Add Container OCR to Your v0 App in 5 Minutes

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

Tools like v0 are remarkable at generating UIs 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, v0 can wire it up from a single fetch call.

Integrate StructOCR in v0 (3 Steps)

1. 1

   Create a v0 project and describe your app

   Open v0.dev 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 UI using shadcn. Users can upload a photo of shipping container doors, and the app will display the extracted container number, owner code, and check digit in a clean card."
2. 2

   Tell v0 to call the StructOCR API

   Once v0 scaffolds the UI, paste the follow-up prompt below. v0 will update the React code to handle the file upload and wire the API response to your UI components.

   💬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."

   // v0 generates something like this in your React component const response = await fetch('https://api.structocr.com/v1/container', { method: 'POST', headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_STRUCTOCR_KEY}` }, body: formData, });
3. 3

   Add your StructOCR API key

   When you export your v0 project to a Next.js codebase or deploy to Vercel, simply add your StructOCR key to your .env.local file or Vercel Environment Variables.

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

   NEXT_PUBLIC_STRUCTOCR_KEY=sk_live_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

What you can build in v0 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 v0 chat to generate the integration. The code block shows what v0 typically produces — useful if you want to verify or customize 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 ${process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_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 a clear, formatted profile card
5. Show a loading spinner while the request is in flight
6. Show an error message if the upload fails

Use the environment variable NEXT_PUBLIC_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 v0 React components can bind this directly to the UI.

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