GoogleTutorial
GoogleHow to Use Veo 3.1 Fast API
A step-by-step Veo 3.1 Fast API tutorial with Python, Node.js and cURL: submit a text to video job, poll it or receive a webhook, and download the video. The example below costs $0.33.
- Endpoints
- 2
- Text to Video · Image to Video
- Example request
- $0.33
- Text to Video
- Languages
- 3
- Python · Node.js · cURL
- Failed runs
- $0
- refunded automatically
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.
Choose a Veo 3.1 Fast endpoint
Each task has its own endpoint. All of them take a JSON body and return a generation you can poll.
| Task | Endpoint | Required | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text to Video | google/veo-3.1-fast/text-to-video | prompt | $0.0413/s |
| Image to Video | google/veo-3.1-fast/image-to-video | prompt, image_url | $0.0413/s |
Submit a text to video job
This program submits the job, polls every 3 seconds until it finishes and prints the video 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/google/veo-3.1-fast/text-to-video", headers=headers, json={
"prompt": "A tide pool at sunrise, a tiny crab scuttles across glistening rocks, macro lens, gentle waves and gull calls",
"aspect_ratio": "16:9",
"resolution": "720p",
"duration": 8
}).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"]["video"]["url"] if job["status"] == "succeeded" else job["error"])Set the parameters that matter
The settings for google/veo-3.1-fast/text-to-video, with what each one does to the price.
| Parameter | Type · default | What it does | Price effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| aspect_ratio | string (enum) · 16:9 | Landscape or portrait. 16:9 · 9:16 | Yes |
| resolution | string (enum) · 720p | Output resolution. 1080p and 4K clips are always 8 seconds; 4K costs more per second. 720p · 1080p · 4k | 720p: $0.0704/s 1080p: $0.088/s 4K: $0.22/s |
| duration | integer (enum) · 8 | Clip length: 4, 6 or 8 seconds at 720p (1080p and 4K are always 8 s). You pay per second. 4 · 6 · 8 | 8s: $0.0704/s |
| generate_audio | boolean · true | Generate synchronized sound, ambience and dialogue. Clips with audio are billed at a higher per-second rate. | Yes |
| negative_prompt | string | Things to avoid in the output. | None |
| seed | integer | Use the same seed and settings to reproduce a result. Leave empty for random. | None |
Other Veo 3.1 Fast endpoints take the same shape with their own inputs:
POST /api/v1/run/google/veo-3.1-fast/image-to-video
{
"prompt": "The camera slowly pushes in as steam rises from the cup and rain streaks the window",
"image_url": "https://cdn.cheapergen.com/samples/portrait.jpg",
"aspect_ratio": "16:9",
"resolution": "720p",
"duration": 8
}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": "google/veo-3.1-fast",
"endpoint": "google/veo-3.1-fast/text-to-video",
"mode": "text-to-video",
"status": "succeeded",
"input": {
"prompt": "A tide pool at sunrise, a tiny crab scuttles across glistening rocks, macro lens, gentle waves and gull calls",
"aspect_ratio": "16:9",
"resolution": "720p",
"duration": 8
},
"output": {
"video": {
"url": "https://cdn.cheapergen.com/outputs/gen_8c2Q.mp4",
"content_type": "video/mp4",
"duration": 5,
"width": 1280,
"height": 720
}
},
"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"
}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/google/veo-3.1-fast/text-to-video \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"prompt":"A tide pool at sunrise, a tiny crab scuttles across glistening rocks, macro lens, gentle waves and gull calls","aspect_ratio":"16:9","resolution":"720p","duration":8}'| Status | Code | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 400 | invalid_request | A parameter is missing or out of range — the message names it. |
| 401 | unauthorized | Missing, malformed or revoked API key. |
| 402 | insufficient_balance | Not enough credits for the quoted price; top up or enable auto top-up. |
| 429 | rate_limited | Too many requests or generations in progress; back off and retry. |
| 502 | upstream_error | The model provider failed; the hold is refunded and you can retry. |
| 503 | model_unavailable | No healthy route right now; retry later or pick another model. |
FAQ
Veo 3.1 Fast 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_url", "end_image_url". 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 Video starts at $0.0413/s; the example request on this page costs $0.33, 59% below the official price. Failed generations are refunded automatically.