Written by a contributor with 20,000+ images on Adobe Stock
Microstock, explained: how to sell stock images made with AI
Microstock means licensing the same image to many buyers through big online libraries. This guide shows where AI images are allowed, what the sites really require and why files get rejected, then how to prepare the whole batch in one app.
- Title, keywords and CSV are free
- 4 High images + 4 upscales to try
- No card to start
Plans from €49 a month, excluding VAT. Site policies were checked against their official help pages on Oct 2, 2026: see the sources at the bottom of the page.
Last reviewed 2026-10-04
Title58/70
Remote worker typing on a laptop at a bright kitchen table
Example
Keywords49/49
Microstock in four numbers
- 3 of 7
- stock sites we checked clearly accept AI images today. Dreamstime did under 2023 terms (not confirmed for 2026)
- 4 MP
- is Adobe Stock's minimum resolution. The maximum is 100 MP and 45 MB
- 3
- is the maximum number of similar iterations Adobe Stock accepts of one idea
- 10
- keywords carry the most weight on Adobe Stock, so the order you write them in matters
What is microstock?
Microstock is the part of the stock image business where independent contributors upload photos, illustrations, vectors and videos to large online libraries, and those libraries license them to buyers at low prices. You upload a file once; it can be licensed again and again, and the site pays you a share of each license.
The model rewards volume and consistency: a large portfolio of useful, well-tagged images that buyers actually search for. That is why generative AI changed microstock so quickly. It made producing images much faster, and the stock sites responded with very different rules. Some accept AI images under clear conditions; others ban them outright.
If you sell AI images, the first decision is not what to make, but where you are allowed to sell it.
Where to sell stock photography if you use AI
Summary of each site's policy on AI-generated images, checked against their official help pages on October 2, 2026. Full details, labels and limits in our guide to stock photo sites that accept AI images.
| Stock site | Accepts AI images? | Key condition |
|---|---|---|
| Adobe Stock | Yes | Tick “Created using generative AI tools”; max. 3 similar iterations; min. 4 MP |
| Freepik (now Magnific Contributor) | Yes | AI tag required (AI button or “_ai_generated” in the CSV); min. 2000 px |
| 123RF | Yes | Only in the “AI Generated Images” category; min. 6 MP |
| Dreamstime | Yes, with conditions (2023 policy) | Say it is AI in the description; no generated human faces. [[PENDIENTE: confirmar que la política de IA de Dreamstime de 2023 sigue vigente en 2026]] |
| Shutterstock | No, per the data we have | Its policy page (checked Oct 2, 2026) says contributors may not submit AI-generated content |
| Alamy | No | Does not accept images generated by AI programs |
| iStock / Getty Images | No | AI-free imagery policy |
Policies change. We review this table every quarter; always check the site's own help page before uploading.
How much can you make with microstock?
Each site pays contributors a share of every license, and the share and the price of each license differ by site, license type and, on some sites, by your contributor level. Current rates: [[PENDIENTE: comisiones o royalties por descarga de Adobe Stock, Freepik/Magnific, 123RF y Dreamstime, con fuente y fecha]].
Typical earnings per image or per month: [[PENDIENTE: ganancia media por imagen o por mes con fuente fiable y fecha]]. We would rather leave this blank than quote a number we can't source.
What we can say: the owner of Stock Creatives has more than 20,000 images published on Adobe Stock. That is a best case built over years, not a typical result. Most contributors start with a few hundred files and learn which subjects sell. The levers you control are acceptance rate, volume, useful subjects and good metadata, which is exactly what the rest of this guide is about.
How to sell stock photography: 8 steps to get started
- 1Pick sites that accept AIStart with Adobe Stock, then add Freepik (Magnific Contributor) and 123RF if you want more outlets. Do not upload AI images to Shutterstock, Alamy or iStock: they don't accept them.
- 2Choose subjects buyers needStock is bought to illustrate something: a concept, an industry, a season, a lifestyle moment. Think in series of useful, clearly different images rather than dozens of near-copies.
- 3Keep real names out of everythingAdobe forbids the names of artists, real people, fictional characters, copyrighted works, government agencies and third-party brands in prompts, titles and keywords. Violations can lead to removal or account termination.
- 4Check every image at 100% zoomLook for broken hands and anatomy, garbled text, logos, signatures, odd shadows and render artifacts. These are among the most common refusal reasons for AI content.
