API

Placeholder image API

Use ordinary HTTPS image URLs directly in HTML, CSS, Markdown, React or any client that can load an image.

Basic syntax

/{width}x{height}[.{format}]
/{width}x{height}/{background}/{text-colour}?text=…

A single number creates a square: /256. Preferred colours are hexadecimal without #; three, four, six and eight digit forms are accepted and normalized.

Embedding

<img src="https://placeholder.photo/800x600" width="800" height="600" alt="Placeholder" />

Cross-origin image embedding is intentional. Referrer headers, sessions, JavaScript and API keys are not required.

Formats

SVG is ideal for vector-like generated output. PNG preserves transparency, JPEG suits opaque photographic output, and WebP offers compact modern raster delivery. AVIF is advertised only when the live origin confirms support.

placeholder.jansma.vip · 2024
Jansma VIP

Placeholder Image Generator

Create customizable placeholder images for your projects with ease.

Basic Placeholder: https://placeholder.photo/300x200 Current Placeholder.photo output in the former pixel style
Dynamic Generator
Width (px):300
Height (px):200
Custom Text:Optional
Recreated interface · current renderer and watermark rules
A little placeholder history

Same useful idea.
A much bigger toolkit.

Jansma VIP ran a compact generator at placeholder.jansma.vip from 2024. It handled the classic size, colour and text URLs that now remain supported by Placeholder.photo.

  1. 2022An unrelated earlier developer project used the Placeholder.photo domain.
  2. 2024Jansma VIP launched its own small generator at placeholder.jansma.vip.
  3. 2026The independently built Placeholder.photo platform brought Classic, procedural art, photos, logos and avatars together.

This is an independent new implementation—not a claim of ownership over the earlier 2022 project. The nostalgic panel is a faithful visual nod, rebuilt with today’s Placeholder.photo URLs.