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.

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 bottle. 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.