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Sharing Wishlists

BookWish makes it easy to share your reading lists with others. Whether you want to inspire fellow readers, coordinate book club selections, or create a gift registry, wishlist sharing keeps everyone connected to your reading life.

Privacy Settings​

Control who can see each wishlist with privacy settings.

Public Wishlists​

Who Can See: Everyone on BookWish

Public wishlists are:

  • ✅ Visible to all BookWish users
  • ✅ Shown on your profile
  • ✅ Searchable within the app
  • ✅ Shareable via direct links
  • ✅ Discoverable in community feeds (if your profile is public)

Best For:

  • Reading recommendations for others
  • Book club selections
  • Favorite books by genre
  • Reading challenge lists
  • Community building

Private Wishlists​

Who Can See: Only you

Private wishlists are:

  • 🔒 Visible only to you
  • 🔒 Not shown on your profile
  • 🔒 Not searchable
  • 🔒 Cannot be shared via links
  • 🔒 Marked with a lock icon

Best For:

  • Gift planning for friends/family
  • Personal reading goals
  • Books on sensitive topics
  • Work/research reading lists
  • Private collections

Code Reference: Privacy setting in /app/lib/api/models/wishlist.dart (line 8) and edit dialog in /app/lib/ui/pages/wish/wish_page.dart (lines 146-151).

Changing Privacy​

To toggle a wishlist between public and private:

  1. Go to the Wish tab
  2. Find the wishlist you want to modify
  3. Tap the pencil icon (edit button)
  4. Toggle the "Private" switch
    • ON = Private (lock icon)
    • OFF = Public (list icon)
  5. Tap "Save"

The wishlist icon updates immediately to show privacy status.

Mixed Privacy

You can have both public and private wishlists. Each list's privacy is independent, giving you fine-grained control over what you share.

Profile Privacy​

Your overall profile privacy setting affects wishlist visibility:

Public Profile​

  • Default setting
  • Anyone can view your public wishlists
  • Your profile appears in search results
  • Your posts show in community feeds
  • Private wishlists remain hidden

Private Profile​

  • Opt-in setting
  • Only followers see your wishlists (even public ones)
  • Profile doesn't appear in search
  • Posts only visible to followers
  • More restrictive than wishlist-level privacy

How to Set: Settings → Preferences tab → "Private Profile" toggle

Code Reference: Privacy preference in /app/lib/ui/overlays/settings_overlay.dart (lines 547-557).

Privacy Hierarchy

Individual wishlist privacy overrides profile privacy. A private wishlist is always hidden, even on a public profile. But a public wishlist on a private profile is only visible to followers.

Sharing Methods​

Share via Profile​

The simplest way to share is through your profile:

  1. Make wishlists public (see Privacy Settings above)

  2. Share your profile:

    • Tap your avatar → "Edit Profile & Settings"
    • Share your username: @yourusername
    • Others can find you via search

  3. Others can view:

    • Visit your profile
    • See your wishlist count in stats
    • Browse your public wishlists
    • Tap books to see details

Public wishlists have shareable web URLs:

URL Format: bookwish.app/wishlist/{slug}

Where {slug} is the wishlist's unique identifier.

To Share:

  1. Copy the wishlist URL
  2. Send via text, email, or social media
  3. Recipients can view in browser or app
  4. No BookWish account required to view

Data Model: Wishlist slug in /app/lib/api/models/wishlist.dart (line 6).

Direct Book Sharing​

Share individual books from your wishlist:

  1. Tap a book to open details
  2. Tap the Share button
  3. Choose sharing method:
    • Copy link
    • Message
    • Email
    • Social media
  4. Recipients see the book details

Viewing Others' Wishlists​

When you view someone else's wishlist:

What You Can See​

  • Wishlist name
  • All books in the list
  • Book covers, titles, authors
  • Number of items

What You Cannot See​

  • Private wishlists (they're hidden)
  • Other users' reading status for books
  • Other users' priority settings
  • Other users' private notes/scribbles

What You Can Do​

  • Browse the book list
  • Tap books to see details
  • Add books to your own wishlists
  • Follow the user to see their future additions

Code Reference: Profile overlay shows wishlists at /app/lib/ui/overlays/profile_overlay.dart (line 332).

