Printable privacy guide

Metadata Privacy Checklist

Use this checklist before sending photos, PDFs, videos, audio, Office documents, spreadsheets, or AI-generated media. It is designed for browser print and Save as PDF.

Safe Sharing Workflow

Choose the specialized tool for the file type.

Upload the file and view the detected metadata.

Remove or edit only the metadata you do not want to share.

Download the cleaned file and keep the 5-minute auto-delete window in mind.

Scan the cleaned file again before sending it publicly.

Photos and Screenshots

Remove GPS coordinates before posting or emailing images.
Check camera model, serial-like fields, lens data, and capture time.
Clean XMP/IPTC copyright, creator, caption, and rating fields when needed.
Verify the cleaned file with Metadata Viewer before sharing.

Open Image Privacy Cleaner

PDF Documents

Check author, producer, creator, title, subject, and creation dates.
Remove comments, embedded document properties, and hidden application identifiers.
Use a fresh filename that does not reveal client or internal project details.
Re-scan the PDF after cleaning to confirm the visible document still opens correctly.

Open PDF Privacy Cleaner

Video Files

Check GPS, device model, encoder, creation time, and app-specific tags.
Clean metadata before uploading to social platforms or sending raw footage.
For sensitive footage, prefer remux or re-encode cleanup depending on the container.
Compare before and after metadata when the video is for a client or public release.

Open Video Metadata Remover

Audio Files

Review artist, album, comments, copyright, encoder, and recording date.
Remove private notes or draft labels before publishing podcasts or samples.
Keep only public-facing tags that help listeners identify the file.
Generate a privacy report for archived or compliance-sensitive audio.

Open Audio Metadata Remover

Office and Spreadsheets

Inspect author, company, manager, template, revision, and last-saved-by fields.
Check hidden sheets, workbook properties, document comments, and tracked metadata.
Clean exported files before sending proposals, invoices, reports, or datasets.
Use the specialized Office or Spreadsheet tool instead of a generic remover.

Open Office Document Inspector

AI and Provenance Metadata

Check for AI generator names, prompt traces, C2PA/Content Credentials, and provenance labels.
Decide whether provenance should be preserved for transparency or removed for privacy.
Use C2PA and AI metadata tools for generated images, video, and audio.
Document the decision in your internal publishing process when content is sensitive.

Open AI Metadata Cleaner

Privacy Reminder

After a cleaned file is ready, the download area must show: For your privacy, this file will be automatically deleted after 5 minutes. Do not keep private files uploaded longer than necessary.