is copy keywords from other people right thing or not ?
Is that a copyright ?

It's rude.  Also, you could be copying their errors.

Looking at keywords others have used can help you decide what keywords to use, yourself, but you need to make your own sets.

Of course keywords are not copyrighted, they are just common words not intellectual property.
You should definitely observe and study how people keyword their successful assets, that's how you learn, especially if you are not native English speaker.
Also there are many keywording tools made just for that.
All that said, I don't think it'll do you any good in sales if you simply right out copy keywords from other images without adding your unique ones. 

I sometimes look at similar images, which are highly ranked and add words that seem appropriate to me, but don't just copy all the words blindly.

Guilty, Your Honor. I want to upload a photo of a "sliced tomato" for a first time, why would I reinvent a wheel? I grab keywords from top images, sort them, takes keywords that I don't like and could add mine keywords. Keep in mind that English is not my first language. I may just don't know the words that describe "sliced tomato" in details.

Unamas, you're not just copying. You're sorting.

I have found people who really just copy and paste.  I use my name as a keyword when I am allowed, and it gets copied along with everything else.  When I Google myself, there they are.

I send a take down notice because my name is not to used to sell someone else's stuff.

I look at other people's keywords, and sometimes I find a good one I missed, but usually I am just overwhelmed by the amount of poor keywording or outright spam. I guess that is what the sites should expect for pennies, but it is still sad.

Quote from: pancaketom on February 09, 2022, 18:09
I look at other people's keywords, and sometimes I find a good one I missed, but usually I am just overwhelmed by the amount of poor keywording or outright spam. I guess that is what the sites should expect for pennies, but it is still sad.

part of the problem is the popular keyword generators which have some good suggestions, but a lot of spam if copied blindly

As a beginner, it is certainly understandable to look at the keywords of others or to use keyword tools. I have done the same.
In the long run, however, this is not a good strategy. Especially with banal motifs, everyone ends up using the same keywords.

Many of my bestsellers are hackneyed motifs that sell exclusively on the basis of keyword combinations, mostly of a symbolic nature. Of course, I won't reveal which ones they are 

But to stay with the above example, tomatoes are symbolic for example of (spiritual) fertility, I would try that. And with orange peel you can also think of cellulite 

But I'm probably the only one here who enjoys keywording.

All these keywording services are doing exactly the same: display you a couple of images, then you select a bunch of photos and got a set of keywords in the clipboard.

https://imstocker.com/en/keyworder

I totally agree with Ralf. Automation is tempting, but manual keywording is where the real value lies. I've personally keyworded over 20,000 images manually because I don't trust generators to capture the symbolic or specific details that actually drive sales. It's a lot of work, but it's the only way to ensure quality and avoid spamming

Quote from: adolf112 on April 16, 2026, 10:20
... Automation is tempting, but manual keywording is where the real value lies. I've personally keyworded over 20,000 images ...

just curious - how many images can you process in an hour? my rate is 50-100 / hr manually

Quote from: melastmohican on February 09, 2022, 21:27
All these keywording services are doing exactly the same: display you a couple of images, then you select a bunch of photos and got a set of keywords in the clipboard...

some maybe , but most are more comprehensive

eg, i use https://www.visualmind.ai/ which
-- processes up to 500 images at a time
-- allows user to append/pre-pend keywords title & descriptions
-- updates meta data directly,
-- provides separate CSV file of the results
-- special processing for istock submission
-- cost about 1c/image

Haven't checked lately but it used to be strictly forbidden on Shutterstock. Copying 1:1 that is. I used to report copyc*nts who would go through my port and copy keywords and descriptions 1:1, then try and replicate my illustrations the best they could. And yes, they copied errors too. Almost all were from Ukraine/Russia, quite unscrupulous folk. I'm sure some of them even read these forums.

When I run out of keywords or have trouble thinking of any I search for similar images and if their keywords fit my image I use them but I don't just copy and paste

Quote from: Souf10 on February 03, 2022, 12:59
is copy keywords from other people right thing or not ?
Is that a copyright ?

Words are just words. There are no secret words or combinations. Plus, if you are doing the right thing, not the old way of spam and jam and how many twisted, distant, or irrelevant words can you find, you won't want to copy the crummy words that some people insist on including.

Only use words that apply, words that describe, words that are a major part or subject of the image. It's nice to dream and be hopeful or wishful, but a buyer looking for an image of an apple, doesn't want to see watermelon, just because they might change their mind and decide to buy that instead.

I'll give you an essential and logical tip. Use the words to describe the image, that you would use, if you were trying to find the image. You don't need the most words, just in case. You don't need words that are obscure. What words would you use... if you were describing the image, to someone who can't see it.

What words would someone searching, actually use, to find the image?

Save time, save effort, only use words that apply.