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ChrisPhillipsUC
ChrisPhillipsUC
Level 2
August 11, 2025
Solved

PDF titles vs DAM MetaTitles

  • August 11, 2025
  • 4 replies
  • 613 views

Is it possible to use the MetaTitle added via the DAM of PDFs files rather than the title that would have been used at the time of the PDF creation?


When a PDF link is shared via social or email, the title can sometimes me incorrect. Usually an oversight by the author. However adjusting the metatitle in the DAM doesn't update the <title> displayed in browsers, or when the link to the file is shared.

Is this a known issue? Or is it something we can adjust in AEM to ensure the DAM MetaTitle is the one used in the <title> </title> of a page?

Best answer by kautuk_sahni

When a PDF file is created, it contains its own set of internal metadata, including a Title. This metadata is an integral part of the file itself. When you upload a PDF to the AEM DAM, AEM ingests and extracts this metadata, and it also allows you to add its own DAM metadata, such as dc:title (often called MetaTitle in AEM's properties). However, when a user accesses the PDF file directly via a URL (e.g., https://your-aem-site.com/content/dam/your-project/document.pdf), the user's browser doesn't communicate with AEM's content management system to get the dc:title from the DAM. Instead, the browser simply reads the binary file and displays the title that is embedded within that PDF. Think of it as when you share or open a direct PDF URL (e.g., /content/dam/.../file.pdf), browsers and social crawlers don’t read an HTML <title>. They use the PDF’s embedded metadata (Document Title / XMP) or simply the filename. Changing “Title/MetaTitle” in AEM does nothing to the binary unless you write it back into the PDF.

 

Here are the practical solutions you have:

1. Fix the Source File. The most robust and recommended solution is to fix the problem at its source.

2. The "AEM Workaround": Can use an HTML Redirect Page - Create an AEM page that serves as a landing page for the PDF. This page can be shared on social media, and you can control its <title> and og:title properties to display the correct title. On this page, either embed the PDF using an iframe or provide a link for the user to download or view the file.

4 replies

Saravanan_Dharmaraj
Community Advisor
Saravanan_DharmarajCommunity Advisor
Community Advisor
August 12, 2025

@chrisphillipsuc  If its an AEM pages which shows the PDF as link , you can always read the title from asset metadata and show the title. If its social media, they look for og:title in the metadata of the pdf in that case, you can update the metadata schema to allow to add og:title as metadata by authors.

 

  • Social media platform behavior: Keep in mind that how social media platforms interpret and display Open Graph data might vary. It's always best to test your implementation with the specific social networks you are targeting.
  • Context: The og:title is typically associated with a web page, not directly with a PDF file. If you are sharing a link to an AEM page that embeds or links to the PDF, you should set the og:title in the page properties. If you are directly sharing the PDF asset link, ensure the AEM repository is configured to handle the Open Graph tags when serving the PDF.

Hope it gives some idea. 

    ChrisPhillipsUC
    ChrisPhillipsUCAuthor
    Level 2
    August 12, 2025


    Saravanan_Dharmaraj It's usually the direct link to the PDF located in the DAM - not via a page or button with an AEM page.

    https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/content/dam/uoc-main-site/documents/pdfs/forms/FoE_expression_of_interest_20251.pdf


      giuseppebaglio
      giuseppebaglio
      Level 10
      August 12, 2025

      Hi @Saravanan_Dharmaraj,

      If you want this behavior to apply to all the PDFs and you can identify a root folder, you can create a launcher and a workflow:

       

      • Launcher: Set up a configuration to listen for the "node created" event type, which will trigger the execution of the workflow.
      • Workflow: In this step, you'll process the asset metadata and rename the file using the relevant text extracted from the metadata.
        anupampat
        Community Advisor
        anupampatCommunity Advisor
        Community Advisor
        August 12, 2025

        Hi @chrisphillipsuc ,

        Can you check the metadata of the said pdf and see where the value Advertising - University of Canterbury in you PDF Share title - incorrect.jpg ?

        Regards,

        Anupam

          ChrisPhillipsUC
          ChrisPhillipsUCAuthor
          Level 2
          August 12, 2025

          Yes thats usually the case where the properties of the PDF has the incorrect title at the time of creation, however I was hoping that that the MetaData title added in the DAM would override the PDF embedded one and that would be used in the html <title></title>. 

          From a user POV they would have to open up the raw file of the document, change the title there, save and then upload the same document back into the DAM ensuring it was the same file name so existing links to the document are not broken. A lot of additional steps when it could be just updated in the DAM.

          kautuk_sahni
          Community Manager
          kautuk_sahniCommunity Manager
          Community Manager
          September 1, 2025

          @chrisphillipsuc just checking in! Were you able to get this resolved? If one of the replies above helped—whether it completely solved the issue or simply pointed you in the right direction—marking it as accepted can make it much easier for others with the same question to find a solution. And if you found a different way to fix it, sharing your approach would be a great contribution to the community. Your follow-up not only helps close the loop but also ensures others benefit from your experience. Thanks so much for being part of the conversation!

          Kautuk Sahni
          ChrisPhillipsUC
          ChrisPhillipsUCAuthor
          Level 2
          September 3, 2025

          Hi Kautuk,

          Not quite. We had to go back and recreate the PDF with the correct title as no matter what we did in AEM we could not override the title that was added at the time of the PDF export.

          Regards

          Chris.

          kautuk_sahni
          Community Manager
          kautuk_sahniCommunity ManagerAccepted solution
          Community Manager
          September 4, 2025

          When a PDF file is created, it contains its own set of internal metadata, including a Title. This metadata is an integral part of the file itself. When you upload a PDF to the AEM DAM, AEM ingests and extracts this metadata, and it also allows you to add its own DAM metadata, such as dc:title (often called MetaTitle in AEM's properties). However, when a user accesses the PDF file directly via a URL (e.g., https://your-aem-site.com/content/dam/your-project/document.pdf), the user's browser doesn't communicate with AEM's content management system to get the dc:title from the DAM. Instead, the browser simply reads the binary file and displays the title that is embedded within that PDF. Think of it as when you share or open a direct PDF URL (e.g., /content/dam/.../file.pdf), browsers and social crawlers don’t read an HTML <title>. They use the PDF’s embedded metadata (Document Title / XMP) or simply the filename. Changing “Title/MetaTitle” in AEM does nothing to the binary unless you write it back into the PDF.

           

          Here are the practical solutions you have:

          1. Fix the Source File. The most robust and recommended solution is to fix the problem at its source.

          2. The "AEM Workaround": Can use an HTML Redirect Page - Create an AEM page that serves as a landing page for the PDF. This page can be shared on social media, and you can control its <title> and og:title properties to display the correct title. On this page, either embed the PDF using an iframe or provide a link for the user to download or view the file.

          Kautuk Sahni
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