---
title: "Identify text"
section: "frontend/predictions"
platforms: ["angular", "javascript", "nextjs", "react", "react-native", "vue"]
gen: 2
last-updated: "2026-03-25T17:40:00.000Z"
url: "https://docs.amplify.aws/react/frontend/predictions/identify-text/"
---

export async function getStaticPaths() {
  return getCustomStaticPath(meta.platforms);
}

<Callout informational>

**Note:** Make sure to complete the [getting started](/[platform]/build-a-backend/add-aws-services/predictions/set-up-predictions/) section first, where you will set up the IAM roles with the right policy actions

</Callout>

## Working with the API

Detect text in an input image. Input can be sent directly from the browser or an Amazon S3 key from project bucket.

```ts
import { Predictions } from '@aws-amplify/predictions';

const response = await Predictions.identify({
  text: {
    source: {
      file
    }
  }
});
```

## Identify image stored in Amazon S3

```ts
import { Predictions } from '@aws-amplify/predictions';

const response = await Predictions.identify({
  text: {
    source: {
      key: pathToPhoto,
    }
  }
})
```

> The following options are independent of which `source` is specified. For demonstration purposes we will reference a `file` but it can be an S3 Key as well. `Predictions.identify({text : {...}})` can detect unstructured text `PLAIN`, structured text from tables `TABLE` or text from forms `FORM`.

## Identify plain text

For detecting plain text, you can see the whole detected text, the lines detected, the position of each line of text, and each word.

```ts
import { Predictions } from '@aws-amplify/predictions';

const response = await Predictions.identify({
  text: {
    source: {
      file
    },
    format: 'PLAIN'
  }
});

const {
  text: {
    fullText, // String
    lines, // Array of String ordered from top to bottom
    linesDetailed /* Array of objects that contains
        text, // String
        boundingBox: {
          width, // ratio of overall image width
          height, // ratio of overall image height
          left, // left coordinate as a ratio of overall image width
          top // top coordinate as a ratio of overall image height
        },
        polygon // Array of { x, y } coordinates as a ratio of overall image width and height
        */,
    words // Array of objects that contains { text, boundingBox, polygon}
  }
} = response;
```

## Identify structured forms

For detecting structured forms (documents, tables, etc.) from an image, `keyValues` will return a string of the entity found in the image as well as metadata such as selected checkboxes or the relative location in the image using a `boundingBox`.

```ts
import { Predictions } from '@aws-amplify/predictions';

const response = await Predictions.identify({
  text: {
    source: {
      file
    },
    format: 'FORM'
  }
});

const {
  text: {
    // same as PLAIN +
    keyValues // Array of { key: string, value: { text: string, selected: boolean}, polygon, boundingBox }
  }
} = response;
```

For example the below image would return `keyValues` with "Test" or "Checked" as a key, and `true` since they are selected. The location of these elements would be returned in the `boundingBox` value.

![A table of key values containing "Test" or "Checked" as keys, with a value of true indicating their selection status. The positions of these elements will be provided within the boundingBox parameter](/images/IdentifyTable.png)

## Identify structured tables

For detecting structured tables from an image

```ts
import { Predictions } from '@aws-amplify/predictions';

const response = await Predictions.identify({
  text: {
    source: {
      file
    },
    format: 'TABLE'
  }
});

const {
  text: {
    // same as PLAIN +
    tables: [
      {
        size: { rows, columns },
        table // Matrix Array[ Array ] of size rows
        // each element of the array contains { text, boundingBox, polygon, selected, rowSpan, columnSpan}
      }
    ]
  }
} = response;
```

For detecting tables and forms on the image just select format "ALL"

```ts
import { Predictions } from '@aws-amplify/predictions';

const { text } = await Predictions.identify({
  text: {
    source: {
      file
    },
    format: 'ALL'
  }
});
```