Quick Start Guide

Get up and running with Google Photos Takeout Helper in just a few steps. This guide will walk you through your first photo organization project.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• Downloaded GPTH from the releases page
• Installed ExifTool (recommended for full functionality)
• Your Google Photos Takeout ZIP files or extracted folder

Step 1: Get Your Photos from Google Takeout

1. Go to Google Takeout
2. Deselect all services, then select only Google Photos
3. Choose your export format and download all ZIP files
4. Keep the ZIP files - GPTH can process them directly!

Step 2: Choose Your Processing Method

GPTH supports two approaches:

Option A: Direct ZIP Processing (Recommended)

• Keep your ZIP files from Google Takeout
• GPTH will automatically extract, merge, and process all files
• Automatic cleanup of temporary files
• Preserves original ZIP files as backup

Option B: Manual Extraction

• Extract all ZIP files manually first
• Merge them into one unified "Takeout" folder
• More control but requires more manual work

⚠️ Important: Files will be moved from input to output during processing. Keep your original ZIPs as backup!

Step 3: Run GPTH

Interactive Mode (Recommended for First Use)

Windows:

• Double-click gpth.exe

macOS/Linux:

• Open terminal and run ./gpth-macos or ./gpth-linux

The interactive mode will guide you through:

1. Input Selection: Choose ZIP files or extracted folder
2. Output Directory: Where to save organized photos
3. Album Handling: How to organize your albums
4. Date Organization: Folder structure preferences
5. Processing Options: EXIF writing, extension fixing, etc.

Command Line Mode

For automation or if you prefer command line:

# Basic usage with shortcut album mode
gpth --input "/path/to/takeout" --output "/path/to/organized" --albums "shortcut"

# With date organization by year
gpth --input "/path/to/takeout" --output "/path/to/organized" --albums "shortcut" --divide-to-dates 1

# Process ZIP files directly
gpth --input "/path/to/zips" --output "/path/to/organized" --albums "shortcut"