Common Date/Time Codes
| Code | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| %Y | 4-digit year | 2026 |
| %m | Month | 04 |
| %d | Day | 02 |
| %H | Hour | 16 |
| %M | Minutes | 34 |
| %S | Seconds | 58 |
EXIF and XMP Fields
Use this guide to understand the metadata fields supported by Photo Metadata Editor.
Dynamic Values
Many fields support date/time formatting for timestamps and filename-friendly values.
Useful Patterns
%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S
%Y%m%d_%H%M%S
%B %d, %YUse these in `DateTime` fields or filename patterns that rely on timestamps.
Quick Reference
The most commonly used fields in this app.
Common EXIF Fields
| Field | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Artist | Photographer/creator name | Alex Smith |
| Copyright | Ownership statement | © 2026 Example Media |
| ImageDescription | Short description | Sunset over mountains |
| DateTime | Capture date/time | 2026:04:02 16:34:58 |
Common XMP Fields
| Field | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| title | Photo title | Annual Tech Summit |
| description | Longer description | Keynote sessions... |
| creator | Creator name | Alex Smith |
| subject | Keywords / tags | ["conference", "2026"] |
| rights | Copyright info | Example Media |
| Headline | Caption / headline | Opening Day |
EXIF Fields
Camera and descriptive fields commonly found in JPEG and TIFF images.
Artist
The photographer or creator name. Great for credits and ownership tracking.
"Artist": "Alex Smith"Copyright
Copyright notice and ownership statement.
"Copyright": "© 2026 Example Media"ImageDescription
A concise summary of what the image shows.
"ImageDescription": "Sunset over the bay"DateTime
The original capture date/time using `YYYY:MM:DD HH:MM:SS`.
"DateTime": "2026:04:02 16:34:58"Make / Model
Camera manufacturer and model.
"Make": "Canon"
"Model": "Canon EOS R5"LensModel
Optional lens information when it is available in the file.
"LensModel": "RF24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM"XMP Fields
Rich descriptive metadata, keywords, and headline fields.
title / description
Use `title` for a short label and `description` for a fuller summary.
"title": "Annual Tech Summit"
"description": "Keynote sessions and product demos"creator / subject
`creator` stores a person or organization; `subject` is perfect for keywords.
"creator": "Alex Smith"
"subject": ["conference", "2026", "metropolis"]rights / Headline
Use `rights` for legal ownership and `Headline` for caption-style text.
"rights": "Example Media"
"Headline": "Opening Day at the Summit"Rating
Optional XMP rating when supported by the source file and workflow.
"Rating": 5Best Practices
A few practical habits that keep metadata tidy.
- Use consistent creator and copyright values across a project.
- Keep keywords short and reusable.
- Use `DateTime` for capture time and filename tokens for exported copies.
- Test on a copy of an important file before batch processing a whole folder.