Content credentials

What is C2PA metadata?

C2PA metadata is a newer way to attach provenance information to media files. You may also see it called Content Credentials. The goal is to help people understand where an image came from, what tool created it, and whether important edits were recorded.

C2PA is different from a normal caption or keyword. It can use a signed manifest, which is a structured record attached to the file. In supported workflows, that record can make tampering easier to detect. It does not judge whether an image is good or bad; it describes recorded history.

What can C2PA contain?

• The app, device, or service that created or exported the image.
• Recorded edits, ingredient files, or transformation notes.
• Claims about whether AI tools were involved.
• Issuer names, signing information, and validation data.
• Links to a visible Content Credentials experience in some apps.

Why does it matter?

C2PA can be useful when provenance is important. Newsrooms, brands, marketplaces, and creative teams may want a file to carry a trustworthy record of origin and edits. It can also help viewers see that an image was exported by a known tool or organization.

At the same time, C2PA metadata may reveal workflow details that are not needed for a public copy. It might identify software, editing steps, asset sources, or AI-related claims. That information can be valuable in one context and unnecessary in another.

What does cleaning do?

Cleaning supported C2PA metadata means rebuilding an image without copying the embedded C2PA or JUMBF structures into the output file. The visible pixels remain, but the attached provenance record is not carried into the cleaned copy.

Remove C2PA metadata only when that is the right choice for your publishing context. If provenance or disclosure matters, keep the original credentialed file and share it where that record is expected.