18 KiB
name, description, license
| name | description | license |
|---|---|---|
| cloudflare-images | Store and transform images with Cloudflare Images API and transformations. Use when: uploading images, implementing direct creator uploads, creating variants, generating signed URLs, optimizing formats (WebP/AVIF), transforming via Workers, or debugging CORS, multipart, or error codes 9401-9413. | MIT |
Cloudflare Images
Status: Production Ready ✅ Last Updated: 2025-11-23 Dependencies: Cloudflare account with Images enabled Latest Versions: Cloudflare Images API v2, @cloudflare/workers-types@4.20251121.0
Recent Updates (2025):
- August 2025: AI Face Cropping GA (
gravity=facewithzoomcontrol, GPU-based RetinaFace, 99.4% precision) - May 2025: Media Transformations origin restrictions (default: same-domain only, configurable via dashboard)
- Upcoming: Background removal, generative upscale (planned features)
Overview
Two features: Images API (upload/store with variants) and Image Transformations (resize any image via URL or Workers).
Quick Start
1. Enable: Dashboard → Images → Get Account ID + API token (Cloudflare Images: Edit permission)
2. Upload:
curl -X POST https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/accounts/<ACCOUNT_ID>/images/v1 \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer <API_TOKEN>' \
-H 'Content-Type: multipart/form-data' \
-F 'file=@./image.jpg'
3. Serve: https://imagedelivery.net/<ACCOUNT_HASH>/<IMAGE_ID>/public
4. Transform (optional): Dashboard → Images → Transformations → Enable for zone
<img src="/cdn-cgi/image/width=800,quality=85/uploads/photo.jpg" />
Upload Methods
1. File Upload: POST to /images/v1 with file (multipart/form-data), optional id, requireSignedURLs, metadata
2. Upload via URL: POST with url=https://example.com/image.jpg (supports HTTP basic auth)
3. Direct Creator Upload (one-time URLs, no API key exposure):
Backend: POST to /images/v2/direct_upload → returns uploadURL
Frontend: POST file to uploadURL with FormData
CRITICAL CORS FIX:
- ✅ Use
multipart/form-data(let browser set header) - ✅ Name field
file(NOTimage) - ✅ Call
/direct_uploadfrom backend only - ❌ Don't set
Content-Type: application/json - ❌ Don't call
/direct_uploadfrom browser
Image Transformations
URL: /cdn-cgi/image/<OPTIONS>/<SOURCE>
- Sizing:
width=800,height=600,fit=cover - Quality:
quality=85(1-100) - Format:
format=auto(WebP/AVIF auto-detection) - Cropping:
gravity=auto(smart crop),gravity=face(AI face detection, Aug 2025 GA),gravity=center,zoom=0.5(0-1 range, face crop tightness) - Effects:
blur=10,sharpen=3,brightness=1.2 - Fit:
scale-down,contain,cover,crop,pad
Workers: Use cf.image object in fetch
fetch(imageURL, {
cf: {
image: { width: 800, quality: 85, format: 'auto', gravity: 'face', zoom: 0.8 }
}
});
Variants
Named Variants (up to 100): Predefined transformations (e.g., avatar, thumbnail)
- Create: POST to
/images/v1/variantswithid,options - Use:
imagedelivery.net/<HASH>/<ID>/avatar - Works with signed URLs
Flexible Variants: Dynamic params in URL (w=400,sharpen=3)
- Enable: PATCH
/images/v1/configwith{"flexible_variants": true} - ❌ Cannot use with signed URLs (use named variants instead)
Signed URLs
Generate HMAC-SHA256 tokens for private images (URL format: ?exp=<TIMESTAMP>&sig=<HMAC>).
