GoogleTutorial

How to Use Veo 3.1 Lite API

A step-by-step Veo 3.1 Lite 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 $0.17.

Endpoints: 2; Text to Video · Image to Video
Example request: $0.17; Text to Video
Languages: 3; Python · Node.js · cURL
Failed runs: $0; refunded automatically

Try in Studio Call the API

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 Veo 3.1 Lite API key

Choose a Veo 3.1 Lite endpoint

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

Veo 3.1 Lite API endpoints, required inputs and prices
Task	Endpoint	Required	From
Text to Video	google/veo-3.1-lite/text-to-video	prompt	$0.0206/s
Image to Video	google/veo-3.1-lite/image-to-video	prompt, image_url	$0.0206/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-lite/text-to-video", headers=headers, json={
    "prompt": "A cat knocks a pen off the desk and stares at the camera, soft office ambience",
    "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"])

const API = "https://cheapergen.com/api/v1";
const headers = {
  Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.CHEAPERGEN_API_KEY}`,
  "Content-Type": "application/json",
};

// 1. Submit the job
let job = await fetch(`${API}/run/google/veo-3.1-lite/text-to-video`, {
  method: "POST",
  headers,
  body: JSON.stringify({
    "prompt": "A cat knocks a pen off the desk and stares at the camera, soft office ambience",
    "aspect_ratio": "16:9",
    "resolution": "720p",
    "duration": 8
  }),
}).then((r) => r.json());

// 2. Poll until it finishes (or pass webhook_url and skip polling)
while (job.status === "queued" || job.status === "running") {
  await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 3000));
  job = await fetch(`${API}/generations/${job.id}`, { headers }).then((r) => r.json());
}

console.log(job.status === "succeeded" ? job.output.video.url : job.error);

curl -X POST https://cheapergen.com/api/v1/run/google/veo-3.1-lite/text-to-video \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $CHEAPERGEN_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
  "prompt": "A cat knocks a pen off the desk and stares at the camera, soft office ambience",
  "aspect_ratio": "16:9",
  "resolution": "720p",
  "duration": 8
}'

Set the parameters that matter

The settings for google/veo-3.1-lite/text-to-video, with what each one does to the price.

Veo 3.1 Lite Text to Video parameters and their effect on 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	720p (1080p isn't available on our channel yet). 720p	720p: $0.0206/s
duration	integer (enum) · 8	Clip length: 4, 6 or 8 seconds. 4 · 6 · 8	8s: $0.0206/s

Other Veo 3.1 Lite endpoints take the same shape with their own inputs:

POST /api/v1/run/google/veo-3.1-lite/image-to-video

{
  "prompt": "The scene comes alive: leaves rustle and birds start to sing",
  "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-lite",
  "endpoint": "google/veo-3.1-lite/text-to-video",
  "mode": "text-to-video",
  "status": "succeeded",
  "input": {
    "prompt": "A cat knocks a pen off the desk and stares at the camera, soft office ambience",
    "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"
}

Verify webhook signatures

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-lite/text-to-video \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"prompt":"A cat knocks a pen off the desk and stares at the camera, soft office ambience","aspect_ratio":"16:9","resolution":"720p","duration":8}'

API errors and what to do
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.

Full Veo 3.1 Lite API documentation

FAQ

Veo 3.1 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_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 $0.0206/s; the example request on this page costs $0.17, 59% below the official price. Failed generations are refunded automatically.

How to Use Veo 3.1 Lite API

Get an API key

Choose a Veo 3.1 Lite endpoint

Submit a text to video job

Set the parameters that matter

Get the result

Price a request before you run it

Veo 3.1 Lite API questions

Do I need an SDK to use the Veo 3.1 Lite API?

Can I use a webhook instead of polling?

How do I send images to the Veo 3.1 Lite API?

What does a Veo 3.1 Lite API call cost?