XMP Metadata Embedding

Embed searchable metadata in PDFs for enterprise discovery, SharePoint indexing, and document lifecycle tracking.

XMP metadata embedding makes your PDFs discoverable by enterprise search engines like SharePoint and ERP systems. Without XMP, PDFs remain invisible to metadata extraction and indexing systems.

Overview

XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform) is an open standard for embedding metadata inside PDFs. When enabled:

Embeds searchable metadata in PDF
Enables SharePoint/ERP document discovery
Tracks document lifecycle and classification
Adds a small render-time and file-size overhead for the metadata stream; no verified figure is available for either
Availability depends on your licence.

Searchable in SharePoint and ERP

XMP metadata makes your PDFs first-class documents in SharePoint, ERP systems, and enterprise search solutions.

When to Enable

Enable XMP metadata when you need:

PDFs discoverable in SharePoint search
Document indexing in ERP systems
Custom business properties searchable
Document lifecycle tracking
Compliance metadata attached to every PDF

Configuration

xmpMetadata is a boolean feature flag - there is no per-render, per-document custom metadata payload. Enable it either in the template or as a request-level feature override:

{
  "templateSettings": {
    "xmpMetadata": true
  }
}

{
  "options": {
    "features": {
      "xmpMetadata": true
    }
  }
}

There is no top-level xmpData request key, and no customProperties input anywhere in the request or template. The embedding function that writes the XMP packet does accept a customProperties map internally, but nothing in the dispatcher's render path ever populates it from a request or template field - so despite the underlying capability existing in code, there is currently no way for a template author or API caller to add their own custom XMP properties.

Metadata Fields

When xmpMetadata is enabled, the dispatcher embeds a fixed set of fields it already knows about - none of them are supplied by the caller as "XMP data":

Field	Source
`title`	The rendered document's title
`lang`	Document language (from `templateSettings.language`, falling back to `templateSettings.locale`, defaulting to `en-US`)
`documentId`	The render request's `documentId`
`correlationId`	The render request's `correlationId`
`docType`	The render request's `docType`
`templateName`	The template's name, from its metadata
`templateVersion`	The template's version, from its metadata
`generatedBy`	Fixed to the platform's own PDF creator string
`generatedAt`	The render's creation timestamp
`pdfHash`	The rendered PDF's hash, where computed

SharePoint Integration

Because there is no custom-properties mechanism today, a Managed Metadata column mapped to a business-specific XMP property (vendor, amount, department, and similar) is not currently possible - only the fixed fields above are embedded and searchable.

Best Practices

Do

Combine with Section 508 accessibility tagging for a more complete document record
Confirm your SharePoint/ERP search indexes the fixed fields above before relying on this feature

Don't

Rely on custom, business-specific searchable metadata - it is not currently supported (see Metadata Fields)
Encrypt PDFs (prevents metadata extraction)

Performance

No verified figures are available for render-time overhead or PDF size increase from XMP embedding. Availability depends on your licence.

Common Questions

Q: Can I add my own custom properties?

A: Not today - see Metadata Fields. The fixed fields (document ID, correlation ID, doc type, template name/version, generation timestamp, PDF hash, title, language) are always embedded when the feature is enabled; there is no request or template input for adding business-specific properties.

Q: Can I use XMP without Section 508?

A: Yes. Each feature is independent:

{
  "options": {
    "features": {
      "section508Accessibility": false,
      "xmpMetadata": true,  // Only this
      "explainDocument": false
    }
  }
}

Verify XMP feature is enabled in template
Verify license includes XMP Metadata
Check PDF actually contains XMP data

SharePoint Not Indexing

Problem: Managed properties don't return search results

Check:

Verify XMP was embedded (use PDF tool to inspect)
Check SharePoint managed properties are mapped correctly
Reindex SharePoint library: Library Settings → Reindex
Wait 10-15 minutes for indexing to complete
Test with exact property value first

Property Values Not Searchable

Problem: Custom properties indexed but not returning results