All solutionsVideo generation API

Automate Video Creation via API or AI Agents

Build one video template, then send your text, photos and clips to get a finished video with voiceover, captions and music.

Start generatingVideo docs

100 free credits every month · no credit card · 1 credit per second

No FFmpeg to run

No encoding flags or queues to manage. One HTTP call returns a video URL.

Animate once in the editor

Set the motion in Orshot Studio and every video plays it the same way.

Captions made from the audio

Pass an audio or video source and captions are generated and styled.

Pages become scenes

Multi-page templates become scenes with transitions.

Developer experience

Turn your data into a finished video with one API call

Send a template ID and your values, and the animations you set in the editor play in the video. Ask for MP4, WebM, MOV, MKV or GIF.

curl -X POST https://api.orshot.com/v1/studio/render \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ORSHOT_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "templateId": 1234,
    "modifications": {
      "title": "Five Things Worth Your Time",
      "photo_main": "https://example.com/photo.jpg"
    },
    "response": { "type": "url", "format": "mp4" },
    "videoOptions": { "subtitleSource": "auto" }
  }'

Node.js install: npm install orshot

import { Orshot } from 'orshot';
const orshot = new Orshot(process.env.ORSHOT_API_KEY);

const { data } = await orshot.renderFromStudioTemplate({
  templateId: 1234,
  modifications: {
    title: 'Five Things Worth Your Time',
    photo_main: 'https://example.com/photo.jpg',
  },
  response: { type: 'url', format: 'mp4' },
  videoOptions: { subtitleSource: 'auto' },
});

// data.content → the rendered video URL

Python install: pip install orshot

import orshot
client = orshot.Orshot("<ORSHOT_API_KEY>")

response = client.render_from_studio_template({
  "template_id": 1234,
  "modifications": {
    "title": "Five Things Worth Your Time",
    "photo_main": "https://example.com/photo.jpg",
  },
  "response": { "type": "url", "format": "mp4" },
  "video_options": { "subtitle_source": "auto" },
})

Ruby install: gem install orshot

require 'orshot'
client = Orshot::Client.new("<ORSHOT_API_KEY>")

response = client.render_from_studio_template({
  'template_id' => 1234,
  'modifications' => {
    'title' => 'Five Things Worth Your Time',
    'photo_main' => 'https://example.com/photo.jpg',
  },
  'response' => { 'type' => 'url', 'format' => 'mp4' },
  'videoOptions' => { 'subtitleSource' => 'auto' },
})

PHP install: composer require rishimohan/orshot

<?php require 'vendor/autoload.php';

use Orshot\Client;
$client = new Client("<ORSHOT_API_KEY>");

$response = $client->renderFromStudioTemplate([
  'templateId' => 1234,
  'modifications' => [
    'title' => 'Five Things Worth Your Time',
    'photo_main' => 'https://example.com/photo.jpg',
  ],
  'response' => [ 'type' => 'url', 'format' => 'mp4' ],
  'videoOptions' => [ 'subtitleSource' => 'auto' ],
]);
Works withNo-code, code, and AI agents.
ZapierZapierMakeMaken8nn8nMCP ServerMCP ServerCursorCursorGoogle SheetsGoogle SheetsAll integrations
One template, three outputs

One template can be an image, a PDF or a video

The template, the parameters and the SDKs are the same for all three. Set response.format and you get an image, a PDF or a video.

pngjpgwebpavif

Images

Social posts, OG images, ads and carousels from one template.

  • Every layer changeable per request
  • AI text and AI images from a prompt
  • Any size from one design with Smart Resize
Image Generation API
pdfcmyk300 dpi

PDFs

Invoices, certificates, reports and tickets, ready to print.

  • Multi-page documents in one file
  • Clickable links and page ranges
  • Text that flows onto new pages
PDF Generation API
mp4webmmovmkvgif

Videos

This page

Reels, product clips and slideshows with sound and captions.

  • Voiceover, music and captions per video
  • AI footage from a prompt or a photo
  • Pages become scenes with transitions
Design

Animate it once and every video moves the same way

In Orshot Studio, our visual editor, give each layer an enter, exit and ambient animation, set when it shows and hides, and preview it on the timeline.

