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ParixDev
Participant
October 21, 2025
Question

Adobe Stock images suddenly disappeared from reverse image search results (Google Lens, TinEye, etc)

  • October 21, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 349 views

Hello,
I have an Adobe Stock account, and until recently, I used to find Adobe Stock files easily by doing reverse image searches on sites like TinEye or Google Lens.

For example, whenever I saw an image on other stock websites like Shutterstock or iStock, I could search the same image via these tools and find its match on Adobe Stock.

However, starting two days ago, Adobe Stock seems to have completely disappeared from all major reverse image search engines. Even if I take an image from Adobe Stock itself and search it on TinEye or Google Lens, it doesn’t appear in the results at all.

Unfortunately, the built-in Similar Search feature on Adobe Stock also doesn’t return the exact same image. it only shows related ones. Even typing the exact file title often doesn’t bring up the image, even though it clearly exists on Adobe Stock.

This situation is creating a serious issue for me as a customer because I can no longer find and purchase the specific files I need from Adobe Stock. It may also reduce Adobe Stock’s own sales. since sites like Shutterstock and iStock are still heavily visible in TinEye (often as sponsored results) and appear among the top results in Google Lens, while Adobe Stock has now completely vanished from these searches.
That means users can’t discover or buy Adobe Stock content anymore through normal reverse search methods.

Could this be a technical issue on Adobe Stock’s side?
For example, a recent change in the robots.txt file or some other indexing setting?

 

Examples:

This one is from Shutterstock:
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/watercolor-fly-swallows-bird-set-collection-2491637835

And here’s the same image on Adobe Stock:
https://stock.adobe.com/images/watercolor-swallows-bird-set-collection-isolated-on-white-background-vector-illustration/764443344

→ But it doesn’t show up in any reverse image search results.

Another example:
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/mixed-nuts-wood-bowl-spoon-on-2427208537

And the same one on Adobe Stock:
https://stock.adobe.com/images/mixed-nuts-in-wood-bowl-with-spoon-on-white-background/738737750

→ This one also doesn’t appear in results.

I can provide many more similar examples if needed.

2 replies

RALPH_L
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 22, 2025

If it is not indexed then the SE Bot is at fault. The Shutterstock images have watermarks and cannot be found.

ParixDev
ParixDevAuthor
Participant
October 22, 2025

No, actually, I've been searching Shutterstock and other stock site images on Google Lens and TinEye for years. Even if they have watermarks, they can still be found. These sites also have smaller, watermark-free versions of the same images. But even when I search those, they don’t show up anymore. It’s like Adobe has completely disappeared from these sites.

Nancy OShea
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 21, 2025

I wonder if the massive AWS outage that broke most of the Internet had anything to do with it. 

https://www.techradar.com/news/live/amazon-web-services-alexa-ring-snapchat-fortnite-down-october-2025

 

Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
ParixDev
ParixDevAuthor
Participant
October 22, 2025

No, it's about before it. Actually happened October 18 but AWS outage happened on October 20.