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February 3, 2026
Question

Keywords

  • February 3, 2026
  • 4 replies
  • 162 views

Hello everyone,
Is it legal to copy the keywords of another contributor's image and apply them to my own image? 
Sometimes I find very successful images. Can I copy the same keywords and apply them to my image, or do I have to change some of the words, or is that not allowed at all?

Thank you!

    4 replies

    loopingnatural
    Participating Frequently
    February 4, 2026

    From a beginner’s perspective: copying keywords from other contributors is one of the quickest ways to trigger Adobe’s similarity rejections. It’s better to keyword your content independently, even if the subject is similar.

    RALPH_L
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 4, 2026

    That is morally disgusting! How would you feel if you did the work keywording and somebody copied your work?
    @Nancy OShea  and ​@Jill_C give you correct answers. View other’s keywords if you like but, do your own work.

    February 4, 2026

    I'm talking about similar words. Are they created by the contributor?

    RALPH_L
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 4, 2026

    Sure. Get ideas from others is ok. But, do not copy 1:1 just because they are successful.

    Nancy OShea
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 4, 2026

    Shortcuts won’t help you. In fact, they may hurt you. ‘Similar Content’ refusals are at least partially based on same keywords, titles & descriptions. 

    https://helpx.adobe.com/stock/contributor/help/how-to-submit-distinct-content.html

     

    Whenever possible, you should customize keywords and other metadata to reflect your own work and not the work of other contributors. Keywords are vital to people finding your assets in searches.

    Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
    Jill_C
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 3, 2026

    First of all, there’s nowhere in the stock.adobe.com portal where you can actually see the exact keywords that were entered on an asset. If you notice, below the asset it says, “similar keywords”. Those are not the exact keywords that the Contributor entered. Secondly, unless the image from which you’re considering copying the keywords is identical to your image, what is the point? Keywords should be selected to accurately and thoroughly describe your image. No, it’s not illegal to copy keywords that you see online, but you really ought to put in the effort to select keywords that match “your” image, not someone else’s.

    Jill C., Forum Volunteer
    February 4, 2026

    Thank you!

    I always thought that the “similar words” below the images were written by the image owner as part of their personal description. I wonder if these words are just keywords used to help the images appear in search results. Or are they creative texts?
    If these words are not created by other contributors, can I use them in my own work?

    This led me to wonder how to choose my keywords correctly. How can I organize them properly, and what rules should I follow? How can I choose keywords that truly match the image and help improve visibility and search results?

    RALPH_L
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 4, 2026

    I use Google Gemini AI. It analyzes my photo and makes suggestions based on my prompt.