What the Shutterstock checker looks at
7 to 50 keywords
Fewer than 7 and Shutterstock will not accept the file; more than 50 are not allowed.
At least 5 words
Shutterstock asks for a descriptive sentence of at least five words ("your description must be at least 5 words").
150 characters
The description field, which is also the title, holds 150 characters.
A sentence, not a list
Titles with three or more commas read like a keyword list. Write what the subject is doing and where.
Plain text
Special characters such as # @ * < > in the title are flagged.
Last checked: . Agencies update their rules, so confirm against the official guidelines: Shutterstock Contributor help: preparing your content for submission.
Every agency's rules the checker uses
| Agency | Rule | What the checker does |
|---|---|---|
| Shutterstock | 7 to 50 keywords | Counts your keywords against both limits. |
| Shutterstock | Description of at least 5 words and up to 150 characters | Checks word count and length, and flags titles that read like a keyword list. |
| Adobe Stock | Up to 49 keywords; the first 10 weigh most | Counts your keywords and marks the first 10. |
| Adobe Stock | Title up to 200 characters, about 70 recommended | Flags titles over the limit and warns above the recommended length. |
| Adobe Stock | No repeated, plural or US/UK spelling pairs; no artist names | Finds repeats, singular/plural and spelling pairs, and copyrighted artist names. |
| iStock & Getty Images | Up to 50 keywords from the controlled vocabulary | Matches every keyword to the iStock vocabulary of about 20,600 terms, shows what iStock will not accept and suggests similar vocabulary keywords. |
| Alamy | A caption and at least 5 tags to go on sale, up to 50 tags | Counts your tags; the Alamy CSV puts your first 10 in the Supertags column. |
| Alamy | Captions are cut at 150 characters in Image Manager | Warns when the title is longer. |
| All agencies | No brand, product or character names in commercial metadata | Flags common brand, product and character names. |
All limits side by side: stock agency metadata requirements compared.
How it works
- Drop up to 20 photos, the exported JPEGs you are about to upload, or paste a title and keywords.
- Read the checks. Each agency gets a verdict, with every problem listed. The first 10 keywords are marked for Adobe Stock, and keywords iStock won't accept are crossed out.
- Fix them here. Remove a keyword with ×, add new ones, take similar iStock terms with one click, or edit the title. Every check runs again as you go.
- Download a CSV for Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, iStock or Alamy and upload it with your photos, or copy the keywords.
Checkers for each agency
Adobe Stock metadata checker
That agency's rules first, with its CSV.
iStock & Getty Images metadata checker
That agency's rules first, with its CSV.
Alamy metadata checker
That agency's rules first, with its CSV.
Free Shutterstock keyword generator
No keywords yet? Write them from the photo with AI.
Stock rejection checker
Logos, people, property and quality problems in the photo itself.
Selling on another agency?
The checker covers Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, iStock & Getty Images and Alamy. Tell us which agency you'd like next; we add the ones contributors ask for most.
Frequently asked questions
How many keywords does Shutterstock need?
At least 7 and at most 50 per file. 25 to 30 accurate keywords usually do better than 50 loose ones.
Why was my Shutterstock description rejected?
Usually because it is shorter than five words, longer than 150 characters, a list of keywords instead of a sentence, or it names a brand. The checker flags each of these.
How do I get the fixed metadata into Shutterstock?
Download the Shutterstock CSV and upload it after your photos. It fills in descriptions and keywords by file name; pick the categories when you submit.
Is the metadata checker free?
Yes, free and unlimited, with no account. The checks run in your browser. For the iStock check, only the keywords and title are sent to PhotoTager, never the photo.
Which metadata fields does it read?
The XMP title, headline, description, keywords and copyright (dc:title, photoshop:Headline, dc:description, dc:subject, dc:rights) and, in JPEG files, the IPTC Object Name, Headline, Caption, Keywords and Copyright Notice. These are the fields Lightroom, Bridge, Photoshop and most keywording tools write and that stock agencies read on upload.
Can I fix the metadata here?
Yes. Edit the title, remove keywords or add new ones, and every check runs again as you type. Then copy the keywords or download a CSV for Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, iStock or Alamy with one row per photo. The CSV fills in the metadata when you upload it with your photos; the photo files themselves are not changed.
How does the iStock check work?
iStock and Getty Images only use keywords from their controlled vocabulary. The checker matches each of your keywords to about 20,600 iStock vocabulary terms, shows the ones iStock will not accept as written, and suggests similar vocabulary keywords you can add with one click. The iStock CSV uses the matched keywords in iStock's spelling.
Why does the checker find no keywords in my file?
Either the file has no embedded metadata, or your editor saved it to a separate .xmp sidecar file (common for RAW files in Lightroom). Export a JPEG with metadata included and check that file instead.
Which file types are supported?
JPEG, PNG and WebP. IPTC fields are read from JPEG only; for the other formats the checker reads XMP.
What does "your description must be at least 5 words" mean on Shutterstock?
Shutterstock asks for a complete descriptive sentence of at least five words, and its description field also works as the title. The checker flags any title shorter than that. Rewrite it as a sentence that says what the subject is doing and where, rather than adding filler words.
Does it check the photo itself?
No, only the metadata. Logos, recognizable people, property and image quality are checked by the free stock rejection checker, which looks at the photo with AI.
Metadata that passes, for a whole shoot
PhotoTager writes titles and keywords for every photo you process, inside each agency's limits, with iStock keywords from its vocabulary. Pay-as-you-go from $0.04 per image, credits never expire.
Start free with $2 of creditsMore free tools: Description generator · Editorial caption generator · Stock rejection checker · Keyword generators