Add Container OCR to Your Bolt.new App in 5 Minutes

The problem: Standard AI can't read vertical text on rusted steel

Tools like Bolt.new are remarkable at generating apps instantly — but they stop at the file boundary. You can build a beautiful freight tracking interface in minutes, yet the actual extraction of an 11-character container number from vertically stacked text on corrugated steel doors requires a dedicated Container OCR API. Standard vision models routinely fail to read text split across metal ridges or stacked top-to-bottom.

The solution: ISO 6346 precision, instantly

StructOCR's /v1/container endpoint accepts a photo and returns a clean JSON object with the validated ISO 6346 container number, instantly decoding the owner prefix, category, and check digit. Because it speaks plain HTTP, Bolt.new can wire it up from a single fetch call without heavy backend dependencies.

Integrate StructOCR in Bolt.new (3 Steps)

1. 1

   Create a Bolt.new project and describe your app

   Open bolt.new and start a new prompt. Describe the logistics tool you want to build — be specific about the scanning interface.

   💬Try this prompt: "Build a mobile-friendly yard management app. Users can upload a photo of shipping container doors, and the app will display the extracted container number, owner code, and check digit."
2. 2

   Tell Bolt to call the StructOCR API

   Once Bolt scaffolds the UI, paste the follow-up prompt below. Bolt will write the fetch call, handle the file upload, and wire the response to your UI components in its in-browser editor.

   💬Follow-up prompt: "When a user uploads an image, send it as a multipart/form-data POST to https://api.structocr.com/v1/container with an Authorization header containing my API key. Display the returned JSON fields in the results panel."

   // Bolt generates something like this — you just supply the key in .env const response = await fetch('https://api.structocr.com/v1/container', { method: 'POST', headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${import.meta.env.VITE_STRUCTOCR_KEY}` }, body: formData, });
3. 3

   Add your StructOCR API key to your environment

   In the Bolt.new file explorer, create or open the .env file to securely add your StructOCR key. The app will automatically reload with your live scanner.

   💬Variable name: VITE_STRUCTOCR_KEY — get your free key at structocr.com/dashboard

   VITE_STRUCTOCR_KEY=sk_live_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

What you can build in Bolt.new with this integration

• Gate automation app: Let truck drivers or gate inspectors snap a photo of the container to automatically log the entry/exit time and verify the container number against the manifest.
• Yard management system (YMS): Build a mobile app for yard jockeys to scan container numbers and update parking slot locations in real-time. A core feature of modern logistics automation.
• Freight forwarding tracker: Create a tool where warehouse staff scan containers during loading/unloading to generate instant status updates for end-customers.
• Damage inspection portal: Add an upload step to a container inspection flow: extract the container number automatically from the damage photos to link the evidence to the correct asset.

The prompt and the code

Copy the follow-up prompt into your Bolt.new chat to generate the integration. The code block shows what Bolt typically produces — useful if you want to verify or tweak it.

Prerequisite: A free StructOCR account — get your API key at structocr.com/dashboard (no credit card required)

I need to add shipping container OCR to this app.

When a user uploads an image:
1. Send it as multipart/form-data to: POST https://api.structocr.com/v1/container
2. Include the header: Authorization: Bearer ${VITE_STRUCTOCR_KEY}
3. The response is JSON with fields: data.container_number, data.is_valid, data.parsed.owner_code, data.parsed.check_digit
4. Display the extracted container number and the decoded parts in the results panel
5. Show a loading spinner while the request is in flight
6. Show an error message if the upload fails

Use the environment variable VITE_STRUCTOCR_KEY for the API key.

What the API returns

Not just the raw string—the API automatically validates the check digit and breaks down the components. Your Bolt.new app can bind this directly to the UI components.

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "container_number": "ZCSU8921655",
    "is_valid": true,
    "confidence": "High",
    "parsed": {
      "owner_code": "ZCS",
      "category": "U",
      "serial_number": "892165",
      "check_digit": "5"
    }
  }
}