How PhotoScanr Works

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Instant Analysis

Upload any image and get comprehensive AI-generated metadata in 5-15 seconds. No waiting, no queues.

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100% Private

Your images are never stored. Processing happens in memory and files are discarded immediately after analysis.

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Completely Free

No signup, no subscription, no hidden costs. Analyze unlimited images with full features available to everyone.

Simple Steps

PhotoScanr is easy to use. Here's what happens when you analyze your photos:

  1. Upload: Add your photo by dragging it in, picking it from your device, or pasting an image link. Your photo stays completely private and is never saved on our servers.
  2. Analyze: The app sends your photo securely to our AI system, which examines the image to understand what it contains, the composition, lighting, subjects, and context.
  3. See Results: You instantly get a comprehensive summary including an AI-generated title, caption, keywords, detailed description, plus technical details like dimensions, file size, and format.
  4. Export or Copy: Use the metadata immediately by copying it to your clipboard, or export all results for multiple images in JSON, CSV, or text formats packaged in a convenient ZIP file.

Behind the Scenes: The Technology

PhotoScanr uses a sophisticated architecture designed for both power and security:

AI Model: Google Gemini 2.5 Flash

We use one of the most advanced multimodal AI systems available. Unlike simpler image recognition tools that just identify objects, Gemini understands images holistically—recognizing composition, artistic style, emotional tone, and complex relationships between elements. This sophisticated understanding enables PhotoScanr to generate descriptive, natural language that captures both literal content and artistic qualities of your photographs.

Secure Architecture: Cloudflare Worker Proxy

Your images never touch our servers directly. Instead, PhotoScanr uses a Cloudflare Worker—a serverless computing platform that processes your image in memory and discards it immediately after analysis. This architecture provides enterprise-grade security: your images can't be stored because there's nowhere to store them. The Worker exists only to facilitate communication between your browser and the Gemini AI, ensuring complete privacy.

API Key Protection

The Google Gemini API key required to access the AI is stored exclusively server-side in the Cloudflare Worker environment. Your browser never has access to this key, making it impossible for anyone to extract or misuse it. This server-side architecture protects both the service integrity and your security.

Data Flow: How Your Image Travels

  1. Your browser converts the image to base64 format (a text representation of the image data)
  2. The base64 data is sent via encrypted HTTPS connection to the Cloudflare Worker
  3. The Worker injects the secure API key and forwards the request to Google's Gemini AI
  4. Gemini analyzes the image and returns metadata (title, caption, keywords, description)
  5. The Worker forwards this metadata back to your browser
  6. Your browser displays the results—total time: 5-15 seconds
  7. No copies of your image persist anywhere in this entire process

What You Get

PhotoScanr provides two categories of information for each analyzed image:

AI-Generated Content

  • Title: A concise, descriptive name for your image (perfect for file naming or headings)
  • Caption: An engaging narrative description ideal for social media or blog posts
  • Keywords: 10-30 relevant search terms covering subjects, concepts, colors, and composition
  • Description: A comprehensive explanation of the image content, context, and qualities

In Instagram Mode: Captions are optimized for Instagram (2,200 character limit), keywords become hashtags with # symbols (20-30 trending tags), and dimension validation ensures aspect ratio compatibility (0.8:1 to 1.91:1).

In Flickr Mode: Titles are optimized for search (~255 characters), descriptions become rich and detailed supporting extensive storytelling (2,500+ words with HTML formatting), and keywords generate 60-75 relevant tags for maximum discoverability (max 75 tags, ~40 chars each).

Technical Details

  • Dimensions: Width and height in pixels, plus megapixel calculation
  • File Size: Exact size in KB or MB for bandwidth planning
  • File Format: Image type (JPEG, PNG, WebP, etc.) for workflow decisions
  • Aspect Ratio: Proportions for layout and cropping decisions
  • MIME Type: Technical format identifier for developers

Understanding AI Accuracy

PhotoScanr's AI provides highly accurate analysis for most photographic content, but understanding its strengths and limitations helps you use it effectively:

Where AI Excels (90%+ Accuracy)

  • Common subjects (people, animals, vehicles, buildings, natural features)
  • Well-lit, clearly focused photographs
  • Standard compositions and perspectives
  • Mainstream photographic styles (landscape, portrait, documentary, etc.)
  • Recognizable activities, actions, and events

Where AI May Struggle

  • Highly abstract or experimental photography
  • Very niche subjects not well-represented in training data
  • Images with extreme blur, unusual lighting, or heavy processing
  • Culturally specific elements or symbolism
  • Intentionally ambiguous or conceptual art

Best Practice: Always review AI-generated metadata before final use. The AI provides an excellent starting point that typically captures 85-95% of what you need. Adding your specific knowledge—proper names, exact locations, creative intent, or context only you possess—creates the perfect combination of automation efficiency and human expertise.

Your Privacy & Security

Key Privacy Guarantees

  • Zero Storage: Your photos are never saved, stored, or retained anywhere
  • In-Memory Processing: Images exist only temporarily in memory during analysis
  • No Human Access: The process is fully automated—no staff can view your images
  • HTTPS Encryption: All data transmission uses bank-level encryption
  • No Account Required: No registration, login, or personal information needed
  • You Retain All Rights: Your images remain your intellectual property

For complete details, see our Privacy Policy.

Batch Processing for Professional Workflows

PhotoScanr supports analyzing multiple images simultaneously—essential for professional photographers and content creators managing large image libraries.

How Batch Processing Works:

  1. Select and upload multiple images at once (drag-drop or file picker)
  2. Each image is analyzed individually with its own unique metadata
  3. View results for all images with thumbnail navigation
  4. Export complete metadata for all images in convenient formats (JSON, CSV, TXT)
  5. All exports are packaged together in a single ZIP file for easy download

Performance Tip: For optimal speed, process images in batches of 10-20. While PhotoScanr can handle larger batches, smaller groups provide faster individual results and better browser performance.

Common Use Cases

PhotoScanr streamlines workflows for various professions and situations:

  • Professional Photographers: Generate metadata for client deliveries and portfolio organization
  • Social Media Managers: Create Instagram-optimized posts with trending hashtags in seconds
  • E-commerce Sellers: Add SEO-friendly descriptions and alt text to product images
  • Bloggers: Optimize blog images with proper alt text and captions for better SEO
  • Stock Photographers: Comprehensively keyword images for maximum discoverability
  • Marketing Teams: Organize and document campaign assets efficiently

Explore detailed examples on our Use Cases page.

Ready to Try PhotoScanr?

No signup, no cost, no limits. Start analyzing images in seconds.

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Have questions? Check our FAQ or Contact Us