Just tried to upload a batch of images using my usual method - Bridge to set keywords in priority order then upload.
All of the uploaded images have the order messed up - sometimes its alphabetical, some times it seems completely random so it looks like it's ignored the file settings.

Anyone else experience this?

(They all show in priority order on the jpg themselves locally)

Just tried to upload a batch of images using my usual method - Bridge to set keywords in priority order then upload.
All of the uploaded images have the order messed up - sometimes its alphabetical, some times it seems completely random so it looks like it's ignored the file settings.

Anyone else experience this?

(They all show in priority order on the jpg themselves locally)

There have been some changes to how embedded keywords are read based on how you are embedding them. The good news is that keywords you add in Lightroom (both versions) now retain the order you added them when the images are uploaded to the portal (remember to list the most important keywords first!). They are still displayed in alphabetical order in Lightroom to maintain the organization there, but once they are brought into Adobe Stock, the order reverts to how you wrote them.

There was an unintended consequence to that upgrade that may affect some of you based on your workflow. It did affect me so I'll share my experience. If you import files into Lightroom using keywords that aren't necessarily for stock, those keywords stick with the file, regardless of whether you change them later in Bridge.

For instance, I have a puppy named Finley and as a proud puppy poppa, I'm shooting a lot of photos of him. I usually add the keyword "Finley" when importing a shoot featuring him to Lightroom so I can find them later (I know I should be using collections and albums! Don't judge, I'm set in my ways). I make my adjustments and export the JPG. Because for so many years, LR reverted to alphabetical order, I open the file in Bridge and add my keywords for stock "golden retriever, dog, puppy, pet....etc." there.

What has been happening recently is that the Adobe Stock Contributor Portal is not reading the new keywords, but instead is listing the original keyword "Finley" that I added in Lightroom.

Whether this is an easy fix or a complicated one for us remains to be seen. Admittedly, my personal workflow is clunky, so hopefully this doesn't affect any of you. I suspect it may be the culprit behind the issue you've noted here though it's not exactly the same scenario as I described. As a temporary workaround, I have stopped adding keywords to Lightroom Classic upon import and am now using collections. It turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks!

-Mat Hayward

...The good news is that keywords you add in Lightroom (both versions) now retain the order you added them when the images are uploaded to the portal (remember to list the most important keywords first!). They are still displayed in alphabetical order in Lightroom to maintain the organization there...

That's good information to have - thanks.

Feedback about showing keywords in Lightroom differently from how they were added by the photographer is that editing will be impossible. If you realize that what you entered - in priority order because you knew you were uploading as stock - needs to be changed, how can you do that? You can't see the priority you first used and so can't change priorities or add a new "top 5" keyword in the right place, bumping the others down.

The only way to serve both uses, IMO, is to have an option to alphabetize or preserve entered order.

Or enter keywords in Photoshop

I'm sorry, but no. I don't know the answer to this one though your feedback about the confusion is understood and noted. I'll be sure to provide updates here when available.

Hi Matt, just a suggestion to AS (don't take this as a snarky comment - its not intended as such), it might be an idea that when changes like this are made that alter the way things are done from a years old system everyone understands to notify contributors either via email or a popup in the contributor portal.  I suspect most people don't see this forum and might be confused or unaware what's going on.

A.S. customer comms etc is far better than any other agency I use but this could be somewhere to improve.


(FWIW with CSVs i use them for video and its quite an annoying extra step when uploading to multiple agencies all of which use slightly different fields and formats etc.)

Ultimately the change is a good thing so no reason to hide it.