How to get an AI video generation API key: Sume steps and gotchas

To get a Sume API key, create one in the API Keys dashboard, keep it in a server-side environment variable, and send it as either a Bearer token or an x-api-key header, but not both. Check it with GET /v1/me before you build anything on it.

Autocomplete for the query 'ai video generation api' offered completions such as key, key free and pricing when fetched on 2026-10-03, so this post answers the key question directly.

Steps

• Create a key in the dashboard. Keys are workspace-scoped.
• Store it as SUME_API_KEY in your server environment.
• Call GET https://api.sume.com/v1/me to confirm it works.
• Submit work to a generation endpoint with an Idempotency-Key header.

Sending the key

Both forms below are accepted by the current API. Use one consistently in each integration.

export SUME_API_KEY="sume_live_..."

curl https://api.sume.com/v1/me \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SUME_API_KEY"

# or
curl https://api.sume.com/v1/me \
  -H "x-api-key: $SUME_API_KEY"

Gotchas from the docs

Keep the key off the client

Browser and mobile apps should call your own backend, and your backend should attach the key. The docs show a server route that forwards the body to a Sume endpoint with the key and a fresh Idempotency-Key, after you validate input and enforce your own authorization.

Do not put the key in a prompt or a chat. If one appears in a log or a transcript, rotate it.

What happens on the first paid request

A valid submit is accepted as a durable job and returns an id. It may start at once or wait in queued until a concurrency slot opens. Balance is reserved at accept time. If it cannot be reserved the submit fails with 402 insufficient_credits before any provider work starts.

Then poll GET /v1/jobs/:id/status or take a signed webhook, and fetch the result when it is ready. A client timeout does not cancel the job.