A bottle is a private page that carries your message: words, photos, video, links. It has its own secret link. You send the link (usually as a picture) and the recipient opens it when they're ready. The image you choose IS the invitation — they see your picture first, tap it, and the bottle opens.

A Message Book is Message Bottle's page-by-page format for longer messages. Choose Message Book in the builder, select a cover and paper style, then use [page] for a page turn or [chapter: The Beginning] for a new chapter. Readers can swipe, bookmark pages, save highlights, resume where they stopped, and switch to a continuous Reading View.

Choose Broadcast message when the same Bottle or Book is meant for a group text, email list, team, family, or distribution group. Everyone receives the same private link and views are counted together. Anyone who has the link can open it, but replies are visible only to the sender. Message Bottle prepares the link and share text; it does not maintain or email a contact list.

From the builder: pick a hero image (upload your own or choose from the Hero Library dropdown right under the upload field), write your message, choose a lifetime, hit Create message. You'll land on a share card with Copy Link / Share buttons.

Both the builder and every Edit page have a dropdown labeled '…or pick one from the Hero Library' directly under the hero upload field. Pick a category image and a preview appears. No upload needed.

Open Additional Options → Extra Photos, select one or more images. Place each one anywhere in your message by clicking its [Insert] chip (or typing [photo1], [photo2]… on its own line). Unplaced photos appear as a gallery under the message.

Upload a .gif file as an Extra Photo — it keeps its animation on the bottle page. Place it with [photo N] like any photo. There are also built-in page animations (fade-in, bobbing, shimmer, sparkles) under Additional Options → Animation.

Additional Options → Video: one clip per bottle (iPhone videos fine — they're converted automatically; 90 MB max). Place with [video1] or it appears under the message. Tick 'Use video as hero' to make the video the star: its thumbnail becomes the preview image and the video plays at the top.

If 'Allow the recipient to reply' is on, the bottle page ends with a Write back form — text, a link, up to 3 photos, no account needed. Replies appear under that bottle in your My Bottles list. Nobody else ever sees them.

Every bottle has a lifetime (48 hours by default; up to Forever). When time runs out it drifts away: visitors see a gentle goodbye instead of the message. You keep everything — content, views, replies — and one click on Recall & Extend brings it back with a fresh clock.

Exactly two things: your image-invitation in their messages, and the bottle page when they tap it. Never a website menu, never other bottles, never your account.