The Complete Vecteezy Contributor Guide: Requirements, CSV Metadata, and Best Practices

Vecteezy is one of the largest marketplaces for vectors, photos, videos, PNGs, and PSDs, with millions of monthly visitors and over 75 million downloads per year. For contributors, that reach translates into passive income on every download. But getting your files approved and discoverable means understanding Vecteezy’s specific requirements, which differ in important ways from other stock platforms.

This guide walks through everything you need to know: file requirements by content type, the three license types, metadata rules, AI-generated content policy, releases, upload methods, and the CSV system for bulk metadata. We also share the results of hands-on tests that reveal behavior Vecteezy does not document, especially around how filenames are processed and matched to your CSV.

Getting Started as a Vecteezy Contributor

Anyone with creative resources to share can apply, whether enthusiast or professional. The application process is straightforward:

Fill out the application form.
Follow the link sent by email and upload your 10 best creative resources.
Agree to the contributor agreement and submit.

Vecteezy is looking for photos, videos, and vectors in a wide variety of styles, and all resources must be high quality, family-friendly, and meet the content guidelines.

A few categories are explicitly not accepted:

Logo templates
3D renderings
Illustrations in JPG or JPEG format
Photos with digitally added text

The agreement is non-exclusive, so you can keep selling the same content on other platforms.

File Requirements by Content Type

The most authoritative source for technical requirements is the Upload page itself, since that is what the system validates against at the moment you upload. Here is what each content type requires.

Photos (JPEG)

Format: JPEG only
Color profile: sRGB
Resolution: minimum 4 megapixels, maximum 50 megapixels
File size: maximum 50 MB (minimum 1 MB)

Megapixels refer to image dimensions, not file size. Multiply width by height: a 2,000 x 2,400 px image is 4.8 megapixels (above the 4 MP minimum). JPEGs should be compressed at the lowest available compression level (highest quality).

Vectors (EPS)

Format: EPS, compatible with Illustrator 10
Image size: minimum 4 megapixels, maximum 25 megapixels
File size: maximum 50 MB (minimum 1 MB)
Color mode: RGB or CMYK

A note on color: the EPS format does not support ICC color profiles, so your colors may look different after upload. EPS files created in Illustrator keep their colors when reopened in Illustrator, but the preview generator (and any non-Illustrator program) will make a best guess at the colors. Plan accordingly.

Additional vector requirements:

Check for spelling errors and outdated text (for example, “Happy New Year 2019”).
Unlock all layers, delete empty or unused layers, and name layers in English.

Videos (MP4 or MOV)

Formats: MP4, MOV (the platform also accepts RED .r3d and Motion Graphics Template .mogrt in other workflows)
Length: minimum 5 seconds, maximum 2 minutes
File size: maximum 10 GB
Resolution: 4K and HD preferred; 2K and SD also accepted
Frame rates: 18, 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 47.95, 47.96, 48, 50, 59.94, 60
Codecs: H.264, ProRes (422 / 422 HQ / 4444), Redcode

Accepted resolutions include 4K (up to 4096 x 2160 and similar), 2K (such as 2048 x 1080), HD (1920 x 1080, 1440 x 1080), and SD (1280 x 720, 1152 x 720).

PNGs

Format: PNG only
Resolution: minimum 4 megapixels
File size: maximum 50 MB

PNG is its own upload category, ideal for graphics that need transparency.

PSDs

PSDs are layered Photoshop files, and Vecteezy reviews them with one of the most detailed sets of requirements on the platform. The expectation is a tidy, easy-to-edit file, since most customers are creatives who will modify it. There are three subtypes:

Mockups

Color mode RGB (sRGB or Adobe RGB)
File size 1.5 MB to 325 MB
Dimensions over 1,000 px and under 5,000 px (height or width)
Devices shown should not be more than 2 to 3 years old

Templates

Color mode CMYK, with region-specific profiles: CGATS (ANSI/SWOP) in the USA, FOGRA27 or FOGRA39 for the rest of the world, ISO TC130 for Japan
File size up to 325 MB
Dimensions depend on product type (business card, A4 letterhead, A3 poster, etc.)
Font size should suit the product (for example, no text above 12 pt on letterhead, except the title)

Graphic Elements

Each element on its own layer, with a mask where needed
Individual elements should be transparent so they adapt to any background
Images containing text are not accepted

Requirements common to all PSDs:

Save in Adobe Creative Cloud version (backward compatible with CS5/CS6)
Rasterize text; fonts must be free for commercial use and not embedded
Name all layers and folders in English, unlock them, and delete unused layers
Use clear naming conventions: Smart Objects (“Place your design here”), color adjustment layers named “Color [object]”, effect layers named “FX [effect]”
Remove multiple artboards or windows before saving
No logos or trademarks (the only exception is up-to-date social media logos)

Choosing Your License Type

Unlike some platforms, Vecteezy lets the contributor choose the license at upload time, and that choice directly affects downloads, availability, earnings, and review standards. There are three options.

