About Metadata Mapping

Metadata is structured information embedded into image files that describe, identify, and help manage those files. In Adobe software, metadata typically includes:

• IPTC: Descriptive metadata (e.g., title, author, copyright)

• XMP: Adobe’s extensible metadata format (XML-based)

• EXIF: Automatically generated camera data (e.g., shutter speed, aperture)

Metadata Mapping allows users with Admin permission on the Resources module to configure how system metadata fields are mapped with embedded information available within supported rich media assets.

When a file is uploaded to IntelligenceBank, embedded metadata available within the file itself can be automatically extracted and inputted into select upload fields, such as Name, Review Date, Owner, etc.

This makes it easy to leverage existing metadata available within these assets. Photographers or Stock Photography websites will often embed keywords, geo-information and other details directly into the asset so that this information can remain available when distributed across channels and users.

Similarly, any data inputted in the system against an asset can be automatically embedded back into the physical file's select embedded metadata tags.

To skip to a specific section, click the headings below:

• How to Access the Metadata Mapping Feature
• How to Setup Metadata Mapping
  • Mapping Type
  • Extraction Type
  • Override inputted data
  • Mapped Fields
• Supported System Fields
• When Does Metadata Extraction Occur?
• Supported Metadata Groups & Tags
• Metadata Tags & Data Types Handling
• Supported File Types
• Embedding Metadata In Popular Adobe Softwares

How to Access the Metadata Mapping Feature

To set up your customized Metadata Mapping options, go to your Resources module home / root page (click the Home icon on your folder page) and follow the steps below.

Note that the configuration of this feature is only available to users with Admin permission on the Resources module. 

1. Go to your Resources home page
   
   
2. Click the More icon at the top right of the page (next to the Add button) and then the Manage Metadata option that appears.
   
   
3. Click the Metadata Mapping action in the Side Panel that appears.

You can see how to complete the above steps in the gif below:

How to Setup Metadata Mapping

Once you have the Metadata Mapping tab open, you will be able to see a list of the fields that you can map the metadata to / from (see list of supported system fields below).

Click the Edit icon (indicated below) next to the System field that you would like to configure.

The options below will vary based on the type of field selected.

Mapping Type

This setting allows you to select the type of mapping that will apply between this field and the mapped embedded fields / tags. The three options are:

• Extraction only: Metadata is extracted from the Metadata field selected below into the system field above
• Embed only: Metadata is embedded from the system field above into the embedded field selected below whenever data is updated within the platform. Note that this will only apply if the mapped destination tag is Writable (as opposed to just Readable)
• Bi-directional sync: The Metadata will remain synced at all times. Note that this will only apply if the mapped destination tag is Writable (as opposed to just Readable)
  

Extraction Type

This option indicates whether the extraction will apply to the first matched mapped field or if it will be combine data found across all mapped field. First Matched is the standard option for all field types, except for Keywords and Multi-Select fields, which also provide a Combined Matches options.

As there can be multiple mapped fields / tags assigned against a system field, it could be relevant to either extract and apply only the first match, or to combine multiple together when applicable into the destination field. Note that duplicates will automatically be removed.

Note that if multiple fields / tags are mapped, the order of priority to define the first match is from top to bottom.

Override inputted data

If data has already be inputted into the destination field at the time the metadata extraction occurs, you may choose to not update it with newly found extraction data.

The default is On, which means that the extracted metadata will always load into the destination field at the time metadata extraction occurs.

Note that extraction occurs once the file has finished uploading, so if Override inputted data is turned Off for a field, you may want to wait until that file has finished uploading and has a green () check indicator before inputting any manual data.

Mapped Fields

This is where you will select the Embedded fields / tags that will be mapped to the System field.

To add new fields, follow the steps below:

1. The first time you enter a field, you will be able to select a Metadata Group. The options in this dropdown will be dependent on the field type, ie Date, Text, etc.
   
