Participant

Question

Why is similar content accepted from some contributors but rejected from others?

Forum|Forum|9 hours ago
October 4, 2026
10 replies
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I have a question about Adobe Stock's “Similar Content” rejection policy.

While searching for the checkmark icon, I found several contributor profiles with many very similar assets, where only the color, position, or small details appear to be changed.

For example:

I have personally submitted similar variations, but my files were rejected for “Similar Content.”

I would like to understand how this policy is applied consistently. If these types of variations are acceptable, why are similar submissions from other contributors rejected?

If these assets violate the Similar Content policy, could Adobe also review the examples above? Otherwise, could Adobe explain what specific difference makes those submissions acceptable while mine are rejected?

I am not asking for other contributors to be penalized. I simply want to understand the review criteria and apply the same standard to my own submissions.

daniellei4510

Community Expert

I’ve seen a number of post from contributors of disabled accounts stating something to the effect of, “I’ve been a contributor for years and suddenly my account has been disabled and I have done nothing wrong.” Maybe, just maybe, it’s these accounts, as per your examples, that Adobe is finally cracking down on.

Adobe Community Expert | I have miles to go before I sleep, but I'm all done on this end.

M

Mystical_strategist98c4Author

Participant

That is also what I am thinking.

If Adobe changed or tightened the Similar Content policy, then are they also reviewing the previously accepted similar assets under the current policy?

If those assets are not allowed under the current rules, why are they still available in the contributor profiles?

I am not saying that these contributors' accounts should be disabled, and I am not asking Adobe to remove everything without review. I only want to know whether Adobe applies the current Similar Content rules to older accepted assets or only to new submissions.

If Adobe reviews the older content and finds that it does not meet the current standards, then this may explain why some contributors are now receiving enforcement actions.

daniellei4510

Community Expert

I’m the proud creator of nearly 800 assets rejected for "similar content." I’m not talking about simple circles and checkmarks here, but many assets that I felt were unique, had context, and were created specifically based on what Adobe itself says they are looking for. It can also be frustrating to go to the best sellers page and see that the most popular assets being purchased are exactly what would now be rejected as similar content: office workers at laptops or holding cell phones, abstract backgrounds, and the same model used in not just three, but dozens of various but similar poses and environments.

(As a side note, I think the best sellers page should be eliminated entirely, as it only encourages contributors to continue submitting assets that will—or should—be summarily rejected as similar content.)

To be fair, one cannot expect a given moderator to retain the entire database of nearly a billion images in their head. As such, I don’t believe it is the moderators who are rejecting assets for similar content, but an algorithm making flawed judgment calls—sometimes getting it right, sometimes wrong, and sometimes still letting genuinely similar content slip through the process. As many have long maintained, the algorithm is likely looking at keywords and titles, not necessarily the images themselves. If commonly used keywords are at the top of the list, that image might be rejected, even if it is unique in and of itself.

Anyway, I’m rambling. But I think we can agree that the moderation process, while not completely broken, is at least in need of improvement.

Adobe Community Expert | I have miles to go before I sleep, but I'm all done on this end.

yamato713108855

Community Expert

The reason this asset was accepted—despite the difference in submission timing—may be that the Adobe Stock moderator did not recognize it as a similar asset.
Assets submitted together typically have sequential file numbers.

Additionally, this could be due to the fact that up to three variations were previously permitted.
Nowadays, even submissions with three or fewer variations may be rejected.

AlexBond

Inspiring

Adobe Stock moderator did not recognize “simple green checkmark symbol” or “simple arrow sign” as similar? Do they specifically hire idiots for this job?

“Additionally, this could be due to the fact that up to three variations were previously permitted” — that’s not true. Any work can be rejected as “Similar,” regardless of its complexity, variations, subject matter, etc. It’s a carte blanche for moderators.

yamato713108855

Community Expert

Posting after a period of time may increase the chances of it being accepted.

AlexBond

Inspiring

Wow.
“Profile Four” in your examples is simply wonderful. A portfolio of several thousand images consisting of hundreds of primitive, nearly identical vectors, and at the same time — editorial, haha! — screenshots of websites, payment system logos, and scans of banknotes. And, of course, low-quality or overprocessed photos as well. Bravo. What a great example.

You know, considering that this profile appears to be based somewhere in India, it makes my suspicion even stronger that Adobe simply outsources its image moderation process, in an effort to cut costs, to the cheapest IT company they can find somewhere in the East. And what we are seeing here is not just some kind of “systemic error” but — quite possibly — the actual portfolio of someone from the moderation team, or someone connected to that “moderation team.”
And “on that side,” moderation is most likely perceived as a license to upload any kind of garbage without restriction, which they are more than happy to take advantage of. And Adobe itself simply doesn’t seem to care at all.

I cannot find any other explanation for how it is possible to upload thousands of nearly identical, primitive images to a portfolio without any moderation whatsoever.

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