Algorithm: HMAC-SHA256(signingKey, imageId + variant + expiry) → hex signature
See: templates/signed-urls-generation.ts for Workers implementation
Critical Rules
Always Do
✅ Use multipart/form-data for Direct Creator Upload
✅ Name the file field file (not image or other names)
✅ Call /direct_upload API from backend only (NOT browser)
✅ Use HTTPS URLs for transformations (HTTP not supported)
✅ URL-encode special characters in image paths
✅ Enable transformations on zone before using /cdn-cgi/image/
✅ Use named variants for private images (signed URLs)
✅ Check Cf-Resized header for transformation errors
✅ Set format=auto for automatic WebP/AVIF conversion
✅ Use fit=scale-down to prevent unwanted enlargement
Never Do
❌ Use application/json Content-Type for file uploads
❌ Call /direct_upload from browser (CORS will fail)
❌ Use flexible variants with requireSignedURLs=true
❌ Resize SVG files (they're inherently scalable)
❌ Use HTTP URLs for transformations (HTTPS only)
❌ Put spaces or unescaped Unicode in URLs
❌ Transform the same image multiple times in Workers (causes 9403 loop)
❌ Exceed 100 megapixels image size
❌ Use /cdn-cgi/image/ endpoint in Workers (use cf.image instead)
❌ Forget to enable transformations on zone before use
Known Issues Prevention
This skill prevents 13+ documented issues.
Issue #1: Direct Creator Upload CORS Error
Error: Access to XMLHttpRequest blocked by CORS policy: Request header field content-type is not allowed
Source: Cloudflare Community #345739, #368114
Why It Happens: Server CORS settings only allow multipart/form-data for Content-Type header
Prevention:
// ✅ CORRECT
const formData = new FormData();
formData.append('file', fileInput.files[0]);
await fetch(uploadURL, {
method: 'POST',
body: formData // Browser sets multipart/form-data automatically
});
// ❌ WRONG
await fetch(uploadURL, {
method: 'POST',
headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }, // CORS error
body: JSON.stringify({ file: base64Image })
});
Issue #2: Error 5408 - Upload Timeout
Error: Error 5408 after ~15 seconds of upload
Source: Cloudflare Community #571336
Why It Happens: Cloudflare has 30-second request timeout; slow uploads or large files exceed limit
Prevention:
- Compress images before upload (client-side with Canvas API)
- Use reasonable file size limits (e.g., max 10MB)
- Show upload progress to user
- Handle timeout errors gracefully
const MAX_FILE_SIZE = 10 * 1024 * 1024; // 10MB
if (file.size > MAX_FILE_SIZE) {
alert('File too large. Please select an image under 10MB.');
return;
}
Issue #3: Error 400 - Invalid File Parameter
Error: 400 Bad Request with unhelpful error message
Source: Cloudflare Community #487629
Why It Happens: File field must be named file (not image, photo, etc.)
Prevention:
// ✅ CORRECT
formData.append('file', imageFile);
// ❌ WRONG
formData.append('image', imageFile); // 400 error
formData.append('photo', imageFile); // 400 error
Issue #4: CORS Preflight Failures
Error: Preflight OPTIONS request blocked
Source: Cloudflare Community #306805
Why It Happens: Calling /direct_upload API directly from browser (should be backend-only)
Prevention:
ARCHITECTURE:
Browser → Backend API → POST /direct_upload → Returns uploadURL → Browser uploads to uploadURL
Never expose API token to browser. Generate upload URL on backend, return to frontend.
Issue #5: Error 9401 - Invalid Arguments
Error: Cf-Resized: err=9401 - Required cf.image options missing or invalid
Source: Cloudflare Images Docs - Troubleshooting
Why It Happens: Missing required transformation parameters or invalid values
Prevention:
// ✅ CORRECT
fetch(imageURL, {
cf: {
image: {
width: 800,
quality: 85,
format: 'auto'
}
}
});
// ❌ WRONG
fetch(imageURL, {
cf: {
image: {
width: 'large', // Must be number
quality: 150 // Max 100
}
}
});
Issue #6: Error 9402 - Image Too Large
Error: Cf-Resized: err=9402 - Image too large or connection interrupted
Source: Cloudflare Images Docs - Troubleshooting
Why It Happens: Image exceeds maximum area (100 megapixels) or download fails
Prevention:
- Validate image dimensions before transforming
- Use reasonable source images (max 10000x10000px)
- Handle network errors gracefully
Issue #7: Error 9403 - Request Loop
Error: Cf-Resized: err=9403 - Worker fetching its own URL or already-resized image
