MiniMax Image Understanding Skill

Use this skill when you need to analyze, describe, or extract information from images.

How to Use

Call the

understand_image

tool directly with a prompt and image URL:

understand_image({

prompt: "Your question about the image",

image_url: "https://example.com/image.png"

})

When to Use

Use

understand_image

when:

Screenshots

Error messages, UI issues, code in screenshots

Visual content

Photos, diagrams, charts, graphs

Documents

Extracting text from images (OCR), understanding layouts

UI/UX analysis

Evaluating designs, identifying components

Visual debugging

Understanding visual bugs or layout issues

When NOT to Use

Do NOT use

understand_image

when:

Image is already described

in the conversation

The image is a simple icon

or emoji you recognize

No image is provided

or the image URL is inaccessible

Redundant with existing context

(e.g., file contents already visible)

Usage

understand_image({

prompt: "What do you see in this image?",

image_url: "https://example.com/screenshot.png"

})

API Details

Endpoint

:

POST {api_host}/v1/coding_plan/vlm

Request Body

:

{

"prompt"

:

"Your question about the image"

,

"image_url"

:

"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQ..."

}

Response Format

:

{

"content"

:

"AI analysis of the image..."

,

"base_resp"

:

{

"status_code"

:

0

,

"status_msg"

:

"success"

}

}

Image Processing

The tool automatically handles three types of image inputs:

HTTP/HTTPS URLs

Downloads the image and converts to base64

Example:

https://example.com/image.jpg

Local file paths

Reads local files and converts to base64

Absolute:

/Users/username/Documents/image.png

Relative:

images/photo.png

Removes

@

prefix if present

Base64 data URLs

Passes through existing base64 data

Example:

data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgo...

Image Formats

Supported:

JPEG

(.jpg, .jpeg)

PNG

(.png)

WebP

(.webp)

Not supported:

PDF, GIF, PSD, SVG, and other formats

Crafting Effective Prompts

For Descriptions

"Describe what's in this image in detail"

"What is the main subject of this image?"

"Describe the visual style and composition"

For Code/Technical

"What code is shown in this screenshot?"

"Extract all text from this image"

"Identify the UI framework/components used"

For Analysis

"Analyze this UI design. What is working well and what could be improved?"

"What emotions or mood does this image convey?"

"Compare this design to Material Design principles"

For OCR/Text Extraction

"Extract all text from this image"

"Read the error message in this screenshot"

"What does the label say in this image?"

Examples

Error Analysis

understand_image({

prompt: "What is the error message and where is it located in this screenshot?",

image_url: "./error-screenshot.png"

})

Code Screenshot

understand_image({

prompt: "What code is shown in this screenshot? Please transcribe it exactly.",

image_url: "https://example.com/code.png"

})

Design Review

understand_image({

prompt: "Analyze this UI design. What is working well and what could be improved?",

image_url: "https://example.com/mockup.png"

})

OCR

understand_image({

prompt: "Extract all text from this image",

image_url: "/Users/username/Documents/scan.png"

})

Tips

Be specific

in your prompt about what you want to know

Mention format

if you need structured output (e.g., "list all elements")

Include context

if the image is part of a larger task

For screenshots

, specify if you need full-page or just a specific area

Complex analysis

may trigger a confirmation prompt (analyze, extract, describe, recognize, transcribe, read)

Error Handling

Status code 1004

Authentication error - check API key and region

Status code 2038

Real-name verification required

Invalid image

File doesn't exist or URL is inaccessible

Unsupported format

Image format not in JPEG, PNG, WebP