Echoes User Guide

Scan Setup

Use this tab to choose what will be scanned and choose a starting preset.

1. Scan Scope

The scan scope controls which Lightroom photos are read.

Selected Photos

Scans only the currently selected target photos.

Best for:

• First tests
• Known duplicate pairs
• Small controlled review sets

Watch for:

• If the wrong photos are selected, the plugin scans those photos.
• This is the safest first scope because it is small and predictable.

Selected Photos Against Current Source

Scans the current Lightroom source but only reports duplicate groups involving at least one selected target photo.

Example:

• The current folder contains 40 photos.
• You select 10 target photos.
• The plugin compares the 40 source photos.
• It reports duplicate groups involving the selected 10 target photos.
• Non-selected source photos may appear as Reference in the image log if they were used for comparison but were not part of a reported target result.

Best for:

• Checking selected photos against their folder or collection
• Asking "do these selected photos already exist somewhere in this source?"
• Avoiding a full-source report when only selected targets matter

Watch for:

• You must select at least one target photo.
• The active Lightroom source must be the folder, collection, or source you intend to compare against.
• A non-selected source photo can become the suggested keeper if the file-handling rules prefer it.

Current Collection

Scans the active Lightroom collection.

Best for:

• Curated projects
• Review collections
• Temporary duplicate-candidate collections

Watch for:

• Make sure the collection itself is the active source.
• Collection membership is Lightroom organization, not file identity.

Current Folder

Scans the active Lightroom folder.

Best for:

• Folder-by-folder review
• Testing one shoot or import folder
• Avoiding full-catalog scans

Watch for:

• If you meant to scan a collection, use Current Collection instead.

Current Source

Scans whatever Lightroom currently exposes as the active source.

Best for:

• Flexible workflows where the source could be a folder, collection, collection set, or other active source
• Working directly from the current Lightroom view

Watch for:

• Confirm the active source before running.
• If the source is broad, the scan may take longer.

Entire Catalog

Scans every photo in the catalog.

Best for:

• Final broad audits
• Catalog-wide duplicate discovery after settings are already tested

Watch for:

• Large catalogs can take a long time, but Echoes narrows comparisons through matching evidence anchors before it scores pairs.
• Start with smaller scopes first.
• Use at least one reliable Required criterion when possible.

Skip Virtual Copies

When checked, Lightroom virtual copies are excluded from duplicate comparison.

Use this when:

• Virtual copies are intentional edit variants.
• You do not want virtual copies reported as duplicate candidates.

Log behavior:

• Skipped virtual copies appear in the image log as Skipped: Virtual Copy.

Watch for:

• The original/master copy can still be scanned.
• This is different from the Photos with the same virtual copy name match criterion. The skip option removes virtual copies from comparison; the criterion compares copy-name metadata for photos that remain in the scan.

Skip Stacked Photos

When checked, photos Lightroom reports as stacked are excluded from duplicate comparison.

When unchecked, stacked photos are scanned. Lightroom stack membership can create duplicate groups directly, so stack members are reviewed together even when ordinary metadata matching would not group every file.

Use this when:

• Stacks represent intentional variants.
• Stacks contain bursts, HDR source frames, panorama source frames, or grouped review choices.

Log behavior:

• Skipped stacked photos appear in the image log as Skipped: Stacked Photo.

Watch for:

• Stack behavior depends on Lightroom catalog organization.
• This is different from the optional Stack Information advanced match criterion.
• Leave Skip stacked photos checked if your stacks are intentional groups that should not be marked.

Skip Photos With Keywords

When checked, photos with one of the listed keywords are excluded from duplicate comparison.

Use this when:

• You already have keywords such as Do Not Scan, Archive, or Keep.
• You want to protect manually reviewed photos from future duplicate scans.
• You use workflow keywords to separate finished images from images that still need review.

Enter keywords separated by commas, semicolons, or new lines.

Log behavior:

• Skipped photos appear in the image log as Skipped: Keyword.

Watch for:

• Matching is case-insensitive.
• The skip option checks Lightroom keyword metadata and export keyword metadata.
• Keyword skipping happens before duplicate matching, so skipped photos are not compared against other photos.

2. Duplicate Detection Preset

The preset is a starting point for match criteria.

Conservative

Uses stricter default matching.

What it emphasizes:

• Filename without extension must match
• Capture time must match
• Camera model, image dimensions, and file size support the match

Best for:

• Lower false-positive risk
• RAW/JPEG pairs from the same capture
• Controlled duplicate searches

Watch for:

• It may miss duplicates with renamed files or shifted capture times.

Balanced

Recommended default.

What it emphasizes:

• Capture time and camera model are strong evidence
• Image dimensions support the match
• Filename without extension and file size provide lighter support

Best for:

• First real scans
• General duplicate review
• Testing before customizing

Watch for:

• Review results before applying markings.

RAW/JPEG Pairs

Targets RAW/JPEG pairs or format variants from the same original capture.

What it emphasizes:

• Filename without extension must match
• Capture time is strong evidence
• Camera model and image dimensions support the match

Best for:

• RAW plus JPEG imports
• Camera-original format pairs
• Controlled scans where filenames are still intact

Watch for:

• It may miss renamed exports or renamed originals.

