---
title: "Getting started with the admin"
canonical_url: https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/0585dd78-ee3e-11e6-a7c5-6e61028599f7
short_url: https://dpg.support/aiej
category: "Getting started > Basics"
locale: en
updated_at: 2017-05-31T22:57:32Z
source: Digital Photo Gallery Support
---

# Getting started with the admin

If you're new to using Digital Photo Gallery, this article will take you through the basics of the [admin](https://admin.digitalphotogallery.com/account/dashboard) system. 

Think of the admin as your main DPG hub. This is where you'll upload and manage your content, create and update websites and blogs, or check your statistics.  

> 💡 **Tip:** The other part of DPG is called [Accounts](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/category/b19658ea-aa90-11e2-97b5-b8f6b11825bb). This is where you go to update payment and billing details, manage users and change passwords.

### Dashboard
![](https://cache.media.digitalphotogallery.com/hyqelgcvfopo/images/e53eef90-ee3e-11e6-9061-967fcb7c1249/560_support.jpg?generated=20170208204147)

The Dashboard is your starting point when you log in to your account. Here, you can see an overview of your account status and navigate to other parts of the admin. }

### Uploading
The first thing you will probably want to do is upload some content. 

DPG works best with full-resolution images and will create special website versions to make your work look its best across all devices. 

Make sure that you don't strip EXIF and Metadata when exporting images from your editing software, as DPG uses this information for things like image credits and statistics.

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##### Further reading:
* [Preparing your images for upload](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/ce9d3a34-d611-11e6-a00c-6e61028599f7)
* [The upload screen](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/304db388-ab34-11e2-aeb3-b8f6b11825bb)
* [Creating a metadata profile](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/04e04d18-ab85-11e2-9666-b8f6b11825bb)

> 💡 **Tip:** Though we talk about images a lot, we also ❤️ [video](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/category/b97e9238-aa91-11e2-97b5-b8f6b11825bb) and animated gifs!

### Working with your images
![](https://cache.media.digitalphotogallery.com/hyqelgcvfopo/images/0ca914c4-ef30-11e6-ac3e-8e12dd763e7d/586_support.jpg?generated=20170210012832)

Under the **Images** tab in the main navigation, you'll find several ways to browse your uploads. Recently unloaded content will appear in **Recent Images**, where you can also see it large in the individual view. 

The side panel on the right of the screen will be one of the main ways you interact with your images in the admin. This is where you add titles and descriptions, keywords and add images to sets.}

##### Further reading:
* [Useful keyboard shortcuts](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/b6917b6e-649f-11e6-974d-be279144b405)
* [Customising your workspace](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/faabb18a-ee14-11e6-a7c5-6e61028599f7)
* [Changing image view](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/53d35b90-ac07-11e2-8a0d-b8f6b11825bb)

### Organising your content
You can organise your images in DPG by using sets and keywords. 

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##### Further reading:
* [All about sets](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/category/4e01ff76-ab32-11e2-a0b9-b8f6b11825bb)

![](https://cache.media.digitalphotogallery.com/hyqelgcvfopo/images/f809164e-ef26-11e6-a9cb-8e12dd763e7d/580_support.jpg?generated=20170210002223)

**Keywords** are useful for organising you images, whether it's just for yourself or to help your website visitors find what they're looking for. You can also add keywords in your editing software which will be imported on upload.}

##### Further reading:
* [Keywords overview](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/eb94ce26-ab82-11e2-bb5f-b8f6b11825bb)
* [Dynamic keywords](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/15821148-6a12-11e6-bf8c-be279144b405)
* [Namespaced keywords](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/df4b3ddc-f221-11e6-b72f-6e61028599f7)

### Websites
Once you've got some of your content into DPG, you probably want to show it off! DPG allows you to easily make and update your websites for lots of different purposes. 

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##### Further reading:
* [Creating your first website](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/62e5e28a-67e1-11e6-a1e4-be279144b405)

![](https://cache.media.digitalphotogallery.com/hyqelgcvfopo/images/eafbb684-2ac5-11e7-a78e-8ef06f2f9be6/810_support.jpg?generated=20170426221948)

Once you've made your first site, the Website screen is your starting point for everything from editing the design, to adding your own domain name. 

 The website screen also shows you the linked **sets**, so you can always find them easily. }

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##### Further reading:
* [Making pages](https://support.digitalphotogallery.com/articles/article/196bbd9e-ac1b-11e2-b218-f23c91703874)