metadata

This term describes the structural information that allows systems to categorize, find, and manage primary content. It functions as a digital label or a catalog entry, providing the necessary context for a file without being the content itself.

Grammatically, metadata is an uncountable noun. It is treated as a mass noun and does not have a plural form; one does not refer to multiple pieces of metadata as metadatas. Instead, specific units are referred to as pieces of metadata or metadata fields.