Renamed Originals

Targets duplicate originals whose filenames changed.

What it emphasizes:

• Capture time must match
• Camera model is strong evidence
• Dimensions and file size support the match

Best for:

• Originals renamed by import tools
• Files moved between naming schemes
• Cases where filename evidence is unreliable

Watch for:

• Capture times must be reliable.

Edited Exports

Targets edited or exported copies with recognizable filename relationships.

What it emphasizes:

• Similar filenames and capture time are strong evidence
• Camera model supports the match
• Dimensions provide light support because exports may be resized

Best for:

• Files with suffixes such as edit, copy, final, HDR, Pano, or app names
• Lightroom exports and edited derivatives
• Review queues where renamed copies should be found

Watch for:

• Pair with capture time when possible.

Filename Discovery

Uses broader filename-similarity matching for exploratory scans.

What it emphasizes:

• Similar filenames are strong evidence
• Capture time and camera model support the match
• Dimensions provide light support
• Filename similarity mode is set to Loose

Best for:

• Finding possible renamed duplicates
• Auditing messy folders before creating a stricter custom preset
• Discovery scans run in Dry Run or Report Only

Watch for:

• Higher false-positive risk than Edited Exports.
• Review results carefully before applying markings.

Aggressive

Uses looser scoring and more supporting fields.

What it emphasizes:

• Filename without extension and capture time are strong evidence
• Camera model, lens, and dimensions provide extra support
• File size, ISO, and aperture provide lighter support

Best for:

• Discovery scans
• Finding possible duplicates where metadata may differ
• Building a broad review queue

Watch for:

• Higher false-positive risk.
• Use Dry Run or Report Only first.

Custom Presets

Use Save As... to store the current UI setup under your own name.

Custom presets appear in the same preset menu as the built-in presets.

You can:

• Save the current setup as a new custom preset
• Select a custom preset later
• Update the selected custom preset after changing its settings
• Save edited settings as a separate new custom preset
• Rename a custom preset
• Delete a custom preset

Built-in presets cannot be renamed or deleted.

Custom presets include:

• Scan scope
• Skip filters
• Enabled basic match criteria
• Enabled advanced match criteria
• Importance levels
• Duplicate threshold
• Tolerance settings
• File handling keeper rules
• Apply Marking actions
• Mode
• Cleanup settings
• Log folder and log format

Custom presets do not include license keys, activation tokens, or paid-license state.

Match Criteria

Use this tab to choose which basic metadata fields define duplicate evidence.

Each row has:

• A checkbox to enable the criterion
• An importance menu

Importance Levels

Required

The criterion must match. If it does not match, the pair is disqualified.

Required criteria can also make scans faster because obvious mismatches are skipped earlier.

Use Required when:

• The field is reliable.
• A mismatch should definitely reject the pair.

Avoid Required when:

• The field may be missing.
• The field may differ between originals and exports.
• You are doing broad discovery.

Strong

Gives the field a strong influence when it matches.

Use it for fields that are highly meaningful but should not always be mandatory.

Medium

Gives the field a moderate influence when it matches.

Use it for useful supporting evidence.

Weak

Gives the field a small influence when it matches.

Use it for fields that help but should not drive the decision alone.

Ignore

The enabled field is ignored for scoring.

Use it when you want to keep a field visible but prevent it from affecting the current scan.

How A Match Is Decided

A pair becomes a duplicate when:

• All Required criteria match, if any are enabled
• At least one enabled duplicate-evidence anchor matches
• Enough supporting criteria match for the selected preset

Duplicate-Evidence Anchors

Some fields can act as core duplicate evidence. These are anchors:

• Filename
• Filename without extension
• Full path
• Capture time
• Image dimensions
• File size
• GPS location

At least one anchor criterion must be enabled for the scan to create duplicate groups.

If only contextual criteria are enabled, the plugin reports a settings issue instead of creating groups.

Contextual Criteria

Contextual criteria can support a match but should not prove duplicates by themselves. Examples include camera model, lens, ISO, aperture, folder, rating, label, file type, import date, and virtual copy name.

This matters because many unrelated photos from the same shoot can share contextual metadata.

File Information Criteria

Photos With The Same Filename

Compares the full filename.

Use it for:

• Exact filename duplicate imports
• Export/original pairs that kept the same filename

Watch for:

• Different extensions or renamed exports may not match.

Photos With The Same Filename Without Extension

Compares the filename stem without the extension.

Use it for:

• RAW/JPEG pairs such as IMG_1234.CR3 and IMG_1234.JPG
• Exports that kept the original base name

Watch for:

• Cameras can reuse filenames after counter rollover.
• Filename alone is usually not enough for catalog-wide cleanup.

Photos With Similar Filenames

Compares filename stems with common rename patterns normalized.

