Copy & Paste EXIF Info

I built this because I was tired of squinting at Lightroom’s metadata panel and retyping camera + lens + settings into yet another contest entry, caption, or client email. The information is right there. It should be one click away from a clean line of text.

So that’s what this plugin does. It adds a custom metadata field called Copy & Paste Info that generates a formatted text summary from any selected photo’s EXIF, on a template you control. Define the template once, populate the field for the photos you care about, copy the result out of the metadata panel and paste it wherever you need it.

What it does

Adds a Copy & Paste Info custom metadata field inside Lightroom Classic.
You define the template; the plugin fills in the values from each photo’s EXIF.
Works on a single photo or on a batch — populate hundreds of frames in one go.
Lives entirely inside Lightroom. No separate app, no syncing, no account, nothing leaving your machine.
Does not modify the original files. The output is stored in a custom metadata field inside the Lightroom catalog.

Template fields

Drop any of these tokens into your template and the plugin will substitute the per-photo value when you run the populate command:

Token	What it inserts
`{camera}`	Camera model
`{lens}`	Lens
`{focal}`	Focal length
`{shutter}`	Shutter speed
`{aperture}`	Aperture
`{iso}`	ISO speed
`{filename}`	File name
`{rating}`	Star rating

Everything around the tokens is preserved literally, so you can use any punctuation, line breaks or formatting you like — pipes, dashes, parentheses, plain prose.

Example templates

Technical format:

{camera} + {lens} @ {focal} | {shutter} | {aperture} | ISO {iso}

Produces:

Sony a9 III + FE 400–800mm F6.3–8 @ 800mm | 1/2000 sec | f/7.1 | ISO 3200

Caption style:

{filename} – {camera} with {lens} at {focal}, {shutter}, {aperture}, ISO {iso}

Produces:

_DSC4216.ARW – Sony a9 III with FE 400–800mm F6.3–8 at 800mm, 1/2000 sec, f/7.1, ISO 3200

Use whichever fits the destination. You only set the format once.

Install

Download the plugin and save the ZIP file somewhere permanent (the plugin runs from this location — don’t put it in Downloads).
Double-click the ZIP to extract the .lrplugin folder.
Open Lightroom Classic.
Go to File → Plug-in Manager…
Click Add and browse to the extracted .lrplugin folder.
Confirm the plugin appears enabled in the list on the left.

Using the plugin

1 · Configure your template

Open File → Plug-in Manager…
Select Copy & Paste EXIF Info in the left sidebar.
Edit the Template text using any of the tokens listed above.
Click Done to save.

2 · Populate the metadata field

Switch to the Library module.
Select the photo (or photos) you want to fill.
Go to Library → Plug-in Extras → Populate Copy & Paste Info from EXIF.

The plugin reads each photo’s EXIF and writes the rendered string into that photo’s Copy & Paste Info field. You can re-run this any time — for example, after you change the template.

3 · Copy the text

Open the Metadata panel dropdown and choose Copy & Paste EXIF Info.
Click into the Copy & Paste Info field.
Press ⌘A then ⌘C (Mac) or Ctrl+A then Ctrl+C (Windows) to select all and copy.
Paste anywhere — caption box, contest form, client email.

FAQ

Does this modify the original files?

No. The plugin creates a separate custom metadata field inside your Lightroom catalog. Your original RAW or JPEG files are not touched.

Can I batch-process multiple photos?

Yes. Select as many photos as you like in the Library module before running Populate Copy & Paste Info from EXIF. The plugin renders the template for each photo individually using that photo’s own EXIF.

Can I change the template later?

Yes. Edit the template in File → Plug-in Manager… at any time, then re-run the populate command on the photos you want to update. Existing values for photos you don’t re-populate stay as they were.

Who it’s for

Anyone who regularly hand-writes EXIF into things outside Lightroom — contest entrants, working photographers writing captions, anyone licensing or submitting work where camera settings are part of the deliverable.

Where to get it

Download CopyPasteExifInfo.lrplugin.zip — free, runs locally in Lightroom Classic, Lr 13.0 or later.