Distinct content submission guidelines

To maintain the quality and discoverability of content in our collection, we encourage Contributors to submit varied, thoughtfully curated content while avoiding submissions that are too similar. Similar content is one of the top reasons we refuse content submitted to Adobe Stock. When there are too many similar submissions, it can reduce the visibility of your creative work to our customers. The following are some tips and best practices to help differentiate your submissions and avoid content refusal due to similarity. 

Best practices for distinct submission

To improve approval rates and make your content more discoverable, follow these best practices:

• Be selective: Submit only the strongest and most distinctive variations from a shoot or concept.
• Diversify metadata: Tailor titles and keywords to reflect each submission's unique attributes. Reusing identical metadata for similar content can lead to refusals.
• Think like a customer: Consider how customers search for content, avoid redundancy, and focus on what would feel fresh, relevant, and discoverable.

Refusal reasons for similar content

Content that matches in composition or subject can limit discoverability in search results. Select the strongest and most distinctive assets that showcase your creativity while offering meaningful variety to customers. Similarity extends beyond identical compositions. Adobe Stock considers content too similar when submissions contain the following features:

• Subject and composition: The same subject photographed from slightly different angles or distances.
• Creative treatment: Identical concepts executed with only minor variations in color, filter, or effect.
• Series submissions: Sequential shots from the same moment or location with minimal meaningful difference.
• Metadata patterns: Different images tagged with identical titles and keywords, suggesting they serve the same customer need.