StudioIvo User Guide

Overview

StudioIvo is a CRM built specifically for photography studios. It covers the full booking workflow from first inquiry through to final gallery delivery, without the bloat of tools that were not made for photographers.

The core workflow looks like this:

1. Capture a lead. Log an inquiry with the client's details, shoot type, and budget.
2. Send a quote. Build a branded quote with your packages and pricing. The client accepts online.
3. Send a contract. Issue the contract for e-signature. Signing converts the lead into an active project automatically.
4. Invoice and collect. Send a deposit invoice, then a final invoice when the job is done.
5. Deliver the gallery. Upload finished files and share a private download link with the client.

Everything is organised by project. A project is created automatically when a contract is signed, and it holds the client, contracts, invoices, and gallery all in one place.

Dashboard

The Dashboard gives you a financial and pipeline overview at a glance.

Stat cards

The four cards across the top show: Open leads (all non-lost, non-archived leads), Active projects (all projects not yet complete or cancelled), Outstanding (total invoiced but unpaid), and Active galleries (galleries currently in their delivery window). Each card is a shortcut to the relevant section.

Revenue

The revenue card shows Total paid (all time), This month (paid invoices in the current calendar month), and Outstanding (invoiced but not yet paid, with an overdue count if any are past their due date). Below the numbers is a bar chart of monthly revenue for the past 12 months. Hover any bar to see the exact total.

Current projects

The lower-left card shows your five most recent non-complete projects ordered by shoot date. Each row shows the project title, client name, shoot date, and current status badge. Click any row to open the project.

Open leads

The lower-right card shows the five most recently created leads that are not lost, with the client name, shoot type, shoot date, and status badge. Click any row to go to the Leads page.

Leads

Leads are incoming inquiries from potential clients. Every booking starts as a lead.

Creating a lead

Click + New Lead at the top of the Leads page. Fill in the client's name, email, phone, shoot type, shoot date, and budget. You can also add a follow-up date (the date you want to be reminded to chase up the lead) and notes at this stage.

Lead statuses

Each lead has one of three statuses:

• inquiry the default status when a lead is created
• quoted set automatically when you send a quote from this lead
• lost the lead did not convert; you can log an optional lost reason

Sending a quote from a lead

Open the lead and click Create Quote. This creates a quote linked to that lead and opens the quote editor. Once you send the quote, the lead status updates to quoted automatically.

Lost leads

If a client does not proceed, mark the lead as Lost. You will be prompted to enter an optional lost reason (e.g. "price" or "booked elsewhere"). Lost leads are hidden from the active pipeline but can be viewed by filtering.

Archiving

Leads that are no longer relevant can be archived. Archived leads are hidden from all views by default but are never deleted.

Quotes

Quotes let you present your packages and pricing to a client in a branded, professional format. The client receives a link to view and accept (or decline) online with no login required.

Creating a quote

You can create a quote from two places: from the Leads page by opening a lead and clicking Create Quote, or from the Quotes page by clicking + New Quote.

Each quote has a title, optional notes, and one or more line items. Each line item has a description, quantity, and unit price. The total is calculated automatically.

Sending the quote

Once you have added your line items, click Copy client link to get a unique URL. The password is shown directly below the link. Paste both into your email to the client. The client opens the link, enters the password, and sees a clean quote page with no account needed.

Quote statuses

• draft not yet sent
• sent link has been copied or shared with the client
• viewed client has opened the portal page
• accepted client clicked Accept on the quote portal
• declined client clicked Decline

What happens when a client accepts

The quote is marked accepted and the client sees a confirmation message.

If the quote was created from inside a lead (using the "Create Quote" button on the lead page), StudioIvo automatically creates a project and archives the lead. You can then open the project and create a contract from there.

If the quote was created as a standalone quote (from the Quotes page directly), no project is created automatically. You would need to create the project manually.

What happens when a client declines

The quote is marked declined. If the quote was linked to a lead, the lead is automatically moved to lost. You can send a revised quote or follow up directly.

Contracts

Contracts protect both you and your client. StudioIvo lets you send contracts for digital e-signature with no third-party signing service required.

Contract templates

Before creating your first contract, set up templates in Settings > Templates. Give each template a name and paste in your contract body text. You can have multiple templates for different shoot types (e.g. weddings, portraits, commercial).

Creating a contract

Go to Contracts and click + New Contract. You can also create a contract from inside a project. Select a template to pre-fill the body, then customise it if needed.