  • Fade, slide, scale, flip, text reveal and typewriter
  • Stagger layers and copy animations between them
  • Voiceover, music and captions on the same timeline
Explore Orshot Studio
Integrate

Run a real video request before you code

Every template comes with its request filled in, with your template ID, fields and key. Switch the format to MP4 and test it on the page.

  • Copy as cURL or an SDK snippet
  • Tabs for Workflows, n8n, Make, Zapier and agents
  • Test a request before you write any code
See the Video API
Production

One template makes a video for every customer

Send your rows through one template and each video is saved with a preview, its format and the values you sent.

  • Every file in a searchable log
  • Background jobs for long videos
  • Deliver to your own S3, R2, Dropbox or Drive
Popular use cases

Videos people automate, with the code

Each example is a complete request body for POST /v1/studio/render.

Product teams, lifecycle marketing

One template, a video for every row

Send a name, a photo and a background clip. The animations you set in Studio play in every video.

  1. 1Design the template once and mark layers as dynamic
  2. 2Loop your rows and send each one in a request
  3. 3Get a hosted MP4 URL back for every row
Uses: Render APIRead the guide
POST /v1/studio/render
{
  "templateId": 1234,
  "modifications": {
    "name": "Sam",
    "headline": "Your 2026 in numbers",
    "avatar": "https://example.com/sam.jpg",
    "bgVideo": "https://example.com/confetti.mp4",
    "bgVideo.trimEnd": 8,
    "bgVideo.muted": true
  },
  "response": { "format": "mp4", "type": "url" }
}
Onboarding, sales, course creators

The same video, a different script each time

Generate a voiceover in Studio, turn on Set per render, and the script becomes a parameter. Captions can reuse the word timings.

  1. 1Add a Voiceover track in Studio and pick a voice
  2. 2Turn on Set per render to expose the script
  3. 3Send the new script as a plain string
Uses: Studio voiceoverRead the guide
POST /v1/studio/render
{
  "templateId": 1234,
  "modifications": {
    "name": "Sam",
    "voiceover": "Hi Sam, here is what changed in your account this week."
  },
  "response": { "format": "mp4", "type": "url" }
}
Social teams, podcasters, UGC

Captions written from the audio

Point subtitleSource at an audio file, a video or an SRT. Pick a caption preset or style every detail yourself.

  1. 1Pass an mp3, a video URL or an .srt as subtitleSource
  2. 2Pick a preset: pill, minimal, karaoke, bold, outline or neon
  3. 3Override any single style on top of the preset
Uses: Auto captionsRead the guide
POST /v1/studio/render
{
  "templateId": 1234,
  "response": { "format": "mp4", "type": "url" },
  "videoOptions": {
    "subtitleSource": "https://example.com/voiceover.mp3",
    "captionPreset": "karaoke",
    "subtitlePosition": "center",
    "subtitleActiveColor": "#FFE14D"
  }
}
Real estate, ecommerce, recaps

Slideshows from your pages

Each page of a multi-page template is a scene. Combine them into one video with a transition between pages.

  1. 1Build one page per scene in Studio
  2. 2Prefix values with page1@, page2@ and so on
  3. 3Set combinePages and pick a transition
Uses: Page transitionsRead the guide
POST /v1/studio/render
{
  "templateId": 1234,
  "modifications": {
    "page1@title": "12 Oak Street",
    "page1@photo": "https://example.com/front.jpg",
    "page2@title": "Three bedrooms",
    "page2@photo": "https://example.com/living.jpg",
    "page3@title": "Book a viewing"
  },
  "response": { "format": "mp4", "type": "url" },
  "videoOptions": {
    "combinePages": true,
    "pageTransition": "smoothleft",
    "pageTransitionDuration": 0.5
  }
}
Ads, product launches, faceless channels

Footage from a prompt, inside your template

Any video layer accepts a prompt. The clip is generated, cached and placed into the design in one call. The same prompt is only generated once.

