Photo Organizer by Event
Organize photos by reading EXIF metadata and analyzing content to create Year > Month > Event folder structures automatically.
You have 20,000 photos dumped into one folder named 'Camera Roll.' Finding that vacation photo from 2023 means scrolling through thousands of thumbnails. EXIF data knows the date, location, and camera — but nobody has organized it for you.
Who it's for: anyone with thousands of unsorted photos on their computer, photographers organizing client shoots into deliverable folders, families preserving and organizing years of digital memories, event planners sorting photos from multiple events, people migrating photo libraries who want clean organization from the start
Example
"Organize my 15,000 photos into folders by event" → Photos sorted into Year > Month > Event structure (e.g., '2024/July/Beach Vacation'), duplicate detection removing 800 copies, 200 screenshots separated out, and a summary showing 47 events identified from EXIF dates and locations
New here? 3-minute setup guide → | Already set up? Copy the template below.
# Photo Organizer by Event
## Your Role
You organize photos by reading EXIF metadata and analyzing image content to create a meaningful Year > Month > Event folder structure.
## Folder Structure
Organize photos into:
```
Photos/
├── 2025/
│ ├── 01-January/
│ │ ├── 2025-01-15_Birthday-Party/
│ │ ├── 2025-01-22_Weekend-Hiking/
│ │ └── Misc/
│ ├── 02-February/
│ └── ...
├── 2024/
└── Screenshots/ # Separate from photos
```
## Naming Convention
Rename files to: `YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM_Description.ext`
Example: `2025-01-15_14-30_Birthday-cake-cutting.jpg`
## Event Detection
Group photos into events based on:
1. **Time proximity** - Photos within 2-3 hours = same event
2. **Location** - Same GPS coordinates = same event
3. **Visual similarity** - Similar backgrounds/people
4. **Date gaps** - New day often means new event
## Analysis Process
For each photo:
1. Read EXIF data (date, time, GPS, camera)
2. Analyze image content (people, location, activity)
3. Group with nearby photos into events
4. Generate descriptive event name
5. Move to appropriate folder
## Event Naming
Create descriptive event names:
- `2025-01-15_Birthday-Party-John`
- `2025-01-22_Hiking-Mount-Tam`
- `2025-02-14_Dinner-Downtown`
- `2025-03-01_Beach-Day-Santa-Cruz`
## Special Handling
### Screenshots
Move to separate `Screenshots/` folder, don't mix with photos.
### Duplicates
Flag potential duplicates (same timestamp, similar content) for review.
### No EXIF Data
Use file modification date as fallback. Flag for manual review.
### Videos
Include in same event folders as photos from same time.
## Instructions
1. Scan the photos folder
2. Read EXIF metadata for all files
3. Group into events by time/location
4. Propose folder structure with event names
5. Wait for approval
6. Create folders and move files
7. Generate summary report
## Output Report
Create `photo-organization-report.md`:
```markdown
# Photo Organization Report
## Summary
- Total photos: X
- Events identified: Y
- Date range: [earliest] to [latest]
## Events Created
| Event | Photos | Date Range |
|-------|--------|------------|
| Birthday Party | 47 | Jan 15, 2-4pm |
| Hiking Trip | 83 | Jan 22, 9am-3pm |
## Flagged for Review
- 12 photos with no EXIF data
- 5 potential duplicates
```
## Safety Rules
- NEVER delete any files
- ASK before creating event names
- PRESERVE original EXIF metadata
- Flag uncertain groupings for review
- Keep original filenames in report
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What This Does
Organize thousands of photos into meaningful folders by analyzing EXIF metadata (date, location) and image content. Photos are grouped into events and organized into a Year > Month > Event structure.
Quick Start
Step 1: Download the Template
Click Download above to get the CLAUDE.md file.
Step 2: Place in Photos Folder
mv ~/Downloads/CLAUDE.md ~/Pictures/
Step 3: Run Claude Code
cd ~/Pictures
claude
Step 4: Start Organizing
Say: "Organize my photos into events"
Folder Structure Created
Photos/
├── 2025/
│ ├── 01-January/
│ │ ├── 2025-01-15_Birthday-Party/
│ │ ├── 2025-01-22_Hiking-Trip/
│ │ └── Misc/
│ ├── 02-February/
│ └── ...
└── Screenshots/
How Events Are Detected
| Signal | How It's Used |
|---|---|
| Time proximity | Photos within 2-3 hours = same event |
| GPS location | Same coordinates = same event |
| Visual similarity | Similar backgrounds/people grouped |
| Date gaps | New day often = new event |
Example Output
Before: 2,000 files named IMG_1234.jpg
After:
2025-01-15_Birthday-Party-John/ (47 photos)
2025-01-22_Hiking-Mount-Tam/ (83 photos)
2025-02-14_Dinner-Downtown/ (12 photos)
Plus a photo-organization-report.md with full inventory.
Tips
- Screenshots separated: Automatically moved to
Screenshots/folder - Duplicates flagged: Same timestamp photos marked for review
- No EXIF fallback: Uses file date if metadata missing
- Videos included: Grouped with photos from same event
Troubleshooting
Photos not grouped correctly Adjust time window: "Group photos within 4 hours as same event"
Wrong event names Say: "Rename the January 15 event to 'John's 30th Birthday'"
Missing EXIF data Claude uses file dates as fallback and flags these for review