Free License

Availability: free to all users, with attribution required and some usage limitations
Downloads: expected to receive the most downloads
Earnings: flat pay-per-download rate
Use: commercial use permitted
Standards: high visual and technical quality

Pro License

Availability: only to Pro subscribers or via Pro credits
Downloads: fewer than Free, but higher value per download
Earnings: subscriber-share model, 50/50 split
Use: commercial use permitted, with generous usage rights
Standards: the highest bar. Strong commercial value, compelling composition, high production value, professional execution, 4K for video

Editorial Use Only

Availability: free to all users; cannot be converted to Free or Pro
Downloads: fluctuate with the popularity of events and subjects, but generally more than Pro
Earnings: flat per-download rate
Use: documentary and illustrative only. No commercial or promotional use, even for non-profits
Standards: must meet Free License standards and document an event or subject of human interest

One important clarification: unreleased images are not automatically editorial. A model shoot without releases should have releases obtained so it can go into the commercial collection, rather than being filed as editorial by default.

AI-generated files are not eligible for the Editorial collection.

Metadata: Titles, Descriptions, and Keywords

Metadata is what makes your content discoverable, both in Vecteezy’s own search and through Google. Keywords cannot be changed after a resource is submitted, so it pays to get them right the first time.

Titles

Required, and must be unique per file
Length: 3 words minimum limit, about 5-8 words are suggested, maximum 200 characters
Should read like a sentence, with the first letter capitalized (excluding small words like “of” and “the”)
Allowed characters: periods, commas, dashes, and apostrophes only. No other special characters
Examples: “Abstract Colored Cubes Background”, “Rock Paper Scissors Flat Icons”, “3D Paper Art Lemon Background”

The title also becomes the HTML page title of your resource’s download page, which is a major SEO factor. Since most traffic arrives via Google, put your most important keywords in the title.

Descriptions

Descriptions are no longer required. Vecteezy now treats the title as a short, concise description of the file. The Description column still exists in the CSV, but you can leave it empty.

Keywords

Required: minimum 5, maximum 50
Recommended: 20 to 30
The first 5 keywords carry the most weight in the search algorithm, so list the most important ones first
Keywords must be in English only
No special characters (dashes, periods, parentheses, etc. are rejected)
No slang or colloquialisms. Vecteezy maps keywords to a controlled vocabulary, so “chow” maps to the dog breed and “chick” maps to baby chickens

A note on Vecteezy’s controlled vocabulary: the keywords you submit are translated into the platform’s internal vocabulary, which also makes your file searchable by synonyms and spelling variants. This is why your displayed keywords may differ from what you entered.

Keyword best practices:

Start with the most basic terms (the obvious subject, like “boat”, “lake”, “mountains”).
Skip insignificant details. A stray light pole in the background is not a useful keyword.
Add descriptive (beautiful, old, dark), stylistic (minimal, retro, hand drawn, abstract), and conceptual (sustainability, diversity, teamwork) keywords.
Use longtail phrases where relevant (“Grand Canyon National Park”).
Always include orientation terms: horizontal, vertical, square, panoramic, plus color or black and white.

Keyword categories Vecteezy expects:

Number of people: “one person”, “two people”, “three people”, or “groups” for more than three. Crucially, add “no people” to every file with no person in it, including close-ups and backgrounds.
Age: infant, child, teen, young adult, adult, middle aged, senior. Do not combine age and gender (“child” and “girl”, not “young girl”).
Ethnicity: Asian, African American, Caucasian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Multiracial.
Eye contact (photos): “looking at camera” when applicable.
Time of day: “night” when applicable.
Backgrounds: “white background”, “neutral background” (plus the actual color), “cutouts” for removable subjects.

Do not keyword spam. Irrelevant popular search terms hurt more than they help: if users see your file in search but never download it, that signals low relevance and pushes your rankings down. Reviewers may also strip irrelevant keywords.

Editorial metadata

For editorial content, metadata matters even more and should be factual: city/state/country, event name, date or time, organizations or causes, and names of prominent people. Editorial users search by these concrete terms, not by concepts.

