Placeholder Image
Generate placeholder images for design and development.
Open the official app on placeholder.com
This tool is hosted by its maintainers. Click below to open placeholder.com in a new tab — it's their official demo.
Browse image & tools tools →What's next with Placeholder Image?
Choose how you want to get started.
Use it free
Open the official tool or demo — no account needed.
Self-host it
Run the open-source version on your own infrastructure.
What is Placeholder Image?
Placeholder Image is an open-source tool designed to generate temporary placeholder images for web development and design projects. It addresses the need for quick, customizable image assets during prototyping, testing, or content creation. Developers, designers, and content creators use it to fill layout gaps, test UI elements, or demonstrate functionality without relying on real images. The tool solves the problem of waiting for image assets to be prepared, allowing users to focus on other aspects of their work. By providing a simple URL-based interface, it streamlines the process of generating images with specific dimensions, colors, and text.
How it works
Placeholder Image is a web-based service that generates temporary images on demand using a URL structure. It enables users to create images with specified sizes, colors, and text without requiring server-side processing or image editing tools. The primary purpose of the tool is to provide developers and designers with a reliable way to visualize layouts, test responsive designs, or replace missing images during the development phase. Users can specify image dimensions using a format like 'widthxheight' (e.g., 600x400), with optional height for square images. Supported formats include SVG, PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP, and AVIF. Color customization allows defining background and text colors via hex codes, CSS names, or 'transparent' keywords.
How to use it
- 1Open the Placeholder Image page
- 2Use the tool directly in your browser
- 3Results appear instantly — no waiting, no downloads
What it can do
- placeholder images
Use cases
Assumptions and limitations
Assumptions
- source: https://placeholder.com/
- license: Open source
- privacy: Opens an external demo
Limitations
- Maximum image size is limited to 4000x4000 pixels for certain formats
- No advanced image manipulation features like filters or overlays
- Limited format support for animated images (GIF/WebP) compared to commercial tools
- Text customization is restricted to basic formatting and encoding
- No built-in image optimization or compression capabilities
Understanding the result
Generate placeholder images for design and development.
Tool details
- Clearly flagged when a network request is needed.
- No account, no sign-up, and no tracking of your content.
- Powered by (MIT).
- Built with
- (https://placeholder.com/)
- License
- MIT
- Runs locally
- No — requires a network request
- Verification
- Not yet verified
- Input
- Query
- Output
- Text
Built with https://placeholder.com/. OpenToolVault provides the discovery and browser interface while crediting the original project maintainers.
- Built with
- License
- MIT
Open-source project
OpenToolVault is an independent directory. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by this project.
References
- / — GitHub Repository
Upstream project · GitHub
Frequently asked
How do I generate a placeholder image with specific dimensions?
To create an image with specific dimensions, use the URL format 'https://placehold.co/widthxheight'. For example, 'https://placehold.co/600x400' generates a 600x400 pixel image. You can omit the height for a square image, such as 'https://placehold.co/400'.
How does the color customization work?
Colors are specified using hex codes (e.g., '000000' for black), CSS color names (e.g., 'orange'), or the 'transparent' keyword. Both background and text colors must be included together in the URL, like 'https://placehold.co/600x400/000000/FFFFFF/png' for a black background with white text.
How can I add custom text to a placeholder image?
Append '?text=Your+Text' to the image URL to add custom text. Replace spaces with '+' and use URL-encoded characters. For example, 'https://placehold.co/600x400?text=Hello+World' displays 'Hello World' on the image. Newlines can be added using '\n' in the text parameter.
How does this tool compare to alternatives like picsum.photos?
Placeholder Image offers similar functionality to picsum.photos but with additional format support (including AVIF) and more granular color customization. Unlike some alternatives, it provides a consistent URL structure for all features, making it easier to integrate into development workflows.
What should I do if the generated image doesn't display correctly?
Check the URL for syntax errors, ensuring dimensions follow 'widthxheight' format and colors are properly formatted. Verify that the specified format (e.g., PNG, JPEG) is supported. If using text, confirm that spaces are replaced with '+' and special characters are URL-encoded. Ensure the image size does not exceed 4000x4000 pixels.