shutterstock-api
Advanced tools
The Shutterstock API provides access to Shutterstock's library of media as well as information about customers accounts and the contributors that provide the media
The Shutterstock public API provides access to Shutterstock's library of media, as well as information about customers' accounts and the contributors that provide the media. This SDK provides classes for JavaScript and Node.js that you can use to access the API from your applications. These classes call the API in the same way that direct REST calls do. You can use this SDK to search for media, get information about media and about collections, and (if your subscription permits) license and download media. This is the official SDK provided by Shutterstock for its API.
To access the API and license media with the SDK, you need an API subscription or a free API account.
API subscriptions are separate from the subscriptions that are available on shutterstock.com. You can use an API subscription to license and download media only with the API; API subscriptions don't work on shutterstock.com. To buy an API subscription or set up a free account, see the pricing page. If you have a subscription from shutterstock.com and want to use it with the API, contact us.
To access the REST API you need an application, which represents the application, program, or computer commands that are accessing the API. To use the API, you need the application's consumer key and consumer secret, which are shown on the https://www.shutterstock.com/account/developers/apps page.
When you have the application's consumer key and consumer secret, you can use them to access the API directly or to request a token that you can use to access the API. For more information on these methods of authentication, see Authentication.
To create an application:
localhost for testing purposes.The new application appears on the My apps page. Each application has a consumer key and a consumer secret. You use this consumer key and consumer secret either to use the API directly with basic authentication or to request a token for OAuth authentication; see Authentication. Do not share your key and secret, because they can be used to access your account through the API.
Each application has access to one or more API products. These products control the level of access that the application has to the API and the Shutterstock media library. These products are separate from the subscriptions that control how many assets you can license and download.
If you create an application without buying an API subscription first, the application uses the free API product, which is labeled as the "Self Serve" product. Applications that use this free API product can search and view media but not license or download media. If you have a paid API subscription, your applications use an API product with additional access to license and download media, within the limitations of the subscription. Other products include access to computer vision and editorial endpoints.
To tell which API products your application is using, open your applications, expand your application, and go to its Details tab.
To install the SDK as a module with npm or yarn, run one of the following commands:
npm install shutterstock-api --save
yarn add shutterstock-api
Authentication in the SDK works the same way as in the API:
All endpoints in the Shutterstock API require authentication. The API accepts HTTP basic authentication for some endpoints and OAuth authentication for all endpoints.
In the reference information for each SDK method (see Documentation for methods or the API reference, each endpoint is labeled with the types of authentication it accepts and the OAuth scopes it requires, if any. In general, HTTP basic authentication is sufficient for search queries and for getting information about pieces of media. The API requires OAuth authentication for actions that require customers to log in to shutterstock.com, such as licensing and downloading media.
For more information about authenticating to the API, see Authentication in the API reference.
In HTTP basic authentication (also known as basic authentication), you pass your application's consumer key and secret key to the SDK along with the request.
To get the consumer key and secret key for your application, go to https://www.shutterstock.com/account/developers/apps and open the information for your application.
The following example uses the variables applicationClientId and applicationClientSecret for the application's consumer key and secret.
const sstk = require('shutterstock-api');
sstk.setBasicAuth(applicationClientId, applicationClientSecret);
const api = new sstk.ImagesApi();
In this type of authentication, you use an application and an individual user's login credentials to obtain a token. For instructions on how to get a token, see OAuth authentication on the Shutterstock developer portal.
When you have the token, use it to configure the API client as in the following example, which assumes that your token is in the environment variable SHUTTERSTOCK_API_TOKEN:
const sstk = require('shutterstock-api');
sstk.setAccessToken(process.env.SHUTTERSTOCK_API_TOKEN);
const api = new sstk.ImagesApi();
Most endpoints require an access token with one or more scopes, or permissions. You can see the scopes that each method requires in the reference information for each method.
The following list shows the available scopes.
You can provide search keywords in languages other than English by specifying the two-character language code in the language query parameter.
If you set this parameter or header, you can also pass category names in that language.
The response includes categories and keywords in that language.
For the list of languages that the API accepts, see the Language schema.
