Your SVG Files Have Hidden Metadata — Here's How to Strip It Before Converting

Short summary

The author discovered SVG files can embed hidden metadata including creator names, software versions, file paths, and even GPS coordinates—none visible in browsers but all preserved during conversion to raster formats. Research on 50 public SVGs found 38 contained metadata, 12 with creator names, and 3 with internal network paths. The post provides JavaScript code to safely strip metadata before converting SVGs to PNG or WebP.

• •SVG metadata can contain creator names, software versions, file paths, and GPS coordinates invisible to viewers but preserved during format conversion
• •Research on 50 public SVGs found 38 with metadata, 12 including creator names, and 3 with internal network paths
• •Provides concrete JavaScript code using DOMParser and XMLSerializer to remove metadata before converting SVGs to raster formats

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