Use it for:

• Edited or exported copies with suffixes such as -Edit, copy, final, HDR, Pano, denoise, or app names
• Files whose separators or case changed, such as IMG_1234 and img-1234
• Names where meaningful tokens were reordered

Watch for:

• Similar filename matching is still filename-based evidence, not image-content comparison.
• Keep the mode conservative when scanning a large catalog.
• Nearby camera sequence numbers are intentionally not treated as matches by filename alone.

Photos With The Same RAW/JPEG File Type

Compares normalized file type.

Use it for:

• Finding duplicates of the same general type
• Supporting other file criteria

Watch for:

• RAW and JPEG versions of the same capture are often intentionally different file types.

Photos With The Same File Size

Compares file size, with optional tolerance from File size tolerance.

Use it for:

• Exact duplicate files
• Duplicate imports of the same file

Watch for:

• Metadata changes can alter file size.
• Different exports of the same image may have very different file sizes.

Photos In The Same Folder

Compares folder path/name metadata.

Use it for:

• Finding duplicates inside a folder
• Supporting folder-focused cleanup

Watch for:

• Folder is organization, not image identity.
• Many unrelated photos can share a folder.

Photos With The Same Full Path

Compares full path metadata.

Use it for:

• Detecting duplicate catalog references to the same file path

Watch for:

• Most normal duplicate files have different paths.
• This should usually be disabled unless you are looking for duplicate catalog references.

Capture Information Criteria

Photos Taken At The Same Time

Compares capture time, with optional tolerance from Capture time variance.

Use it for:

• RAW/JPEG pairs
• Duplicate imports
• Camera-original duplicates

Watch for:

• Exported files can have shifted timestamps.
• Burst photos can be close together.

Photos From The Same Camera Make

Compares camera manufacturer.

Use it for:

• Supporting camera metadata

Watch for:

• Very broad. Many unrelated photos can share camera make.

Photos From The Same Camera Model

Compares camera model.

Use it for:

• Supporting capture-time and filename matches
• Separating files from different cameras

Watch for:

• Many photos from one shoot can share the same camera model.

Photos Taken With The Same Lens

Compares lens metadata.

Use it for:

• Supporting duplicate evidence
• Controlled camera-original workflows

Watch for:

• Lens metadata can be missing or formatted differently.
• Lens alone is not duplicate evidence.

Photos With The Same Focal Length

Compares focal length as numeric metadata.

Use it for:

• Supporting capture matches

Watch for:

• Many unrelated photos can share focal length.

Photos With The Same Aperture

Compares aperture as numeric metadata.

Use it for:

• Weak support in controlled workflows

Watch for:

• Aperture is common across many photos.

Photos With The Same Shutter Speed

Compares shutter speed text metadata.

Use it for:

• Weak support

Watch for:

• Formatting may differ.
• Many photos can share shutter speed.

Photos With The Same ISO

Compares ISO as numeric metadata.

Use it for:

• Weak support

Watch for:

• ISO alone is not duplicate evidence.

Image Information Criteria

Photos With The Same Image Dimensions

Compares image dimensions.

Use it for:

• Originals and same-size exports
• Supporting exact duplicate checks

Watch for:

• Crops, resizing, and exports can change dimensions.

Photos With The Same Rating

Compares Lightroom star rating.

Use it for:

• Supporting curated duplicate workflows

Watch for:

• Rating is user behavior, not image identity.

Photos With The Same Color Label

Compares Lightroom color label name.

Use it for:

• Supporting workflows where labels are consistently applied

Watch for:

• Labels are user organization, not image identity.

Location Information Criteria

Photos Taken At The Same GPS Location

Compares GPS coordinates, with optional tolerance from GPS distance tolerance.

Use it for:

• Location-based duplicate support
• Phone photos where GPS is available

Watch for:

• Same place does not mean same photo.
• GPS can be missing, approximate, or manually assigned.

Lightroom Information Criteria

Photos With The Same Virtual Copy Name

Compares Lightroom virtual copy name.

Use it for:

• Workflows where virtual copies are named consistently

Watch for:

• Many photos have no copy name.
• This is not the same as Skip virtual copies.

Photos Imported On The Same Date

Compares import date.

Use it for:

• Supporting duplicate-import investigations

Watch for:

• Many unrelated photos can share an import date.

Photos From The Same Import Session

Compares import-session-like metadata.

Use it for:

• Supporting duplicate import review

Watch for:

• Many unrelated photos can be part of the same import.

Advanced Match Criteria

Use this tab for optional, less common metadata fields.

Each advanced row has:

• A checkbox to enable the field
• An importance menu

The same Required, Strong, Medium, Weak, and Ignore meanings apply.

Advanced Field Caveat

Advanced fields depend on the metadata available in Lightroom. Many fields may be missing for some formats, cameras, exports, or catalog records.

Avoid making advanced fields Required unless you have verified the data is consistently present.

Camera | Camera Serial Number

Compares camera serial number.

Use it when:

• You use multiple copies of the same camera model.
• Serial metadata is reliable in your files.

Watch for:

• Often missing.
• Not all cameras or file types expose it.

Camera | Firmware

Compares camera firmware metadata.

Use it when:

• You have a controlled workflow where firmware is meaningful.

Watch for:

• Rarely useful by itself.
• Can change over time.

