- JPEG, PNG/APNG, WebP and GIF metadata
- PDF and supported OOXML/EPUB package properties
- MP3, M4A, FLAC and standard RIFF/WAVE tags
- MP4, MOV and WebM container metadata
- TIFF/BigTIFF directory metadata and single-stream OGG comments or artwork
- Supported HEIC/HEIF and AVIF container metadata
- ZIP shell metadata with bounded optional recursion
SUPPORT MATRIX
Supported file formats and current coverage
“Cleaned” and “verified-clean” are not the same claim. This matrix separates full writer-and-verifier coverage from cleaned copies that must remain partial.
THE CLEANING PLAN
Remove what exposes you. Keep what makes the file work.
Every reported field is shown before the rewrite and classified by action and coverage.
- Compressed image, audio and video essence
- Orientation, color, HDR, animation and timing
- Document content and required package structure
- Subtitles, accessibility and gapless playback
- HEVC/AV1 codec-level metadata units inside HEIC/AVIF coded image payloads
- Unsupported or ambiguous carriers reported as partial
- Derived-primary, sequence, protected or structurally unsafe HEIF variants
- Unrecognized formats; detected encrypted/password-protected documents or archives, macro/ActiveX packages, DRM/CENC media and unsafe structures are rejected
WHY THE ENGINE MATTERS
Current clean-and-verify coverage
A writer and verifier are available for JPEG, PNG/APNG, WebP, GIF, TIFF/BigTIFF, PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, EPUB, ZIP, MP3, M4A, FLAC, standard RIFF/WAVE, single-stream OGG Vorbis/Opus/FLAC, MP4, MOV and WebM. A particular file may still finish partial or be rejected when it contains an unsupported carrier.
HEIC/HEIF and AVIF can produce cleaned copies: supported container metadata is removed and coded image bytes are hash-checked, but codec-level HEVC/AV1 metadata is not parsed, so verification is always partial.
PDF input is preflight-capped at 32 MiB on desktop and 16 MiB on mobile. Its raw qpdf API materializes the cleaned output and structural JSON before JavaScript applies the same output cap and the 64 MiB report check, so both are post-return acceptance checks rather than streaming memory quotas.
Explore the complete verification methodology →BEFORE YOU SHARE
A four-step privacy check.
Metadata cleaning is one part of a safe sharing workflow.
- 01Check the actual detected format after selection
- 02Read the per-file coverage status
- 03Do not confuse partial coverage with verified-clean
- 04Save only a verified-clean or acknowledged partial output
QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
Know the boundary before you clean.
No vague “100% clean” claim.
Are my files uploaded?
No. The cleaner runs in your browser, has no upload endpoint, and only enables the file picker after its processor assets are available locally.
Is the original file changed?
No. KillMetadata reads the original and creates a separately named cleaned copy. It never overwrites the source file.
Why are HEIC and AVIF always partial?
The cleaner removes supported container metadata and hash-checks coded image bytes, but it does not parse metadata units embedded inside HEVC or AV1 bitstreams. The result therefore cannot be called verified-clean.
Does changing a file extension make it supported?
No. The scanner identifies signatures and internal structure, so renaming a file does not change its real format.
Runs locally in your browserReady to inspect your file?
Inspect this file type The picker opens only after offline protection is active.