How to prepare Adobe Stock titles and keywords

An image’s metadata helps a buyer understand and find it. A title or keyword list that sounds impressive but describes the wrong scene is not useful. Start with what the finished image actually shows, then describe its relevant context.

This guide covers a practical review process for titles, keywords and the filenames that connect metadata to your Adobe Stock uploads.

Describe the finished image, not just the prompt

A prompt is an intention. An image is the result. If the prompt asked for a workspace with three people but the finished scene contains two, the metadata needs to describe two.

Write down the visible subject, action and setting. Add a concept only when the image supports it. A generic desk scene should not become “medical research” simply because that term was part of the original brief.

Look for mismatches in objects, people, season, lighting and viewpoint. Removing an inaccurate phrase is often more useful than adding another keyword.

Write a title a person can understand

A useful title reads like a concise description. Start with the main subject and add the action or setting that makes the image distinct.

For an illustrative example: Person arranging seedlings on a wooden potting bench. That tells a buyer more than Amazing gardening concept, nature, lifestyle, success.

Use ordinary language. Avoid promotional claims, a string of disconnected terms or details you cannot verify from the image.

Put the most relevant keywords first

Adobe recommends prioritising the first ten keywords and including important title terms among them. See its metadata guidance for the current advice.

For the seedling example, start with the core subject and activity, then add the setting and relevant concepts. Remove terms that describe objects outside the frame or interpretations the image does not support.

Do not copy the same keyword list across a batch without reviewing each image. Related scenes can still contain different subjects and actions.

Keep one record for each image

A spreadsheet makes it easier to keep a filename, scene description, title, keywords and category together. Each row should refer to one image.

TheProvenLab’s workflow creates a completed prompt sheet and a matching CSV before generation. That is a starting point for the review, rather than a guarantee that the generated output will match every field.

If you change the title or keywords after checking an image, update both the completed workbook and the matching CSV so your records stay consistent.

Match CSV filenames exactly

The filename is the connection between a metadata row and its image. In this workflow, the original AS30.1.png becomes AS30.1.jpg after finishing. The upload CSV uses the final JPG name.

A small change can break that connection. Keep the same batch number, sequence number and extension as the file you upload. Avoid renaming finished images into descriptive titles after preparing the CSV.

If you reject part of a batch, create a reviewed upload copy of the CSV containing only the rows for the selected images. Retain the complete source sheet in your batch documents.

Check the portal after importing metadata

Upload your selected finished JPGs, then apply the matching CSV through the Contributor portal. Refresh and inspect the image records before submitting. Confirm that titles and keywords have attached to the intended files.

Do not assume that creating a CSV completes every submission setting. The generated-content labels need attention in the portal too.

Review generated-content requirements separately

Adobe requires generated content to be labelled and the submission rights checked. Its generative AI FAQ explains the current requirements. Review that guidance before upload.

Metadata cannot repair an image that fails its visual review, and accurate keywords do not guarantee acceptance or sales. Treat the image, the metadata and the submission settings as three connected checks.

For the surrounding file system, read how to organise your Adobe Stock workflow. The Adobe Stock Workflow brings its prompt sheet, CSV examples and processing stages together.