To find the notation explore the Tag Names index. Metadata elements are given a “Tag Name” (and machine readable “Tag ID”) that ExifTool can take as a commandline argument by adding - in front. Tags correspond to embedded metadata elements and are used to read or write specific values. -a (allow duplicates) and -u (allow unknown tags) extract metadata that might otherwise be hidden: exiftool -a -u test.jpg.images combined into a PDF: exiftool -ee test.pdf -ee reads metadata for embedded files in addition to the main file, e.g.-X outputs RDF/XML format: exiftool -X test.jpg > metadata.xml.-csv outputs as csv and automatically adds a “SourceFile” column with the file name: exiftool -csv *.jpg > metadata.csv.-T outputs the data as a tab delimited table: exiftool -T test.jpg > table.txt.

-v, the Verbose Option adds more technical detail to the output: exiftool -v test.jpg.

Options typically change the tool’s output. However, Exiftool has batch options built in, so you could replace the filename with a selector such as *.jpg to read multiple images.įrom there add Options and/or Tags to the command. The most basic command is to read all metadata for an image: Type exiftool to printout the full manual page. To use ExifTool, start with the command exiftool, add some options, and the file name of an image.

install ExifTool as the Perl library, e.g.

ExifTool will be available on CMD and GitBash.

Alternatively, you can copy exiftool.exe into a directory on the Window’s PATH, i.e.

ExifTool will only be available on Git Bash, but this install method does not require admin access and I would suggest only using Git Bash with it anyway.

In your Git Bash root, copy exiftool.exe into the bin folder (see my note on adding stuff to Git Bash for more detail).

If you use Git Bash, find your Git Bash root directory by typing cd / then pwd -W.

Inside you will find a file named exiftool(-k).exe.

Download the “stand-alone Windows Executable” from the ExifTool page (this will be a.

InstallĮxifTool is a Perl library and commandline tool.Ĭheck the install docs for full information, but basically on Windows use the “stand-alone executable”, Mac use the “MacOS package”, and on Linux use your distro repository.

can also read/write metadata on many other file formats such as PDF, videos, music, and documents). To read, write, and manipulate metadata embedded in image files you need ExifTool (p.s.

Exiftool linux commands