Guide

How to Verify Image Authenticity Online: A Step-by-Step C2PA Guide

How to Verify Image Authenticity Online: A Step-by-Step C2PA Guide

Why Verify Images?

With AI-generated images becoming indistinguishable from real photos, verifying image authenticity is critical for journalists, researchers, marketers, and everyday internet users.

Step 1: Upload to C2PA Checker

Visit c2pachecker.com and upload your image. The tool supports JPEG, PNG, WebP, TIFF, HEIC, and HEIF formats up to 20MB.

You can check a single image or use the Multi-File mode to verify up to 20 images at once.

Step 2: Read the Verdict

After analysis, you'll see one of these verdicts:

  • ✓ C2PA Verified — Image has valid C2PA data with authentic signatures
  • ⚡ AI Generated — Image was created by an AI tool (detectable via C2PA)
  • — No C2PA — No C2PA metadata found (doesn't prove it's fake)
  • ✗ Invalid — C2PA data exists but signature verification failed

Step 3: Examine the Details

For images with C2PA data, explore:

  • Manifest Details — Claim generator, format, title
  • Digital Signature — Who signed it and when
  • Assertions — All provenance claims about the content
  • Ingredients — Source materials used
  • Validation Status — Detailed integrity check results

Step 4: Interpret the Results

Key things to look for:

  • digitalSourceType = trainedAlgorithmicMedia → AI-generated
  • Claim Generator contains "DALL-E", "Firefly", "Gemini" → Specific AI tool identified
  • Signature issuer is a trusted entity (Adobe, Microsoft, Google) → High confidence
  • Validation status all green → Manifest hasn't been tampered with

Important Notes

  • Not all images have C2PA data — absence of C2PA doesn't mean the image is fake
  • C2PA metadata can be stripped — so a "No C2PA" result is inconclusive
  • For images without C2PA, consider using additional verification methods like reverse image search or forensic analysis

Verify Now

Start verifying images at c2pachecker.com — it's completely free, requires no signup, and your images are never stored.

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