Tip: Generating 20 to 30 well-ordered, relevant keywords per file (and putting the strongest ones first) is exactly the kind of task that takes the longest by hand. Photokeyworder.ai analyzes the image itself and produces ranked keywords and a clean, sentence-style title, which you can then export and feed straight into Vecteezy’s CSV. It also helps you avoid the special characters and slang that Vecteezy rejects.

AI-Generated Content

Vecteezy accepts AI-rendered images and videos, provided they meet the same quality bar as everything else and follow specific rules.

Mark it as AI: check the “AI-Generated?” box in Add Data and select the program you used from the dropdown. This is mandatory for content created or altered with AI tools.
Photorealistic photos only: AI photo content must look like a real photo. Illustrated AI “photo” content is not accepted.
Technically flawless: no distortion, pixelation, or warping. Each file must be clearly unique, with noticeable differences in composition, elements, and style. Near-duplicate sets are rejected. Content rejected for Technical Quality cannot be resubmitted.
Releases when applicable:
A model release is required if the image or video shows a real person, or if a real person’s name was used in the prompt.
A property release is required if you used a reference image (photo, painting, drawing), and you must own full copyright to that reference.
No release is needed if the content was created from a text prompt only.
AI files are not eligible for Editorial.
No trademarks or copyright: AI content must not include trademarked or copyrighted entities.

A related feature is Magic Metadata, Vecteezy’s own AI that generates titles and keywords for your files. Be aware that enabling it overwrites any existing title and keywords, so do not turn it on if you have already prepared metadata via CSV or embedded IPTC and want to keep it.

Releases

Certain content needs a signed release submitted with the file. After upload, you can attach releases to any file before submitting it for review.

Model release: required for any recognizable person. One separate release per person if there is more than one. A minor release is required for models under 18.
Property release: required for recognizable objects, buildings, or property.

Vecteezy provides downloadable PDF release forms. Releases can be attached on the Add Data page (JPG or PDF), and once uploaded a release can be reused across multiple files.

Avoid copyright and trademark problems at the source: no celebrities, movie or cartoon characters, brand logos, or branded products. The most commonly overlooked issue is brand logos on phones, clothing, or other props. Plan shots to avoid them, cover them, or remove them in post.

Upload Methods

There are two ways to get files onto Vecteezy, plus a settings panel that automates defaults.

Web Upload

Best for batches of 100 files or fewer. Click Upload, then drag and drop or select files. The system checks for embedded metadata, duplicates, and errors. Files that pass advance to Add Data; files with errors are removed from the batch with an error log you can inspect.

SFTP Upload

Best for batches larger than 100 or for multiple videos. Vecteezy moved to Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP); common clients are FileZilla, ForkLift, and Cyberduck (Xpiks also uploads via SFTP). Copy your credentials from the Content Manager, connect (protocol SFTP, port 22 if required), and drag your files in. As of August 2024, files added to your connected client begin uploading automatically, with no button to press. Processed files then appear on Add Data or auto-submit, depending on your Upload Settings.

Upload Settings

Optional default configurations applied to every file you upload, set separately per content type (Photos, Vectors, Videos, PNGs, PSDs):

License: default to Free, Pro, or Editorial
AI-Generated?: default the checkbox to true or false
Auto Submit: skip Add Data and send valid files straight to review. Do not use this if any files require releases, since you will not get the chance to attach them.
Magic Metadata: auto-generate titles and keywords (remember, this overwrites existing metadata)

Upload Settings apply to Web, SFTP, and aggregator uploads, so keep them in mind if you use an aggregator. To mix license types in one session, either upload in separate batches with different settings, or use a CSV (which overrides the License setting), or set licenses individually in Add Data.

After submission, files move to Pending Review and are typically reviewed in 7 to 10 days.

File format	Category
EPS	Vector
JPG/JPEG	Photo
MP4, MOV, RED	Video
PNG	PNG
PSD	PSD

CSV Metadata Upload

For bulk uploads, a CSV is the fastest way to attach titles, descriptions, keywords, and licenses to many files at once. This is where Vecteezy has some quirks worth understanding in detail.

CSV structure

The file has exactly five columns, in this order:

Filename,Title,Description,Keywords,License

Filename is the only required column.
Title, Description, Keywords, License are optional.
License must be pro, free, editorial (lowercase), or left blank.
Keywords go in a single field, separated by commas, and that field must be wrapped in double quotes because it contains commas: "abstract,icons,flat,rock,paper,scissors". Spreadsheet programs (Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers) handle this quoting automatically; the risk only appears if you hand-edit the CSV in a plain text editor.
The header row is case-sensitive: use Filename, not filename.

