Metadata View

Inspect & clean files

C2PA ViewerBlog

DOCX Metadata Viewer

Inspect author/company fields, comments, revision info, and custom properties from DOCX without changing content.

Looking to remove metadata instead? Go to the Metadata Remover.


Why view DOCX metadata?

Checking DOCX metadata helps you protect privacy, verify authenticity, and understand how the file was created.

Audit authorship

See author/company, title/subject, and keywords stored in your DOCX.

Track revisions

Review creation/modified dates and last-modified-by to trust the version history of your DOCX.

Catch hidden fields

Spot custom properties, comments, and template identifiers before sending your DOCX.

Preview the report layout

See how we surface EXIF, PDF, and video metadata before you upload your own file.

Example Metadata Report

After uploading, you'll get a detailed breakdown of your file's hidden data, similar to the example below.

Makesamsung
ModelGalaxy S22
SoftwareS911U1UES6EYJ5
CreateDate2024:05:21 10:30:00
GPSPosition34 deg 2' 28.80" N, 118 deg 15' 2.15" W

Want to check your own file's metadata? Upload it above - no signup required.

Our secure process

We show you exactly what happens when you upload a file, so you know where your data goes and what stays untouched.

Upload over HTTPS

Pick or drop your DOCX. Transfers are secure.

Parse metadata only

We read headers and metadata blocks; the file content is not changed or recompressed.

Highlight key signals

We group timestamps, authorship, location, and technical fields so you can spot what matters quickly.

Display readable results

You see structured metadata grouped by sections for fast review with no downloads required.

Delete temporary copy

The transient server copy is purged right after processing completes.

Want to try it out? Upload your file above, no signup required.

What DOCX metadata can you view?

Here are the fields you can inspect before you share or archive the file. Use them to verify provenance, quality, and privacy.

  • Author/company fields and last modified by metadata
  • Comments and revision identifiers from collaboration
  • Custom properties, template names, and subject/keywords

What metadata lives inside a DOCX

DOCX is an Office Open XML (ECMA-376) package — a ZIP archive containing XML parts plus media. Metadata lives in three dedicated parts: docProps/core.xml (Dublin Core fields: creator, lastModifiedBy, title, subject, description, keywords, created, modified, revision), docProps/app.xml (application-specific: company, manager, template, pages, words, characters, hyperlinks, docSecurity, app name and version), and docProps/custom.xml (user-defined custom properties with typed values — lpwstr, i4, filetime, bool).

Most DOCX privacy incidents come from fields the user forgot existed. `creator` and `lastModifiedBy` default to the Office user name, which is the full name from the Microsoft account — so a DOCX saved by "Jane Q. Smith" and sent to opposing counsel reveals Jane's name even if she typed nothing identifying in the body. `company` comes from the Office organization setting (often set by IT at install time) and persists through Save As. `template` reveals the path to the original template file, sometimes leaking an internal file-share location like `\\corp-fs01\templates\MSA-v3.dotx`.

Beyond docProps, the document body (word/document.xml) can carry tracked changes (w:ins and w:del elements with author and date attributes per change) and comments (word/comments.xml with author, initials, and timestamp per comment). Revision history is not the same as version history — revisions are individual edits within one save cycle; full versions are not stored by default. The viewer surfaces the docProps fields plus a count of tracked-change authors and comment authors so you can spot when a "clean" document still ships with a paper trail of who edited it.


DOCX metadata FAQs

What Office document properties are hidden by default?

`creator`, `lastModifiedBy`, `company`, `manager`, and `template` are all populated by Word automatically and are visible only through File > Info > Properties > Advanced. The viewer lists every docProps field so nothing is hidden.

Where does 'Last saved by' come from?

lastModifiedBy in docProps/core.xml. It is updated on every save, taking the current Office user name from the Microsoft 365 or local Office profile. If multiple people edited the doc, only the last editor is stored.

Can I tell if a DOCX has tracked changes I forgot to accept?

Yes. The viewer counts tracked-change markers (w:ins, w:del) and lists the distinct authors. A non-zero count on a "final" document means untracked revisions exist.

Does the template path in app.xml leak internal locations?

It can. If the template lives on a network share or a personal OneDrive folder, the path persists in app.xml/Template and travels with every DOCX derived from it.

What are custom properties used for?

Enterprise templates and DMSs (iManage, NetDocuments, SharePoint) add custom properties for matter numbers, client IDs, classification labels, and sensitivity markers. The viewer lists every custom property with its data type.

More tools for DOCX files

Remove DOCX metadata