Avatar video image URLs: product_image, scene photo and backgrounds

A Sume avatar video request can carry three kinds of image URL: product_image, scene.image_url for a photo scene, and image URLs in scene backgrounds inside video_inputs. The docs say that each must be a fetchable public HTTPS URL (read 2026-10-09). Check all three before you submit, because a URL that works in your browser behind a login will not work for a server fetching it.

What each field does

All three are optional. Leave out product_image for a productless avatar video. Use scene with a prompt to direct a scene in words or with a photo to supply a reference image.

What Sume rejects before submit

For avatar creation, the docs say Sume rejects localhost, private-network URLs, non-HTTPS URLs and non-image responses before submitting the generation. The avatar-video docs say media fields must be fetchable public HTTPS URLs and point to the same media-input rules. In practice, that means these will fail: a link on a corporate VPN, a signed URL that has expired, an http:// link, a link that returns an HTML login page.

The error documentation lists image_not_fetchable and input_media_unreachable for media Sume cannot fetch or mirror safely, with the advice to make sure the input is a public HTTPS image URL and retry, or contact support with the request id. Do not include signed URLs or private ids in a support message.

A short pre-flight

Open each URL in a private browser window with no cookies. If you see the image, a server probably can. Check that the link returns an image content type, not a page. Make sure the file will exist for the whole job; a link that expires in ten minutes can break a queued job that starts later, since jobs may wait as queued when your workspace is busy.

If the picture matters a lot, run an avatar video preview first. It uses the same inputs and returns first-frame stills, so a bad product image shows up before the full render. The preview keeps your quality choice open: you can change the final tier at generate-video without a new preview.

• No localhost, private networks or http:// links.
• Return an image content type, not a page.
• Keep the link alive until the job finishes.

Where the images should live

If your product photos sit in a private bucket, create a public copy for the render, or publish through your own CDN with a stable HTTPS URL. Sume's media inputs doc covers asset-library handling. Avoid URLs with short-lived signatures, since a queued job may fetch the image minutes after you submit it.

One practical tip: use the same product image URL in the preview and in the final render. A preview that approved one image and a render that fetched another is a surprise you can avoid.