PDF metadata contains two separate stores: the Info dictionary (Author, Title, Subject, Keywords, Creator, Producer, CreationDate, ModDate) and the XMP stream (an XML block duplicating all of those plus additional fields like revision count and rights data). Most tools only show you the Info dictionary. The XMP stream carries the same personal data and is readable by ExifTool and professional document analysis software.
Open any PDF. Go to File → Properties. You'll see a handful of fields — Author, Creator, maybe some dates. Clean enough. Now run exiftool document.pdf on that same file. Suddenly there are 30 fields, including ones Acrobat never showed you: XMP:CreateDate, dc:creator, xmp:MetadataDate, revision count, rights management strings.
The PDF format has carried metadata since its first commercial version in 1993. It's grown considerably since then. Understanding what's actually in there — and where each field comes from — is the difference between a superficial clean and a complete one.
This is a complete field-by-field reference. Every field, what it contains, where it comes from, and what the privacy risk is.
The two metadata stores — why this matters
Before the fields: the architecture. PDF metadata lives in two places simultaneously, and almost every guide gets this wrong by only discussing one of them.
The Info dictionary is a key-value block embedded in the PDF's cross-reference structure. It's been there since PDF 1.0. Acrobat Reader's Properties panel reads this. It's what you see when you go to File → Properties → Description.
The XMP stream (Extensible Metadata Platform) is an XML document embedded separately in the PDF file body. Adobe introduced it in 2001 and it's now part of the ISO 32000 PDF standard. It contains the same fields as the Info dictionary, plus additional ones — and it's the one that survives when people think they've cleaned a file.
The practical consequence: if you clear the Info dictionary fields in Acrobat's Properties panel and then run ExifTool, your name usually still appears in the XMP stream as dc:creator. Complete removal means stripping both. Our guide on how to remove PDF metadata covers every method that handles both layers.
The majority of online "metadata removers" only clear the Info dictionary. They don't touch the XMP stream. After using them, Acrobat Properties shows blank fields — but ExifTool still finds your name, your software, and your timestamps in the XML layer. This is why verification matters: always check both stores, not just the one Acrobat shows you.
Info dictionary fields — the complete reference
These are the standard fields in the PDF Info dictionary, as defined in the ISO 32000-1 specification. Click any field to expand its full details.
XMP:Creator : Jane Smith
The Author field is automatically populated from your Windows username, Apple ID, Microsoft 365 account name, or Google account display name — depending on the application. You never typed this. Your software inserted it every time you created or saved the document. It is personal data under GDPR Article 4(1) and under UK GDPR. Sending it to external parties without a lawful basis may violate the data minimisation principle. See our guide on how to remove the Author field from a PDF for all removal methods.
XMP:Title : CONFIDENTIAL — Q3 Settlement Draft v4
Often set from the document's Title property or pulled from the filename. The risk level depends entirely on what the title says. A title like "CONFIDENTIAL — Client A vs Client B Settlement" is highly sensitive. A generic "Proposal" is not. In Google Docs exports, the Title field is set to whatever the document is named in Google Drive — so internal project codes and client names in Drive filenames end up embedded in the exported PDF.
Usually blank unless set deliberately. The risk emerges when templates are reused — a Subject field set in a template for a specific client or project carries forward into every document created from that template. The most common surprise: LibreOffice Writer sometimes auto-populates Subject from document properties inherited from the template file.
This is the field that causes the most damage in legal and professional contexts. Document management systems (iManage, NetDocuments, SharePoint) often write internal classification codes, matter numbers, client codes, and privilege flags into the Keywords field automatically. Those tags travel with the document into every export and every email. A recipient seeing "attorney-client" or "Project-Falcon" in Keywords has just received your internal classification system — which may reveal the nature and status of a matter you haven't disclosed.
XMP:CreatorTool : Microsoft Word
Identifies the application that created the original document — Word, InDesign, Google Docs, LibreOffice. Not personal data, but reveals your software stack. This matters when you're charging premium design rates and the Creator says "Microsoft Word 2019", or when you're claiming the document was created in a specific system but Creator contradicts that. It also matters forensically: Creator vs Producer mismatches are a primary indicator of document tampering. See our guide on how to check if a PDF has been edited for the full forensic picture.
Producer : Adobe Acrobat Pro 2024.003
Producer : Foxit PhantomPDF 10.1
Where Creator identifies what made the original document, Producer identifies what converted it to PDF. If you write in Word and export directly, Producer is usually Microsoft's PDF library. If you later open and re-save in Acrobat, Producer changes to Acrobat while Creator stays as Word. This field is central to tampering detection: a document claiming to be an original export from Word, with a Producer showing Foxit PhantomPDF, has been processed by a third tool after initial creation.
