---
title: Generate Video Thumbnail API
slug: generate-video-thumbnail-api
url: https://apyverse.com/apyhub/service/generate-video-thumbnail-api
provider: ApyHub
categories: [File Conversion, File Manipulation]
tags: [video-thumbnails, video-trimming, media-processing, video-download, signed-url]
auth: api_key
---

# Generate Video Thumbnail API

Trim a video from an upload or remote URL using start time, duration, and optional size. Get a binary clip or a signed download link.

## Endpoints

| Method | Path | Description | Atoms |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| POST | `generate/video-thumbnail/file` | What it does Trims a video clip from an uploaded video file and returns the result as a streamed bi… | 550 |
| POST | `generate/video-thumbnail/file/url` | What it does Trims a video clip from an uploaded video and returns a signed link to the generated c… | 550 |
| POST | `generate/video-thumbnail/url/file` | What it does Trims a video clip from a remote URL using the provided start time and duration, then… | 550 |
| POST | `generate/video-thumbnail/url` | What it does Trims a video clip from a remote video URL and returns a signed link to the generated… | 550 |

## About

## What it does
Video Thumbnail Generator trims a video clip from either an uploaded file or a remote URL, then gives you the clipped result as a download link or a streamed binary response.

Send a video plus a start point and duration, and choose an optional output size such as `640x360` or `480x270`. For upload-based requests, the service accepts a binary `video` file. For URL-based requests, it accepts a `video_url`. In both cases, `start_time` and `duration` control the segment to extract, and `size` controls the output dimensions when you want to scale the clip.

Use the download endpoints when your application needs the clip immediately as binary data, or the link endpoints when you want a signed storage URL returned in JSON under `data`. That makes it useful for generating preview clips, publishing lightweight video samples, or creating short assets for product pages and media workflows.

If you need to generate a short, shareable video segment from an upload or a remote source, Video Thumbnail Generator keeps the contract simple: provide the source, pick the segment, and receive either a binary file or a signed URL back.

## Usage

Authenticate with an ApyHub API key in the `apy-token` header.
Full docs and a live playground: https://apyverse.com/apyhub/service/generate-video-thumbnail-api