Can Lightroom automatically add keywords from EXIF data on import?
Asked 3/12/2012
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2 answers
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I’d like Lightroom to add keywords automatically during import based on EXIF metadata, such as the camera make and model. Some sites I publish to strip EXIF but keep keywords, so I’m trying to preserve that information with the image. Is this possible in Lightroom, either built in or with a plugin?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
4
Yes to your title question. No to the one related to EXIF data.
You can specify on import any number of static keywords but, without a third-party plugin, there does not seem to be a way to create keywords dynamically.
What puzzles me is why would you want to add keywords from the EXIF since that would only duplicate information. Lightroom is equally capable of searching and indexing keywords and EXIF information. In the filter bar, for example, if you use 'All Searchable Fields' then LR will match keywords and EXIF for anything you type there.
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Lightroom can automatically add static keywords during import, but it does not natively create keywords dynamically from EXIF fields like camera make/model.
So the short answer is:
- Yes: automatic keywording on import is possible for fixed keywords you choose.
- No: built-in Lightroom won’t turn EXIF data into keywords automatically on import.
If your goal is to preserve camera info where EXIF gets stripped, a plugin-based workflow may help. Community answers mention Jeffrey Friedl’s Lightroom plugins (such as Metadata Wrangler), which can use metadata tokens like camera make and model when exporting, including adding them as keywords.
Another option is writing or using a custom Lightroom plugin, since Lightroom exposes plugin support via Lua.
Also note that inside Lightroom, adding EXIF info as keywords is usually redundant because Lightroom can already search both keywords and EXIF metadata directly.
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