Shelf Analysis

Shelf analysis is the core capability of the Shelfforce API. You submit an image of a retail shelf, and Shelfforce returns structured data for every product detected — including brand, description, category, facing count, price, promotional status, confidence score, and fixture type. This guide walks through the full analysis workflow.

How it works

Shelfforce uses a multi-step vision pipeline to analyze shelf images:

Extraction — Identifies unique SKUs visible on the shelf.
Product Detail — Determines facing counts and shelf positions for each product.
Price Attribution — Reads all price tags and matches them to the correct products using spatial reasoning.
Summary — Computes brand-level share-of-shelf metrics and totals.

The entire pipeline runs automatically when you submit an image. You receive the complete results when the analysis finishes.

The analysis lifecycle

Analysis is asynchronous. Here is exactly what happens from submission to results:

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  1. POST /api/v1/analyses                                    │
│     You submit an image URL                                  │
│     → Response: { status: "processing", id: "an_..." }       │
│                                                              │
│  2. Processing (10-30 seconds)                               │
│     Shelfforce runs extraction → detail → pricing → summary  │
│                                                              │
│  3. Results ready                                            │
│     ┌─ Option A: Poll GET /api/v1/analyses/:id               │
│     │  Loop every 3-5s until status = "completed"            │
│     │  Best for: quick testing, scripts, simple integrations │
│     │                                                        │
│     ├─ Option B: Webhook notification                        │
│     │  Register for analysis.completed event                 │
│     │  Best for: production systems, high volume             │
│     │                                                        │
│     └─ Option C: Callback URL                                │
│        Pass callbackUrl in the request                       │
│        Best for: per-request notifications, B2B integrations │
│                                                              │
│  4. Read the products array from the completed response      │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Typical processing time: 10-30 seconds, depending on image complexity (number of products, price tag legibility, image resolution). High-resolution images with many products may take up to 45 seconds.

Which result method should I use?

Polling is simpler and great for scripts, CLI tools, and quick testing. Poll every 3-5 seconds.
Webhooks are more efficient for production. No wasted requests, instant notification. See Webhooks.

Step 1: Submit an image

Send a POST request to the analyses endpoint with the URL of a shelf image:

curl -X POST https://shelfforce.ai/api/v1/analyses \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sf_live_a1b2c3d4..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "imageUrl": "https://example.com/shelf.jpg"
  }'

Request parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`imageUrl`	`string`	Yes	Publicly accessible URL of the shelf image. JPEG, PNG, and WebP are supported.
`placeId`	`string`	No	Shelfforce place ID to associate with this analysis.
`taskId`	`string`	No	Shelfforce task ID to associate with this analysis.
`externalId`	`string`	No	Your own reference ID (e.g., customer ID, campaign ID). Returned in responses and webhook payloads. Filterable via the list analyses endpoint.
`metadata`	`object`	No	Arbitrary key-value pairs (max 10 keys, string values, 500 chars each). Returned in responses and webhook payloads.
`callbackUrl`	`string`	No	HTTPS URL to receive a POST when this analysis completes or fails. See Callback URLs.

Response

The response comes back immediately. The status is processing while the analysis runs.

{
  "data": {
    "id": "an_g7h8j9k0",
    "status": "processing",
    "createdAt": "2026-02-23T10:30:00Z"
  }
}

One credit is consumed per analysis submission. See Credits for details.

Step 2: Get the results

Option A: Polling

Poll the analysis endpoint until the status is completed:

curl https://shelfforce.ai/api/v1/analyses/an_g7h8j9k0 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sf_live_a1b2c3d4..."

Option B: Webhooks

Register a webhook for analysis.completed and Shelfforce will POST the result to your URL as soon as processing finishes. No polling needed.

