Skip to content

How to import your Google Takeout data

Evgenii Burmakin edited this page May 23, 2024 · 7 revisions

There are two different type packages of data in your Google Takeout Archive: Semantic History and Records. Semantic History contains limited number of geopoints with extensive data, such as addresses visited. Records contain a lot more geopoints, but doesn't have any other information than coordinates and timestamp of when geopoint was recorded.

You will probably want to import both to have the most complete picture of your movements across the years, but since file formats are different, importing processes are different too.

This page describes importing of Goole Takeout's Records.json. To import Semantic History (which are a bunch of smaller JSON files), refer to the page on How to import your Google Semantic History

Import takes a while to finish, so you might want to run it in screen session.

If you already have your Takeout archive downloaded, proceed to bullet 7.

  1. Go to Google Takeout

  2. Check all Maps-related checkboxes (you might want to disable all others to make Takeout archive smaller)

  3. Proceed by specifying details of your Takeout (archive size, how you want to receive it)

  4. Click "Create export"

  5. Wait until Google creates your Takeout archive and sends link(s) to it to your email

  6. Download your Takeout archive

  7. Extract your Takeout archive

  8. Go to your extracted folder: Takeout -> Location history

  9. Inside, you'll find a file named Records.json

  10. Upload your Records.json file to your server using any convenient way

  11. Copy your Records.json to the tmp folder: $ docker cp Records.json dawarich_app:/var/app/tmp/Records.json

  12. Attach to the docker container: $ docker exec -it dawarich_app sh

  13. Run the rake task: $ bundle exec rake import:big_file['tmp/Records.json','user@example.com']

  14. Wait patiently for process to finish

  15. You're beautiful!