Sending the contract

Once created, click Copy client link. The password is shown directly below the link. Paste both into your email. The client opens the link, enters the password, and sees the full contract text with a signature field.

How clients sign

On the contract portal page, the client reads the contract, types their full name into the signature field, and clicks Sign and Agree. The contract is immediately marked as signed. If the project was created when the quote was accepted, everything is already linked. If you are using a standalone contract, you attach it to the project manually.

Contract statuses

• draft created but not yet shared with the client
• sent link has been shared, awaiting signature
• signed client has signed; a project is now active
• void manually voided; no longer valid

Viewing a signed contract

Click Preview on any contract to see the print-ready view including the signature block, client name, and signing timestamp. You can print or save it as a PDF from there.

Projects

A project is the central hub for a confirmed booking. It is created automatically when a client signs a contract, and it links everything together: the client, contracts, invoices, and gallery.

Project overview

Each project shows the client name and contact details, shoot type and date, total value with amount paid and outstanding balance, and all linked contracts, invoices, and gallery.

Tabs inside a project

Projects have four tabs: Overview (key stats and client info), Contracts (view and manage contracts for this project), Invoices (create and track invoices), and Gallery (upload and deliver the finished gallery).

Project statuses

• tentative interest confirmed but not fully locked in
• confirmed booking confirmed, contract signed
• shooting shoot day is today or in progress
• editing shoot done, editing in progress
• delivered gallery has been sent to the client
• complete fully delivered and paid
• cancelled booking cancelled

Client portal

Each project has a unique client portal where the client can see their contract, invoice, and gallery in one place. Find the portal link and password in the project's Overview tab under the Portal section. Share both the link and the password with your client.

Invoices

You can create multiple invoices per project, typically a deposit invoice upfront and a final invoice after the shoot. Each invoice is standalone with its own line items, due date, and payment status.

Creating an invoice

Open a project and go to the Invoices tab, then click + New Invoice. Add line items, set a due date, and add any notes. The invoice total is calculated automatically.

You can also create invoices from the top-level Invoices page if you need an invoice that is not linked to a project.

Sending to the client

Click Copy client link to get the invoice portal URL. The password is shown directly below. Send both to your client by email. They open the link, enter the password, and see the invoice with your bank transfer details if you have set them up.

Invoice statuses

• draft not yet sent
• sent issued to the client
• partial a deposit has been received but the full amount is still outstanding
• paid payment received in full and marked manually
• overdue past the due date and not yet paid

Marking as paid

When you receive payment (bank transfer, cash, card), open the invoice and click Mark as paid. This updates the project's outstanding balance and counts toward your revenue stats on the Dashboard.

Payment methods

StudioIvo shows your bank transfer details on the invoice portal page so clients know how to pay. Set these up in Settings > Payments.

Galleries

Galleries are StudioIvo's delivery system. Upload your finished files, then give the client a private link to download everything within a 30-day window.

Creating a gallery

Go to Galleries and click + New Gallery, or open a project and use the Gallery tab. Give the gallery a title and link it to the relevant project.

Uploading files

Click Upload files inside the gallery. You can select multiple files at once. Supported types include JPEG, PNG, TIFF, HEIC, WebP, MP4, MOV, AVI, ZIP, and PDF. Each studio has a 10 GB total storage limit across all galleries.

Sending to the client

Once files are uploaded, click Deliver gallery. This starts the 30-day download window. Copy the client link and password shown on screen and send both to your client. They open the link, enter the password, and can download the files with no account needed.

Renewing a gallery

If a client needs more time, open the gallery and click Renew +30 days. This extends the window by 30 days and is available once per gallery while the gallery is still active.

Deleting files

Individual files can be removed from a gallery at any time using the delete icon in the file list. Deleting a file frees up the storage it used.

Storage limit

Your studio has 10 GB of total gallery storage. You can monitor usage in Settings > Subscription. If you are approaching the limit, delete files from old delivered galleries to free up space.

Clients

StudioIvo maintains a client directory that is built automatically as you create leads and projects.

Viewing clients

The Clients page lists everyone who has inquired or booked with your studio. Each client record shows their contact details and a history of all associated leads and projects.

Editing client details

Open a client record and click Edit to update their name, email, or phone number. Changes apply across all linked leads and projects.

