Lightroom Client Selection Workflow: Find Client Picks by Filename

To bring client selections from like.photos into Lightroom Classic, copy the selected filenames, filter the original shoot by those names, check the matches, and save them to a collection. This is a manual filename-matching workflow: it does not automatically synchronize your catalog.

like.photos also offers a CSV download of selected filenames. That file is a reference list, not an XMP export or a Lightroom metadata import. The steps below describe Lightroom Classic's Library module, not the cloud-based Lightroom app.

Keep preview names matched to your originals

The workflow depends on a shared base filename. For example, a client chooses DSC_0421.jpg in a proofing gallery, and the corresponding original in your catalog is DSC_0421.NEF. Removing the extension gives the matching name DSC_0421.

Before you upload proofs:

• Keep the original base names when exporting JPEG previews.
• Avoid renumbering the proofing export independently of the RAW files.
• Use unique names within a shoot, particularly when combining multiple cameras.
• Keep that shoot in its own folder or collection so another job's DSC_0421 is not included accidentally.

If you already exported renamed files, establish a reliable mapping before filtering. Guessing from similar numbers is not a safe way to choose a client's final images. Our guide to organizing photography files explains the broader folder and naming workflow.

Copy the client's selected filenames

Open your project in like.photos and go to Results. Use the relevant client's selection when the project has multiple clients; do not confuse an individual selection with the combined result.

In the Liked file names panel:

1. Leave Include file extensions off when matching JPEG proofs to RAW originals.
2. Click Copy filenames. The copied names are separated by spaces on one line.
3. Keep the displayed count of filenames available for comparison.
4. Optionally click CSV to save a filename list for your records.

For a small illustrative selection, the copied text might be: DSC_0421 DSC_0438 DSC_0502. These are example names, not files added to your gallery.

The CSV does not include star ratings, Lightroom flags, catalog paths, or metadata instructions. You should not rename it to an XMP file or expect Lightroom to import it as selections.

Filter the shoot in Lightroom Classic

Start with the folder or collection containing the original shoot, not the entire catalog. Clear other active filters, such as star ratings, flags, or color labels, so they do not hide a selected image.

1. Switch to the Library module and Grid view.
2. Open the Library Filter bar and select Text.
3. Set the searchable field to Filename.
4. Use Contains, not Contains All, for a list of alternative filename terms.
5. Paste a short list first, confirm that the expected photographs appear, then use the remaining selected names.

Adobe's community discussion on searching for multiple filenames documents this approach and its limitations, including pasted line breaks and filenames containing spaces. Menu wording and matching behavior can vary by version; confirm a small selection before relying on a large batch.

A text filter matches text, not a unique photo identity. A short term can match more than one filename. For example, a numbered base name may also match a longer name with an added suffix. Inspect the results instead of assuming that any returned image is correct.

Check the matches before flagging photos

Compare the number of visible originals with the number of selected names, then inspect the filenames and thumbnails. Equal counts alone do not prove that every match is correct.

Once you have confirmed the matches, select the intended photos in Grid view and use Photo > Set Flag > Flagged, or add them to a dedicated collection such as Client selects. A collection keeps the selection easy to revisit after you clear the text filter.

For RAW+JPEG pairs, virtual copies, or repeated camera filenames, the visible count may exceed the client's selection count. Choose the intended originals explicitly. Do not delete or reject the other files merely because they were not selected for retouching.

Troubleshoot missing or unexpected results

Nothing appears

Check that you are in the correct shoot and that rating or flag filters are cleared. Confirm the search field is Filename, and try one complete base name. A renamed export cannot match an original whose base name is different.

Pasting several names fails

Check for line breaks, tabs, or unexpected whitespace introduced by another application. Use the one-line copy from Results. Filenames that themselves contain spaces can make a multi-term text search ambiguous: look up those files individually rather than trusting a combined search.

Too many images appear

Search within the current shoot, not All Photographs. Inspect repeated camera numbers, RAW+JPEG pairs, and filenames with suffixes. Use longer, specific base names, and manually confirm any remaining ambiguous matches.

The client changes their selection

Copy the current selection again and reconcile it against your saved collection. There is no automatic catalog synchronization, so an old collection does not update when a client changes a heart in the gallery.

What about cloud Lightroom and XMP?

The cloud-based Lightroom app does not share Lightroom Classic's Library Filter interface. Do not assume that the steps above, or a pasted list of filenames, will work identically there. Use a workflow supported by your edition and check it with a small sample.

like.photos does not export XMP sidecars or automatically write client choices into Lightroom ratings, flags, or synced collections. If you use a separate metadata tool or plugin, follow its documentation and back up your catalog and existing metadata before making changes. That is a separate workflow, not a built-in like.photos feature.

A repeatable handoff after every selection

Keep preview and original names aligned, copy the right client's latest selection, filter within the correct shoot, verify matches, and save the result to a collection. This gives you an explicit handoff without pretending that a filename list is an automatic integration.

If the selection has not happened yet, start with sending photos to clients for selection. You can use like.photos for the proofing step, then locate and retouch the selected originals in your own editor.