Avatar Video

Create AI avatar videos with full control over avatars, voices, scripts, scenes, and backgrounds. Build single or multi-scene videos with exact configuration using HeyGen's /v2/video/generate API.

Authentication

All requests require the X-Api-Key header. Set the HEYGEN_API_KEY environment variable.

curl -X GET "https://api.heygen.com/v2/avatars" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: $HEYGEN_API_KEY"

Tool Selection

If HeyGen MCP tools are available (mcp__heygen__*), prefer them over direct HTTP API calls — they handle authentication and request formatting automatically.

| Task | MCP Tool | Fallback (Direct API) | |------|----------|----------------------| | Check video status / get URL | mcp__heygen__get_video | GET /v2/videos/{video_id} | | List account videos | mcp__heygen__list_videos | GET /v2/videos | | Delete a video | mcp__heygen__delete_video | DELETE /v2/videos/{video_id} |

Video generation (POST /v2/video/generate) and avatar/voice listing are done via direct API calls — see reference files below.

Default Workflow

1. List avatars — GET /v2/avatars → pick an avatar, preview it, note avatar_id and default_voice_id. See avatars.md
2. List voices (if needed) — GET /v2/voices → pick a voice matching the avatar's gender/language. See voices.md
3. Write the script — Structure scenes with one concept each. See scripts.md
4. Generate the video — POST /v2/video/generate with avatar, voice, script, and background per scene. See video-generation.md
5. Poll for completion — GET /v2/videos/{video_id} until status is completed. See video-status.md

Quick Reference

| Task | Read | |------|------| | List and preview avatars | avatars.md | | List and select voices | voices.md | | Write and structure scripts | scripts.md | | Generate video (single or multi-scene) | video-generation.md | | Add custom backgrounds | backgrounds.md | | Add captions / subtitles | captions.md | | Add text overlays | text-overlays.md | | Create transparent WebM video | video-generation.md (WebM section) | | Use templates | templates.md | | Create avatar from photo | photo-avatars.md | | Check video status / download | video-status.md | | Upload assets (images, audio) | assets.md | | Use with Remotion | remotion-integration.md | | Set up webhooks | webhooks.md |

When to Use This Skill vs Create Video

This skill is for precise control — you choose the avatar, write the exact script, configure each scene.

If the user just wants to describe a video idea and let AI handle the rest (script, avatar, visuals), use the create-video skill instead.

| User Says | Create Video Skill | This Skill | |-----------|:------------------:|:----------:| | "Make me a video about X" | ✓ | | | "Create a product demo" | ✓ | | | "I want avatar Y to say exactly Z" | | ✓ | | "Multi-scene video with different backgrounds" | | ✓ | | "Transparent WebM for compositing" | | ✓ | | "Use this specific voice for my script" | | ✓ | | "Batch generate videos with exact specs" | | ✓ |

Reference Files

Core Video Creation

• references/avatars.md - Listing avatars, styles, avatar_id selection
• references/voices.md - Listing voices, locales, speed/pitch
• references/scripts.md - Writing scripts, pauses, pacing
• references/video-generation.md - POST /v2/video/generate and multi-scene videos

Video Customization

• references/backgrounds.md - Solid colors, images, video backgrounds
• references/text-overlays.md - Adding text with fonts and positioning
• references/captions.md - Auto-generated captions and subtitles

Advanced Features

• references/templates.md - Template listing and variable replacement
• references/photo-avatars.md - Creating avatars from photos
• references/webhooks.md - Webhook endpoints and events

Integration

• references/remotion-integration.md - Using HeyGen in Remotion compositions

Foundation

• references/video-status.md - Polling patterns and download URLs
• references/assets.md - Uploading images, videos, audio
• references/dimensions.md - Resolution and aspect ratios
• references/quota.md - Credit system and usage limits

Best Practices

1. Preview avatars before generating — Download preview_image_url so the user can see the avatar before committing
2. Use avatar's default voice — Most avatars have a default_voice_id pre-matched for natural results
3. Fallback: match gender manually — If no default voice, ensure avatar and voice genders match
4. Use test mode for development — Set test: true to avoid consuming credits (output will be watermarked)
5. Set generous timeouts — Video generation often takes 5-15 minutes, sometimes longer
6. Validate inputs — Check avatar and voice IDs exist before generating