How Protection Works
Understand what Photolock protects and how
Protection Layers
Photolock uses multiple layers of protection to prevent image and content theft:
| Layer | What It Does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Input Blocking | Intercepts keyboard and mouse actions | Blocks right-click, Ctrl+C, drag & drop |
| Visual Shields | Adds invisible barriers over images | Image Shield serves a blank file on "Save As" |
| Watermarks | Embeds marks on images | Invisible watermarks trace leaked screenshots |
| Detection | Identifies suspicious tools and behavior | Blocks spy extensions like PPSPY |
| Warnings | Deters theft with visible messages | Shows a warning overlay on right-click attempts |
How Features Work Together
Each protection feature operates independently — you can enable any combination. For example:
- Right-Click Lock blocks the context menu, while Image Shield ensures that even if someone bypasses it, they download a blank image
- Screenshot Lock blocks keyboard shortcuts, while Invisible Watermark marks any screenshots that slip through
- Smart Activation keeps all your enabled protections dormant until suspicious behavior is detected, giving normal visitors an uninterrupted experience
What Protection Can and Cannot Prevent
Photolock is highly effective at deterring casual image theft — the vast majority of attempts by store visitors. It blocks common actions like right-clicking, dragging, copying, and using keyboard shortcuts.
However, no client-side protection can fully prevent a technically determined user from capturing content. Photolock's goal is to make theft significantly harder and less convenient, discouraging most visitors from attempting it.
Theme Editor Behavior
Protection is automatically disabled when you're editing your theme in the Shopify theme editor. This ensures you can customize your store without any interference. Protection only activates on your live store for real visitors.