Cheaper Gen.
MiniMaxTutorial

How to Use MiniMax H3 Max API

A step-by-step MiniMax H3 Max 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 $0.38.

Endpoints
2
Text to Video · Image to Video
Example request
$0.38
Text to Video
Languages
3
Python · Node.js · cURL
Failed runs
$0
refunded automatically
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 MiniMax H3 Max API key
2

Choose a MiniMax H3 Max endpoint

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

MiniMax H3 Max API endpoints, required inputs and prices
TaskEndpointRequiredFrom
Text to Videominimax/h3-max/text-to-videoprompt$0.0415/s
Image to Videominimax/h3-max/image-to-videoprompt, image_url$0.0415/s
3

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/minimax/h3-max/text-to-video", headers=headers, json={
    "prompt": "A hummingbird hovers at a red flower, wings frozen in a sliver of light, nature documentary",
    "aspect_ratio": "16:9",
    "resolution": "768P",
    "duration": 6
}).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"])
4

Set the parameters that matter

The settings for minimax/h3-max/text-to-video, with what each one does to the price.

MiniMax H3 Max Text to Video parameters and their effect on price
ParameterType · defaultWhat it doesPrice effect
aspect_ratiostring (enum) · 16:9Output frame shape.
16:9 · 9:16 · 1:1 · 4:3 · 3:4 · 21:9
Yes
resolutionstring (enum) · 768POutput resolution. Higher resolutions cost more per second.
480P · 768P
480P: $0.0415/s
768P: $0.0629/s
durationinteger · 6Length of the generated clip in seconds (5–15s). You pay per second.Billed per second
seedintegerUse the same seed and settings to reproduce a result. Leave empty for random.None

Other MiniMax H3 Max endpoints take the same shape with their own inputs:

POST /api/v1/run/minimax/h3-max/image-to-video

{
  "prompt": "The poster comes alive: confetti falls and the headline glows",
  "image_url": "https://cdn.cheapergen.com/samples/portrait.jpg",
  "resolution": "768P",
  "duration": 6
}
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": "minimax/h3-max",
  "endpoint": "minimax/h3-max/text-to-video",
  "mode": "text-to-video",
  "status": "succeeded",
  "input": {
    "prompt": "A hummingbird hovers at a red flower, wings frozen in a sliver of light, nature documentary",
    "aspect_ratio": "16:9",
    "resolution": "768P",
    "duration": 6
  },
  "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
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/minimax/h3-max/text-to-video \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"prompt":"A hummingbird hovers at a red flower, wings frozen in a sliver of light, nature documentary","aspect_ratio":"16:9","resolution":"768P","duration":6}'
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 MiniMax H3 Max API documentation

FAQ

MiniMax H3 Max 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 $0.0415/s; the example request on this page costs $0.38, 21% below the official price. Failed generations are refunded automatically.