EXIF vs IPTC vs XMP: What Photo Metadata Stores
Compare EXIF, IPTC and XMP to see where photos store camera settings, GPS and copyright. Learn what AiMetaOff can inspect, remove and verify by format.
A single photo can carry the camera settings from the moment it was taken, a credit supplied by an editor, and a second copy of that credit saved by editing software. These details can live in different parts of the same file. Knowing where they sit helps you check what a photo reveals and keep information such as attribution or display settings when you share a copy.
EXIF, IPTC and XMP at a glance
Family | Main purpose | Examples | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
EXIF | Record capture and camera information | Camera and lens model, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, capture time, GPS, orientation | Review camera settings or check whether a photo was geotagged |
IPTC Photo Metadata | Describe the image and record editorial and rights information | Caption, keywords, creator, credit line, copyright notice, usage terms | Catalog images and pass attribution to a publisher |
XMP | Store extensible properties in a consistent framework across formats | IPTC captions and rights fields, copies of camera tags, editing settings | Exchange metadata between applications or save an editing workflow |
What is EXIF metadata?
EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) defines tags for information about an image and its capture. A camera or phone may record its model, lens, exposure time, aperture, ISO and original capture time. A GPS directory can hold latitude, longitude, altitude and GPS time. An EXIF block can also include an embedded thumbnail and manufacturer-specific notes.
Some fields affect how software interprets the image. The Orientation tag tells a viewer how to rotate or mirror the stored image for display. EXIF can include a ColorSpace tag, while an embedded ICC profile is a separate structure that helps software interpret color. CIPA Exif standards
What is IPTC metadata?
IPTC Photo Metadata defines what editorial fields mean. A caption describes the image, Creator identifies who made it, and Credit Line gives the credit to display when it is published. Copyright Notice and Rights Usage Terms serve different purposes. One records a copyright notice, while the other describes conditions for use. IPTC Extension also includes fields for licensing information, such as the licensor.
Older workflows store many of these values in IPTC IIM, a binary format often found in Photoshop resources inside a JPEG APP13 segment. IPTC also maps fields into XMP. Some values have both IIM and XMP representations, and others, such as Rights Usage Terms, have an XMP mapping without an IIM equivalent. IPTC Photo Metadata Standard
What is XMP metadata?
Adobe's Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP) defines a data model for metadata and represents it using RDF serialized as XML. Namespaces group related properties, such as Dublin Core description and rights fields or EXIF-derived camera properties. Applications can add their own namespaces for information such as editing settings. The file format determines how an XMP packet is embedded. Some workflows store XMP in a separate sidecar file. Adobe XMP specifications
Can one image contain all three?
Yes. A JPEG can have a native EXIF block, a legacy IPTC IIM record in APP13, and an XMP packet alongside them. For example, a copyright notice can appear as both IPTC IIM Copyright Notice and the XMP property dc:rights. EXIF values can also be represented in XMP. If an editor changes only one copy, readers that prefer different structures can show different values. Clearing the IIM block alone can leave the XMP copy. IPTC field mappings · CIPA Exif-to-XMP mapping
Where is location information stored?
