Getting Started with KIE API

You can find the latest supported models on our Market page:
👉 https://kie.ai/marketWe continuously update and onboard new models as soon as they are stable.
Each model page links to its Playground, where you can test and experiment directly in our UI before calling the API.
The Playground is the best place to understand model behavior, parameters, and output formats.

The complete and up-to-date pricing list is available here:
👉 https://kie.ai/pricingOur prices are typically 30%–50% lower than official APIs.
For some models, discounts can reach up to 80%.
Pricing may change as upstream providers adjust their costs, so always refer to the pricing page for the latest numbers.

Create and manage your API keys here:
👉 https://kie.ai/api-keyImportant security notes:
Never expose your API key in frontend code (browser, mobile apps, public repositories).
Treat your API key as a secret.To help protect your usage, we provide:
Rate limits per key (hourly, daily, and total usage caps)
IP whitelist support, allowing only approved server IPs to access the API
These features help prevent accidental overuse and unauthorized requests.

Every API request must include the correct headers:Authorization: Bearer
Content-Type: application/jsonIf these headers are missing or incorrect, you may receive:
{"code":401,"msg":"You do not have access permissions"}Always double-check your headers when debugging authentication issues.

You can inspect all your historical tasks here:
👉 https://kie.ai/logsFor each task, you can view:
Creation time
Model used
Input parameters
Task status
Credit consumption
Final results or error detailsIf you ever suspect incorrect credit usage, this page is the source of truth for verification.

Please note our retention rules:
Generated media files: stored for 14 days, then automatically deleted
Log records (text / metadata): stored for 2 months, then automatically deletedIf you need long-term access, make sure to download and store results on your side in time.

All generation tasks on KIE are asynchronous.A successful request returns:
HTTP 200
A task_idA 200 response only means the task was created, not completed.To get the final result, you must either:
Provide a callback (webhook) URL in the request, or
Actively poll the “query record info” API using the task_id

By default, we apply the following limits:
Up to 20 new generation requests per 10 seconds
This typically allows 100+ concurrent running tasks
Limits are applied per accountIf you exceed the limit:
Requests will be rejected with HTTP 429
Rejected requests will not enter the queueFor most users, this is more than sufficient. If you consistently hit 429 errors, you may contact support to request a higher limit — approvals are handled cautiously.

The recommended support channels are available directly from the dashboard (bottom-left menu):
Get help on Discord
Get help on TelegramWhat you get:
Private, 1-on-1 channels
Your data and conversations remain confidential
Faster and more technical responsesSupport hours: UTC 21:00 – UTC 17:00 (next day)
You may also email us at [email protected], but this is not the preferred or fastest option.

We provide access to top-tier, highly competitive APIs at very aggressive pricing.That said:
We are not perfect
Our overall stability may be slightly lower than official providers
This is a conscious trade-offIn practice, KIE is stable enough to support production workloads and long-term business growth, but we believe in setting realistic expectations upfront.

KIE is built by a small startup team.
We move fast
We care deeply about developer experience
We are constantly improvingAt the same time, we acknowledge that:
Not everything is perfect
We can’t satisfy every use case immediatelyYour feedback helps us improve — and we genuinely appreciate it.