File metadata analyser

Select one or more files to inspect their names, sizes, types, and other available metadata. The browser performs the analysis locally and does not upload the files.

• Select files: Choose one or multiple files using the file picker or drag and drop them onto the designated area.
• View metadata: See comprehensive file information including name, size, type, last modified date, and other properties.
• Raw data: Access the raw file metadata as detected by the browser, useful for developers and technical analysis.

Common metadata fields

The analyser displays various metadata fields depending on the file type and browser capabilities:

• File name: The original name of the file including extension
• File size: Size in bytes with formatted display (KB, MB, GB)
• File type: MIME type as detected by the browser
• Last modified: Timestamp when the file was last changed
• File extension: The file extension from the name

Privacy and security

Your privacy is paramount with this tool. All file analysis happens entirely within your browser using the File API. No files are ever transmitted to external servers or stored anywhere. The metadata is extracted locally and displayed only to you. Once you close the browser tab, all information is gone.

Use cases

For web developers, it allows checking how browsers detect different file types. When building web applications that accept file uploads, understanding MIME type detection is essential for proper file handling and validation. And during the debugging of web applications, developers can verify MIME types and other metadata to ensure files are being processed correctly. This helps identify issues with file type detection or metadata extraction.

For security analysis, examining file properties before uploading to online services provides an extra layer of caution. Users can check file details to ensure they match expectations before sharing sensitive files.

Browser compatibility

Modern browsers support the File API used by this tool. The metadata available may vary slightly between browsers as they detect file types differently. Some specialised metadata (like EXIF data for images) requires additional APIs and is not included in this basic analyser.

Privacy and limitations

Files are read locally by your browser and are not uploaded by this widget. The page displays metadata that the browser and bundled parsers can recognise; available fields depend on the file type and on what the producing application embedded. Missing metadata does not prove that a file has never been edited, and displayed metadata should not be treated as proof of authorship or authenticity.

Metadata can contain names, software versions, timestamps, device details, and location information. Review it before publishing a file. Large, damaged, encrypted, or unsupported files may fail to parse or return only basic file properties.

Related tools

• Base64 encoder and decoder: Convert files to and from Base64 format for data URI usage.
• Colour accessibility checker: Ensure your colour choices meet accessibility standards.

Further reading

• MDN: File API
• MDN: FileReader API
• MDN: MIME types

Widget made with staark