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API GUIDE

How to generate a video thumbnail with an API

Every video needs a poster frame for players, cards and previews. Grabbing a single frame at an exact time is a quick FFmpeg command, if you have FFmpeg installed. With an API it is one call.

Try generate video thumbnailRead the docs

The manual FFmpeg way

Seeking to the right frame and choosing an output quality is simple enough by hand, but it still needs FFmpeg on a machine. A typed tool takes a timestamp and a format and returns the image.

ffmpeg -ss 5 -i input.mp4 -frames:v 1 -q:v 2 thumbnail.jpg

Do it with one API call

  1. 1

    Provide the source video

    Give a public URL or upload the file and use the returned media URL as "main".

  2. 2

    Call the thumbnail tool

    Set timestamp in seconds and choose a jpg or webp format.

  3. 3

    Download the image

    Poll the job and download the poster frame from the signed output URL.

REST
curl https://kinopipe.com/api/v1/tools/video-thumbnail-generator \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer kp_live_..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "inputs": [ { "id": "main", "url": "https://example.com/input.mp4" } ],
    "options": { "timestamp": 5, "format": "jpg" }
  }'
Or just ask your agent
Connect the KinoPipe MCP server and say it in plain language:

“Grab a thumbnail from input.mp4 at the 5 second mark as a JPEG.”

Connect MCP

FAQ

Can I choose the exact frame?

Yes. Set timestamp in seconds and the tool extracts the frame at that point deterministically.

What formats are supported?

JPEG or WebP. Use WebP for a smaller file, JPEG for the widest compatibility.

Open the generate video thumbnail tool ← All guides