To use the licensing sandbox API instead of the main API, use the setSandbox method.
For more information on the sandbox API, see Licensing sandbox in the API reference.
const sstk = require('shutterstock-api');
sstk.setSandbox(true);
sstk.setAccessToken(process.env.SHUTTERSTOCK_API_TOKEN);
const api = new sstk.ImagesApi();
To go back to the main API, call the setSandbox method again and pass false.
sstk.setSandbox(false);
Follow the installation instructions and use the SDK in your JavaScript code as in these examples.
This example searches for images.
The search parameters go in the queryParams variable. The API returns responses as JavaScript objects.
The reference information for each method shows the class for the response.
In this example, the callback function extracts the image ID, description, and preview link of each search result into an object.
const sstk = require('shutterstock-api');
sstk.setAccessToken(process.env.SHUTTERSTOCK_API_TOKEN);
const api = new sstk.ImagesApi();
const queryParams = {
query: 'New York',
sort: 'popular',
orientation: 'horizontal'
};
api.searchImages(queryParams)
.then(({data}) => {
console.log(data);
})
.catch((error) => {
console.error(error);
});
The next example requests a license for an image.
For POST requests like this one, you create an object of the appropriate class to pass as the request body.
In this case, the shutterstock-api.ImagesApi.licenseImages method accepts a body parameter of the class shutterstock-api.LicenseImageRequest.
This parameter is an array of objects of the class shutterstock-api.LicenseImage, each of which has the ID of an image to license.
The reference information for each method shows the class for the body parameter.
const sstk = require('shutterstock-api');
sstk.setAccessToken(process.env.SHUTTERSTOCK_API_TOKEN);
const api = new sstk.ImagesApi();
const imageId = '' // ID of image to license
const imageToLicense = new sstk.LicenseImage(imageId);
const body = new sstk.LicenseImageRequest([imageToLicense]);
const queryParams = {
subscription_id: process.env.SUBSCRIPTION_ID,
format: 'jpg',
size: 'huge'
};
api.licenseImages(body, queryParams)
.then(({data}) => {
console.log(data);
})
.catch((error) => {
console.error(error);
});
Instead of using objects for the body, you can also pass a JavaScript object literal that has the data that the API expects in the body. For information about the body format, see the API reference for the related API endpoint. For example, this licensing request passes information about the images to license in a JavaScript object literal:
const sstk = require('shutterstock-api');
sstk.setAccessToken(process.env.SHUTTERSTOCK_API_TOKEN);
const imagesApi = new sstk.ImagesApi();
const body = {
images: [
{
image_id: '419235589',
price: 12.50,
metadata: {
customer_id: '12345'
}
}
]
};
const queryParams = {
format: 'jpg',
size: 'huge',
subscription_id: process.env.SUBSCRIPTION_ID
};
imagesApi.licenseImages(body, queryParams)
.then(({ data }) => {
console.log(data);
})
.catch((error) => {
console.error(error);
});
The SDK returns the same errors as the API. For information about errors, see Errors in the API reference.
Handle errors in the catch() method following the SDK method.
Each error includes a response object that includes an HTTP status field and a text field that has the description of the error.
For example, this example requests an image ID that does not exist. The API returns the HTTP status code 404:
const sstk = require("shutterstock-api");
sstk.setAccessToken(process.env.SHUTTERSTOCK_API_TOKEN);
const imagesApi = new sstk.ImagesApi();
imagesApi.getImage("123456789")
.then((data) => {
console.log(data);
})
.catch((error) => {
console.error(error.response.status, error.response.text);
// 404 '{"message":"Not Found"}'
});
To run the tests, you must authenticate with the Shutterstock API, get a token, and put the token in the SHUTTERSTOCK_API_TOKEN environment variable. See Authentication.
