Quickstart - Fotolabs

Prerequisites

A Fotolabs account on an Essential or Ultimate plan
Your API key from the Fotolabs dashboard

1. Create a project

curl -X POST https://api.fotolabs.co/v1/projects \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer fl_<key>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "name": "233 Broadway, New York, NY", "templateId": "original" }'

{
  "projectId": "ca5f09f7-6838-459c-ac0f-7be03c60de24",
  "name": "233 Broadway, New York, NY"
}

Save the projectId — you’ll use it in every subsequent call.

2. Upload images

Call this once per image. Supported formats: JPEG, PNG, NEF, CR2, CR3, ARW, DNG, ORF, RW2, RAF, and more.

curl -X POST https://api.fotolabs.co/v1/images/upload-url \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer fl_<key>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "filename": "Z6A_0235.NEF", "projectId": "ca5f09f7-..." }'

{
  "imageId": "f3e088d1-33a5-4227-a2f6-c4f75617f847",
  "uploadUrl": "https://fotolabs-images-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/...",
  "originalImageUrl": "https://cdn.fotolabs.co/...",
  "expiresAt": "2026-05-09T20:00:00.000Z"
}

Then PUT the file directly to S3 — no auth header needed:

curl -X PUT "<uploadUrl>" \
  -H "Content-Type: image/x-nikon-nef" \
  --data-binary @Z6A_0235.NEF

Repeat for every photo in the listing.

3. Process the project

One call enqueues all images. HDR brackets are detected automatically from EXIF timestamps and exposure values — just upload everything flat.

curl -X POST https://api.fotolabs.co/v1/projects/ca5f09f7-.../process \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer fl_<key>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "templateId": "original", "autoLevel": true }'

{
  "jobs": [
    { "jobId": "aaa-...", "type": "hdr", "imageIds": ["aaa-...", "bbb-...", "ccc-..."] },
    { "jobId": "ddd-...", "type": "single", "imageIds": ["ddd-..."] }
  ]
}

4. Poll for results

Processing takes 60–120 seconds per job. Poll the project until status is completed.

curl https://api.fotolabs.co/v1/projects/ca5f09f7-... \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer fl_<key>"

{
  "projectId": "ca5f09f7-...",
  "status": "completed",
  "images": [
    {
      "imageId": "aaa-...",
      "status": "completed",
      "resultImageUrl": "https://cdn.fotolabs.co/.../result/aaa-....jpg",
      "originalImageUrl": "https://cdn.fotolabs.co/...",
      "errorMessage": null,
      "createdAt": "2026-05-09T18:00:48.421Z",
      "updatedAt": "2026-05-09T18:06:00.240Z"
    }
  ]
}

Download each resultImageUrl — that’s your processed JPEG.

Next steps

All endpoints

Full parameter reference and error codes.

Enhancement styles

Twilight, virtual staging, and custom change request notes.

​Prerequisites

​1. Create a project

​2. Upload images

​3. Process the project

​4. Poll for results

​Next steps