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Hello there,
I went from a 95% acceptance rate to 20% or less. Almost all of my submissions are being rejected for the "similar image" reason.
The quality of the images is really good and doesn’t have any issues.
I am uploading at most 2 or 3 variations of each object ,PNGs only and a variety of different items across many categories. I also make sure not to upload similar content that I’ve previously submitted. I am 100% certain that my entire account doesn’t have more than three variations of any given item.
Sometimes, I upload the same object in different styles.
for example, a car in a 3D style and another version in watercolor or clay, so they are still distinct. (2 to 3 variations for each style)
Is this a general issue that will be resolved soon, or is it only affecting me?
Yes, it affects your contributions in that they aren't made available for sale.
It is believed that "similar images" also refers to other similar images throughout the database from other Contributors.
It's not just you.
Others are seeing "similar" rejections, too.
I received a response in a day. But again, it was copperplate standard text. Point is to just let them know what's going on, since Adobe doesn't always check out some of the forums.
Don't use e-mail. Use the "contact us" form! https://helpx.adobe.com/stock/contributor/help/Need-Help-Contact-Us.html
A number of contributors are having assets rejected for being too similar when in fact they are not. We don't know why. Our only option is to wait things out until the situatioin is explained or fixed. Some have ceased to submit new assets in the meantime.
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Vecteezy also accepts AI - keep in mind that they do not accept JPG illustrations, no fantasy styles, and all AI JPGs must be photo-realistic; for PNGs illustrations and fantasy are accepted.
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There are a handful of AI marketplaces that are over saturated with content.
https://medium.com/@kombib/25-platforms-to-sell-your-ai-art-and-make-passive-income-9ced552a9e1b
The well-respected image houses like Getty & Alamy do not accept AI. They actively remove them from their platform, citing potential copyright issues and a commitment to authentic photography.
iStock (owned by Getty) accepts AI provided you use their proprietary AI tool to generate commercially safe images. Their tool is powered by NVIDIA Edify.
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@daniellei4510 @Paper Ferry @Nancy OShea Thank you
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dreamstime
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Same thing happening to me. I even got rejected for an image of a Palace that I've never uploaded previously and the reason given was "SIMILAR IMAGES ALREADY SUBMITTED" even though it was the first time I uploaded it. I suspect reviews are done by AI.
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Was that a regular image or generated by AI?
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It was a regular photo. I did submit AI images and a couple got approved quickly while others still not reviewed.
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If that's AI, why is it SO DAMN slow...
Also, previously, I was getting pictures reviewed in packs, and now—literally, one by one. That's a bit annoying, to be honest.
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Which is probably the way it should be. Just like a lot of photographers who might submit a few assets per week. For every batch of 200-300 AI reviews at one time, 200-300 other assets are not getting reviewed. Although by batch, you might not be having that many reviewed at once. Around 6 to 8 has always been standard for me. Now yes, it's one or two. But I'm still seeing instances of contributors bragging that they had dozens, if not hundreds, of assets reviewed in one day (often with nearly as many rejections).
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Adobe has significantly tightened its automated similarity detection system, likely in an effort to reduce bulk uploads and repetitive content. As a result, even subtle style changes are sometimes not enough to differentiate images in the eyes of the system. Many contributors have reported issues with over-filtering, where clearly distinct versions — such as flat vs. 3D styles, different angles, lighting, or artistic interpretations — are still being flagged as "too similar." This suggests that Adobe's algorithm may focus more on object shape and composition rather than visual style. Additionally, transparent PNG files appear to be under greater scrutiny, as the clear silhouette and isolated object structure make it easier for the system to detect perceived duplicates. This widespread issue is not account-specific, as many contributors, especially those working with vector-style illustrations, 3D renders, or isolated PNG elements, are experiencing the same problem
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Yup, I keep getting these replies all week. I insist that they need to alert their tech team or whoever is in charge of whichever arbitrary rejection tool they are using. I will keep replying to these auto-replies with requests to either announce to the contributors their acceptance criteria changes or to fix the malfunctioning tool or whatever is going on.
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Given that assets with obvious quality issues are being rejected for being too similar, I suspect the assets in question are not even making it to the moderators. There appears to be a "gatekeeper" of sorts in play. This isn't the first time assets have been rejected for being too similar, but they were always few and far between. Something has been tweaked to the extent that many, if not the majority of assets submitted, are being erroneously tagged as too similar.
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Got the same rejection template; we are seemingly ignored by admin. If this rejection rate continues, I doubt many of us will qualify for the free annual subscription to Adobe apps at year end. You literally have to submit tens of thousands in the hope that you can get at least 150 in as the minimum requirement to qualify.
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@hotspurs99Even if you do what you're saying, uploading thousands of images and they all get rejected, I think your account will most likely end up getting banned.
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A passive suggestion on how to avoid refusals is not a rejection.
Actually, it's good advice.
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Even after focusing on all these guidelines, the images are still getting rejected!
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@Nancy OShea Actually, no. It doesn't help at all.
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What exactly do you want from fellow users?
Nobody here works for Adobe.
If you have an axe to grind, communicate it directly to Stock Contributor Support, where it might do some good.
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@Nancy OShea me? Nothing, I'm discussing the issue.
About backgrounds – that's not my case, just an example from Insights.
I already got the same "boilerplate" response from Support (and didn't find anything new in it).
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If Adobe's software team made an addition to the software, periodically and automatically scanned the entire archive, produced a report of what was needed and what was not needed, and somehow delivered it to the contributors...
I think it would be useful.
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If Adobe's software team made a report of what was needed... I think it would be useful.
By @coffeeman_L
================
It's all spelled out in the artist hub:
https://helpx.adobe.com/stock/contributor/help/artist-hub-migration/creat-what-s-in-demand.html
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@Nancy OShea Yes, they have these guidelines in the artist hub. But, for example, my images were rejected for similar images exactly in these categories - business, food, nature, seasonal, and health/wellness. They were not submitted in a series of many, only 1-2 images per category, and they were not similar to what I have in my portfolio.
So, something indeed has changed in the acceptance process and sadly Adobe Stock is not communicating it to contributors. It is unfair that we now have to play a guessing game about what to upload. I personally gave up uploading until (if ever) they provided new acceptance criteria.
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So, something indeed has changed in the acceptance process and sadly Adobe Stock is not communicating it to contributors. It is unfair that we now have to play a guessing game about what to upload.
By @Paper Ferry
That's OK, but the "similar" refusal looks like a bug in the system. However, with the number of assets in the database, everything has been submitted at least once.
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