Lens | Lens Serial Number

Compares lens serial number.

Use it when:

• Lens identity matters and serial metadata is present.

Watch for:

• Often missing.

Exposure | Exposure Compensation

Compares exposure compensation.

Use it as:

• Weak supporting evidence

Watch for:

• Many unrelated photos can share exposure compensation.

Flash | Flash Mode

Compares flash mode metadata.

Use it as:

• Weak supporting evidence

Watch for:

• Not duplicate evidence by itself.

Flash | Flash Fired

Compares whether flash fired.

Use it as:

• Weak supporting evidence

Watch for:

• Many photos can share the same flash state.

Color | White Balance

Compares white balance metadata.

Use it for:

• Supporting camera-original workflows

Watch for:

• Edited files and rendered exports may differ.

Color | Color Space

Compares color space metadata.

Use it for:

• Rendered file workflows
• Separating exports from originals

Watch for:

• Not duplicate evidence by itself.

Location | GPS Altitude

Compares GPS altitude.

Use it for:

• Extra GPS support

Watch for:

• Often missing or noisy.

Creator Information | Artist

Compares artist metadata.

Use it for:

• Metadata-rich archives

Watch for:

• Many photos from the same creator can match.

Creator Information | Copyright

Compares copyright metadata.

Use it for:

• Controlled archives

Watch for:

• Usually broad.
• Should not be main duplicate evidence.

Creator Information | Contact Information

Compares creator/contact metadata.

Use it for:

• Metadata-rich archives

Watch for:

• Often missing or broad.

Keywords | Keywords

Compares Lightroom keyword metadata.

Use it for:

• Curated workflows where duplicate variants share keywords

Watch for:

• Keywords can diverge after editing or catalog work.

Keywords | Catalog Keywords

Compares export-oriented keyword metadata.

Use it for:

• Workflows where catalog/export keyword differences matter

Watch for:

• Similar to normal keywords, this can be broad or inconsistent.

Lightroom | Collections

Compares Lightroom collection membership metadata when available.

Use it for:

• Collection-based workflows

Watch for:

• Collection membership is organization, not image identity.

Lightroom | Stack Information

Compares Lightroom stack metadata when available.

Use it for:

• Workflows where stack membership is meaningful

Watch for:

• Stack behavior depends on Lightroom catalog organization.
• This is not the same as Skip stacked photos.

File Handling

Use this tab to choose which files should be protected as keepers inside duplicate groups.

The plugin does not delete non-keepers. It labels them as duplicate candidates in reports and optional markings.

Minimum Keepers

Controls how many files can be protected as keepers in larger groups.

Default:

• Minimum keepers: 1
• Apply extra keepers when group has at least: 3

Behavior:

• With Minimum keepers set to 1, each duplicate group has one keeper.
• If Minimum keepers is greater than 1, extra keepers apply only when the group size is at least the configured group-size setting.
• The plugin never marks every photo in a group as a duplicate candidate. At least one file remains protected.

Example:

• Minimum keepers: 2
• Apply extra keepers when group has at least: 3

Results:

• A 2-photo group gets 1 keeper and 1 duplicate candidate.
• A 3-photo group gets 2 keepers and 1 duplicate candidate.
• A 4-photo group gets 2 keepers and 2 duplicate candidates.

In the image log:

• Primary keeper is Keeper.
• Extra protected keepers are Additional Keeper.
• Non-keepers are Duplicate Candidate.

Keeper Priority Rules

Rules are evaluated in priority order. The first enabled rule that separates two files wins. If no enabled rule separates the files, the first photo in the group is selected.

The list is shown in priority order. Use the priority menu or the ↑ / ↓ buttons to reorder rules; the row contents update so priority 1 appears first, priority 2 appears second, and so on.

When you move a rule to a priority already used by another rule, the lower-priority rules shift down automatically. For example, moving a rule to priority 3 moves the old priority 3 to 4, the old 4 to 5, and so on.

Saved keeper priorities are also normalized when the dialog opens and before settings are saved, so the list should always display as 1, 2, 3, 4... without duplicate or skipped priority numbers.

Each rule has:

• A checkbox
• A priority number
• ↑ / ↓ reorder buttons

Lower priority numbers run earlier.

Prefer RAW Over Rendered Formats

Chooses RAW and DNG files over non-RAW rendered files.

Best for:

• Keeping original camera files

Watch for:

• DNG is treated as RAW for this broad rule.
• Disable this if your finished TIFF, PSD, or JPEG should be the keeper.

Prefer Camera RAW Over DNG

Chooses camera-native RAW files, such as CR3, NEF, ARW, RAF, or ORF, over DNG files.

Best for:

• Workflows where the untouched camera RAW should stay protected.
• Keeping the manufacturer-specific RAW file when both RAW and converted DNG versions exist.

Watch for:

• This rule is optional and disabled by default.
• It only separates camera RAW files from DNG files. The broader RAW rule still handles RAW/DNG versus rendered formats.

Prefer DNG Over Camera RAW

Chooses DNG files over camera-native RAW files.