Source: Cloudflare Images Docs - Troubleshooting
Why It Happens: Transformation applied to already-transformed image, or Worker fetches itself
Prevention:
// ✅ CORRECT
if (url.pathname.startsWith('/images/')) {
const originalPath = url.pathname.replace('/images/', '');
const originURL = `https://storage.example.com/${originalPath}`;
return fetch(originURL, { cf: { image: { width: 800 } } });
}
// ❌ WRONG
if (url.pathname.startsWith('/images/')) {
// Fetches worker's own URL, causes loop
return fetch(request, { cf: { image: { width: 800 } } });
}
Issue #8: Error 9406/9419 - Invalid URL Format
Error: Cf-Resized: err=9406 or err=9419 - Non-HTTPS URL or URL has spaces/unescaped Unicode
Source: Cloudflare Images Docs - Troubleshooting
Why It Happens: Image URL uses HTTP (not HTTPS) or contains invalid characters
Prevention:
// ✅ CORRECT
const imageURL = "https://example.com/images/photo%20name.jpg";
// ❌ WRONG
const imageURL = "http://example.com/images/photo.jpg"; // HTTP not allowed
const imageURL = "https://example.com/images/photo name.jpg"; // Space not encoded
Always use encodeURIComponent() for URL paths:
const filename = "photo name.jpg";
const imageURL = `https://example.com/images/${encodeURIComponent(filename)}`;
Issue #9: Error 9412 - Non-Image Response
Error: Cf-Resized: err=9412 - Origin returned HTML instead of image
Source: Cloudflare Images Docs - Troubleshooting
Why It Happens: Origin server returns 404 page or error page (HTML) instead of image
Prevention:
// Verify URL before transforming
const originResponse = await fetch(imageURL, { method: 'HEAD' });
const contentType = originResponse.headers.get('content-type');
if (!contentType?.startsWith('image/')) {
return new Response('Not an image', { status: 400 });
}
return fetch(imageURL, { cf: { image: { width: 800 } } });
Issue #10: Error 9413 - Max Image Area Exceeded
Error: Cf-Resized: err=9413 - Image exceeds 100 megapixels
Source: Cloudflare Images Docs - Troubleshooting
Why It Happens: Source image dimensions exceed 100 megapixels (e.g., 10000x10000px)
Prevention:
- Validate image dimensions before upload
- Pre-process oversized images
- Reject images above threshold
const MAX_MEGAPIXELS = 100;
if (width * height > MAX_MEGAPIXELS * 1_000_000) {
return new Response('Image too large', { status: 413 });
}
Issue #11: Flexible Variants + Signed URLs Incompatibility
Error: Flexible variants don't work with private images
Source: Cloudflare Images Docs - Enable flexible variants
Why It Happens: Flexible variants cannot be used with requireSignedURLs=true
Prevention:
// ✅ CORRECT - Use named variants for private images
await uploadImage({
file: imageFile,
requireSignedURLs: true // Use named variants: /public, /avatar, etc.
});
// ❌ WRONG - Flexible variants don't support signed URLs
// Cannot use: /w=400,sharpen=3 with requireSignedURLs=true
Issue #12: SVG Resizing Limitation
Error: SVG files don't resize via transformations
Source: Cloudflare Images Docs - SVG files
Why It Happens: SVG is inherently scalable (vector format), resizing not applicable
Prevention:
// SVGs can be served but not resized
// Use any variant name as placeholder
// https://imagedelivery.net/<HASH>/<SVG_ID>/public
// SVG will be served at original size regardless of variant settings
Issue #13: EXIF Metadata Stripped by Default
Error: GPS data, camera settings removed from uploaded JPEGs
Source: Cloudflare Images Docs - Transform via URL
Why It Happens: Default behavior strips all metadata except copyright
Prevention:
// Preserve metadata
fetch(imageURL, {
cf: {
image: {
width: 800,
metadata: 'keep' // Options: 'none', 'copyright', 'keep'
}
}
});
Options:
none: Strip all metadatacopyright: Keep only copyright tag (default for JPEG)keep: Preserve most EXIF metadata including GPS
Using Bundled Resources
Templates (templates/)
Copy-paste ready code for common patterns:
- wrangler-images-binding.jsonc - Wrangler configuration (no binding needed)
- upload-api-basic.ts - Upload file to Images API
- upload-via-url.ts - Ingest image from external URL
- direct-creator-upload-backend.ts - Generate one-time upload URLs
- direct-creator-upload-frontend.html - User upload form
- transform-via-url.ts - URL transformation examples
- transform-via-workers.ts - Workers transformation patterns
