Kling AI - Image & Video Generation
When to use this skill
-
Generating images from text prompts (Text-to-Image)
-
Creating videos from text descriptions (Text-to-Video)
-
Animating static images into videos (Image-to-Video)
-
Producing high-quality AI video content (up to 1080p, 30fps)
-
Building applications with AI-generated media
Instructions
Step 1: Authentication Setup
Kling AI uses JWT (JSON Web Tokens) for authentication.
Required credentials:
-
Access Key (AK) - Public identifier
-
Secret Key (SK) - Private signing key
Get credentials: app.klingai.com/global/dev
Generate JWT token (Python):
import jwt import time
def generate_kling_token(access_key: str, secret_key: str) -> str: """Generate JWT token for Kling AI API.""" headers = { "alg": "HS256", "typ": "JWT" } payload = { "iss": access_key, "exp": int(time.time()) + 1800, # 30 minutes "nbf": int(time.time()) - 5 } return jwt.encode(payload, secret_key, algorithm="HS256", headers=headers)
Usage
access_key = "YOUR_ACCESS_KEY" secret_key = "YOUR_SECRET_KEY" token = generate_kling_token(access_key, secret_key)
Headers for all requests:
headers = { "Authorization": f"Bearer {token}", "Content-Type": "application/json" }
Step 2: Text-to-Image Generation
Endpoint: POST https://api.klingai.com/v1/images/generations
Request:
import requests
def generate_image(prompt: str, token: str) -> dict: """Generate image from text prompt.""" url = "https://api.klingai.com/v1/images/generations" headers = { "Authorization": f"Bearer {token}", "Content-Type": "application/json" } data = { "model_name": "kling-v1", "prompt": prompt, "negative_prompt": "blur, distortion, low quality", "n": 1, "aspect_ratio": "16:9", # 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 3:2, 2:3 "image_fidelity": 0.5, # 0-1 "callback_url": "" # Optional webhook } response = requests.post(url, json=data, headers=headers) return response.json()
Usage
result = generate_image( prompt="A futuristic cityscape at sunset, cinematic lighting, ultra-realistic", token=token ) task_id = result["data"]["task_id"]
Parameters:
Parameter Type Required Description
model_name
string Yes kling-v1
prompt
string Yes Image description (max 500 chars)
negative_prompt
string No Elements to avoid
n
integer No Number of images (1-9, default 1)
aspect_ratio
string No 16:9 , 9:16 , 1:1 , 4:3 , 3:4
image_fidelity
float No 0-1, default 0.5
callback_url
string No Webhook for completion
Step 3: Text-to-Video Generation
Endpoint: POST https://api.klingai.com/v1/videos/text2video
Request:
def generate_video_from_text(prompt: str, token: str, duration: int = 5) -> dict: """Generate video from text prompt.""" url = "https://api.klingai.com/v1/videos/text2video" headers = { "Authorization": f"Bearer {token}", "Content-Type": "application/json" } data = { "model_name": "kling-v1", # kling-v1, kling-v1-5, kling-v1-6 "prompt": prompt, "negative_prompt": "blur, distortion", "duration": duration, # 5 or 10 seconds "aspect_ratio": "16:9", # 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 "mode": "std", # std (standard) or pro "cfg_scale": 0.5, # 0-1 "camera_control": { "type": "simple", "config": { "horizontal": 0, # -10 to 10 "vertical": 0, # -10 to 10 "zoom": 0, # -10 to 10 "tilt": 0, # -10 to 10 "pan": 0, # -10 to 10 "roll": 0 # -10 to 10 } }, "callback_url": "" } response = requests.post(url, json=data, headers=headers) return response.json()
Usage
result = generate_video_from_text( prompt="A dragon flying over mountains at sunset, epic cinematic shot", token=token, duration=5 ) task_id = result["data"]["task_id"]
Camera control presets:
camera_presets = { "zoom_in": {"zoom": 5}, "zoom_out": {"zoom": -5}, "pan_left": {"horizontal": -5}, "pan_right": {"horizontal": 5}, "tilt_up": {"vertical": 5}, "tilt_down": {"vertical": -5}, "dolly_forward": {"zoom": 3, "vertical": 2}, "orbit_right": {"horizontal": 5, "pan": 3} }
Step 4: Image-to-Video Generation
Endpoint: POST https://api.klingai.com/v1/videos/image2video
Request:
import base64
def generate_video_from_image( image_path: str, prompt: str, token: str, duration: int = 5 ) -> dict: """Animate an image into a video.""" url = "https://api.klingai.com/v1/videos/image2video" headers = { "Authorization": f"Bearer {token}", "Content-Type": "application/json" }
# Load and encode image
with open(image_path, "rb") as f:
image_base64 = base64.b64encode(f.read()).decode()