Start with the EXIF GPS directory for capture coordinates. Check XMP for copied GPS tags and IPTC location fields. IPTC distinguishes Location Created, where the image was made, from Location Shown, the place depicted. A caption or comment can also name a location. If your goal is to share a copy without those details, check each place where the information might appear. Photo location removal walkthrough
How image formats store metadata
Format | Typical storage | What AiMetaOff supports |
|---|---|---|
JPEG | EXIF and XMP in APP1 segments, legacy IPTC IIM commonly in Photoshop APP13 resources | Read supported EXIF fields, show supported XMP packet text and flag recognized Photoshop APP13. Remove those as categories, with standard and recognized extended XMP handled together. |
TIFF | TIFF directories hold image and EXIF tags. TIFF can also carry IPTC and XMP. | Standalone TIFF files are unsupported. |
PNG | EXIF in an | Inspect and remove supported EXIF, XMP and Text in static PNG. IPTC properties inside XMP are part of the XMP packet. |
WebP | EXIF and XMP in separate RIFF chunks, with ICC in its own chunk | Inspect and remove supported EXIF and XMP in static WebP. |
HEIC / AVIF | HEIF-based containers can carry EXIF and XMP as metadata items | Inspect and remove supported items in a restricted single-image subset. Common grids, sequences and auxiliary images are outside that subset. HEIC cleanup is labeled Limited cleanup because verification does not include full decode or codec-internal metadata removal. |
These are possible storage locations. The actual contents depend on the camera, editor and export settings. Adobe XMP storage specification · W3C PNG specification · WebP container specification · AVIF specification
How to inspect EXIF, IPTC and XMP
In AiMetaOff's Inspect File tool, choose the image you plan to share. Inspection starts in your browser when you add the file.
Open Metadata & verification for that file. Look under EXIF for supported capture fields and GPS tags. Read XMP as packet text. In a JPEG, Photoshop / IPTC APP13 indicates a recognized resource block whose individual IPTC fields are outside the viewer's field-level support.
Check Inspection limits and any retained display information. If you need to read individual legacy IPTC fields, use a tag reader that supports them for your format, such as ExifTool.
To try the GPS check, open this synthetic camera JPEG. It shows four GPS tags under EXIF and an orientation value of 6. Cleaning EXIF removes the GPS entries and embedded EXIF thumbnail from this sample. The new copy still shows Orientation: 6, so EXIF can still appear as Found.
How to remove supported metadata
Select the file in the list, then review Cleanup scope. Leave checked only the categories you intend to remove and choose Clean selected. GPS tags in native EXIF belong to EXIF. If you also find a location in an XMP packet, review that packet before selecting XMP, which can also contain credits and rights information. In JPEG, selecting IPTC removes the recognized Photoshop APP13 block as a whole, including any other resources in that block. You can also inspect and clean from the image metadata remover.
In a static PNG with both XMP and a separate text comment, selecting XMP removes the recognized packet. The comment can still appear under Text. Check both categories if the same detail could be in both places.
AiMetaOff rewrites supported metadata structures and checks the encoded image payload without recompressing it. It can keep a minimal EXIF orientation record and preserves supported ICC and other display structures. On the JPEG example above, that is what keeps the cleaned copy displaying in the same orientation as the original.
How to verify the downloaded copy
Download the new copy and open that exact file in Inspect File. Compare the specific values or blocks you wanted to remove with the original report. Check the retained information and inspection limits, then open the image to confirm that it displays as expected. Not found means the record was absent from the structures the tool inspected. Inspection unsupported means the viewer could not assess that category for the file format. How to verify metadata removal
FAQ
Does PNG have EXIF? Does WebP have metadata?
Either can carry EXIF. PNG uses an eXIf chunk, while WebP has a dedicated EXIF chunk. Both can also carry XMP, and PNG can carry separate comments and other text. Check the exact export to see which records were written.
Does removing EXIF reduce image quality?
AiMetaOff's supported cleanup preserves the compressed image payload. Orientation and color information can still affect how the same pixels appear, so the cleaner retains supported display structures. Exporting through a different app can involve re-encoding, depending on that app's settings.
Can I remove GPS and keep the photographer's credit?
If the coordinates are only in EXIF and the credit is stored separately in XMP or legacy IPTC, select only EXIF. Reinspect the copy for both the location and the credit. If they share an XMP packet, removing that whole packet removes both. Use a field editor if you need to keep the credit while changing a specific property in that packet.
Does clearing EXIF, IPTC or XMP remove Content Credentials or AI labels?
AiMetaOff treats supported embedded C2PA containers as a separate category. A cleanup of EXIF, IPTC or XMP can leave C2PA records, pixel-level watermarks and platform-side labels. Understand Content Credentials and C2PA