Best for:

• Workflows where DNG is your preferred archival original.
• Catalogs where converted DNG files should be protected over the original camera RAW.

Watch for:

• This rule is optional and disabled by default.
• Do not enable both RAW/DNG direction rules at the same priority. If both are enabled, normal priority order decides which one runs first.

Prefer TIFF/Lossless Over JPEG

Chooses lossless rendered formats over JPEG when comparing non-RAW rendered files.

Lossless rendered extensions include:

• TIFF
• PNG
• PSD
• PSB

Best for:

• Keeping high-quality rendered masters

Watch for:

• RAW files are handled by the RAW rule, not this rule.

Prefer Higher Rating

Chooses the photo with the higher Lightroom rating.

Best for:

• Catalogs where star ratings reflect curation decisions

Watch for:

• Inconsistent ratings can choose the wrong keeper.

Prefer Larger Resolution

Chooses the photo with more pixels.

Best for:

• Keeping full-size originals over smaller exports

Watch for:

• A larger file may not be the best edited version.

Prefer Edited Photo

Chooses the photo Lightroom reports as edited.

Best for:

• Keeping developed versions

Watch for:

• Edits are catalog state, not necessarily final quality.

Prefer Non-Rejected Photo

Chooses a non-rejected photo over a rejected photo.

Best for:

• Protecting files you have not already rejected

Watch for:

• If old rejected flags are messy, review them before using this rule heavily.

Prefer Color-Labeled Photo

Chooses a photo with a color label over one without a label.

Best for:

• Workflows where labels mark preferred files

Watch for:

• Disabled by default.
• Label meaning varies by catalog.

Prefer Larger File Size

Chooses the larger file.

Best for:

• Keeping originals or higher-quality rendered files

Watch for:

• Larger file size does not always mean better file.

Prefer Filename Without Copy/Edit Suffix

Chooses the file with the cleaner original-looking filename when another matching file has a suffix such as copy, edit, final, HDR, Pano, denoise, or an app name.

Best for:

• Similar-filename duplicate groups where one file is an obvious copy or derivative
• Protecting DSC_3017 over DSC_3017 copy

Watch for:

• Higher-priority keeper rules still run first.
• You can change or disable this rule in the priority list.
• This rule only separates files when the base filename matches after removing the suffix.

Prefer Longer Filename

Chooses the file with the longer filename.

Best for:

• Workflows where descriptive filenames should be protected over shorter camera filenames
• Cases where renamed masters contain useful identifying text

Watch for:

• Disabled by default.
• This can conflict with Prefer filename without copy/edit suffix; normal priority order decides which rule wins.
• Longer does not always mean more original or higher quality.

Prefer Newer Import

Chooses the photo imported more recently.

Best for:

• Workflows where later imports are more trustworthy

Watch for:

• Disabled by default.
• Newer import is not always better.

Prefer Older Capture Date

Chooses the older capture date.

Best for:

• Workflows where earlier capture metadata is considered more original

Watch for:

• Disabled by default.
• Do not enable both older and newer capture date unless you intentionally set priorities.

Prefer Newer Capture Date

Chooses the newer capture date.

Best for:

• Workflows where updated capture metadata is preferred

Watch for:

• Disabled by default.
• Conflicts conceptually with Prefer older capture date.

Advanced Settings

Use this tab for tolerances, mode, cleanup, optional markings, and logging.

Tolerance Settings

Capture Time Variance

Allows capture times to match within a number of seconds.

Use 0 when:

• Exact capture time is expected.
• You are matching RAW/JPEG files from the same capture.

Increase it when:

• Exported files have slightly shifted timestamps.
• Software rounded timestamps differently.
• Cameras had small clock differences.

Watch for:

• Large values can group nearby burst photos.

GPS Distance Tolerance

Allows GPS locations to match within a number of meters.

Use small values when:

• GPS is precise.
• You want strict location matching.

Increase it when:

• Phone GPS is approximate.
• Photos were manually geotagged.

Watch for:

• Same location does not mean same photo.

File Size Tolerance

Allows file sizes to differ by a percentage.

Use 0 when:

• You want exact file-size matches.

Increase it when:

• Files were exported with small metadata differences.
• You expect slight file-size variation.

Watch for:

• Large tolerances reduce file size as evidence.

Numeric Metadata Tolerance

Allows numeric metadata values to differ by a small amount.

Applies to:

• Focal length
• Aperture
• ISO
• Advanced numeric fields

Watch for:

• This applies broadly to numeric criteria. Keep it conservative.

Filename Similarity

Controls how flexible the Photos with similar filenames criterion is.

This does not change the criterion's weight. Weight still comes from the normal importance menu for that row: Required, Strong, Medium, Weak, or Ignore.

Modes:

• Strict: normalized stems, punctuation/case changes, and common suffixes.
• Balanced: strict behavior plus token reordering and extended names where the shorter name's tokens appear in order inside the longer name.
• Loose: balanced behavior plus conservative fuzzy matching.

Watch for:

• Looser matching can find more renamed exports, but it should be paired with reliable evidence such as capture time.

Mode

Dry Run

Scans and writes reports. No Lightroom markings are applied.

