vision changedbuild-with-claude/vision
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1010
1111## Send images to Claude
1212
13Use Claude's vision capabilities through:
13Use Claude’s vision capabilities through:
1414
1515* [claude.ai](https://claude.ai/). Upload an image like you would a file, or drag and drop an image directly into the chat window.
1616* [Playground](https://platform.claude.com/playground) in the Claude Console. Add images directly to any **User** message block.
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531531
532532### Files API image example
533533
534For images you'll use repeatedly or when you want to avoid encoding overhead, use the [Files API](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/files). Upload the image once, then reference the returned `file_id` in subsequent messages instead of resending base64 data.
534For images you’ll use repeatedly or when you want to avoid encoding overhead, use the [Files API](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/files). Upload the image once, then reference the returned `file_id` in subsequent messages instead of resending base64 data.
535535
536536<Tip>
537537 In multi-turn conversations and agentic workflows, each request resends the full conversation history. If images are base64-encoded, the full image bytes are included in the payload on every turn, which can significantly increase request size and latency as the conversation grows. Uploading images to the Files API and referencing them by `file_id` keeps request payloads small regardless of how many images accumulate in the conversation history.
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12241224 ```
12251225</CodeGroup>
12261226
1227In a multi-turn conversation, add new images in later `user` turns the same way. Claude has access to every image from earlier turns, so follow-up questions such as "Are these similar to the first two?" work without including the earlier images again in the new turn's content.
1227In a multi-turn conversation, add new images in later `user` turns the same way. Claude has access to every image from earlier turns, so follow-up questions such as “Are these similar to the first two?” work without including the earlier images again in the new turn’s content.
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12291229***
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12401240
12411241The maximum dimensions for each image are 8000x8000 px.
12421242
1243If a single API request contains more than 20 images, a stricter per-image dimension limit applies to every image in that request. All `image` blocks in the request count toward this threshold, including images from earlier conversation turns that you resend and images nested inside `tool_result` content (for example, screenshots returned to the computer use tool). On Amazon Bedrock and Claude Models on Google Cloud (Google managed), document blocks such as PDFs also count toward this threshold. Images exceeding the stricter limit are rejected with an `invalid_request_error` whose message references "many-image requests" and states the current limit in pixels. To stay under the limit on all platforms, either resize each image so that neither dimension exceeds 2000 px, or keep the request to 20 or fewer image and document blocks.
1243If a single API request contains more than 20 images, a stricter per-image dimension limit applies to every image in that request. All `image` blocks in the request count toward this threshold, including images from earlier conversation turns that you resend and images nested inside `tool_result` content (for example, screenshots returned to the computer use tool). On Amazon Bedrock and Claude Models on Google Cloud (Google managed), document blocks such as PDFs also count toward this threshold. Images exceeding the stricter limit are rejected with an `invalid_request_error` whose message references “many-image requests” and states the current limit in pixels. To stay under the limit on all platforms, either resize each image so that neither dimension exceeds 2000 px, or keep the request to 20 or fewer image and document blocks.
12441244
12451245The maximum size per image is:
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12621262
12631263Claude processes images in patches instead of pixels. Each patch is a 28×28-pixel block of the image, referred to as a visual token. An image, therefore, costs `⌈width / 28⌉ × ⌈height / 28⌉` visual tokens.
12641264
1265Each model has a maximum native image resolution, expressed as a long-edge limit and a visual-token limit. Images larger than either limit are downscaled before processing; see [How Claude resizes and pads images](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/vision-coordinates#how-claude-resizes-and-pads-images) for the exact rule. The exception is screenshots and zoom images that you return to the [computer use](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/agents-and-tools/tool-use/computer-use-tool#handle-coordinate-scaling-for-higher-resolutions) and [browser use](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/agents-and-tools/tool-use/browser-use-tool#targets-and-coordinates) toolsets: the API rejects a `tool_result` image that exceeds the model's limits with a validation error instead of downscaling it, so resize those images in your application before returning them. To have any other oversized image rejected with an error instead of downscaled, set the image block's [`transformations` field](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/vision-coordinates#oversized-image-error).
