Authentication

FFmpeg API uses Basic Authentication for secure API access. Every request requires an Authorization header with your unique API key. This guide shows you how to get your key, use it properly, and avoid common pitfalls.

Get Your API Key

Your header value is a pre-formatted string that looks like this:

Basic dGVzdF91c2VyX2tleV9hYmNkZWZnaGlqa2xtbm9w

📋

Ready to copy? Your dashboard displays the complete Authorization header value. Just copy and paste it into your code.

How to Use Your API Key

const headers = {
  'Authorization': 'Basic YOUR_API_KEY_HERE',
  'Content-Type': 'application/json'
}
 
const response = await fetch('https://api.ffmpeg-api.com/file', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers,
  body: JSON.stringify({ file_name: 'video.mp4' })
})

import requests
 
headers = {
    'Authorization': 'Basic YOUR_API_KEY_HERE',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
}
 
response = requests.post('https://api.ffmpeg-api.com/file',
    headers=headers,
    json={'file_name': 'video.mp4'}
)

curl -X POST https://api.ffmpeg-api.com/file \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YOUR_API_KEY_HERE' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"file_name":"video.mp4"}'

Security Best Practices

❌ Don’t Do This

• Expose API keys in client-side JavaScript
• Commit API keys to version control
• Share API keys in public forums or docs
• Use API keys in URLs or GET parameters
• Store keys in plain text files

✅ Best Practices

• Use environment variables
• Make API calls from your backend/server
• Regularly rotate your API keys
• Monitor usage in your dashboard
• Use HTTPS for all API requests

🔒

Critical: Your API key grants full access to your account. Treat it like a password and never expose it in client-side code.

Environment Variables

Store your API key securely using environment variables:

.env file:

FFMPEG_API_KEY=Basic dGVzdF91c2VyX2tleV9hYmNkZWZnaGlqa2xtbm9w

In your code:

const API_KEY = process.env.FFMPEG_API_KEY

Troubleshooting Authentication

❌ Error 401: “Invalid API key”

This means your API key is incorrect or malformed. Check:

Format: Must start with “Basic ” (note the space)
Copying: Copy the entire string from your dashboard
Whitespace: No extra spaces or line breaks
Header name: Use “Authorization”, not “Auth” or “Bearer”

❌ Error 403: “Quota exceeded”

You’ve hit your usage limits. Solutions:

Check your current usage in the Dashboard
Wait for your quota to reset (monthly cycle)
Upgrade your plan for higher limits
Optimize your usage patterns

❌ Error 400: “Missing Authorization header”

Your request is missing the auth header entirely. Ensure:

Header is named exactly “Authorization”
Header is included in your request headers object
Not accidentally putting it in the request body
Using the correct HTTP client method for headers

🔐 “My API key stopped working”

If a previously working key stops working:

Check if you regenerated your key in the dashboard
Verify your account status hasn’t changed
Look for any recent billing issues
Contact support if the issue persists

Testing Your Authentication

Here’s a quick test to verify your API key works:

const response = await fetch('https://api.ffmpeg-api.com/directory', {
  method: 'GET',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': 'Basic YOUR_API_KEY_HERE'
  }
})
 
const data = await response.json()
console.log(data)

import requests
 
response = requests.get('https://api.ffmpeg-api.com/directory',
    headers={'Authorization': 'Basic YOUR_API_KEY_HERE'}
)
 
print(response.json())

curl -X GET https://api.ffmpeg-api.com/directory \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YOUR_API_KEY_HERE'

Success response:

{
  "ok": true,
  "directories": []
}

Failed auth response:

{
  "ok": false,
  "error": "Invalid API key"
}

Ready to make your first request? Head to the Quick Start guide to see authentication in action, or jump into Examples for language-specific implementations.

Quick Start Files