Content Partner FAQ

Information about sharing large archives on Unsplash

Tanya Santos avatar
Written by Tanya Santos
Updated over a week ago

What are the key benefits to contributing a selection of our images to Unsplash?

By uploading images to Unsplash, you’ll be connected to a new audience of over 70 million people ready to engage with your archive. From University students creating presentations to graphic designers creating websites, your images will be used hundreds of thousands of times over the next 60 days - bringing a new life to your archival images.

Unsplash’s library is included in 1000+ of the world’s top creative and educational applications including Google, Medium, Adobe, and Instructure - allowing millions of more users to create with Unsplash images.

In addition to the exposure and brand recognition, your organization will be associated with supporting the open-source photography movement and the creative community.

What are some examples of institutions or organizations on Unsplash?

What’s the process of sharing archives on Unsplash ?

Our editorial team makes the process simple from the get-go. Before you get started, we will give you advice on what content gets the most exposure on the platform, and work with you to set up targeted keywords for your uploads. We can even create your account and upload your photos for you if you prefer.

How does the process work?

  • Obtain a verified account on Unsplash

  • Upload your photos and include identifying information in the description

  • Set up targeted keywords for each upload to expand the image’s reach by distributing the content under similar search terms.

  • Receive monthly stats on your image views and downloads, as well as any applicable advice on how to improve your account's performance.

How does Unsplash pull metadata to accurately identify images from our collection?

Unsplash's editorial team adds a description, identifying tags & an alt description (for accessibility). While ai does add additional tags, admin reviews each tag to ensure images are showing up in search accurately.

What does our organization need to do before uploading our images/archives to Unsplash?

  • Your collection must be digitized (scans/photographs of the collection)

  • Images uploaded to Unsplash must have accurate and reliable descriptions in terms of what the image/piece is depicting.

  • Ensure that your digital images do not have any restrictions and ensure your collection complies with the Unsplash License and Unsplash Terms.

  • Point the Unsplash editorial team to collections you want to be added first.

Are there any restrictions in terms of what we can upload to Unsplash?

  • Accurate description of archival image

    • [content description].[location].[original medium].[date]. —

  • Photos meet the minimum size requirement of 5 megapixels. For a standard landscape orientation photo, 5 megapixels is at least 2500 by 2000 pixels in size.

  • Unsplash Photo standards. We don’t accept unclear photos, photos containing excess noise, ‘spotting’ (marks made by water or dirt on the lens at the time the photo was taken), selfies, or shots taken at extreme angles.

Are there any content preferences in terms of what we should upload?

Your organization can upload any high-quality and accurate digitized works. In terms of what Unsplash is currently looking for:

  • Art (paintings, sculpture, collage, etc.)

  • Photography (political/cultural events, art, historical)

  • Music (instruments, sheet music, performance images)

  • Wars

  • Historical Figures

  • Natural History

  • Aviation

Are there any restrictions in terms of content we cannot upload?

  • Photos promote violence/contain violent imagery.

  • Photos contain nudity.

  • Photos are over-edited.

What kind of stats and reporting can I receive?

  • Total Image Views & Downloads

  • Which platforms get the images are getting the most Views & Downloads

  • Examples of image uses (ex. link to NY Times article featuring a photo from your collection)

  • Individual image stats

Don’t think our current license for our digitized works fits with the Unsplash license. Do I/our organization need to do anything regarding our license in order to upload our images to Unsplash?

You can still upload images to Unsplash, but your organization will need to do a few things before uploading.

  • Ensure that your organization has the rights to the image.

  • Make sure your organization understands what publishing content under the Unsplash license means.

What is the Unsplash license?

All photos published on Unsplash can be used for free. You can use them for commercial and noncommercial purposes. You do not need to ask permission from or provide credit to the photographer or Unsplash, although it is appreciated when possible.

More precisely, Unsplash grants you an irrevocable, nonexclusive, worldwide copyright license to download, copy, modify, distribute, perform, and use photos from Unsplash for free, including for commercial purposes, without permission from or attributing the photographer or Unsplash. This license does not include the right to compile photos from Unsplash to replicate a similar or competing service.

What is the difference between the CC0 license and the Unsplash license?

The Unsplash License is in the same spirit as the CC-0 License — the difference being that the Unsplash License does not include the right to compile photos from Unsplash to replicate a similar or competing service.

To summarize, the Unsplash License and the CC0 License:

  • Are both sublicensable and non-revocable

  • Both allow users to use photos for free, for personal and commercial purposes

  • Both don’t require attribution

How can our organization’s images be used exactly? Are there any restrictions?

As photos are free to use for both commercial and noncommercial purposes - people can simply use the images however they’d like. The ways in which your collection may use could include school presentations, art inspiration, social media posts, marketing content, etc.

They cannot, however, upload your images to a similar or competing service to Unsplash. They also cannot sell your images without first updating, modifying, or otherwise incorporating new creative elements into the photos (i.e., selling unaltered copies of the photos). This includes selling the photos as prints or printed on physical goods.

How will your profile be promoted?

Unsplash will promote your images within target searches to increase awareness and create associations across tens of millions of users around the world.

What happens if we want to delete the images on our account?

If you delete your collection from your account and no longer wish to use Unsplash - no Unsplash user will be able to access or download your images on the platform. However, the Unsplash License is irrevocable, so copies of the photo that were downloaded before deletion may still be used for free.

Our library has images from multiple institutions. How can each institution be distinguished? Is it possible to get stats for each institution as well?

There are a few options, either to create 1 account with “collections” for each institution. You can get individualized stats that can be organized by institution, but it wouldn’t appear on the stats page - our editorial team will send them to you monthly or quarterly

Or create separate accounts for each institution, that way you get individualized stats automatically on the stats page.

Either way, the images will appear in search with correct labeling indicating with institution the images originated from.

Who can I contact if I have questions?

Tanya Santos, Head of Community - tanya@unsplash.com

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