BOL (Bill of Lading) OCR API

Transform complex Bills of Lading into structured data with AI-powered extraction of shipping details, cargo descriptions, and consignment information - enabling automated 3-way matching with purchase orders and invoices while streamlining logistics documentation across sea, air, and land freight formats.

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BOL (Bill of Lading) OCR API

Why Veryfi

What is BOL (Bill of Lading) OCR?

Bill of lading OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is a technology that enables the automatic extraction of data from bill of lading documents. A bill of lading is a crucial document in international trade, and OCR technology makes it easier for businesses to extract valuable information, such as the consignor, consignee, and product descriptions, from these documents. With bill of lading OCR, businesses can streamline their operations, reduce manual errors, and improve their supply chain efficiency.

Bill of lading OCR also improves data accuracy by eliminating errors that may occur during manual data entry. Businesses can easily manage large volumes of shipping documents, track their shipments in real-time, and improve their overall supply chain management. Additionally, businesses can reduce the risk of fraud, improve their compliance with trade regulations, and enable more efficient AP workflows.

veryfi extracts bills of lading
Request: BOL (Bill of Lading) Data Extraction
import requests
url = "https://api.veryfi.com/api/v8/partner/documents"
headers = {
'CLIENT-ID': '<API_KEY_VALUE>',
'AUTHORIZATION': 'apikey <USERNAME_VALUE>:<API_KEY_VALUE>'
}
payload = {'file_url': 'https://cdn…'}
response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, data=payload)
print(response.json())
Response: Structured JSON
{
“shipper”: {
“name”: “Example Pick Up Company”,
“address”: “123 Pick Up Street, Vancouver, BCV5K 0A4, Canada”,
“phone_number”: “(123) 456-7890”
},
“receiver”: {
“name”: “Example Delivery Company”,
“address”: “123 Delivery Street, Toronto, ONM1B 0A1, Canada”
},
“bol_number”: “21099992723”,
“carrier_name”: “EXAMPLE CARRIER”,
“date”: “September 13, 2021”,
“line_items”: [
{
“description”: “Example Goods”,
“type”: “Pallet”,
“quantity”: 1,
“weight”: “300 lb”,
“dimensions”: “48x40x48 in”
}
],
“gross_cargo_weight”: “300 Lbs”,
“container_number”: “MSKU1234567”,
“waybill_number”: “WB-2021-0913-001”
}
Support for over 50 fields 🚚

Developer Friendly API

The only API you will ever need to accurately extract key/value data in a standardized format you can trust across any geography, language, or format — enabling seamless international business expansion without lifting a finger.

Day-1 Ready Pre-Trained BOL (Bill of Lading) AI Model
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Fields Supported

  • Basic Information
    • BOL Number: 21099992723
    • Carrier Name: EXAMPLE CARRIER
    • Date: September 13, 2021
    • Waybill Number: WB-2021-0913-001
    • Container Number: MSKU1234567
    • Incoterms: FOB Vancouver
  • Shipper Information
    • Name: Example Pick Up Company
    • Address: 123 Pick Up Street, Vancouver, BCV5K 0A4, Canada
    • Phone Number: (123) 456-7890
    • Port of Loading: Port of Vancouver
  • Receiver Information
    • Name: Example Delivery Company
    • Address: 123 Delivery Street, Toronto, ONM1B 0A1, Canada
    • Phone Number: (123) 456-7890
    • Port of Discharge: Port of Toronto
  • Cargo Details
    • Gross Cargo Weight: 300 Lbs
    • Net Cargo Weight: 295 Lbs
    • Line Items: Array of cargo items
      1. Type: Pallet
      2. Weight: 300 lb
      3. Quantity: 1
      4. Dimensions: 48x40x48 in
      5. Description: Example Goods
      6. Product ID: PID-2021-001
      7. Manufacturer Name: Example Manufacturing Inc.
  • Document Metadata
    • Document ID: 5990342
    • Created Date: 2025-05-01 18:57:35
    • Updated Date: 2025-05-01 18:57:35
    • External ID: ID to your CRM eg. BOL-2021-0913-001

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Use Cases

Freight & Logistics Management

Freight & Logistics Management

Manual BOL processing delays shipment tracking by 2-4 hours per document, causing 30% of customer service inquiries. Data entry errors cost logistics companies $2.8M annually in misdirected shipments and billing disputes. Veryfi’s BOL OCR API instantly extracts carrier details, tracking numbers, and shipment information regardless of format or language. Reduce processing time by 90%, eliminate data entry errors, enable real-time shipment visibility.
Supply Chain Finance

