Explain the structure first
Describe what the main folders mean, which location is the accepted master and where new contributions wait for review. Use the labels a helper will actually see. Include a small example rather than a long technical manual. If the readme needs pages to explain the hierarchy, simplify the structure itself.
Preserve important context
Explain approximate dates, source identifiers and how meaningful edited versions relate to originals. Keep detailed personal context private where needed. A readable side document can preserve information that might not survive an app export, but it also needs to be copied with the archive. Test whether it remains understandable outside the current gallery.
Exclude secrets and unsupported authority
Do not place account passwords, recovery codes, tax details or unrestricted access instructions in the archive readme. Refer to an appropriate secure arrangement instead. The document can identify a maintainer and their task, but it does not grant legal authority or override the provider’s account rules.
A fictional one-page note
The note explainsMasters, Working, Sharing and Intake; identifiesScan Disk as one source; says dates before 1980 may be approximate; and records the last recovery sample. A helper can find an image without knowing the original custodian’s personal filing habits. Review the note after a major change, and keep the previous version when it helps explain older batches.
Test portability of the note
Open the readme from the independent copy using an ordinary suitable reader, not only inside the original gallery. Check that its folder labels and source references still match the exported collection. A note that depends on broken app links can become another missing dependency. Keep it concise, date its meaningful changes and explain uncertainty so another authorized person can continue the work without inventing missing history.
Sources used for this page
These records support the facts and comparisons above. Merchant-controlled records are labelled so you can separate product claims from independent evidence.
- Library of Congress: personal digital photographs — Research study · digitalpreservation.gov · Publisher independence not verified · checked 2026-09-28
- pCloud uploading and organizing — Merchant documentation · help.pcloud.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-28