View PDF Metadata
Drop a PDF and the tool reads out its eight standard metadata fields: title, author, subject, keywords, creator, producer, creation date, and modification date. A note under the form says whether the file also carries XMP metadata and names any custom properties, whose values the form does not show. All processing runs in your browser.
Drop a PDF here or click to browse
How it works
pdf-lib parses the PDF in memory and exposes the Document Information Dictionary via getter methods (getTitle, getAuthor, getSubject, getKeywords, getCreator, getProducer, getCreationDate, getModificationDate). Each value the tool can read is shown in a form field on the page. A value stored in a format it cannot read, such as a date not written in PDF date format, leaves its field blank and is named in a note under the form, which also says whether the file carries XMP metadata or custom properties. The PDF itself stays in browser memory throughout.
Processing runs in your browser
All processing happens inside your browser tab. pdf-lib handles everything in memory; our servers are not involved at any point. You can verify this yourself in your browser's DevTools Network tab.
Related operations
To reduce a PDF's file size after editing metadata, try compress PDF. To shrink a long document before sharing, use split PDF. For pure text extraction without touching metadata, see PDF text extractor.
Frequently asked questions
- What metadata is stored in a PDF?
- Most PDFs carry a Document Information Dictionary with eight standard fields: Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Creator (the application that authored the document), Producer (the library or driver that wrote the file), CreationDate, and ModificationDate. Some PDFs also include XMP metadata or custom properties (such as Company); a note under the form says which of them the file has, naming each custom property, and Strip removes them.
- Why would I want to view PDF metadata?
- Before sharing a PDF, it is worth checking what name, software, and dates are embedded. Older PDFs sometimes contain a full username or internal path that the author did not intend to publish.
- Is my PDF sent to a server?
- All metadata reading happens in your browser using pdf-lib. Our servers are not involved at any point.
- Can I also change or remove these fields?
- Yes. Type a new value into any field and click Save and download, or click Strip all metadata to clear every field and remove all document properties when you save. The download is a new copy of the PDF with -metadata added to its name.
- Will fields appear blank for some PDFs?
- Yes. Many PDFs leave one or more fields empty, especially older documents and those generated by minimal exporters. Blank means the field is not present in the Document Information Dictionary, unless a note under the form names it as stored in a format the tool cannot read. The same values can still sit in the file's XMP metadata, which the note under the form flags when it is there, without showing its contents.
Last reviewed September 30, 2026
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- Background reading: Complete guide to PDF tools