Photo Metadata

IPTC Photo Metadata sets the industry standard for administrative, descriptive, and copyright information about images.

Diagram

Critical to Photo and Related Businesses

Photo metadata is key to protecting images' copyright and licensing information online. It is also essential for managing digital assets. Detailed and accurate descriptions about images ensure they can be easily and efficiently retrieved via search, by users or machine-readable code. This results in smoother workflow within organizations, more precise tracking of images, and increased licensing opportunities.

The IPTC Standard

The IPTC Photo Metadata standard is the most widely used standard because of its universal acceptance among photographers, distributors, news organizations, archivists, and developers. The schema defines metadata structure, properties, and fields, so that images are optimally described and easily accessed later.

Guidelines & Support

See our user guides and support documents for guidance in implementing an efficient metadata workflow. The IPTC Core and Extension Guidelines give instructions and descriptions for all IPTC Standard fields, which helps maximize information stored with images. Also available: Toolkit for Adobe software; users forum; and sample image files.

Research

IPTC not only defines the standard for photo metadata, but also conducts research about how it is used in the real world. We examine metadata in commonly used software, social media platforms, and more. The removal of rights information as images are transferred is of particular concern. Here are our most recent studies, tests, and findings.

 

Upcoming Events

  • IPTC Spring Meeting 2025 - for IPTC members

    Location
    Juan les Pins, France and online
    Date(s)
    May 14 - 16, 2025

  • Photo Metadata Conference 2025 - open to the public

    Location
    Online
    Date(s)
    Date to be confirmed

  • IPTC Autumn Meeting 2025 - for IPTC members

    Location
    Online
    Date(s)
    20 - 22 October, 2025
Latest News

Oct 28 Google extends AI transparency based on IPTC standards

On Thursday, Google announced that it will be extending its usage of AI content labelled using the IPTC Digital Source Type vocabulary. We have previously shared that Google uses IPTC Photo Metadata to signal AI-generated and AI-edited media, for example labelling images edited with the Magic Eraser tool on Pixel phones. In a blog post […]