ExifTool: inspect metadata while preserving the original

ExifTool is a command-line application and library for reading and writing file metadata. Its official documentation is useful when an image, video or document contains fields that a standard file browser does not expose. Metadata can provide useful leads about creation software, equipment, dates or later processing. Begin with a preserved original and inspect a working copy. Read the documentation for the relevant operation, export the observed metadata and keep that output with the file's source information. Identify the exact tag names rather than collapsing every timestamp into a single date. If you intentionally alter metadata for publication, record the change and keep it separate from the preservation copy. Metadata may be missing, modified, inherited from another file or interpreted differently by software. It should support a wider investigation rather than replace it. The tool also writes metadata, so use read-only inspection deliberately when gathering evidence. Avoid treating a camera model or timestamp as conclusive proof of who created a file or when the depicted event occurred.

Editorial review: 2026-09-23. New evidence may change this account.

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