PNG vs JPEG vs WebP: Where Photo Metadata Lives
Compare how JPEG, PNG and WebP store metadata, what this site's checker and cleaner support, and how to verify the file before an upload.
A JPEG, PNG and WebP image can look alike on screen while organizing their extra information in different ways. That matters when you inspect an export for EXIF, XMP, C2PA or text records before sharing it. A file extension tells you which container to expect; it does not tell you which metadata is actually present.
The useful approach is to inspect the exact file you plan to send, choose a cleaning scope that fits that file, and check the downloaded result. This guide concentrates on the containers and the current tools rather than assuming any one format is automatically private.
JPEG uses marker segments
JPEG stores encoded picture data alongside marker segments. EXIF and XMP commonly appear in APP1 segments; C2PA manifests in JPEG can be carried in APP11 segments; other descriptive records may use different application or comment segments. A JPEG may have none, one or several kinds of such information, depending on its creator and export history.
This site's JPEG checker looks for recognizable EXIF, XMP and C2PA/JUMBF patterns in those segments. Its cleaner can remove selected metadata segments while copying the encoded image scan unchanged. The checker is a pattern-based inspection tool, not a parser of every possible JPEG extension or a cryptographic C2PA validator. A file reported as clean should still be interpreted within those limits.
PNG keeps image data and optional information in chunks
PNG stores its image data in IDAT chunks and can carry ancillary chunks for other information. The standard defines eXIf for EXIF and several text chunk types, including tEXt, zTXt and iTXt. A C2PA manifest can be embedded in a caBX chunk. Text chunks may contain a caption, application notes or workflow data; merely finding a text chunk is not evidence that AI made the image.
The site's PNG checker reports text, EXIF and recognized C2PA chunks, but it does not fully interpret every compressed or application-specific value. In full-cleaning mode, the current engine omits supported text, eXIf, tIME and caBX chunks while copying IDAT image data byte for byte. A narrower mode may leave other metadata intact. Inspect the downloaded PNG again and keep a source copy if descriptions or attribution are needed later.
WebP has RIFF chunks and a coverage limit here
WebP is a RIFF-based format with separate image or animation chunks and optional EXIF, XMP and ICC color-profile chunks. The site's checker reports EXIF, XMP and ICCP when it recognizes those WebP chunks. Its cleaner can remove EXIF and XMP while copying the encoded image and animation chunks. It updates the container size and relevant metadata flags after rewriting the file.
The current C2PA specification also defines a dedicated C2PA chunk for RIFF-based files such as WebP. This site's WebP checker and cleaner do not currently inspect or remove that dedicated chunk. Therefore, an empty WebP checker report or a WebP file cleaned here does not prove the absence of a C2PA manifest. If that distinction matters, use a validator that supports the file and its C2PA embedding before making a provenance claim.
Choose a workflow for the final export
First, keep the unmodified original and identify the true format of the file you will upload. Inspect that file for fields you want to keep or omit. Then choose a supported cleaning mode, download the copy, reopen it and scan the download again. For supported JPEG, PNG and WebP paths here, the compressed picture data is copied rather than re-encoded; removing EXIF orientation can still change how an image appears in some viewers.
Do not rename a file from .png to .jpg and assume its container changed. A real format conversion creates new encoded image data and may change appearance or metadata. If provenance, author credit or disclosure is required for your use, preserve the relevant records and follow the applicable rules. No metadata workflow guarantees how a destination service will label an upload.
- Check the final exported file, not only the editor's original.
- Treat a text-chunk finding as a clue to inspect, not an AI verdict.
- Recheck the downloaded copy and its visible orientation before sharing.
Ofte stillede spørgsmål
Does PNG always contain more metadata than JPEG?
No. Each format supports optional metadata, but a particular export may contain little or none. Inspect the actual file.
Does a PNG text chunk mean the image was AI-generated?
No. Text chunks can contain ordinary descriptions or application notes. A chunk finding alone cannot establish how the picture was made.
Can this site's WebP tool confirm that no C2PA manifest remains?
No. The current WebP checker and cleaner handle EXIF and XMP chunks but do not cover the dedicated C2PA RIFF chunk defined by the standard.
Will metadata cleaning recompress these images?
For supported JPEG, PNG and WebP files in this site, the metadata-only paths copy compressed picture data. A separate format conversion or editor export is a different operation.
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