Image Requirements

For optimal matching accuracy, images should meet certain requirements. This page covers supported formats, size recommendations, and best practices.

Supported Formats

Akator Image Matcher supports the following image formats:

Format Extension Notes
JPEG .jpg, .jpeg Recommended for photos
PNG .png Supports transparency
WebP .webp Modern format, good compression
GIF .gif First frame used for animated GIFs
AVIF .avif Next-gen format
HEIC/HEIF .heic, .heif Apple device photos
TIFF .tiff, .tif High quality, large files
BMP .bmp Uncompressed

Size Requirements

Minimum Dimensions

  • Minimum: 100 × 100 pixels
  • Recommended: At least 600 pixels on the smallest side

Images smaller than 100×100 pixels may not contain enough visual information for reliable matching.

Maximum Dimensions

  • Maximum: 10,000 × 10,000 pixels
  • Images larger than this will be rejected

Very large images are automatically resized internally (max 640px on the longest side) before processing. The original is stored at full resolution.

File Size

  • Maximum file size: 10 MB
  • Recommended: Under 5 MB for faster processing

Best Practices

For Blocklist Images

  • Use the highest quality available: Better source images lead to better matching accuracy.
  • Avoid pre-processing: Don't resize or compress images before adding them to the blocklist.
  • Include the full image: If possible, add the complete image rather than a cropped version.

For Matching Uploads

  • Check before processing: Match the original upload before any resizing or compression your platform might apply.
  • Handle all formats: Don't reject user uploads just because of format — our API handles conversion.

Unsupported Content

The following are not supported:

  • Videos (only still images)
  • PDFs and documents
  • SVG (vector graphics)
  • Animated WebP (first frame used)
  • Multi-page TIFF (first page used)

Error Handling

Common image-related errors:

Error Code Description Solution
invalid_image_format Unsupported file format Convert to a supported format
image_too_small Image below minimum dimensions Use a larger image
image_too_large Image exceeds maximum dimensions Resize before uploading
file_too_large File exceeds 10 MB limit Compress or resize the image
corrupted_image Image file is damaged Re-export or obtain a new copy