> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://seedanceapi.us/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Make your first Seedance API call in under five minutes.

## 1. Create an account and API key

Sign up at [seedanceapi.us](https://seedanceapi.us), open [Dashboard → API keys](https://seedanceapi.us/dashboard), and create a key.

Copy the secret (`ak_...`) immediately — it is shown only once.

## 2. Add balance

Purchase a prepaid balance pack on the [pricing page](https://seedanceapi.us/pricing). Each generation is charged at the model list price in USD.

## 3. Generate a video

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://api.seedanceapi.us/v1/videos \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ak_YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "seedance-2.5/text-to-video",
    "prompt": "A cinematic drone shot over misty mountains",
    "aspect_ratio": "16:9",
    "resolution": "720p",
    "duration": 5
  }'
```

The response is `202 Accepted` with a generation `id` and `status: pending`.

## 4. Poll for results

```bash theme={null}
curl https://api.seedanceapi.us/v1/generations/GENERATION_ID \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ak_YOUR_API_KEY"
```

When `status` is `completed`, `output_url` contains your video.

## 5. Generate an image

Images return synchronously with `200 OK`:

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://api.seedanceapi.us/v1/images \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ak_YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "seedream-5.0/text-to-image",
    "prompt": "A serene mountain landscape at sunrise",
    "size": "2K"
  }'
```