Image metadata / sharing handoff

Separate “not detected” from “not inspected” in image metadata

An empty result does not prove that an image has no information. Record the checked scope and unreadable scope, then check the exact output file that will be shared.

Check image metadata Redact visible image content

Separate three states

“Not detected” means that the declared format and fields were checked. It does not mean that unreadable fields or unsupported formats are safe.

State	Meaning	Decision	Next step
Detected	A checked field was found	Record it and stop sharing	Change output and recheck
Absent in checked scope	No value in declared fields	State the scope	Recheck the shared output
Not inspected / unreadable	Cannot establish the result	Do not treat as safe	Use a supported format

Use identical-looking synthetic PNGs

with-text.png and without-text.png share the same visible pixels; only one has synthetic metadata. truncated.png is unreadable and remains unknown. No real image or personal data is used.

Synthetic sample image with metadata — The declared field is detected even though the visible pixels are ordinary.

Synthetic image with the same visible pixels and no metadata — Not detected is limited to the checked scope.

Check in this order

Fix the exact output file name and format that will be shared.
Record checked fields, supported formats and fields that could not be checked.
After conversion, compression or export, inspect the output rather than only the source.
Review visible text, QR codes and faces separately from metadata.
Do not share while a field is unreadable or not inspected.

This guide and its fixtures are static browser-local files. No real image, input or result is sent or stored externally.

What this does not guarantee

Not detected is not a complete privacy, legal-compliance or destination-safety guarantee. State the scope, format and destination, and keep unknowns as not inspected.