Timestamp of when the PDF was first generated. Low personal data risk, but high forensic value. If a document's stated date (printed on page 1) doesn't match its CreationDate, something is off. If CreationDate is much earlier than expected, the document may be a backdated copy. The timestamp also includes timezone offset — which can reveal the geographic location of the machine that created the file.
Updated every time the file is saved or processed. A ModDate after the document's stated effective date proves editing occurred after that date. A ModDate showing 11:47 PM the night before your proposal deadline tells a negotiating counterpart you were under time pressure. For freelancers, a ModDate revealing that a "bespoke" proposal was adapted from a template at 11 PM is not the professional signal you want to send. The timezone offset in this field can also reveal your physical location.
Microsoft Office-only fields
Word, Excel, and PowerPoint add fields beyond the ISO standard when exporting to PDF. These come from your Microsoft 365 or Active Directory profile — data you set up years ago and forgot about.
| Field | Source | Personal data? | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
Manager | Active Directory / Microsoft 365 org chart — your manager's name | Yes | High |
Company | Your Office account's organisation field | Org name only | Medium |
Category | Document category from Word properties panel | Rarely | Low |
ContentStatus | Status from SharePoint or Word — "Draft", "Final", "In Review" | No | Medium |
RevisionNumber | Number of times the source Word document was saved | No | Low |
The Manager field is the one that consistently surprises people. If you've ever used Office on a corporate machine — or signed into a corporate Microsoft 365 account — your manager's full name from the Active Directory org chart is sitting in that field. It has been stamping itself onto every document you've exported since the day you logged in. On a personal machine, it usually reflects whoever was listed in Word's user settings when the machine was set up.
See what's in your PDF right now
The Privacy Risk Score shows every field — Info dict and XMP stream — in one view. Free, browser-only.
XMP stream fields — the hidden layer
The XMP stream duplicates most Info dictionary fields and adds its own. Here are the XMP-specific fields that don't appear in the standard Info dictionary:
| XMP Field | Namespace | What it contains | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
xmp:MetadataDate | xmp: | When the metadata itself was last written — often seconds after ModDate, reveals if metadata was re-processed | Medium |
xmpMM:DocumentID | xmpMM: | A unique identifier for the document. Persists across saves and can link different versions of the same document | Low |
xmpMM:InstanceID | xmpMM: | Changes on every save — a unique fingerprint for this specific version of the file | Low |
xmpMM:History | xmpMM: | Edit history including application used and timestamps for each save (Adobe Creative Suite documents especially) | Medium |
dc:rights | dc: | Copyright or rights statement — sometimes contains organisation name | Low |
pdf:Producer | pdf: | XMP-specific duplicate of the Producer field | Medium |
The xmpMM:DocumentID field is particularly interesting from a forensic standpoint. It's a UUID that stays with a document across saves — meaning two files with the same DocumentID are provably derived from the same original. If you share what you claim is an independent document but it has the same DocumentID as a file already in evidence, that's a problem. Conversely, it can be used to prove provenance when that's in your favour.
How to read all metadata fields — verification workflow
Acrobat Reader shows you the Info dictionary. ExifTool shows you everything. Here's the command sequence:
$ exiftool document.pdf
# See only the high-risk personal data fields
$ exiftool -Author -Manager -Keywords -Subject document.pdf
# See XMP fields specifically (namespace prefix)
$ exiftool -XMP:all document.pdf
# Compare Info dict vs XMP for same field
$ exiftool -Author -XMP:Creator -ModifyDate -XMP:ModifyDate document.pdf
# Discrepancies between these pairs = partial clean or tampering
GDPR field map — which fields require action
Under GDPR Article 4(1), personal data is any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. Under Article 5(1)(c), it must be minimised — limited to what is necessary for the purpose.
For external document sharing, here's which fields require action:
| Field | Personal data? | Action required before sharing |
|---|---|---|
Author | Yes — full name | Strip or replace with organisation name |
Manager | Yes — full name | Strip — never serves external purpose |
Keywords | Depends on content | Review and strip if containing names or privileged classifications |
Title / Subject | Depends on content | Review — strip if containing client names or sensitive matter codes |
Creator | No | Optional — strip if software disclosure is a concern |
Producer | No | Optional — useful to strip to reduce forensic surface area |
ModDate | No | Optional — strip to prevent editing timeline disclosure |
XMP:all | Duplicates above | Must strip XMP stream — not just Info dictionary |
For UK organisations, see our detailed breakdown in UK GDPR vs EU GDPR on document metadata. The obligations are substantively the same but the enforcement authority and some procedural requirements differ post-Brexit.
Field verification checklist
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Frequently asked
This article is a technical reference to PDF metadata fields for informational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. For GDPR compliance specific to your organisation, consult a qualified data protection professional.