Guide
What is IPTC metadata?
IPTC is a metadata standard used mainly for descriptive, editorial and rights information. News and stock workflows rely on it, and it can also travel inside photos you share.
How to use it
- 1Check the image for an IPTC indicator.
- 2Decide whether you need the credit or rights fields.
- 3Rebuild the image to remove the supported IPTC block.
- 4Re-scan the output to confirm the change.
What IPTC can hold
The fields are aimed at describing and crediting an image.
- Caption and description.
- Creator, credit line and source.
- Keywords and categories.
- Copyright notice and usage terms.
Where IPTC lives by format
IPTC is stored in format-specific structures.
| Format | IPTC location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| JPEG | APP13 (Photoshop/IPTC) | Common in news workflows. |
| PNG | text and iTXt chunks | Less formal, tool-dependent. |
| WebP | XMP or text metadata | Depends on the editor. |
| TIFF | IPTC IIM block | Classic editorial format. |
Rights and removal
IPTC often carries copyright and ownership information. Removing metadata from images you own is generally fine, but you should not strip rights information that belongs to someone else.
Why it matters for publishing
When you post an image, a platform or viewer may read IPTC fields and show a description or credit. Removing them changes what is displayed, for better or worse depending on your goal.
How removal works
MetaRase rebuilds the image from its pixels and drops the supported metadata block, including IPTC where present, then scans the result so the change can be confirmed.
Frequently asked questions
Is IPTC the same as EXIF?
No. EXIF is camera data; IPTC is descriptive and rights information. A file can carry both.
Should I remove IPTC copyright?
For images you own, it is generally allowed. Never strip rights information that belongs to someone else.
Does IPTC affect the picture?
No. It is metadata stored alongside the image data.
Which files use IPTC?
Commonly JPEG and TIFF, especially in news and stock workflows.
Is my image uploaded?
No. Everything runs locally in your browser.
Can I keep the caption but remove the rest?
MetaRase removes supported metadata together by rebuilding the image; it does not selectively keep individual fields.
Sources
Inspect, clean, and verify in your browser
Your image bytes never leave your device. MetaRase rebuilds the image locally, then scans the output again before you download it.
Open the cleanerRelated pages
Results describe supported embedded indicators only and cannot guarantee how a platform will classify an image.