IronXL How-Tos Edit Workbook Metadata How to Edit Workbook Metadata Chaknith Bin Updated:June 22, 2025 Metadata for an Excel spreadsheet includes information about the title, author, subject, keywords, creation date, modification date, and other relevant details. Metadata provides context and helps in organizing and categorizing spreadsheets. It simplifies file search and management, especially when working with multiple spreadsheet files. The IronXL library offers the capability to edit workbook metadata without the need for Office Interop. How to Edit Workbook Metadata Download the C# library to edit workbook metadata Load an existing spreadsheet or create a brand new one Access and modify the metadata information using the Metadata property View and modify the spreadsheet data Export the spreadsheet with the edited metadata properties Get started with IronXL Start using IronXL in your project today with a free trial. First Step: Start for Free Edit Workbook Metadata Example To edit the author name of a spreadsheet file, set the Author property with the desired string of data. For example, workBook.Metadata.Author = "Your Name". The metadata information available in the Metadata property of WorkBook class can be accessed and retrieved. :path=/static-assets/excel/content-code-examples/how-to/edit-workbook-metadata.cs using IronXL; using System; WorkBook workBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx"); // Set author workBook.Metadata.Author = "Your Name"; // Set comments workBook.Metadata.Comments = "Monthly report"; // Set title workBook.Metadata.Title = "July"; // Set keywords workBook.Metadata.Keywords = "Report"; // Read the creation date of the excel file DateTime? creationDate = workBook.Metadata.Created; // Read the last printed date of the excel file DateTime? printDate = workBook.Metadata.LastPrinted; workBook.SaveAs("editedMetadata.xlsx"); Imports IronXL Imports System Private workBook As WorkBook = WorkBook.Load("sample.xlsx") ' Set author workBook.Metadata.Author = "Your Name" ' Set comments workBook.Metadata.Comments = "Monthly report" ' Set title workBook.Metadata.Title = "July" ' Set keywords workBook.Metadata.Keywords = "Report" ' Read the creation date of the excel file Dim creationDate? As DateTime = workBook.Metadata.Created ' Read the last printed date of the excel file Dim printDate? As DateTime = workBook.Metadata.LastPrinted workBook.SaveAs("editedMetadata.xlsx") $vbLabelText $csharpLabel Accessible Metadata Fields Not all metadata properties can be edited or changed. Some properties can only be retrieved. Below is a list of the available properties: Set, Modify, and Retrieve Author Comments LastPrinted Keywords and Category Created and ModifiedDate Subject and Title Retrieve Only ApplicationName CustomProperties Company Manager Template Frequently Asked Questions How can I edit workbook metadata in Excel using C#? You can edit workbook metadata using the IronXL library in C#. It allows you to modify properties such as title, author, subject, and keywords without relying on Office Interop. What steps are involved in editing Excel workbook metadata programmatically? To edit Excel workbook metadata programmatically, first download the IronXL library, then load or create a spreadsheet. Use the Metadata property to modify metadata details, and finally, save the spreadsheet with the updated properties. Can I change the author of an Excel workbook using C#? Yes, you can change the author of an Excel workbook using the IronXL library. Set the author property with workBook.Metadata.Author = "Your Name"; to update this metadata field. Which metadata properties can be modified with IronXL? IronXL allows modification of metadata properties such as Author, Comments, LastPrinted, Keywords, Category, Created and ModifiedDate, Subject, and Title. Are there any limitations on modifying metadata properties with IronXL? Yes, some metadata properties like ApplicationName, CustomProperties, Company, Manager, and Template can only be retrieved and not modified using IronXL. Why is editing workbook metadata important? Editing workbook metadata is crucial for providing better context, organizing, and categorizing spreadsheets, which simplifies file search and management, especially with multiple files. How can I save a workbook after editing its metadata using C#? After editing the workbook metadata, you can save the workbook using IronXL's SaveAs method. For example: workBook.SaveAs("updatedWorkbook.xlsx"); Where can I find the IronXL library for editing workbook metadata? The IronXL library can be downloaded from the NuGet package repository at https://nuget.org/packages/IronXL.Excel/ What is the advantage of using IronXL for editing workbook metadata over Office Interop? Using IronXL for editing workbook metadata is advantageous as it does not require Office Interop, making it simpler and more efficient for developers to manage Excel files programmatically. Chaknith Bin Chat with engineering team now Software Engineer Chaknith works on IronXL and IronBarcode. He has deep expertise in C# and .NET, helping improve the software and support customers. His insights from user interactions contribute to better products, documentation, and overall experience. Ready to Get Started? Free NuGet Download Total downloads: 1,558,208 View Licenses