Your blog post is written and it needs a picture. The quickest route is obvious: search Google Images, find something that fits, save it and upload it. Plenty of small business sites have been built exactly that way, which is why so many owners are surprised when an email arrives from a photo agency asking for payment for an image used without a licence.
There is no shortage of free images for a business website. The trick is knowing which ones are actually free to use, under what conditions, and how to keep a record so you can show where each one came from. None of this needs a lawyer for everyday use, but it does need a little care. This is general guidance, not legal advice; for anything unusual, ask someone qualified where you trade.
Image copyright in plain words
A photo is protected by copyright from the moment it is taken. The photographer, or whoever employs them or bought the rights, owns it. There is no need for a © symbol, a watermark or any registration. This is broadly how it works in India, the US, the UK and across Europe.
So the starting assumption for any image you find online is simple: you cannot use it unless its owner has given permission. A licence is that permission, written down. Some licences cost money. Some are free but come with conditions. A few images have no copyright left at all and are in the public domain.
Three things do not count as permission:
- The image being easy to download.
- Crediting the photographer without their agreement.
- Everyone else in your industry using the same picture.
Why Google Images is the risky route
Google Images is a search engine, not a library. It shows pictures from across the web, almost all of them owned by someone. Saving one and putting it on your site is, by default, using someone else’s work without permission.
Google does have a usage rights filter under Tools in image search, which narrows results to images marked with Creative Commons or other licences. It helps, but it relies on the label the website gave the image, and labels are sometimes wrong. Always click through to the page that hosts the picture and read the licence there before using it.
The same caution applies to images you find on social media, on a competitor’s website, or in the demo content that came with your theme. Theme demo pictures are often licensed only for showing off the theme. If you imported a demo, our post on importing a theme demo and replacing its content covers swapping those images out.
The licences you will meet
Most free image sources use one of these. Read the one attached to each picture, because a single site can host images under several.
| Licence | What it lets you do | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Public domain or CC0 | Use, edit and publish freely, including commercially | Make sure the uploader really had the right to release it |
| CC BY | Use and edit, including commercially | You must credit the creator as the licence asks |
| CC BY-SA | Use and edit with credit | Edited versions must carry the same licence |
| Any licence with NC | Non-commercial use only | A business website is generally commercial; avoid these |
| Any licence with ND | Use as it is, with credit | Cropping or editing may count as changing it; avoid if you plan to edit |
| A site’s own free licence | Usually broad free use | Each site sets its own conditions; read them |
Creative Commons licences are standard, published and the same everywhere, which makes them easy to check. A stock site’s own licence can say anything, so read it once and note anything unusual.
Where to find free images for a business website
Openverse
Openverse is a search engine for openly licensed images and audio, run as part of the WordPress project. Each result shows its licence and how to credit it. In recent versions of WordPress, it is also built into the block editor: open the inserter, go to the Media tab and you will find Openverse alongside your own library. Images inserted this way usually come with a caption crediting the creator. Keep it, since many of these licences require credit.
Free stock photo sites
Sites such as Unsplash, Pexels and Pixabay offer photos under their own licences, which at the time of writing allow free commercial use without credit, with some conditions. Typical conditions are that you cannot sell the photo unchanged, or use it to suggest that a person or brand pictured endorses you. Licences change, so read the current one on the site you use.
Wikimedia Commons
Useful for places, buildings and historical images. Every file has its own licence listed on its page, from public domain to licences that require credit or share-alike. Check each file individually.
Paid stock, when it is worth it
For an important page, a paid stock licence gives you a clear record of permission and often a wider choice. Terms differ between agencies, so read what yours covers: how many uses, print, and whether it allows use in ads.
People, logos and other hidden problems
A licence from the photographer does not always cover everything in the picture.
- People. Free sites often do not confirm that every person pictured agreed to every kind of use. Avoid using a stranger’s face in a way that suggests they are your customer, your employee, or that they recommend you. Take extra care before putting a recognisable face beside a sensitive subject such as health or money troubles, which many licences restrict.
- Brands and logos. A phone, a car badge or a shop sign in the background can suggest a connection that does not exist. Pick images where brands are not prominent.
- Artwork and buildings. Photos of paintings, sculptures or some modern buildings can bring in another owner’s rights. Treat them with care.
AI-generated images are another option some owners use. The rules around them are still unsettled and vary between tools and countries, so read the tool’s terms, avoid making pictures of real people, and never use one to stand in for your real premises or work.
Using your own photos instead
The safest image is one you took yourself, or one you commissioned with the rights agreed in writing. It is also usually the most convincing, because customers see the real business. Our post comparing real photos and stock photos covers what to photograph and how to do it well with a phone. Stock images work best for general topics and backgrounds; your own photos should cover your team, premises and work.
Crediting and keeping records
When a licence asks for credit, give it the way the licence describes, usually the creator’s name, the source and the licence name, with links where possible. In WordPress the natural place is the image caption under the picture; our guide to the image caption, title and alt text fields explains where each appears. A credits section at the end of the post is a common alternative if the licence allows it.
Then keep a simple record. A spreadsheet with these columns is enough:
- The file name as uploaded to your site.
- The page address where you found it.
- The licence name and a link to it.
- The date you downloaded it.
- A screenshot of the licence or download page, saved in a folder.
Sites remove photos and change licences over time. The screenshot shows what the terms were when you downloaded it. If you ever receive a complaint, this record is what lets you answer calmly.
If you receive a copyright complaint
Some photographers and agencies search the web for their images and contact sites that use them without a licence. If that happens to you, do not ignore it and do not panic. Check your record for that image. If you have a valid licence, reply with the details. If you do not, removing the image from every page and from Media → Library is the usual first step. Where a payment is being asked for, talk to someone qualified before agreeing to anything.
Before uploading any image you choose, resize and compress it so it does not slow the page; our free image compressor works in the browser. For the rest of the images topic, from uploading to sizes, the WordPress images guide is the place to continue, and our WordPress help guide covers the other jobs that come with running the site.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a free stock image as part of my logo?
It is usually a poor idea. A logo needs to be yours alone, and a free picture can be used by anyone, including a competitor, so it will never set you apart. Some stock sites also say in their terms that their content may not be used as a trademark or logo. Use original work you own or have clear written rights to.
Can I edit or crop a free image?
Under public domain, CC0 and plain CC BY licences you can, as long as you meet the credit condition where there is one. Licences with ND in the name do not allow adapted versions. Most free stock site licences allow editing, but read the current terms on the site to be sure before you rely on it.
What about images my web designer added years ago?
Ask whether they kept licence records, and whether any images came from a paid account that was in their name. If nobody can say where an image came from, the cautious choice is to replace it with one you have a record for, starting with your homepage and service pages where images are most visible.
Can I use free images in my Google ads or printed leaflets?
That depends entirely on the licence. Some free licences allow advertising and print, others limit certain uses or require credit that is awkward to give in an ad. Read the licence for each image you plan to use outside your website, and choose a paid licence or your own photo if anything is unclear.
Swapping out pictures nobody can trace, and setting up a simple place to log licences as new content goes up, is ordinary site work, and our WordPress support can help with it. Whether a particular licence covers your use is still your call, or your adviser’s.
Next in this series: Image Lightbox in WordPress: Click to Enlarge Images
