Reverse image search is the process of using an image as the starting point of your search to learn more about the picture, where it came from, or its subjects.
Why do people perform reverse image searches? Reasons vary, but there are typically two types of objectives:
Track images across the web
Use an image search extension to find all the places where an image is presented. This is useful for people like…
- Photographers, digital artists and designers who want to know if their proprietary work is being used without credit, consent, or in inappropriate ways.
- Content marketers who want to measure the impact of images used in their campaigns. For instance, let’s say you included a picture of a new product in a press release. Image search can help you track how far and wide that promotional image has spread.
- Anyone who’s posted personal pics. With so many people posting images of themselves on social media and elsewhere, sometimes a person’s face can unwittingly wind up on a McDonald’s ad in China
Authenticate imagery
There are many reasons you might want to investigate the veracity of an image you find on the web…
- Fake news! Unscrupulous “news” sources have been known to use false images in stories to distort narratives. If you question images seen in a news article, research it yourself with an image search extension.
- Verify business and personal contacts. Sometimes people are not who they appear to be—literally. If you’ve been contacted by a questionable marketer on LinkedIn or you’re wondering if the person you met on a dating app is legit, investigate the image.
- Give image credit. If you find an image to use in your own published work—for example, a blog post—and you want to credit the source, use a reverse image search extension to track down the owner.