Metadata Extractor

See the hidden information inside your photos and documents — camera, location, author and dates. Read entirely in your browser.

Drop a photo or PDF here, or click to choose

Nothing is uploaded — the file is read on your device

HOW TO

How to read file metadata

Files carry information about themselves that never appears on screen. Photos are the worst offenders, often recording exactly where and when they were taken.

  1. 1

    Choose a file

    Drag in a photo, PDF or Word document. It is read from your device and nothing is uploaded.

  2. 2

    Look through what is there

    Camera and lens details, exposure settings, GPS coordinates, author, software and timestamps are grouped so you can scan them quickly.

  3. 3

    Decide what to do about it

    Copy the details for your records, or think twice about sharing a file that carries a location you would rather not publish.

USE CASES

Why look inside a file

Metadata answers questions the file itself will not.

Checking before you share

See whether a photo carries your home location before it goes online.

Photography settings

Look up the shutter speed, aperture and ISO behind a shot you want to reproduce.

Verifying a date

Confirm when a photo or document was actually created rather than when it was last saved.

Document provenance

See which software produced a PDF and who is named as its author.

Organising a photo library

Read the capture dates and camera details to sort a large collection sensibly.

Checking authenticity

Missing or inconsistent metadata can be a hint that a file has been edited or re-saved.

TIPS

What to look out for

Some fields matter more than others, especially before you publish something.

  • Check GPS first. Coordinates in a holiday photo are interesting; coordinates in a photo taken at home are your address.
  • Photos taken on phones usually carry the most, because the camera app records location, device and settings automatically.
  • Images downloaded from social media are usually stripped, so an empty result often means the file has already been through a platform.
  • PDF metadata frequently names the original author and the software used, which can reveal more than intended.
  • Timestamps come in several kinds — created, modified and digitised are not the same thing.
  • To share a photo without its metadata, run it through the Invert Image tool with no adjustments; the downloaded copy is redrawn without the original data.
FAQ

Questions, answered

What metadata is and what this tool can read.

Still stuck?

Send us the details and we will take a look.

Get in touch

Upload the photo and every field stored inside it is listed — camera make and model, lens, shutter speed, ISO, the date it was taken and, if the camera recorded it, GPS coordinates. Nothing is uploaded.

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