Platform · pre-upload
Reddit direct uploads keep your metadata
A direct Reddit upload usually preserves the original file and does not process the metadata at all. What you upload is exactly what someone else downloads.
On-device/No upload/Quality unchanged/No sign-up
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JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, HEIC · 15 MB each · up to 30 per batch
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Cleaning options
Want to look first? Themetadata inspectorlists every field in the file, so you can see exactly what is there before deciding what to strip.
Direct uploads keep the original file, metadata intact
The same image in different slots — feed, story, cover — may be three separate files, and each one has to be handled.
What the platform reads
| Entry point | Notes |
|---|---|
| Direct upload | The original file and its metadata are preserved |
| External image host | Depends on that host's policy |
| Video | Usually re-encoded |
Pre-upload checklist
- 11. Clean before uploading
- 22. Clean for external image hosts too
- 33. Watch GPS and device details
- 44. Upload that copy, with no editor or forwarding in between
Common traps
- Assuming the community platform handles it
- Linking to your own server, where the metadata sits untouched
If it is still flagged after cleaning
That means the trigger was never in the file metadata. It could be an invisible pixel-level watermark, the platform's own visual classifier, or history held on the platform side. None of those live in the metadata layer, and cleaning again will not change them.
The full boundaries are in thedisclaimer; if you just want to confirm the file really is clean, use thewatermark check.
Common questions
Does Reddit process metadata?
A direct upload usually preserves the original file and does no cleaning.
Will it be flagged as AI?
That depends on the rules of the specific subreddit, but the file itself is intact.
Is an external image host risky too?
Yes. You upload the original file there, so anyone who downloads it gets the full metadata.