatically — they have no account and no portal to check, so email is the only thing that reaches them. If you reject it, the email includes your reason and asks for a new photo. Their original upload link is reopened so it works a second time, meaning they can use the email they already have.
Upload links expire (72 hours by default). If you reject a photo after the link has expired, the email tells the person to contact you for a new one rather than sending them to a link that will fail. Send a fresh invitation from the session’s self-upload panel.
Turn off Allow Resubmission After Rejection if you’d rather handle retries yourself — the person is still told the outcome, they’re just not given another attempt automatically.
| Link Expiry | How long each link stays valid (default: 72 hours) |
  1. Click Save
Session configuration panel with self-service upload settings including email field, deadline, and max submissions

Session self-upload settings showing the email field selector, deadline, and submission options

Self-upload works alongside on-site capture. You can send links to remote staff while also running a photo session for on-site people — all submissions end up in the same approval queue.

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Sending upload invitations

Once self-upload is enabled:
  1. Select the people you want to invite (from the session roster)
  2. Click Generate & Send Links
  3. Each person receives an email with a personalised upload link
The invitation email includes:
  • A personal greeting with their name
  • Your organisation and session name
  • Photo requirements (clear, front-facing, good lighting)
  • The deadline (if set)
  • A prominent “Upload Photo” button
Each person gets a unique, single-use link. You can revoke a link at any time if needed. Only one active invitation per person per session is allowed.

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What subjects see

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Step 1: Landing page

Mobile self-upload landing page with organisation name, person greeting, and Upload Photo button

The self-upload landing page as seen on a mobile device, showing the welcome message and Upload Photo button

After clicking the link, the person sees a welcome page with:
  • Their name and your organisation’s name
  • The session name and deadline
  • A consent checkbox (if required)
  • An “Upload Photo” button

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Step 2: Choose a photo

Two options:
  • Take a photo — opens their device’s camera
  • Upload from device — select an existing photo from their files

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Step 3: Crop and adjust

A cropping tool lets them:
  • Adjust the frame to match the required aspect ratio (e.g. 3:4 portrait)
  • Zoom in or out
  • Rotate the image

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Step 4: Review and submit

They see a preview of their cropped photo and can choose to retake or submit.

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Step 5: Confirmation

After submitting, they see a confirmation message and receive a confirmation email. If they have remaining submissions (and their photo is later rejected), they can use the same link to try again.

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Monitoring progress

List of self-upload invitations with status badges showing Sent, Opened, Submitted, and Revoked states

Invitation status list showing each person's upload progress with Sent, Opened, and Submitted indicators

Track invitation status from your session:

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Reviewing self-uploaded photos

Self-uploaded photos appear in your session’s Submissions tab with all other submissions. The review process is identical:
  • Approve — accept the photo
  • Reject — send it back with a reason (the person is notified by email and can resubmit if allowed)
  • Request retake — ask for a new photo with specific notes
When you reject a self-uploaded photo, the person receives an email notification. If resubmission is allowed and they haven’t hit their submission limit, they can use their original link to upload a new photo.

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Invitation statuses explained

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Error messages subjects may see

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Tips

  • Include email addresses in your roster — Self-upload relies on having an email field to send invitation links
  • Set a reasonable deadline — Give people at least a week, and mention the deadline in any other communications
  • Use 3 submission attempts — This gives people room to retry if their first photo doesn’t meet quality standards
  • Check progress regularly — Follow up with people who haven’t opened their link
  • Combine with on-site capture — Send self-upload links to remote staff, and capture on-site staff at a photo session — submissions from both methods appear in the same queue