API Overview
The ReelBot Developer API provides programmatic access to video generation capabilities.
Key Concepts
Video Types
The API supports the same two video types as the Video Studio:
| Type | Description | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
narrated | Video with AI voiceover and captions | Requires script and either voiceId or voiceoverKey |
cinematic | Music-only video without narration | Only requires topic and brollKeys |
Assets
Videos are composed from assets in your Asset Library:
- B-roll: Video clips that form the visual content
- Music: Background audio track (optional)
- Voiceover: Pre-generated voiceover file (optional, alternative to
voiceId)
Asset keys follow the S3 path format:
users/{userId}/b-roll/filename.mp4
users/{userId}/music/filename.mp3
shared/b-roll/filename.mp4
shared/music/filename.mp3
Projects
When you generate a video via API, a Project is created. The project:
- Has a unique
projectIdfor tracking - Progresses through statuses:
queued→processing→completed(orfailed) - Contains the output video when complete
Quotas
API requests consume the same quotas as the Video Studio:
- Video Generations: Each successful generation uses 1 credit
- AI Credits: Used if generating voiceover via
voiceId
Quotas are determined by your subscription plan.
Request Flow
A typical API workflow follows these steps:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. POST /video/generate │
│ → Returns projectId │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 2. GET /video/status/{projectId} (poll every 3-5 sec) │
│ → Returns status: queued | processing | completed │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 3. GET /video/download/{projectId} (when completed) │
│ → Returns pre-signed download URL │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Typical Processing Times
| Video Duration | Approximate Processing Time |
|---|---|
| 15 seconds | 1-2 minutes |
| 30 seconds | 2-3 minutes |
| 45 seconds | 3-4 minutes |
| 60 seconds | 4-5 minutes |
Processing times vary based on queue depth and video complexity.
API Versioning
The current API version is v1.
All endpoints are prefixed with /api/v1/.
Future versions will be announced in advance, and v1 will remain supported during transition periods.
Content-Type
All POST requests must include:
Content-Type: application/json
All responses are JSON.
What You Can Build
The Developer API enables:
- Automated content pipelines: Generate videos from RSS feeds, databases, or CMS
- Batch processing: Queue dozens of videos overnight
- Custom dashboards: Build internal tools for your team
- Integrations: Connect to Zapier, Make, n8n, or custom workflows
- White-label solutions: Power video generation in your own products
Limitations
The API has the following limitations:
- 1 API key per account: You can revoke and regenerate if needed
- Assets must exist: You cannot upload assets via API (use the Asset Library)
- Same quotas apply: API usage counts against your plan limits
- No webhook support yet: You must poll for status updates
Next Steps
→ Authentication — Learn how to generate and use API keys
→ Generate Video — Full endpoint documentation