1265Each model has a maximum native image resolution, expressed as a long-edge limit and a visual-token limit. Images larger than either limit are downscaled before processing; see [How Claude resizes and pads images](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/vision-coordinates#how-claude-resizes-and-pads-images) for the exact rule. The exception is screenshots and zoom images that you return to the [computer use](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/agents-and-tools/tool-use/computer-use-tool#handle-coordinate-scaling-for-higher-resolutions) and [browser use](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/agents-and-tools/tool-use/browser-use-tool#targets-and-coordinates) toolsets: the API rejects a `tool_result` image that exceeds the model’s limits with a validation error instead of downscaling it, so resize those images in your application before returning them. To have any other oversized image rejected with an error instead of downscaled, set the image block’s [`transformations` field](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/vision-coordinates#oversized-image-error).
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12671267| Resolution tier | Models | Max long edge | Max visual tokens |
12681268| --------------- | --------------------------- | ------------- | ----------------- |
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12821282| 2000x1500 px (3 megapixels) | 1269x952 px | 1,564 | Not resized | 3,888 |
12831283| 3840x2160 px (8.29 megapixels) | 1456x819 px | 1,560 | 2576x1449 px | 4,784 |
12841284
1285When an image is downsized, Claude scales it to the largest size that fits the tier's limits while preserving its aspect ratio. This caps the token cost. For the precise rule and a reference implementation, see [How Claude resizes and pads images](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/vision-coordinates#how-claude-resizes-and-pads-images).
1285When an image is downsized, Claude scales it to the largest size that fits the tier’s limits while preserving its aspect ratio. This caps the token cost. For the precise rule and a reference implementation, see [How Claude resizes and pads images](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/vision-coordinates#how-claude-resizes-and-pads-images).
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1287To estimate cost, multiply the token count by the [per-token price of the model](https://claude.com/pricing) you're using. For example, at Claude Haiku 4.5's $1 USD per million input tokens (standard tier), the 1000×1000 image costs about $1.30 USD per thousand images. At Claude Opus 5.5's $4 USD per million (high-resolution tier), the same image costs about $5.18 USD per thousand and the 4K image about $19.14 USD per thousand.
1287To estimate cost, multiply the token count by the [per-token price of the model](https://claude.com/pricing) you’re using. For example, at Claude Haiku 4.5’s $1 USD per million input tokens (standard tier), the 1000×1000 image costs about $1.30 USD per thousand images. At Claude Opus 5.5’s $4 USD per million (high-resolution tier), the same image costs about $5.18 USD per thousand and the 4K image about $19.14 USD per thousand.
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1289High-resolution images can use up to roughly three times more visual tokens than the same image on a standard-tier model. If you don't need the additional fidelity that high resolution provides for computer use, screenshot understanding, and dense documents, downsample images before sending to control token costs. To minimize latency and to simplify [coordinate-based workflows](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/vision-coordinates), prefer resizing images before uploading them.
1289High-resolution images can use up to roughly three times more visual tokens than the same image on a standard-tier model. If you don’t need the additional fidelity that high resolution provides for computer use, screenshot understanding, and dense documents, downsample images before sending to control token costs. To minimize latency and to simplify [coordinate-based workflows](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/vision-coordinates), prefer resizing images before uploading them.
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12911291### Image quality guidance
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12931293When providing images to Claude, keep the following in mind for best results:
12941294
12951295* **Image clarity:** Ensure images are clear and not too blurry or pixelated.
1296* **Text:** If the image contains important text, make sure it's legible and not too small. Avoid cropping out key visual context solely to enlarge the text.
1296* **Text:** If the image contains important text, make sure it’s legible and not too small. Avoid cropping out key visual context solely to enlarge the text.
