How can I use a photo's metadata to tell whether a supplier's product photo is original or edited?
Open the photo and look at Make, Model, Software and the dates: a camera model and a capture date suggest an original shot, while an editing app in Software shows it was saved by that program. These are only clues, since metadata can be edited or stripped, and an empty result proves nothing either way.
When you need this check
A new supplier sends product photos and says they were taken in their warehouse. Before paying, you want to know: did they really shoot these, or are they copied from another site, or the factory's promotional images? Metadata will not give a definitive answer, but it may give you a sharper question to put to the supplier.
The fields to read, and what they suggest
- Make and Model: the device maker and model. A known phone or camera suggests someone took the picture, rather than a digital render.
- DateTimeOriginal: the moment of capture. If the supplier says 'shot today' and the date is three years back, that is a fair question.
- Software: the program that last saved the file. An editing app here means the photo went through it, which can be something as innocent as a resize or crop.
- DateTime: the last modification time. If it is far from the capture time, the file was edited later.
- GPS: if coordinates are present, they point to where it was taken. Does that match the city the supplier says they are in?
- XMP, Photoshop and IPTC: their presence usually points to professional editing software or an image management system.
The steps
- Ask the supplier to send the photos as files or documents, not as ordinary photos that get reprocessed on the way.
- Open each photo in the Image metadata inspector and remover tool. Inspecting alone does not change the file.
- Note what you find: model, dates, software, whether there is a location.
- Compare the photos with each other: are they all from the same device? Are their times close together, as you would expect from one shoot?
Why these stay clues, not proof
Every one of these fields can be edited with readily available software, and anyone intending to mislead can write a model and date of their choosing. The reverse holds too: a perfectly genuine photo may arrive with no data at all because a chat app re-saved it, or because the supplier cleaned it to protect their own privacy, which is reasonable. So do not judge a supplier on an empty list, and do not trust one just because the metadata looks convincing.
Use the result to ask something specific, such as: 'Your photos are dated 2023; is the current stock the same spec?'. If it matters, ask for a fresh photo of the product next to a sheet of paper with your name and today's date, or a short video call. That is stronger than any metadata.
Common questions
Does the tool detect Photoshop edits in the pixels?
No. It reads metadata only and does not analyse pixels for signs of editing.
Does the tool read XMP contents in detail?
No, it reports its presence and size only. Its presence is itself a clue that the file went through an editing app.
Will the supplier know I checked their photos?
No. The check runs inside your browser and the file is not sent anywhere.