What You'll Learn
- Types of metadata in FileFortress
- Where metadata comes from
- How to view file metadata
- Using metadata for search and organization
What is File Metadata?
Metadata is "data about data" - information that describes your files beyond just their contents. This includes things like when a file was created, how large it is, what camera took a photo, or how long a video is.
Metadata Sources
Basic
Name, size, path, extension, modified date
Provider
Storage class, MIME type, provider-specific fields
Enriched
EXIF, video duration, dimensions, hashes
Basic Metadata
Available for all files, regardless of provider:
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| name | File name | vacation-photo.jpg |
| extension | File extension | jpg |
| size | Size in bytes | 5242880 |
| path | Full path | /Photos/2024/vacation-photo.jpg |
| modifiedAt | Last modified | 2024-06-15T14:30:00Z |
Viewing File Metadata
# View basic info for a file
filefortress ls "/Photos/vacation.jpg" --details
# View all metadata
filefortress ls "/Photos/vacation.jpg" --metadata
# Search and show metadata fields in output
filefortress search "vacation" --format "name,size,cameraMake,duration"Enriched Metadata
Additional metadata extracted using local tools:
Photos (ExifTool)
- Camera make & model
- Lens information
- Exposure settings (ISO, aperture, shutter)
- GPS coordinates
- Date taken
Videos (FFprobe)
- Duration
- Resolution (width x height)
- Video codec
- Audio codec
- Bitrate & frame rate
Pro Tip
Run filefortress tools run to extract enriched metadata from your files. This unlocks powerful search capabilities like filtering by camera or video duration.
Related Articles
- Enrichment Guide - How to extract metadata
- Metadata Filtering Guide - Search using metadata
- Structured Filters Reference - All filter fields