groupdocs-metadata-net 26.9.0

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GroupDocs.Metadata for Python via .NET is a metadata management API that reads, edits, and removes metadata from documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDFs, images, audio, and video — 115+ file formats. It works with the major metadata standards (XMP, EXIF, IPTC, Image Resource Blocks, ID3, document properties) through one unified, format-independent API.

Get Started

pip install groupdocs-metadata-net

from groupdocs.metadata import Metadata

with Metadata("document.docx") as metadata:
    root = metadata.get_root_package()
    print("Format:", root.file_type.file_format)

How It Works

The package is a self-contained Python wheel (~185 MB) that bundles the embedded .NET runtime and everything needed to process metadata — just pip install and start reading metadata. On Linux the system also needs ICU and fontconfig, which most distributions already have (see System Requirements below). The wheel works across Python 3.5 – 3.14 on Windows, Linux, and macOS (Intel + Apple Silicon).

Features

• Read, edit, and remove metadata from 115+ formats with one unified API.
• Metadata standards: XMP, EXIF, IPTC IIM, Image Resource Blocks, ID3 (ID3v1/ID3v2), Lyrics3, APE.
• Search engine: find, update, add, and remove properties with simple Python predicates and predefined tags.
• One-call sanitize: strip every detected property before sharing a file.
• Document inspection: detect format/MIME type, page count, encryption, digital signatures, comments, and hidden pages.
• Export: dump the metadata tree to CSV, XLSX, JSON, or XML.
• Cross-Platform: Windows x64, Linux x64, macOS x64/ARM64.

Common Tasks

• Detect a file's real format and MIME type by its internal structure
• Read EXIF/XMP/IPTC properties from photos
• Read and edit ID3/APE/Lyrics tags in audio files
• Strip author, comments, and revision history from Office documents before publishing
• Find and remove properties that match a condition (by tag, name, type, or value)
• Export a document's full metadata tree to a spreadsheet for auditing
• Feed extracted metadata into a search, compliance, or DAM pipeline

Supported File Formats

This API supports a broad set of document and media formats, including:

• Word Processing: DOC, DOCX, DOCM, ODT, DOT, DOTM
• Spreadsheets: XLS, XLSX, XLSM, ODS, XLSB, XLT
• Presentations: PPT, PPTX, PPS, PPSX, POT, POTM
• PDF: PDF
• Images: JPG, PNG, TIFF, BMP, GIF, PSD
• Audio/Video: MP3, WAV, OGG, AVI, MOV, MKV, ASF, FLV, MK3D
• Email: EML, MSG
• eBook: EPUB, MOBI, FB2
• Archives: ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, CB7, CBR
• Fonts: OTF, TTF, TTC, OTC
• CAD: DWG, DXF
• 3D: FBX, STL, 3DS, DAE, GLTF
• Visio: VSD, VSDX, VDX, VSS, VSX, VTX
• OneNote: ONE
• GIS: KML, GPX, GEOJSON, GML, OSM, SHP
• Other formats: MPP, MPT, TORRENT, VCF, VCR

Supports 115+ file formats.

For a complete list, see supported formats.

Examples

Read metadata

from groupdocs.metadata import Metadata

with Metadata("input.docx") as metadata:
    for prop in metadata.find_properties(lambda p: True):
        print(f"{prop.name} = {prop.value}")

Get document info

from groupdocs.metadata import Metadata

with Metadata("input.xlsx") as metadata:
    info = metadata.get_document_info()
    print("Format:", info.file_type.file_format)
    print("MIME type:", info.file_type.mime_type)
    print("Pages:", info.page_count)
    print("Size:", info.size, "bytes")
    print("Encrypted:", info.is_encrypted)

Find properties by tag

from groupdocs.metadata import Metadata
from groupdocs.metadata.tagging import Tags

with Metadata("input.docx") as metadata:
    authors = metadata.find_properties(lambda p: Tags.person.creator in list(p.tags))
    for prop in authors:
        print(prop.name, "=", prop.value)