  1. 1Give a video layer a parameter id in Studio
  2. 2Send a prompt, or a photo to animate, on the layer id
  3. 3Use async mode, generation can take a couple of minutes
Uses: AI videoRead the guide
POST /v1/studio/render
{
  "templateId": 1234,
  "modifications": {
    "headline": "Brewed slow",
    "hero_clip.prompt": "a ceramic coffee cup by a window, morning light",
    "hero_clip.preset": "product-hero",
    "hero_clip.look": "clean-studio",
    "hero_clip.duration": 5
  },
  "response": { "format": "mp4", "mode": "async" }
}
DTC brands, performance marketers

A talking UGC clip from one photo and a script

Send a clear portrait and what the person should say. Orshot turns the script into speech and the photo into a speaking clip, then places it inside your ad template with captions.

  1. 1Put a video layer in your ad template and give it an id
  2. 2Send the portrait, the script and consent: true
  3. 3Add a caption preset so the words show on screen
Uses: AI video speech, paid plansRead the guide
POST /v1/studio/render
{
  "templateId": 1234,
  "modifications": {
    "headline": "I switched 3 weeks ago",
    "creator.imageRef": "https://example.com/portrait.jpg",
    "creator.script": "Three reasons I switched, and why I'm not going back.",
    "creator.preset": "ugc-selfie-talk",
    "creator.consent": true
  },
  "response": { "format": "mp4", "mode": "async" },
  "videoOptions": { "captionPreset": "bold" }
}
Social media managers, agencies

Generated, then posted, in one request

Add a publish block and the finished video goes to TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and more. Post now, schedule it or save a draft.

  1. 1Connect your social accounts in Orshot
  2. 2Add publish with the account ids and a caption
  3. 3Read each account's status from the response
Uses: Social publishing add-onRead the guide
POST /v1/studio/render
{
  "templateId": 1234,
  "modifications": { "quote": "Ship it, then fix it." },
  "response": { "format": "mp4", "mode": "async" },
  "publish": {
    "accounts": [1, 2],
    "content": "Quote of the day"
  }
}
Zapier, Make and agent builders

Long videos without timeouts

Async mode returns a job straight away. Poll it, or pass a webhook and Orshot calls you when the video is ready.

  1. 1Add mode async to the response object
  2. 2Poll the job, or pass webhook_url
  3. 3The result is the same body a normal request returns
Uses: Async jobsRead the guide
POST /v1/studio/render
{
  "templateId": 1234,
  "modifications": { "title": "Weekly recap" },
  "response": { "format": "mp4", "mode": "async" },
  "webhook_url": "https://acme.com/hooks/orshot"
}

// then: GET /v1/studio/render-jobs/{id}
Teams using Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor

Ask for the video in plain words

Connect Orshot to Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor. The agent can design the template, find stock footage, add a voiceover and captions, make the video and post it.

  1. 1Connect Orshot to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or another AI agent
  2. 2Describe the video you want
  3. 3The agent makes it and hands you the link
Uses: AI agentsSee how agents work
Prompt
Make a 10 second vertical video for our spring sale using the promo template. Add an upbeat voiceover, karaoke captions, and post it to TikTok.
Per request control

Change the script, clips and captions per video

The template sets the defaults. Anything below can be set for a single video, from the API, in Studio or by an agent.

Text, images and clips

APIStudioAgents

Every dynamic layer takes a new value. Video layers also take playback options.

{id}
New text, image URL or video URL for a layer
{id}.trimStart / .trimEnd
Use part of a clip, in seconds
{id}.muted
Keep or drop the clip's own audio
{id}.loop
Loop a short clip to fill the scene
page2@{id}
Target a layer on a specific page
POST /v1/studio/render
{
  "modifications": {
    "headline": "5 tips for better focus",
    "logo": "https://example.com/logo.png",
    "bgVideo": "https://example.com/office.mp4",
    "bgVideo.trimStart": 2,
    "bgVideo.trimEnd": 12,
    "bgVideo.muted": true,
    "bgVideo.loop": true
  }
}
Full reference

Restyle a layer without a new template

APIStudioAgents

Position, size, color, fonts and effects are set by adding a key to the layer id.