Use it for:

• First tests
• New settings
• Large scans you have not validated

Report Only

Scans and writes reports. No Lightroom markings are applied.

Use it for:

• Report-only workflows
• Trial-limited scans
• Situations where you want no catalog changes

Apply Marking

Scans, writes reports, and applies enabled Lightroom markings.

Use it only after:

• You have tested the settings.
• You have reviewed the logs.
• You understand which optional actions are enabled.

Watch for:

• Apply Marking changes Lightroom catalog metadata, keywords, rejected flags, and/or collections depending on selected actions.
• Trial-limited scans are forced to report-only behavior.

Cleanup Before Scan

Cleanup options run before the new scan, only when enabled and allowed by the license/trial state.

Before Scan, Remove Previous Echoes Collection Set

Deletes the configured Echoes collection set before scanning.

Default collection set name:

Echoes

Watch for:

• Only use this for collection sets created for Echoes review.
• If you rename the collection set to something you use manually, cleanup can remove that set.

Before Scan, Remove Echoes Keywords From Photos

Removes the configured Echoes duplicate and keeper keywords from photos.

Default keyword names:

• Echoes Duplicate Candidate
• Echoes Keeper

Watch for:

• Use unique keyword names for Echoes.
• If you reuse those keyword names for other purposes, cleanup can remove them.

Before Scan, Clear Rejected Flags From Previous Echoes Collection Photos

Clears rejected flags only from photos found inside the configured Echoes collection set.

Watch for:

• This is intentionally narrow.
• It does not clear rejected flags across the whole catalog.
• If collection cleanup is also enabled, rejected flags are cleared before the collection set is deleted.

Marking Actions

Add Duplicate Keyword

Adds the configured duplicate keyword to non-keeper photos in duplicate groups.

Default:

Echoes Duplicate Candidate

Duplicate Keyword

Text field for the duplicate keyword name.

Use a unique name so cleanup affects only plugin-managed keywords.

Add Keeper Keyword

Adds the configured keeper keyword to suggested keepers and additional keepers.

Default:

Echoes Keeper

Keeper Keyword

Text field for the keeper keyword name.

Create Duplicate Candidates Collection

Creates a review collection containing photos from duplicate groups.

Default collection name:

All Duplicate Groups

Collection Name

Text field for the all-groups review collection.

Create Collection Set

Creates a parent collection set and a per-scan child collection set.

Default parent collection set:

Echoes

Default per-scan set format:

Scan - YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS

Collection Set Name

Text field for the parent collection set name.

Scan Set Prefix

Text field for the prefix used in each per-scan collection set.

Create One Collection Per Duplicate Group

Creates group collections such as:

Group 001
Group 002
Group 003

Best for:

• Reviewing one duplicate group at a time

Large scans:

• Echoes always creates the all-groups review collection when review collections are enabled.
• If the all-groups review set is very large, Echoes splits it into numbered parts so Lightroom can add photos in smaller batches.
• If a scan finds too many duplicate groups, Echoes skips per-group collections to avoid creating thousands of Lightroom collections. Use the all-groups review collections and the logs for large-scan review.

Mark Duplicate Candidates As Rejected

Marks non-keeper duplicate candidates as rejected in Lightroom.

Behavior:

• Suggested keepers are first cleared from rejected status.
• Duplicate candidates are then marked rejected.
• Additional keepers are protected like primary keepers.

Watch for:

• Rejected status does not delete files.
• Confirm results before deleting rejected files outside the plugin.

Log Folder

Folder where reports are written.

Use a folder you can find easily, such as a project folder or Documents.

Choose

Opens a folder picker for the log folder.

Log Format

Controls image and audit log format.

Options:

• CSV
• Text

CSV is recommended for spreadsheet review.

Text writes easier-to-read plain text image and audit logs. Use it when you want to read the reports directly instead of opening them in a spreadsheet.

Results And Logs

Each completed scan writes reports to the selected log folder.

Summary Dialog

The summary dialog shows:

• Photos scanned
• Duplicate groups found
• Potential duplicates
• Keepers suggested
• Unique photos
• Skipped photos
• Errors
• Possible pairs before indexing
• Candidate pairs compared
• License summary, when relevant
• Review collection note, when relevant
• Settings issue, when relevant
• Image log path
• Audit log path

Summary Report

The summary report is a text file containing:

• Mode
• Requested mode
• Effective mode
• License summary
• Photos scanned
• Duplicate groups found
• Potential duplicates
• Keepers suggested
• Unique photos
• Skipped photos
• Errors
• Possible pairs before indexing
• Candidate pairs compared
• Image log path
• Audit log path
• Audit detail note, when large-scan audit details were capped
• Marking warning, when review collections were split or per-group collections were skipped
• Settings issue, if any

Image Log

The image log has one row for each scanned photo.

