Cheat sheet
Stock metadata limits cheat sheet
One metadata set should pass every marketplace you submit to. That means writing to the strictest limit in each field, not the most generous one.
Limits by marketplace
| Marketplace | Title | Description | Keywords | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Stock | 70 characters | Not used (title only) | 50 max | One numeric ID |
| Shutterstock | 200 characters | 200 characters | 50 max | One or two from a fixed list |
| Freepik | Descriptive title | Optional | 50 max | Single category |
| 123RF | 200 characters | 200 characters | 40 recommended | Two categories |
The safe values to write to
- Title: 70 characters or fewer.
- Description: 150 characters or fewer.
- Keywords: 25–49, relevance ordered.
- Categories: one literal, one conceptual where a second slot exists.
Metadata World enforces these ceilings in the AI prompt, on the model's output, and on every manual or bulk edit — so an export cannot fail validation for length.
Frequently asked
- How long can a stock photo title be?
- Adobe Stock truncates past 70 characters and Shutterstock allows up to 200. Writing to 70 characters keeps one title valid everywhere.
- What is the safe keyword count across marketplaces?
- 49. Adobe and Shutterstock both cap at 50, so 49 leaves headroom for a manually added term without breaking the upload.
- Do descriptions have a limit?
- Shutterstock requires a description of up to 200 characters; keeping it at 150 or fewer keeps it readable and reusable on other sites.
Let the limits enforce themselves
Generate metadata that is already inside every marketplace cap.
Open the studioNext: Adobe Stock CSV format and Shutterstock keyword optimization.