Rejected as AI-Generated Content: Which Agencies Accept AI Images
Most stock agencies decided early what to do with AI images, and they did not decide the same thing. A file that is fine on one site is refused on the next, so it helps to know which rule you are uploading under.
What the agency says
iStock
AI-free imagery
iStock says it "doesn't accept visuals created by generative AI for inclusion in its library". AI tools may be used for limited retouching of your own photo, but not to add new elements, subjects or objects.
Shutterstock
AI-generated content
Shutterstock says it "will not allow AI-generated content to be submitted by contributors for licensing on our platform", even though it offers its own AI image tool to buyers.
Pond5
AI-generated content
Pond5 says it does not allow the submission of AI-generated content in its marketplace, because its authorship cannot be attributed to an individual person.
Depositphotos
AI-generated files
Depositphotos says it "does not accept AI-generated files for upload to our stock platform from our contributors".
Adobe Stock
Generative AI content
Adobe Stock takes generative AI content that meets its usual requirements, and asks you to tick "Created using generative AI tools" when you submit it.
What the rejection means
The picture, or a large part of it, was made by an AI image generator, and the agency does not license that kind of content from contributors. There is nothing to fix in the file: the rule is about how it was made.
The agencies give two reasons. Ownership of AI output cannot be traced to one person, and the artists whose work trained the models cannot be paid. That is why the same picture can be refused on one site and accepted, with a label, on another.
What to do with a refused AI image
- Do not resubmit it to the same agency. iStock, Shutterstock, Pond5 and Depositphotos refuse it whatever the quality.
- Send it where AI content is allowed, labelled. On Adobe Stock, tick "Created using generative AI tools" when you submit.
- Never strip the label to get past review. It does not change the rule, and repeated AI uploads are a common reason agencies close contributor accounts.
How to keep it from happening
- Sort your files before you upload. Keep AI work and camera work in separate folders and separate batches.
- Read what the file says. Many AI tools write a label into the file. The Requirements Checker shows it, and PixelKeyAI marks such files on their result cards and warns before an export to an agency that refuses them.
- Label it yourself. In PixelKeyAI, mark a file as AI-generated and the downloaded file carries the IPTC digital source type, so the next tool that opens it knows too.
Check what your files say about themselves
The free Requirements Checker reads the AI labels a photo carries, such as the IPTC digital source type and the settings AI tools write into PNG files, next to each agency's upload rules. It runs in your browser.
Sources and when this was checked
Last checked: November 2026. The agency wording on this page comes from the help pages below. Agencies reword their reasons from time to time, so open the source if your message reads differently.
Frequently asked questions
Does Shutterstock accept AI-generated images?
No. Shutterstock does not accept AI-generated content from contributors, even if you wrote the prompt yourself.
Which agencies take AI images?
Adobe Stock accepts generative AI content when you tick its "Created using generative AI tools" box at upload. iStock, Shutterstock, Pond5 and Depositphotos do not accept it. iStock is the strictest: its library is AI-free, and AI may only be used for limited retouching, never to add anything to the picture.
Is a photo edited with generative fill AI-generated?
It can be. Files with AI-made parts often carry an IPTC label for composite AI content. Adobe asks you to label work where AI tools changed or added a main subject. Check each agency's page before you upload such a file.
How can an agency tell?
Many AI tools write a label into the file, such as the IPTC digital source type, Content Credentials, or the generation settings in a PNG. Reviewers also judge how a picture looks. Removing the labels does not change an agency's rule.
