Invisible Watermark Scanner

Some watermarks are invisible to the human eye but can still trigger copyright claims. Our scanner catches hidden digital signatures, steganographic markers, and forensic identifiers.

3 free scans per day. No signup required.

Types of hidden watermarks we detect

Frequency domain watermarks

DCT and FFT analysis reveals watermarks embedded in image frequencies. Common in professional stock photography as an invisible copyright layer.

Steganographic patterns

LSB (least significant bit) analysis catches data hidden in pixel values. Often used by agencies to embed tracking IDs that survive cropping and compression.

Error Level Analysis

ELA identifies regions where an image was edited, often where a visible watermark was cropped or erased. A strong indicator the image was originally protected.

C2PA Content Credentials

Cryptographic provenance chains embedded by Adobe, Microsoft, and camera manufacturers. Proves who created an image and when.

Why this matters

Stock agencies like Getty Images and Shutterstock embed invisible watermarks in preview images. Cropping or editing them out does not remove the hidden markers. Agencies use automated crawlers to find these markers on the open web, which is how demand letters get sent out. Scan before you publish.