data = {
"model_name": "kling-v1",
"image": image_base64, # Base64 or URL
"image_tail": "", # Optional: end frame image
"prompt": prompt,
"negative_prompt": "blur, distortion",
"duration": duration,
"mode": "std",
"cfg_scale": 0.5,
"callback_url": ""
}
response = requests.post(url, json=data, headers=headers)
return response.json()
Usage
result = generate_video_from_image( image_path="portrait.jpg", prompt="Person smiling and waving at camera", token=token )
With URL instead of base64:
data = { "model_name": "kling-v1", "image": "https://example.com/image.jpg", "prompt": "The subject slowly turns their head", "duration": 5 }
Step 5: Check Task Status (Polling)
All generation tasks are asynchronous. Poll for completion:
Endpoint: GET https://api.klingai.com/v1/videos/text2video/{task_id}
import time
def poll_task_status(task_id: str, token: str, task_type: str = "text2video") -> dict: """Poll task status until completion.""" url = f"https://api.klingai.com/v1/videos/{task_type}/{task_id}" headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {token}"}
while True:
response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)
result = response.json()
status = result["data"]["task_status"]
print(f"Status: {status}")
if status == "succeed":
return result
elif status == "failed":
raise Exception(f"Task failed: {result['data'].get('task_status_msg')}")
time.sleep(10) # Poll every 10 seconds
Usage
result = poll_task_status(task_id, token) video_url = result["data"]["task_result"]["videos"][0]["url"] print(f"Video URL: {video_url}")
Task status values:
Status Description
submitted
Task queued
processing
Currently generating
succeed
Completed successfully
failed
Generation failed
Step 6: Download Generated Media
def download_media(url: str, output_path: str) -> None: """Download generated image or video.""" response = requests.get(url, stream=True) with open(output_path, "wb") as f: for chunk in response.iter_content(chunk_size=8192): f.write(chunk) print(f"Downloaded: {output_path}")
Usage
download_media(video_url, "output.mp4")
Examples
Example 1: Complete Text-to-Video Workflow
import jwt import time import requests
class KlingClient: BASE_URL = "https://api.klingai.com/v1"
def __init__(self, access_key: str, secret_key: str):
self.access_key = access_key
self.secret_key = secret_key
def _get_token(self) -> str:
headers = {"alg": "HS256", "typ": "JWT"}
payload = {
"iss": self.access_key,
"exp": int(time.time()) + 1800,
"nbf": int(time.time()) - 5
}
return jwt.encode(payload, self.secret_key, algorithm="HS256", headers=headers)
def _headers(self) -> dict:
return {
"Authorization": f"Bearer {self._get_token()}",
"Content-Type": "application/json"
}
def text_to_video(self, prompt: str, duration: int = 5, mode: str = "std") -> str:
"""Generate video and return URL."""
# Create task
response = requests.post(
f"{self.BASE_URL}/videos/text2video",
json={
"model_name": "kling-v1",
"prompt": prompt,
"duration": duration,
"mode": mode,
"aspect_ratio": "16:9"
},
headers=self._headers()
)
task_id = response.json()["data"]["task_id"]
# Poll for completion
while True:
result = requests.get(
f"{self.BASE_URL}/videos/text2video/{task_id}",
headers=self._headers()
).json()
status = result["data"]["task_status"]
if status == "succeed":
return result["data"]["task_result"]["videos"][0]["url"]
elif status == "failed":
raise Exception("Generation failed")
time.sleep(10)
Usage
client = KlingClient("YOUR_ACCESS_KEY", "YOUR_SECRET_KEY") video_url = client.text_to_video( prompt="A majestic eagle soaring through clouds at golden hour", duration=5 ) print(f"Generated video: {video_url}")
Example 2: Batch Image Generation
def batch_generate_images(prompts: list, token: str) -> list: """Generate multiple images in parallel.""" import concurrent.futures
results = []
with concurrent.futures.ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=5) as executor:
futures = {
executor.submit(generate_image, prompt, token): prompt
for prompt in prompts
}
for future in concurrent.futures.as_completed(futures):
prompt = futures[future]
try:
result = future.result()
results.append({"prompt": prompt, "task_id": result["data"]["task_id"]})
except Exception as e:
results.append({"prompt": prompt, "error": str(e)})
return results
Usage
prompts = [ "A serene Japanese garden with cherry blossoms", "A cyberpunk street scene at night", "An underwater coral reef teeming with life" ] tasks = batch_generate_images(prompts, token)
