Create an Explainer Video

Produce your first AI-powered explainer video in just a few steps. This walkthrough uses the same /content/Create endpoint as podcasts, but switches the payload to outputType: "video" so the service renders motion visuals instead of audio-only narration. Video requests support three formats: explainer, brief, and cinematic.

Step 1: Create Content Request

Send a POST request to /content/Create with your preferred resources, set outputType to video, and optionally choose a format:

curl -X POST "https://api.autocontentapi.com/content/Create" \
  -H "accept: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "resources": [
      {
        "type": "website",
        "content": "https://example.com/article-about-ai"
      },
      {
        "type": "youtube", 
        "content": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"
      }
    ],
    "outputType": "video",
    "format": "explainer",
    "text": "Create an engaging explainer about current AI developments"
  }'

Example Response

{
  "request_id": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
  "status": 0
}

Important: Save the request_id — you'll use it to poll status and download the final video.

Choose a format

Explainer video requests use format to control the output. If you still send the generic duration parameter, it is ignored:

Format	Best for	Credits
explainer	Balanced default for most product, education, and marketing videos	50
brief	Tighter, punchier recaps and shorter social-friendly explainers	50
cinematic	Premium, more polished storytelling treatment	100

If you omit format, the API defaults to explainer. Use style separately when you want to change the visual aesthetic.

Optional: Guide titles, descriptions, and visuals

Use these fields to steer how the service names and presents the video:

Field	What it does
title	Sets an explicit video title. When present, this overrides the auto-generated title.
titlePrompt	Guides the model when auto-generating the title (e.g., ask for concise, listicle-style, or SEO-friendly phrasing).
descriptionPrompt	Steers the generated video description (tone, call-to-action, hashtags, etc.).
thumbnailImagePrompt	Directs the generated thumbnail artwork.
introImagePrompt	Directs the opening frame artwork.

Add any combination of these to the POST body:

curl -X POST "https://api.autocontentapi.com/content/Create" \
  -H "accept: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "resources": [
      {
        "type": "youtube",
        "content": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ"
      }
    ],
    "outputType": "video",
    "format": "brief",
    "text": "Summarize this tutorial into a concise explainer for enterprise buyers",
    "title": "Modern Identity Security in 90 Seconds",
    "titlePrompt": "Keep it punchy and benefits-forward",
    "descriptionPrompt": "Include a one-sentence CTA to download the whitepaper",
    "thumbnailImagePrompt": "Flat illustration of a secure cloud, teal and navy palette, minimal text",
    "introImagePrompt": "Logo lockup on gradient with subtle motion trails"
  }'

Optional: Apply your brand via projects

If you have a saved project with brand assets, include the projects array (pass one or more IDs) to place your logo on the generated video and thumbnail:

curl -X POST "https://api.autocontentapi.com/content/Create" \
  -H "accept: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "outputType": "video",
    "format": "cinematic",
    "projects": ["YOUR_PROJECT_ID"],
    "topic": "Product launch overview with two customer wins",
    "text": "Create a polished launch explainer with a strong closing CTA."
  }'

See the brand logo recipe for more variations. Need a project first? Follow Create a Project (Brand Assets) to save a logo via imageUrl or imageData.

Step 2: Poll for Status

Use the request_id to check the processing status by calling /content/Status/{id}:

curl -X GET "https://api.autocontentapi.com/content/Status/550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000" \
  -H "accept: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN"

While Processing

{
  "id": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
  "status": 5,
  "updated_on": "2024-01-15T10:32:00Z",
  "error_code": 0,
  "requested_on": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
}

Status Codes:

• 0 = Pending (queued for processing)

• 5 = Processing (generation in progress)

• 100 = Completed (video ready!)

Step 3: Get Your Video

When status reaches 100, the payload includes a link to your generated video:

Titles or prompts you set in Step 1 flow into video_title, and image prompts steer image_url/thumbnail assets returned here.

{
  "id": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
  "video_title": "AI Developments Discussion",
  "status": 100,
  "video_url": "https://storage.autocontentapi.com/video/550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000.mp4",
  "image_url": "https://storage.autocontentapi.com/thumbnails/550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000.jpg",
  "response_text": "Full narration that describes the generated visuals...",
  "requested_on": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "updated_on": "2024-01-15T10:35:00Z",
  "request_type_id": 1,
  "error_code": 0,
  "error_on": null,
  "citations": [],
  "file_size": 51234567,
  "video_duration": 456,
  "share_url": "https://autocontentapi.com/share/video/550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000/20240115"
}

🎉 Success! Your explainer video is ready at the video_url, and you can grab the thumbnail from image_url.

Resource Types

You can mix and match resource types just like you would for a podcast:

Type	Description	Example
website	Any web page URL	"https://techcrunch.com/article"
youtube	YouTube video URL	"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"
text	Direct text content	"Your custom instructions or content"
pdf	PDF document URL	"https://example.com/document.pdf"

Need a specific payload? Check the new Explainer Video Scenario Examples for copy-paste curl requests covering languages, formats, styles, and every supported resource type.

Tips for Better Results

1. Mix resource types – Combine websites, videos, and text for richer storytelling.

2. Provide clear instructions – Use the text field to direct the pacing, tone, or call-to-action.

3. Surface thumbnails – Store the image_url for embedding preview artwork alongside the finished video.

4. Check status regularly – Processing typically takes 2-5 minutes for most requests; cinematic can take longer.

5. Save the request_id – You'll need it to retrieve your video and any associated transcript.

Error Handling

If something goes wrong, the status response will include error details:

{
  "id": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
  "status": 0,
  "error_code": 400,
  "error_message": "Invalid resource URL provided",
  "error_on": "2024-01-15T10:31:00Z",
  "requested_on": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
}

What's Next?

• 🎨 Pick reusable formats and styles in Explainer Video Scenario Examples

• 🧪 Explore language-specific snippets in the video code samples

• 🎙️ Add branded voices with Clone a Voice

• 📝 Need captions? Run the final audio track through Transcribe Audio

• 🔮 Check out Advanced Integrations for automation ideas

• ❓ Have questions? Visit our FAQ