.x .y .width .height
Move or resize any layer
.color .fontSize .fontFamily
Text color, size and any Google or custom font
.backgroundColor .textStrokeWidth
Text highlight and outline
.opacity .filter
Fade or blur a layer
.borderRadius .objectFit
Crop and round images
POST /v1/studio/render
{
  "modifications": {
    "headline.color": "#FFE14D",
    "headline.fontFamily": "Archivo Black",
    "headline.fontSize": "72px",
    "badge.opacity": "0.8",
    "photo.borderRadius": "24px",
    "photo.objectFit": "cover"
  }
}
Full reference

Generate the clip inside the same request

APIStudioAgents

What you send decides what you get: a prompt makes footage, a prompt with a photo animates it, a photo with a script makes the person speak.

.prompt
Footage from text
.imageRef / .lastImageRef
Animate a photo, or move between two frames
.script .voice .consent
Make the person in a photo speak
.preset / .look
11 roles and 35+ visual looks
.duration / .fullHd
3 to 15 seconds, optional 1080p
POST /v1/studio/render
{
  "modifications": {
    "hero_clip.prompt": "slow aerial shot over a pine forest at dawn",
    "hero_clip.preset": "b-roll",
    "hero_clip.look": "travel-drone",
    "hero_clip.duration": 6,
    "page2@bg.prompt": "soft gradient waves in brand colours",
    "page2@bg.preset": "background-loop"
  },
  "response": { "format": "mp4", "mode": "async" }
}
Full reference

Narration, music and sound per video

APIStudioAgents

Pages can hold several tracks: music, a generated voiceover, ambient sound. Swap any of them for a single video.

{voiceoverId}
New narration script, spoken in the voice you picked
videoOptions.audioSource
Replace audio with one URL, or per page and track
videoOptions.muted
Mute everything, including page audio
POST /v1/studio/render
{
  "modifications": {
    "voiceover": "Three reasons to try the new plan."
  },
  "videoOptions": {
    "audioSource": [
      { "page": 1, "url": "https://example.com/music.mp3" },
      { "page": 1, "track": 1, "url": "https://example.com/vo.mp3" }
    ]
  }
}
Full reference

Captions from audio, video or SRT

APIStudioAgents

Six presets, word by word mode, and more than twenty style options when you want full control.

subtitleSource
An mp3, a video or an .srt, one or per page
captionPreset
pill, minimal, karaoke, bold, outline, neon
subtitleMode
phrase or word-by-word
subtitleWordReveal
appear, highlight or align
subtitlePosition / subtitleOffset
bottom, top or center, and the gap from the edge
subtitleActiveColor
Color of the word being spoken
POST /v1/studio/render
{
  "videoOptions": {
    "subtitleSource": "https://example.com/song.mp3",
    "subtitleMode": "word-by-word",
    "subtitleWordReveal": "highlight",
    "subtitlePosition": "center",
    "subtitleFontFamily": "Poppins",
    "subtitleFontSize": "34px",
    "subtitleBackground": "transparent",
    "subtitleActiveColor": "#FFE14D",
    "subtitleStrokeWidth": 2
  }
}
Full reference

Tune the animation per video

APIStudioAgents

Animations are set in Studio. Any motion value can still be changed, added or removed for a single video.

{id}.motion.<path>
Override or add motion on a layer
motion.<path>
Page level motion, such as camera moves and grain
null
Removes a behavior for that video
"stat": "742"
A count up layer counts to the number you send
POST /v1/studio/render
{
  "modifications": {
    "weekly_stat": "742",
    "cta.motion.press.at": 3.2,
    "badge.motion.pulse": null,
    "motion.look.grain": 0.1,
    "motion.camera.moves": [
      { "at": 2, "duration": 1.5, "zoom": 1.06 }
    ]
  }
}
Full reference

Length, quality and which pages

API

Trim the output, set the frame rate, include only some pages or stitch them together.

videoOptions.trimStart / trimEnd
Cut the final video, in seconds
videoOptions.duration
Length when no trim range is given
videoOptions.fps
1 to 30. Picked for you when left out
videoOptions.quality
1 to 100
response.includePages
Include only these pages
combinePages / pageTransition
One video with fades, wipes, slides and more
POST /v1/studio/render
{
  "response": {
    "format": "mp4",
    "type": "url",
    "includePages": [1, 2, 3]
  },
  "videoOptions": {
    "fps": 30,
    "quality": 85,
    "trimStart": 0,
    "trimEnd": 20,
    "combinePages": true,
    "pageTransition": "fade",
    "pageTransitionDuration": 0.5
  }
}
Full reference