# Register once
curl -X POST https://shelfforce.ai/api/v1/webhooks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sf_live_a1b2c3d4..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://your-app.com/webhooks/shelfforce",
    "events": ["analysis.completed", "analysis.failed"]
  }'

When the analysis completes, you receive a POST like this:

{
  "event": "analysis.completed",
  "data": {
    "generationId": "an_g7h8j9k0",
    "status": "completed",
    "productCount": 12,
    "createdAt": "2026-02-23T10:30:00Z"
  },
  "timestamp": "2026-02-23T10:32:00Z",
  "webhookId": "wh_abc123"
}

Then fetch the full results using the generationId:

curl https://shelfforce.ai/api/v1/analyses/an_g7h8j9k0 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sf_live_a1b2c3d4..."

See the Webhooks guide for full setup, payload examples, signature verification, and receiver code.

Option C: Callback URL

Pass a callbackUrl when submitting an analysis to receive a one-off POST when it completes — no webhook registration needed.

curl -X POST https://shelfforce.ai/api/v1/analyses \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sf_live_a1b2c3d4..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "imageUrl": "https://example.com/shelf.jpg",
    "externalId": "customer-123",
    "callbackUrl": "https://your-app.com/callbacks/shelfforce"
  }'

The response includes a callbackSecret you can use to verify the callback signature:

{
  "data": {
    "id": "an_g7h8j9k0",
    "status": "processing",
    "externalId": "customer-123",
    "callbackSecret": "a1b2c3d4e5f6...",
    "createdAt": "2026-02-23T10:30:00Z"
  }
}

The callbackSecret is returned only once. Store it to verify the callback signature using the same HMAC-SHA256 scheme as webhooks.

The callback URL must be HTTPS and cannot target private networks (localhost, 10.x, 192.168.x, etc.).

List analyses

Query your analyses with filters using GET /api/v1/analyses:

# Filter by externalId
curl "https://shelfforce.ai/api/v1/analyses?externalId=customer-123" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sf_live_a1b2c3d4..."

# Filter by status
curl "https://shelfforce.ai/api/v1/analyses?status=completed&limit=50" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sf_live_a1b2c3d4..."

Parameter	Type	Description
`externalId`	`string`	Filter by your external reference ID.
`status`	`string`	Filter by status: `processing`, `completed`, `failed`.
`placeId`	`string`	Filter by place ID.
`cursor`	`string`	Pagination cursor from a previous response.
`limit`	`integer`	Max results per page (default 50, max 100).

Completed response

{
  "data": {
    "id": "an_g7h8j9k0",
    "status": "completed",
    "totalRuns": 1,
    "completedRuns": 1,
    "failedRuns": 0,
    "productCount": 12,
    "createdAt": "2026-02-23T10:30:00Z",
    "completedAt": "2026-02-23T10:32:00Z",
    "products": [
      {
        "id": "prd_k1l2m3",
        "sku": "CC-330ML-CAN",
        "brand": "Coca-Cola",
        "description": "Coca-Cola Original 330ml Can",
        "category": "Beverages",
        "subcategory": "Carbonated Soft Drinks",
        "price": 1.49,
        "currency": "USD",
        "onSale": false,
        "units": 4,
        "confidence": 0.95,
        "shelfPosition": "eye-level",
        "fixtureType": "shelf"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Step 3: Work with product data

Product fields

Each product in the products array includes:

Field	Type	Description
`id`	`string`	Unique product detection identifier
`sku`	`string \| null`	Matched SKU from your inventory, if identified
`brand`	`string`	Detected brand name
`description`	`string`	Full product description as detected on shelf
`category`	`string \| null`	Product category
`subcategory`	`string \| null`	Product subcategory
`price`	`number \| null`	Detected shelf price. Null if no price tag was found
`discountedPrice`	`number \| null`	Promotional/sale price if on sale
`currency`	`string \| null`	ISO 4217 currency code
`onSale`	`boolean \| null`	Whether the product appears to be on promotion
`units`	`number`	Number of visible facings on the shelf
`confidence`	`number \| null`	Detection confidence score (0.0 to 1.0)
`shelfPosition`	`string \| null`	Vertical position: `top`, `eye-level`, `middle`, `bottom`
`fixtureType`	`string \| null`	Where the product was found: `shelf`, `fridge`, `floor-display`, `other`

Query products across analyses

To retrieve products across multiple analyses, use the products endpoint with optional filters:

# By analysis
curl "https://shelfforce.ai/api/v1/products?analysisId=an_g7h8j9k0" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sf_live_a1b2c3d4..."

