Title: EXIF Meta Manager
Author: prowebport
Published: <strong>September 2, 2026</strong>
Last modified: September 2, 2026

---

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# EXIF Meta Manager

 By [prowebport](https://profiles.wordpress.org/prowebport/)

[Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/exif-meta-manager.1.0.3.zip)

 * [Details](https://wordpress.org/plugins/exif-meta-manager/#description)
 * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/plugins/exif-meta-manager/#reviews)
 *  [Installation](https://wordpress.org/plugins/exif-meta-manager/#installation)
 * [Development](https://wordpress.org/plugins/exif-meta-manager/#developers)

 [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/exif-meta-manager/)

## Description

EXIF Meta Manager lets you embed EXIF metadata directly into JPEG and WebP image
files from your WordPress admin. Unlike plugins that only store metadata in the 
database, this plugin physically writes metadata into the image file itself using
the PEL (PHP Exif Library) — so the data travels with the image wherever it goes.

It also automatically converts every uploaded image to WebP format at full quality,
improving page load speed without any quality loss.

#### Key Features

 * **Inline EXIF Editing** — Click the “Edit EXIF” button in the media sidebar to
   expand fields directly in place. No popup, no new tab. Works in the standard 
   Media Library, Elementor editor, ACF image fields, Gutenberg, WooCommerce, and
   any WordPress media modal
 * **Attachment Edit Screen** — Full EXIF Metadata metabox with all fields on the
   attachment editor page (Media > Edit)
 * **Bulk Edit** — Switch to List View in the Media Library, select up to 50 images,
   and apply shared Author/Copyright/Keywords plus per-image Description and GPS
   in one save operation
 * **Auto WebP Conversion** — Every uploaded image (JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP) is automatically
   converted to WebP at quality 100 (lossless). The original file is replaced and
   all WordPress thumbnails are generated from the WebP source
 * **GPS Location Search** — Built-in location search powered by Nominatim/OpenStreetMap.
   Type a city or address, select from the dropdown, and GPS coordinates are filled
   in automatically. Runs entirely in the browser — no server-side requests
 * **Default Author and Copyright** — Pre-configure default values that pre-fill
   the EXIF form for every new image. Override per image at any time
 * **Auto Backup** — Optionally creates a backup copy of the original file before
   any EXIF write (e.g. image_exif_backup_1234567890.webp)
 * **Settings Page** — Full settings page at Settings > EXIF Meta Manager with toggles
   for all features

#### EXIF Fields Supported

 * **Author** — Written to the standard EXIF Artist tag
 * **Copyright** — Written to the EXIF Copyright tag. Travels with the file permanently
 * **Description** — Written to the ImageDescription tag
 * **Keywords** — Written to the XPKeywords tag (UTF-16LE encoded, semicolon-delimited
   internally)
 * **GPS Latitude and Longitude** — Written as DMS rational values to the GPS sub-
   IFD. Decimal degrees are converted automatically

#### WebP Conversion Details

 * Converts: JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF
 * Skips: WebP (already converted), SVG, PDF, video, audio, and all non-image files
 * PNG transparency (alpha channel) is fully preserved in the output WebP
 * GIF animations are converted as the first frame (static WebP)
 * Conversion runs at quality 100 — maximum quality, no lossy compression, no visual
   difference
 * Works on browser uploads, REST API uploads, WP-CLI sideloads, and programmatic
   uploads
 * Can be toggled on/off at any time from the Settings page without affecting already-
   converted images

#### Compatibility

 * Elementor Free and Pro — Edit EXIF works directly inside Elementor’s media browser
   without leaving the editor
 * Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) Free and Pro — no metabox conflicts
 * Gutenberg block editor
 * WooCommerce product image uploads
 * WordPress 6.0 to 7.0
 * PHP 8.0 to 8.3

#### Security

 * All user input is sanitized and unslashed before processing
 * File paths are validated against the WordPress uploads directory using realpath
   checks with trailing slash protection
 * Nonce verification on all REST API endpoints, AJAX handlers, and metabox saves
 * Per-attachment ownership check: users can only edit attachments they have permission
   to edit (current_user_can(‘edit_post’))
 * GPS coordinates are range-validated (lat -90 to 90, lng -180 to 180) before any
   file write
 * No outbound server-side HTTP requests — GPS search is browser-only
 * WP_Filesystem API used for all file read/write operations

#### Bundled Libraries

This plugin includes PEL (PHP Exif Library) by Martin Geisler, licensed under GPL-
2.0. PEL is a required server-side dependency for reading and writing binary EXIF
data in JPEG and WebP files. It is not available via CDN or as an external service—
it must run server-side.

### External Services

This plugin connects to the Nominatim geocoding API provided by the OpenStreetMap
Foundation to perform GPS location searches.

