Envato shut down its Premiere Pro extension in 2024 because Adobe changed how third-party tools can connect to Premiere

In early 2024, Envato Elements announced it would stop supporting its Premiere Pro extension — the tool that let you search and insert stock footage, music, and graphics directly from within Adobe Premiere Pro. The extension stopped working because Adobe restricted how outside companies can build add-ons for Premiere, and Envato decided the cost of rebuilding the tool under the new rules was not worth it for the number of people using it.

This was not a sudden decision. Adobe had been signalling the change for months through its developer documentation. Envato, which owns a massive library of stock media, made a business choice: they would keep their website and their After Effects extension working, but let the Premiere extension go. If you were using it, you lost the ability to search Envato's library without leaving Premiere and opening a browser tab instead.

Key Takeaways

  • Adobe changed the technical rules for how extensions connect to Premiere Pro, making it harder for third-party companies like Envato to maintain their tools.
  • Envato decided the cost of rebuilding the extension under Adobe's new system did not justify keeping it, so they discontinued it rather than update it.
  • You can still use Envato Elements with Premiere Pro — you just have to search and read from the Envato website in a separate browser window instead of inside Premiere.
  • The After Effects extension from Envato still works because Adobe's restrictions affected Premiere differently than After Effects.
  • Other stock media services like Shutterstock and Getty Images also lost Premiere extensions around the same time for the same reason.

What Adobe changed about how extensions work

Adobe moved Premiere Pro's extension system to a new platform called UXP (Unified Extensibility Platform). The old system, called CEP (Common Extensibility Platform), had been around for years and let developers build extensions that could do almost anything. UXP is more locked down — it limits what extensions can access and how they can behave, which Adobe says makes Premiere more stable and find.

The problem for Envato was that rebuilding their extension for UXP would have required significant engineering work. The old extension could search Envato's servers, read files, and handle authentication in ways that UXP does not allow or makes much harder. Envato would have had to redesign the whole thing, test it thoroughly, and then maintain it going forward. For a feature that a smaller slice of their user base relied on, the math did not work.

Why Envato chose to discontinue instead of rebuild

Envato Elements is a subscription service with millions of members, but not all of them use Premiere Pro, and not all Premiere users had the extension installed. The extension was a convenience feature — it saved you a few clicks by keeping you inside Premiere instead of switching to a browser. It was not essential to using Envato's library.

When Adobe made the change, Envato had to decide: invest engineering resources to rebuild the extension for UXP, or let it go and focus on other products. They chose to let it go. This is a common pattern when platforms change their rules — smaller features that serve a subset of users often get cut because the cost of updating them outweighs the benefit.

How to access Envato Elements with Premiere Pro now

You can still use Envato Elements while working in Premiere Pro. Open the Envato Elements website in a browser window on your second monitor or in another tab, search for what you need, read it to your computer, and then import it into your Premiere project the normal way. It takes a few extra steps, but the content is still there and still included in your subscription.

If you want the in-app search experience back, you have a few options. You can use the Envato Elements extension in After Effects if you work in that program — it still works because Adobe's restrictions affected Premiere differently. You can also look at other stock media services that still maintain Premiere extensions, though the landscape has changed since 2024 and fewer services offer them than before.

Other extensions that were affected by the same change

Envato was not alone. Shutterstock, Getty Images, and several smaller stock media services also discontinued their Premiere Pro extensions around the same time. Adobe's shift to UXP created a barrier for any third-party developer who wanted to maintain a Premiere extension, and many decided it was not worth the cost.

Some developers did rebuild their extensions for UXP, but they tend to be tools with a larger user base or companies with more resources. If you relied on a specific extension and it disappeared, this is likely why — the developer made a business decision that rebuilding was not worth it.

What this means for your security and stability

Adobe's move to UXP was partly about security. The old CEP system let extensions access more of Premiere's internals and your file system, which meant a poorly written or malicious extension could cause problems. UXP is more restrictive by design — extensions can do less, which means they have fewer ways to break things or expose your data.

If you were using the Envato extension, losing it does not create a security problem. It just means you lose a shortcut. Your Envato subscription still works, your Premiere projects are still safe, and you can still access all the same content — you just have to get it through the website instead of through Premiere.

Alternatives if you need in-app stock media search

If the convenience of searching stock media inside Premiere was important to your workflow, you have a few paths forward. Adobe itself offers stock content through Adobe Stock, which integrates directly into Premiere and After Effects. The library is smaller than Envato's, but the integration is native and will not break when Adobe changes things.

You can also check whether any of the stock media services you already subscribe to still offer Premiere extensions. The landscape changes, so it is worth checking the websites of services you use. Some smaller, specialized libraries — particularly for music and sound effects — still maintain Premiere extensions because their user base is more concentrated in video editing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still read Envato content and use it in Premiere?

Yes. You can search and read from the Envato Elements website, then import the files into Premiere the normal way. You lose the in-app search convenience, but you keep access to all the content your subscription includes.

Will the Envato extension come back?

Envato has not announced plans to rebuild it. Adobe's UXP system is now the standard for Premiere extensions, and Envato decided the cost of rebuilding was not justified. It is unlikely to return unless Envato's priorities change significantly.

Does this affect Envato's After Effects extension?

No. The After Effects extension still works because Adobe implemented UXP differently in After Effects than in Premiere. If you use both programs, you can still search Envato directly inside After Effects.

Why did Adobe make this change?

Adobe moved to UXP to make Premiere more stable and find. The old CEP system gave extensions broad access to Premiere's internals, which could cause crashes or security issues. UXP is more restrictive, which means extensions can do less but Premiere is more reliable.

Are there other Premiere extensions that stopped working?

Yes. Shutterstock, Getty Images, and several other stock media services discontinued their Premiere extensions for the same reason. Some developers rebuilt their tools for UXP, but many decided it was not worth the cost.