Understanding Rejections
Understanding Rejections
29 articles
Why was my content rejected as Non-Licensable Content?Content cannot be licensed due to legal restrictions
Why was my content rejected for File Integrity?Follow these tips if your content was corrupt or if there was an error in transmission
Why was my content rejected for Spelling/Grammar?Images featuring text must be without spelling or grammatical errors
Why was my content rejected for Incorrect Illustration Designation?Photographs that contain illustrations or graphics should be submitted as photos
Why was my content rejected for Artboard?Vectors must be on one artboard
Content Quality Standards: White BalanceContent produced with an incorrect white balance setting is not acceptable.
Why was my footage rejected for Resolution / Aspect Ratio?Pillarboxing and letterboxing are acceptable only for vintage content
Why was my footage rejected for VR / 360 / 3D?Shutterstock is not accepting 360/virtual reality or 3D footage at this time.
Why was my video rejected for Clip Length?Clips should be be between 5 and 60 seconds unless loopable or a complete transition.
Why was my content rejected for Submitted to a Different Account or Previously Submitted Content?Shutterstock does not accept duplicate content
Why was my content rejected as being objectionable, explicit, or inappropriate?Content is not appropriate for our marketplace.
Why was my image rejected for Illustration Designation?Scanned artwork and digital composites with illustrations should be tagged as illustrations
Why was my content rejected or removed even though the customer site contains similar work?We regularly audit our collection and refine our review policies
Why was my vector illustration rejected for Multiple Windows?We do not accept vector files with multiple windows
What does overuse of noise reduction and sharpening look like?Images with excessive noise reduction or sharpening effects applied look either soft or too crisp
Content Policy Updates: Similar ContentAn ongoing list of updates related to the Similar Content review rejection
Why was my content rejected for Editorial Designation?All editorial content must be properly tagged during submission
Why was my content rejected for Mature Content Designation?Subject matter with nudity, sexual themes, profanity, or graphic depictions must be designated as Mature Content
Why was my content rejected for Personal Branding/Timestamp?Do not include names, signatures, watermarks, personal logos, or datestamps / timestamps in content and/or metadata.
Why was my content rejected for Inaccurate Information?Inaccurate information within images or clips will be rejected
Why was my content rejected for Inappropriate Representation?Potentially inappropriate depiction or description of a person’s race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or age.
Why was my content rejected for Image / Video Orientation?Content must be uploaded with the correct orientation
Why was my content rejected for Text / Graphic Placement?Text should be applied in ways that are easy for the customer to edit
Why was my content rejected for Translation Required?An English translation is required. Add small amounts to the title field. Large amounts of non-English text are not allowed in content.
Why was my content rejected for Altered Editorial?Editorial images should never be significantly altered
Why was my content rejected for Similar Content?Content that is too visually similar to previously submitted or approved content cannot be accepted
Why was my content rejected for QR Code?Detailed QR code designs, whether functioning or inactive, are prohibited.
Why was my video rejected for Audio?Examples of acceptable and unacceptable audio for video clips.
Why was my content rejected for Vector / Illustration Technical Quality?Illustrations submitted to Shutterstock must be of professional quality