Bursts & sequences
Reads burst markers like Sony's DSCPDC_0001_BURST and Canon's IMG_0001 and folds a whole sequence into one stack.
One burst, ten frames
Your timeline sees one
Immich Stack finds the burst sequences and RAW+JPEG pairs sprawled across your library and folds each one into a clean stack, on its own, on a schedule.
$ docker logs -f immich-stack
INFO 1/24 Key: IMG_4821.jpg
INFO Parent ID=9f2c81b4-… Name=IMG_4821.jpg Time=2024-03-14T16:02:11
INFO Child ID=c07d55e2-… Name=IMG_4821.arw Time=2024-03-14T16:02:11
INFO 🆕 Creating new stack
INFO 2/24 Key: IMG_5033.jpg
INFO Parent ID=4b8e19d7-… Name=IMG_5033.jpg Time=2024-03-14T16:04:27
INFO Child ID=71acd903-… Name=IMG_5034.jpg Time=2024-03-14T16:04:27
INFO Child ID=e5f02b61-… Name=IMG_5035.jpg Time=2024-03-14T16:04:28
INFO 🆕 Creating new stack
INFO 3/24 Key: DSC08812.jpg
INFO Parent ID=0d97c2ae-… Name=DSC08812.jpg Time=2024-03-14T16:07:03
INFO Child ID=b64f8e15-… Name=DSC08812.arw Time=2024-03-14T16:07:03
INFO ✏️ Updating stack configuration
INFO Sleeping for 60 seconds until next run
DOCKER · CRON-READY · MULTI-USER · DRY-RUN SAFE · MIT
What it groups, and how
It reads the same signals your camera used to shoot a series, then picks a parent and stacks the rest behind it.
Filename + time
Groups assets that share a filename stem and capture time, the pattern most cameras use for a rapid series.
Pick the parent
Choose which shot leads each stack by extension, filename pattern, regex, or file size. RAW over JPEG, or the other way round.
Duplicates report
The duplicates command scans your library and lists assets that repeat by filename and capture time, so you can act on them.
Trash stays consistent
fix-trash finds trashed assets and moves their stack members along with them, so a stack is never left half-deleted.
Every user at once
Pass comma-separated API keys and it processes multiple Immich users in a single run, ideal for a family server.
It runs on cron, not on you
Point it at your server once and run it in cron mode. Every interval it scans for new sequences, rebuilds stacks cleanly, and logs exactly what it did. No babysitting.
- Runs as a Docker container in cron mode, on the interval you set
- Colorized, structured logs at the verbosity you choose
- Dry-run and a confirmation-gated reset keep destructive actions deliberate
# .env
API_KEY=••••••••
API_URL=http://immich:2283/api
RUN_MODE=cron
CRON_INTERVAL=60
# then
docker run --env-file .env … immich-stack
Deliberate by default
It reorganizes stacks, not your photos. The destructive paths all ask first.
Dry-run first
See exactly which stacks it would build and which parent it would pick before a single change is written.
Replace, don't pile up
Stack replacement rebuilds groups cleanly on each run instead of layering new stacks on top of old ones.
Reset is gated
Clearing every stack is possible, but the command asks for explicit confirmation first. No accidental wipes.
Just the API
It only calls your Immich REST API to create and group stacks. It never edits files or touches the database directly.
Running in three steps
Fill in a .env, start the container, and follow the logs.
$ docker run -d \
--name immich-stack \
--env-file .env \
-v ./logs:/app/logs \
ghcr.io/majorfi/immich-stack
$ docker logs -f immich-stack
- 1
Create a .env
Set API_KEY and API_URL for your server, plus RUN_MODE and CRON_INTERVAL.
- 2
Run the container
Start it from Docker Hub or GHCR with docker run --env-file .env, mounting a ./logs volume.
- 3
Watch it group
Follow a run with docker logs -f. Start with a dry-run, then let cron take over on your interval.
Every option is covered in the full documentation.
Fair questions
Is it free?
Yes. Immich Stack is open source under the MIT license. Pull the Docker image from Docker Hub or GHCR, or build it yourself.
Will it group photos that aren't related?
No. It groups by filename stem, capture time and burst markers, the same signals a camera uses for a sequence. You choose the parent rule, and dry-run shows every group before anything is written.
Can it delete my photos?
It creates and replaces stacks, not photos. The fix-trash command only moves stack members of already-trashed assets to the trash for consistency, and the full reset is confirmation-gated.
Does it keep running?
In cron mode it runs on your CRON_INTERVAL inside Docker, so new bursts get stacked automatically. You can also run it once and let it exit.
Can it handle several users?
Yes. Pass comma-separated API keys and it processes each Immich user in a single run.
Is this an official Immich tool?
No. It's an independent open-source companion that talks to Immich's public REST API. Immich is a trademark of its respective owners.
Free & open source
Let your bursts collapse into stacks
Run it once to tidy the backlog, then leave it on a schedule so new sequences never sprawl again. MIT licensed, yours to build.