Bug Report: Keywords Trigger Metadata Write Errors Despite Disabled XMP Auto-Write

[tklbln]

Summary

Adding keywords to images causes metadata write error symbols (exclamation marks) to appear, even when "Automatically write changes into XMP" is disabled in Catalog Settings.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Disable XMP auto-write: Catalog Settings > Metadata > Uncheck "Automatically write changes into XMP"
2. Import a test image (any format)
3. Make basic edits (exposure, contrast, etc.) - no error symbols appear
4. Close and reopen Lightroom - still no error symbols
5. Add a keyword to the same image
6. Result: Exclamation mark symbol immediately appears on thumbnail

Expected Behavior

• With XMP auto-write disabled, NO metadata should be written to files automatically
• Adding keywords should NOT trigger write attempts or error symbols
• Keywords should be stored in catalog only (as per user setting)

Actual Behavior

• Exclamation mark appears on thumbnail after adding keyword
• Clicking the symbol shows error dialog: "An unknown error occurred when trying to write metadata for this photo. Try again?"
• Dialog options: "Import settings from file carrier", "Export metadata again", "Cancel"

Environment

• Software: Adobe Lightroom Classic (multiple versions affected)
• OS: Windows/macOS
• File types: Occurs with JPG, RAW, and other formats
• Storage: Internal hard drive (confirmed not a permissions issue)

Configuration Details

Catalog Settings > Metadata:

• ☐ "Automatically write changes into XMP" = DISABLED
• ☐ "Include develop settings in metadata inside JPEG, TIFF, PNG and PSD files" = DISABLED
• Other metadata settings = disabled

Impact

• Consistency Issue: Keywords behave differently than other metadata changes
• User Confusion: Error symbols appear despite correct XMP settings
• Workflow Disruption: Users must repeatedly dismiss error dialogs

Technical Analysis

The bug suggests that keyword operations bypass the XMP auto-write setting check, attempting to write metadata even when explicitly disabled by user preference.

Workaround

Click "Cancel" in the error dialog - keywords are still properly stored in the catalog and function normally for searches, collections, etc.

Reproducibility

100% reproducible - occurs consistently across different:

• Image file formats
• Lightroom Classic versions
• Keyword types (single words, multi-word phrases)
• Storage locations

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Expected Fix: Keywords should respect the "Automatically write changes into XMP" setting like all other metadata operations.

[Aleke]

Hi @tklbln, thanks so much for reaching out and for sharing all those details!

I tried following the steps you mentioned, but I wasn’t able to reproduce the issue on my end. It’s possible I’m missing something, so if you’re able to share a short video showing the issue in action, that would be super helpful for us to take a closer look.

In the meantime, one thing you can try is resetting your Lightroom preferences. It’s a quick way to rule out any unexpected glitches caused by corrupted settings.

Thanks again,
Alek

[DdeGannes]

@tklbln , This is strange and I do not recall this since I joined the forum in 2007.

You stated the following " 

Steps to Reproduce

1. Disable XMP auto-write: Catalog Settings > Metadata > Uncheck "Automatically write changes into XMP".

This is just a thought out of the box.

At this point do the following, shut down LrC and create a Backup of your Catalog. 
Next re open LrC with the same Catalog  and ensure the option " Automatically write Metadata to XMP" is still selected.

Proceed with your test, and see if you still have the same problem.

PS. Have you tried the advice from @Aleke , to Reset your Lightroom Preferences?