---
title: "Import a video from a link"
method: POST
path: "/media/imports"
tags: ["Media"]
---

# Import a video from a link

`POST /media/imports`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.deploy.social/v1`
- URL: `https://api.deploy.social/v1/media/imports`
- Auth: HTTP bearer

Gives us a public HTTPS link to a video file and we fetch it for you. The video starts as `uploading` while we download it, then moves on like any upload. Poll the video until it's `ready`. A workspace can have 5 imports running at once.

## Headers

- `Idempotency-Key` string: Any unique string, like a UUID. Send the same request again with the same key within 24 hours and you get the first response back instead of a second post.

## Request body

- CreateImport
  - `url` string, required: A public HTTPS link straight to the video file (MP4, MOV, WebM, AVI or MTS), up to 1 GB. A page that plays the video won't work.
  - `filename` string: What to call the file. Defaults to the name at the end of the link.

## Response `202`

The new video, downloading.

- Media: A video in your workspace.
  - `id` string, required: The video's id. Starts with `media_`.
  - `kind` 'video' | 'image', required: `video` or `image`. New kinds may be added.
  - `status` string, required: `uploading` until the file arrives, `processing` while we prepare it, then `ready` or `failed`. `expired` means its files were removed after a period of inactivity; upload it again to use it. New values may be added.
  - `filename` string, nullable, required
  - `content_type` string, nullable, required
  - `size_bytes` integer, nullable, required
  - `duration_sec` number, nullable, required
  - `width` integer, nullable, required
  - `height` integer, nullable, required
  - `progress` object, nullable, required: How far processing has got, while it's running.
    - `phase` string, nullable, required
    - `percent` integer, nullable, required
  - `error` object, nullable, required: Why the video failed, when it did.
    - `code` string, required
    - `message` string, required
  - `created_at` string, date-time, required: When the video was added.
  - `updated_at` string, date-time, required: When the video last changed.

## Other responses

- `400`: The request body isn't valid JSON, or a header is malformed.
- `401`: The API key is missing, wrong, revoked or expired: `missing_api_key`, `invalid_api_key`, `api_key_revoked`, `api_key_expired`.
- `403`: The key can't do this: `insufficient_scope` (a read-only key), `plan_required`, `usage_limit_exceeded` (this month's videos are used up), `access_revoked` (its creator left the workspace), `workspace_archived`.
- `422`: Something in the request needs fixing. `details` lists each problem and where it is: `validation_failed`, or `idempotency_key_reused` when a key is sent again with a different request.
- `429`: Slow down and wait `Retry-After` seconds. Either this key has used its requests for the minute (Standard: 60 reads and 20 writes, Studio: 120 and 30), or, when publishing or scheduling, the plan's API posts for the day are used (detail code `daily_post_limit`; Standard: 30 a day across your account, Studio: 100 a day per workspace; `Retry-After` runs to midnight UTC). Posts made in the app never count. Here it can also mean the workspace already has 5 imports running (detail code `imports_in_flight`, `Retry-After` 30 seconds); send it again once one is no longer `uploading`.
- `500`: Something broke on our side. Retry, and contact us with the request id if it keeps happening.
- `503`: We can't take the request right now. Retry shortly.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/deploy/apis/deploy-social-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/deploy/apis/deploy-social-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/deploy/apis/deploy-social-api/revisions/7ed97bdd207f?raw)