Notes

  1. Search for images by filename
    • Quotes match exact text in filenames, captions, and text inside photos
    • eg "PXL_20260709_233247707.jpg" or "PXL_20260709" or "Fnu thanked you for your Tip"
  2. Build a Google Photos search URL
    • Search URLs are a base64url-encoded protobuf holding:
      • field 1: the executed query
      • field 4: the display query shown in the search box (same string as field 1)
      • field 5: the time the search ran, as a millisecond timestamp
      • field 7: a search-type enum
    • eg photos.google.com/search/<base64 token>

    • Build a search URL for any filename:

      import base64
import time

WIRE_VARINT = 0
WIRE_LEN = 2  # length-delimited: strings, bytes, nested messages

def encode_varint(value: int) -> bytes:
    # 7 bits per byte, least-significant group first; high bit = more follows
    out = bytearray()
    while True:
        byte = value & 0x7F
        value >>= 7
        if value:
            out.append(byte | 0x80)
        else:
            out.append(byte)
            return bytes(out)

def encode_tag(field_number: int, wire_type: int) -> bytes:
    return encode_varint((field_number << 3) | wire_type)

def encode_len_field(field_number: int, payload: bytes) -> bytes:
    return encode_tag(field_number, WIRE_LEN) + encode_varint(len(payload)) + payload

def encode_varint_field(field_number: int, value: int) -> bytes:
    return encode_tag(field_number, WIRE_VARINT) + encode_varint(value)

def photos_search_url(q: str) -> str:
    query = f'"{q}"'.encode()  # quotes are search syntax: exact match
    message = (
        encode_len_field(1, query)                         # executed query
        + encode_len_field(4, encode_len_field(1, query))  # display query
        + encode_varint_field(5, int(time.time() * 1000))  # timestamp (ms)
        + encode_varint_field(7, 3)                        # search-type enum
    )
    token = base64.urlsafe_b64encode(message).decode().rstrip("=")
    return "https://photos.google.com/search/" + token

print(photos_search_url("PXL_20260709_233247707"))