Configuring Location Metadata
Location information is critical for creating professional editorial captions required by stock photography agencies. MetaPhotoAI allows you to manage this data automatically or manually.
Automatic vs. Manual Location#
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Automatic | If your camera recorded GPS coordinates, MetaPhotoAI will automatically extract this data and convert it into a readable location (City, State, Country) |
| Manual | If no GPS data is present, you must manually specify a location to use the "Format as Editorial" feature |
Warning
If you attempt to use the "Format as Editorial" feature without a configured location, you will see a "Location Required" warning.
Setting a Global Default Location#
If you primarily shoot in one area, you can set a global default:
Open Settings
Click the gear icon (Settings) in the top navigation bar.
Select Location tab
Select the "Location" tab in the sidebar.
Enter location
Enter your default City, State/Province, and Country.
Configure GPS option
Toggle "Fetch Location via GPS Data" on or off. When enabled, the app will prioritize a file's embedded coordinates over your manual defaults.
Setting Folder-Specific Locations#
For projects shot in different locations, use folder-specific overrides:
Select folder
Select the folder in the directory browser.
Open Folder Settings
Click the Folder Settings (folder icon) in the right-hand panel.
Enable
Toggle "Enable Folder Settings" to ON.
Expand Location
Expand the "Location" section.
Enter location
Enter the specific City, State, and Country for that project.
Note
Folder-specific location values will override your global defaults for every file in that folder.
Formatting Metadata with Location Info#
Once your location is configured, you can apply it to your titles and descriptions:
Select files
Select the file(s) in the filmstrip.
Mark as Editorial
Ensure they are marked as Editorial (Right-click > Editorial > Mark as Editorial).
Open field context menu
Right-click inside the Title or Description field.
Format as Editorial
Select Editorial > Format as Editorial.
MetaPhotoAI will automatically prepend the location and date to your text in the industry-standard format.
Editorial Caption Format#
Stock agencies require editorial captions in this specific format:
[City, State/Country] - [Month Day, Year] - [Description of the scene]
Example#
Glastonbury, CT, USA - November 30, 2023 - A local farmer's market...
Location Priority#
MetaPhotoAI uses this priority order for location data:
| Priority | Source |
|---|---|
| 1 | GPS coordinates embedded in file (if enabled) |
| 2 | Folder-specific location settings |
| 3 | Global default location settings |
Tip
By properly configuring your location settings, you ensure your media is always correctly indexed and ready for immediate submission to any major stock agency.
Next Steps#
- Format editorial metadata with location data
- Manage capture dates for accurate timestamps
- Configure folder settings for project-specific locations