12971297* **Resizing:** Take into account that your image might be resized if it is too large (see [Resolution and token cost](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/vision#evaluate-image-size)); this might, for example, make text less legible. Consider pre-resizing your images, cropping them, or both. To have an oversized image rejected with an error instead of resized (important for [coordinate workflows](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/vision-coordinates)), mark the image block with [`"oversized_image": "error"`](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/vision-coordinates#oversized-image-error).
12981298* **Image compression:** Compressing images before sending them, using a lossy format such as JPEG or WebP (lossy mode), can reduce latency by reducing the size of requests. However, this can introduce artifacts that are detrimental to model performance, especially when multiple compression passes are applied. For example, heavy JPEG compression can make text difficult to read. Confirm your compression settings are appropriate for the task by inspecting the actual images sent to the API.
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13071307
13081308## Limitations
13091309
1310Although Claude's image understanding capabilities are advanced, there are some limitations to be aware of:
1310Although Claude’s image understanding capabilities are advanced, there are some limitations to be aware of:
13111311
13121312* **People identification:** Claude cannot be used to name people in images and refuses to do so (see the [Usage Policy](https://www.anthropic.com/legal/aup)).
13131313* **Accuracy:** Claude might hallucinate or make mistakes when interpreting low-quality, rotated, or very small images under 200 pixels.
1314* **Spatial reasoning:** Claude's coordinate and localization outputs are approximate. Follow the guidance in [Coordinates and bounding boxes](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/vision-coordinates) and verify outputs before relying on them.
1314* **Spatial reasoning:** Claude’s coordinate and localization outputs are approximate. Follow the guidance in [Coordinates and bounding boxes](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/vision-coordinates) and verify outputs before relying on them.
13151315* **Counting:** Claude can give approximate counts of objects in an image but might not always be precisely accurate, especially with large numbers of small objects.
13161316* **AI-generated images:** Claude cannot determine whether an image is AI-generated and might be incorrect if asked. Do not rely on it to detect fake or synthetic images.
13171317* **Inappropriate content:** Claude does not process inappropriate or explicit images that violate the [Usage Policy](https://www.anthropic.com/legal/aup).
1318* **Healthcare applications:** Although Claude can analyze general medical images, it is not designed to interpret complex diagnostic scans such as CTs or MRIs. Claude's outputs should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis.
1318* **Healthcare applications:** Although Claude can analyze general medical images, it is not designed to interpret complex diagnostic scans such as CTs or MRIs. Claude’s outputs should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis.
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1320Always carefully review and verify Claude's image interpretations, especially for high-stakes use cases. Do not use Claude for tasks requiring perfect precision or sensitive image analysis without human oversight.
1320Always carefully review and verify Claude’s image interpretations, especially for high-stakes use cases. Do not use Claude for tasks requiring perfect precision or sensitive image analysis without human oversight.
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13221322***
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13441344 No, Claude does not parse or receive any metadata from images passed to it.
13451345 </Accordion>
13461346
1347 <Accordion title="Can I delete images I've uploaded?">
1347 <Accordion title="Can I delete images I’ve uploaded?">
13481348 No. Image uploads are ephemeral and not stored beyond the duration of the API request. Uploaded images are automatically deleted after they have been processed.
13491349 </Accordion>
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13521352 Refer to the Anthropic privacy policy page for information on how uploaded images and other data are handled. Anthropic does not use uploaded images to train models.
13531353 </Accordion>
13541354
1355 <Accordion title="What if Claude's image interpretation seems wrong?">
1356 If Claude's image interpretation seems incorrect:
1355 <Accordion title="What if Claude’s image interpretation seems wrong?">
1356 If Claude’s image interpretation seems incorrect:
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13581358 1. Ensure the image is clear, high-quality, and correctly oriented.
13591359 2. Try prompt engineering techniques to improve results.
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