Reference
Image metadata glossary
Short, accurate definitions for the information stored around an image. Longer explanations live in the image privacy guides.
- EXIF
- A TIFF-based metadata structure used by cameras and phones for capture settings, dates, device details, orientation and GPS pointers. Remove EXIF data. Read the guide: What Is Image Metadata?.
- GPS metadata
- Latitude, longitude, altitude and related location fields, usually stored in EXIF and sometimes repeated in XMP. Remove GPS from a photo. Read the guide: How to Check Whether a Platform Strips Image Metadata.
- XMP
- An XML-based metadata format used by creative software for descriptions, rights, edit history and workflow data. Clean XMP packets. Read the guide: Removing Metadata From WebP Files.
- IPTC
- A publishing metadata standard used for captions, credits, keywords, copyright and editorial information. Inspect IPTC fields. Read the guide: What Is Image Metadata?.
- ICC profile
- Color-management data that helps software display image colors accurately. MetaPurify preserves it by default. Read the guide: Does Removing Metadata Reduce Image Quality?.
- PNG text chunk
- A tEXt, iTXt or zTXt block inside a PNG. Generators often write prompts, seeds and workflow records here, where a viewer never shows them. Inspect PNG chunks. Read the guide: PNG Text Chunks and AI Generation Metadata.
- Maker notes
- A manufacturer-specific EXIF block holding proprietary camera data. Its layout is undocumented and varies by vendor, so most tools copy or drop it whole rather than parsing it. Remove EXIF data.
- Geotag
- The everyday name for GPS metadata written into a photo at capture. A geotagged image records where it was taken to within a few metres. Remove GPS from a photo. Read the guide: How to Check Whether a Platform Strips Image Metadata.
- C2PA / Content Credentials
- A provenance system that stores signed claims in a manifest. Detecting a manifest is not the same as verifying its signature. Check Content Credentials.
- AI-related metadata
- Embedded prompts, seeds, sampler names, model identifiers or workflow records written by some generation tools. Their absence does not prove an image is not AI-generated. Remove AI metadata. Read the guide: PNG Text Chunks and AI Generation Metadata.