Overview: What is XMP?
Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP) is a format created by Adobe to attach information to image files. It acts as a universal "sticky note" that travels with your photos, containing details like ratings, tags, and labels.
Project Kestrel works best if you export your metadata BEFORE importing your photos into other software, and especially before starting any edits.
How do Lightroom, Darktable, and others read metadata?
When you import an image, photo software looks for XMP metadata embedded within the file or in an adjacent .xmp sidecar file that shares the same name as the image. The software reads this data and integrates it into its internal database.
Note: For many RAW formats, metadata is always stored in a separate .xmp file next to the original image to prevent modifying the original raw data.
Common Issues
1. Metadata won't show up after import
By default, most software only imports metadata once—the first time you load the images. If you used Kestrel after importing, the software won't automatically see the new files.
- Select your images in the Library module.
- Go to Metadata > Read Metadata from Files.
- Alternatively, right-click the folder and select Synchronize Folder, ensuring "Check for metadata updates" is checked.
- Go to Preferences > Storage.
- Enable "look for updated xmp files on startup". Darktable will now check for updates whenever you launch the app.
2. Warning about overwriting metadata
Kestrel checks if an existing metadata file exists before writing. If you've already started editing, that file might contain your editing history.
- Overwrite carefully: You can overwrite, but be aware it might remove your photo edit settings.
- Work on a copy: Create a copy of your folder and write metadata there to keep your edits safe in the original location.