#### What it is used for

When a user types a place name or address into the Location Search field in the 
EXIF edit panel, the plugin sends a search query to Nominatim to retrieve matching
GPS coordinates. This is a user-initiated action only.

#### What data is sent

The search query text typed by the user (a place name or address string). No other
data is sent. No image data, no user account information, no site data.

#### When it is sent

Only when the user actively types in the Location Search field and a debounce timer
fires (400ms after the user stops typing). No data is sent automatically or in the
background.

#### Important

This request is made directly from the user’s browser — no data passes through your
server.

Service provider: Nominatim / OpenStreetMap Foundation

 * Service URL: https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org
 * Terms of Use: https://nominatim.org/release-docs/latest/api/Overview/
 * OpenStreetMap Privacy Policy: https://osmfoundation.org/wiki/Privacy_Policy
 * Nominatim Usage Policy: https://operations.osmfoundation.org/policies/nominatim/

## Screenshots

[⌊The "Edit EXIF" button in the media library sidebar — click to expand fields inline⌉⌊
The "Edit EXIF" button in the media library sidebar — click to expand fields inline⌉[

The “Edit EXIF” button in the media library sidebar — click to expand fields inline

[⌊Inline EXIF panel expanded with Author, Copyright, Keywords, Description, and 
GPS fields⌉⌊Inline EXIF panel expanded with Author, Copyright, Keywords, Description,
and GPS fields⌉[

Inline EXIF panel expanded with Author, Copyright, Keywords, Description, and GPS
fields

[⌊Inline panel after saving — success message shown inline in the sidebar⌉⌊Inline
panel after saving — success message shown inline in the sidebar⌉[

Inline panel after saving — success message shown inline in the sidebar

[⌊The EXIF Metadata metabox on the attachment edit screen (Media > Edit)⌉⌊The EXIF
Metadata metabox on the attachment edit screen (Media > Edit)⌉[

The EXIF Metadata metabox on the attachment edit screen (Media > Edit)

[⌊GPS location search dropdown — type an address and select from results⌉⌊GPS location
search dropdown — type an address and select from results⌉[

GPS location search dropdown — type an address and select from results

[⌊Settings page with WebP conversion toggle, auto-backup, and default field configuration⌉⌊
Settings page with WebP conversion toggle, auto-backup, and default field configuration⌉[

Settings page with WebP conversion toggle, auto-backup, and default field configuration

[⌊Bulk Edit modal — shared fields and per-image fields in one operation⌉⌊Bulk Edit
modal — shared fields and per-image fields in one operation⌉[

Bulk Edit modal — shared fields and per-image fields in one operation

## Installation

 1. Upload the `exif-meta-manager` folder to `/wp-content/plugins/`
 2. Activate the plugin through the **Plugins** screen in WordPress
 3. Go to **Settings > EXIF Meta Manager** to configure your default Author, Copyright,
    and feature toggles

Alternatively, search for “EXIF Meta Manager” in the WordPress plugin directory 
and install directly from your dashboard.

#### Requirements

 * PHP 8.0 or higher
 * WordPress 6.0 or higher
 * PHP `exif` extension enabled
 * PHP `gd` extension compiled with WebP support (`--with-webp`)

## FAQ

### How do I edit EXIF on an image?

Go to Media > Library, click any JPEG or WebP image to select it, then click the“
Edit EXIF” button that appears in the sidebar. The fields expand inline — fill them
in and click Save EXIF.

### Does this work with WebP images?

Yes. The plugin reads and writes EXIF data in both JPEG and WebP files. WebP EXIF
data is stored in an EXIF chunk inside the RIFF container and read back using the
same PEL library used for JPEG — so what you write is exactly what you read back.

### Does the automatic WebP conversion affect image quality?

No. The conversion uses imagewebp() at quality 100 — maximum quality, no lossy compression.
The resulting WebP file is visually identical to the original.

### Will existing EXIF data survive the WebP conversion?

No, intentionally. The WebP converter uses GD which re-encodes pixel data only —
all existing EXIF, IPTC, and XMP metadata is stripped during conversion. After conversion,
use this plugin to write clean, correct metadata into the WebP file.

### Does this work inside Elementor?

Yes. Clicking “Edit EXIF” inside Elementor’s media picker expands the EXIF fields
directly in the sidebar. No popup or separate page is required.

### Does this work inside Gutenberg, ACF, or WooCommerce?

Yes. The plugin hooks into wp_enqueue_media which fires whenever any plugin initializes
the WordPress media modal. This covers Gutenberg, ACF image fields, WooCommerce 
product images, and any other plugin using the standard WordPress media frame.

