Authentication

All API requests (except /v1/capabilities) require an API key passed in the X-API-Key header.

Getting an API key

Go to fastdrop.io/developers and enter your email.

Verify your email

Click the verification link sent to your inbox (expires in 24 hours).

Save your key

Your API key is shown once after verification. It looks like fd_live_aBcDeFgH.... Store it securely — it cannot be retrieved later.

The free tier gives you 100 credits/month with no credit card required. Upgrade anytime at fastdrop.io/developers.

Using your API key

Pass your key in the X-API-Key header on every request:

curl https://api.fastdrop.io/api/v1/usage \
  -H "X-API-Key: fd_live_your_key_here"

Never expose your API key in client-side code, public repositories, or browser requests. Always call the FastDrop API from your backend server.

Key rotation

If your key is compromised, rotate it immediately:

curl -X POST https://api.fastdrop.io/api/v1/keys/rotate \
  -H "X-API-Key: fd_live_your_current_key"

The old key is invalidated immediately. If you have an email on file, the new key is sent to your inbox. Otherwise, it’s returned in the response body (shown once).

Rate limits

Each plan has a per-minute request limit:

Plan	Requests/min	Concurrent jobs
Free	10	3
Starter	20	5
Growth	40	15
Scale	80	50

Video limits

Limit	Value
Maximum duration	60 minutes
Maximum file size	500 MB (Free), 1 GB (Starter), 2 GB (Growth), 5 GB (Scale)

A video over the duration limit fails during processing and its credits are returned automatically. Send duration_seconds with the request to be declined up front instead, before anything is charged. When you exceed the rate limit, you’ll receive a 429 response:

{
  "error": {
    "code": "rate_limited",
    "message": "Rate limit exceeded",
    "details": {
      "retry_after_seconds": 12
    }
  }
}

Wait for the number of seconds in retry_after_seconds before retrying.

Error responses

All authentication errors follow a consistent format:

Missing or invalid key

401

{
  "error": {
    "code": "invalid_api_key",
    "message": "Missing or invalid API key"
  }
}

Insufficient credits

402

{
  "error": {
    "code": "insufficient_credits",
    "message": "Not enough credits for this request",
    "details": {
      "credits_required": 4,
      "credits_available": 2
    }
  }
}

Rate limited

429

{
  "error": {
    "code": "rate_limited",
    "message": "Rate limit exceeded",
    "details": {
      "retry_after_seconds": 12
    }
  }
}

Response headers

All API v1 responses include:

Header	Description
`X-API-Version`	API version (`1.0`)
`Retry-After`	Seconds until rate limit resets (only on 429)

Get Started

Understanding video defects

Guides

Getting an API key

Using your API key

Key rotation

Rate limits

Video limits

Error responses

Missing or invalid key

Insufficient credits

Rate limited

Response headers

​Getting an API key

​Using your API key

​Key rotation

​Rate limits

​Video limits

​Error responses

​Missing or invalid key

​Insufficient credits

​Rate limited

​Response headers

Getting an API key

Using your API key

Key rotation

Rate limits

Video limits

Error responses

Missing or invalid key

Insufficient credits

Rate limited

Response headers