$ SHUTTERSTOCK_API_TOKEN="Your API Key"
$ yarn run test
$ yarn run lint
All URIs are relative to https://api.shutterstock.com
| Class | Method | HTTP request | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| shutterstock-api.AudioApi | addTrackCollectionItems | POST /v2/audio/collections/{id}/items | Add audio tracks to collections |
| shutterstock-api.AudioApi | createTrackCollection | POST /v2/audio/collections | Create audio collections |
| shutterstock-api.AudioApi | deleteTrackCollection | DELETE /v2/audio/collections/{id} | Delete audio collections |
| shutterstock-api.AudioApi | deleteTrackCollectionItems | DELETE /v2/audio/collections/{id}/items | Remove audio tracks from collections |
| shutterstock-api.AudioApi | downloadTracks | POST /v2/audio/licenses/{id}/downloads | Download audio tracks |
| shutterstock-api.AudioApi | getTrack | GET /v2/audio/{id} | Get details about audio tracks |
| shutterstock-api.AudioApi | getTrackCollection | GET /v2/audio/collections/{id} | Get the details of audio collections |
| shutterstock-api.AudioApi | getTrackCollectionItems | GET /v2/audio/collections/{id}/items | Get the contents of audio collections |
| shutterstock-api.AudioApi | getTrackCollectionList | GET /v2/audio/collections | List audio collections |
| shutterstock-api.AudioApi | getTrackLicenseList | GET /v2/audio/licenses | List audio licenses |
| shutterstock-api.AudioApi | getTrackList | GET /v2/audio | List audio tracks |
| shutterstock-api.AudioApi | licenseTrack | POST /v2/audio/licenses | License audio tracks |
| shutterstock-api.AudioApi | listGenres | GET /v2/audio/genres | List audio genres |
| shutterstock-api.AudioApi | listInstruments | GET /v2/audio/instruments | List audio instruments |
| shutterstock-api.AudioApi | listMoods | GET /v2/audio/moods | List audio moods |
| shutterstock-api.AudioApi | renameTrackCollection | POST /v2/audio/collections/{id} | Rename audio collections |
| shutterstock-api.AudioApi | searchTracks | GET /v2/audio/search | Search for tracks |
| shutterstock-api.CatalogApi | addToCollection | POST /v2/catalog/collections/{collection_id}/items | Add items to catalog collections |
| shutterstock-api.CatalogApi | createCollection | POST /v2/catalog/collections | Create catalog collections |
| shutterstock-api.CatalogApi | deleteCollection | DELETE /v2/catalog/collections/{collection_id} | Delete catalog collections |
| shutterstock-api.CatalogApi | deleteFromCollection | DELETE /v2/catalog/collections/{collection_id}/items | Remove items from catalog collection |
| shutterstock-api.CatalogApi | getCollections | GET /v2/catalog/collections | List catalog collections |
| shutterstock-api.CatalogApi | searchCatalog | GET /v2/catalog/search | Search catalogs for assets |
| shutterstock-api.CatalogApi | updateCollection | PATCH /v2/catalog/collections/{collection_id} | Update collection metadata |
| shutterstock-api.ComputerVisionApi | getKeywords | GET /v2/cv/keywords | List suggested keywords |
| shutterstock-api.ComputerVisionApi | getSimilarImages | GET /v2/cv/similar/images | List similar images |
| shutterstock-api.ComputerVisionApi | getSimilarVideos | GET /v2/cv/similar/videos | List similar videos |
| shutterstock-api.ComputerVisionApi | uploadEphemeralImage | POST /v2/images | Upload ephemeral images |
| shutterstock-api.ComputerVisionApi | uploadImage | POST /v2/cv/images | Upload images |
| shutterstock-api.ContributorsApi | getContributor | GET /v2/contributors/{contributor_id} | Get details about a single contributor |
| shutterstock-api.ContributorsApi | getContributorCollectionItems | GET /v2/contributors/{contributor_id}/collections/{id}/items | Get the items in contributors' collections |
| shutterstock-api.ContributorsApi | getContributorCollections | GET /v2/contributors/{contributor_id}/collections/{id} | Get details about contributors' collections |
| shutterstock-api.ContributorsApi | getContributorCollectionsList | GET /v2/contributors/{contributor_id}/collections | List contributors' collections |
| shutterstock-api.ContributorsApi | getContributorList | GET /v2/contributors | Get details about multiple contributors |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialImagesApi | getEditorialCategories | GET /v2/editorial/categories | (Deprecated) List editorial categories |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialImagesApi | getEditorialImage | GET /v2/editorial/images/{id} | Get editorial content details |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialImagesApi | getEditorialImageLicenseList | GET /v2/editorial/images/licenses | List editorial image licenses |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialImagesApi | getEditorialImageLivefeed | GET /v2/editorial/images/livefeeds/{id} | Get editorial livefeed |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialImagesApi | getEditorialImageLivefeedItems | GET /v2/editorial/images/livefeeds/{id}/items | Get editorial livefeed items |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialImagesApi | getEditorialImageLivefeedList | GET /v2/editorial/images/livefeeds | Get editorial livefeed list |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialImagesApi | getEditorialImage_0 | GET /v2/editorial/{id} | (Deprecated) Get