SharePoint Document Issues

How to Create a SharePoint Image Library with Searchable Metadata

Elise Williams Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to set up a SharePoint image library for an internal design team that provides thumbnails, search capabilities, and customizable metadata such as file dimensions, location, and creator.

How to Create a SharePoint Image Library with Searchable Metadata

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Setting up an internal design team repository with searchable image assets and specific metadata fields.
Observed behavior: The image library successfully stores visual assets, displays thumbnails, and allows users to search files based on populated metadata such as dimensions, creator, and creation date.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Owner or Full Control permissions in your SharePoint site to create new libraries and configure columns, and have access to Power Automate for workflow creation.

Solution 1Recommended

Use a Document Library and automate metadata extraction with Power Automate

Create a standard SharePoint document library for your images and use a Power Automate flow to automatically extract and populate custom metadata columns upon upload.

While SharePoint provides excellent out-of-the-box support for basic image storage, thumbnails, and permissions, it does not automatically extract detailed image metadata (like dimensions or custom EXIF data) into searchable columns. A Microsoft Power Automate flow can bridge this gap by processing images when they are uploaded and automatically updating the library columns with the extracted data.

Create the SharePoint Document Library

Navigate to your SharePoint site, click on 'New' in the top-left menu, and select 'Document library' to create a dedicated space for your team's images.

Add custom metadata columns

In your newly created library, click 'Add column' to create the custom metadata fields you need, such as 'Image Dimensions', 'Creator', or 'Location'.

Set up a Power Automate flow

Log into Power Automate and create a new automated cloud flow. Set the trigger to 'When a file is created (properties only)' and point it to your new SharePoint image library.

Extract and update properties

Add actions in your flow to extract the specific image file properties. Finally, add the 'Update file properties' action to automatically write the extracted data into your custom SharePoint columns.

Use a Document Library and automate metadata extraction with Power Automate

Community Templates: For detailed flow configurations and exact expressions to parse image dimensions, the Microsoft Power Automate Community offers dedicated templates and guidance.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Need a seamless alternative for your document management? Try WPS Office

While SharePoint handles complex library automations, WPS Office offers a free, lightweight, and user-friendly alternative for your team's daily document creation and collaboration needs. Enjoy full compatibility with Microsoft Office formats without the steep learning curve.

1. Download the software: Visit the official WPS Office website and click the Free Download button for your operating system.
2. Install WPS Office: Run the downloaded installation file and follow the straightforward on-screen instructions to set up the suite.
3. Open and edit your files: Launch WPS Office and directly open your existing Microsoft Office files to edit them with full format compatibility.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formatsLightweight application that runs smoothly on almost any deviceBuilt-in PDF editing and seamless document collaboration toolsFree and intuitive interface for quick team adoption

Frequently Asked Questions

Does SharePoint automatically read EXIF data from uploaded images?

No, SharePoint does not automatically extract EXIF data or image dimensions into searchable library columns out of the box. You must use a tool like Power Automate to parse this data and write it into custom columns.

Can I use a SharePoint Asset Library instead of a standard Document Library for images?

Yes, SharePoint offers an Asset Library specifically designed for media files, which provides enhanced thumbnail views and media-specific features by default. However, custom metadata automation still requires Power Automate.

How do I make my newly added custom image metadata searchable?

Once your custom columns are populated via Power Automate, you need to ensure they are mapped to managed properties in the SharePoint Search schema. A site administrator can configure this in the Search settings so users can query those specific metadata fields.

Document & File Issues