Name: Hotshot-XL API: Text to GIF Animation Generator
Brand: magicapi
SKU: api-magicapi-text-to-gif-generator-lucataco-hotshot-xl
Availability: InStock
Author: API Market

Shashank Agarwal

# 🎞️ Text-to-GIF Generator API (lucataco Hotshot-XL)

## Overview
Hotshot-XL is a text-to-GIF model trained to work alongside Stable Diffusion XL. Send a text `prompt` and it returns a short animated clip as a GIF, or as an MP4 when you set `mp4` to `true`.

You choose the frame size from a fixed list of widths and heights (256 to 1024 pixels), the sampler (`scheduler`), the number of denoising steps and a seed. Each request returns the URL of one file.

## Features
- **Text to animated GIF**: describe the motion and scene in `prompt`.
- **GIF or MP4 output**: `mp4` `false` (default) returns a GIF, `true` returns an MP4.
- **Frame sizes**: `width` and `height` from 256 to 1024 pixels in fixed steps; the default is 672 x 384.
- **Seven schedulers**: `DDIMScheduler`, `DPMSolverMultistepScheduler`, `HeunDiscreteScheduler`, `KarrasDPM`, `EulerAncestralDiscreteScheduler` (default), `EulerDiscreteScheduler`, `PNDMScheduler`.
- **Negative prompt**: list what to avoid with `negative_prompt` (default `blurry`).
- **Seed**: set a seed to reproduce a result; leave it out for a random one.

## Use Cases
1. **Reaction GIFs and stickers**: generate short looping clips from a text description.
2. **Social media posts**: create animated visuals for posts and messages.
3. **Motion previews**: sketch how a scene could move before producing full video.
4. **Web and app content**: short animated illustrations for landing pages and in-app moments.

## Visual Examples
### Example Input
Prompt: "go-pro video of a polar bear diving in the ocean, 8k, HD, dslr, nature footage"

Settings: `negative_prompt` `blurry`, `width` `672`, `height` `384`, `scheduler` `EulerAncestralDiscreteScheduler`, `steps` `30`, `seed` `6226`, `mp4` `false`.

### Example Output
The API returned an animated GIF. Our copy of it as an MP4:

[Watch the example output](https://blog.api.market/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/hotshot-xl-output-2knd2tqv-v2-api-market.mp4)

## Input Parameters
| Field | Type | Required | Default | Allowed values | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `prompt` | string | No | `a camel smoking a cigarette, hd, high quality` |  | Input prompt |
| `negative_prompt` | string | No | `blurry` |  | Negative prompt |
| `width` | integer | No | `672` | `256`, `320`, `384`, `448`, `512`, `576`, `640`, `672`, `704`, `768`, `832`, `896`, `960`, `1024` | Width of the output |
| `height` | integer | No | `384` | `256`, `320`, `384`, `448`, `512`, `576`, `640`, `672`, `704`, `768`, `832`, `896`, `960`, `1024` | Height of the output |
| `scheduler` | string | No | `EulerAncestralDiscreteScheduler` | `DDIMScheduler`, `DPMSolverMultistepScheduler`, `HeunDiscreteScheduler`, `KarrasDPM`, `EulerAncestralDiscreteScheduler`, `EulerDiscreteScheduler`, `PNDMScheduler` | Sampling scheduler |
| `steps` | integer | No | `30` | 1 to 500 | Number of denoising steps |
| `mp4` | boolean | No | `false` |  | Save as MP4. `false` returns a GIF |
| `seed` | integer | No | none |  | Random seed. Leave it out to randomize the seed |

## Pricing
- **Pay As You Go (PAYG) pricing**: you only pay for what you use.
- **Price**: $0.048 per API unit.
- **1 API unit = 1 request with up to 44 seconds of processing.** A request that takes longer is billed one more unit for each started 44-second block of processing time.
- **Example cost**: the example request above took 9.8 seconds of processing, so it used 1 unit = $0.048.
- Larger frame sizes and more `steps` take longer and can use more units.
- **Failed or cancelled predictions are not billed.**
- **GET requests to check prediction status** are free and don't count toward API unit usage.
- **No monthly subscription fee.**

## API Documentation

### Base URL
All API requests go to: `https://prod.api.market/api/v1/magicapi/text-to-gif-generator-lucataco-hotshot-xl`

### Authentication
Send your api.market API key in the `x-api-market-key` header:
```
x-api-market-key: YOUR_API_MARKET_KEY
```

### Asynchronous Processing
**IMPORTANT**: This API is asynchronous. The flow is:
1. Send a POST request to `/predictions`. A successful request returns **201 Created** with a prediction `id` and a `status` of `starting` or `processing`.
2. Poll GET `/predictions/{id}` with that ID.
3. Keep polling while `status` is `starting` or `processing`.
4. Stop when `status` is `succeeded` (read `output`), `failed` or `canceled` (read `error`).