Set / update properties and save

from datetime import datetime
from groupdocs.metadata import Metadata
from groupdocs.metadata.common import PropertyValue
from groupdocs.metadata.tagging import Tags

with Metadata("input.docx") as metadata:
    affected = metadata.set_properties(
        lambda p: Tags.time.created in list(p.tags),
        PropertyValue(datetime.now()),
    )
    print("Updated:", affected)
    metadata.save("output.docx")

Remove all metadata (sanitize)

from groupdocs.metadata import Metadata

with Metadata("input.pdf") as metadata:
    removed = metadata.sanitize()
    print("Removed:", removed)
    metadata.save("clean.pdf")

Export the metadata tree

from groupdocs.metadata import Metadata
from groupdocs.metadata.export import ExportManager, ExportFormat

with Metadata("input.pdf") as metadata:
    properties = list(metadata.find_properties(lambda p: True))
    ExportManager(properties).export("metadata.xlsx", ExportFormat.XLSX)

Load from a stream

import io
from groupdocs.metadata import Metadata

with open("input.docx", "rb") as stream:
    with Metadata(stream) as metadata:
        print("Format:", metadata.file_format)

buf = io.BytesIO(downloaded_bytes)
with Metadata(buf) as metadata:
    print(metadata.get_document_info().file_type.file_format)

Command Line

Installing the wheel also puts groupdocs-metadata on PATH (or run python -m groupdocs.metadata).

groupdocs-metadata info photo.jpg                     # format / MIME type / size / pages / encryption
groupdocs-metadata show report.docx                   # every property: name = value  [tags]
groupdocs-metadata show report.docx --tag person      # only people: author, editor, ...
groupdocs-metadata show photo.jpg --tag time --json   # JSON for scripts

groupdocs-metadata clean report.docx                  # writes report.clean.docx
groupdocs-metadata clean report.docx -o report.docx   # in place
groupdocs-metadata remove photo.jpg --tag person.creator -o photo-anon.jpg

groupdocs-metadata export report.pdf -o metadata.json # json, csv, xlsx, xls or xml, from the extension
groupdocs-metadata list-formats                       # every supported extension, family and description

groupdocs-metadata --license license.lic show protected.docx --password secret

--tag takes a category — content, corporate, document, legal, origin, person, property_type, time, tool — or one tag in it, e.g. person.creator or time.modified; show prints each property's tags in that form. Exit codes: 0 success, 2 user error (missing file, unknown tag or export format), 1 engine error.

AI Agent & LLM Friendly

This package is designed for seamless integration with AI agents, LLMs, and automated code generation tools.

• AGENTS.md in the package — AI coding assistants (Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot) auto-discover the API surface, usage patterns, and troubleshooting tips from the installed package
• MCP server — connect your AI tool to GroupDocs documentation for on-demand API lookups:

  { "mcpServers": { "groupdocs-docs": { "url": "https://docs.groupdocs.com/mcp" } } }
  

• Machine-readable docs — full documentation available as plain text for RAG and LLM context:
  • Single file: https://docs.groupdocs.com/metadata/python-net/llms-full.txt
  • Per page: append .md to any docs URL

Evaluation Mode

The API works without a license in evaluation mode, with these limitations:

• Only the first few properties of each metadata package are read.
• Saving files is disabled — save() raises an "Evaluation only" exception.

To remove these limitations, apply a license or request a temporary license:

from groupdocs.metadata import License
License().set_license("path/to/license.lic")

Or set the environment variable (auto-applied at import):

export GROUPDOCS_LIC_PATH="path/to/license.lic"

Troubleshooting

System Requirements

• Python 3.5 - 3.14, pip 20.3 or newer
• Windows x64, Linux x64, macOS x64/ARM64 — 64-bit Python only; there is no 32-bit Windows wheel
• Linux: glibc 2.27 or newer (e.g. Ubuntu 18.04+, Debian 10+, RHEL 8+), plus ICU and fontconfig (apt-get install libicu-dev libfontconfig1). No libgdiplus, and no Microsoft core fonts.
• macOS 12 or newer, Intel or Apple Silicon.

More Resources

• Documentation
• Code Examples
• Free Support Forum
• Temporary License

Also available for other platforms: .NET | Java | Node.js

Product Page | Docs | Demos | API Reference | Blog | Free Support | Temporary License