Columns:

• Lightroom ID
• Filename
• Full Path
• Folder
• Extension
• File Size
• Capture Date
• Import Date
• Camera Make
• Camera Model
• Lens
• ISO
• Aperture
• Shutter Speed
• Dimensions
• Rating
• Label
• GPS
• Duplicate Group ID
• Result
• Metadata Diagnostics, which can help support troubleshooting if Lightroom could not read some metadata

Result values:

• Keeper: primary suggested keeper in a duplicate group.
• Additional Keeper: extra protected keeper when minimum keepers are enabled.
• Duplicate Candidate: non-keeper photo in a duplicate group.
• Unique: target photo that did not end up in a duplicate group.
• Reference: source photo used for comparison in Selected Photos Against Current Source but not itself reported as a selected target duplicate result.
• Skipped: not evaluated because no criteria were enabled or the configuration was invalid.
• Skipped: Virtual Copy: excluded by Skip virtual copies.
• Skipped: Stacked Photo: excluded by Skip stacked photos.
• Skipped: Keyword: excluded by Skip photos with keywords.
• Error: metadata read or processing error occurred.

Audit Log

The audit log explains comparison decisions.

Columns:

• Group ID
• Photo A
• Photo B
• Criterion
• Decision
• Confidence
• Suggested Keeper
• Reason

For large scans, the audit log may summarize only part of the pair-by-pair detail so the report stays manageable. Duplicate detection still evaluates the scan normally.

License

Use this tab to activate, deactivate, retrieve, or buy a license.

Trial Behavior

Trial policy:

• Full processing is allowed for up to 50 photos per scan.
• Trial duration is 14 days.
• If the scan has more than 50 photos and no paid license is active, the scan still writes reports but cleanup and Lightroom markings are disabled.
• If the trial has expired and no paid license is active, reports can still be generated, but cleanup and Lightroom markings require a license.

License Key

Enter the license key supplied by the licensing service.

The plugin uses the key to activate your paid license.

Open License Retrieval Page

Opens:

https://adf.colrbent.com/thank-you.html

Use this if you need to find or retrieve your license key.

Buy License

Visible when no paid license is active.

Opens:

https://adf.colrbent.com

Activate

Attempts to activate the entered license key. Successful activation shows paid license status and removes the scan limit.

Deactivate

Deactivates the local license and returns the plugin to trial/limited behavior.

Use it when:

• Moving a license to another computer
• Clearing an incorrect activation

License Checks

Paid licenses may occasionally need an online check. If validation is required, connect to the internet and activate or check the license again.

About

The About tab displays:

• Product name
• Short product description
• Version
• Website
• Support email
• License help URL
• Copyright
• Check for Updates button

Check For Updates

Checks whether a newer version is available.

If an update is available, the dialog can open the download page.

Recommended Workflows

Small Test Scan

1. Select 2 to 50 photos.
2. Use Selected Photos.
3. Use Balanced.
4. Use Dry Run.
5. Review image and audit logs.
6. Adjust criteria if needed.

Folder Review

1. Select a folder in Lightroom.
2. Use Current Folder.
3. Start with Balanced.
4. Use Report Only.
5. Review logs.
6. If results are good, rerun with Apply Marking and collection creation.

Selected Photos Against Source

1. Select the target photos.
2. Make sure the correct folder, collection, or source is active.
3. Choose Selected Photos Against Current Source.
4. Use Report Only.
5. Review Reference rows in the image log.

Large Catalog Audit

1. Test settings on a small scope first.
2. Use reliable anchors such as capture time, filename without extension, dimensions, file size, or GPS.
3. Avoid broad contextual-only settings.
4. Use Report Only first.
5. Expect longer runtime and larger logs.

Review Collections Workflow

1. Run a scan with collection creation enabled.
2. Review All Duplicate Groups.
3. Review individual Group ### collections.
4. Confirm keeper choices.
5. Delete, reject, archive, or ignore manually in Lightroom according to your own workflow.

How Not To Use The Plugin

Do not:

• Run Apply Marking on an untested full catalog.
• Delete files solely because they are marked as duplicate candidates.
• Use only contextual criteria such as camera model, lens, ISO, folder, rating, or label.
• Set many unreliable fields to Required.
• Use cleanup options with collection or keyword names that you also use manually.
• Assume virtual copies or stacks are unwanted duplicates.
• Assume larger file size always means better keeper.

Troubleshooting

No Photos Were Found

Check:

• The selected scan scope.
• Whether a folder, collection, or source is actually active in Lightroom.
• Whether target photos are selected for Selected Photos or Selected Photos Against Current Source.

No Duplicates Were Found

Possible causes:

• Criteria are too strict.
• A required field does not match.
• An anchor criterion is missing.
• Metadata is missing or inconsistent.
• Skip filters excluded expected candidates.

Try:

• Use Balanced.
• Remove unnecessary Required settings.
• Check the image log.
• Use a smaller known duplicate set for testing.

Diagnostic FAQs

Why did camera model plus lens not find duplicates?

Camera model, lens, focal length, aperture, ISO, shutter speed, folder, rating, color label, and file type are contextual fields. They can support a duplicate decision, but they do not prove that two photos are duplicates by themselves.

Improve the odds:

• Enable at least one duplicate-evidence anchor such as capture time, filename, similar filename, dimensions, file size, GPS, full path, or filename without extension.
• Use camera model or lens as Medium or Strong support, not as the only evidence.
• Check the audit log for Duplicate evidence anchor.

