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Archive Command

The archive command exports photos and videos from various sources to a local folder structure organized by date. The destination folder isn't wiped out before the operation, so it's possible to add new photos to an existing archive.

Syntax

immich-go archive <sub-command> --write-to-folder=<destination> [options] <source>

Output Structure

Photos are organized chronologically:

destination-folder/
├── 2022/
│   ├── 2022-01/
│   │   ├── photo01.jpg
│   │   └── photo01.jpg.JSON    # Metadata file
│   └── 2022-02/
│       ├── photo02.jpg
│       └── photo02.jpg.JSON
├── 2023/
│   ├── 2023-03/
│   └── 2023-04/
└── 2024/
    ├── 2024-05/
    └── 2024-06/

Required Options

Option Description
--write-to-folder Destination folder for archived photos

Sub-commands

All upload sub-commands are available for archive:

Sub-command Source Description
from-folder Local filesystem Archive from local folders or ZIP archives
from-google-photos Google Takeout Archive from Google Photos takeout
from-icloud iCloud export Archive from iCloud takeout
from-picasa Picasa Archive from Picasa collections
from-immich Immich server Archive from Immich server

Metadata Files

Each photo gets a corresponding .JSON file containing:

  • Original filename and capture date
  • GPS coordinates (latitude/longitude)
  • Album associations
  • Tags and descriptions
  • Rating and favorite status
  • Archive/trash status

Example Metadata

{
  "fileName": "example.jpg",
  "latitude": 37.7749,
  "longitude": -122.4194,
  "dateTaken": "2023-10-01T12:34:56Z",
  "description": "Golden Gate Bridge view",
  "albums": [
    {
      "title": "San Francisco Trip",
      "description": "Photos from my trip"
    }
  ],
  "tags": [
    { "value": "USA/California/San Francisco" }
  ],
  "rating": 5,
  "trashed": false,
  "archived": false,
  "favorited": true,
  "fromPartner": false
}

Examples

Archive from Immich Server

# Archive all photos from server

immich-go archive from-immich \
  --from-server=http://localhost:2283 \
  --from-api-key=your-key \
  --write-to-folder=/backup/photos

# Archive specific date range
immich-go archive from-immich \
  --from-server=http://localhost:2283 \
  --from-api-key=your-key \
  --from-date-range=2023 \
  --write-to-folder=/backup/2023-photos

# Archive specific album
immich-go archive from-immich \
  --from-server=http://localhost:2283 \
  --from-api-key=your-key \
  --from-albums="Family" \
  --write-to-folder=/backup/albums

Archive Google Photos Takeout

# Create organized archive from takeout
immich-go archive from-google-photos \
  --write-to-folder=/organized-photos \
  /path/to/takeout-*.zip

# Archive a specific album
immich-go archive from-google-photos \
  --from-album-name="Summer Vacation" \
  --write-to-folder=/vacations \
  /path/to/takeout

Archive Local Folders

# Reorganize existing photos by date
immich-go archive from-folder \
  --write-to-folder=/organized \
  /messy/photo/folders

Use Cases

1. Server Backup

Create a complete backup of your Immich server:

immich-go archive from-immich \
  --from-server=http://localhost:2283 \
  --from-api-key=your-key \
  --write-to-folder=/complete-backup

2. Migration Preparation

Prepare photos for migration to another system:

immich-go archive from-immich \
  --from-server=http://localhost:2283 \
  --from-api-key=your-key \
  --write-to-folder=/migration-ready

3. Photo Organization

Transform messy folder structures into organized archives:

immich-go archive from-folder \
  --write-to-folder=/organized \
  /chaotic/photo/collection

4. Selective Archival

Archive specific content based on criteria:

# Archive by year
immich-go archive from-immich \
  --from-date-range=2022-01-01,2022-12-31 \
  --write-to-folder=/archive-2022 \
  --from-server=http://localhost:2283 \
  --from-api-key=your-key \

# Archive by album
immich-go archive from-immich \
  --from-albums="Professional Photos" \
  --write-to-folder=/work-archive \
  --from-server=http://localhost:2283 \
  --from-api-key=your-key \

Important Notes

  • Incremental: Archives can be updated - new photos are added without affecting existing ones
  • Metadata Preservation: JSON files ensure no metadata is lost
  • Cross-Platform: Archived photos can be imported to any compatible system
  • Space Efficient: No unnecessary duplication during incremental updates

Options Reference

Connection Options (for from-immich)

Same as upload command.

Filtering Options

Same filtering options as corresponding upload sub-commands:

  • File type filtering (--include-type, --include-extensions)
  • Date range filtering (--date-range, --from-date-range)
  • Album filtering (--from-albums)

See Also