The Cognitive Services Optical Character Recognition (OCR) service is part of the Custom Vision API. It takes as input a picture of text and returns the words found in the image.
To get started, you will need an Azure account and a Cognitive Services Vision API key.
To use this API, you simply have to make a POST request to the following URL:
https://[location].api.cognitive.microsoft.com/vision/v1.0/ocr
This tells the service how you will send the image. The options are:
If the image is accessible via a public URL, set the Content-Type to application/json and send JSON in the body of the HTTP request in the following format
If you plan to send the image itself to the web service, set the content type to either "application/octet-stream" or “multipart/form-data” and submit the binary image in the body of the HTTP request.
{
"textAngle": 0.0,
"orientation": "NotDetected",
"language": "en",
"regions": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,6,435,478",
"lines": [
{
"boundingBox": "114,6,352,23",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "114,6,24,22",
"text": "A"
},
{
"boundingBox": "144,6,93,23",
"text": "Dream"
},
{
"boundingBox": "245,6,95,23",
"text": "Within"
},
{
"boundingBox": "350,12,14,16",
"text": "a"
},
{
"boundingBox": "373,6,93,23",
"text": "Dream"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,50,187,16",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,50,31,12",
"text": "Take"
},
{
"boundingBox": "66,50,23,12",
"text": "this"
},
{
"boundingBox": "93,50,24,12",
"text": "kiss"
},
{
"boundingBox": "121,54,33,12",
"text": "upon"
},
{
"boundingBox": "158,50,19,12",
"text": "the"
},
{
"boundingBox": "181,50,37,12",
"text": "brow!"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,67,194,16",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,67,31,15",
"text": "And,"
},
{
"boundingBox": "67,67,12,12",
"text": "in"
},
{
"boundingBox": "82,67,46,16",
"text": "parting"
},
{
"boundingBox": "132,67,31,12",
"text": "from"
},
{
"boundingBox": "167,71,25,12",
"text": "you"
},
{
"boundingBox": "195,71,30,11",
"text": "now,"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,85,159,12",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,85,32,12",
"text": "Thus"
},
{
"boundingBox": "67,85,35,12",
"text": "much"
},
{
"boundingBox": "107,86,16,11",
"text": "let"
},
{
"boundingBox": "126,89,20,8",
"text": "me"
},
{
"boundingBox": "150,89,40,8",
"text": "avow-"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,102,193,16",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,103,26,11",
"text": "You"
},
{
"boundingBox": "61,106,19,8",
"text": "are"
},
{
"boundingBox": "84,104,21,10",
"text": "not"
},
{
"boundingBox": "109,106,44,12",
"text": "wrong,"
},
{
"boundingBox": "158,102,27,12",
"text": "who"
},
{
"boundingBox": "189,102,35,12",
"text": "deem"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,120,214,16",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,120,29,12",
"text": "That"
},
{
"boundingBox": "64,124,21,12",
"text": "my"
},
{
"boundingBox": "89,121,29,15",
"text": "days"
},
{
"boundingBox": "122,120,30,12",
"text": "have"
},
{
"boundingBox": "156,121,30,11",
"text": "been"
},
{
"boundingBox": "191,124,7,8",
"text": "a"
},
{
"boundingBox": "202,121,43,14",
"text": "dream;"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,138,175,16",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,139,22,11",
"text": "Yet"
},
{
"boundingBox": "57,138,11,12",
"text": "if"
},
{
"boundingBox": "70,138,31,16",
"text": "hope"
},
{
"boundingBox": "105,138,21,12",
"text": "has"
},
{
"boundingBox": "131,138,37,12",
"text": "flown"
},
{
"boundingBox": "172,142,34,12",
"text": "away"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,155,140,16",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,156,13,11",
"text": "In"
},
{
"boundingBox": "48,159,8,8",
"text": "a"
},
{
"boundingBox": "59,155,37,16",
"text": "night,"
},
{
"boundingBox": "100,159,14,8",
"text": "or"
},
{
"boundingBox": "118,155,12,12",
"text": "in"
},
{
"boundingBox": "134,159,7,8",
"text": "a"
},
{
"boundingBox": "145,155,26,16",
"text": "day,"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,173,144,15",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,174,13,11",
"text": "In"
},
{
"boundingBox": "48,177,8,8",
"text": "a"
},
{
"boundingBox": "59,173,43,15",
"text": "vision,"
},
{
"boundingBox": "107,177,13,8",
"text": "or"
},
{
"boundingBox": "124,173,12,12",
"text": "in"
},
{
"boundingBox": "140,177,35,11",
"text": "none,"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,190,180,16",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,191,11,11",
"text": "Is"
},
{
"boundingBox": "47,190,8,12",
"text": "it"
},
{
"boundingBox": "59,190,58,12",
"text": "therefore"
},
{
"boundingBox": "121,190,19,12",
"text": "the"
},
{
"boundingBox": "145,191,23,11",
"text": "less"
},
{
"boundingBox": "173,191,38,15",
"text": "gone?"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,208,150,12",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,208,20,12",
"text": "All"
},
{
"boundingBox": "55,208,24,12",
"text": "that"
},
{
"boundingBox": "83,212,19,8",
"text": "we"
},
{
"boundingBox": "107,212,19,8",
"text": "see"
},
{
"boundingBox": "131,212,13,8",
"text": "or"
},
{
"boundingBox": "148,212,33,8",
"text": "seem"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,226,194,12",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,227,11,11",
"text": "Is"
},
{
"boundingBox": "46,226,21,12",
"text": "but"
},
{
"boundingBox": "71,230,7,8",
"text": "a"
},
{
"boundingBox": "82,226,40,12",
"text": "dream"
},
{
"boundingBox": "126,226,41,12",
"text": "within"
},
{
"boundingBox": "171,230,7,8",
"text": "a"
},
{
"boundingBox": "182,226,43,12",
"text": "dream."