Use Cases​

Book Recommendations​

Share your favorite books by genre:

  1. Create public wishlists like:
    • "Best Sci-Fi of 2024"
    • "Mystery Favorites"
    • "Life-Changing Books"
  2. Add books with context (use notes)
  3. Share your profile with friends
  4. They browse and add books they like

Book Club Coordination​

Coordinate reading with your club:

  1. Create a public "Book Club Picks" wishlist
  2. Add nominated books
  3. Use priority for voting (High = top choice)
  4. Share the wishlist with all members
  5. Everyone can see selections and add to their own lists

Gift Registry​

Let gift-givers know what you want:

  1. Create a public "Birthday Wishlist" or "Holiday Wishlist"
  2. Add books you'd love to receive
  3. Use priority for most-wanted
  4. Share the link with family/friends
  5. They can see what you want and mark what they bought (see Gift Registry guide)

Reading Challenges​

Share your challenge progress:

  1. Create public challenge-specific wishlists
  2. Add required/completed books
  3. Use status to show progress
  4. Share with challenge participants
  5. Inspire and motivate each other

Themed Collections​

Curate and share themed collections:

  1. Create public topical lists:
    • "Books About Climate Change"
    • "Diverse Voices in Fiction"
    • "Classic Literature Starter Pack"
  2. Add comprehensive selections
  3. Share as a resource for others
  4. Build reputation as a curator

Privacy Best Practices​

What to Make Public​

  • Reading recommendations
  • Favorite books lists
  • Book club selections
  • Reading challenge progress
  • Themed collections for community

What to Keep Private​

  • Gift planning for others
  • Personal reading goals
  • Books on sensitive topics
  • Research/work reading
  • Anything you prefer to keep personal

Review Regularly​

  • Check privacy settings quarterly
  • Adjust as your needs change
  • Remember: defaults to your preference on creation

Community Features​

Following Users​

To see someone's wishlist updates:

  1. Visit their profile
  2. Tap "Follow" button
  3. Their public wishlist additions appear in your feed
  4. Discover books through their selections

Code Reference: Follow button in /app/lib/ui/overlays/profile_overlay.dart (lines 186-207).

Discovery​

Find wishlists through:

  • Search: Find users by name/username
  • Followers/Following: Browse connections' wishlists
  • Community Feeds: See what others are adding
  • Book Details: See who else added this book

Technical Details​

Wishlist Slugs​

Each wishlist has a unique slug for URLs:

  • Generated from the wishlist name
  • Lowercase, hyphenated
  • Used in shareable links
  • Permanent (doesn't change with rename)

Data: Stored in /app/lib/api/models/wishlist.dart (line 6).

Privacy Enforcement​

Privacy is enforced at multiple levels:

  • API level: Server checks permissions
  • UI level: Private lists don't render for others
  • Link sharing: Private lists return 403 Forbidden
  • Search: Private lists excluded from results

Sync Across Devices​

Privacy settings sync instantly:

  • Change privacy on phone → updates on web immediately
  • Cloud-backed for consistency
  • Real-time updates across sessions

Troubleshooting​

"Wishlist Not Found" Error​

If recipients see this error:

  1. Verify the wishlist is public
  2. Check the URL is correct
  3. Ensure the wishlist wasn't deleted
  4. Try refreshing the page

Can't Find User's Wishlist​

If you can't see someone's wishlists:

  1. They may have a private profile (follow them)
  2. Individual wishlists may be private
  3. They might not have created wishlists yet
  4. Check you're viewing the correct user

Privacy Change Doesn't Update​

If privacy changes don't apply:

  1. Ensure you tapped "Save"
  2. Check your internet connection
  3. Refresh the wishlist view
  4. Try again if it failed

Future Enhancements​

Upcoming sharing features may include:

  • Collaborative wishlists (shared editing)
  • Wishlist templates
  • Export to other platforms
  • Social media previews
  • QR codes for wishlists

Best Practices​

Naming for Sharing​

When creating shareable wishlists:

  • Use clear, descriptive names
  • Include context (genre, theme, purpose)
  • Avoid abbreviations others won't understand
  • Consider SEO if sharing widely

Organization for Viewers​

Make shared wishlists easy to browse:

  • Group similar books together
  • Use priority for recommendations
  • Keep lists focused (not too many books)
  • Update regularly to stay relevant

Privacy Etiquette​

  • Respect others' privacy choices
  • Don't share private information about others' reading
  • Ask before copying someone's entire wishlist publicly
  • Give credit when curating others' recommendations

Next Steps​