Shutterstock CSV template: free download

Download the Shutterstock CSV template

The CSV contains one header row and no photographs, sample assets or personal information. Open it in your spreadsheet app, save a working copy and add a row for each file in the batch you are preparing. The download has all seven named columns; the last three are optional flags.

Keep a separate copy for each batch. A useful folder arrangement is one folder of final exports beside its matching metadata sheet. Make the filenames stable before filling the sheet, so a later rename does not disconnect a row from its photograph.

Which columns does Shutterstock use?

Keep the headings exactly as supplied. Fill the first four fields and choose any optional flags that apply to the content. Do not substitute another agency’s header.

A practice row: commas inside a keyword cell

Imagine a mountain landscape with a clear ridge and empty space above it. The row below demonstrates a quoted keyword cell. It is a fictional teaching example, excluded from the blank download. Replace every value with information that describes your own file; the example does not establish permissions or agency eligibility.

A spreadsheet cell can hold several comma-separated keywords. When that cell is saved as CSV, quotation marks keep those commas inside one field. The illustration uses seven relevant terms; Shutterstock currently requires between seven and fifty. Write the description as a useful phrase rather than a repeated keyword list.

Filename,Description,Keywords,Categories,Illustration,Mature Content,Editorial
practice-landscape.jpg,Mountain landscape with space above the ridge,"mountain, landscape, ridge, outdoors, nature, scenery, copy space",Nature,No,No,No

Upload the photographs, then import the CSV

Upload the assets first. On Shutterstock’s Submit page, use its CSV control to add the metadata file. Include only rows for that submission. Start the import once and allow processing to finish; repeatedly pressing the control can interfere with processing.

Compare the populated submission fields with your sheet before sending the photographs for review. A completed import is a metadata step. Record the later review outcome and public listing separately in your submission tracker.

Shutterstock CSV upload not working? Check a small batch

Save a CSV through your spreadsheet’s export controls, then inspect the saved text: changing an Excel workbook’s filename extension does not convert its format. Try a copy containing one real matching asset so there are fewer fields to compare. Keep your complete working sheet as a backup.

Compare the filename and header character by character, check required values, and remove rows belonging to another batch. Review quotes around cells containing commas. If the problem persists, record the exact error, time and affected filename for Shutterstock support. Repeated attempts alone do not establish whether a service issue or a file issue caused the failure.

• Does the corresponding asset finish uploading before the CSV?
• Does every row refer to this batch?
• Are there seven to fifty accurate keywords for the asset?
• Have you checked the populated metadata in the submission interface?

Already have keywords in Lightroom?

Check the exported JPEG before retyping its metadata. The Lightroom guide covers the wider file preparation workflow; the troubleshooting guide helps locate missing keywords. If you are starting from an unused archive, the archive kit helps you choose the first batch.