Files
media-downloader/docs/archive/TOOLZU-TIMESTAMPS.md
Todd 0d7b2b1aab Initial commit
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-03-29 22:42:55 -04:00

3.3 KiB

Toolzu Timestamp Handling

Configuration

Check Frequency: Every 4 hours (configurable in settings.json) Posts Checked: 15 most recent posts (more than enough for frequent checks) Why 15? Most accounts post 1-5 times per day, so checking 15 recent posts catches everything

The Problem

Toolzu does NOT provide actual post dates. The website only shows thumbnails with download links - there's no date information anywhere on the page.

The time= parameter you see in thumbnail URLs is the page load time, not the post date. Using this would make all files show the same timestamp (when the page was loaded).

The Solution: Quality Upgrade System

We use a two-step approach to get the best of both worlds:

Step 1: Toolzu Download (High Resolution)

  • Downloads files at 1920x1440 resolution
  • Files initially get the current download time as timestamp
  • This is just a placeholder - not the actual post date

Step 2: Automatic Quality Upgrade (Accurate Timestamps)

  • Automatically runs after Toolzu downloads complete
  • Matches Toolzu files with FastDL files by Instagram media ID
  • For matched files:
    • Uses Toolzu's high-resolution (1920x1440) file
    • Copies FastDL's accurate timestamp
    • Moves to final destination
  • For Toolzu-only files:
    • Uses Toolzu file as-is with download time
    • Still better than nothing!

Workflow Example

1. FastDL downloads 640x640 image with accurate date: 2025-09-22 14:27:13
2. Toolzu downloads 1920x1440 image with placeholder date: 2025-10-12 20:46:00
3. Quality upgrade merges them:
   - Uses 1920x1440 file from Toolzu
   - Sets timestamp to 2025-09-22 14:27:13 from FastDL
   - Moves to final destination

Result: High-resolution image with accurate date!

Why This Works

  • FastDL: Accurate timestamps, low resolution (640x640)
  • Toolzu: High resolution (1920x1440), NO timestamps
  • Quality Upgrade: Takes the best from both = High resolution + accurate dates

Log Output

Before fix (WRONG - all same time):

✓ Saved: evalongoria_20251012_200000_18536798902006538.jpg (1920x1440, dated: 2025-10-12 20:00)
✓ Saved: evalongoria_20251012_200000_18536798920006538.jpg (1920x1440, dated: 2025-10-12 20:00)

After fix (CORRECT - uses download time, will be updated):

✓ Saved: evalongoria_20251012_204600_18536798902006538.jpg (1920x1440, will update timestamp from FastDL)
✓ Saved: evalongoria_20251012_204612_18536798920006538.jpg (1920x1440, will update timestamp from FastDL)

Then quality upgrade logs:

⬆️  Upgraded: evalongoria_20251012_204600_18536798902006538.jpg (1920x1440, dated: 2025-09-22 14:27)
⬆️  Upgraded: evalongoria_20251012_204612_18536798920006538.jpg (1920x1440, dated: 2025-09-22 14:28)

Configuration

No configuration needed - quality upgrade is automatic!

Just enable both downloaders in config/settings.json:

{
  "fastdl": {
    "enabled": true  // For accurate timestamps
  },
  "toolzu": {
    "enabled": true  // For high resolution
  }
}

Technical Details

  • Media ID matching: Both FastDL and Toolzu extract the same Instagram media IDs
  • Pattern: evalongoria_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS_{MEDIA_ID}.jpg
  • Numeric IDs: 17-19 digits (e.g., 18536798902006538)
  • Video IDs: Alphanumeric (e.g., AQNXzEzv7Y0V2xoe...)
  • Both formats are handled by the quality upgrade system