How many keywords should you use on stock photos? (Adobe, Getty & iStock)

"How many keywords should I add?" is one of the first questions every stock contributor asks — and the instinct is almost always wrong. Most people try to max out the field, on the theory that more keywords means more chances to be found. The real answer depends on the platform and, more than anything, on relevance. Here is how many to use on Adobe Stock, Getty, and iStock — and why the number matters less than you think.

The limits, by platform

• Adobe Stock: up to 49 keywords — though Adobe itself suggests most files do well with 10–25, and its search prioritises your first 10.
• Getty Images & iStock: up to 50, but in practice you often need fewer (more on that below).
• Shutterstock and most others: typically 50, with a search process similar to Adobe's.

So the ceilings are similar everywhere — around 49–50. The mistake is treating that ceiling as a target.

Why more isn't better

Padding the list with loosely-related words actively hurts you. Adobe is explicit that irrelevant keywords have a negative impact on your search placement and reduce buyer trust — when your file turns up for a search it does not match, the customer learns to scroll past your work. A tight list of accurate keywords beats a bloated one every time.

Why Getty needs fewer than Adobe

Getty and iStock run on a controlled vocabularythat does some of the work for you. The terms are structured into a hierarchy with built-in synonyms, so one precise term can quietly attach your image to a whole family of related searches — you don't have to hand-add every synonym and parent category yourself. That is why a Getty file can be fully described with fewer keywords than an Adobe file, where you carry more of that load manually. We unpack how this works in our controlled-vocabulary guide.

The number that actually matters: your first 10

Whatever your total, the most important keywords are the first ones. On Adobe Stock the first 10 carry the most search weight, so the real skill is not how many keywords but which ones lead. Order them strongest-first — people, action, place, key objects, then concepts — as we cover in our guide to keyword order.

A practical rule of thumb

Forget the target number and describe what is genuinely in the frame, thoroughly. A rich scene with people, action, setting, objects, mood and concept will naturally reach 25–49 strong keywords; a minimal subject — a single object on white — might only justify 12, and that is fine. Cover everything that is actually there; never invent terms to hit a quota.

Want a list that is thorough, ordered, and within every platform's limit without the manual counting? See the Adobe Stock keyword generator or the Getty Images keyword tool — free for your first 15 files.