How to view and edit metadata

Every image file carries information about itself — things like its format, size, and when it was last changed. In PixelFiddler, this information is called metadata. You can view it at any time, and you can also add your own custom details to keep your image library organized.

This guide shows you how to view the metadata that PixelFiddler extracts automatically and how to add your own custom fields for tracking business information like SKU numbers, product names, and more.

What is metadata?

Metadata is data about your data. For an image file, metadata includes basic facts such as:

• What format the file is in (JPEG, PNG, WebP, etc.)
• How large the file is in bytes
• When the file was last modified
• The pixel dimensions of the image

Think of metadata as the label on a shipping box. The box itself is your image, and the label tells you what is inside, how heavy it is, and where it came from. PixelFiddler reads these labels automatically so you do not have to.

Viewing file metadata

To see the metadata for any image, open the file details panel.

1. Navigate to your Storage and find the image you want to inspect
2. Click on the image to select it
3. The details panel opens on the right side of the screen

The details panel displays two categories of information: automatically extracted metadata and any custom metadata you have added.

Extracted metadata

PixelFiddler reads the following details from every file automatically:

Field	What it tells you
Content-Type	The file format, such as image/jpeg or image/png
Content-Length	The file size in bytes
Last-Modified	The date and time the file was last changed
ETag	A unique fingerprint for the current version of the file
Dimensions	The width and height of the image in pixels

Note

Extracted metadata is read-only. It comes directly from the file itself and updates automatically when you upload a new version.

This information is useful for quick checks. For example, you can confirm that a product photo is the right resolution before publishing it to your store, or verify that a file is in the format you expect.

Adding custom metadata

Extracted metadata tells you about the file, but custom metadata lets you attach your own business information. Each custom entry is a simple pair: a key (the label) and a value (the information).

Here are some examples of custom metadata that e-commerce sellers commonly use:

Key	Example value
sku	WH-1042-BLU
product-name	Classic Cotton T-Shirt
season	Spring 2026
color	Navy Blue
marketplace	Amazon US
photographer	Jane Smith
shoot-date	2026-03-15

How to add a custom field

1. Open the details panel for the image you want to tag
2. Scroll down to the Custom Metadata section
3. Click Add metadata
4. Enter a key (for example, sku)
5. Enter a value (for example, WH-1042-BLU)
6. Click Save

You can add as many custom fields as you need. Each one is saved immediately and linked to that file.

Tip

Use consistent key names across all your images. If you call it sku on one image, do not switch to SKU-number on another. Consistent naming makes it much easier to search and filter your library later.

Editing custom metadata

Need to update a value? You can change any custom metadata field at any time.

1. Open the details panel for the image
2. Find the field you want to change in the Custom Metadata section
3. Click on the field value to edit it
4. Type the new value
5. Click Save to confirm the change

The updated value takes effect immediately. No need to re-upload the file.

Deleting custom metadata

If a custom field is no longer needed, you can remove it.

1. Open the details panel for the image
2. Find the field you want to remove in the Custom Metadata section
3. Click the delete button next to the field
4. Confirm the deletion

Caution

Deleting a custom metadata field is permanent. The key and its value are removed from the file and cannot be recovered automatically.

How custom metadata persists

Custom metadata is tied to the file, not to a particular version of the image. This means:

• If you re-upload the same file (for example, with updated edits), your custom metadata stays in place. You do not lose your SKU tags, product names, or other fields.
• If you delete the file entirely, the custom metadata is removed along with it.

This behavior is especially helpful for e-commerce workflows where you frequently update product images but want to keep all your organizational data intact.

Use cases for e-commerce

Custom metadata turns PixelFiddler into more than an image host. It becomes a searchable, organized product image library. Here are practical ways to use it.

Track which SKU an image belongs to

Add a sku field to every product image. When you need to find all images for a particular product, you can search by SKU instead of scrolling through folders.

Note the target marketplace

If you sell on multiple platforms, add a marketplace field with values like Amazon US, Shopify, or eBay UK. This makes it easy to identify which version of an image was prepared for which channel.

Record the photographer or shoot date

Add photographer and shoot-date fields to keep a record of when and by whom the images were created. This is useful for managing contracts, reordering shoots, or auditing your content library.

Tip

Combine custom metadata with folders for maximum organization. For example, use folders for product categories and custom metadata for the details within each category.

Next steps

Now that you know how to view and manage metadata, explore these related features:

Version history Track changes to your images and revert to previous versions

AI tagging Automatically generate tags for your images using AI