Google Drive and photos #
Google Drive is the recommended private photo storage for the free Standard variant. It is not required: Free works without Drive and is limited to 100 active full-size photos and 100 MB of files stored by ENTOMONE. After Drive is connected successfully, the account uses Standard. ENTOMONE stores records, metadata, thumbnails, sync status and file identifiers.
Renaming a file in Google Drive #
ENTOMONE links a photo to its file using the unique identifier assigned by Google Drive, not the file name. You can rename a file in your Google Drive and the photo will remain linked to its ENTOMONE record because its identifier does not change.
The link does not automatically move to a new file. Deleting the file, moving it to Trash, revoking access, or deleting and uploading the photo again creates a different situation. A newly uploaded file receives a new identifier even if it has the same name.
Sync previously saved local photos #
When Google Drive is your active photo storage, ENTOMONE checks for local photos once a day and transfers them to Drive, including older photos. You do not need to open settings or keep a browser running. Originals stay on the server until transfer is verified; thumbnails remain in ENTOMONE.
The first three retries are daily, followed by weekly retries. One failed photo does not block the others. After several failed attempts a reminder links to cloud connections, where you can see the last attempt and the type of problem. Disconnecting Drive pauses transfers. The button below lets you start manual synchronization sooner.
After connecting Google Drive, open Settings - Cloud connections and use Sync local photos. The action covers all local photos owned by your account, including photos that have never failed an upload and photos retained after a failed attempt. It does not switch the active repository for new media.
| Item | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Availability | Requires a connected Google Drive account with access to ENTOMONE files. |
| Formats | JPEG, PNG, GIF and WebP, up to 32 MB per file. |
| Progress | One click starts sequential small batches. Keep the page open until completion; after an error you can retry. |
| Verification | ENTOMONE checks the remote size, MD5 checksum and format, then downloads the file and compares its SHA-256 bytes. |
| Failure | The photo stays local; the message explains the issue and other photos can still be synced. |
| Local original | Removed only after verified upload, read-back and reference update. A failed removal is reported. |
Importing a Google Drive photo into a record is a separate action. This button uploads ENTOMONE photos to your own Drive; it does not import unrelated Drive files.
| Action | Availability | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Sync local photos | Cloud connections after connecting Google | ENTOMONE -> Google Drive |
| Import photo | Record form with Google file selection | Google Drive -> record |
| Export Dataset | Settings - Export | Dataset -> ZIP on Google Drive |
How to use this topic #
Use this page as the practical reference for the ENTOMONE feature named in the title. It follows the English terminology contract: site for stanowisko, locality for the text place on one record, record for an observation or working entry, and dataset for the working data collection.
Important rule #
When this topic affects records, media, Google Drive or iNaturalist, treat local ENTOMONE data as the source of your working database. External services are connected workflows, not replacements for the private database.