   
2. Once you have selected a Metadata Group, you can then select a supported Tag (note that this field may take a few seconds to load options)
   
   
3. Once you have selected a Tag, click the Add button to successfully add the field as a Mapped Field. You can view a Gif of this process below:
   
   
   
   
4. If you have multiple fields selected, and First Match is the Extraction Type option, you can update the order they appear in (as the order will dictate the order in which they're checked, and therefore matched).
   
   
5. Click the Save button to save the configuration for that system field.

Note: These changes will instantly apply to all users once Saved.

Supported System Fields

The following list contains all the System Fields that are supported for Metadata Mapping:

• Name
• Description
• Resource Date
• Review Date
• Keywords
• Owner
• Usage Details
• Global Filters (if enabled on the Resources module)
• Custom Upload Fields
  

When Does Metadata Extraction Occurs?

All options below only apply if Metadata Extraction is enabled as a Mapping Type for the destination field.

*Back End Import is a professional service. Please contact your Customer Success Manager or our Helpdesk to learn more.

Supported Metadata Groups & Tags

IntelligenceBank uses ExifTool for its metadata mapping capabilities. You can view a complete list of Metadata Tags against a Metadata Group by clicking on each item listed below, or click here for a comprehensive summary of options you will find in IntelligenceBank when mapping metadata tags against different fields.

As of May 2025, IntelligenceBank uses ExifTool version 12.84.

Metadata Groups currently supported in IntelligenceBank:

Popular

• Dublin Core (XMP) > XMP-dc
• IFD0 (EXIF)
• IPTC
• IPTC Core (XMP) > XMP-iptcCore
• IPTC Extended (XMP) > XMP-iptcExt

Other

• Composite
• EXIF (IFD)
• GIF
• GPS
• PNG
• EXIF (XMP) > XMP-exif
• PHOTOSHOP (XMP) > XMP-photoshop
• TIFF (XMP) > XMP-tiff
• XMP (XMP) > XMP-xmp
• PLUS (XMP) > XMP-plus
• PDF
• PDF (XMP) > XMP-pdf
• JFIF
• Microsoft
• Microsoft (XMP) > XMP-microsoft
• JPEG
• Quicktime
• RTF
• Dynamic Media (XMP) > XMP-xmpDM
• System
• File
• XML
• XMP Rights Management > XMP-xmpRights
  

Not seeing a Metadata Group that you use? Contact your Customer Success Manager or submit a request via the Helpdesk to let us know. IntelligenceBank uses ExifTool for its metadata mapping capabilities, and a complete list of available Metadata Groups / Tags, can be found here, or here (downloadable PDF).

Metadata Tags & Data Types Handling

The embedded metadata fields available for each IntelligenceBank field follow the rules outlined below.

IntelligenceBank System Fields

Embedded Fields Data Types

The following file types are supported for the Metadata Mapping related functionality outlined in this article.

Metadata Extraction

Note that additional file type restrictions may apply at the Metadata Group level.

Images

'gif', 'jpg', 'jpeg', 'png', 'bmp', 'tiff', 'tif', 'svg', 'eps', 'ai', 'psd', 'arw', 'crw', 'cr2', 'dcr', 'dng', 'mrw', 'nef', 'orf', 'pef', 'raf'

Videos

'3gpp', '3gp', 'mp4', 'mpeg', 'mpg', 'mpe', 'ogv', 'mov', 'webm', 'flv', 'mng', 'asx', 'asf', 'wmv', 'avi', 'm4v', 'movie'

Documents

'odt', 'sxw', 'doc', 'docx', 'rtf','csv', 'ods', 'sxc', 'xls', 'xlsx','odp', 'sxi', 'ppt','pptx', 'vsd', 'html'
'pdf', 'indd','indt', 'ind'

Metadata Embedding

Note that additional file type restrictions may apply at the Metadata Group level.

