---
title: "Read or strip an image's EXIF metadata"
method: POST
path: "/image-metadata"
tags: ["Images"]
---

# Read or strip an image's EXIF metadata

`POST /image-metadata`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.cofferdock.com`
- URL: `https://api.cofferdock.com/image-metadata`
- Auth: API key in header `x-api-key`

Reads current EXIF (artist, copyright, description, software, date, whether GPS is present), or writes only the given fields. Write mode never carries over the source EXIF: by design, only the fields you set survive (or none, with strip=true).

Costs 1 credit per call.

## Request body

- object
  - `file` string, byte, required: The image to read or edit, base64-encoded (e.g. JPEG, PNG or WebP).
  - `strip` boolean: true = return the image with all its metadata removed (EXIF, GPS location, camera data); fields you set in the same call are still written. Default false: with no fields set, the call only reads the metadata.
  - `artist` string: Artist or author name to write into the image (EXIF Artist).
  - `copyright` string: Copyright notice to write into the image (EXIF Copyright), e.g. "Copyright 2026 Jane Doe".
  - `description` string: Description or caption to write into the image (EXIF ImageDescription).
  - `software` string: Name of the program that produced the image, to write into it (EXIF Software).
  - `date_time` string, date-time: Date and time to write into the image (EXIF DateTime), in ISO 8601 format, e.g. "2026-09-28T12:00:00Z". It is stored in UTC.
  - `format` 'jpeg' | 'png' | 'webp': Output image format when writing: "jpeg", "png" or "webp". Default: the same as the input (jpeg if the input is another format).
  - `output` 'json' | 'binary' | 'url' | 'image': How to return the image: "json" (base64 in the JSON response), "binary" (the image itself, ready for n8n/Make/Zapier) or "url" (a temporary download link, valid 15 minutes). Default: json when the request is JSON, binary when the input was sent raw.

## Response `200`

The resulting image (shape depends on `output`).

- union
  - object
    - `success` boolean
    - `image` string, byte
    - `mime_type` 'image/jpeg' | 'image/png' | 'image/webp'
    - `meta` object
      - `size_bytes` integer
      - `mode` string
      - `fields_updated` integer
      - `used` integer: Credits used this month, after this call.
      - `remaining` integer, nullable: Credits left this month (null = unlimited).
      - `unlimited` boolean
  - object: Returned when output=url: a temporary download link (valid 15 minutes).
    - `success` boolean
    - `url` string, uri: Temporary download link. Expires in 15 minutes.
    - `expires_at` string, date-time
    - `mime_type` string
    - `size_bytes` integer
    - `meta` object
      - `used` integer: Credits used this month, after this call.
      - `remaining` integer, nullable: Credits left this month (null = unlimited).
      - `unlimited` boolean

## Other responses

- `400`: Invalid input (nothing is charged).
- `401`: Missing or invalid API key.
- `403`: Email not verified.
- `429`: Monthly credit limit reached, or too many requests per minute for this key (see Retry-After).
- `503`: Server busy (queue full). Retry after the seconds in the Retry-After header.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/cofferdock/apis/cofferdock-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/cofferdock/apis/cofferdock-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/cofferdock/apis/cofferdock-api/revisions/b57aa000d33a?raw)