Where Does ExifTool Store Its Config?
ExifTool loads user tags from .ExifTool_config in home (or EXIFTOOL_HOME), overridable per run with -config.
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ExifTool looks for .ExifTool_config first in your home directory, then beside the application, unless EXIFTOOL_HOME redirects it. The file defines custom tags, shortcuts and default option values in Perl.
Case and dot placement are load-bearing: .ExifTool_config with capital T is the only name that loads. When tags silently do nothing, the file either misnamed itself or landed where neither search path looks.
Where ExifTool stores this, by platform
%USERPROFILE%\.ExifTool_config
User tags, shortcuts, default options in Perl. Activate the sample by renaming to dot-leading form at the shell, not in Explorer/Finder.
~/.ExifTool_config
Same file. GUI wrappers that bundle exiftool may look beside the app bundle instead; -config with an absolute path removes the guesswork.
~/.ExifTool_config
Same layout. Set EXIFTOOL_HOME to relocate the search dir; pass -config "" to run stock with zero customization.
Frequently asked questions
How do I enable custom ExifTool tags?
Copy the sample ExifTool_config from the distribution to ~/.ExifTool_config (exact case, leading dot). Rename at the shell: GUI file managers refuse dot-leading names, which is the classic first failure.
Can I test a config without installing it?
Pass -config CFGFILE before all other arguments (or empty string to disable). Per-run files beat the auto-loaded home config without touching it.
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