How to Check an Image for AI Metadata (C2PA, IPTC)
Every image file can carry hidden information next to the pixels. When an AI tool made the picture, that information often says so. Reading it takes seconds and requires no technical skill. This guide explains what to look for and why a missing label does not mean a picture is real.
The four places AI labels hide
C2PA Content Credentials
A signed manifest describing how the file was created and edited. Supported by Adobe, Microsoft, OpenAI and others. A valid manifest that names a generative tool is strong evidence. Read more in What are Content Credentials?
IPTC Digital Source Type
A standard field in IPTC and XMP metadata. The value trainedAlgorithmicMedia means the content was made by a model trained on data. Midjourney and several other services use it.
Generation parameters
Stable Diffusion interfaces often store the prompt, negative prompt, seed, sampler, steps and model in PNG text chunks. ComfyUI can store the full node graph. Open our PNG info viewer to read them.
EXIF and XMP software tags
Fields such as Software, Creator Tool and History sometimes name the generator or editor. Camera fields (make, model, lens, exposure) point the other way, towards a real photo.
How to check an image, step by step
- Get the original file. A screenshot, a messaging-app copy and most social media downloads have their metadata removed.
- Open the AI image detector and drop the file in. It is read locally and never uploaded.
- Look at each signal listed: strong evidence (C2PA, IPTC AI tag, generation parameters), medium evidence (software tags) and informational notes (camera EXIF).
- Read the verdict as evidence found, camera data found or inconclusive.
Why a missing label proves nothing
Metadata is easy to lose. Many websites and apps re-encode images and drop it, and anyone can remove it deliberately. For that reason, "no AI signature found" means only that this file carries no label. It does not mean the image is genuine. Combine metadata with the visual checks in our image guide, a reverse image search and the source of the post.
Presence is strong, absence is weak
A signed credential or an embedded prompt is hard to fake convincingly, so finding one is meaningful. Not finding one is the default state of most images online. Treat the two results asymmetrically and you will avoid both false confidence and false accusations.
For publishers and creators
If you publish AI-assisted work, keep Content Credentials switched on and prefer platforms that preserve them. Honest labelling protects your reputation as disclosure rules tighten.