Source: https://restorebunny.com/guides/photo-inventory-spreadsheet/ # Build a Photo Inventory That Relatives Can Use Create an inventory linking photos, people, physical locations and digital copies without embedding uncertain family stories as facts. Digital organization2 min readUpdated 16 October 2026 ## Try it on your own photo Repair a copy of your photo, then compare faces and details with the original. [Restore my photo]()1 credit per successful photo · Account required[See credit packs]() Quick answer ## The short version Start with one row per physical photograph or digital source, rather than one row per exported version. Give that source a stable identifier and keep descriptive fields separate from filenames. An inventory should let someone locate the object and understand what is known without opening every image. ## Define the job before editing Start with one row per physical photograph or digital source, rather than one row per exported version. Give that source a stable identifier and keep descriptive fields separate from filenames. An inventory should let someone locate the object and understand what is known without opening every image. ## Choose fields that answer retrieval questions Record the identifier, physical box or album location, digital master filename, people, approximate date, source of identification and access restrictions. Leave unknown values explicitly unknown. Store any competing identifications in notes with the contributor’s name instead of choosing whichever story sounds most confident. ## Make the decision from evidence Use a simple table that exports to a portable format. A complicated database is less useful if only its creator can access it. Keep working spreadsheet files alongside an occasional CSV export and a short explanation of each column. Do not expose restricted rows in a public family index. ## A worked planning example Example: FAM-0142 belongs in Box B, Sleeve 07. Its master is FAM-0142-front.tif. The date field reads approximately 1955; a separate note says Aunt Maya supplied that estimate. The restored JPEG is a derivative linked to the same row. ## A practical checklist 1. Assign stable IDs before entering descriptions. 2. Record one location and one master filename per source. 3. Give relatives a contact sheet keyed to those IDs. 4. Export a dated inventory copy with the archive. ## Keep a traceable result Keep the source file, the working copy and the delivery copy as separate items. Record the input and the changes you actually made so another person can understand the result later. These workflow examples are planning examples, not documented customer outcomes or proof of a successful restoration. ## FAQs Should every restoration get a new inventory row? Usually keep derivatives linked to the source row, with version notes. Separate rows are useful when the derivative is a separately managed item with its own delivery history. Should I replace my original with the edited copy? Keep the source unchanged and save a separate working or sharing copy. An export, edit or AI interpretation can omit information that remains useful in the source. ## Sources Preservation and technical guidance reviewed for this article. - Library of Congress: [Personal archiving: digital photographs]() ## Related - [Open the related free tool]() - [Keep a Useful Photo Editing Version History]() - [Browse photo guides]() - [Free image tools]() ## Ready to restore your photos? Upload an image, choose your settings, and preview results with a before/after slider. [Restore my photo]()[View Pricing]() RestoreBunny Source-backed photo workflows Guides follow our [editorial policy]() for sourcing, product claims, AI limitations, updates, and corrections.