How to search photo metadata: the short answer
A photo metadata search reads text stored in the file, not the picture. Most of the work, then, is putting the right words in the right fields:
- Fill in people, keywords, a caption, and the event or place.
- Save them to the file as XMP, or to a .xmp sidecar next to each RAW file, so the words go wherever the file goes.
- Catalog your drives, so one search box covers all of them.
- Search with two or three words. "Maria Lisbon" finds photos that match both.
CachePix searches 13 fields, filename included, from one box, with the drives unplugged. It doesn't search camera, lens or GPS data, and the desktop app has no date search (details below).
What metadata your photos carry
What metadata is there for images? Most photo files hold three kinds, and each one has a job.
| Type | Written by | What it holds | Where it's stored |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXIF | The camera or phone | Capture date, camera, lens, exposure and, on many phones, GPS location | Inside the file |
| IPTC | You, or your captioning app | Caption, keywords, people shown, creator, city, event | Inside the file, as IIM, XMP or both |
| XMP | The app that saves your metadata | The IPTC fields, plus ratings, labels and more, stored as text | Inside JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC and TIFF files, or in a .xmp sidecar next to a RAW file |
IPTC's standard says to save values in both the older IIM format and XMP, and leaves technical camera data to other standards, such as EXIF.
RAW files often keep their metadata in a sidecar, a small text file such as IMG_2041.xmp next to IMG_2041.CR3. CachePix reads sidecars named either way: IMG_2041.xmp or IMG_2041.CR3.xmp. The reading itself is done by ExifTool, Phil Harvey's command-line tool for reading, writing and editing metadata.
How to see a photo's metadata
To check what a file carries, EXIF camera data included, run ExifTool on it. exiftool -G IMG_2041.jpg lists the file's tags and values, each labeled with its group, such as EXIF, IPTC or XMP. In the CachePix phone apps, a photo's Info sheet shows its filename, capture date and time, pixel dimensions, caption, people, keywords and drive.
The fields that help you find photos
Five fields do most of the work in an image metadata search, because they hold the words people actually type.
| Field | What to put in it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| People (Persons shown) | Full names of the people in the photo | Ana Ruiz, Tomás Ruiz |
| Keywords | Subjects, things and occasions you'd search for | beach, birthday, first car |
| Caption (Description) | One sentence: who, what, where | Ana's first swim lesson at the community pool |
| Event | The occasion, worded the same way each time | Ruiz family reunion 2019 |
| City, State, Sublocation | Where it was taken, in words | Sacramento, California, William Land Park |
IPTC's Description field was called Caption/Abstract in the older IIM format, so you'll often see it labeled Caption. Headline, title, creator and the two category fields help too. IPTC replaced Category and Supplemental Categories in IIM version 4, released in 1999, but older archives still carry them, so CachePix searches them.
How to add keywords, names and captions
In the captioning app you already use
If you caption in Photo Mechanic or Lightroom Classic, keep going. CachePix reads the captions, keywords, names and places saved in your files, including XMP sidecars next to RAW files. It doesn't read star ratings or color labels set in other apps. Whatever app you use, check that it saves metadata to the files or to sidecars, not only to its own catalog. Using Lightroom Classic? Here's how CachePix handles Lightroom keywords.
Then let CachePix read them
After adding or changing metadata in another app, connect the drive and run Sync Search Metadata. CachePix re-reads only the files whose metadata changed. If a change doesn't show, use its Re-read every photo option.
Cataloging never modifies, moves, renames or deletes your files. CachePix writes metadata only when you edit it, and only the fields you changed, as standard XMP in the file or in a sidecar next to RAW files. More in the FAQ: does CachePix change my original files?
Searching across drives
Here's how to search keywords in photos spread across several drives. First, build a catalog: in Drives & Folders, choose Catalog a Folder… and pick a folder or a drive. The catalog turns a drawer of drives into one searchable archive. CachePix reads XMP first, with IPTC-IIM as a fallback, plus RAW sidecars. Capture dates come only from EXIF DateTimeOriginal, and photos without one are "undated".
Then, to search photos by keyword, name or caption, type in the Library's search box ("Search filename, person, keyword…"):
- 13 fields, one box: filename, people, keywords, caption, headline, title, city, state, sublocation, creator, event, category and supplemental categories.
- IPTC keyword search covers both formats. CachePix merges IPTC Keywords from the older IIM block with XMP dc:Subject, so a keyword is found whichever one holds it.
- Words combine. Each word must match, but each can match a different field. "Maria Lisbon" finds Maria in People and Lisbon in City.
- Parts of words count. Matching ignores case, so "lis" finds Lisbon.
- Scope: all photos, one drive, or one folder.