Image Mime Types

'image/gif', 'image/pjpeg', 'image/jpeg', 'image/tiff', 'image/vnd.microsoft.icon',
'image/targa', 'image/vnd.adobe.photoshop',
'image/x-sony-arw', 'image/x-canon-crw', 'image/x-canon-cr2', 'image/x-dcraw', 'image/x-adobe-dng',
'image/x-minolta-mrw', 'image/x-nikon-nef', 'image/x-olympus-orf', 'image/x-pentax-pef',
'image/x-fuji-raf', 'image/x-fujifilm-raf', 'image/ARW', 'image/CRW', 'image/CR2', 'image/DCR', 'image/DNG', 'image/MRW', 'image/NEF', 'image/ORF', 'image/PEF', 'image/RAF',

Misc Mime Types

application/postscript',' application/x-photoshop'

File Extensions

'ai', 'eps'

Support for other formats and mime types may be added in the future. Contact your Customer Success Manager or our Helpdesk to let us know about any particular requirement you have that is not currently supported.

Embedding Metadata In Adobe Softwares

While IntelligenceBank (via ExifTool) uses the 'real' technical names of metadata groups and tags, popular softwares like Adobe Photoshop, Bridge or Lightroom add an abstraction layer to their metadata embedding capabilities which can sometimes make it difficult to identify what is the underlying 'real' metadata group and/or tag used, and by extension to map this abstracted input to IntelligenceBank's Metadata Mapping selection options. Adobe softwares rely heavily on the XMP standard it created. Note that sidecar import is not currently supported.

Some useful reference links:

• Photoshop Metadata Documentation
• Lightroom Classic Metadata Documentation
• Bridge Metadata Documentation

Cheat Sheet

Adobe Photoshop - Steps

Applying Metadata:

1. File > File Info…

2. Use tabs like "Description", "IPTC", "Raw Data", or "Advanced".

3. Fields update both XMP and IPTC layers depending on the tab.

Metadata Field Tabs:

• Description: Title, Author, Copyright, Description

• IPTC: Location, Contact, Content identifiers

• Camera Data: Reads EXIF

• Advanced: Full access to namespaces (XMP, IPTC Core, Dublin Core, etc.)

Adobe Lightroom Classic - Steps

Applying Metadata:

1. In Library Module, open Metadata panel (right sidebar).

2. Choose metadata set: “Default”, “EXIF and IPTC”, “IPTC”, “IPTC Extension”.

Metadata Field Groups:

• Default View: Title, Caption, Keywords, Copyright, Date

• IPTC View: Job Identifier, Creator, Contact Info

• Location Fields: Shown under IPTC or IPTC Extension set

Syncing Metadata:

• Use Metadata > Save Metadata to File (Cmd+S on Mac) to embed into sidecar .xmp or the file itself.

Adobe Bridge - Steps

Applying Metadata:

1. Select file(s), then go to Metadata Panel or File > File Info…

2. Edit directly in panel or apply templates

Templates:

• Use Tools > Create Metadata Template… to batch-apply standardized metadata.

Metadata Panel Layout:

• Editable sections:

  • IPTC Core

  • IPTC Extension

  • XMP Basic (Dublin Core)

  • Camera Data (EXIF - read-only)

  • GPS (if present)

IPTC Core Tags Mapping

As you can see from the above cheat sheet table, IPTC Core tags (as used in Adobe Photoshop, Bridge or Lightroom - sometimes just referred to as IPTC) generally belong to other XMP schemas and therefore use different groups / namespaces and tags, specifically Photoshop (XMP), XMP Rights Management and Dublin Core.

You can find the corresponding namespace and tag on the IPTC Photo Metadata Working Group's website, against the Help: ExifTool tags (or XMP Specs) row under each field. For example, City (legacy) is mapped to XMP-photoshop:City, i.e. the City tag of the Photoshop (XMP) group.

When in doubt, the best approach is to embed test metadata in the source software against a test asset, upload that asset to IntelligenceBank, and then open the Info Preview of the asset to identify where the data is surfaced under the Metadata section. Every supported Metadata Group and Tag with actual data extracted from the file will display. 

To find out more about Metadata Mapping, please contact your Customer Success Manager or our Helpdesk. 

You can find out more about other Metadata Mapping and Management options here, or about the Resources module here.

Please note that the Resources terminology referenced above may appear as another name in your platform as these are customizable terms. You can see examples of what terminology may appear on your site here.