Clients from the lead capture form

When someone submits your lead capture form, a client record is created automatically using the email address they provide. If a client with that email already exists in your studio, the record is updated rather than duplicated.

Client Portal

The client portal is a set of public-facing pages your clients access via unique links with no account or login required. There are four distinct portal types: quotes, contracts, invoices, and galleries.

Passwords

Every portal page is protected by a 6-character password that StudioIvo generates automatically (for example AX7P2Q). When you share a link with a client, always include the password. Here is where to find each one:

• Quote: open the quote and click Copy client link. The password appears directly below the link.
• Contract: open the contract and click Copy client link. The password appears directly below the link.
• Invoice: open the invoice and click Copy client link. The password appears directly below the link.
• Gallery: open the gallery and click Deliver gallery. Both the link and password are displayed on screen.
• Project portal: open the project and scroll to the Portal section in the Overview tab. The link and password are listed there.

Quote portal

The client enters their password and sees your quote with all line items and the total. They can click Accept or Decline. You are notified instantly when they do either.

Contract portal

The client enters their password and sees the full contract text. They type their name into the signature field and click Sign and Agree. The contract is recorded as signed and a project is created automatically.

Invoice portal

The client enters their password and sees the invoice breakdown along with your bank transfer details (if you have set them up in Settings). Payment is collected outside the app; you mark it as paid manually inside StudioIvo.

Gallery portal

The client enters their password and sees all the files you have uploaded. They can download files individually or all at once. The page shows how many days remain in their 30-day download window.

Calendar

The Calendar gives you a unified view of everything happening across your studio: shoot dates, invoice due dates, and lead follow-ups, all in one place.

Opening the Calendar

Click Calendar in the sidebar. The calendar opens in month view by default. Switch between Month, Week, and Agenda views using the toolbar at the top.

What appears on the calendar

• Blue (Shoots): every project with a shoot date set
• Amber (Invoices due): unpaid invoices with a due date
• Purple (Follow-ups): leads with a follow-up date set

Rescheduling by drag and drop

In month or week view, you can drag any event to a different day to reschedule it. The change saves immediately to the project, invoice, or lead with no separate save step needed. The new date reflects everywhere in the app instantly.

Clicking an event

Click any event to navigate to the related record. Shoot events go to the project detail page; invoice events go to the invoices list; follow-up events go to the leads list.

Adding follow-up dates to leads

Open a lead and set a Follow-up date. It will appear on the calendar in purple on that day as a reminder to contact the client. Once the lead is converted or marked as lost, it disappears from the calendar automatically.

Notifications

Once you subscribe to your calendar link (see below), your shoots, invoice due dates, and follow-ups appear as regular events in your phone or computer's calendar app. You can set alerts on any event, for example "1 day before shoot" or "morning of the shoot", and you will get a native notification on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, or Windows PC exactly like any other appointment.

Getting your calendar link

1. Open StudioIvo and click Settings in the sidebar
2. Click the Calendar tab
3. Click Copy link

Your calendar link is now in your clipboard. Follow the steps for your device below.

iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad (the grey cog icon, not StudioIvo)
2. Scroll down and tap Calendar
3. Tap Accounts
4. Tap Add Account
5. Tap Other (at the bottom of the list)
6. Tap Add Subscribed Calendar
7. Paste your calendar link into the Server field and tap Next
8. Tap Save

Your StudioIvo calendar will now appear in the Calendar app on your iPhone and iPad. Events refresh roughly every hour automatically.

Mac (Apple Calendar)

1. Open the Calendar app on your Mac
2. In the menu bar click File then New Calendar Subscription
3. Paste your calendar link and click Subscribe
4. In the options that appear, set Auto-refresh to Every Hour
5. Click OK

The calendar appears in your sidebar under "Other". If your Mac is signed into iCloud, it automatically syncs to your iPhone and iPad too. You do not need to add it separately on those devices.

Google Calendar (desktop browser)

1. Go to calendar.google.com in your browser
2. In the left sidebar, find Other calendars and click the + button next to it
3. Click From URL
4. Paste your calendar link and click Add calendar

Your StudioIvo events will appear in Google Calendar and sync to any Android phone linked to that Google account. Note: Google caches ICS feeds and typically refreshes every 12 to 24 hours, so changes may take some time to appear.

Android (via Google Calendar)

Follow the Google Calendar steps above on your desktop browser. Once added, it syncs automatically to the Google Calendar app on your Android phone with no extra steps needed on the phone itself.

