Use this guide if you uploaded photos from a folder, not a Lightroom catalog, and are reviewing edits in Lightroom Classic.

How the folder flow works

When you upload photos from a folder, Imagen delivers your edits as XMP sidecar files, which are small files placed next to each of your original RAW photos. For JPEG and DNG files, the edit data is embedded directly into the original file instead.

Lightroom Classic doesn't automatically detect these changes after a download. That's the most common reason edits appear missing, and it's easy to fix.

Before you start

Check the following before working through the steps below:

• On the Projects page, your project status shows Download to review in the Imagen app. If it still shows an earlier step, the download hasn't completed yet.
   
• You're using Lightroom Classic, not Lightroom. These are different apps with different workflows.

Lightroom Classic hasn't read the XMP files yet

This is the most common cause. Lightroom Classic doesn't automatically pick up XMP sidecar files that were added outside the app. After downloading your edits, you need to manually tell Lightroom to read them.

To read the XMP files:

1. In Lightroom Classic, navigate to the folder containing your edited photos.
    
2. Select all photos — Cmd+A on Mac or Ctrl+A on Windows.
    
3. Go to Metadata > Read Metadata from Files in the menu bar.
   
    
4. Wait a moment. Your edits should now appear.

Watch this video for more help:

You're not in the correct folder in Lightroom Classic

After you click Download to review and choose where to open your photos, Lightroom Classic opens but doesn't always navigate to the correct folder. You may be viewing a different location.

To find the right folder:

In the Library module, use the Folders panel on the left to navigate to the folder where your original photos are stored. This is the same folder you uploaded to Imagen from. Your edited photos and XMP sidecar files should be there.

The original photo folder has been moved or renamed

If you moved or renamed the folder after uploading to Imagen, the downloaded XMP files may have been placed in the original location, which no longer matches.

To fix this:

1. Check your Downloads folder or the original upload location for the XMP sidecar files.
2. Move the XMP files into the same folder as your original RAW photos. They need to sit side by side.
3. In Lightroom Classic, go to Metadata > Read Metadata from Files.

Watch this video for more help:

The XMP sidecar files are missing from the folder

XMP sidecars only work when they're in the same folder as the matching RAW file. If you don't see .xmp files next to your photos, the download may not have completed, or the files may have been saved elsewhere.

To check:

1. Open Finder (Mac) or File Explorer (Windows) and go to the folder with your original photos.
2. Look for .xmp files with the same names as your RAW files.
3. If they're missing, try downloading the project again from the Imagen app.
4. If they're in a different folder, move them next to their matching RAW files.

Watch this video for more help:

Your photos are JPEG or DNG files

For JPEG and DNG files, Imagen embeds the edit data directly into the original file. There are no separate XMP sidecar files, which can make it look like nothing was downloaded.

What you should see: Your original JPEG or DNG files in the folder, with no additional XMP files alongside them. The edits are inside the file itself.

Important: These embedded edits are only visible in Adobe-compatible apps — Lightroom Classic, Lightroom, Photoshop, and Bridge. Opening the files in Finder, Windows Photos, or other standard viewers will show the original, unedited photo. This is expected. If you're using Lightroom, go to the Local tab — that's where Imagen edits appear.

To view your edits:

1. Open the files in Lightroom Classic.
2. If the edits aren't showing, select all photos and go to Metadata > Read Metadata from Files.

Watch this video for more help:

A filter is active in Lightroom Classic

An active filter can make photos appear missing or unedited. It's easy to miss.

To clear the filter:

1. Go to View > Show Filter Bar, or press the backslash key (\).
2. Set the filter to None.
3. Check that all your photos are visible in the grid.

You're viewing the photos in a non-Adobe app

XMP edits, both sidecar and embedded, are only readable by Adobe-compatible software. If you're viewing photos in Finder, Windows Photos, Preview (Mac), or any other standard viewer, you'll see the original, unedited version. This isn't a sign that something went wrong.

To see your edits: Open the photos in Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, or Bridge. If you're using Lightroom, go to the Local tab. That's where Imagen edits appear.

Watch this video for more help:
 

Still not seeing your edits?

The fastest fix is to re-upload your photos to a new project in Imagen. We'll credit your account for the duplicate project. Just let us know once you upload your project again.

If you've worked through all these steps and your edits still aren't appearing, contact support.