Source: https://restorebunny.com/guides/preserve-photo-metadata-sidecars/ # Preserve Photo Metadata and XMP Sidecars When Moving an Archive Keep captions and metadata connected during photo exports. Distinguish embedded fields, app-library data and XMP sidecars with a transfer test. AI & software3 min readUpdated 04 October 2026 Quick answer ## The short version A photo library's captions and tags may live outside the image file. Export a small test with supported metadata or XMP sidecars, keep matching filenames together, and check the destination. Keep a readable inventory as an independent record of important context. ## Identify where the information lives An image may contain embedded metadata, a companion file may hold additional fields, and a photo app may keep captions or albums only in its database. Seeing a name beneath a thumbnail does not tell you which of these stores it. Before moving a collection, list the fields you cannot afford to lose: people, caption, uncertain date, source ID and editing notes. Apple's Photos export documentation describes an option to export assigned IPTC metadata and keywords as an XMP sidecar with unmodified originals. That is a documented export path, not a guarantee that every destination application reads every field. Other software has different options. Verify the exact path and format you intend to use. ## Run a two-photo transfer test 1. Select one photograph with a meaningful caption and one with several keywords. Record the current fields in a small worksheet before export. 2. Export the sources using your app's documented original/metadata options. Keep all related output files; do not delete an unfamiliar .xmp file merely because it is not a picture. 3. Copy the exported group to a separate folder and import it into the intended destination. Avoid altering the only originals during the experiment. 4. Compare caption, keywords, source ID and dates field by field. Record which values arrived, which changed and which the destination does not support. 5. Open the images themselves and compare dimensions and appearance. A successful caption transfer does not establish that you exported the intended image version. ## Worked example: an image and a companion file Suppose an export produces FAM-0204.jpg and FAM-0204.xmp. Treat them as a related pair. If you rename only the JPEG to wedding.jpg, software that associates companions by base filename may no longer find the sidecar. Keep the original names, or rename both together and record the mapping in your inventory. Your transfer worksheet might show 'caption: present', 'keywords: present', 'album membership: absent'. That means the first two fields travelled by the tested route while the album structure needs a separate record. Do not conclude that the whole library moved successfully because one caption appeared. A folder index or CSV can preserve associations that the destination does not understand. ## Keep metadata roles distinct - Capture date: the time recorded for a digital exposure or scan. It is not automatically the date depicted by a historical print. - Description: a caption with sources and uncertainty. A generated description should not overwrite verified family identifications. - Rights and credit: preserve known creator or usage information. Missing metadata is not evidence that no rights exist. - Location and personal data: maintain a private archive version and review sharing exports separately. A public cleanup may intentionally remove context you still need privately. ## Preserve a readable fallback Keep a CSV or plain-text record of essential captions and IDs beside the image files, plus a README explaining the relationship. This is deliberate redundancy: if a future app does not understand your sidecars, the information remains readable. Check character encoding by reopening a caption with accented names or non-English text after transfer. Back up the verified exports, sidecars and inventory together. If a restore or conversion changes metadata, treat it as a derivative and keep its source link. This guide covers preservation of context during transfer; it does not claim that RestoreBunny is a metadata catalogue or that image conversion preserves every field. ## FAQs Can I delete XMP files after importing the photos? Keep them with the archive unless you have verified an independent complete record and understand the export. They may contain context not embedded in the image. Will every photo app import all sidecar fields? No. Test the actual source and destination using representative captions, dates and keywords. ## Sources Preservation and technical guidance reviewed for this article. - Apple: [Export photos on Mac]() - IPTC: [IPTC Photo Metadata Standard]() ## Related - [Write captions with evidence]() - [Export the intended source version]() - [Back up originals and test recovery]() - [Get the archive manifest and README templates]() ## Ready to restore your photos? Upload an image, choose your settings, and preview results with a before/after slider. [Get Started]()[View Pricing]() RestoreBunny Team Photo workflow editors Guides follow our [editorial policy]() for sourcing, product claims, AI limitations, updates, and corrections.