Image processing API

Effortlessly process images in real time with our user-friendly URL API

Build custom image transformation workflows and automate most image manipulation and optimization tasks. For example, create a series of image transformations for user-generated content, ensuring a consistent appearance

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https://ucarecdn.com/
153d750a-049f-44dc-8372-853f49320bad
Image ID
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resize/800x600
Resize
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enhance/100
Enhance
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Adaptive quality

Adaptive image quality for flawless results

Our statistics algorithms ensure adaptive image quality. They analyze images faster than AI would, setting the correct compression level just before the appearance of visual artifacts. Automatic image format selection allows us to achieve the best compression‑to‑quality ratio on the market for your project.

You can also optimize original images with next-gen formats, reducing the image payload by up to 80% without compromising quality.

We support a wide range of image formats, including:

  • PNG

    A lossless image format that supports transparency and is ideal for images with simple graphics or text.

  • HEIC

    A newer image format with high-quality image compression and support for high dynamic range images.

  • WebP

    A modern image format designed for web use that provides better compression than JPEG or PNG.

  • GIF

    A format for short animations or graphics with a limited color palette.

  • TIFF

    A flexible image format that supports various color depths and compression.

  • AVIF

    A high-efficiency image format for high-quality image compression.

  • SVG

    A vector image format that can be scaled without losing quality and is ideal for logos and icons.

  • BMP

    A simple image format storing digital images as grids of pixels.

  • TGA

    An older image format commonly used in early computer games.

  • JPEG

    A popular image format used for photographs and other complex images.

  • PCX

    An older image format commonly used in early Microsoft Windows.

Real-time image processing API and instant delivery

Transform images on the fly without altering the original file. Every time you apply an image processing operation, a new version of the image is delivered, while the original remains untouched. Additionally, to ensure lightning-fast delivery worldwide, all transformed image versions are cached on CDN nodes.

And you can make it even faster by using the Proxy, allowing you to apply image transformations without the need for uploading.

To make things even easier, we've implemented an automatic image format feature. If you specify any image processing operation, we will automatically select the most suitable image format supported by your browser.

Infrastructure

Multi-vendor CDN

No matter how big your CDN vendor is, sooner or later an outage will happen. We use multiple CDN providers at once. It expands our global presence and drastically reduces the probability of a major outage.

Smart CDN
  • 325,000+nodes worldwide
  • 135countries
  • 3CDN providers

Uploadcare 40+ on-the-fly image optimization functions that help you fine-tune your images for your specific needs

Color recognition

Extract dominant colors from any image with ease.

Object recognition

Efficiently tag images with identified objects.

Face detection

Seamlessly locate areas with faces in your images.

Overlays & watermarks

Effortlessly stamp your logo or apply watermarks to your images.

GIF to video

Optimize GIF animations for modern devices.

Smart Image Crop

Easily adapt any image to your layout while preserving essential elements. Our Smart CDN detects faces, objects, and corners to determine the perfect cropping frame.

Smart Image Resize

Extreme resize ratios won’t affect objects. The Smart CDN algorithm will detect the background and stretch it accordingly.

Document conversion

Convert office documents into PDFs or generate JPEG previews.

See all operations

Cindicator case study

Sergey Bliznetsov, Front End Architect
Sergey Bliznetsov, Front End Architect
Before using Uploadcare, I just did all the image processing myself with scripts. You would give it the original image, and it would output five or six different versions. You would have to put them in different folders and maintain the folder structure and so on and so on. It was a nightmare. It’s a lot more work, and it’s not interesting work.

Conclusion

With Uploadcare's real-time Image Processing API and CDN, you can easily optimize and deliver high-quality images to your users, improving engagement, reducing bounce rates, and boosting conversions. Get started with the Uploadcare Image Processing API today and take your image processing capabilities to the next level!

Unified platform

The edge of an entire file handling system

Upload
EncryptionUpload accelerationError handlingMultipart uploadMultifile uploadAttack protectionNetwork issue handlingTime-out handlingUp to 5 TB filesCustom validationWebhooksSigned uploadsUpload APIWhitelabelingCustom OAuth appsCustom CNAMENative iOS & Android
Manage
REST APIStorageUsage monitoringWebhooksScalabilityComplianceEncryptionBackup to S3SearchDurabilityMetadata handlingAvailabilityAutomationHIPAA complianceCustom S3 buckets
Process
Adaptive qualitySmart croppingAuto enhancementBackground removalFace detectionCategorizationObject taggingColor recognitionVideo processingGIF to videoDocument conversionUpscaling imagesWatermarks & overlaysColor profiles supportColor filtersMalware checkingSmart zoomCDN API
Deliver
Content delivery networkAuto responsive imagesTraffic optimizationCustom CNAMEEncryptionDDoS protectionSigned URLsMultiple CDN vendorsAuto image format
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