Document data extraction API
Read the document. Keep nothing.
Turn passports, ID cards and visas into data your application can use. Document content and extracted fields are not saved in our records or logs.
- Type
- P
- Code
- UTO
- Passport no.
- L898902C3
- Surname
- ERIKSSON
- Sex
- F
- Given names
- ANNA MARIA
- Nationality
- UTO
- Date of birth
- 12 AUG 1974
- Date of expiry
- 15 APR 2012
being processed
Animation: a specimen passport is read, the extracted fields appear in the response, then the document and its machine readable zone dissolve until nothing is left. The response stays.
Nothing is left to show here. That is the point.
One API.
Three familiar documents.
TD3TD1 / TD2MRVA / MRVBOne request, one honest answer
Send one file. Get the fields back as JSON (a common text format for data). The response includes check-digit results and, where available, a failure reason. Reading errors can remain even when checks pass.
- Photos, scans and PDF filesJPEG, PNG, HEIC (the iPhone photo format), TIFF, WebP and PDF. The file type is detected from the content, not from the file name.
- "No MRZ found" is not chargedIf the file contains no machine readable zone, the scan does not count against your included scans. Per-minute request limits also apply to unsuccessful attempts.
- Processing time variesProcessing time depends on the file and current server load. Extraction results include the engine's processing time.
curl https://api.idparse.com/v1/extract \ -H "Authorization: Bearer idp_live_…" \ -F "file=@passport.jpg"
{
"success": false,
"documents": [],
"document_count": 0,
"failure_reason": "mrz found but check digits failed",
"duration_ms": 910
}
Zero retention, by architecture
IDParse has no document archive. This is not a setting that we could switch on. This is the full life of a document inside IDParse:
Upload
Your file reaches the public API over an encrypted connection. Processing can use temporary files.
Read and check
The engine looks for the machine readable zone, reads it and checks the available check digits. Nothing from the document is saved in our records or logs.
Respond
The API returns the extraction result to your application as JSON, a common text format for data.
Remove
The software is designed to remove temporary files during cleanup after processing.
Examples of request information we keep
- The number of requests
- The time of each request
- The processing duration
- The outcome code (for example "success" or "no MRZ found")
- The file size
What we never keep
- The document image or PDF
- Names, numbers, dates, or any other extracted field
- File names
- Document data in logs or error reports
- Documents or extracted fields for software training
Document content and extracted fields are not added to our application records or logs.
The privacy policy lists the account, billing and technical data we keep.
What happens to temporary files
Some processing steps use temporary files. The software is designed to remove them during cleanup. They are not added to our account records or application logs.
Where documents travel
We process documents on dedicated servers in Germany, hosted by Hetzner. Results are returned to your application.
Check digits help detect reading errors
Some fields in the machine readable zone have check digits. IDParse recalculates these digits and reports whether they match. A matching digit is a consistency check, not proof that the field is correct.
Select a field above. Check digits help detect reading errors in the document number, birth date and expiry date. The name has no check digit of its own, so IDParse reports it without a validity flag.
What IDParse reads, and what it does not do
| Document | MRZ format | Returned as |
|---|---|---|
| Passports | 2 × 44 | TD3 |
| ID cards | 3 × 30 | TD1 |
| Older ID cards and residence permits | 2 × 36 | TD2 |
| Visas | 2 × 44, 2 × 36 | MRVA, MRVB |
IDParse extracts data. That is all it does.
- It does not decide whether a document is genuine.
- It does not compare faces or create biometric templates.
- It does not offer a document archive.
- It does not claim to be right every time. It tells you which fields passed their check digit.
Plans with included scans.
Every plan stops at its included scans, so there are no extra usage charges. You decide yourself when to move to a larger plan.
Try it with a document you are allowed to process.
The free trial has 100 scans in total. No card needed.