Supply Chain Finance

Invoice factoring delays cost suppliers $4.7M annually in working capital inefficiencies. Manual BOL verification for trade finance takes 3-5 days per transaction. Veryfi’s API instantly extracts shipment values, delivery confirmations, and payment terms from BOLs, enabling automated invoice validation and faster financing decisions. Reduce financing approval time by 85%, improve cash flow, accelerate supplier payments.
Customs & Trade Compliance

Customs & Trade Compliance

Customs clearance delays cost importers $6.2M annually in demurrage fees and supply chain disruptions. Manual BOL data extraction for customs declarations takes 4-6 hours per shipment. Veryfi’s API instantly extracts commodity codes, weights, values, and origin details from multilingual BOLs, enabling automated customs documentation and compliance verification. Reduce clearance time by 75%, ensure regulatory compliance, minimize detention costs.
Transportation Management Systems

Transportation Management Systems

Manual BOL integration into TMS platforms creates 40% of shipment visibility gaps. Data inconsistencies between carriers and systems cost logistics companies $3.4M annually in operational inefficiencies. Veryfi’s API automatically extracts and standardizes BOL data from any carrier format, enabling seamless TMS integration and real-time shipment tracking. Improve data accuracy by 95%, reduce manual intervention, enhance customer visibility.
E-commerce & Marketplace Fulfillment

E-commerce & Marketplace Fulfillment

Order fulfillment delays from manual BOL processing affect 35% of e-commerce shipments, causing customer satisfaction scores to drop by 25%. Manual tracking number extraction takes 2-3 hours per batch, delaying customer notifications. Veryfi’s API instantly extracts tracking information, delivery addresses, and carrier details from BOLs, enabling automated customer updates and inventory management. Reduce fulfillment processing time by 80%, improve customer satisfaction, streamline inventory reconciliation.
Freight Audit & Payment

Freight Audit & Payment

Manual freight invoice auditing creates 45% billing discrepancies, costing shippers $5.1M annually in overpayments. BOL verification against carrier invoices takes auditors 6-8 hours per batch. Veryfi’s API automatically extracts freight charges, delivery confirmations, and service details from BOLs, enabling automated invoice matching and dispute resolution. Reduce audit time by 75%, eliminate billing errors, improve vendor payment accuracy.
Cargo Insurance & Claims

Cargo Insurance & Claims

Cargo insurance claims processing delays cost insurers $7.3M annually in customer satisfaction penalties. Manual BOL analysis for damage claims takes adjusters 8-12 hours per case. Veryfi’s API instantly extracts cargo descriptions, values, and condition details from BOLs, enabling automated claim validation and faster settlement. Reduce claims processing time by 70%, improve fraud detection accuracy, accelerate policyholder reimbursements.
Port & Terminal Operations

Port & Terminal Operations

Manual container tracking at ports creates 50% of gate delays, costing terminals $4.8M annually in productivity losses. BOL data entry for container management takes operators 3-5 minutes per document. Veryfi’s API instantly extracts container numbers, cargo details, and consignee information from multilingual BOLs, enabling automated gate processing and yard management. Reduce gate processing time by 85%, improve container utilization, enhance terminal efficiency.

But wait, there’s more…

  • 3-Way Matching

    Transform invoice-to-purchase-order matching into an automated process with AI-powered validation that compares unit prices, quantities, and line items – eliminating manual reconciliation and detecting discrepancies instantly.

  • Global Port Code Validation

    Automatically validate and standardize port codes (UNLOCODE) across all shipping documents, ensuring accuracy of origin, destination, and transshipment points while maintaining compliance with international shipping standards.

  • Line Item Categorization

    Convert free-text product descriptions into structured spend categories using machine learning classification – automatically mapping to UNSPSC, custom taxonomies, or internal category codes while maintaining consistency across your procurement lifecycle.

  • Duplicate PO Detection

    Automatically identify duplicate or similar purchase orders using AI-powered pattern matching – preventing double payments, catching redundant submissions, and flagging potential errors across order history in real-time. The system analyzes multiple data points including supplier details, line items, quantities, pricing, and delivery dates to catch duplicates even when documents appear different at first glance.

  • Specialized Fields

    – PO Number Format Validation (match custom enterprise numbering schemas)
    – Contract/Framework Agreement Reference Detection
    – Department/Cost Center Code Validation
    – Approved Vendor List Verification
    – Budget Code Matching
    – Delivery Terms (Incoterms) Extraction
    – Payment Terms Net Days Detection
    – Multi-Currency Line Items Support
    – Split Delivery Date Detection (per line item)
    – Required-By Date Validation
    – Requisitioner Information Extraction
    – Authorized Signatory Validation
    – Custom Fields Mapping (client-specific PO formats)
    – SKU/Part Number Standardization
    – Unit of Measure (UOM) Standardization
    – Blanket PO Detection and Processing
    – Change Order Version Control
    – Quote Reference Number Extraction

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