Pushing Tags to Images

Feature Overview

The "Push Tags to Image" feature writes the tags from Tag-AI's database directly into your image files' metadata. This makes your AI-generated and custom-edited tags accessible in other photo applications.

This feature is particularly useful for:

• Making your tags visible in photo management software like Adobe Lightroom
• Preserving AI-generated metadata if you move files to a new system
• Enabling tag-based searches in operating system file explorers
• Backup and archival purposes

Using the Feature

Starting the Process

To push tags from the database to your image files:

1. Click the Push Tags to Image button on the main interface
2. Tag-AI will begin processing all images in your watch folders
3. Progress will be displayed in the status area

Progress Monitoring

During the tag push operation:

• The status area will show progress percentage and files processed
• The operation processes files in batches for performance
• You'll see confirmation when the process completes

Technical Details

Metadata Writing

Tag-AI uses the following approach to write metadata:

• Tags are written to the XMP metadata standard under XMP:Subject
• Existing tags in the file are preserved and merged with database tags
• Duplicate tags are automatically removed during the process
• File modification dates are preserved

Metadata Tool

Tag-AI uses ExifTool to handle the metadata writing process. This industry-standard tool ensures:

• Safe, non-destructive metadata updates
• Support for a wide range of image formats
• Proper handling of different metadata standards

Original Files

The tag push process modifies your original image files. However, it:

• Only modifies metadata, not the actual image data
• Creates temporary backup files during the process
• Automatically removes backup files once tags are successfully written

Supported Formats

Tag pushing works with the following image formats:

Fully Supported (read/write)

• JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg)
• TIFF (.tif, .tiff)
• PNG (.png)
• DNG (.dng)
• Most RAW formats (.nef, .cr2, .arw, etc.)

Limited Support (read-only or partial)

• GIF (.gif) - Limited metadata support
• BMP (.bmp) - Limited metadata support
• HEIC/HEIF (.heic, .heif) - Varies by system

Viewing Embedded Tags

After pushing tags, you can view the embedded metadata in various applications:

Adobe Lightroom

• Look in the Metadata panel
• Check under IPTC or Keywords sections

Adobe Bridge

• View in the Metadata panel
• Check under the Keywords section

Windows

• Right-click the image
• Select Properties
• Look in the Details tab under Tags

macOS

• Right-click the image
• Select Get Info
• Look under the More Info section

Software Compatibility

The embedded tags are compatible with many photo management applications:

Software	Compatibility	Notes
Adobe Lightroom	Excellent	Full support for reading and writing XMP metadata
Adobe Bridge	Excellent	Full support for XMP metadata
Capture One	Good	Reads most embedded tags
Darktable	Good	Reads XMP metadata but may require rescan
Windows Explorer	Basic	Shows basic tags in file properties
macOS Finder	Basic	Shows some tags in file info

Troubleshooting

Tags Not Appearing in Other Software

If pushed tags don't appear in other applications:

• Verify the push process completed successfully
• Check if the application needs to rescan or reload the files
• Ensure the application supports XMP metadata
• Check if the file format supports embedded metadata

Read-Only Errors

If you encounter read-only errors during the push process:

• Check file permissions
• Ensure no other applications have the files open
• Verify write access to the folders

Process Taking Too Long

For large libraries, the process can take time. To optimize:

• Push tags for smaller batches of files
• Ensure your system has sufficient resources
• Close other applications during the process