editorial content details |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialImagesApi | getEditorialLivefeed | GET /v2/editorial/livefeeds/{id} | (Deprecated) Get editorial livefeed |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialImagesApi | getEditorialLivefeedItems | GET /v2/editorial/livefeeds/{id}/items | (Deprecated) Get editorial livefeed items |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialImagesApi | getEditorialLivefeedList | GET /v2/editorial/livefeeds | (Deprecated) Get editorial livefeed list |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialImagesApi | getUpdatedEditorialImage | GET /v2/editorial/updated | (Deprecated) List updated content |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialImagesApi | getUpdatedEditorialImages | GET /v2/editorial/images/updated | List updated content |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialImagesApi | licenseEditorialImage | POST /v2/editorial/licenses | (Deprecated) License editorial content |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialImagesApi | licenseEditorialImages | POST /v2/editorial/images/licenses | License editorial content |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialImagesApi | listEditorialImageCategories | GET /v2/editorial/images/categories | List editorial categories |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialImagesApi | listEditorialImages | GET /v2/editorial/images | list editorial image details |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialImagesApi | searchEditorial | GET /v2/editorial/search | (Deprecated) Search editorial content |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialImagesApi | searchEditorialImages | GET /v2/editorial/images/search | Search editorial images |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialVideoApi | getEditorialVideo | GET /v2/editorial/videos/{id} | Get editorial video content details |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialVideoApi | getEditorialVideoLicenseList | GET /v2/editorial/videos/licenses | List editorial video licenses |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialVideoApi | licenseEditorialVideo | POST /v2/editorial/videos/licenses | License editorial video content |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialVideoApi | listEditorialVideoCategories | GET /v2/editorial/videos/categories | List editorial video categories |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialVideoApi | listEditorialVideos | GET /v2/editorial/videos | List editorial videos details by ID list |
| shutterstock-api.EditorialVideoApi | searchEditorialVideos | GET /v2/editorial/videos/search | Search editorial video content |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | addImageCollectionItems | POST /v2/images/collections/{id}/items | Add images to collections |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | bulkSearchImages | POST /v2/bulk_search/images | Run multiple image searches |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | createImageCollection | POST /v2/images/collections | Create image collections |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | deleteImageCollection | DELETE /v2/images/collections/{id} | Delete image collections |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | deleteImageCollectionItems | DELETE /v2/images/collections/{id}/items | Remove images from collections |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | downloadImage | POST /v2/images/licenses/{id}/downloads | Download images |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | getFeaturedImageCollection | GET /v2/images/collections/featured/{id} | Get the details of featured image collections |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | getFeaturedImageCollectionItems | GET /v2/images/collections/featured/{id}/items | Get the contents of featured image collections |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | getFeaturedImageCollectionList | GET /v2/images/collections/featured | List featured image collections |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | getImage | GET /v2/images/{id} | Get details about images |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | getImageCollection | GET /v2/images/collections/{id} | Get the details of image collections |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | getImageCollectionItems | GET /v2/images/collections/{id}/items | Get the contents of image collections |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | getImageCollectionList | GET /v2/images/collections | List image collections |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | getImageKeywordSuggestions | POST /v2/images/search/suggestions | Get keywords from text |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | getImageLicenseList | GET /v2/images/licenses | List image licenses |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | getImageList | GET /v2/images | List images |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | getImageRecommendations | GET /v2/images/recommendations | List recommended images |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | getImageSuggestions | GET /v2/images/search/suggestions | Get suggestions for a search term |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | getUpdatedImages | GET /v2/images/updated | List updated images |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | licenseImages | POST /v2/images/licenses | License images |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | listImageCategories | GET /v2/images/categories | List image categories |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | listSimilarImages | GET /v2/images/{id}/similar | List similar images |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | renameImageCollection | POST /v2/images/collections/{id} | Rename image collections |
