Abstract: A client system receives an image such as a photograph, a screen shot, a scanned image, or a video frame. The image has a first resolution which is likely larger than a maximum resolution for visual queries. As such, if a visual query were created from the image some resolution would be lost. Instead, a user selects a region of interest within the image. The region of interest has a second resolution, which is smaller than the first resolution. The client system then creates a visual query from the region of interest. The visual query has a resolution no larger than a pre-defined maximum resolution for visual queries. Because the visual query is created from the region of interest rather, than the entire received image, most of the resolution is concentrated specifically on the region of interest. The visual query is then sent to a server system.