Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Ver of Lightroom: LR Classic 13.2
Windows OS: Windows 11 Pro
How do you save the keywords in Lightroom to the original photo file?
Sandy
[moved to the correct community - Mod.]
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
LrC is non-destructive and does not add keywords to the original file - they are kept in the catalog and also in a xmp sidecar file if selected to do so in the preferences.
However, keywords can be added during the export.
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
You use the menu command Metadata > Save Metadata to File or Ctrl S (Win). There is also a Catalog Setting to do this automatically.
If the original is a raw file, this creates a xmp sidecar file, which other xmp-aware programs can read. But non xmp-aware programs can't.
If it's not a raw file, the keywords are saved directly in the file and may be readable in other applications.
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Thank you for the replies! I keep all my photos on an external drive and a few months ago I changed out the drive. I copied all of the files to the new external drive keeping the same structure as the old drive and then I think I pointed Lightroom to the new location but the keywords were gone on most of the files. I may have imported some of the larger folders again, I don't remember for sure. Now I'm in the process of going back and adding keyhwords again. How do you suggest I do it next time I have to change the drive?
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
How do you suggest I do it next time I have to change the drive?
By @sandyve
Next time make certain that you don't reimport. You should not need to do so, and it would cause the problem you describe.