title: Shutterstock Vocabulary
description: >-
  Domain vocabulary for the Shutterstock media API platform. Covers media
  asset types, licensing models, content classifications, search concepts,
  collection management, contributor terminology, and computer vision features.
version: '1.0'
source: https://api.shutterstock.com
created: '2026-05-02'
modified: '2026-05-02'

terms:
  - term: Royalty-Free License
    definition: >-
      A licensing model where a one-time fee grants perpetual rights to use
      the asset without paying additional royalties per use. Shutterstock
      standard and enhanced licenses are royalty-free.
    tags:
      - Licensing
      - Core

  - term: Standard License
    definition: >-
      Shutterstock's base licensing tier allowing use in digital media, websites,
      social media, and print up to 500,000 copies. Included with subscription plans.
    tags:
      - Licensing

  - term: Enhanced License
    definition: >-
      Shutterstock's premium licensing tier allowing unlimited print runs,
      resale items, and product packaging. Purchased separately per asset.
    tags:
      - Licensing

  - term: Editorial License
    definition: >-
      A license for editorial use only (news, documentary, education). Editorial
      assets cannot be used for commercial advertising or promotional purposes.
    tags:
      - Licensing
      - Editorial

  - term: Stock Photo
    definition: >-
      A professionally photographed image available for licensing through
      Shutterstock. Photos are identified by image_type: photo in the API.
    tags:
      - Asset Types

  - term: Illustration
    definition: >-
      A hand-drawn or digitally created artwork available for licensing.
      Identified by image_type: illustration in the API.
    tags:
      - Asset Types

  - term: Vector
    definition: >-
      A scalable, mathematically defined artwork in EPS format. Available at
      any resolution without quality loss. Identified by image_type: vector.
    tags:
      - Asset Types

  - term: Editorial Content
    definition: >-
      Images and videos depicting real people, events, and places intended for
      news and documentary use. Cannot be used for commercial advertising.
      Accessed via /v2/editorial endpoints.
    tags:
      - Asset Types
      - Editorial

  - term: Contributor
    definition: >-
      A photographer, videographer, or artist who creates and submits content
      to Shutterstock for licensing. Contributors earn royalties on each license.
    tags:
      - Contributors

  - term: Collection
    definition: >-
      A user-curated grouping of assets saved in a Shutterstock account.
      Collections can contain images, videos, or audio tracks and are managed
      via the collections endpoints.
    tags:
      - Collections

  - term: Featured Collection
    definition: >-
      A curated collection of images assembled by Shutterstock editors
      showcasing content around a specific theme or topic. Read-only via API.
    tags:
      - Collections

  - term: Subscription
    definition: >-
      A recurring plan that provides a monthly allotment of standard image
      licenses. The subscription_id is required when licensing images included
      in a subscription plan.
    tags:
      - Licensing
      - Billing

  - term: Allotment
    definition: >-
      The number of asset downloads remaining in a subscription period.
      Tracked via the allotment_charge field returned in licensing responses.
    tags:
      - Billing

  - term: Search ID
    definition: >-
      A unique identifier for a search session returned as search_id in search
      results. Used for analytics and tracking user search behavior.
    tags:
      - Search

  - term: Computer Vision
    definition: >-
      AI-powered features for analyzing images and finding visually similar
      content. CV endpoints support keyword extraction from images and reverse
      image search for similar images and videos.
    tags:
      - Technology
      - Computer Vision

  - term: OAuth 2.0
    definition: >-
      The primary authentication protocol for Shutterstock API access.
      Required for licensing operations and accessing user-specific data like
      collections and purchase history.
    tags:
      - Authentication

  - term: Basic Authentication
    definition: >-
      An authentication method using the API consumer key and secret encoded
      as Base64. Available for search and browse endpoints that don't require
      user-specific authorization.
    tags:
      - Authentication

  - term: Image Type
    definition: >-
      Classification of the image format type in the Shutterstock library.
    values:
      - photo: Photographic image
      - illustration: Digital or traditional illustration
      - vector: Scalable vector graphic (EPS)
    tags:
      - Classification

  - term: Livefeed
    definition: >-
      A curated stream of editorial content organized around a specific event
      or topic (e.g., a sporting event, political ceremony). Editorial livefeeds
      are updated in real-time as new content is submitted.
    tags:
      - Editorial

  - term: Similar Images
    definition: >-
      Visually similar stock photos recommended by Shutterstock's computer
      vision algorithms. Accessible via /v2/images/{id}/similar or the
      /v2/cv/similar/images endpoint with an uploaded reference image.
    tags:
      - Search
      - Computer Vision

categories:
  - name: Asset Types
    terms:
      - Stock Photo
      - Illustration
      - Vector
      - Editorial Content
  - name: Licensing
    terms:
      - Royalty-Free License
      - Standard License
      - Enhanced License
      - Editorial License
      - Subscription
      - Allotment
  - name: Collections
    terms:
      - Collection
      - Featured Collection
  - name: Search
    terms:
      - Search ID
      - Similar Images
  - name: Technology
    terms:
      - Computer Vision
  - name: Authentication
    terms:
      - OAuth 2.0
      - Basic Authentication
  - name: Contributors
    terms:
      - Contributor
      - Livefeed