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· Tech · 3 min read

Install the Lightroom Immich Plugin (Windows and macOS)

Install the free Lightroom Immich Plugin on Windows or macOS, connect it to Immich with an API key and upload your first photos.

The Lightroom Immich Plugin uploads photos from Lightroom Classic to an Immich server. It is free and open source and runs on Windows and macOS.

1. Download the plugin

Download the latest release from GitHub.

Unzip it to a permanent location, for example your Documents folder. Do not run it from a temporary folder or from a Downloads folder that you clear out later. If the folder is gone, Lightroom loses the plugin.

2. Add the plugin in Lightroom Classic

  1. Open Lightroom Classic.
  2. Go to File → Plug-in Manager.
  3. Click Add, browse to the unzipped plugin folder and select it.
  4. The Immich plugin now appears in the list as enabled.

3. Create an Immich API key

In Immich, open Account Settings → API Keys and create a key. The plugin needs permissions to upload, read and manage assets and albums, including asset.upload, album.read, album.create and stack.create. The full list of required scopes is on the project page. The simplest option is to grant all of them.

The Immich documentation explains how to obtain an API key.

4. Connect the plugin to Immich

You enter the connection details where you use the plugin:

  • Exports: in the Export dialog, choose the Immich plugin and enter your server URL and API key.
  • Publishing: enter the same URL and key when you create an Immich publish service.

5. Upload your first photos

  • Export a few photos to upload them once, or
  • create a publish service for a collection that should stay in sync with an Immich album.

During export you can choose or create a destination album. Enable stacking to group RAW and edited versions.

The plugin checks whether an image already exists in Immich by matching the Lightroom catalog ID, or by date and filename. Running an export or publish again does not create duplicate copies.

Troubleshooting

  • Plugin does not load or disappears after a restart: Lightroom loses plugins stored in temporary locations such as Downloads. Move the plugin folder to a permanent location, for example Documents, and add it again in File → Plug-in Manager.
  • Upload errors: open the Plug-in Manager, select the Immich plugin, tick Enable debug logging, click Show logfile and check what the plugin reported. Most problems are a wrong server URL or a missing API key permission.
  • Still stuck: open an issue on GitHub and attach the log.

See also: Back up Lightroom Classic photos to Immich and Sync Lightroom albums to Immich with a publish service.

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