How to extract information from Passport / ID documents with JavaScript?

In this tutorial, we’ll explore how to extract crucial information from Passport and ID documents using JavaScript. Whether you're building a secure authentication system, verifying identities, or automating data entry processes, being able to quickly and accurately extract data from official documents is a powerful feature.

By leveraging the right tools and techniques, you can easily parse and retrieve details such as names, dates of birth, passport numbers, and more.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps needed to implement this functionality using JavaScript, helping you streamline your document processing tasks with ease.

‍

What is ID/Passport Parsing?

ID/Passport parsing is the process of extracting structured data from identification documents, such as passports, driver’s licenses, or national ID cards.

It involves using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and Machine Learning (ML) to automatically retrieve key details like:

• Personal information: Name, date of birth, gender, nationality
• Document details: Passport/ID number, issue and expiry date, issuing country
• Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) data: A standardized format on passports and some IDs
• Face photo: Extracting the image for verification

Use Cases

• Identity verification: Online KYC (Know Your Customer) for banks, fintech, or travel services
• Border control: Automated passport checks at airports
• Fraud detection: Identifying fake or tampered IDs
• User onboarding: Fast verification for apps requiring identity proof

‍

‍

Implementing Identity Parsing in JavaScript

‍

Install JavaScript Requests Module

Before making API requests, ensure you have axios installed. You can install it using:

npm install axios

‍

Prepare the Code

Below is a JavaScript example of how to interact with the Eden AI API for identity document parsing:

const axios = require("axios").default;
const options = {
  method: "POST",
  url: "https://api.edenai.run/v2/ocr/identity_parser",
  headers: {
    Authorization: "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY",
  },
  data: {
    providers: "microsoft,base64,amazon,mindee",
    file_url: "🔗 URL of your image",
  },
};

axios
  .request(options)
  .then((response) => {
    console.log(response.data);
  })
  .catch((error) => {
    console.error(error);
  });

• ‍API Request: We use axios to send a POST request to the Eden AI API.‍
• Headers: The request includes an Authorization header with the API key.‍
• Request Body:

1. providers: Specifies the OCR providers (Microsoft, Amazon, etc.).

2. file_url: URL of the identity document image to be processed.

• ‍Handling Responses: The response is logged in the console, while errors are caught and displayed.

‍

Interpreting the Code

Example Output:

{
  "microsoft": {
    "first_name": "John",
    "last_name": "Doe",
    "document_number": "123456789",
    "birth_date": "1990-01-01"
  },
  "amazon": {
    "first_name": "John",
    "last_name": "Doe",
    "document_number": "123456789"
  }
}

• first_name: Extracted first name from the document.
• last_name: Extracted last name from the document.
• document_number: The unique ID number of the document.
• birth_date: The date of birth, if detected.

‍

Why Eden AI Is the Best Tool for Identity Parsing

Multi-Provider Support

Access top-tier providers like Google, IBM, and Amazon through a single API, streamlining integration of advanced language processing capabilities into your applications.

Easy Integration

The simple API structure ensures quick and easy implementation, allowing you to seamlessly integrate powerful features into your system with minimal effort and setup.

Scalability

Perfect for both small projects and large-scale applications, offering scalable performance to meet diverse needs.

Flexible Pricing

Provides flexible pricing options with free credits to get started and pay-as-you-go plans that allow you to only pay for what you use, ensuring cost efficiency and scalability as your needs evolve.

‍

Conclusion

In this guide, we explored how to parse identity documents using JavaScript with the Eden AI API.

We covered setting up the API, making requests, interpreting results, and understanding output fields.

Using Eden AI, businesses can automate identity verification efficiently and securely.

Start integrating today by signing up on Eden AI and streamlining your document processing workflow!