- 5Upscale without losing qualityAdobe's minimum is 4 MP, 123RF asks for 6 MP and Freepik for at least 2000 px. Adobe also says: “Don't increase resolution in ways that degrade quality.” Export as JPEG with an sRGB profile. See our AI image upscaler.
- 6Write a title and keywordsOn Adobe Stock: a title under 70 characters, 5 to 50 keywords in one language (the account's), with the most important ones first because the first 10 carry the most weight. Stock Creatives writes them for you, free.
- 7Label the file correctlyTick “Created using generative AI tools”. If a fictional person or property looks real, tick “People and Property are fictional”. Photorealistic images go under Photos; everything else under Illustrations. AI content can't go to Illustrative Editorial.
- 8Upload in batches with a CSVAdobe accepts a CSV with filename, title and keywords, so you don't type metadata file by file. Submit at most three iterations of similar images.
A note on upscaling for Adobe Stock
Adobe doesn't ban upscaling images. Its AI FAQ says generative content must meet the usual quality standards and asks you not to “increase resolution in ways that degrade quality”. An older Adobe PDF from 2023 suggested not going beyond 6 to 8 MP; the 2026 technical pages allow up to 100 MP and don't repeat that cap.
In practice, the rule is simple: the upscaled file must still look clean at 100% zoom, without halos, plastic skin, invented noise or over-sharpening. Stock Creatives upscales to 3x so your files clear the minimums comfortably and to maximize acceptance, and you should still check the result before you submit.
- 3x means nine times the pixels
- Faithful mode adds detail instead of just stretching pixels
- Works on your own files too, for example from Midjourney
Adobe Stock technical requirements (photos and illustrations)
From Adobe's contributor help pages (last updated June 11, 2026), consulted October 2, 2026.
| Parameter | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 4 MP minimum, 100 MP maximum |
| File size | 45 MB maximum |
| Format | Photos: JPEG with sRGB color profile. Illustrations: JPEG only. PNG only as a separate content type, with a transparent background |
| Color space | sRGB |
| Compression | No fixed number, but excessively compressed files may be refused |
| Not allowed | Borders or frames, watermarks, timestamps, branding |
| AI label | “Created using generative AI tools” is required for all generative AI content |
| Similar images | Submit a maximum of three iterations of similar assets |
| Title | Under 70 characters |
| Keywords | 5 to 50 (Adobe's tips page says up to 49); the first 10 matter most |
Mistakes that get microstock files rejected
Taken from the refusal reasons that Adobe Stock, Shutterstock and Freepik publish for contributors:
- Not labeling AI content (or labeling non-AI content as AI). Adobe lists mislabeling as a refusal reason; Freepik rejects untagged AI resources.
- Too many similar images. More than three iterations of the same idea, or several versions of one prompt, is treated as spam.
- Anatomical errors: extra fingers, merged limbs, distorted faces.
- Text, signatures, watermarks or logos inside the image.
- Surreal or distorted results and unrealistic shadows, depth or lighting.
- Render artifacts, noise and halos, often introduced by aggressive sharpening or a bad upscale.
- Heavily edited or over-sharpened files, unrealistic skin smoothing and unnatural saturation.
- Soft or out-of-focus images and pixelated or jagged edges.
- Files that are too small or too compressed, or that have borders or frames.
- Protected names in the metadata: artists, real people, characters or brands in the title or keywords.
Title, keywords and CSV without the spreadsheet
Metadata is where most beginners lose hours. In Stock Creatives it is included and doesn't use credits: a title of up to 70 characters and up to 49 keywords for every image, plus the CSV you attach when you upload to Adobe Stock.
It works for images you generate in the app and for images you upload. You upload the files to Adobe yourself and then attach the CSV, so titles and keywords are filled in for the whole batch.
- Edit any title or keyword before you export
- One CSV for the whole batch
- No typing metadata image by image
Title58/70
Remote worker typing on a laptop at a bright kitchen table
Example
Keywords49/49
Where Stock Creatives fits
Stock Creatives was built for people who sell AI images on stock sites, mainly Adobe Stock. It covers the whole flow in one place:
Generate
Top-tier image models in Low, Medium or High quality: one fast and very good, one slower with more quality. Also coherent photo sessions with recurring characters.
