Bulk Uploading to Immich with immich-go

You may have an extended collection of personal photos and videos accumulated during years and stored in several folders, a NAS, on your own Google Photos account, or on partner's account. And you want to move them to an Immich server you own.

The immich-go tool will help you to import massive Google Photos archives and your NAS folder:

• import from folder(s).
• import from zipped archives without prior extraction.
• discard duplicate images, based on the file name, and the date of capture.
• import only missing files or better files (an delete the inferior copy from the server).
• import from Google Photos takeout archives:
  • use metadata to bypass file name discrepancies in the archive
  • use metadata to get album real names
  • use date of capture found in the json files
• import photos taken within a date range.
• create albums based on Google Photos albums or folder names.
• remove duplicated assets, based on the file name, date of capture, and file size
• no installation, no dependencies.

⚠️ This an early version, not yet extensively tested
⚠️ Keep a backup copy of your files for safety

For insights into the reasoning behind this alternative to immich-cli, please refer to the Motivation section below.

Installation from release:

Installing immich-go is a straightforward process. Visit the latest release page and select the binary file compatible with your system:

• Darwin arm-64, x86-64
• Linux arm-64, x86-64, i386
• Windows arm-64, x86-64, i386

The installation process involves copying and decompressing the corresponding binary executable onto your system. Open a shell and run the command immich-go.

⚠️ Please note that the linux x86-64 version is the only one tested.

Installation from sources

For a source-based installation, ensure you have the necessary Go language development tools (https://go.dev/doc/install) in place. Download the source files or clone the repository.

Notably, there are no external dependencies to complicate the process.

Executing immich-go

The immich-go program uses the Immich API. Hence it need the server address and a valid API key.

immich-go -server URL -key KEY -general_options COMMAND -command_options... {files}

-server URL URL of the Immich service, example http://:2283 or https://your-domain
-key KEY A key generated by the user. Uploaded photos will belong to the key's owner.
-no-colors-log Remove color codes from logs.
-log-level Adjust the log verbosity as follow: (Default OK)

• ERROR: Display only errors
• WARNING: Same as previous one plus non blocking error
• OK: Same as previous plus actions
• INFO: Same as previous one plus progressions

Command upload

Use this command for uploading photos and videos from a local directory, a zipped folder or all zip files that google photo takeout procedure has generated.

Switches and options:

-album "ALBUM NAME" Import assets into the Immich album ALBUM NAME.
-device-uuid VALUE Force the device identification (default $HOSTNAME).
-dry-run Preview all actions as they would be done.
-delete Delete local assets after successful upload.
-create-album-folder <bool> Generate immich albums after folder names.
-force-sidecar <bool> Force sending a .xmp sidecar file beside images. With Google photos date and GPS coordinates are taken from metadata.json files. (default: FALSE).

Date selection:

Fine-tune import based on specific dates:
-date YYYY-MM-DD import photos taken on a particular day.
-date YYYY-MM select photos taken during a particular month.
-date YYYY select photos taken during a particular year.
-date YYYY-MM-DD,YYYY-MM-DD select photos taken within this date range.

Google photos options:

Specialized options for Google Photos management: -google-photos import from a Google Photos structured archive, recreating corresponding albums.
-from-album "GP Album" import assets for the given album, and mirrors it in Immich.
-create-albums <bool> Controls recreation of Google Photos albums in Immich (default: TRUE).
-keep-partner <bool> Specifies inclusion or exclusion of partner-taken photos (default: TRUE).
-partner-album "partner's album" import assets from partner into given album.
-keep-trashed <bool> Determines whether to import trashed images (default: FALSE).

Example Usage: uploading a Google photos takeout archive

To illustrate, here's a command importing photos from a Google Photos takeout archive captured between June 1st and June 30th, 2019, while auto-generating albums:

./immich-go -server=http://mynas:2283 -key=zzV6k65KGLNB9mpGeri9n8Jk1VaNGHSCdoH1dY8jQ upload
-create-albums -google-photos -date=2019-06 ~/Download/takeout-*.zip             

Command duplicate

Use this command for analyzing the content of your immich server to find any files that share the same file name, the date of capture, but having different size. Before deleting the inferior copies, the system get all albums they belong to, and add the superior copy to them.

Switches and options:

-yes Assume Yes to all questions (default: FALSE).
-date Check only assets have a date of capture in the given range. (default: 1850-01-04,2030-01-01)

Example Usage: clean the immich server after having merged a google photo archive and original files

This command examine the immich server content, remove less quality images, and preserve albums.

NOTE: You should disable the dry run mode explicitly.

./immich-go -server=http://mynas:2283 -key=zzV6k65KGLNB9mpGeri9n8Jk1VaNGHSCdoH1dY8jQ duplicate -dry-run=false

Merging strategy

The local file is analyzed to get following data:

• file size in bytes
• date of capture took from the takeout metadata, the exif data, or the file name with possible. The key is made of the file name + the size in the same way used by the immich server.

Digital cameras often generate file names with a sequence of 4 digits, leading to generate duplicated names. If the names matches, the capture date must be compared.

