Export Client Picks to Lightroom (XMP, CSV)

Numbers in an email, a Lightroom filter and an hour of searching

The classic workflow: the client sends back “IMG_4512, 4519, 4533…”, and you type the numbers one by one into a Lightroom filter or scroll the catalogue and flag frames by hand. With 40 photos it is tedious. With 300 from a wedding it is an hour of work and a guaranteed mistake.

Then come the notes: “this one in black and white”, “please remove the person in the background”. They live in the email body, not on the photo, so while editing you keep switching between the catalogue and your inbox.

The client’s choice is data. Data should not be retyped by hand — it should reach the catalogue on its own.

How the client’s choice gets into Lightroom

An XMP file for every picked photo

You download a ZIP with one .xmp file per frame the client chose. Each file is named after its photo, so the XMP lands on the right frame.

The client’s stars

The rating the client gave in the gallery (1–5 stars) is written into the file as the rating you see in Lightroom.

A green label

Every chosen photo gets the green colour label, so one click filters the selection in your catalogue.

The note on the photo

The client’s remark on a chosen frame lands in the Caption field, not in a separate email.

A CSV of the whole list

Prefer a table? The CSV export lists every file with columns for selected (yes/no), rating and note — for a list filter or your own scripts.

With every proofing gallery

The export buttons appear in the client-selection tab as soon as the client marks anything. TXT and PDF lists sit right next to them.

How to load the client’s selection into Lightroom Classic — step by step

1. Upload photos with their original file names. When exporting previews for the gallery, keep the names — the XMP matches the RAW file by name (IMG_4512.CR3 ↔ IMG_4512.xmp).

2. Download the XMP from the panel. Open the client-selection tab of the gallery and click “Lightroom XMP”. You get a ZIP of .xmp files for the chosen frames only.

3. Unzip next to the RAW files. Copy the .xmp files into the folder holding the shoot’s originals. If you already keep your own .xmp files with edits there, back them up first — the Pixchoose files share their names and will replace them.

4. Read the metadata. Select the photos in the catalogue and choose Metadata → Read Metadata from Files. Do it before editing, because reading replaces the settings stored in the catalogue. On a fresh import Lightroom picks up the XMP by itself.

5. Filter and edit. In the filter bar pick the green label or a rating — you see exactly the frames the client chose, with their notes in the Caption field.

Questions about the Lightroom export

Which version of Lightroom does it work with?

The XMP files are made for Lightroom Classic, which reads .xmp sidecars sitting next to RAW photos. The CSV export is a plain table, so you can open it in any program.

Will the XMP overwrite my edits?

A Pixchoose file holds only the rating, the label and the note. If you already keep your own .xmp files with edits next to the RAWs, unzipping the archive replaces them — so load the client’s choice before editing, or back up the folder.

What if I work with JPEGs?

Lightroom Classic does not read .xmp files next to JPEGs (it keeps metadata inside the file itself), so for JPEGs the CSV export or the TXT list of file names for a filter is the better fit.

Where do the stars come from?

The client can rate a photo from 1 to 5 stars in the frame preview. If they do not, the chosen photo reaches Lightroom without a rating but with the green label.

Does the export cost extra?

No. The Lightroom export is part of every Proofing gallery — you pay for the gallery, with no subscription and no add-on modules.

Stop retyping photo numbers

Open a free account, send the client a gallery and load their choice into Lightroom with one file. New accounts receive starter credit.

Create a free account

Lightroom selection export: your client’s picks, right in your catalogue