Why did two photos with the same visible date not match?

Lightroom may show only the date in the metadata panel, but Echoes compares the actual capture timestamp. With Capture time variance set to 0, even a one-second difference can fail the capture-time criterion.

Improve the odds:

• Increase Capture time variance to 2, 5, or 10 seconds for exported or rewritten files.
• Pair capture time with another anchor such as similar filename, dimensions, or file size.
• Avoid very large capture-time tolerances for burst sequences unless another strong anchor is enabled.

Why did similar names not match?

Strict filename similarity handles normalized stems, punctuation/case changes, and common suffixes. Balanced also handles token reordering and extended names, such as a shorter filename whose tokens appear in order inside a longer filename. Loose adds conservative fuzzy matching.

Improve the odds:

• Use Balanced for names such as 030506_M_055 and 030506_M_BUDAPEST_055.
• Use Loose for discovery scans where names changed more heavily.
• Pair loose filename matching with reliable evidence such as capture time, dimensions, file size, or camera model.

Why did matching dimensions and camera model still miss a pair?

Dimensions are duplicate evidence, but camera model is contextual. If dimensions are disabled, missing, or different, the contextual camera fields cannot create a group on their own.

Improve the odds:

• Enable Photos with the same image dimensions when originals and copies keep the same pixel size.
• Enable Photos with the same file size when exact copies are expected.
• Use file-size tolerance only when small metadata rewrites change file size slightly.

Why did a Required criterion make obvious duplicates disappear?

Required means a mismatch disqualifies the pair. It is useful for strong workflow assumptions, but too many required fields can make the scan brittle.

Improve the odds:

• Make only fields that truly must match Required.
• Move uncertain fields to Strong or Medium.
• Check the audit log for the first required field that reports NO MATCH or MISSING.

Why did enabling many criteria reduce matches instead of improving them?

Every enabled criterion contributes to scoring unless its value is missing. Matching fields add score, and non-matching fields reduce confidence by increasing the available score that the pair failed to earn.

Improve the odds:

• Enable fewer, more meaningful criteria.
• Use Strong for trusted evidence and Medium or Weak for supporting metadata.
• Disable fields that are inconsistent across your duplicate sources.

Why did a broad full-catalog scan take too long or compare too many pairs?

Echoes indexes enabled duplicate-evidence anchors before scoring. If the enabled anchors are too broad for the catalog, many candidate pairs can still survive indexing.

Improve the odds:

• Scan one folder or collection first.
• Add a selective Required criterion when it is safe, such as filename without extension for RAW/JPEG pairs.
• Use the summary values Possible pairs before indexing and Candidate pairs compared to see whether anchors are narrowing the scan.

Why was the wrong keeper selected?

Keeper choice is separate from duplicate detection. Once a duplicate group exists, Echoes evaluates enabled keeper rules in priority order. The first enabled rule that separates the files wins.

Improve the odds:

• Put your most important keeper rule at the top of the File Handling list.
• Use the ↑ / ↓ buttons or priority menu to reorder rules.
• Disable rules that should not influence keeper selection for the current workflow.

Too Many Duplicates Were Found

Possible causes:

• Criteria are too broad.
• Threshold is low.
• Contextual fields are carrying too much weight.
• Required criteria are not selective enough.

Try:

• Use Conservative.
• Require capture time or filename without extension when appropriate.
• Disable weak contextual fields.
• Review the audit log.

Scan Takes Too Long

Possible causes:

• Large scan scope.
• Few or no required criteria.
• Too many photos remain possible matches after the required criteria are applied.

Try:

• Use a smaller scope.
• Add reliable Required criteria.
• Scan one folder or collection first.

Apply Marking Did Not Run

Possible causes:

• Mode was Dry Run or Report Only.
• Trial scan limit was exceeded.
• Trial expired.
• License check is required.
• Lightroom blocked a catalog write operation.

Check:

• Summary report effective mode.
• License status.
• Marking error message, if shown.

Logs Are Missing

Check:

• Log folder exists and is writable.
• Lightroom has permission to write there.
• The scan was not cancelled before logs were written.

Glossary

Anchor Criterion

A metadata field strong enough to act as duplicate evidence, such as capture time, filename, dimensions, file size, GPS, or full path.

Contextual Criterion

A metadata field that can support a match but should not prove duplicates by itself, such as camera model, lens, folder, rating, or label.

Duplicate Group

A set of two or more photos the plugin considers probable duplicates.

Keeper

The primary photo suggested for protection inside a duplicate group.

Additional Keeper

An extra protected photo when minimum keepers are enabled.

Duplicate Candidate

A non-keeper photo inside a duplicate group.

Reference

A source photo used for comparison in Selected Photos Against Current Source but not itself reported as a selected target duplicate result.

Report Only

Mode that writes reports without changing Lightroom catalog markings.

Apply Marking

Mode that writes reports and applies selected Lightroom keywords, collections, and rejected flags.

Trial Limit

The unlicensed full-processing limit of 50 photos per scan during the 14-day trial.