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ExifTool is a battle-tested Perl application for reading, writing, and batch-editing metadata in thousands of file types—images, videos, audio, documents, and more. It understands major standards like EXIF, IPTC, and XMP as well as an enormous range of camera maker notes and container formats (for example, QuickTime/MP4, PDF, TIFF). Typical workflows include extracting metadata to JSON/CSV/XML, renaming files from timestamps or tags, shifting capture times, copying tags between files, and cleaning or normalizing fields for archives. The tool is meticulous about character encodings, time zones, and tag groups, helping avoid silent corruption when moving metadata between ecosystems. It is scriptable and composable, with options to operate recursively, write sidecars, preserve originals, or do dry runs for safety. Professionals rely on ExifTool for digital asset management, forensic workflows, and any pipeline where metadata quality and traceability matter.
Features
- Reads and writes metadata types including Exif, IPTC, XMP, GPS, ICC profiles, ID3, and proprietary camera tags
- Supports countless file formats—images, video, audio, documents such as PDF and Office files
- Available both as a command-line tool and a Perl module (Image::ExifTool)
- Highly customizable and scriptable for batch processing workflows
- Widely used in digital forensics, archival systems, and media workflows
- Licensed under GPL-1+ or Artistic License and updated continuously since 2003
Project Samples
