How to identify a pill
Most tablets and capsules carry three clues you can read without any equipment: the imprint, the colour and the shape. Start with the imprint, the letters and numbers stamped or printed on the pill, since it is the most specific. Type it exactly as you see it; our matching ignores spaces, dashes and punctuation, so a pill marked “G 131” is found whether you type “G131” or “G-131”. Then narrow the results with the colour and shape.
What the imprint means
In the United States, nearly every solid oral prescription and over-the-counter medicine is required to carry a unique imprint so it can be identified. The marking encodes the manufacturer and the specific product and strength, which is why two pills with the same active ingredient can have completely different imprints. A line or groove across the pill is a score, meant to show where it can be split; the colour and shape carry no standard meaning on their own and are useful mainly for narrowing a search.
Why the same medicine can look different
When a drug is available as a generic, several manufacturers may make it, and each gives its version its own imprint, colour and shape. That is why your refill can look nothing like last month’s while containing the exact same active ingredient at the same strength. Identifying by imprint, rather than by appearance alone, is the reliable way to tell what a pill actually is.
If you cannot identify a pill
Do not take a pill you cannot identify. Not every product publishes its markings, imprints wear down, and look-alikes exist, so a single tool is never the last word. If a result does not look right, or there is no result at all, take the pill to a pharmacist; they can identify it reliably and tell you whether it is safe. Keep medicines in their original, labelled packaging to avoid the problem in the first place, and keep them away from children.
Questions people ask
- Is the pill identifier free?
- Yes. There is no account, login or paywall, and you can run as many searches as you like.
- What if the pill has no imprint?
- Some products, and most pills made outside the US, have no required marking. Filter by colour and shape, but be aware that appearance alone rarely gives a confident match; ask a pharmacist.
- Does the colour or shape tell me anything?
- On their own, no. Colour and shape are chosen by the manufacturer and carry no standard meaning. They are useful for narrowing results once you have the imprint.
- Does this cover every pill?
- No. It is built from official US product-label data and covers solid oral products that publish an imprint. International pills and products without markings are not included.
- I found a loose pill at home. What should I do?
- Identify the imprint here as a starting point, but do not take an unidentified pill. If anyone may have swallowed it, contact a poison control centre or doctor immediately.