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This guide walks you through every step from downloading Copycat to sharing a vault link with your first client. Each step links to a detailed guide if you need more help along the way.
1

Download and install Copycat

Download the installer for your platform from copy-cat.in and follow the setup steps for macOS or Windows.See Download and install Copycat for the full instructions.
2

Activate your license

When Copycat opens for the first time, the license activation screen appears. Enter your license key and click Activate.If you don’t have a license key yet, click Start Trial to begin a free trial. Your remaining trial days are shown in the license panel while the trial is active.
Your license is verified online and tied to this device. You can deactivate it later from Settings if you want to move it to a different machine.
3

Connect Google Drive

Vault mode stores your encrypted preview vault on Google Drive. Go to Settings → Google Drive and click Connect Google Account. Sign in with the Google account you want to use for vault storage.See Set up Google Drive for details on permissions and storage.
4

Create your first vault

Switch to Vault mode in the mode selector at the top of the app.
  1. Click Choose Source Folder and select the folder containing your JPEG previews.
  2. Enter a project name in the Project name field.
  3. Click Create Vault.
Copycat indexes the source folder, encrypts the preview data, uploads it to Google Drive, and generates a vault URL, short code, and passphrase.See Create a vault for full details on vault creation options.
5

Share the vault link and passphrase with your client

Once the vault is created, Copycat shows the vault URL and passphrase. Copy both and send them to your client however you prefer — email, WhatsApp, your studio’s client portal, or anything else.Your client opens the URL in any browser, enters the passphrase to unlock the vault, and selects or rejects photos. No app download is required on their end.
Copy the passphrase hint along with the full passphrase — your client will see the hint on the unlock screen if they forget.
6

Sync selections and copy RAW files

When your client finishes selecting, come back to Copycat and click Sync Selections. Copycat downloads their choices from the vault.Next, click Copy Selected RAW, choose your RAW source folder and a destination, and Copycat copies only the files your client selected.See Sync and copy RAW files for details on handling multi-match files and copy reports.

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Next steps

Create a vault

Detailed guide to vault settings, expiry, and passphrase options.

Sync and copy RAW files

What to do after your client finishes selecting.

Reference mode

Copy RAWs from an exported filename list without a vault.

Paste mode

Paste filenames directly into Copycat for quick copy runs.