### What does the auto-backup do?

When enabled in Settings, a backup copy of the original file is created (e.g. image_exif_backup_1234567890.
webp) in the same uploads directory before any EXIF write. This lets you recover
the original if needed. Disable it to save disk space.

### Can I change the default Author and Copyright?

Yes. Go to Settings > EXIF Meta Manager and set the Default Author and Default Copyright
fields. These values pre-fill the EXIF form for every new image and can be overridden
per image at any time.

### How are GPS coordinates entered?

Type a city name or address in the Location Search field and select from the dropdown—
coordinates are filled in automatically using Nominatim/OpenStreetMap. You can also
type decimal degrees directly (e.g. -33.8688 for latitude). The plugin converts 
decimal degrees to the DMS rational format required by the EXIF standard before 
writing to the file.

### How do I bulk edit EXIF data?

Switch to List View in the Media Library (the icon in the top right), tick the checkboxes
next to the images you want to update, choose “Edit EXIF” from the Bulk Actions 
dropdown, and click Apply. A modal opens where you can set shared fields (Author,
Copyright, Keywords) that apply to all selected images, and individual Description
and GPS fields per image.

### Does this plugin make any server-side HTTP requests?

No. The only external request is the GPS location search, which is made directly
from the user’s browser to the Nominatim OpenStreetMap API. No data is sent through
your server.

### What image formats does the WebP conversion support?

JPEG, PNG (with alpha/transparency preserved), GIF (first frame, static), BMP, and
TIFF. WebP files, SVG, PDF, video, and all non-raster formats are passed through
untouched.

### What happens if GD does not have WebP support?

The plugin will silently skip conversion and leave the original file untouched. 
No error is shown to the user. If WP_DEBUG_LOG is enabled in wp-config.php, a log
entry is written to the debug log.

### Can I convert existing images to WebP?

The auto-conversion only applies to new uploads. For existing images, a standalone
bulk conversion script is available from the plugin developer at https://prowebport.
com/exif-meta-manager-wordpress-plugin/

## Reviews

There are no reviews for this plugin.

## Contributors & Developers

“EXIF Meta Manager” is open source software. The following people have contributed
to this plugin.

Contributors

 *   [ prowebport ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/prowebport/)
 *   [ harshgupta ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/harshgupta/)

[Translate “EXIF Meta Manager” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/exif-meta-manager)

### Interested in development?

[Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/exif-meta-manager/),
check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/exif-meta-manager/),
or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/exif-meta-manager/)
by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/exif-meta-manager/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss).

## Changelog

#### 1.0.3

 * Improved: “Edit EXIF” now appears as a clearly visible button instead of a plain
   text link
 * Fixed: Per-attachment permission check added to REST API, AJAX handler, and metabox
   save
 * Fixed: REST API permission_callback now correctly resolves attachment_id from
   both GET params and JSON body
 * Fixed: File path traversal check now uses trailing slash to prevent false positives
   on similarly-named directories
 * Fixed: wp_unslash() added before all sanitize_*() calls on POST input
 * Fixed: WP_Filesystem API now used for all file read/write operations instead 
   of direct PHP functions
 * Fixed: Separate GPS debounce timers for inline panel and metabox to prevent interference
 * Removed: Dead inspectExif string from localized JS data
 * Added: LICENSE.txt file included in plugin package
 * Added: External Services section in readme documenting Nominatim/OpenStreetMap
   usage

#### 1.0.2

 * Fixed: EXIF editing now works inside Elementor media browser using inline accordion(
   no popup)
 * Fixed: EXIF data now correctly persists after save and reads back on next open
 * Fixed: WebP EXIF read path uses direct RIFF chunk parsing via PEL for cross-platform
   reliability
 * Fixed: Upload prompt no longer fires on Media Library page visits after bulk 
   conversion
 * Added: Automatic WebP conversion for all uploaded images at quality 100
 * Added: WebP EXIF write support via RIFF container chunk injection
 * Added: Settings direct link in Plugins list table

#### 1.0.0

 * Initial release

## Meta

 *  Version **1.0.3**
 *  Last updated **2 days ago**
 *  Active installations **Fewer than 10**
 *  WordPress version ** 6.0 or higher **
 *  Tested up to **7.1**
 *  PHP version ** 8.0 or higher **
 * Tags
 * [exif](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/exif/)[image](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/image/)
   [media](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/media/)[metadata](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/metadata/)
   [webp](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/webp/)
 *  [Advanced View](https://wordpress.org/plugins/exif-meta-manager/advanced/)

## Ratings

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[Your review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/exif-meta-manager/reviews/#new-post)

[See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/exif-meta-manager/reviews/)

## Contributors

 *   [ prowebport ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/prowebport/)
 *   [ harshgupta ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/harshgupta/)

## Support

Got something to say? Need help?

 [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/exif-meta-manager/)