How to automate svg metadata scrubbing for privacy compliance
- Step 1List all SVGs with metadata — Run: grep -rl '<metadata>' ./public to find all SVG files containing metadata blocks. This gives you a list to process.
- Step 2Batch scrub via API or CLI — POST multiple files to /api/svg/remove-metadata or use the SVGO CLI with the removeMetadata, removeDoctype, and removeEditorsNSData plugins enabled.
- Step 3Validate in CI — Add a CI check that fails if any deployed SVG contains metadata strings: grep -r 'xmlns:dc\|xmlns:cc\|xmlns:rdf' ./public/icons && exit 1
Frequently asked questions
Which SVGO plugins handle metadata removal?+
Use removeDoctype, removeXMLProcInst, removeComments, removeMetadata, removeEditorsNSData, and removeDesc (for auto-generated descriptions). Together they strip all editor-specific content.
Can I scrub metadata from SVG sprites?+
Yes. The scrubber handles sprite files (containing multiple <symbol> elements) and removes metadata from the wrapper SVG while preserving all symbol content.
Does removing metadata break SVG animation?+
No. Animation uses SMIL or CSS, neither of which depends on metadata elements. Removing <metadata>, <title>, or <desc> has zero effect on SVG animations.
What about SVGs embedded in PDFs or Office documents?+
The JAD scrubber handles standalone .svg files only. SVGs embedded in PDFs or DOCX files require the host application's tools to clean.
Privacy first
Every JAD SVG tool runs entirely in your browser using the DOM API and Canvas. Your SVG files never leave your device — verified by zero outbound network requests during processing.