Upscale to 3x
Our own upscaler, for images made in the app and for your own files (Midjourney and others). JPEG or PNG output.
Title and keywords included
A title of up to 70 characters and up to 49 keywords, at no extra cost.
CSV ready to upload
Download your images plus an Adobe Stock CSV ready to upload with your batch.
Automatic review
Flags hands, text and logos before you submit, and lets you fix them with zone retouching, generative fill and “fix hands”.
Real SVG vectors
Shapes and curves, not pixels, so they don't need upscaling.
What a month of production costs
Upscalers charge per image, and you still have to generate the image somewhere else. Stock Creatives puts both in one plan: €49 gives you 200 images generated in High quality and upscaled 3x. At Magnific, €36 gives you 46 upscales, and €88 gives you 112, before you've generated anything.
Magnific is a good upscaler and does more than this comparison covers. We only compare the job a stock contributor needs done every month: a finished image. Earnings from selling those images are never guaranteed.
What one month buys
generated + upscaled 3x
upscales only, no generating
generated + upscaled 3x
upscales only, no generating
4.1 vs 1.3 per euro
3x more per euro
Magnific prices seen Oct 4, 2026. Magnific figures are upscale-only: the images still have to be generated somewhere else.
You can also check what metadata a file already carries with our free photo metadata viewer, or see the plans on the pricing page. Selling elsewhere too? Read where to sell AI art and our Adobe Stock vs Shutterstock comparison.
Frequently asked questions
What does microstock mean?+
It's stock imagery sold through large online libraries at low prices to many buyers. Contributors upload their files once and earn a share each time a file is licensed.
Can I sell AI images on microstock sites?+
On some. Adobe Stock, Freepik (Magnific Contributor) and 123RF accept them with an AI label; Dreamstime accepted them under conditions in 2023. Shutterstock, Alamy and iStock don't. See the full list.
How much money can you make with stock photography?+
It varies a lot and is never guaranteed. It depends on the site's commission, your portfolio size, your niche and your acceptance rate. We don't publish average figures we can't source.
What resolution does Adobe Stock need?+
At least 4 MP and at most 100 MP, as a JPEG in sRGB, up to 45 MB. Upscaling is fine as long as it doesn't degrade quality.
Why do AI images get rejected?+
Mostly for missing AI labels, too many similar images, anatomical errors, text or logos in the image, artifacts and over-sharpening, and protected names in the metadata.
Do I need to upload images one by one?+
No. Adobe Stock accepts a CSV with filename, title and keywords. Stock Creatives generates that CSV for you.
Can I try Stock Creatives before paying?+
Yes. Sign up and confirm your email to get 4 High images and 4 upscales to try. No card is needed.
Sources
- Adobe Stock: Technical and legal requirements for photo submission · 2026-10-02
- Adobe Stock: Technical and legal requirements for illustration submission · 2026-10-02
- Adobe Stock: Generative AI content guidelines · 2026-10-02
- Adobe Stock: Generative AI FAQ · 2026-10-02
- Adobe Stock: 10 tips for getting your generative AI images approved (PDF, 2023) · 2026-10-02
- Adobe Stock: Common reasons for content refusal · 2026-10-02
- Adobe Stock: Quality and technical standards · 2026-10-02
- Adobe Stock: Tips for effective titles and keywords · 2026-10-02
- Adobe Stock: CSV requirements · 2026-10-02
- Shutterstock: Content policy updates, AI-generated content · 2026-10-02
- Freepik / Magnific Contributor: AI generated resources, general guidelines · 2026-10-02
- Freepik / Magnific Contributor: Automatic rejections · 2026-10-02
- 123RF: Guidelines for AI generated content · 2026-10-02
- Dreamstime: Now accepting AI-generated content under specific terms (2023) · 2026-10-02
- Alamy: Contributor uploading · 2026-10-02
- iStock: AI-Free Imagery Policy · 2026-10-02
- Magnific plans: €36 for 45,000 credits (46 upscales) and €88 for 112 upscales · 2026-10-04 [[PENDIENTE: enlace o captura de la página de precios de Magnific]]
Turn your next batch into finished stock images
Generate, upscale to 3x and get your title, keywords and Adobe Stock CSV in one app. 4 High images and 4 upscales to try when you confirm your email. No card needed.
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