Want to add EXIF data to Instagram captions without manually typing your camera settings every time you post a photo?
If you regularly share your photography on Instagram, you might be including details such as your camera, lens, shutter speed, aperture and ISO in your caption to share with other photographers. I do this with many of my own posts, but manually checking those settings and typing them out for every photo quickly becomes repetitive. 🫠
That is exactly why I created my EXIF Caption Filler – a simple way to add EXIF data to Instagram captions automatically.
I’ve personally been using this tool for more than three years to prepare the photo settings section of my Instagram captions. Instead of looking up every setting individually, I select my photo and the information is filled into my preferred caption format automatically.
You can try it here:
What is EXIF data?
EXIF data is information stored in a photo from when it was captured.
Depending on the photo and camera, this can include details such as the camera model, lens, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, focal length, date, and other settings.
This means that most of the information photographers regularly write under their Instagram photos is already stored inside the photo they’re posting.
The problem is simply getting that information into a clean caption without copying everything manually.
That is what the EXIF Caption Filler does for you.
How to add EXIF data to Instagram captions
The process only takes a few seconds:
- Open the EXIF Caption Filler and select the photo you’re preparing to post.
- Choose one of the suggested caption formats or create your own.
- Press Fill caption. The photo’s EXIF information is automatically inserted into the matching places.
- Finally, copy it and paste it into Instagram.
There’s no more need to manually check Lightroom for the camera settings or the photo properties every time you prepare a post.
Choose how your camera settings look
Not everyone formats their photography information in the same way, so I didn’t want the tool to force one specific caption style.
You can choose from the ready-made options or create your own custom format.
For example, one of my captions might include:
⚙️ Photo settings: Sony a7 IV · FE 135mm F1.8 GM | 1/320s · f/1.8 · ISO 640 | 26.08.2026.
For another style, I might use:
⚙️ 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼
– Sony a7 IV & 90mm F2.8 Macro
– 1/320, f/6.3, ISO 320
– 07.01.2024
You can decide which camera settings to include, where to place them, how to format the text, and you can even add your own lines of text unrelated to the EXIF data.
If you already have a format you usually use for your Instagram posts, you can recreate it in the EXIF caption filler tool.
Save your custom EXIF caption for next time
This is especially useful if you post photography regularly.
Once you create your custom caption, you can save it in your browser. The next time you need to prepare another photo, you don’t need to build the format again.
The next time you return to the tool and select a new photo, your previous caption will be reused.
For me, this is one of the main reasons this tool has become a part of my regular Instagram workflow. I normally want my camera settings displayed in the same style in all posts, so having my custom caption saved also saves me time.
Your photo stays on your device
If you’re uploading an original photograph just to read its metadata, privacy is an understandable concern.
The EXIF Caption Filler processes the photo locally in your browser. Your image never leaves your device and isn’t uploaded anywhere.
This means you can use the tool with original or unpublished photographs without sending the actual image anywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use an EXIF caption generator instead of typing the settings manually?
You can definitely still type your camera settings yourself.
However, when you post often, the repetitive part becomes surprisingly time-consuming: opening the photo properties, checking the camera, copying the lens, finding the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, formatting everything consistently, and then doing it all over again for the next photo.
An EXIF caption generator removes most of that work.
An EXIF caption filler is particularly useful if you share camera settings under most of your photos, use a consistent caption format, regularly post photos captured with different settings, or simply want to reduce the amount of repetitive work before posting.
The actual Instagram caption is still yours. The tool is only filling in the technical information that already exists in your photo.
What if some EXIF information is missing?
The tool can only fill in information that is available in the file you select.
If your camera settings are missing, try using the original image or another exported version that still contains its EXIF information.
You can also adjust your caption format so it only uses the details you actually want to share, or have available in your photo.
Can I use the EXIF Caption Filler on my phone?
Yes. The tool is designed to work directly in your browser and is mobile-friendly, so you can prepare the caption on the same device you use for posting to Instagram.
That’s also how I wanted the workflow to feel: select the photo you’re about to post, get the technical part of the caption, copy it, and continue preparing your Instagram post.
This makes it easy to add EXIF data to Instagram captions directly from the same device you use for posting.
Is the EXIF Caption Filler free?
Yes. The EXIF Caption Filler is one of the free tools available on my photography tools website and does not require a paid Patreon membership.
More useful Instagram tools for photographers
I’ve gradually been building more small tools around problems I repeatedly run into while preparing my Instagram posts.
Format Instagram captions with bold or italic text
Instagram doesn’t include built-in controls for making individual words in a caption bold or italic, but there is a simple workaround using special Unicode characters.
My new Bold Text Generator and Italic Text Generator make that easy.
Type or paste the text you want to format, convert it, then copy the result and paste it into your Instagram caption. It can be useful for headings, short emphasis, important details, or any part of a caption you want to stand out from the rest.
For example, instead of “Photo settings”, you could use 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 or 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴.
Both tools are free to use and work well alongside the EXIF Caption Filler when you want to make your Instagram captions more structured and easier to scan.
Remove duplicate Instagram hashtags
If you combine multiple saved hashtag groups, it is easy to accidentally include the same hashtag more than once.
My free Duplicate Hashtag Remover checks your hashtag list, removes repeated tags, and keeps the rest of the caption and formatting intact. It also removes two hashtags with different capitalization, such as #Macro and #macro.
Want EXIF captions and hashtags in one workflow?
If you’re one of my paid Patreon members, there is a more complete option: my Instagram Hashtag Manager.
It combines caption preparation with the hashtag workflow I use for my own posts.
You can organize your hashtags in categories, add the photo you’re about to post, get matching categories suggested automatically from your own collection (or select your categories manually), and generate a shuffled mix of hashtags to use for your Instagram post.
And you can get new hashtag suggestions to add to your collection when uploading a photo or collage of your work. So you can even increase your category and hashtag collection!
The Hashtag Manager can also extract EXIF information from the photo and include it in your chosen caption format. And you can save as many different custom captions to your profile as you want!
If you want both your camera settings and hashtags prepared together, you can do everything in the same place. It’s been my go-to tool for more than 7 years!
Want to try it out for free?
- Join my Patreon as a free member
- Visit the Hashtag Manager
- Authorize with your Patreon account
- Start your free trial
- Enjoy all the features without adding your card anywhere!
Conclusion: A faster way to add camera settings to Instagram
I’ve been adding camera information to my own Instagram captions for years, and this small tool has saved me from repeating the same manual process every time I post.
If you also like sharing the camera, lens, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO in your captions as you post, you can let the information already stored in your photo do most of the work.
Select your photo, choose how you want the settings formatted, copy the result, and your technical caption is ready.
And if you’re looking for more Instagram-related tips, you might find my 10 Instagram Reach Hacks You Probably Didn’t Know post useful. I’ve shared 10 lesser-known tricks you can use for your next post to ensure it reaches a bigger audience. And some of the tips are simpler than you might think!