Cheaper Gen.
ByteDanceTutorial

How to Use Seedream 5.0 Lite API

A step-by-step Seedream 5.0 Lite API tutorial with Python, Node.js and cURL: submit a text to image job, poll it or receive a webhook, and download the image. The example below costs $0.03.

Endpoints
2
Text to Image · Image Edit
Example request
$0.03
Text to Image
Languages
3
Python · Node.js · cURL
Failed runs
$0
refunded automatically
Try in Studio Call the API
1

Get an API key

Create an account, add credits (from $10) and create a key in Dashboard → API keys. Store it as CHEAPERGEN_API_KEY on your server. Every request sends it as a bearer token.

How to get a Seedream 5.0 Lite API key
2

Choose a Seedream 5.0 Lite endpoint

Each task has its own endpoint. All of them take a JSON body and return a generation you can poll.

Seedream 5.0 Lite API endpoints, required inputs and prices
TaskEndpointRequiredFrom
Text to Imagebytedance/seedream-5.0-lite/text-to-imageprompt$0.0303/image
Image Editbytedance/seedream-5.0-lite/editprompt, image_urls$0.0303/image
3

Submit a text to image job

This program submits the job, polls every 3 seconds until it finishes and prints the image URL. Swap the prompt and settings for your own.

import os, time, requests

API = "https://cheapergen.com/api/v1"
headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['CHEAPERGEN_API_KEY']}"}

# 1. Submit the job
job = requests.post(f"{API}/run/bytedance/seedream-5.0-lite/text-to-image", headers=headers, json={
    "prompt": "Editorial product photo of a matte-black espresso machine on travertine, soft window light, 85mm",
    "aspect_ratio": "1:1",
    "size": "2K"
}).json()

# 2. Poll until it finishes (or pass "webhook_url" and skip polling)
while job["status"] in ("queued", "running"):
    time.sleep(3)
    job = requests.get(f"{API}/generations/{job['id']}", headers=headers).json()

print(job["status"], job["output"]["images"][0]["url"] if job["status"] == "succeeded" else job["error"])
4

Set the parameters that matter

The settings for bytedance/seedream-5.0-lite/text-to-image, with what each one does to the price.

Seedream 5.0 Lite Text to Image parameters and their effect on price
ParameterType · defaultWhat it doesPrice effect
aspect_ratiostring (enum) · 1:1Output image shape.
1:1 · 4:3 · 3:4 · 16:9 · 9:16 · 3:2 · 2:3 · 21:9
Yes
sizestring (enum) · 2K1K ≈ 1 megapixel, 2K ≈ 4 megapixels.
1K · 2K
1K: $0.0303/image
2K: $0.0303/image
seedintegerUse the same seed and settings to reproduce a result. Leave empty for random.None

Other Seedream 5.0 Lite endpoints take the same shape with their own inputs:

POST /api/v1/run/bytedance/seedream-5.0-lite/edit

{
  "prompt": "Replace the background with a sunlit Mediterranean terrace; keep the product unchanged",
  "image_urls": [
    "https://cdn.cheapergen.com/samples/portrait.jpg"
  ],
  "aspect_ratio": "1:1",
  "size": "2K"
}
5

Get the result

A job moves from queued to running to succeeded, failed or canceled. Poll GET /api/v1/generations/{id}, or pass webhook_url and we POST the result to you. Download the output and store it yourself.

200 — succeeded
{
  "id": "gen_8c2QmX1nq0k4",
  "object": "generation",
  "model": "bytedance/seedream-5.0-lite",
  "endpoint": "bytedance/seedream-5.0-lite/text-to-image",
  "mode": "text-to-image",
  "status": "succeeded",
  "input": {
    "prompt": "Editorial product photo of a matte-black espresso machine on travertine, soft window light, 85mm",
    "aspect_ratio": "1:1",
    "size": "2K"
  },
  "output": {
    "images": [
      {
        "url": "https://cdn.cheapergen.com/outputs/gen_8c2Q-0.png",
        "content_type": "image/png",
        "width": 2048,
        "height": 2048
      }
    ]
  },
  "error": null,
  "cost": {
    "amount_usd": 0.2255,
    "currency": "usd",
    "estimated": false,
    "official_usd": 0.264,
    "saved_usd": 0.0385
  },
  "source": "api",
  "created_at": "2026-10-15T09:21:04Z",
  "started_at": "2026-10-15T09:21:06Z",
  "completed_at": "2026-10-15T09:22:31Z"
}
Verify webhook signatures
6

Price a request before you run it

The quote endpoint is free and needs no key. It returns the price, the official price and your discount for exactly the input you send.

curl -X POST https://cheapergen.com/api/v1/quote/bytedance/seedream-5.0-lite/text-to-image \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"prompt":"Editorial product photo of a matte-black espresso machine on travertine, soft window light, 85mm","aspect_ratio":"1:1","size":"2K"}'
API errors and what to do
StatusCodeMeaning
400invalid_requestA parameter is missing or out of range — the message names it.
401unauthorizedMissing, malformed or revoked API key.
402insufficient_balanceNot enough credits for the quoted price; top up or enable auto top-up.
429rate_limitedToo many requests or generations in progress; back off and retry.
502upstream_errorThe model provider failed; the hold is refunded and you can retry.
503model_unavailableNo healthy route right now; retry later or pick another model.
Full Seedream 5.0 Lite API documentation

FAQ

Seedream 5.0 Lite API questions

No. The API is plain HTTPS with JSON, so the Python (requests) and Node.js (fetch) examples on this page are complete programs. Any language that can send an HTTP request works.

Yes. Add "webhook_url" to the request body and we POST the finished generation to it, signed with a CheaperGen-Signature header (HMAC-SHA256 of the timestamp and raw body). Polling GET /api/v1/generations/{id} works too.

Pass public URLs in "image_urls". Files without a public URL can be uploaded first with POST /api/v1/uploads, which returns a URL to use in the request.

Text to Image starts at $0.0303/image; the example request on this page costs $0.03, 13% below the official price. Failed generations are refunded automatically.