Tests are done in this order

1. the key is found in immich --> the name and the size match. We have the file, don't upload it.
2. the file name is found in immich and...
   1. dates match and immich file is smaller than the file --> Upload it, and discard the inferior file
   2. dates match and immich file is bigger than the file --> We have already a better version. Don't upload the file.
3. Immich don't have it. --> Upload the file.
4. Update albums

Acknowledgments

Kudos to the Immich team for they stunning project

This program use following 3rd party libraries:

• github.com/gabriel-vasile/mimetype to get exact file type
• github.com/rwcarlsen/goexif to get date of capture from JPEG files
• github.com/ttacon/chalk for having logs nicely colored

Motivation

The Immich project fulfills all my requirements for managing my photos:

• Self-hosted
• Open source
• Abundant functionalities
• User experience closely resembling Google Photos
• Machine learning capabilities
• Well-documented API
• Includes an import tool
• Continuously enhanced
• ...

Now, I need to migrate my photos to the new system in bulk. Most of my photos are stored in a NAS directory, while photos taken with my smartphone are in the Google Photos application often more compressed.

To completely transition away from the Google Photos service, I must set up an Immich server, import my NAS-stored photos, and merge them with my Google Photos collection. However, there are instances where the same pictures exist in both systems, sometimes with varying quality. Of course, I want to keep only the best copy of the photo.

The immich-cli installation isn't trivial on a client machine, and doesn't handle Google Photos Takeout archive oddities.

The immich-cli tool does a great for importing a tone of files at full speed. However, I want more. So I write this utility for my onw purpose. Maybe, it could help some one else.

Limitations of the immich-CLI:

While the provided tool is very fast and do the job, certain limitations persist:

Advanced Expertise Required

The CLI tool is available within the Immich server container, eliminating the need to install the Node.js tool belt on your PC. Editing the docker-compose.yml file is necessary to access the host's files and retrieve your photos. Uploading photos from a different PC than the Immich server requires advanced skills.

Limitations with Google Takeout Data

The Google Photos Takeout service delivers your collection as massive zip files containing your photos and their JSON files.

After unzipping the archive, you can use the CLI tool to upload its contents. However, certain limitations exist:

• Photos are organized in folders by year and albums.
• Photos are duplicated across year folders and albums.
• Some folders aren't albums
• Photos might be compressed in the takeout archive, affecting the CLI's duplicate detection when comparing them to previously imported photos with finest details.
• File and album names are mangled and correct names are found in JSON files

Why the GO language?

The main reason is that my higher proficiency in GO compared to Typescript language. Additionally, deploying a Node.js program on user machines presents challenges.

Feature list

• binary releases
• import vs upload flag
• check in the photo doesn't exist on the server before uploading
  • but keep files with the same name: ex IMG_0201.jpg if they aren't duplicates
  • some files may have different names (ex IMG_00195.jpg and IMAGE_00195 (1).jpg) and are true duplicates
• replace the server photo, if the file to upload is better.
  • Update any album with the new version of the asset
• delete local file after successful upload (not for import!)
• upload XMP sidecar files
• select or exclude assets to upload by
  • type photo / video
  • name pattern
  • glob expression like ~/photos/*/sorted/.
  • size
  • date of capture within a date range
• multithreaded
• import from local folder
  • create albums based on folder
  • create an album with a given name
• import from zip archives without unzipping them
• Import Google takeout archive
  • handle archives without unzipping them
  • manage multi-zip archives
  • Replicate google albums in immich
  • manage duplicates assets inside the archive
  • Don't upload google file if the server image is better
  • don't import trashed files
  • don't import failed videos
  • handle Archives
  • option to include photos taken by a partner (the partner may also uses immich for her/his own photos)
• Take capture time from:
  • JPEG files
  • MP4 files
  • HEIC files
  • name of the file (fall back, any name containing date like Holidays_2022-07-25 21.59)
• use tags placed in exif data
• upload from remote folders
  • ssh
  • samba
  • import remote folder
• Set GPS location for images taken with a GPS-less camera based on
  • Google location history
  • KML,GPX track files
• Import instead of Upload
• Cleaning duplicates

Release notes

Release 0.2.3

• Improvement of duplicate command (issue#13)
  • -yes option to assume Yes to all questions
  • -date to limit the check to a a given date range
• Accept same type of files than the server (issue#15)
  • .3fr
  • .ari
  • .arw
  • .avif
  • .cap
  • .cin
  • .cr2
  • .cr3
  • .crw
  • .dcr
  • .dng
  • .erf
  • .fff
  • .gif
  • .heic
  • .heif
  • .iiq
  • .insp
  • .jpeg
  • .jpg
  • .jxl
  • .k25
  • .kdc
  • .mrw
  • .nef
  • .orf
  • .ori
  • .pef
  • .png
  • .raf
  • .raw
  • .rwl
  • .sr2
  • .srf
  • .srw
  • .tif
  • .tiff
  • .webp
  • .x3f
  • .3gp
  • .avi
  • .flv
  • .insv
  • .m2ts
  • .mkv
  • .mov
  • .mp4
  • .mpg
  • .mts
  • .webm
  • .wmv"
• new feature: add partner's assets to an album. Thanks to @mrwulf.
• fix: albums creation fails sometime

Release 0.2.2

• improvement of date of capture when there isn't any exif data in the file
  1. test the file name for a date
  2. open the file and search for the date (.jpg, .mp4, .heic, .mov)
  3. if still not found, give the current date

⚠️ As of current version v1.77.0, immich fails to get the date of capture of some videos (IPhone), and place the video on the 01/01/1970.

You can use the -album to keep videos grouped in a same place despite the errors in date.

Release 0.2.1

• Fix of -album option. uploaded images will be added into the album. Existing images will be added in the album if needed.

Release 0.2.0

• When uploading from a directory, use the date inferred from the file name as file date. Immich uses it as date of take. This is useful for images without Exif data.
• duplicate command check immich for several version of the same image, same file name, same date of capture