google_images_download 1.0.5

Python Script to download hundreds of images from 'Google Images'. It is a ready-to-run code!

Python Script for ‘searching’ and ‘downloading’ hundreds of Google images to the local hard disk!

Summary

This is a command line python program to search keywords/key-phrases on Google Images and then also optionally download one or more images to your computer. This is a small program which is ready-to-run, but still under development. Many more features will be added to it going forward.

Compatability

This program is compatible with both the versions of python - 2.x and 3.x (recommended). It is a download-and-run program with no changes to the file. You will just have to specify parameters through the command line.

Installation

You can use one of the below methods to download and use this repository.

Using pip:

$ pip install google_images_download

Manually using CLI:

$ git clone https://github.com/hardikvasa/google-images-download.git
$ cd google-images-download && sudo python setup.py install

Manually using UI:

Go to the repo on github ==> Click on ‘Clone or Download’ ==> Click on ‘Download ZIP’ and save it on your local disk.

Usage

If installed via pip or using CLI, use the following command:

$ googleimagesdownload [Arguments...]

If downloaded via the UI, unzip the file downloaded, go to the ‘google_images_download’ directory and use one of the below commands:

$ python3 google_images_download.py [Arguments...]
OR
$ python google_images_download.py [Arguments...]

Arguments

Argument	Short hand	Description
keywords	k	Denotes the keywords/key phrases you want to search for and the directory file name. Tips: If you simply type the keyword, Google will best try to match it If you want to search for exact phrase, you can wrap the keywords in double quotes (“”) If you want to search to contain either of the words provided, use OR between the words. If you want to explicitly not want a specific word use a minus sign before the word (-)
suffix_keywords	sk	Denotes additional words added after main keyword while making the search query. Useful when you have multiple suffix keywords for one keyword. The final search query would be: <keyword> <suffix keyword>
limit	l	Denotes number of images that you want to download.
format	f	Denotes the format/extension that you want to download. Possible values: jpg, gif, png, bmp, svg, webp, ico
color	c	Denotes the color filter that you want to apply to the images. Possible values: red, orange, yellow, green, teal, blue, purple, pink, white, gray, black, brown
color_type	ct	Denotes the color type you want to apply to the images. Possible values: full-color, black-and-white, transparent
usage_rights	r	Denotes the usage rights/licence under which the image is classified. Possible values: labled-for-reuse-with-modifications, labled-for-reuse, labled-for-noncommercial-reuse-with-modification, labled-for-nocommercial-reuse
size	s	Denotes the relative size of the image to be downloaded. Possible values: large, medium, icon
aspect_ratio	a	Denotes the aspect ration of images to download. Possible values: tall, square, wide, panoramic
type	t	Denotes the type of image to be downloaded. Possible values: face,photo,clip-art,line-drawing,animated
time	w	Denotes the time the image was uploaded/indexed. Possible values: past-24-hours, past-7-days
delay	d	Time to wait between downloading two images
url	u	Allows you search by image. It downloads images from the google images link provided
single_image	x	Allows you to download one image if the complete URL of the image is provided
output_directory	o	Allows you specify the main directory name. If not specified, it will default to ‘downloads’
similar_images	si	Reverse Image Search. Searches and downloads images that are similar to the image link/url you provide.
specific_site	ss	Allows you to download images with keywords only from a specific website/domain name you mention as indexed in Google Images.
print_urls	p	Print the URLs of the imageson the console. These image URLs can be used for debugging purposes
print_size	ps	Prints the size of the image on the console
metadata	m	Prints the metada of the image. This includes image size, origin, image attributes, description, image URL, etc.
extract_metadata	e	Metadata of all the downloaded images is stored in a text file. This file can be found in the logs/ directory
socket_timeout	st	Allows you to specify the time to wait for socket connection. You could specy a higher timeout time for slow internet connection. The default value is 15 seconds.
thumbnail	th	Downloads image thumbnails corresponding to each image downloaded. Thumbnails are saved in their own sub-directories.
language	la	Defines the language filter. The search results are authomatically returned in that language
prefix	pr	A word that you would want to prefix in front of actual image name. This feature can be used for image identification purpose.
help	h	show the help message regarding the usage of the above arguments

Note: If single_image or url parameter is not present, then keywords is a mandatory parameter. No other parameters are mandatory.