Here is the structure of Vecteezy’s own example file:

Filename,Title,Description,Keywords,License
enter_file_name_1,Example Title 1,Example Description 1,"enter,keywords,here",free
enter_file_name_2,Example Title 2,Example Description 2,"enter,keywords,here",pro
enter_file_name_3,Example Title 3,Example Description 3,"enter,keywords,here",editorial

Three ways to prepare a CSV

Download from Add Data (best for updating metadata after upload). Filenames and existing metadata are pre-populated, and accuracy is high. This option is required to add CSV data to Motion Graphics (MOGRT) files. Do not modify or remove the Filename or Id columns.
Download the example file (best for adding metadata at FTP upload time).
Create from scratch (for experienced contributors).

Extensions in the filename

This depends on the upload method, and Vecteezy is explicit:

Via FTP/SFTP: do not include the extension. Write Rock_Paper_Scissors_Flat_Icons, not Rock_Paper_Scissors_Flat_Icons.eps.
Via Add Data: the extension is optional.

Metadata priority

When multiple sources of metadata exist, Vecteezy resolves them in this order:

Valid CSV (highest priority)
Embedded IPTC metadata (if no valid CSV)
Manual entry in Add Data (if no embedded metadata)

The CSV License value also takes priority over your Upload Settings License selection.

Where Vecteezy’s filename advice goes wrong: tested behavior

Vecteezy recommends underscores in filenames and shows examples like Rock_Paper_Scissors_Flat_Icons. In testing, this advice turns out to be counterproductive, because two separate and inconsistent processes run on every upload:

A rename process that rewrites the stored filename.
A CSV matching process that tries to pair each CSV row with the renamed file.

These two processes do not apply the same transformations, which causes silent mismatches where files upload fine but their metadata never gets applied.

What the rename process does:

In the original filename	Becomes in the stored file
Letters and numbers	Kept (case preserved)
Hyphen `-`	Kept
Period `.`	Kept
Space	Converted to underscore
Existing underscore `_`	Removed
Special symbols (`& # @ % = ~ ( ) [ ] { } ! $`, comma)	Converted to underscore
Plus sign `+`	Converted to `%2B`
Accented or non-ASCII characters	Percent-encoded byte by byte (for example `è` becomes `%C3%A8`)

A real test makes this concrete. A file named:

1 - _ & # @ % + = ~ ( ) [ ] { } ! $.jpg

was stored as:

1_-__________%2B____________________.jpg

The + became %2B, which is the URL-encoded form of +. This confirms the upload pipeline runs the filename through a URL-encoding step. The same step explains accented characters: a file caffèéìùàò NFC.jpg became caff%C3%A8%C3%A9%C3%AC%C3%B9%C3%A0%C3%B2_NFC.jpg.

There is an even subtler trap with accented characters. The same visible name can be stored in two completely different ways depending on Unicode normalization, which usually depends on your operating system (macOS tends toward NFD, Windows toward NFC). The identical-looking pair caffèéìùàò NFC.jpg and caffèéìùàò NFD.jpg produced:

caff%C3%A8%C3%A9%C3%AC%C3%B9%C3%A0%C3%B2_NFC.jpg   (NFC: è = %C3%A8)
caffe%CC%80e%CC%81i%CC%80u%CC%80a%CC%80o%CC%80_NFD.jpg   (NFD: e + combining accent = e%CC%80)

You cannot see which form your filenames use, so accented names are effectively impossible to match reliably in a CSV.

How this affects CSV matching: the matching process normalizes more lightly than the rename process (it converts spaces to underscores and is case-insensitive), then compares against the already-renamed file. The mismatches that result:

Filename in CSV	Stored as	CSV applied?	Reason
`csv test with space`	`csv_test_with_space`	Yes	Space becomes underscore in both processes, so they still match
`csv Test-001, mix.final`	`csv_Test-001__mix.final`	No	Comma becomes underscore in rename but not in matching
`csv,comma,test`	`csv_comma_test`	No	Same comma mismatch
`csv.test.with.dots`	`csv.test.with.dots`	Yes	Periods survive intact everywhere
`csv_test_001`	`csvtest001`	No	Underscores removed in rename, kept in matching
`CSV_Test_Capitalized`	`CSVTestCapitalized`	No	Same underscore mismatch (and matching is case-insensitive)
`Csv-test-hyphen`	`csv-test-hyphen`	Yes	Hyphens survive intact; case ignored

Two takeaways from this:

Spaces still match. Even though a space becomes an underscore in the stored file, the matching process makes the same conversion on the CSV side, so a name with spaces will still be paired correctly. Despite this, spaces remain officially discouraged and are best avoided.
Underscores break the match. The character Vecteezy recommends is the one that fails, because it is stripped from the file but kept in the CSV.