- variants-management.ts - Create/list/delete variants
- signed-urls-generation.ts - HMAC-SHA256 signed URL generation
- responsive-images-srcset.html - Responsive image patterns
- batch-upload.ts - Batch API for high-volume uploads
Usage:
cp templates/upload-api-basic.ts src/upload.ts
# Edit with your account ID and API token
References (references/)
In-depth documentation Claude can load as needed:
- api-reference.md - Complete API endpoints (upload, list, delete, variants)
- transformation-options.md - All transform params with examples
- variants-guide.md - Named vs flexible variants, when to use each
- signed-urls-guide.md - HMAC-SHA256 implementation details
- direct-upload-complete-workflow.md - Full architecture and flow
- responsive-images-patterns.md - srcset, sizes, art direction
- format-optimization.md - WebP/AVIF auto-conversion strategies
- top-errors.md - All 13+ errors with detailed troubleshooting
When to load:
- Deep-dive into specific feature
- Troubleshooting complex issues
- Understanding API details
- Implementing advanced patterns
Scripts (scripts/)
check-versions.sh - Verify API endpoints are current
Advanced Topics
Custom Domains: Serve from your domain via /cdn-cgi/imagedelivery/<HASH>/<ID>/<VARIANT> (requires domain on Cloudflare, proxied). Use Transform Rules for custom paths.
Batch API: High-volume uploads via batch.imagedelivery.net with batch tokens (Dashboard → Images → Batch API)
Webhooks: Notifications for Direct Creator Upload (Dashboard → Notifications → Webhooks). Payload includes imageId, status, metadata.
Troubleshooting
Problem: Images not transforming
Symptoms: /cdn-cgi/image/... returns original image or 404
Solutions:
- Enable transformations on zone: Dashboard → Images → Transformations → Enable for zone
- Verify zone is proxied through Cloudflare (orange cloud)
- Check source image is publicly accessible
- Wait 5-10 minutes for settings to propagate
Problem: Direct upload returns CORS error
Symptoms: Access-Control-Allow-Origin error in browser console
Solutions:
- Use
multipart/form-dataencoding (let browser set Content-Type) - Don't call
/direct_uploadfrom browser; call from backend - Name file field
file(notimage) - Remove manual Content-Type header
Problem: Worker transformations return 9403 loop error
Symptoms: Cf-Resized: err=9403 in response headers
Solutions:
- Don't fetch Worker's own URL (use external origin)
- Don't transform already-resized images
- Check URL routing logic to avoid loops
Problem: Signed URLs not working
Symptoms: 403 Forbidden when accessing signed URL
Solutions:
- Verify image uploaded with
requireSignedURLs=true - Check signature generation (HMAC-SHA256)
- Ensure expiry timestamp is in future
- Verify signing key matches dashboard (Images → Keys)
- Cannot use flexible variants with signed URLs (use named variants)
Problem: Images uploaded but not appearing
Symptoms: Upload returns 200 OK but image not in dashboard
Solutions:
- Check for
draft: truein response (Direct Creator Upload) - Wait for upload to complete (check via GET
/images/v1/{id}) - Verify account ID matches
- Check for upload errors in webhooks
Official Documentation
- Cloudflare Images: https://developers.cloudflare.com/images/
- Get Started: https://developers.cloudflare.com/images/get-started/
- Upload Images: https://developers.cloudflare.com/images/upload-images/
- Direct Creator Upload: https://developers.cloudflare.com/images/upload-images/direct-creator-upload/
- Transform Images: https://developers.cloudflare.com/images/transform-images/
- Transform via URL: https://developers.cloudflare.com/images/transform-images/transform-via-url/
- Transform via Workers: https://developers.cloudflare.com/images/transform-images/transform-via-workers/
- Create Variants: https://developers.cloudflare.com/images/manage-images/create-variants/
- Serve Private Images: https://developers.cloudflare.com/images/manage-images/serve-images/serve-private-images/
- Troubleshooting: https://developers.cloudflare.com/images/reference/troubleshooting/
- API Reference: https://developers.cloudflare.com/api/resources/images/
Package Versions
Last Verified: 2025-11-23 API Version: v2 (direct uploads), v1 (standard uploads) Optional: @cloudflare/workers-types@4.20251121.0