Can I post someone else’s photo if I credit them?
The short answer
Credit doesn’t grant permission. You need the rights holder’s permission, an appropriate licence or an applicable exception.
Source partly reviewed — details
What this answer is based onWhat to do
Ask the rights holder: “Can we use this photo in a post promoting our travel agency’s trips? We also plan to run the post as an ad.” Save the agreed terms. Without permission, choose your own photo or one with a suitable licence.
- Find the rights holder and explain the use: an ordinary post, a tour offer or paid advertising.
- Agree the terms and keep the permission or licence with the image file.
- If you lack suitable permission, replace the image before posting. A credit alone does not fix the issue.
What else you can do
Choose an option that fits your circumstances.
Report copying of your work
Someone posted your photos, videos or other work without permission.
For the rights owner or their authorised representative. Login may be required.
How to contact them and what to prepare
Have these ready
Direct URLs of the reported posts, your original work or trademark details, a reply contact and your authority to act for the rights owner.
What to do
- Identify your rights and the original work or registration. Add links to the specific content.
- Read the declarations before submitting. Contact details from the report may be shared with the person who posted the content. Keep the reference number.
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If it does not work
If asked to sign in, use your own account. If the form is unavailable, use the official Help page below to find an available route. An unavailable form does not mean your report was submitted.
Source and what we checked
Purpose of this contact option checked: . An official page excerpt was available in search; the full text was not reviewed.
Meta limited automated viewing when opened. Submission was not tested. Availability for your account and an outcome are not guaranteed.
Official Meta sourceThe situation
You download a beach photo and post it on your travel agency’s account: “Wish you were here? Book a trip with us. Photo: @photographer.” You haven’t obtained permission.
The situation and an improvement
Download another person’s beach photo and add a credit to your tour offer.
Use your own photo or obtain permission for this commercial post. Then credit the creator as agreed.
One more example
The homeowner sends professional photos
An estate agent receives apartment photos from the owner: “Use them; I paid for the shoot.” The agent prepares an Instagram listing and plans to promote it. Nobody has checked who took the pictures or what the photographer’s agreement allows.
What to do
Ask who took the photos and what usage rights the owner received. Confirm that you can post them on your account and use them in paid ads. If that is unclear, wait before using them and arrange your own shoot. Paying for a shoot does not by itself tell you which uses are permitted.
What this answer is based on
Meta · Copyright credit and permissionwww.facebook.comInstagram · Copyright · Full source review pendingOnly a source excerpt was availableReview details
Source reviewed:
We could read only an excerpt of the official page in search results. The full conditions and exceptions have not yet been checked.
Reviewed official search text about credit, permission, licensing and copyright exceptions. The full current Help page was unavailable. Whether a specific licence or exception applies to your case was not assessed.
Include the guide link, language and wording that needs checking. Add an official source link if you have one. Do not send passwords, login codes or photos of identity documents.
Examples are made up to explain the guidance. Meta decides individual account and content cases.
Study this topicMusic and borrowed footage: check the rightsSources and related topicsPolicy Graph · Demo in development