How to Remove Metadata from SVG Files
SVG files from Illustrator, Inkscape, and Figma contain large amounts of editor metadata that bloats file size. Here's how to strip it cleanly.
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What Metadata Is in SVGs?
Design tools add their own namespaces and comment data to SVG files.
- Adobe Illustrator: <x:xmpmeta>, <rdf:RDF> blocks with file creation metadata
- Inkscape: sodipodi: and inkscape: namespace attributes on nearly every element
- Figma: figma-specific comments and properties in exported SVG
- Common: <metadata> blocks with Dublin Core (dc:) author and rights data
- Generator comments: <!-- Generator: Adobe Illustrator ... --> and similar
Method 1: SVGO (Automated)
SVGO removes metadata automatically as part of its optimization pass.
- svgo input.svg -o output.svg — removes all standard metadata
- Enabled by default: removeMetadata, removeComments, cleanupNamespaces
- Online: svgo.dev — paste SVG and download the cleaned version
- Configure: svgo.config.js to control which metadata is removed
- Typical size saving from metadata removal alone: 10–30%
Method 2: Manual Text Editing
For targeted removal without running a full optimizer.
- Delete the <metadata> block and everything inside it
- Delete <!-- Comment --> lines (generator comments, copyright notices)
- Remove xmlns:dc, xmlns:cc, xmlns:rdf namespace declarations
- Remove xmlns:sodipodi, xmlns:inkscape from the root <svg> element
- Delete all sodipodi:* and inkscape:* attributes from individual elements
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to remove all SVG metadata?
For web use, yes — browsers ignore metadata. For archival purposes, you may want to preserve authorship and copyright metadata. Never strip DRM or rights metadata from licensed assets.
Does removing metadata affect how the SVG looks?
No. Metadata is display-irrelevant. Only path data, fill values, and structural elements affect rendering.
Can I remove metadata from a batch of SVG files?
Yes with SVGO CLI: svgo --folder=./icons --output=./optimized. This processes all SVG files in a directory.
Should I remove SVG metadata before putting files in production?
Yes. Remove metadata for any SVG that will be served to web users — it reduces file size, speeds load time, and removes potentially sensitive creation metadata.
My SVG has a Creative Commons license in the metadata — should I keep it?
If the SVG was created by someone else under CC license terms, preserving the license and attribution metadata is legally required by most CC license variants.
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