How to Use AmoK Exif Sorter to Automatically Sort Your ImagesManaging large photo collections becomes tedious fast. Filenames like IMG_1234.JPG and scattered folders make it hard to find memories or work files when you need them. AmoK Exif Sorter is a lightweight utility that solves this by reading metadata (EXIF, IPTC, XMP) from images and automatically organizing them into folders and renaming files based on configurable patterns. This guide walks through installing, configuring, and using AmoK Exif Sorter to organize photos reliably and efficiently.
What AmoK Exif Sorter does (quick overview)
AmoK Exif Sorter:
- Reads EXIF, IPTC, and XMP metadata embedded in image files.
- Sorts images into folders using date, camera model, GPS, or other metadata fields.
- Renames files according to customizable naming templates.
- Supports batch processing for thousands of files.
- Works on common image formats (JPEG, TIFF, many RAW formats) depending on supported metadata.
Before you begin: prepare your photos
- Back up your original image folder(s). Automated sorting and renaming can’t be perfectly reversed unless you have a backup.
- Ensure your images contain metadata — camera date/time, model, or other tags. Many smartphone and camera JPEGs include EXIF by default; some edited or exported images may have stripped metadata.
- If you have RAW files, confirm AmoK Exif Sorter supports the RAW formats you use (it generally supports common ones; check your version’s documentation for specifics).
Installing AmoK Exif Sorter
- Download the latest release for your OS from the official project page or repository.
- Follow installation instructions for your platform:
- Windows: run the installer or extract the ZIP to a folder.
- macOS/Linux: extract the binary and place it in a suitable folder (or use package managers if available).
- Launch the application. On first run, you may be prompted to allow file access to folders you plan to organize.
Understanding the interface and main options
The app typically offers:
- Source folder selection — where your unsorted images live.
- Destination folder selection — where organized images will be placed.
- Sorting pattern or template — how folders and filenames will be generated.
- Options to move vs. copy files.
- Handling rules for duplicates and missing metadata.
- Preview mode to simulate changes before applying them.
Pay attention to “dry run” or “preview” features — they let you confirm the result without changing files.
Common sorting templates and examples
AmoK Exif Sorter lets you use placeholders (tokens) representing metadata fields. Common tokens include date/time elements (year, month, day), camera model, and sequence numbering. Example templates:
Folder structure examples:
- By date: YYYY/MM-DD
- Input token pattern: %Y/%m-%d
- Example result: ⁄09-01/IMG_0001.JPG
- By year and camera: YYYY/CameraModel
- Input token pattern: %Y/%Camera%
- Example result: 2023/Canon_EOS_80D/IMG_0001.JPG
Filename examples:
- Date + time + sequence: %Y%m%d%H%M%S%n
- Example result: 20230901_143512_001.JPG
- Camera + original name: %Camera%_%o
- Example result: Canon_EOS_80D_IMG_1234.JPG
(Replace tokens with the actual token names used by your AmoK Exif Sorter version.)
Step-by-step: Automatic sorting workflow
- Open AmoK Exif Sorter.
- Select the source folder containing unsorted images.
- Choose the destination folder where organized files will go.
- Pick a folder structure template (examples above) or build a custom one using metadata tokens.
- Choose filename template if you want files renamed.
- Set handling options:
- Move vs. copy: Move reorganizes the originals; copy preserves them.
- Conflict handling: skip, overwrite, or add suffix (recommended: add suffix or skip).
- Missing metadata: choose fallback (use file modification date, put in “Unknown” folder, or skip).
- Run a preview/dry run to verify folder and filename results.
- Execute the sort. Monitor progress; large collections may take time.
- Verify organized output in the destination folder.
Handling common issues
- Missing or wrong dates: If camera clock was incorrect, you can use AmoK Exif Sorter’s options to prefer file modification date or adjust timestamps by a fixed offset.
- Mixed metadata formats: Some files may lack EXIF but have IPTC/XMP. Configure token fallbacks or put unknowns in a separate folder to review manually.
- Duplicates: Choose suffix-on-conflict or use a dedicated duplicate-detection step to merge identical files.
- RAW + JPEG pairs: If you want RAW and corresponding JPEGs together, configure the sorter to group by base filename or use paired-file options if available.
Advanced tips
- Use custom tokens to include GPS country or city (if reverse geocoding is supported) to create location-based folders.
- Create separate templates for different cameras or shoots — e.g., one template for smartphone images and another for DSLR RAW files.
- Combine AmoK Exif Sorter with a photo-management tool (Lightroom, DigiKam) by exporting/importing organized folders as needed.
- Automate sorting for new imports by running the sorter on camera SD cards or an “incoming” folder with a scheduled task or script.
Example practical setup
Goal: Organize a mixed set of JPEGs and RAW files into Year/Month/Camera folders and rename files to YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS_nnn.
- Folder template: %Y/%m_%B/%Camera%
- Result: ⁄09_September/Canon_EOS_80D/
- Filename template: %Y%m%d%H%M%S%n.%ext
- Result: 20250901_143512_001.CR2
Run a dry run first, then move files. Keep a backup until you confirm everything.
Verifying and recovering
- Check folder counts against the original source to ensure all files were processed.
- Keep the backup until you’ve confirmed the destination structure and filenames are correct.
- If you need to revert and you moved files (not copied), use your backup or, if available, AmoK Exif Sorter’s undo function (not all versions have one).
Final notes
AmoK Exif Sorter is a powerful way to reclaim control of a chaotic photo library by using embedded metadata to create logical, searchable folder structures and consistent filenames. Use previews, backups, and conservative conflict handling to avoid accidental data loss. Once configured, it can save hours of manual organization and make your photo library easy to navigate.
If you want, tell me the metadata tokens your AmoK Exif Sorter shows and I’ll draft specific folder/filename templates for your needs.
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