Example 3: Image-to-Video with Motion Control
def animate_portrait(image_url: str, token: str) -> str: """Animate a portrait with subtle motion.""" url = "https://api.klingai.com/v1/videos/image2video"
response = requests.post(
url,
json={
"model_name": "kling-v1",
"image": image_url,
"prompt": "Subtle head movement, natural blinking, gentle smile",
"negative_prompt": "distortion, unnatural movement, glitch",
"duration": 5,
"mode": "pro", # Higher quality for portraits
"cfg_scale": 0.7
},
headers={
"Authorization": f"Bearer {token}",
"Content-Type": "application/json"
}
)
task_id = response.json()["data"]["task_id"]
return poll_task_status(task_id, token, "image2video")
Usage
result = animate_portrait("https://example.com/portrait.jpg", token)
Example 4: Video with Camera Movement
def cinematic_video(prompt: str, camera_motion: str, token: str) -> str: """Generate video with specific camera movement.""" camera_configs = { "epic_reveal": {"zoom": -5, "vertical": 3}, "dramatic_push": {"zoom": 5}, "orbit_subject": {"horizontal": 7, "pan": 3}, "crane_up": {"vertical": 5, "zoom": 2}, "dolly_back": {"zoom": -3, "horizontal": 2} }
config = camera_configs.get(camera_motion, {})
response = requests.post(
"https://api.klingai.com/v1/videos/text2video",
json={
"model_name": "kling-v1-6",
"prompt": prompt,
"duration": 10,
"mode": "pro",
"aspect_ratio": "16:9",
"camera_control": {
"type": "simple",
"config": {
"horizontal": config.get("horizontal", 0),
"vertical": config.get("vertical", 0),
"zoom": config.get("zoom", 0),
"tilt": config.get("tilt", 0),
"pan": config.get("pan", 0),
"roll": config.get("roll", 0)
}
}
},
headers={
"Authorization": f"Bearer {token}",
"Content-Type": "application/json"
}
)
task_id = response.json()["data"]["task_id"]
return poll_task_status(task_id, token)
Usage
video_url = cinematic_video( prompt="Ancient temple emerging from jungle mist", camera_motion="epic_reveal", token=token )
Model Comparison
Video Models
Model Resolution Duration Quality Cost
kling-v1 (std) 720p 5-10s Good $
kling-v1 (pro) 1080p 5-10s Better $$
kling-v1-5 (std) 720p 5-10s Good $
kling-v1-5 (pro) 1080p 5-10s Better $$
kling-v1-6 (std) 720p 5-10s Great $$
kling-v1-6 (pro) 1080p 5-10s Excellent $$$
Image Models
Model Max Resolution Quality
kling-v1
1024x1024 Standard
kling-v1 (2k) 2048x2048 High
Pricing Reference
Feature Standard Mode Pro Mode
5s video ~$0.14 ~$0.49
10s video ~$0.28 ~$0.98
Image ~$0.01
Best practices
-
Prompt quality: Be specific and descriptive. Include style keywords like "cinematic", "photorealistic", "4K"
-
Negative prompts: Always include to avoid common artifacts: "blur, distortion, low quality, watermark"
-
Start with standard mode: Test with std mode first, upgrade to pro for final output
-
Use 5-second videos: More cost-effective for testing; use 10s only when needed
-
Handle rate limits: Implement exponential backoff for retries
-
Cache tokens: Reuse JWT tokens within their validity period (30 min recommended)
-
Webhook for production: Use callback_url instead of polling in production environments
Common pitfalls
-
Token expiration: JWT tokens expire. Regenerate before making requests if expired
-
Prompt length: Text-to-image max 500 chars, text-to-video max 2500 chars
-
Image format: Image-to-video supports JPEG, PNG. Max size varies by model
-
Polling too fast: Don't poll faster than every 5-10 seconds to avoid rate limits
-
Missing negative prompt: Always include to prevent common artifacts
-
Wrong aspect ratio: Match aspect ratio to your use case (16:9 for landscape, 9:16 for portrait)
Error Handling
class KlingAPIError(Exception): pass
def handle_kling_response(response: requests.Response) -> dict: """Handle API response with proper error handling.""" data = response.json()
if response.status_code == 401:
raise KlingAPIError("Authentication failed. Check your credentials.")
elif response.status_code == 429:
raise KlingAPIError("Rate limit exceeded. Wait and retry.")
elif response.status_code >= 400:
error_msg = data.get("message", "Unknown error")
raise KlingAPIError(f"API Error: {error_msg}")
if data.get("code") != 0:
raise KlingAPIError(f"Request failed: {data.get('message')}")
return data
References
-
Kling AI Developer Portal
-
API Documentation
-
Python SDK (Community)
-
Pricing Guide