iStock offers a reverse image and video search feature that uses AI image recognition to let users upload a reference photo or video clip and find visually similar stock content from iStock's library, without needing to type keywords.

The Search by Image feature analyzes the visual content of an uploaded image — including composition, colors, and subjects — and returns the most visually similar results from iStock's stock library. A parallel Search by Video feature applies the same approach to uploaded video clips. The feature is available on the iStock website as a supplementary search mode alongside keyword and Enhanced Search. It uses AI-based visual analysis rather than text-based metadata matching.