SnapOtter/apps/docs/tools/image/barcode-read.md

description

description
Scan images for QR codes, barcodes, and 2D codes with annotated output.

Barcode Reader

Scan uploaded images for all types of barcodes and QR codes. Returns decoded text, barcode type, and position data for each detected code. Also generates an annotated image with colored bounding boxes around detected codes.

API Endpoint

POST /api/v1/tools/image/barcode-read

Accepts multipart form data with an image file and an optional JSON settings field.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
tryHarder	boolean	No	true	Enable aggressive scanning mode for harder-to-read barcodes (slower but more thorough)

Example Request

curl -X POST http://localhost:1349/api/v1/tools/image/barcode-read \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer si_your-api-key" \
  -F "file=@receipt.jpg" \
  -F 'settings={"tryHarder": true}'

Example Response

{
  "filename": "receipt.jpg",
  "barcodes": [
    {
      "type": "QRCode",
      "text": "https://example.com/product/123",
      "position": {
        "topLeft": { "x": 100, "y": 50 },
        "topRight": { "x": 250, "y": 50 },
        "bottomLeft": { "x": 100, "y": 200 },
        "bottomRight": { "x": 250, "y": 200 }
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "EAN-13",
      "text": "5901234123457",
      "position": {
        "topLeft": { "x": 50, "y": 400 },
        "topRight": { "x": 300, "y": 400 },
        "bottomLeft": { "x": 50, "y": 450 },
        "bottomRight": { "x": 300, "y": 450 }
      }
    }
  ],
  "annotatedUrl": "/api/v1/download/a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890/annotated-receipt.png",
  "previewUrl": "/api/v1/download/a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890/annotated-receipt.png"
}

Response Fields

Field	Type	Description
filename	string	Original filename
barcodes	array	Array of detected barcode objects
annotatedUrl	string or null	URL to download the annotated image (null if no barcodes found)
previewUrl	string or null	Same as annotatedUrl (for frontend preview compatibility)

Barcode Object

Field	Type	Description
type	string	Barcode format (QRCode, EAN-13, Code128, DataMatrix, PDF417, etc.)
text	string	Decoded content of the barcode
position	object	Bounding box with topLeft, topRight, bottomLeft, bottomRight coordinates

Supported Barcode Types

1D barcodes: Code128, Code39, Code93, Codabar, EAN-8, EAN-13, ITF, UPC-A, UPC-E

2D barcodes: QRCode, DataMatrix, PDF417, Aztec, MaxiCode

Notes

• Uses the zxing-wasm library for barcode detection.
• The annotated image overlays colored polygon bounding boxes and numbered labels on each detected barcode.
• Up to 255 barcodes can be detected in a single image.
• If no barcodes are found, barcodes is an empty array and annotatedUrl is null.
• The tryHarder mode performs more thorough scanning at the cost of processing time. Disable it for faster processing of clean, well-aligned barcodes.
• The annotated output is always PNG format.
• HEIC, RAW, PSD, and SVG inputs are automatically decoded before scanning.
• EXIF orientation is auto-applied before processing.