EDF metadata and annotations
Inspect recording metadata and supported annotations.
Separate file context from waveform content: review recording-level fields, per-channel properties, and supported EDF+ or BDF+ annotations before creating your own notes.
Metadata answers “what is this recording?”
An EDF or BDF file contains a recording header and a set of signal headers. Useful review context includes start date and time, duration, number of data records, channel labels, physical units, physical and digital ranges, and samples per data record. Sample rates may differ between channels, so do not assume that every signal uses one shared time grid.
| Area | Examples to inspect | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Recording | Start time, duration, record count | Establishes the recording timeline and overall context. |
| Channel | Label, unit, sample rate, physical and digital range | Provides the scale and identity needed to read a displayed value. |
| Annotations | Onset, optional duration, text, provenance | Places supported events or notes on the recording timeline. |
| Identification | Patient or recording identification fields | May be sensitive; review before exporting or sharing anything. |
Opening a file does not mean that every optional field or vendor-specific convention is understood. Confirm important context against the source system and your organization’s data-handling rules.
A safe inspection sequence
- Open the recording and confirm the active document.
- Use Recording information to inspect recording and selected-channel properties.
- Check units and sample rates before taking point or region measurements.
- Open Annotations to browse, search, filter, and navigate supported recording annotations.
- Create user annotations only when you need separate review notes; save the sidecar with the intended recording.
- Before export, review all selected metadata, annotation text, channel labels, paths, and visible waveform content for sensitive information.
Export deliberately
Metadata CSV excludes patient and recording identification unless you explicitly include it. Annotation CSV can contain recording or user text and identifies provenance. A self-contained HTML report includes only the sections you select, but those sections may still be sensitive.
EDF Workbench does not upload recording metadata or annotations during update checks. Ordinary website and download hosting are separate from the desktop review workflow.
For a broader channel-to-export sequence, continue with the multichannel source-preserving review guide.
Need the exact controls?
Follow the complete annotation and export procedures.
The user guide documents provenance, sidecar association, filtering, CSV scope, and privacy cautions.