A polling interval of 1 second and an overall timeout of 600 seconds (10 minutes) work well. The first request after a quiet period can take more than a minute to start.

### Endpoints

#### Create a Prediction
```bash
curl -X POST "https://prod.api.market/api/v1/magicapi/text-to-gif-generator-lucataco-hotshot-xl/predictions" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "x-api-market-key: YOUR_API_MARKET_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "version": "78b3a6257e16e4b241245d65c8b2b81ea2e1ff7ed4c55306b511509ddbfd327a",
    "input": {
      "mp4": false,
      "seed": 6226,
      "steps": 30,
      "width": 672,
      "height": 384,
      "prompt": "go-pro video of a polar bear diving in the ocean, 8k, HD, dslr, nature footage",
      "scheduler": "EulerAncestralDiscreteScheduler",
      "negative_prompt": "blurry"
    }
  }'
```

Response (201 Created):
```json
{
  "id": "2knd2tqv55rmr0d1ccs839ttjw",
  "version": "78b3a6257e16e4b241245d65c8b2b81ea2e1ff7ed4c55306b511509ddbfd327a",
  "status": "starting",
  "created_at": "2026-10-22T10:40:48.050Z"
}
```

#### Check Prediction Status
```bash
curl -X GET "https://prod.api.market/api/v1/magicapi/text-to-gif-generator-lucataco-hotshot-xl/predictions/{id}" \
  -H "x-api-market-key: YOUR_API_MARKET_KEY"
```

Response when the prediction has finished (200 OK):
```json
{
  "id": "2knd2tqv55rmr0d1ccs839ttjw",
  "status": "succeeded",
  "output": "https://blog.api.market/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/hotshot-xl-output-2knd2tqv-v2-api-market.mp4",
  "error": null,
  "created_at": "2026-10-22T10:40:48.050Z",
  "started_at": "2026-10-22T10:42:28.500Z",
  "completed_at": "2026-10-22T10:42:38.257Z"
}
```

`output` is a single URL string pointing to the generated file: a `.gif` by default, or an `.mp4` when `mp4` is `true`. (The URL above is our MP4 copy of the example GIF.)

### Status Codes
- **201 Created**: prediction created (POST `/predictions`). This is the normal success response.
- **200 OK**: prediction details returned (GET `/predictions/{id}`).
- **400 Bad Request**: invalid input, for example a `width` that is not in the list or `steps` above 500.
- **401 Unauthorized**: missing or invalid API key.
- **404 Not Found**: no prediction with that ID.
- **429 Too Many Requests**: rate limit exceeded.
- **500 Internal Server Error** or **503 Service Unavailable**: temporary server problem; retry later.

## Rate Limits
All plans allow 10 requests per second. Requests above that return `429 Too Many Requests`; back off before retrying and honour any `Retry-After` header. Polling a prediction with GET is free but still counts toward the per-second limit, so poll every 1 to 5 seconds rather than in a tight loop.

## Error Handling
- Check the HTTP status code of every request and read the response body for the error message.
- A prediction can also end with `status` set to `failed`; the `error` field then explains why. Failed predictions are not billed.
- Retry 429, 500 and 503 responses with exponential backoff. Fix the input before retrying a 400.

