Overview
This node allows you to read, write, repair, delete, and send custom commands to manipulate EXIF metadata in image files. It supports common image formats such as JPG, PNG, HEIC, TIFF, GIF, BMP, WEBP, and JPEG.
Typical use cases include:
- Extracting metadata like camera settings, geolocation, or copyright information from images.
- Adding or updating metadata tags (e.g., author, keywords, descriptions) in images for better organization or compliance.
- Repairing corrupted EXIF data to restore image metadata integrity.
- Removing all or selected EXIF metadata for privacy or file size reduction.
- Running custom EXIF tool commands for advanced metadata operations.
For example, a photographer might use this node to batch update copyright notices on their photos, or a digital asset manager could extract keywords and subjects for indexing.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Property Name | Name of the binary property containing the image data to process (default: "data"). |
| Output Property Name | Name of the JSON property where the EXIF data or operation result will be stored (default: "exifData"). |
| EXIF-Metadata | Collection of metadata key-value pairs to write into the image's EXIF data. Each entry requires a metadata key name and the value to set. |
| Options | Additional options: - Read Raw: Return raw, untransformed EXIF data when reading. - Parse Input Fields: When writing, parse certain fields like "Keywords" or "Subject" as comma-separated lists or arrays. |
Notices (Informational)
- Some fields like 'Keywords' or 'Subject' can be formatted as comma-separated lists or arrays when writing.
- Metadata tags are usually PascalCase; to target specific groups, prefix with the group name (e.g.,
IPTC:CopyrightNotice). - Writing an empty (null) value to a tag deletes that tag.
- When deleting all EXIF data, you can specify tags to keep (e.g., ICC_Profile).
Output
The node outputs JSON data under the specified output property name (default "exifData"), which contains:
- For Read operation: The extracted EXIF metadata as an object, either standardized or raw depending on options.
- For Write operation: An array of results for each written tag, including confirmation and tag names.
- For Delete operation: Result of the deletion process, optionally retaining specified tags.
- For Repair operation: A success indicator object
{ success: true }. - For Custom Command operation: The raw result of the custom EXIF tool command.
If the input includes binary data, the node updates the binary property with the processed image file after the operation.
Dependencies
- Requires the
exiftool-vendoredlibrary bundled with the node for EXIF manipulation. - Needs access to the n8n internal storage path to temporarily write image files during processing.
- Supports only certain image file extensions: jpg, png, heic, heif, tiff, gif, bmp, webp, jpeg.
- No external API keys or credentials are required.
Troubleshooting
- Storage Path Missing: If the node cannot find or create the temporary storage directory, it throws an error suggesting manual creation of the directory.
- Unsupported File Extension: Files with unsupported extensions will cause an error.
- No Binary Data Provided: If the specified binary property does not contain valid image data, the node errors out.
- No Metadata Values on Write: Writing without any metadata entries configured will throw an error.
- Concurrent Temporary File Exists: If a temporary file from a previous operation still exists, the node logs a message and waits.
- Custom Command Write Not Supported: Attempting to write using a custom command throws an error advising to use the Write operation instead.
To resolve these issues:
- Ensure the storage path exists and is writable by n8n.
- Confirm the input binary data is correctly provided and has a supported extension.
- Provide at least one metadata key-value pair when writing.
- Avoid running multiple instances simultaneously that might conflict on temporary files.
- Use the dedicated Write operation for modifying metadata rather than custom commands.
Links and References
- ExifTool Tag Names — Comprehensive list of EXIF metadata tags usable with this node.
- ExifTool Documentation — Official documentation for the underlying EXIF manipulation tool used by the node.