PNG metadata

PNG Metadata Not Detected: AI Character Card Import Fixes

Use this when a PNG looks like a character card but Tavern, SillyTavern, or another tool cannot read the embedded character data.

Character card formats and import behavior can vary by tool version. Check the tool you are actually using before deciding that the card is permanently broken.

Symptoms

  • The PNG imports as a plain avatar image with no name, description, or first message.
  • Tavern or SillyTavern reports that the card is invalid.
  • A card works in one tool but not in another.
  • A file downloaded from chat, social media, or an image editor no longer imports correctly.

Likely causes

  • The PNG never contained embedded character metadata.
  • The image was recompressed, optimized, resized, or re-saved, and the metadata was stripped.
  • A messaging app, SNS, file manager, or image editor converted the image before you downloaded it.
  • The file is actually a different image format with a misleading .png filename.
  • The card uses a format or spec version that the importing tool does not fully support.
  • The browser or device cannot read the file reliably because of size, memory, or file access limits.

Step-by-step checks

  1. Use the original PNG file from the creator or site download button, not a screenshot or preview image.
  2. Avoid files re-saved through SNS, chat apps, image compressors, or editors.
  3. Check whether the file opens as an actual PNG and not a renamed WebP or other format.
  4. Try importing the same file in the target tool and in AI Character Card Forge.
  5. If the text fields are recoverable elsewhere, export or copy the card data as JSON or manual fields.
  6. If the metadata is gone, regenerate the card from the text fields rather than trying to invent missing data.

Fixes and fallback options

  • Ask for the original PNG or JSON export when the shared image has been recompressed.
  • Use the PNG metadata guide before posting or sharing a card publicly.
  • Keep a JSON backup of important cards so the text can be restored if image metadata is lost.
  • When importing fails, use manual input as the safest recovery path.
  • Regenerate a clean PNG from AI Character Card Forge after the card fields are restored.

Do not send cards to unknown repair tools when the card contains private notes, private lore, or API-related information.

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