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
PricingFree downloadThe WordPress.org download is free. Pro versions, add-ons or external services may cost extra.
CompatibilityRequires WordPress 6.0 and PHP 8.0.
SourceWordPress plugins · Oct 24, 2026
01 / Source details
Aboutthistool.
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
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/
The "Edit EXIF" button in the media library sidebar — click to expand fields inlineInline EXIF panel expanded with Author, Copyright, Keywords, Description, and GPS fieldsInline panel after saving — success message shown inline in the sidebarThe EXIF Metadata metabox on the attachment edit screen (Media > Edit)GPS location search dropdown — type an address and select from resultsSettings page with WebP conversion toggle, auto-backup, and default field configurationBulk Edit modal — shared fields and per-image fields in one operation
02 / Source details
Gettingstarted.
01Upload the exif-meta-manager folder to /wp-content/plugins/
02Activate the plugin through the Plugins screen in WordPress
03Go 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
04PHP 8.0 or higher
05WordPress 6.0 or higher
06PHP exif extension enabled
07PHP gd extension compiled with WebP support ( --with-webp )
03 / Source details
Frequently asked questions.
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/
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