The safe naming rule

Based on this behavior, use filenames with only letters (a-z, A-Z), numbers (0-9), and hyphens (-). Avoid:

Underscores (removed during rename, despite Vecteezy’s own examples)
Spaces (converted to underscores; they happen to still match, but are discouraged)
Commas (they are the CSV delimiter and also get converted)
The + sign (becomes %2B)
Accented and non-ASCII characters (percent-encoded, and dependent on Unicode normalization)
Other special symbols (converted to underscores)

The hyphen is the only separator that survives identically through both the rename and the matching processes. A name like cute-witch-halloween-pumpkins is safe; cute_witch_halloween_pumpkins is not.

Tip: Photokeyworder.ai can export a ready-to-upload CSV with the correct five-column structure, proper comma-separated and quoted keywords, and lowercase license values, so the file is valid on the first try. Combine that with hyphen-only filenames and your bulk uploads match cleanly every time.

Uploading the CSV

With your files via FTP: upload the source files and the CSV together by following the FTP/SFTP process.
After upload via Add Data: go to Add Data, click CSV, then Upload CSV, drop in the file, and wait for processing. If the column names or format are wrong, you get an error. Refresh once processing completes to see the updated metadata.

Earnings

Vecteezy pays for every download under both programs.

PPD Free

A flat pay-per-download rate, paid on total downloads:

$5.00 per 1,000 downloads for vectors and photos
$10.00 per 1,000 downloads for video

This serves Vecteezy’s entire audience and tends to produce the most downloads and the most consistent earnings across a portfolio.

PPD Pro (Subscriber Share)

A 50/50 revenue split based on the Pro revenue your content generates. Each customer’s subscription revenue is distributed to the contributors they actually downloaded from, weighted by share of their downloads.

The formula:

(Revenue - credit card fees and refunds) x 50% revenue split x contributor's % of customer's downloads = amount earned

Worked example, $14 Pro subscription:

$14 revenue minus $0.85 fees = $13.15
$13.15 x 50% = $6.575 (the customer’s Subscriber Share)
If you provided 40% of that customer’s 10 downloads, you earn $6.575 x 40% = $2.63

If a customer downloads just one of your files that month, you get 100% of their Subscriber Share for that file; if they download 100 files, each is worth 1% of their share.

Payment threshold

Set a Minimum Payment Threshold between $25 and $2,000 in your payment settings. Changes made between the 1st and 15th may apply next cycle; changes after the 15th apply the following cycle. If you do not reach your threshold in a month, no payment is issued. A higher threshold means larger, less frequent payouts; the minimum means smaller, more frequent ones. You also need a payment method and valid tax information on file to be paid.

Common Reasons for Rejection and Best Practices

Pulling the requirements together, here is a checklist to maximize approvals and downloads.

Quality and originality

Upload unique, original, authentic work with clear commercial value.
Give each file a clear subject and purpose, aimed at a specific type of user.
Meet the higher bar if submitting as Pro (production value, intentional lighting, focus and depth of field for photos; professional 4K for video).

Technical

Match the exact format, resolution, and file size limits for each content type.
Photos in sRGB; vectors as EPS (Illustrator 10 compatible); PSDs tidy, layered, with rasterized text and commercial-use fonts.
For vectors, fix spelling and outdated text, unlock layers, delete empty ones, and name layers in English.

Rights

Attach model, minor, and property releases where needed.
No celebrities, characters, brand logos, or branded products.
AI content must be marked, photorealistic (for photos), flawless, unique, and properly released.

Metadata

Unique, sentence-style title of 3 to 8 words, important keywords up front.
20 to 30 relevant keywords, most important first, including the mandatory categories (number of people or “no people”, age, ethnicity, orientation, background).
No keyword spam, no slang, no special characters, English only.

Filenames and CSV

Use only letters, numbers, and hyphens in filenames.
Drop file extensions in the CSV when uploading via FTP.
Quote the keywords field, keep license values lowercase, and never run Magic Metadata over metadata you want to keep.

Put the effort into these details and your files are far more likely to be approved, rank well, and earn consistently. Each approved resource can keep generating income long after you upload it, so it is worth getting right the first time.