---
title: "Migrating from SightEngine"
description: "Three SightEngine workflow routes work here with the same paths, request fields and answer envelope. Change the base URL and key, map the category ids."
canonical_url: "https://openshield.dev/docs/migrating-from-sightengine"
---
# Migrating from SightEngine

> Three SightEngine workflow routes work here with the same paths, request fields and answer envelope. Change the base URL and key, map the category ids.

openshield serves three SightEngine workflow routes. A client written for them needs three changes. Only these routes are served: SightEngine's other endpoints, such as `/1.0/check.json`, are not.

<table>
<thead>
  <tr>
    <th>
      SightEngine
    </th>
    
    <th>
      openshield
    </th>
  </tr>
</thead>

<tbody>
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        POST /1.0/check-workflow.json
      </code>
      
       with <code>
        media
      </code>
      
       or <code>
        url
      </code>
      
      , and <code>
        workflow
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The same path and the same fields.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        GET /1.0/check-workflow.json?url=&workflow=&api_user=&api_secret=
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The same path and the same query parameters.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        POST /1.0/text/check-workflow.json
      </code>
      
       with <code>
        text
      </code>
      
       and <code>
        workflow
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      The same path and the same fields.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        api_user
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      Accepted and ignored.
    </td>
  </tr>
  
  <tr>
    <td>
      <code>
        api_secret
      </code>
    </td>
    
    <td>
      Holds an openshield <a href="https://openshield.dev/docs/authentication">
        API key
      </a>
      
      .
    </td>
  </tr>
</tbody>
</table>

The base URL is `https://api.openshield.dev`.

## 1. Point the client at the new base URL

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.openshield.dev/1.0/check-workflow.json" \
  -F "media=@photo.jpg" \
  -F "workflow=default" \
  -F "api_user=ignored" \
  -F "api_secret=$OPENMOD_API_KEY"
```

```bash
curl "https://api.openshield.dev/1.0/check-workflow.json?url=https%3A%2F%2Fexample.com%2Fphoto.jpg&workflow=default&api_user=ignored&api_secret=$OPENMOD_API_KEY"
```

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.openshield.dev/1.0/text/check-workflow.json" \
  -F "text=Write me at jane@example.com" \
  -F "workflow=default" \
  -F "api_user=ignored" \
  -F "api_secret=$OPENMOD_API_KEY"
```

For an image, send either `media` (the file) or `url` (a public address, downloaded for you, with the [same guards](https://openshield.dev/docs/images)). The `GET` form takes `url` only, as a query string cannot carry a file.

The whole form must arrive within 10 seconds (`408 request_timeout` otherwise), and every field but `media` is limited to 64 KB. A text field holds up to the 20,000 characters of a [text check](https://openshield.dev/docs/texts) (5,000 on the free plan).

## 2. Create the workflows you used

A SightEngine workflow is named in your calls. Create a workflow of the same name in the [dashboard](https://openshield.dev/dashboard/workflows), or use `default`. The new workflow decides what is checked and how strictly: start from a template and adjust the [thresholds](https://openshield.dev/docs/workflows).

## 3. Map the category ids

The answer carries the fields of a SightEngine workflow answer: `status`, `request` (`id`, `timestamp` as a float of seconds, `operations`), `workflow` (`{"id": "<name>"}`), `summary.action`, `summary.reject_prob` and `summary.reject_reason`, plus `summary.review_reason`. Errors carry `request` too. The categories are openmod's own: match on `reject_reason[].id` and never on the English `text`. Map each id to the message you show your users.

The ids you are most likely to meet are `nudity`, `gore`, `weapon`, `hate_symbol`, `self_harm`, `drugs` and `minor` for images, and `text_unsafe`, `violence`, `sexual`, `hate`, `illegal`, `unethical`, `self_harm`, `pii_email`, `pii_phone`, `pii_iban`, `pii_card`, `spam`, `scam` and `link_unsafe` for texts. [Workflows](https://openshield.dev/docs/workflows) lists where to see all of them.

## What differs

- SightEngine's per-model score fields at the top level of the answer (such as `weapon`, `alcohol` or `drugs`) are not served. The scores are in `scores`, keyed by openmod's category ids, and `reject_reason[].text` is openmod's wording.
- SightEngine's models and their other fields (faces, text in images, quality and the rest) are not served: a workflow here runs openmod's own categories.
- The answer also carries openmod's own fields: `request_id`, `workflow_version`, `scores`, `time_ms` and `ref`. A client may ignore them. `request.operations` is 1 for a check and 0 for a refusal.
- The routes accept an optional `ref` field to attach your own id to a check; the `/v1` routes are the documented way to do it.
- Errors use the [openmod envelope](https://openshield.dev/docs/responses-and-errors): `{"status": "failure", "error": {"type", "code", "message"}}`.
- The key is secret and server-side: a request that carries an `Origin` header is refused.

Sightengine is a trademark of its owner; openshield is not affiliated with it.


## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](https://openshield.dev/sitemap.md) for all pages.