OS Manuals

/usr/bin/exiv2

Exif and IPTC metadata manipulation library and tools

From exiv2 0.28.9-r0 (enterprise-packages), captured 2026-11-08 by running exiv2 --help (exit 0). permalink

Usage: exiv2 [ option [ arg ] ]+ [ action ] file ...

Image metadata manipulation tool.

Where file is one or more files, optionally containing a URL
(http, https, ftp, sftp, data or file) or wildcard

Actions:
  pr | print    Print image metadata (default is a summary). This is the default
                action
  ad | adjust   Adjust Exif timestamps by the given time. Requires
                at least one of -a, -Y, -O or -D
  rm | delete   Deletes image metadata, use -d to choose type to delete
                (default is all)
  in | insert   Insert metadata from .exv, .xmp, thumbnail or .icc file.
                Use option -S to change the suffix of the input files and
                -l to change the location
  ex | extract  Extract metadata to .exv, .xmp, preview image, thumbnail,
                or ICC profile. Use option -S to change the suffix of the input
                files and -l to change the location
  mv | rename   Rename files and/or set file timestamps according to the
                Exif timestamps. The filename format can be set with
                -r format, timestamp options are controlled with -t and -T
  mo | modify   Apply commands to modify the Exif, IPTC and XMP metadata.
                Requires option -m or -M
  fi | fixiso   Copy ISO setting from Canon and Nikon makernotes, to the
                standard Exif tag
  fc | fixcom   Convert the Unicode Exif user comment to UCS-2. The current
                character encoding can be specified with the -n option

Options:
   -h      Display this help and exit
   -V      Show the program version and exit
   -v      Be verbose during the program run
   -q      Silence warnings and error messages (quiet)
   -Q lvl  Set log-level to d(ebug), i(nfo), w(arning), e(rror) or m(ute)
   -b      Obsolete, reserved for use with the test suit
   -u      Show unknown tags (e.g., Exif.SonyMisc3c.0x022b)
   -g str  Only output where 'str' matches in output text (grep)
           Append /i to 'str' for case insensitive
   -K key  Only output where 'key' exactly matches tag's key
   -n enc  Character set to decode Exif Unicode user comments
   -k      Preserve file timestamps when updating files (keep)
   -t      Set the file timestamp from Exif metadata when renaming (overrides -k)
   -T      Only set the file timestamp from Exif metadata ('rename' action)
   -f      Do not prompt before overwriting existing files (force)
   -F      Do not prompt before renaming files (Force)
   -a time Time adjustment in the format [+|-]HH[:MM[:SS]]. For 'adjust' action
   -Y yrs  Year adjustment with the 'adjust' action
   -O mon  Month adjustment with the 'adjust' action
   -D day  Day adjustment with the 'adjust' action
   -p mode Print mode for the 'print' action. Possible modes are:
             s : A summary of the Exif metadata (the default)
             a : Exif, IPTC and XMP tags (shortcut for -Pkyct)
             e : Exif tags (shortcut for -PEkycv)
             t : Interpreted (translated) Exif tags (-PEkyct)
             v : Plain (untranslated) Exif tags values (-PExgnycv)
             h : Hex dump of the Exif tags (-PExgnycsh)
             i : IPTC tags (-PIkyct)
             x : XMP tags (-PXkyct)
             c : JPEG comment
             p : List available image preview, sorted by size
             C : Print ICC profile
             R : Recursive print structure of image (debug build only)
             S : Print structure of image (limited file types)
             X : Extract "raw" XMP
   -P flgs Print flags for fine control of tag lists ('print' action):
             E : Exif tags
             I : IPTC tags
             X : XMP tags
             x : Tag number for Exif or IPTC tags (in hexadecimal)
             g : Group name (e.g. Exif.Photo.UserComment, Photo)
             k : Key (e.g. Exif.Photo.UserComment)
             l : Tag label (e.g. Exif.Photo.UserComment, 'User comment')
             d : Tag description
             n : Tag name (e.g. Exif.Photo.UserComment, UserComment)
             y : Type
             y : Type
             c : Number of components (count)
             s : Size in bytes of vanilla value (may include NULL)
             v : Plain data value of untranslated (vanilla)
             V : Plain data value, data type and the word 'set'
             t : Interpreted (translated) human readable values
             h : Hex dump of the data
   -d tgt1  Delete target(s) for the 'delete' action. Possible targets are:
             a : All supported metadata (the default)
             e : Exif tags
             t : Exif thumbnail only
             i : IPTC tags
             x : XMP tags
             c : JPEG comment
             C : ICC Profile
             c : All IPTC data (any broken multiple IPTC blocks)
             - : Input from stdin
   -i tgt2 Insert target(s) for the 'insert' action. Possible targets are
             a : All supported metadata (the default)
             e : Exif tags
             t : Exif thumbnail only (JPEGs only from <file>-thumb.jpg)
             i : IPTC tags
             x : XMP tags
             c : JPEG comment
             C : ICC Profile, from <file>.icc
             X : XMP sidecar from file <file>.xmp
             XX: "raw" metadata from <file>.exv. XMP default, optional Exif and IPTC
             - : Input from stdin
   -e tgt3 Extract target(s) for the 'extract' action. Possible targets
             a : All supported metadata (the default)
             e : Exif tags
             t : Exif thumbnail only (to <file>-thumb.jpg)
             i : IPTC tags
             x : XMP tags
             c : JPEG comment
             pN: Extract N'th preview image to <file>-preview<N>.<ext>
             C : ICC Profile, to <file>.icc
             X : XMP sidecar to <file>.xmp
             XX: "raw" metadata to <file>.exv. XMP default, optional Exif and IPTC
             - : Output to stdin
   -r fmt  Filename format for the 'rename' action. The format string
           follows strftime(3). The following keywords are also supported:
             :basename:   - original filename without extension
             :basesuffix: - suffix in original filename, starts with first dot and ends before extension
             :dirname:    - name of the directory holding the original file
             :parentname: - name of parent directory
           Default 'fmt' is %Y%m%d_%H%M%S
   -c txt  JPEG comment string to set in the image.
   -m cmdf Applies commands in 'cmdf' file, for the modify action (see -M for format).
   -M cmd  Command line for the modify action. The format is:
           ( (set | add) <key> [[<type>] <value>] |
             del <key> [<type>] |
             reg prefix namespace )
   -l dir  Location (directory) for files to be inserted from or extracted to.
   -S suf Use suffix 'suf' for source files for insert action.