Examples

• Simple examples

$ googleimagesdownload --keywords "Polar bears, baloons, Beaches" --limit 20

• Using Suffix Keywords allows you to specify words after the main keywords. For example if the keyword = car and suffix keyword = 'red,blue' then it will first search for car red and then car blue

$ googleimagesdownload --k "car" -sk 'red,blue,white' -l 10

• To use the short hand command

$ googleimagesdownload -k "Polar bears, baloons, Beaches" -l 20

• To download images with specific image extension/format

$ googleimagesdownload --keywords "logo" --format svg

• To use color filters for the images

$ googleimagesdownload -k "playground" -l 20 -c red

• To use non-English keywords for image search

$ googleimagesdownload -k "北极熊" -l 5

• To download images from the google images link

$ googleimagesdownload -k "sample" -u <google images page URL>

• To save images in specific main directory (instead of in ‘downloads’)

$ googleimagesdownload -k "boat" -o "boat_new"

• To download one single image with the image URL

$ googleimagesdownload --keywords "baloons" --single_image <URL of the images>

• To download images with size and type constrains

$ googleimagesdownload --keywords "baloons" --size medium --type animated

• To download images with specific usage rights

$ googleimagesdownload --keywords "universe" --usage_rights labled-for-reuse

• To download images with specific color type

$ googleimagesdownload --keywords "flowers" --color_type black-and-white

• To download images with specific aspect ratio

$ googleimagesdownload --keywords "universe" --aspect_ratio panoramic

• To download images which are similar to the image in the image URL that you provided (Reverse Image search).

$ googleimagesdownload -si <image url> -l 10

• To download images from specific website or domain name for a given keyword

$ googleimagesdownload --keywords "universe" --specific_site example.com

===> The images would be downloaded in their own sub-directories inside the main directory (either the one you provided or in ‘downloads’) in the same folder you are in.

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Troubleshooting

## SSL Errors

If you do see SSL errors on Mac for Python 3, please go to Finder —> Applications —> Python 3 —> Click on the ‘Install Certificates.command’ and run the file.

## googleimagesdownload: command not found

While using the above commands, if you get Error: -bash: googleimagesdownload: command not found then you have to set the correct path variable.

To get the details of the repo, run the following command:

$ pip show -f google_images_download

you will get the result like this:

Location: /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site-packages
Files:
  ../../../bin/googleimagesdownload

together they make: /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin which you need add it to the path:

$ export PATH="/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin"

## [Errno 13] Permission denied creating directory ‘downloads’

When you run the command, it downloads the images in the current directory (the directory from where you are running the command). If you get permission denied error for creating the downloads directory, then move to a directory in which you have the write permission and then run the command again.

## Permission denied while installing the library

On MAC and Linux, when you get permission denied when installing the library using pip, try doing a user install.

$ pip install google_images_download --user

You can also run pip install as a superuser with sudo pip install google_images_download but it is not generally a good idea because it can cause issues with your system-level packages.

Structure

Below diagram represents the code logic.

Contribute

Anyone is welcomed to contribute to this script. If you would like to make a change, open a pull request. For issues and discussion visit the Issue Tracker.

The aim of this repo is to keep it simple, stand-alone, backward compatible and 3rd party dependency proof.

Disclaimer

This program lets you download tons of images from Google. Please do not download any image without violating its copyright terms. Google Images is a search engine that merely indexes images and allows you to find them. It does NOT produce its own images and, as such, it doesn’t own copyright on any of them. The original creators of the images own the copyrights.

Images published in the United States are automatically copyrighted by their owners, even if they do not explicitly carry a copyright warning. You may not reproduce copyright images without their owner’s permission, except in “fair use” cases, or you could risk running into lawyer’s warnings, cease-and-desist letters, and copyright suits. Please be very careful before its usage!