What Is C2PA? Claude's Content Credentials Explained
C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) is an open technical standard that embeds provenance metadata into digital files. Claude uses C2PA to sign images, PDFs, and other generated files.
How C2PA Works
When Claude generates an image or file, it embeds a C2PA manifest, a cryptographically signed metadata block that records who created the content, when, and with what tool. This is separate from the text watermark and operates on the file level.
C2PA vs. Text Watermark
The text watermark is woven into word choices and survives copy-paste. C2PA metadata is stored in the file header and is trivially removable:
- Screenshot: Taking a screenshot of an image removes all metadata
- Format conversion: Converting PNG to JPG (or vice versa) strips the C2PA header
- Re-saving: Opening and re-saving the file in most editors removes it
- Metadata strippers: Tools like ExifTool can remove C2PA data specifically
Who Uses C2PA?
C2PA is backed by Adobe, Microsoft, Intel, and other major tech companies. It's used by Adobe Firefly, Microsoft Designer, and now Claude. The standard is designed for content authenticity rather than DRM, it proves provenance but doesn't prevent copying.
How to check whether an image has C2PA
C2PA data lives in the file's metadata, so you can inspect it. Tools like the official Content Credentials verifier, or a command-line utility such as ExifTool, will show the manifest, the signer, and the assertions attached to an image. Our own image tool takes the practical route: instead of just showing you the metadata, it removes it, stripping EXIF, XMP, IPTC, and any C2PA manifest, and returns a clean copy you can download. The pixels are untouched; only the metadata layer changes.
Is removing C2PA legal, and when does it matter?
Removing metadata from an image you own is legal and extremely common, social platforms strip metadata automatically, and photographers remove EXIF for privacy every day. The nuance with C2PA is that it exists specifically to record provenance, so stripping it removes a signal that says "this was AI-generated" or "this was edited here." That is fine for privacy and file hygiene; it is not fine if the goal is to deceive in a context where provenance disclosure is expected. As with the text tools, the utility is neutral; the responsibility for how it is used is yours.
C2PA versus the text watermark
These two provenance mechanisms could not be more different in how removable they are. C2PA is metadata, a header that travels with the file and comes off cleanly. The text watermark is statistical, baked into word choice and only readable with a secret key. That is why this site treats them as separate problems with separate tools, rather than pretending one "remove" button handles both.