Outlook (Windows or Mac)

1. Open Outlook
2. Go to your Calendar view
3. Click Add calendar (or Open Calendar depending on your version)
4. Choose From internet or Subscribe from web
5. Paste your calendar link and click OK

Lead Capture

The lead capture form is a branded, public-facing form you can share with potential clients or embed directly on your website. When someone fills it in, they are automatically added to your Leads and you receive an email notification. No manual data entry required.

How it works

Each studio has a unique lead capture URL. Potential clients open the link, fill in their details (name, email, phone, shoot type, shoot date, budget, and a message), and hit Send inquiry. StudioIvo creates a client record and a lead instantly.

Getting your lead capture link

1. Open StudioIvo and click Settings in the sidebar
2. Click the Lead Capture tab
3. Click Copy link to copy your shareable URL

Share the link anywhere: in your email signature, on social media, in a WhatsApp message, or as a button on your portfolio website.

Embedding on your website

In the Lead Capture tab, click Copy embed to copy the iframe code. Paste it into your website's HTML wherever you want the form to appear. The form is fully responsive and automatically uses your studio's brand colour.

Example embed code:

<iframe src="https://app.studioivo.com/inquiry/YOUR_TOKEN" width="100%" height="700" frameborder="0" style="border:none;border-radius:12px;"></iframe>

Customising the form

In Settings > Lead Capture you can toggle the form on or off, write an introduction message shown at the top of the form, and set a thank-you message shown to the client after submission. Click Save settings after any changes.

What the client sees

The form shows your studio name and uses your primary colour. Fields include name, email, phone, shoot type, event date, approximate budget, and a free-text message. Name and email are required; all other fields are optional.

What happens after submission

1. A client is created (or updated if the email already exists in your studio)
2. A lead is created with status inquiry
3. You receive an email notification with all the inquiry details and a link directly to the lead in StudioIvo
4. The client sees your thank-you message on screen

Settings

Settings is split into eight tabs: Studio, Currency & Tax, Payments, Lead Capture, Calendar, Templates, Team, and Subscription.

Studio

Set your studio name, website, business address, and tax or company registration number. This information appears on contracts, invoices, and client portal pages.

Currency & Tax

Choose your default currency and number format. Set a tax name (e.g. VAT or GST) and rate if applicable. When a rate is set it is applied to all quotes and invoices automatically.

Payments

Enter your bank account details (account name, IBAN, BIC/SWIFT, and payment instructions). These are shown to clients on the invoice portal page so they know exactly how to pay you.

Lead Capture

Configure your public lead capture form. Toggle it on or off, set an introduction message and a thank-you message, copy the shareable link, or copy the embed code to paste into your website. Every submission creates a client and a lead in your pipeline automatically.

Calendar

Copy your personal ICS feed link and subscribe to it in Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, Outlook, or any CalDAV app. Quick-start instructions for every platform are shown directly on this tab. Your shoots, invoice due dates, and lead follow-ups all appear as native calendar events with full notification support.

Templates

Create and manage your contract templates. Each template has a name and a body. When creating a contract you choose a template to pre-fill the text, then edit it as needed.

Team

Invite colleagues to your studio. Team members can access all leads, projects, contracts, invoices, and galleries. Only the studio owner can change billing settings or invite and remove members.

Subscription

View your current plan, billing interval (monthly or yearly), and renewal date. The storage usage bar shows how much of your 10 GB gallery storage is in use. Upgrade, switch billing interval, or cancel from here.

Billing

Free trial

All new studios start with a 14-day free trial. No credit card is required to start. During the trial you have full access to every feature.

Plans and pricing

StudioIvo has one plan, StudioIvo Pro, with access to everything. You choose monthly or yearly billing:

• Monthly: €3.99 per month
• Yearly: billed once annually, equivalent to around €3.39 per month (saves roughly 15%)

Subscribing

At the end of your trial, or at any time from Settings > Subscription, click Upgrade to Pro. You will be taken to a secure Stripe checkout page to enter your payment details. Billing is fully automatic from that point.

Cancelling

You can cancel at any time from Settings > Subscription. You will retain access until the end of the current billing period. Your data is not deleted when you cancel.

What happens after trial ends without subscribing

If your trial ends without a subscription, your account enters a read-only state. Your data is preserved and you can still log in and view everything, but you will not be able to create new leads, send quotes, or upload files until you subscribe.