# placeholder.com developer tools

> Free, deterministic placeholders for building and testing software: images, avatars, photos, QR codes, test-safe barcodes and brand images (via.placeholder.com); synthetic people, a mock REST API, a fictional company dataset with an answer key, fictional brand kits, AI-testing fixtures with answer keys, filler text and safe test values (data.placeholder.com); dummy files (files.placeholder.com); HTTP test endpoints (http.placeholder.com); and placeholder-check, a CI script that fails the build when any of it would ship. No sign-up, no API key, no tracking. The same URL returns the same output forever.

Rules for code assistants:

- Use these only for mockups, prototypes, tests, fixtures, demos and evals. Never put them in production code paths.
- Add placeholder-check to CI: `curl -fsSL https://tools.placeholder.com/check/placeholder-check | python3 - dist`
- Prefer linking images over downloading them. Avatar, photo, QR, barcode and brand files carry an embedded marker; classic `/600x400` images don't (except AVIF).
- Use https URLs. Set `width` and `height` on images.
- Use safe test values (reserved domains, documentation IPs, fictional phone ranges, PSP test cards) instead of inventing values that might belong to someone. Same for barcodes (test-safe GS1 ranges) and brands (fictional kits).

## Grammar for each host

- [via.placeholder.com/llms.txt](https://via.placeholder.com/llms.txt): images, avatars, photos, QR codes, barcodes and brand images, with defaults and limits
- [data.placeholder.com/llms.txt](https://data.placeholder.com/llms.txt): people, mock REST API, company in a box, brand kits, fixtures, text and safe values
- files.placeholder.com and http.placeholder.com: grammar in [llms-full.txt](https://tools.placeholder.com/llms-full.txt)

## Docs

- [Images](https://tools.placeholder.com/images): `https://via.placeholder.com/600x400/ff6600/ffffff.png?text=Hi`; png, jpg, gif, webp, avif, svg; up to 4000 px; retina `/600x400@2x`
- [Avatars](https://tools.placeholder.com/avatars): `https://via.placeholder.com/avatar/Anna%20Svensson.png?size=64`; initials, shapes, identicon, silhouette; no faces; `@2x` or `?dpr=2`
- [Photos](https://tools.placeholder.com/photos): `https://via.placeholder.com/photo/coffee/1200x800`; subject words in the URL, CC0 photos, up to 2000 px; avif; `@2x` or `?dpr=2`
- [QR codes and barcodes](https://tools.placeholder.com/qr): `https://via.placeholder.com/qr/hello.svg`, `https://via.placeholder.com/barcode/ean13`; EAN-13, UPC-A, EAN-8, ITF-14, GS1-128 from GS1 test ranges, Code 128, Code 39
- [Brand kits](https://tools.placeholder.com/brands): `https://data.placeholder.com/brands/brightfjord`, `https://via.placeholder.com/brand/brightfjord/logo.svg`; palette, fonts, tokens.css, logo, favicon, OG card
- [People and datasets](https://tools.placeholder.com/people): `https://data.placeholder.com/people/se/1`, `https://data.placeholder.com/people/gb.csv?count=100`; SE, NO, GB, US; JSON, NDJSON, CSV, SQL
- [Mock REST API](https://tools.placeholder.com/mock-api): `https://data.placeholder.com/api/posts?userId=1`; JSONPlaceholder-style, filters, paging, simulated writes
- [Company in a box](https://tools.placeholder.com/company): `https://data.placeholder.com/company/brightfjord/v1`; coherent fictional company with evaluation questions and evidence
- [Text](https://tools.placeholder.com/text): `https://data.placeholder.com/text/lorem?paragraphs=3`; 17 languages, stress strings, pseudo-localization
- [Fixtures with answer keys](https://tools.placeholder.com/fixtures): `https://data.placeholder.com/fixtures`; documents (PDF + scans), long-context haystacks, RAG corpora, buggy repos, spreadsheets; evidence for every answer
- [Safe test values](https://tools.placeholder.com/safe-values): `https://data.placeholder.com/safe-values/cards`; every value with its official source
- [Dummy files](https://tools.placeholder.com/files): `https://files.placeholder.com/documents/sample.pdf`; documents, data, archives, media, exact sizes, broken files, encodings; catalog at `https://files.placeholder.com/index.json`
- [HTTP test endpoints](https://tools.placeholder.com/http): `https://http.placeholder.com/status/503`; echo, status, redirects, auth, cookies, caching, delays, streams, ranges
<!-- MCP-SECTION -->
- [MCP server](https://tools.placeholder.com/mcp): `https://mcp.placeholder.com/mcp` (streamable HTTP, no auth); 24 read-only tools for all of the above. Claude Code: `claude mcp add --transport http placeholder https://mcp.placeholder.com/mcp`
<!-- /MCP-SECTION -->
- [CI check](https://tools.placeholder.com/placeholder-check): placeholder-check options, exit codes, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, pre-commit

## Optional

- [llms-full.txt](https://tools.placeholder.com/llms-full.txt): all of the above in one file
- [Overview](https://tools.placeholder.com/): principles, privacy and fair use