Show the printed date
Take a close-up photo in good light. Include MFG, EXP, PKD or best-before wording.
Free product label scanner
Find the date.
Read it right.
Scan a clear photo of the printed label to identify manufacturing, packing, expiry and best-before dates. See what the scanner read and verify it against the package.
Scan a product label Photos stay on your device
✓ No account✓ Camera or upload✓ Manual review
YOUR WORKSPACE
Scan your product date
Photograph the part of the packaging showing its printed dates.
01 / Scan · 02 / Review
1. Add your label photo
Use your phone camera or choose an image.
Drop a label photo here
or choose one of the options below
JPG, PNG, WebP or supported phone photos · Maximum 15 MBTip: drag over the printed date area to select it for better recognition.
Preparing OCR…
Text recognition runs in this browser. The first scan downloads an OCR language model; your photo is not uploaded to DateLens.
2. Check your results
Confirm each date against the printed packaging.
Nothing scanned yet
Your extracted dates will appear here after you scan a product label.
Check every character on the product itself. This tool reads printed information; it cannot assess freshness, storage conditions or product safety.
Text read from the image
Have a clear label, but the photo won't scan?
We will not assign meaning to an unlabeled date.
HOW IT WORKS
From a label to a clearer answer
Three steps. No registration or product database required.
Read and organize
OCR reads your photo. DateLens separates manufacturing, packing and expiry information without guessing missing dates.
Verify on the package
Compare the extracted text with the original label. If it is unclear, rescan or enter the wording manually.
GOOD TO KNOW
Barcodes aren't all the same.
A regular supermarket EAN/UPC barcode usually identifies a product, not its specific manufacturing or expiry date. Some GS1 barcodes explicitly encode dates, which DateLens may be able to read when supported by your browser.
If the barcode has no date information, scan the printed label instead. We never invent an expiry date from a product number.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Questions before you scan
Can a barcode reveal a product's expiry date?
A standard EAN/UPC barcode normally cannot. Supported GS1 barcode formats can include expiry and production date fields. When no date is encoded, inspect the printed product label.
What if the date is faded or printed as month and year only?
Try a sharper, closer photo without glare. If only a month and year are printed, DateLens shows that month without inventing an exact day or a definitive date-passed result.
What is the difference between MFG, PKD, best before and expiry?
MFG identifies a manufacturing date; PKD identifies a packing date. Best-before generally relates to expected quality, while expiry/use-by is a different label instruction. Do not treat these labels as interchangeable.
Does the tool upload my product photo?
No. OCR and image cropping run in your browser. The OCR library and language model are downloaded from a content delivery network; the selected image is processed locally. Do not upload private details to unknown websites.
Can it tell whether food or medicine is safe?
No. A date alone does not establish safety. Follow the manufacturer's storage and usage instructions. For medicines and other safety-sensitive items, verify the original packaging and ask a qualified professional when needed.
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