Immich Go Bulk Uploader - Installation and Use

Link to full Installation

Installing & Using Immich-Go for Bulk Photo Uploads

Overview

Immich-Go allows bulk photo uploads to an Immich server while preserving folder structure as albums. This guide covers installation, setup, testing, troubleshooting, and best practices.

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Prerequisites

Ensure you have:

• SSH access to the Proxmox server where the USB HDD is attached. 192.168.1.125
• A running Immich server (e.g., 192.168.1.141).
• An API key from Immich for authentication.(Under User - not Admin)

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Step 1: Generate an API Key in Immich

1. Log into the Immich Web UI at http://192.168.1.141:2283.
2. Navigate to Account Settings → API Keys.
3. Click “New API Key”, name it immich-go, and copy the key.

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Step 2: Install Immich-Go on Proxmox

SSH into Proxmox:
bash

ssh root@<proxmox-ip>

1. Replace <proxmox-ip> with the actual IP of your Proxmox server.

Download and install Immich-Go:
bash

cd /usr/local/bin
wget https://github.com/simulot/immich-go/releases/download/v0.24.2/immich-go_Linux_x86_64.tar.gz
tar -xzf immich-go_Linux_x86_64.tar.gz
rm immich-go_Linux_x86_64.tar.gz
chmod +x immich-go

Verify installation:
bash

immich-go --version

1. Expected output: immich-go version 0.24.2

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Step 3: Find USB HDD Mount Path

List mounted drives:
bash

lsblk -o NAME,MOUNTPOINT,SIZE,FSTYPE
Example output:
r

sdc 1.8T
└─sdc1 /mnt/external_drive_k 1.8T ntfs
This confirms the USB HDD is mounted at:
bash

/mnt/external_drive_k

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Step 4: Perform a Test Upload

Upload a small test folder:
bash

immich-go upload from-folder --server=http://192.168.1.141:2283 --api-key=<your-api-key> "/mnt/external_drive_k/Christmas/Christmas 2004"

2. Verify in the Immich Web UI:
   • Log into http://192.168.1.141:2283.
   • Check the Library to confirm the photos are visible.
   • Check Albums to confirm the folder name appears as an album.

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Step 5: Bulk Upload While Keeping Folder Structure as Albums

Upload all photos while maintaining folder names as albums:
bash

immich-go upload from-folder --server=http://192.168.1.141:2283 --api-key=<your-api-key> --folder-as-album=FOLDER "/mnt/external_drive_k/ALL_PICTURES_FromBackupFiles"

1. Each subfolder becomes an album (e.g., “Xmas 2017”, “Xmas 2018”), and the main folder’s photos go into an album with the same name.

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Step 6: Enable Tracking & Prevent Duplicates

Use --session-tag to track uploads:
bash

immich-go upload from-folder --server=http://192.168.1.141:2283 --api-key=<your-api-key> --folder-as-album=FOLDER --session-tag "/mnt/external_drive_k/ALL_PICTURES_FromBackupFiles"

1. This helps track uploads and makes it easier to remove or review them if needed.

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Step 7: Handling Duplicates

1. Check for duplicates in the Immich Web UI:
   • Navigate to Library → Duplicates.
   • Review and remove as needed.

Run a dry run before large uploads to preview what will be uploaded:
bash

immich-go upload from-folder --server=http://192.168.1.141:2283 --api-key=<your-api-key> --folder-as-album=FOLDER --dry-run "/mnt/external_drive_k/ALL_PICTURES_FromBackupFiles"

1. This will show the files that would be uploaded without actually uploading them.

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Key Takeaways

• Folder structure is preserved using --folder-as-album=FOLDER.
• The --session-tag option helps track and manage uploads.
• Running --dry-run before large uploads prevents mistakes.
• Checking “Library → Duplicates” in Immich helps remove duplicate files.

This completes the Immich-Go bulk upload setup.