Find images for the store and check usage rights before publishing. A free download, an image licence and permission to use a subject in advertising are different things.
This guide covers content work on any Abicart plan. Stock libraries and AI services have their own terms, accounts and prices. A website may contain free images, paid images and advertisements for other services. Always check the terms for the individual image.
1. Choose an image and check the rights
Start with the image’s purpose: showing your actual product, explaining a task or setting a mood. Do not present a generic photo or AI image as proof of the product’s appearance, contents or characteristics.
Check commercial use, attribution requirements and any restrictions on editorial material.
Check whether recognisable people, private property, artwork or trademarks require additional permission.
Pay particular attention to the terms if the image will be resold, included in a template or printed on a product.
Save the image’s origin, licence and download date with the original file.
2. Search stock libraries
These resources have appeared in our image guide. Collections and terms can change. Open the correct service and check the terms for the particular file you select; this list is not a shared licence agreement.
Examples of why checking matters: Unsplash has its own licence and a separate paid collection. Gratisography permits many uses but prohibits redistribution of original images, among other restrictions. Picjumbo explains that the photographer’s permission does not automatically cover personality, property or trademark rights. For archive images from New Old Stock, follow the link to the original institution’s rights statement; commercial use is not generally guaranteed.
3. If you use AI-generated images
Examples of services include ChatGPT Images, Midjourney, Adobe Firefly, Google Gemini, Canva, Ideogram, Leonardo.Ai. Check the service’s current rights, charges and commercial-use terms. Do not upload customer data or material you have no right to share.
Inspect the result: text, logos, details and purported product characteristics may be wrong. AI generation does not mean that all rights have been cleared or that the image accurately represents your product.
4. Prepare and use the image in the correct part of the store
Keep the original and export a web version with suitable dimensions and file size. Add descriptive alt text where the upload field provides it. Check placement and cropping on desktop and mobile. Where you change a homepage image depends on the store’s actual theme and content block; choosing a stock library does not change the theme.
Quick start
Decide the image’s purpose and choose a relevant subject.
Check the licence and any additional rights.
Save the original and licence information.
Export a web version and check its placement.
Image selection is independent of your Abicart plan. Paid images, AI credits and other external services are not automatically included in the plan.