Image Metadata Before Publishing: A Practical Review Checklist

1. Decide what to keep before choosing files

Open the image workspace and choose Cleaning settings. Keep capture details or Content Credentials only when the delivery copy needs them.

2. Choose images and wait for the result

Select JPEG or PNG files. The cleaner checks, cleans and verifies a separate copy automatically; the original is never overwritten.

3. Read the result before downloading

Check whether the result is complete, partial or unchanged. Expand processing details and review unresolved findings.

4. Save the copy you have reviewed

Download a clean copy or a completed ZIP after reviewing each result. If settings change, copies are rebuilt from the original.

Start with what this copy is for

A private client preview does not need the same metadata as a portfolio image or an archive. Keep the master file, decide what the copy needs, and remove only the details you do not want to send with it.

Prompt and workflow fields may reveal how an image was made. GPS and device IDs can reveal a location or identify equipment. Creator and copyright details help with credit and licensing. An ICC profile keeps colors looking consistent. C2PA records provenance and edit history. Review each group before deciding.

Use the automatic cleaner step by step

Open the image workspace. If you want to keep private capture details or embedded credentials, use Cleaning settings at the top of the tool. Select Keep capture details or Keep Content Credentials as needed; these options are off by default.

Choose JPEG or PNG files. The cleaner checks, cleans and verifies a separate copy automatically; you do not need to move through tabs. Your original is never overwritten. If you only want to inspect a file, open the Metadata Checker instead.

Read whether the result says Cleaning complete, Partially cleaned — review remaining data, or No supported data needed cleaning. A partial result may still contain private information. Expand the processing details and download a verification report only when you have reviewed it.

For a batch, completed images include partial results while failed or inspection-only files are left out. Review each result instead of assuming every selected image is in the ZIP. Changing the keep options rebuilds existing copies from the original.

Provenance is not a probability

C2PA can describe how a file was signed or edited. A software field might simply name an everyday editing app. Neither belongs in a percentage score or proves that an image was generated by AI.

The official C2PA explainer describes Content Credentials as provenance records. This metadata checker identifies supported embedded records and validates supported signatures locally; it does not retrieve an external edit history or certify ownership.

Check the new copy, not just the button

Automatic verification covers supported fields only. For an additional check, open the downloaded copy in the Metadata Checker and review what remains. Neither a successful download nor a clean result proves that every possible metadata field has been removed.