Follow the credit trail
Begin with any visible watermark or caption. A general search result can lead to a candidate stock listing, but open the listing itself and compare the full preview. Similar images from the same shoot may carry different identifiers.
Confirm before using
- Match the exact composition, not only the subject.
- Save the library asset number.
- Check the licence attached to your intended use.
- Keep purchase records separately from search notes.
Finding an unwatermarked copy on another website does not grant the rights offered by the library. Equally, a library preview does not establish that the account reusing it is operated by the model in the picture.
Know which question remains open
Search can show that a stock asset exists. It may not reveal who licensed it or why it was used on a particular page. Avoid turning a routine asset discovery into a claim about someone's identity or intentions without independent evidence.
Continue with copy search and face search explained.
Written by Facehunch with AI assistance and checked against the cited sources. Our editorial policy.