# By brand
curl "https://shelfforce.ai/api/v1/products?brand=Coca-Cola" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sf_live_a1b2c3d4..."

# With pagination
curl "https://shelfforce.ai/api/v1/products?limit=50" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sf_live_a1b2c3d4..."

Step 4: View reports

Query aggregated share-of-shelf reports:

curl "https://shelfforce.ai/api/v1/reports/share-of-shelf?days=30&brands=Coca-Cola,Pepsi" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sf_live_a1b2c3d4..."

{
  "data": {
    "brands": [
      {
        "brand": "Coca-Cola",
        "units": 342,
        "sharePercent": 28.5,
        "productCount": 8
      },
      {
        "brand": "Pepsi",
        "units": 288,
        "sharePercent": 24.0,
        "productCount": 6
      }
    ],
    "totalUnits": 1200,
    "periodDays": 30,
    "periodStart": "2026-01-24T00:00:00Z",
    "periodEnd": "2026-02-23T23:59:59Z"
  }
}

Image requirements

For best results, follow these guidelines when capturing shelf images:

Do

Capture the full shelf section in frame
Ensure products and price tags are legible
Use good lighting with minimal glare
Shoot from directly in front of the shelf

Avoid

Blurry or out-of-focus images
Extreme angles that distort product labels
Heavy shadows or reflections obscuring products
Partial shelf captures that cut off products

Supported formats: JPEG, PNG, WebP Recommended resolution: 1920x1080 or higher. Higher resolution images produce more accurate results, especially for reading price tags.

Analysis statuses

Status	Description
`processing`	The analysis is running. Poll again or wait for a webhook.
`completed`	The analysis finished successfully. Products and summary are available.
`failed`	The analysis could not produce results. Check the `error` field for details.

Next steps

Batch Analysis

Process up to 20 images in a single request.

Webhooks

Get notified when analyses complete instead of polling.

Field Operations

Assign shelf audits to field reps and track compliance.

Agent Integration

Connect Shelfforce to AI agents and automated pipelines.

Getting Started

Core Concepts

Guides

How it works

The analysis lifecycle

Step 1: Submit an image

Request parameters

Response

Step 2: Get the results

Option A: Polling

Option B: Webhooks

Option C: Callback URL

List analyses

Completed response

Step 3: Work with product data

Product fields

Query products across analyses

Step 4: View reports

Image requirements

Do

Avoid

Analysis statuses

Next steps

Batch Analysis

Webhooks

Field Operations

Agent Integration

Getting Started

Core Concepts

Guides

​How it works

​The analysis lifecycle

​Step 1: Submit an image

​Request parameters

​Response

​Step 2: Get the results

​Option A: Polling

​Option B: Webhooks

​Option C: Callback URL

​List analyses

​Completed response

​Step 3: Work with product data

​Product fields

​Query products across analyses

​Step 4: View reports

​Image requirements

Do

Avoid

​Analysis statuses

​Next steps

Batch Analysis

Webhooks

Field Operations

Agent Integration

How it works

The analysis lifecycle

Step 1: Submit an image

Request parameters

Response

Step 2: Get the results

Option A: Polling

Option B: Webhooks

Option C: Callback URL

List analyses

Completed response

Step 3: Work with product data

Product fields

Query products across analyses

Step 4: View reports

Image requirements

Analysis statuses

Next steps