| shutterstock-api.ImagesApi | searchImages | GET /v2/images/search | Search for images |
| shutterstock-api.SoundEffectsApi | downloadSfx | POST /v2/sfx/licenses/{id}/downloads | Download sound effects |
| shutterstock-api.SoundEffectsApi | getSfxDetails | GET /v2/sfx/{id} | Get details about sound effects |
| shutterstock-api.SoundEffectsApi | getSfxLicenseList | GET /v2/sfx/licenses | List sound effects licenses |
| shutterstock-api.SoundEffectsApi | getSfxListDetails | GET /v2/sfx | List details about sound effects |
| shutterstock-api.SoundEffectsApi | licensesSFX | POST /v2/sfx/licenses | License sound effects |
| shutterstock-api.SoundEffectsApi | searchSFX | GET /v2/sfx/search | Search for sound effects |
| shutterstock-api.TestApi | echo | GET /v2/test | Echo text |
| shutterstock-api.TestApi | validate | GET /v2/test/validate | Validate input |
| shutterstock-api.UsersApi | getAccessToken | GET /v2/user/access_token | Get access token details |
| shutterstock-api.UsersApi | getUser | GET /v2/user | Get user details |
| shutterstock-api.UsersApi | getUserSubscriptionList | GET /v2/user/subscriptions | List user subscriptions |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | addVideoCollectionItems | POST /v2/videos/collections/{id}/items | Add videos to collections |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | createVideoCollection | POST /v2/videos/collections | Create video collections |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | deleteVideoCollection | DELETE /v2/videos/collections/{id} | Delete video collections |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | deleteVideoCollectionItems | DELETE /v2/videos/collections/{id}/items | Remove videos from collections |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | downloadVideos | POST /v2/videos/licenses/{id}/downloads | Download videos |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | findSimilarVideos | GET /v2/videos/{id}/similar | List similar videos |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | getFeaturedVideoCollection | GET /v2/videos/collections/featured/{id} | Get the details of featured video collections |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | getFeaturedVideoCollectionItems | GET /v2/videos/collections/featured/{id}/items | Get the contents of featured video collections |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | getFeaturedVideoCollectionList | GET /v2/videos/collections/featured | List featured video collections |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | getUpdatedVideos | GET /v2/videos/updated | List updated videos |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | getVideo | GET /v2/videos/{id} | Get details about videos |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | getVideoCollection | GET /v2/videos/collections/{id} | Get the details of video collections |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | getVideoCollectionItems | GET /v2/videos/collections/{id}/items | Get the contents of video collections |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | getVideoCollectionList | GET /v2/videos/collections | List video collections |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | getVideoLicenseList | GET /v2/videos/licenses | List video licenses |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | getVideoList | GET /v2/videos | List videos |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | getVideoSuggestions | GET /v2/videos/search/suggestions | Get suggestions for a search term |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | licenseVideos | POST /v2/videos/licenses | License videos |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | listVideoCategories | GET /v2/videos/categories | List video categories |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | renameVideoCollection | POST /v2/videos/collections/{id} | Rename video collections |
| shutterstock-api.VideosApi | searchVideos | GET /v2/videos/search | Search for videos |
FAQs
The Shutterstock API provides access to Shutterstock's library of media as well as information about customers accounts and the contributors that provide the media
The npm package shutterstock-api receives a total of 3,124 weekly downloads. As such, shutterstock-api popularity was classified as popular.
We found that shutterstock-api demonstrated a healthy version release cadence and project activity because the last version was released less than a year ago. It has 0 open source maintainers collaborating on the project.
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