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,261,133,12",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,262,5,11",
"text": "I"
},
{
"boundingBox": "41,261,33,12",
"text": "stand"
},
{
"boundingBox": "78,261,32,12",
"text": "amid"
},
{
"boundingBox": "114,261,19,12",
"text": "the"
},
{
"boundingBox": "137,265,27,8",
"text": "roar"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,278,169,15",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,278,18,12",
"text": "Of"
},
{
"boundingBox": "52,282,7,8",
"text": "a"
},
{
"boundingBox": "63,278,95,12",
"text": "surf-tormented"
},
{
"boundingBox": "162,278,38,15",
"text": "shore,"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,296,174,15",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,296,28,12",
"text": "And"
},
{
"boundingBox": "63,297,4,11",
"text": "I"
},
{
"boundingBox": "72,296,28,12",
"text": "hold"
},
{
"boundingBox": "104,296,41,12",
"text": "within"
},
{
"boundingBox": "149,300,20,11",
"text": "my"
},
{
"boundingBox": "173,296,32,12",
"text": "hand"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,314,169,16",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,314,42,12",
"text": "Grains"
},
{
"boundingBox": "78,314,15,12",
"text": "of"
},
{
"boundingBox": "95,314,19,12",
"text": "the"
},
{
"boundingBox": "119,315,43,15",
"text": "golden"
},
{
"boundingBox": "167,314,33,12",
"text": "sand-"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,331,189,16",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,332,31,11",
"text": "How"
},
{
"boundingBox": "66,331,28,12",
"text": "few!"
},
{
"boundingBox": "99,333,20,14",
"text": "yet"
},
{
"boundingBox": "123,331,27,12",
"text": "how"
},
{
"boundingBox": "154,331,28,16",
"text": "they"
},
{
"boundingBox": "186,335,34,12",
"text": "creep"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,349,206,16",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,349,55,16",
"text": "Through"
},
{
"boundingBox": "90,353,20,11",
"text": "my"
},
{
"boundingBox": "115,349,44,16",
"text": "fingers"
},
{
"boundingBox": "163,351,12,10",
"text": "to"
},
{
"boundingBox": "179,349,20,12",
"text": "the"
},
{
"boundingBox": "203,350,34,15",
"text": "deep,"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,366,182,16",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,366,39,12",
"text": "While"
},
{
"boundingBox": "74,367,5,11",
"text": "I"
},
{
"boundingBox": "83,370,39,12",
"text": "weep-"
},
{
"boundingBox": "126,366,36,12",
"text": "while"
},
{
"boundingBox": "166,367,5,11",
"text": "I"
},
{
"boundingBox": "175,367,38,15",
"text": "weep!"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,384,147,16",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,385,11,11",
"text": "O"
},
{
"boundingBox": "47,384,31,12",
"text": "God!"
},
{
"boundingBox": "84,388,21,8",
"text": "can"
},
{
"boundingBox": "110,385,4,11",
"text": "I"
},
{
"boundingBox": "119,386,20,10",
"text": "not"
},
{
"boundingBox": "144,388,34,12",
"text": "grasp"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,402,170,16",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,402,37,12",
"text": "Them"
},
{
"boundingBox": "72,402,29,12",
"text": "with"
},
{
"boundingBox": "105,406,7,8",
"text": "a"
},
{
"boundingBox": "116,402,42,16",
"text": "tighter"
},
{
"boundingBox": "162,403,39,15",
"text": "clasp?"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,419,141,12",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,420,11,11",
"text": "O"
},
{
"boundingBox": "47,419,31,12",
"text": "God!"
},
{
"boundingBox": "84,423,21,8",
"text": "can"
},
{
"boundingBox": "110,420,4,11",
"text": "I"
},
{
"boundingBox": "119,421,20,10",
"text": "not"
},
{
"boundingBox": "144,423,28,8",
"text": "save"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,437,179,16",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,438,26,11",
"text": "One"
},
{
"boundingBox": "62,437,31,12",
"text": "from"
},
{
"boundingBox": "97,437,19,12",
"text": "the"
},
{
"boundingBox": "120,437,45,16",
"text": "pitiless"
},
{
"boundingBox": "169,438,41,11",
"text": "wave?"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,454,161,12",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,455,11,11",
"text": "Is"
},
{
"boundingBox": "47,454,15,12",
"text": "all"
},
{
"boundingBox": "66,454,25,12",
"text": "that"
},
{
"boundingBox": "94,458,19,8",
"text": "we"
},
{
"boundingBox": "118,458,19,8",
"text": "see"
},
{
"boundingBox": "142,458,13,8",
"text": "or"
},
{
"boundingBox": "159,458,33,8",
"text": "seem"
}
]
},
{
"boundingBox": "31,472,185,12",
"words": [
{
"boundingBox": "31,473,23,11",
"text": "But"
},
{
"boundingBox": "58,476,7,8",
"text": "a"
},
{
"boundingBox": "69,472,40,12",
"text": "dream"
},
{
"boundingBox": "113,472,41,12",
"text": "within"
},
{
"boundingBox": "158,476,7,8",
"text": "a"
},
{
"boundingBox": "169,472,47,12",
"text": "dream?"
}
]
}
]
}
]
}
Note that the image is split into an array of regions; each region contains an array of lines; and each line contains an array of words. This is done so that you can replace or block out one or more specific words, lines, or regions.
You can find the full documentation – including an in-browser testing tool - for this API here.
Sending requests to the Cognitive Services OCR API makes it simple to convert a picture of text into text.
