Capability matrix
What MetaPurify supports, and what it does not.
Most tools publish a feature list. This is the other half: the formats we read, the structures we remove in each one, the limits we enforce, and the things we cannot do at all. The numbers below are read directly from the processing engine.
Formats read
| Format | Detected by | Metadata structures handled |
|---|---|---|
| JPEG | FF D8 FF | APP1 EXIF, APP1 XMP including extended XMP, APP13 IPTC, COM comment segments, APP11 JUMBF (C2PA), and any data appended after the end-of-image marker |
| PNG | 89 50 4E 47 | eXIf, tEXt, zTXt and iTXt text chunks including compressed ones, the tIME timestamp, and caBX (C2PA) |
| WebP | RIFF....WEBP | EXIF and XMP chunks in both still and animated files, plus C2PA chunks; VP8X presence flags are corrected to match |
The format is determined from the file signature, not the extension or the declared MIME type. A renamed file is identified by what it actually is.
Limits enforced
- 25 MB maximum file size. Processing happens in browser memory, which is the constraint.
- 50 megapixels maximum image dimensions.
- 20 files per batch. The EXIF editor queues a batch and edits them one at a time; every other tool takes a single file.
- 8 MB of metadata per file, after which the file is rejected rather than parsed indefinitely.
Removal support by category
| Category | JPEG | PNG | WebP |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPS location | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Camera & device details | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dates & times | Via EXIF | Yes (tIME) | Via EXIF |
| Creator & copyright | Via EXIF/XMP/IPTC | Via text chunks | Via EXIF/XMP |
| Comments & descriptions | Yes | Yes | Not stored separately |
| Software identifiers | Via EXIF/XMP | Via text chunks | Via EXIF/XMP |
| AI generation data | Via EXIF comment/XMP | Yes (text chunks) | Via EXIF/XMP |
| Content Credentials (C2PA) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| XMP records | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| IPTC records | Yes | Via text chunks | Not stored separately |
| Color & orientation | Kept by default | Kept by default | Kept by default |
The colour profile and orientation are preserved by default because removing them changes how the image looks. Both can be turned off. “Via EXIF” means the data lives inside the EXIF block and is removed with it rather than being a separate container.
Also supported
- AVIF in and out
- Read with the browser's own AVIF decoder, and written by a WebAssembly encoder that loads only when you ask for AVIF — no browser can encode it natively, and every output is checked to be a real AVIF before you get it. AVIF metadata is not inspected.
- HEIC / HEIF and TIFF input
- Decoded on the device by codecs that load on demand, so iPhone photos and scans can be converted and optimised. Neither is metadata-aware: their containers are not inspected or cleaned.
- Editing metadata
- The EXIF editor writes artist, copyright, description, dates and GPS at container level, leaving the compressed image payload byte-identical. Up to 20 files per batch.
Not supported
- Cleaning HEIC, TIFF, GIF or AVIF metadata
- These convert and optimise, but the byte-level cleaner only parses JPEG, PNG and WebP containers, so nothing is inspected or removed inside them. Convert to one of those three first, then clean that copy.
- Writing HEIC, TIFF or GIF
- Those formats are read only; output is JPEG, PNG, WebP or AVIF. ExifCleaner reads more formats.
- RAW files
- CR2, NEF, ARW and the rest are not read. ExifTool is the right tool for RAW.
- PDF, Office documents
- Not an image tool. Metadata2Go accepts any file type.
- Video and audio
- Not read. ExifCleaner handles common video containers.
- C2PA trust decisions
- The checker decodes the manifest and reports the validation state the official engine returns. It does not check signatures against a trust list, and a valid signature is not evidence that an image is authentic.
- Maker notes
- Manufacturer-specific EXIF blocks are removed with the EXIF block but are not decoded and reported field by field.
Why this page exists
A privacy tool that overstates what it covers is worse than no tool, because it produces confidence rather than safety. If your file is on the list above, the honest answer is that another tool is better for it — the comparison pages say which one and why. If it is a JPEG, PNG or WebP, the removal is verified against the output bytes rather than asserted.