Prompt-driven video generation
Create AI video sessions from a prompt and let the agent handle scripting, avatar selection, scene composition, and rendering.
HeyGen Developers
Official HeyGen API docs for AI avatar videos, video translation, lipsync, and interactive video-agent sessions via API, MCP, and CLI workflows.
HeyGen Developers
HeyGen Developers is the official API documentation site for HeyGen’s video-generation platform. It gives developers access to tools for creating AI avatar videos, translating videos, adding lipsync, and working with interactive video-agent sessions through the `api.heygen.com` backend.
The documentation centers on a session-based workflow: send a prompt, receive a session ID, then poll for a video ID and final video URL or use webhooks for completion handling. It also documents alternate integration paths through MCP and CLI-style workflows for AI assistants and terminal-based automation.
Core capabilities
Generate and chat session modes
Generate video with a one-shot `generate` flow or use `chat` mode for multi-turn sessions that can pause for decisions and support revisions.
Video translation
Translate videos into 175+ languages with context-aware lip-sync and gender detection, designed for dubbing existing content.
Lipsync for existing footage
Replace or dub audio on existing videos with synchronized lip movements using the lipsync API.
Text-to-speech voices
Create speech audio from text with HeyGen’s text-to-speech voices for explainers, training, and similar narration use cases.
Configurable session inputs
Apply brand kits, avatar choices, optional file attachments, callbacks, and orientation settings through the video-agent request body.
Common workflows
Create videos from prompts
Teams can generate a first draft video from a prompt, then retrieve the session and video result through the API or a webhook callback.
Translate and dub content
Localization workflows can translate existing videos into multiple languages while keeping lip sync aligned to the new audio.
Connect AI assistants and coding agents
Developers can build agentic flows in Claude, Cursor, or other compatible agents using MCP, Skills, or the direct API.
Produce branded video variations
Product and marketing teams can use avatar, voice, brand kit, and orientation settings to produce branded videos from the same API workflow.
Automate repeatable video tasks
Operations teams can automate voiceovers, lipsync updates, and batch video-generation jobs from terminal or CI environments.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Covers multiple creation paths, including direct API use, MCP, and CLI workflows.
- Supports prompt-driven video generation with both one-shot and multi-turn agent sessions.
- Documents video translation, lipsync, avatars, voices, assets, webhooks, and brand resources in the API surface.
- Provides a clear quick-start path from API key creation to the first request and video retrieval.
- Offers a pay-as-you-go entry point starting at $5, with an enterprise option noted in the docs.
Cons
- Several capabilities are documented primarily through reference pages, so the public homepage leaves some workflows less easy to compare at a glance.
- The source emphasizes API and agent workflows rather than a full low-code or studio-style interface.
- Some pricing and plan details are only summarized on the docs pages, so readers still need the API and pricing docs for full terms.
FAQ
What are the main ways to integrate with HeyGen?
HeyGen supports three integration paths: MCP for connecting AI assistants like Claude, Skills for extending AI coding agents such as Claude Code and Cursor, and Direct API for programmatic control.
How do you authenticate requests?
MCP uses OAuth and does not require API keys. Skills and Direct API use an API key passed in the `X-Api-Key` header from the HeyGen dashboard.
How does the basic video-generation workflow work?
The quick-start flow is to create an API key, send a `POST` request to `https://api.heygen.com/v3/video-agents`, then poll the session and video endpoints or use a webhook callback.
What pricing options are documented?
Pay-as-you-go starts at $5. The documentation also notes an Enterprise plan with custom scalability, dedicated support, Digital Twin Creation API, Proofread API, and discounted rates.
What kinds of API resources does HeyGen expose?
The API documentation describes session-based video generation, video translation, lipsync, voices, avatars, assets, webhooks, and brand resources. Details may vary by endpoint and some capabilities are still presented through reference pages rather than broad product pages.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Developer tool
- Platform
- Web documentation and API
- Primary users
- Developers and AI-agent builders
- Domain
- developers.heygen.com
- API base URL
- https://api.heygen.com
- Pricing shape
- Pay-as-you-go starts at $5
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