Format, delivery and posting

APIAgents

Pick the container, run it in the background, name the file and post it.

response.format
mp4, webm, mov, mkv or gif
response.mode
async returns a job at once
webhook_url
Called when the job finishes
response.fileName
Your own file name
publish
Post to connected social accounts, now, later or as a draft
POST /v1/studio/render
{
  "templateId": 1234,
  "response": {
    "format": "webm",
    "mode": "async",
    "fileName": "spring-sale-story"
  },
  "webhook_url": "https://acme.com/hooks/orshot",
  "publish": {
    "accounts": [1],
    "content": "Spring sale starts today"
  }
}
Full reference
Workflows

Turn spreadsheet rows into Reels without code

Ready-made workflows take a trigger and your template, then deliver or post the finished video.

Browse all workflows
TikTok

Turn spreadsheet rows into short videos

Render a short video from a template for each row in a Google Sheet, then post to TikTok, Reels, or YouTube Shorts.

Social media
View workflow
InstagramTikTok

Make product videos from your Shopify store

Turn each new Shopify product into a short promo video and post it to Instagram and TikTok, no editing.

E-commerce
View workflow
TikTok

Auto-post daily quote videos to TikTok

Pick a quote from a Google Sheet each day, render a short video, and post it to TikTok automatically.

Social media
View workflow
Everything included

Everything the video API does

Every video feature, grouped by where you use it. Weighing your options? See video generation APIs compared.

In Studio

Design it once, visually

Motion
  • Enter and exit animations per layer
  • Text reveal and typewriter for headlines
  • Ambient motion: Ken Burns, float, pulse, drift
  • Count up numbers and press effects
  • Stagger, and copy and paste animations
  • Film grain and vignette
Timeline and audio
  • Timeline with show and hide times
  • Several audio tracks per page
  • Volume, fade, trim, offset and loop
  • AI voiceover and ambient sound
  • Animated audio waveforms
Captions and layout
  • Auto captions or your own SRT
  • Caption presets you can preview
  • Multi-page templates as scenes
  • Custom fonts and brand assets
  • Import from Canva and Figma
Explore Orshot Studio
In the API

One endpoint, every option

Generate
  • MP4, WebM, MOV, MKV and GIF
  • Multi-page slideshows with 30+ transitions
  • Include only selected pages
  • Async jobs with polling or webhooks
  • Hosted URL for every video
Customize
  • Swap text, images and clips
  • Trim, mute and loop any clip
  • Change color, size and font per request
  • Per video motion and camera moves
  • Frame rate, quality and output trim
Sound and captions
  • Narration script as a parameter
  • Replace audio per page and per track
  • Captions from mp3, video or SRT
  • Six caption presets, word by word mode
AI
  • Footage from a prompt
  • Animate a photo, or go from frame to frame
  • Talking portraits from a script
  • Cost estimate before you generate
Video API docs
With agents

Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and other AI agents

Create
  • Design a video template from a brief
  • Search free stock photos and videos
  • Generate AI footage, voiceovers and ambient audio
  • Add captions and waveforms
Generate and ship
  • Generate one video or a whole batch
  • Wait on long videos without timing out
  • Post to connected social accounts
  • Build scheduled workflows
See agent setup
From the blog

Comparing video generation APIs

A Designer Friendly Creatomate Alternative with Better Pricing

A Designer Friendly Creatomate Alternative with Better Pricing

A Creatomate alternative with a visual editor, flat credits with zero resolution math, and a white-label embed on every plan. Get 100 free credits a month to start.

Shotstack API Alternative for Video and PDFs

Shotstack API Alternative for Video and PDFs

A Shotstack alternative where you design video templates visually and generate MP4 and PDF files from one API that works with n8n and Make

The 9 best AI video generation APIs

The 9 best AI video generation APIs

A developer guide to video generation APIs and AI video models: Veo, Runway, Orshot, Shotstack and more. Which lane you need, and what each costs.

Make your first video in five minutes

The free plan includes 100 credits every month. Video costs 1 credit per second of output.

Start generatingRead the docs