WP Strip Image Metadata
WP Strip Image Metadata is a privacy focused WordPress plugin that helps in removing potentially sensitive metadata from your uploaded images.
Consider an alternative
WP Strip Image Metadata shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 700+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 4 years ago, and scores 34/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (700+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 4 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.0 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where WP Strip Image Metadata stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| exif | >100 |
| image | >100 |
| metadata | >100 |
| privacy | >100 |
| strip | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews
About WP Strip Image Metadata
From the official readme · v1.0Description
WP Strip Image Metadata is a privacy focused WordPress plugin that helps in removing potentially sensitive metadata from your uploaded images.
What is image metadata?
Image metadata is extra information embedded in image files. This information is stored in a variety of formats and contains items like the model of the camera that took a photo.
However, image metadata may also contain identifying information such as the GPS location coordinates of an image taken with a smartphone for example.
This plugin provides an easy enabled/disabled setting so you can make the call on when image metadata should be removed.
Note: this plugin requires the “Imagick” or “Gmagick” PHP extension to function.
Frequently asked questions
How will I know if I have the required Imagick or Gmagick extension on my site?
If you aren’t sure, after installing the plugin, in WP Admin navigate to: Settings > Strip Image Metadata Under “Plugin Information” it will show if the required extension is active on the site or not. If a compatible extension is not found, try asking your webhost or system administrator if either one can be enabled.
Can I remove metadata from images uploaded before installing this plugin?
Yes, there is a bulk action included. In WP Admin navigate to the Media library and make sure you are using the List view. Select which images you’d like to strip metadata from and then select the “WP Strip Image Metadata” bulk action. This can be a resource intensive process, so please only select a handful of images at one time for processing.
Will this work for all generated image subsizes (thumbnails)?
Yes, if metadata stripping is enabled then all generated subsizes at the time of upload will have the metadate removed. The included bulk action will also remove metadata from all subsizes as well.
How do I know it’s working?
In WP Admin, from your Media library you can select an image and click “Edit” (in List view) or “Edit more details” (in Grid view). On the Edit page for the image, there will be an admin notice at the top with the “expand for image EXIF data” text. This should work for jpg/jpeg files, but other image types may not display EXIF info. You might try uploading a test image with the “Image Metadata Stripping” setting disabled, and then the same image again with the setting enabled to view the difference. Here are some good sample images for testing…
Once image metadata has been stripped, is it reversible?
No, removing image metadata is permanent. If you would like the metadata kept, you should keep an offsite backup copy of your images.
What file types does this plugin work for?
By default the plugin will process jpg/jpeg files. To add other file types you can use the “wp_strip_image_metadata_image_file_types” filter.
What do the plugin settings do?
Image Metadata Stripping: whether image metadata is stripped from new uploads. Preserve ICC Color Profile: whether to keep image color information which is helpful to some applications. Preserve Image Orientation: whether to keep image orientation which can help rotate images as intended. Log Errors: whether to log error output which can be helpful for debugging purposes.
Changelog
Screenshots
For developers
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Best WP Strip Image Metadata alternatives
All exif plugins →
FAQ
WP Strip Image Metadata: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 28, 2026
Is WP Strip Image Metadata free?
Yes. WP Strip Image Metadata is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is WP Strip Image Metadata safe to use in 2026?
WP Strip Image Metadata shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 700+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 4 years ago, and scores 34/100 on our health check.
How many websites use WP Strip Image Metadata?
WP Strip Image Metadata is active on 700+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 4,045 times since it launched in June 2022. It was downloaded 101 times in the last 30 days.
Does WP Strip Image Metadata work with WordPress 7.1?
WP Strip Image Metadata is officially tested up to WordPress 6.0.16, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does WP Strip Image Metadata need?
WP Strip Image Metadata requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was WP Strip Image Metadata last updated?
The latest version, 1.0, was released on June 12, 2022 (4 years ago).
Who makes WP Strip Image Metadata?
WP Strip Image Metadata is developed and maintained by Sami Falah.
What are the best alternatives to WP Strip Image Metadata?
The most popular alternatives to WP Strip Image Metadata are Meow Lightbox (10K+ installs), Image Rotation Repair (7K+ installs) and Image Rotation Fixer (1K+ installs).
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