How do I get sorted results from the Google Photos search API?

Question

I'm using the search API for Google Photos documented here. I'd like the results in the response to be sorted from newest to oldest, but by default, the results are sorted from oldest to newest. Is there a way to reverse the sorting?

Answer 1

I believe your goal as follows.

• You want to sort the result values from the method of "Method: mediaItems.search".
• You want to sort the values from oldest to newest.

Issue and workaround:

Unfortunately, in the current stage, it seems that there is no parameter for sorting the returned values for the the method of "Method: mediaItems.search" in Google Photos API. Also, it seems that such parameter is not existing in the method of "mediaItems.list".

By the way, it was found that when albumId is used in the request body for the method of "Method: mediaItems.search", the returned values are sorted as the ascending order. If you use the albumn ID, I think that your goal can be achieve by this.

On the other hand, when albumId is NOT used in the request body, the returned values are sorted as the descending order. And also, it seems that when filteres is used in the request body, the returned values are sorted as the descending order.

From your question, I thought that in your situation, albumId might be not used. So in this case, as the current workaround, how about sorting the values using a script after the values are retrieved? In this answer, I would like to propose to use the Web Apps created by Google Apps Script as a wrapper API.

Usage:

1. Create new project of Google Apps Script.

Sample script of Web Apps is a Google Apps Script. So please create a project of Google Apps Script.

If you want to directly create it, please access to https://script.new/. In this case, if you are not logged in Google, the log in screen is opened. So please log in to Google. By this, the script editor of Google Apps Script is opened.

2. Linking Cloud Platform Project to Google Apps Script Project.

About this, you can see the detail flow at here.

And also, please enable Google Photos API at API console.

3. Add scope.

In this case, please addt the scope of https://www.googleapis.com/auth/photoslibrary to the manifest file (appsscript.json).

4. Script.

Please copy and paste the following script (Google Apps Script) to the script editor. This script is for the Web Apps. This Web Apps is used as an API.

function doGet(e) {
  const key = "sampleKey"; // This is used for using this Web Apps.
  try {
    if (e.parameter.key != key) throw new Error("Invalid key.");

    const albumId = e.parameter.albumId;
    const filters = e.parameter.filters;
    const sort = e.parameter.sort;

    const headers = {"Authorization": "Bearer " + ScriptApp.getOAuthToken()};
    const url = "https://photoslibrary.googleapis.com/v1/mediaItems:search";
    let mediaItems = [];
    let pageToken = "";
    const metadata = {pageSize: 100, pageToken: pageToken};
    if (albumId) metadata.albumId = albumId;
    if (filters) metadata.filters = JSON.parse(filters);
    do {
      const params = {
        method: "post",
        headers: headers,
        contentType: "application/json",
        payload: JSON.stringify(metadata),
      }
      const res = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url, params);
      const obj = JSON.parse(res.getContentText());
      mediaItems = mediaItems.concat(obj.mediaItems);
      pageToken = obj.nextPageToken || "";
    } while (pageToken);
    if (mediaItems.length > 0) {
      if (sort && sort == "ascending") {
        mediaItems.sort((a, b) => new Date(a.mediaMetadata.creationTime) < new Date(b.mediaMetadata.creationTime) ? -1 : 1);
      }
      return ContentService.createTextOutput(JSON.stringify({values: mediaItems}));
    }
    return ContentService.createTextOutput(JSON.stringify({error: "No values."}));
  } catch(err) {
    return ContentService.createTextOutput(JSON.stringify({error: err.message}));
  }
}

5. Deploy Web Apps.

The detail information can be seen at the official document.

1. On the script editor, at the top right of the script editor, please click "click Deploy" -> "New deployment".
2. Please click "Select type" -> "Web App".
3. Please input the information about the Web App in the fields under "Deployment configuration".
4. Please select "Me" for "Execute as".
   • This is the important of this workaround.
5. Please select "Anyone" for "Who has access".
   • In this case, the user is not required to use the access token. So please use this as a test case.
   • When you want to use the access token, please set it to Anyone with Google account or Only myself. By this, the user can access to the Web Apps using the access token. When you use the access token, please include the scope of https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.readonly or https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.
6. Please click "Deploy" button.
7. When "The Web App requires you to authorize access to your data" is shown, please click "Authorize access".
8. Automatically open a dialog box of "Authorization required".
   1. Select own account.
   2. Click "Advanced" at "This app isn't verified".
   3. Click "Go to ### project name ###(unsafe)"
   4. Click "Allow" button.
9. Copy the URL of Web App. It's like https://script.google.com/macros/s/###/exec.
   • When you modified the Google Apps Script, please redeploy as new version. By this, the modified script is reflected to Web Apps. Please be careful this.

6. Testing.

As the test of this Web Apps, I would like to propose to use the following curl command. Please replace https://script.google.com/macros/s/###/exec with your Web Apps URL.

Simple use:

In this curl command, the result value is returned as the ascending order of oldest to newest.

$ curl -GL -d "key=sampleKey" -d "sort=ascending" https://script.google.com/macros/s/###/exec

Use albumId:

When you want to use the album ID, please use the following curl command.

$ curl -GL -d "albumId=###" -d "key=sampleKey" -d "sort=ascending" https://script.google.com/macros/s/###/exec

• In this case, even when -d "sort=ascending" is not used, the result value is returned as the ascending order of oldest to newest.

Use filters:

When you want to use the filters, please use the following curl command.

$ curl -GL -d 'filters={"dateFilter":{"ranges":[{"startDate":{"year":2020},"endDate":{"year":2021}}]}}' -d "key=sampleKey" -d "sort=ascending" https://script.google.com/macros/s/###/exec

• In this command, the values of 2020 - 2021 are returned as the ascending order of oldest to newest.

Note:

• Although when I searched this at the Google issue tracker, I couldn't find about it. So how about reporting this as the future request? Ref

References:

• Method: mediaItems.search
• Related thread.
  • How to use Google Photos API Method: mediaItems.search in Google apps script for a spreadsheet
  • Google photos api adding photos not working, upload seems to work
  • Google Apps Scripts: import (upload) media from Google Drive to Google Photos?