How MetadataAI™ Reads and Writes All Metadata Types — Seamlessly
MetadataAI Doesn’t Just Read Your Metadata — It Understands It
In last week’s kickoff to Series A, we broke down the differences between Exif, IPTC, and XMP metadata — and why they matter. Today, we’re going deeper, tackling the technical heart of MetadataAI™:
How it reads, writes, and synchronizes metadata across all three standards — safely, reliably, and intelligently.
For photographers, editors, archivists, and developers alike, this is one of the most important (and underappreciated) challenges in metadata management. It’s one thing to read metadata — most tools can do that. But it’s another thing entirely to write metadata safely, and to do so in a way that works across all major systems and standards.
The Problem: Metadata Is a Mess
Let’s start with the real-world situation:
You tag your photos in Lightroom, Capture One or PhotoMechanic…
Then export them with “metadata preserved”…
However, later you find that only the XMP fields were updated, while the IPTC fields are empty, and Exif still displays your old description.
You upload to a stock site, and it pulls… the wrong caption. Or none at all.
Sound familiar?
This happens because different programs and systems prioritize different metadata fields — and most tools only update one standard at a time.
The MetadataAI™ Solution: Intelligent Multi-Standard Syncing
MetadataAI doesn’t treat Exif, IPTC, and XMP as separate silos. It treats them as an interdependent ecosystem — and updates each accordingly.
Here’s what that means:
It Reads All Metadata
Exif: Camera info, timestamps, GPS, image dimensions, etc.
IPTC: Captions, credits, copyright, keywords, usage rights
XMP: Extended IPTC, Adobe fields, AI-generated tags, custom namespaces
You see exactly what’s in each field — whether it was added by a camera, a human editor, or an AI model — and can compare and reconcile differences directly in the app.
It Writes Metadata the Right Way
When you edit or generate metadata with MetadataAI, it doesn’t blindly overwrite a single field. It:
Updates multiple corresponding fields when appropriate (e.g. XMP:Description, IPTC:Caption, Exif:ImageDescription)
Preserves existing metadata when not being updated
Respects embedded vs. sidecar workflows, depending on file type
Handles UTF-8 encoding properly so special characters won’t break on import
Use Case Example: Editorial Workflow for a Wire Service
Let’s say a photo editor at a newswire needs to prepare 200 images for same-day distribution. With just a few metadata configurations in place, any output metadata fields are customizable:
The AI captioning model in MetadataAI generates a caption like:
“Protesters gather outside city hall following a council vote on housing reform.”
The editor reviews and tweaks the caption.
When saved, MetadataAI automatically writes:
IPTC:Caption-Abstract
XMP-dc:Description
Exif:ImageDescription
These fields are synchronized to match — ensuring compatibility across legacy CMS systems, DAMs, and social platforms.
The wire partner downloads the image with all new associated metadata and loads it into their own system — which, without asking, reads IPTC:Caption. It’s there, intact, and matches the AI caption the editor approved.
That’s metadata trust in action.
Under the Hood: How MetadataAI Uses ExifTool and Composite Tags
At the engine level, MetadataAI leverages ExifTool — but it doesn’t stop there. MetadataAI also uses ExifTool composite tags. These are smart “meta-tags” that automatically handle cross-field logic for you.
Example:
When you write to MWG:Description, ExifTool understands how to write to all the relevant fields across Exif, IPTC, and XMP standards — according to best practices outlined by the Metadata Working Group (MWG).
This ensures:
Field values are aligned and redundant in a good way (for system compatibility)
Files remain standards-compliant for archiving, licensing, and publishing
There’s no “metadata drift” between different applications
Why This Matters for Your Workflow
Whether you’re:
A photojournalist delivering images under deadline
A photo library maintaining legacy metadata integrity
A digital asset manager creating AI workflows for images
A developer building automations for tagging
…you need a tool that understands and protects the metadata triangle: Exif, IPTC, and XMP.
Tools that ignore one side of the triangle lead to:
Broken search indexing
Lost copyright or creator info
Errors in image licensing or syndication
Lost time
MetadataAI prevents those problems with metadata you can trust — across platforms, ecosystems, and stakeholders.
Coming Up Next
Next week we'll explore:
What Happens When Metadata Is Out of Sync — and How to Fix It
We’ll share:
Common real-world examples of mismatched metadata
How it happens (and why tools often make it worse)
How MetadataAI resolves sync issues with smart defaults + safe edits
Try It Now – Free Credits Available
If you’re curious how your files stack up across standards — or want to try a safer way to write metadata — now’s the perfect time.
Visit metadataai.app to sign up, download the desktop app, and get 50 free credits for a limited time.
Upload your files. Try a few AI captioning prompts. Inspect the metadata across all standards. You’ll be amazed at what’s hiding in your photos — and what’s finally aligned when MetadataAI takes over.