- Order: newest capture date first, undated photos last, 200 per page.
- Saved searches: the star saves a search to the Library sidebar with a live photo count (more in Common questions).
On Windows. CachePix runs on 64-bit Windows. Narrowing a search to one drive or folder is described here for Mac.
The search runs on the catalog, not the drives. Browse and search your catalog with the drives unplugged. CachePix checks your plan online at least once every 14 days.
More on how to find photos across drives, and the full list of CachePix search features.
On your phone
The CachePix iPhone and Android apps search a synced copy of the catalog by filename, people, keywords and caption, with filters for person, keyword, drive, year and favorites. On Android, results are capped at 500 per search. See how to view external hard drive photos on your phone.
Keyword habits that pay off
The Library of Congress's personal archiving advice: "Tag photos with names of people and descriptive subjects." Here are best practices for keyword tags on photos, so that work stays searchable.
- Full names, the same way each time. "Ana Ruiz", not "Ana" here and "Annie" there. Put them in Persons shown, not only in Keywords.
- Short, singular keywords. CachePix's desktop search matches parts of words, so "beach" also finds "beaches". The reverse doesn't work.
- A short list you reuse. Thirty words you'll actually type beat 300 you won't remember.
- Places in words. Fill City, State and Sublocation (a park, a beach, a relative's street). In CachePix, "Lake Tahoe" is searchable and GPS coordinates aren't.
- A year on each scan. A scanner doesn't know when the photo was taken, so a scan shows up as undated or carries the scan date. Put the year or decade in the caption or a keyword ("1978", "1970s").
What CachePix doesn't search
CachePix 0.2.1 searches text fields. Here's what it leaves out, and what to do instead.
| You want to find photos by | CachePix 0.2.1 | Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Camera, lens or exposure | Not read or searched | Add the camera as a keyword if it matters |
| GPS location or a map | Not read, and no map | Type the place in City, State and Sublocation |
| A date or date range | No date search on the desktop | Results run newest first. Search inside a year folder, or use the phone's Year filter |
| Ratings or color labels set in other apps | Not read, and no rating or label filter | Add a keyword such as "best" or "print" |
| Faces | No facial recognition | Type names in Persons shown |
| Text in the picture | No text recognition (OCR) | Put the words in the caption |
CachePix has no facial recognition, face detection or AI tagging. People names come from metadata in your files, or names you type in CachePix.
CachePix catalogs JPEG, PNG, WebP and 15 RAW formats (CR2, CR3, NEF, NRW, ARW, SR2, RAF, ORF, RW2, DNG, PEF, SRW, X3F, IIQ, 3FR). HEIC and TIFF photos are cataloged and searchable, and previews for them are coming. Video isn't supported.
Need a different kind of search? Compare photo catalog software.
Common questions
What's the difference between EXIF, IPTC and XMP?
EXIF is what the camera records: capture date, camera, lens, exposure and, on many phones, GPS location. IPTC defines the descriptive fields you fill in, such as caption, keywords and people. XMP stores those fields in the file or in a sidecar. CachePix reads the EXIF capture date plus 12 IPTC and XMP fields.
Can I search photos by camera or lens?
Not in CachePix 0.2.1. CachePix doesn't read or search camera model, lens, exposure or GPS data, and the desktop app has no date search. It searches 13 text fields, including filename, people, keywords, caption, event and city. If the camera matters, add it as a keyword.
Do keywords stay with a photo when I move it?
Yes, when they're written to the file or its sidecar. JPEG, HEIC, TIFF, PNG and WebP files carry keywords inside them. Most RAW files keep them in a .xmp sidecar, so move the sidecar with the RAW. CachePix reads keywords from the file or from the sidecar next to a RAW file. Keywords stored only in an app's database stay behind.
Can I save a search?
Yes. In the CachePix desktop app, run a search and click the star to save it under a name. It appears in the Library sidebar with a live photo count, and saved searches are included in catalog backups. On the phone, the Saved tab holds favorites and named collections instead.
Keep reading
More in all guides.
Find and search
Find photos across drives
Search the drives in your drawer by filename, people or keyword without plugging them in.
Organize
How to organize photos on an external hard drive
A folder plan for photos on external drives, with names and captions written to the files.
Basics
What a photo catalog is
What a catalog stores, and how it differs from the folders on your drives.
Sources
- IPTC Photo Metadata Standard. IPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council). Checked October 7, 2026.
- IPTC Photo Metadata Standard 2025.1 (specification). IPTC. Checked October 7, 2026.
- ExifTool by Phil Harvey. ExifTool (official site). Checked October 7, 2026.
- Digital Photos: Personal Archiving. Library of Congress, Digital Preservation. Checked October 7, 2026.