How to use Google for Stock Images [Walk-through video]

Unsure about where to find free images on the public domain? Start with Google Images.

Start with a simple Google search.
Visit the Google Images page.
Select the "Tools" drop-down filter.
Hover over the "Usage rights" option.
Select "Creative Commons license."

Whether you're writing a blog, building a website, or looking for a cool wallpaper for your phone, start looking for stock images using Google Images.

Finding a reliable website for free stock images can take time and research. To speed up the process, start by using the filters on Google Images. Here’s how:

Step 1: Start with a simple Google search.

Visit Google.com, or open your Google Chrome browser, and type your search term in the search bar. Instead of testing each search result for usable images, proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Visit the Google Images page.

This page will give you an array of images, but many or most of the images will be under protection. Don’t use any of the shown images yet.

Step 3: Select the “Tools” drop-down filter.

On the top-right of the page, you can find a drop-down menu labeled “Tools.” Once you click on this, it will give you a small list of options. We’ll come back to the other options later.

Step 4: Hover over the "Usage rights" selection.

One of the options in the drop-down menu is titled “Usage rights.” Hovering your mouse over that option opens a second drop-down menu next to the first one.

Step 5: Select "Creative Commons license."

In the second drop-down menu, select “Creative Commons license.” This option will filter all Google images to just those without commercial licenses and ready for use.

These images will come from websites with trusted creative licenses and high-quality, free-to-use images.

Be careful, not every image shown has been legally obtained by the website showing that image. For more information about permission to use Google Images, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page from Google here.

After you find an image you like, research the website providing that image for usage rights on images. This will help you find websites you can use again for stock photos, or correctly cite your source for the images you use.

Other “Tools” filters to try:

Try experimenting with other filter options in the “Tools” drop-down menu. There is an option for filtering by size, which would help you use images with a high pixel count. This will help you scale images without losing image quality.

You can also filter by color, allowing you to choose a color that matches the color scheme of your project.

A good starting tool.

Although using Google Images isn’t the best way to consistently find professional-grade stock images, it’s a great place to start if you are unfamiliar with the other options or are just starting out.

Have some fun with it. Investigate the suggested websites. Explore the options.

All pictures in this post were screenshots from Google.com.