> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://test-62a57ffd.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Image search
> Search from a comprehensive index of images across the web with advanced filtering options
## Overview
Image Search provides access to a vast index of images from across the internet. Our service continuously crawls and indexes images from various sources, enabling you to retrieve relevant visual content for your applications with powerful filtering and customization options.
## Key Features
Search across billions of indexed images from diverse sources worldwide
Retrieve up to 200 images per request for comprehensive coverage
Target images from specific countries and in preferred languages
Default strict filtering ensures family-friendly results
## API Reference
View the complete API reference, including endpoints, parameters, and example
requests
## Use Cases
Image Search is perfect for:
* **Visual Content Discovery**: Build image galleries and discovery features
* **E-commerce Applications**: Find product images and visual inspiration
* **Creative Tools**: Source images for design and creative projects
* **Content Management**: Discover and aggregate visual content
* **Research and Analysis**: Gather visual data for analysis and research
## Basic Search
Get started with a simple image search request:
```bash theme={null}
curl -s --compressed "https://api.search.brave.com/res/v1/images/search?q=mountain+landscape" \
-H "Accept: application/json" \
-H "Accept-Encoding: gzip" \
-H "X-Subscription-Token: "
```
## Country and Language Targeting
Customize your image search results by specifying:
* **Country**: Target images from specific countries using 2-character country codes
* **Search Language**: Filter results by content language
Example request for images from Japan in Japanese:
```bash theme={null}
curl -s --compressed "https://api.search.brave.com/res/v1/images/search?q=桜&country=JP&search_lang=ja" \
-H "Accept: application/json" \
-H "Accept-Encoding: gzip" \
-H "X-Subscription-Token: "
```
## Result Count Control
Image Search supports retrieving large batches of results:
* **Default**: 50 images per request
* **Maximum**: 200 images per request
* Higher limits than other search types for comprehensive visual content discovery
Example request for 100 images:
```bash theme={null}
curl -s --compressed "https://api.search.brave.com/res/v1/images/search?q=wildlife+photography&count=100" \
-H "Accept: application/json" \
-H "Accept-Encoding: gzip" \
-H "X-Subscription-Token: "
```
The actual number of images returned may be less than requested based on
available results for the query.
## Safe Search
Image Search prioritizes safe content with strict filtering by default:
* **strict**: Drops all adult content from search results (default)
* **off**: No filtering applied
This default setting ensures that image results are appropriate for all audiences out of the box.
Example request with safe search disabled:
```bash theme={null}
curl -s --compressed "https://api.search.brave.com/res/v1/images/search?q=art&safesearch=off" \
-H "Accept: application/json" \
-H "Accept-Encoding: gzip" \
-H "X-Subscription-Token: "
```
Disabling safe search may return adult or inappropriate content. Use with
caution and only when appropriate for your use case.
## Spellcheck
Image Search includes automatic spellcheck functionality to improve search accuracy:
* Enabled by default
* Automatically corrects common misspellings
* The modified query is used for search and available in the response
* Particularly useful for visual searches where terminology matters
To disable spellcheck:
```bash theme={null}
curl -s --compressed "https://api.search.brave.com/res/v1/images/search?q=architecure&spellcheck=false" \
-H "Accept: application/json" \
-H "Accept-Encoding: gzip" \
-H "X-Subscription-Token: "
```
## Example: Complete Search Request
Here's a comprehensive example combining multiple parameters:
```bash theme={null}
curl -s --compressed "https://api.search.brave.com/res/v1/images/search?q=modern+architecture&country=US&search_lang=en&count=150&safesearch=strict" \
-H "Accept: application/json" \
-H "Accept-Encoding: gzip" \
-H "X-Subscription-Token: "
```
This request:
* Searches for "modern architecture"
* Targets US content
* Returns English language results
* Retrieves up to 150 images
* Applies strict safe search filtering
## Response Format
Each image result typically includes:
* Image URL and thumbnail
* Source page URL
* Image dimensions
* Title and description
* Publisher information
See the [API Reference](/api-reference/images/search) for complete response schema details.
## Best Practices
### Query Optimization
* Use descriptive, specific terms for better results
* Combine multiple keywords to narrow down results
* Consider language and regional variations in terminology
### Performance
* Request only the number of images you need
* Use appropriate country and language filters to reduce noise
* Implement caching on your end to minimize API calls
### Content Safety
* Keep strict safe search enabled for public-facing applications
* Implement additional content moderation if needed for your specific use case
* Be aware of copyright and licensing when using discovered images
## Changelog
This changelog outlines all significant changes to the Brave Image Search API in chronological order.
* **2023-05-10** Add Brave Image Search API resource.
* **2024-01-20** Increase maximum result count to 200 images.
* **2024-08-15** Improve spellcheck accuracy for visual search terms.