Uploading Photos and Videos

There are several ways to upload your photos and videos to PixelUnion. Choose the method that best fits your needs.

Web Upload

The easiest way to upload photos for small to medium collections:

Log in to your PixelUnion domain (e.g., https://yourname.pixelunion.eu)
Click the Upload button in the top navigation
Select files from your computer or drag and drop them
Wait for the upload to complete

Best for: Uploading a few photos or videos at a time, quick uploads from your computer.

Limitations: Not ideal for very large collections (thousands of files) as it can be slow and may timeout.

Mobile App Upload

Use the Immich mobile app for automatic backup from your phone:

Download the Immich app from your app store (App Store for iOS, Google Play Store for Android)
Enter your PixelUnion domain as the server URL (e.g., https://yourname.pixelunion.eu)
Log in with your PixelUnion credentials
Enable automatic backup in the app settings
Configure backup preferences:
- Wi-Fi only or allow mobile data
- Charging only or allow battery usage
- Select specific folders to back up

Best for: Automatic backup of new photos and videos from your mobile device.

Note: See our mobile app guide for more detailed instructions.

Bulk Upload with Immich Go

For large collections or bulk uploads, Immich Go is the recommended tool. It’s a powerful command-line tool that can efficiently upload thousands of photos and videos while preserving metadata, dates, and file structures.

What is Immich Go?

Immich Go is a standalone tool that doesn’t require installation. It can:

Upload large collections efficiently
Preserve original file names and dates
Handle duplicate detection
Upload from local folders, ZIP archives, or Google Photos Takeout
Resume interrupted uploads

Step 1: Get Your API Key

Before using Immich Go, you need an API key:

Log in to your PixelUnion domain
Click on your profile icon in the top right corner
Select Account Settings
Navigate to API Keys
Click New API Key
Give it a descriptive name (e.g., “Upload Tool”)
Copy the generated API key - you’ll need it in the next step

⚠️ Important: Keep your API key secure. You can revoke it later if needed.

Step 2: Download Immich Go

Go to the Immich Go releases page
Download the version for your operating system:
- Windows: Download the .exe file
- macOS: Download the file with darwin in the name
- Linux: Download the file with linux in the name
Extract the downloaded .zip file
Place the immich-go executable in a convenient location

Step 3: Open a Terminal

You’ll need to run Immich Go from a terminal/command prompt:

Windows: Right-click the folder where immich-go.exe is located → “Open in terminal” or “Open PowerShell window here”
macOS: Open the Terminal app (Applications > Utilities), then type cd followed by a space, drag the folder with immich-go into the terminal window, and press Enter
Linux: Open a terminal and navigate to the folder containing immich-go

Step 4: Upload from a Local Folder

To upload photos and videos from a folder on your computer:

Windows:

./immich-go.exe upload from-folder --server=https://yourname.pixelunion.eu/ --api-key=YOUR_API_KEY "C:\path\to\your\photos"

macOS/Linux:

./immich-go upload from-folder --server=https://yourname.pixelunion.eu/ --api-key=YOUR_API_KEY /path/to/your/photos

Replace:

yourname.pixelunion.eu with your actual PixelUnion domain
YOUR_API_KEY with the API key you copied in Step 1
The path with the actual path to your photos folder

Step 5: Upload from Google Photos Takeout

If you’re migrating from Google Photos, you can upload directly from Takeout ZIP files:

Windows:

./immich-go.exe upload from-google-photos --server=https://yourname.pixelunion.eu/ --api-key=YOUR_API_KEY --pause-immich-jobs=false "C:\path\to\takeout-*.zip"

macOS/Linux:

./immich-go upload from-google-photos --server=https://yourname.pixelunion.eu/ --api-key=YOUR_API_KEY --pause-immich-jobs=false /path/to/takeout-*.zip

This will:

Extract photos and videos from the Takeout ZIP files
Preserve album structures
Maintain original dates and metadata
Upload everything to your PixelUnion instance

Note: See our Google Photos migration guide for more detailed instructions.

Upload Options

You can customize your upload with additional options:

Upload Specific File Types Only

./immich-go upload from-folder --server=https://yourname.pixelunion.eu/ --api-key=YOUR_API_KEY --include-extensions=.jpg,.heic /path/to/photos

Skip Duplicates

Immich Go automatically detects and skips duplicate files that are already in your library.

Resume Interrupted Uploads

If an upload is interrupted, simply run the command again. Immich Go will resume from where it stopped and won’t re-upload files that are already present.

What Happens During Upload?

Immich Go will:

Connect to your PixelUnion instance
Scan the folder for photos and videos
Check for duplicates
Upload files while preserving metadata
Show progress as it uploads

The upload may take some time depending on:

The size of your collection
Your internet connection speed
The number of files

Troubleshooting

Connection Issues:

Make sure your PixelUnion domain is correct (include https:// and the trailing /)
Verify your API key is correct and hasn’t been revoked
Check your internet connection

Upload Interrupted:

Immich Go will resume from where it stopped if you run the command again
It won’t re-upload files that are already present

Large Collections:

For very large collections (tens of thousands of files), the upload may take several hours or days
Make sure your computer doesn’t go to sleep during the upload
Consider running the upload overnight or when you don’t need your computer

Which Method Should I Use?

Web Upload: Best for occasional uploads of a few files
Mobile App: Best for automatic backup of new photos from your phone
Immich Go: Best for bulk uploads, large collections, or migrating from other services

Need Help?

If you encounter issues uploading:

Check the Immich Go documentation
See our migration guide for Google Photos specific instructions
Contact our support team for assistance