Examples:
   exiv2 -pe image.dng *.jp2
           Print all Exif tags in image.dng and all .jp2 files
   exiv2 -g date/i https://clanmills.com/Stonehenge.jpg
           Print all tags in file, where key contains 'date' (case insensitive)
   exiv2 -M"set Xmp.dc.subject XmpBag Sky" image.tiff
           Set (or add if missing) value to tag in file
Options (23)
OptionDescriptionSource
-hDisplay this help and exithelp
-VShow the program version and exithelp
-vBe verbose during the program runhelp
-qSilence warnings and error messages (quiet)help
-Q lvlSet log-level to d(ebug), i(nfo), w(arning), e(rror) or m(ute)help
-bObsolete, reserved for use with the test suithelp
-uShow unknown tags (e.g., Exif.SonyMisc3c.0x022b)help
-g strOnly output where 'str' matches in output text (grep) Append /i to 'str' for case insensitivehelp
-K keyOnly output where 'key' exactly matches tag's keyhelp
-n encCharacter set to decode Exif Unicode user commentshelp
-kPreserve file timestamps when updating files (keep)help
-tSet the file timestamp from Exif metadata when renaming (overrides -k)help
-TOnly set the file timestamp from Exif metadata ('rename' action)help
-fDo not prompt before overwriting existing files (force)help
-FDo not prompt before renaming files (Force)help
-Y yrsYear adjustment with the 'adjust' actionhelp
-O monMonth adjustment with the 'adjust' actionhelp
-D dayDay adjustment with the 'adjust' actionhelp
-d tgt1Delete target(s) for the 'delete' action.help
-r fmtFilename format for the 'rename' action.help
-c txtJPEG comment string to set in the image.help
-M cmdCommand line for the modify action.help
-l dirLocation (directory) for files to be inserted from or extracted to.help

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.