> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.superoffice.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Get a person's image > Compare four ways to retrieve a person's image, and how each one behaves when no image exists. SuperOffice offers several ways to retrieve a person's image. They differ mainly in **how they behave when the person has no image**, so pick the option that matches how your integration needs to handle a missing picture.

Option 1: Agent methods

Two agent methods return a single person's image as binary data. `POST /api/v1/Agents/Person/GetPersonImage` returns the image shown in the CRM application: ```http theme={null} POST /api/v1/Agents/Person/GetPersonImage Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8 { "PersonId": 93 } ``` `POST /api/v1/Agents/BLOB/GetPersonImage` returns the same image through the BLOB agent instead: ```http theme={null} POST /api/v1/Agents/BLOB/GetPersonImage Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8 { "PersonId": 21 } ``` Sample response from the BLOB agent call: ```http theme={null} HTTP/1.1 200 OK Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8 "iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAYAAAAfFcSJAAAADUlEQVR42mNk+M9QDwADhgGAWjR9awAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" ``` Both methods take only a `PersonId`. Neither accepts a size parameter - `GetPersonImage` on the BLOB agent has a companion method, `GetPersonImageWithSize`, described in [option 2][1]. If the person has no image, the two methods behave differently: `PersonAgent.GetPersonImage` returns an error, while `BLOBAgent.GetPersonImage` returns a 200 response with an empty result. If your integration must treat "no image" as a normal case rather than an error, prefer the BLOB agent method, or use [option 4][2] with `ifBlank` set explicitly.

Option 2: Batch and sized retrieval

To fetch images for multiple people in one call, or to request a specific size, use `POST /api/v1/Agents/Person/GetPersonImages`: ```http theme={null} POST /api/v1/Agents/Person/GetPersonImages Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8 { "PersonIds": [ 762, 172 ], "ScaledWidth": 87, "ScaledHeight": 578 } ``` ```http theme={null} HTTP/1.1 200 OK Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8 [ { "PersonId": 762, "ImageData": "GIF89....File contents as raw bytes..." }, { "PersonId": 172, "ImageData": "GIF89....File contents as raw bytes..." } ] ``` `PersonIds` is the list of persons to fetch images for. `ScaledWidth` and `ScaledHeight` scale the returned images (in PNG format) to the given dimensions. The response is always `200 OK` - for a person with no image, the matching entry is still returned, but with empty `ImageData`. This makes `GetPersonImages` a safer choice than `GetPersonImage` when you're iterating over a list of people and don't want to handle a 404 for each one individually. For a single image with a specific maximum size, use `POST /api/v1/Agents/BLOB/GetPersonImageWithSize` instead: ```http theme={null} POST /api/v1/Agents/BLOB/GetPersonImageWithSize Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8 { "PersonId": 856, "Width": 1000, "Height": 80 } ```

Option 3: Archive provider

The `SimplePerson` archive provider exposes person data, including the image, through the OData-style archive search endpoint. Its `portraitThumbnail` column returns the person's image. ```http theme={null} GET /api/v1/Archive/SimplePerson?$select=personId,firstName,lastName,portraitThumbnail&$filter=personId=93 ``` This approach is useful when you're already querying the archive for other person fields (name, category, contact) and want the thumbnail included in the same result set, rather than making a separate image call per person. Because it's a search/list provider, it naturally omits or blanks the `portraitThumbnail` value for people without an image, instead of returning an error.

Option 4: RESTful API

The RESTful `Person` entity exposes the image directly on the resource, and lets you control what happens when the person has no image. `GET /api/v1/Person/{personId}/Image` returns the picture, optionally scaled or converted: ```http theme={null} GET /api/v1/Person/{personId}/Image?w=180&h=180&ifBlank=SrNoPhoto ``` | Parameter | Type | Description | | --------- | ------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | w | int32 | Optional width of the returned bitmap. | | h | int32 | Optional height of the returned bitmap. | | type | string | Optional bitmap type: `JPEG`, `PNG`, or `GIF`. | | ifBlank | enum | What to return when there is no picture: `Default`, `ClearPixel`, `SrNoPhoto`, `SrNoPhotoWithBorder`, `Null`, or `GenericFileIcon`. Default is `Null`, which returns a `404` error. | By default (`ifBlank` not set), a person with no image returns `404`. Set `ifBlank` to one of the fallback values - for example `SrNoPhoto` - to get a placeholder image instead of an error: ```html theme={null} ``` `GET /api/v1/Person/{personId}/ImageInfo` returns metadata about the stored image instead of the image itself: ```http theme={null} GET /api/v1/Person/{personId}/ImageInfo ``` ```http theme={null} HTTP/1.1 200 OK Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8 { "BlobId": 731, "BlobSize": 632, "MimeType": "image/jpeg", "OriginalSize": 633, "ConceptualType": "PERSONPHOTO" } ``` `ImageInfo` always responds `200 OK`, even when the person has no image - in that case the properties come back empty rather than the call failing. Use `ImageInfo` when you need to check whether an image exists (and its size or MIME type) without downloading the image itself. ## Which option to use | If you need to... | Use | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | | Get one person's image and treat "no image" as an error | Option 1, `PersonAgent.GetPersonImage` | | Get one person's image and treat "no image" as a normal, empty result | Option 1, `BLOBAgent.GetPersonImage` | | Get images for many people, or a specific size, in one call | Option 2 | | Get a thumbnail alongside other person fields you're already querying | Option 3 | | Control the fallback behavior yourself (placeholder image, icon, or blank) | Option 4, `Image` with `ifBlank` | | Check whether an image exists, or its size/type, without fetching it | Option 4, `ImageInfo` | [1]: #batch-and-sized-retrieval [2]: #restful-api ## Related topics - [Get Person Images](/en/api/reference/restful/agent/person_agent/get-person-images.md) - [Get Person Image](/en/api/reference/restful/agent/person_agent/get-person-image.md) - [Get Person Image With Size](/en/api/reference/restful/agent/blob_agent/get-person-image-with-size.md) - [Contact (person)](/en/contact/dev/index.md) - [SuperOffice.WebApi.Data.Person GetPersonImageRequest](/en/api/reference/webapi/SuperOffice.WebApi.Data.Person_GetPersonImageRequest.md)