METADATA REFERENCE
Metadata field reference for photos, audio and Office files
A practical map of common metadata structures, the kinds of information they can carry, and which MetWipe workflow to use for inspection or cleanup. This is a format reference, not a claim that every file contains every field.
Last reviewed: 2 October 2026 · Ecrin Labs
Quick reference
| Format | Common structure | Examples | MetWipe path |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPEG / JPG | EXIF, XMP, IPTC-style metadata, comments | Camera make/model, capture time, software, GPS latitude/longitude | Photo Metadata Tools |
| PNG | tEXt, zTXt, iTXt, eXIf, tIME | Text labels, EXIF-style data, timestamps | Check PNG · Clean PNG |
| WebP | EXIF and XMP chunks | Camera/device fields, dates, GPS or descriptive XMP when present | Check WebP · Clean WebP |
| MP3 | ID3v2, ID3v1, APEv2, Lyrics3 | Title, artist, album, comments, lyrics, encoder fields, embedded artwork | MP3 Metadata Tools |
| WAV | RIFF INFO, BEXT, iXML, ID3, cart, DISP | Descriptions, broadcast metadata, production/workflow fields | Audio Metadata Tools |
| DOCX / XLSX / PPTX | OOXML core, application and custom properties | Creator, Last Modified By, dates, Company, Manager, custom properties | Office Metadata Tools |
Photo and EXIF fields
| Field or area | What it can reveal | Important boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Make / Model | Camera or phone manufacturer and model | Device identity metadata is separate from what is visible in the pixels. |
| DateTimeOriginal / related dates | Capture or processing time | File-system dates and platform-added dates are separate. |
| GPSLatitude / GPSLongitude + refs | Stored coordinates when location metadata exists | Removing GPS does not hide landmarks, signs or addresses visible in the photo. |
| Software | Application or workflow used to process/export a file | Not every editor writes this field. |
| XMP / IPTC-style metadata | Descriptions, rights, workflow or publishing fields | Support varies by container and producer. |
MP3 tag fields
| Example | Typical meaning | Privacy note |
|---|---|---|
| TIT2 | Title | May expose an internal or working title. |
| TPE1 | Artist / lead performer | Can identify a person or organization. |
| TALB | Album / collection | Can expose project or collection context. |
| COMM | Comment | Free-form text may contain notes not obvious during playback. |
| APIC | Embedded picture / cover art | An image can travel inside the MP3 tag block. |
Removing a tag does not change copyright ownership and does not redact words, voices or sounds in the audio stream.
Word, Excel and PowerPoint properties
| OOXML area | Examples | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| docProps/core.xml | Creator, Last Modified By, title, subject, keywords, revision, dates | Visible document text and review content live elsewhere. |
| docProps/app.xml | Application properties; Company or Manager when present | Exact fields vary by producer and format. |
| docProps/custom.xml | User-defined project, customer or workflow properties | Custom names and values are organization-specific. |
What “clean” means in MetWipe
MetWipe reports on the metadata structures supported by the current format workflow. A successful supported-metadata verification is not a promise that a file contains no identifying information. Filenames, visible document text, tracked changes, comments, embedded content, spoken audio, image pixels and proprietary metadata outside the documented scope can still reveal information.
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How to use this metadata reference
Start with the file format, identify the metadata structure that may contain the information you care about, then follow the matching checker before deciding whether cleanup is needed. The reference links to maintained format-specific workflows instead of treating EXIF, ID3, RIFF and OOXML as interchangeable metadata systems.