C2PA Manifest
Definition
The structured provenance record embedded in or associated with a media file. Contains one or more signed claim blocks, each holding a set of assertions about the file's origin and history. The manifest is the top-level container in the C2PA data model.
- Standard
- C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity)
- Contains
- One or more signed claim blocks
- Each claim holds
- Assertions about origin and edit history
- Role
- Top-level provenance container for a media file
Common questions
What kind of information does a C2PA manifest's assertions typically record?+
Assertions can cover things like the capturing device or software, editing actions applied, thumbnails of prior versions, and ingredient references to source files, giving an auditable chain of how the media file reached its current state.
Can a C2PA manifest be stripped from a file, and what does that mean forensically?+
Yes, many platforms and simple re-saves strip the manifest, since it is not intrinsic to the pixel data. A missing manifest is not proof of tampering, it just means provenance was never attached or was removed, so its absence carries weaker evidential value than a manifest that fails validation.
Related terms
- Assertion
- A single provenance statement inside a C2PA claim. Examples include the camera make and model, GPS coordinates at capture, an AI-training or...
- C2PA Trust List
- A curated list of trusted root certificate authorities whose chains can anchor a C2PA claim signature. Maintained by the C2PA organisation. A...
- Claim Signature
- An X.509-based digital signature over the hashes of all assertions in a claim plus the content binding hash. Produced by the signer's...
- Hard Binding
- A content binding that stores SHA hashes of specific byte ranges of the media file inside the signed manifest. Any modification to...
- Soft Binding
- A content binding using a perceptual fingerprint or watermark embedded in the signal rather than the file bytes. Designed to survive format...