Image Recognition

Your Chipp app can analyze images uploaded by users. This guide explains how image recognition works and how to get the best results.

How It Works

When a user uploads an image, Chipp processes it in one of two ways depending on your app's model:

Vision-Capable Models (Recommended)

Models with native vision capabilities see images directly, just like a human would. The image is embedded in the conversation and the model can reference it naturally.

Vision-capable models:

Models WITHOUT vision:

• OpenAI o-series (o1, o1 Pro, o3, o3 Pro, o3-mini, o4 Mini)

Non-Vision Models (Fallback)

For models without native vision (like the o-series reasoning models), Chipp uses a separate image analysis tool powered by OpenAI's GPT-5 to describe the image, then passes that description to your app's model.

This two-step process can sometimes lose context compared to native vision models.

Getting the Best Results

1. Choose the Right Model

For apps that heavily rely on image analysis, select a vision-capable model:

1. Go to your app in the Chipp dashboard
2. Navigate to Build > Configure
3. Under Model, select a vision-capable model like GPT-5 or Claude Sonnet 4

2. Enable Image Recognition

Make sure the capability is turned on:

1. Go to Build > Actions
2. Find Image Recognition in the Basic Actions list
3. Toggle it ON

3. Image Quality Tips

For best recognition accuracy:

• Resolution: Higher resolution images produce better results
• Lighting: Well-lit images are easier to analyze
• Focus: Ensure the subject is in focus and not blurry
• Format: JPEG, PNG, and WebP are all supported

4. Prompting for Analysis

Guide users to be specific about what they want analyzed:

Good prompts:

• "What math equations are shown in this image?"
• "Identify all the plants in this photo"
• "What text appears on this sign?"

Vague prompts:

• "What is this?"
• "Tell me about the image"

Comparing to ChatGPT

If you notice differences between your Chipp app and ChatGPT's native image analysis, consider:

1. Model selection: ChatGPT uses GPT-5 by default. Ensure your Chipp app also uses GPT-5 or a comparable vision model like Claude Sonnet 4.

2. System prompt: Your app's personality and instructions may influence how it interprets images. ChatGPT has different default behaviors.

3. Context window: ChatGPT maintains conversation context differently. For complex multi-image analysis, results may vary.

Troubleshooting

Images Not Being Analyzed

• Verify Image Recognition is enabled in your app's Actions
• Check that the user is uploading supported formats (JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF)
• Ensure images are from supported sources (direct uploads, not all external URLs)

Poor Accuracy

• Switch to a vision-capable model (GPT-5, Claude Sonnet 4, etc.)
• Ask users to provide clearer, higher-resolution images
• Add specific instructions in your system prompt about how to analyze images

Slow Response Times

Image analysis typically takes 5-15 seconds depending on image complexity. For faster responses:

• Use smaller image files when possible
• Consider GPT-5 Nano or Claude 3.5 Haiku for speed vs. accuracy tradeoff

Model Comparison for Vision