## Implementation Guide
### Example Code

#### JavaScript
```javascript
const apiKey = "YOUR_API_MARKET_KEY";
const baseUrl = "https://prod.api.market/api/v1/magicapi/text-to-gif-generator-lucataco-hotshot-xl";

async function createAndWaitForPrediction(input) {
  const response = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/predictions`, {
    method: "POST",
    headers: {
      "Content-Type": "application/json",
      "x-api-market-key": apiKey
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({ version: "78b3a6257e16e4b241245d65c8b2b81ea2e1ff7ed4c55306b511509ddbfd327a", input })
  });

  if (response.status !== 201) {
    throw new Error(`API error: ${response.status} ${await response.text()}`);
  }

  const prediction = await response.json();
  return pollForResults(prediction.id);
}

const delay = (ms) => new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms));

async function pollForResults(predictionId) {
  const maxTimeout = 600000;
  const pollInterval = 1000;
  const startTime = Date.now();

  while (Date.now() - startTime < maxTimeout) {
    const response = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/predictions/${predictionId}`, {
      headers: { "x-api-market-key": apiKey }
    });

    if (!response.ok) {
      throw new Error(`API error: ${response.status} ${await response.text()}`);
    }

    const prediction = await response.json();

    if (prediction.status === "succeeded") {
      return prediction.output;
    }

    if (prediction.status === "failed" || prediction.status === "canceled") {
      throw new Error(`Prediction ${prediction.status}: ${prediction.error || "Unknown error"}`);
    }

    await delay(pollInterval);
  }

  throw new Error("Prediction timed out after 10 minutes");
}

createAndWaitForPrediction({
  mp4: false,
  seed: 6226,
  steps: 30,
  width: 672,
  height: 384,
  prompt: "go-pro video of a polar bear diving in the ocean, 8k, HD, dslr, nature footage",
  scheduler: "EulerAncestralDiscreteScheduler",
  negative_prompt: "blurry"
}).then((output) => console.log(output));
```

#### Python
```python
import time
import requests

API_KEY = "YOUR_API_MARKET_KEY"
BASE_URL = "https://prod.api.market/api/v1/magicapi/text-to-gif-generator-lucataco-hotshot-xl"


def create_and_wait_for_prediction(input_data):
    headers = {"Content-Type": "application/json", "x-api-market-key": API_KEY}
    response = requests.post(
        f"{BASE_URL}/predictions",
        headers=headers,
        json={"version": "78b3a6257e16e4b241245d65c8b2b81ea2e1ff7ed4c55306b511509ddbfd327a", "input": input_data},
    )

    if response.status_code != 201:
        raise Exception(f"API error: {response.status_code} {response.text}")

    return poll_for_results(response.json()["id"])


def poll_for_results(prediction_id):
    max_timeout = 600
    poll_interval = 1
    headers = {"x-api-market-key": API_KEY}
    start_time = time.time()

    while time.time() - start_time < max_timeout:
        response = requests.get(f"{BASE_URL}/predictions/{prediction_id}", headers=headers)

        if response.status_code != 200:
            raise Exception(f"API error: {response.status_code} {response.text}")

        prediction = response.json()

        if prediction["status"] == "succeeded":
            return prediction["output"]

        if prediction["status"] in ("failed", "canceled"):
            raise Exception(f"Prediction {prediction['status']}: {prediction.get('error') or 'Unknown error'}")

        time.sleep(poll_interval)

    raise Exception("Prediction timed out after 10 minutes")


print(create_and_wait_for_prediction({
    "mp4": False,
    "seed": 6226,
    "steps": 30,
    "width": 672,
    "height": 384,
    "prompt": "go-pro video of a polar bear diving in the ocean, 8k, HD, dslr, nature footage",
    "scheduler": "EulerAncestralDiscreteScheduler",
    "negative_prompt": "blurry"
}))
```

## FAQ
- **Can I get an MP4 instead of a GIF?**
  - Yes. Set `mp4` to `true`. The default `false` returns a GIF.
- **Can I use any width and height?**
  - No. Both must be one of 256, 320, 384, 448, 512, 576, 640, 672, 704, 768, 832, 896, 960 or 1024. The default is 672 x 384.
- **What happens if I send no prompt?**
  - `prompt` has a default (`a camel smoking a cigarette, hd, high quality`), so always send your own prompt.
- **How is a request billed?**
  - $0.048 for each started 44-second block of processing. The example took 9.8 seconds and cost $0.048.
- **Is the 201 response from POST an error?**
  - No. 201 Created means the prediction was accepted. Use the returned `id` to poll GET `/predictions/{id}` until `status` is `succeeded`, `failed` or `canceled`.
- **What if my prediction fails?**
  - Failed predictions are not billed. Read the `error` field, adjust the input and try again.

## Contact Us
If you have any questions, reach out to us through the chat on the bottom right of the page. You can also email our support team at hello@magicapi.com.


Turn a text prompt into an animated GIF or MP4 with Hotshot-XL, a text-to-GIF model built to work alongside Stable Diffusion XL. Pay as you go, no monthly fee.