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Avatar Video
Create AI avatar videos with full control over avatars, voices, scripts, scenes, and backgrounds. Build single or multi-scene videos with exact configuration using HeyGen's /v2/video/generate API.
Authentication
All requests require the X-Api-Key header. Set the HEYGEN_API_KEY environment variable.
curl -X GET "https://api.heygen.com/v2/avatars" \
-H "X-Api-Key: $HEYGEN_API_KEY"
Tool Selection
If HeyGen MCP tools are available (mcp__heygen__*), prefer them over direct HTTP API calls — they handle authentication and request formatting automatically.
| Task | MCP Tool | Fallback (Direct API) |
|---|
| Check video status / get URL | mcp__heygen__get_video | GET /v2/videos/{video_id} |
| List account videos | mcp__heygen__list_videos | GET /v2/videos |
| Delete a video | mcp__heygen__delete_video | DELETE /v2/videos/{video_id} |
Video generation (POST /v2/video/generate) and avatar/voice listing are done via direct API calls — see reference files below.
Default Workflow
- List avatars —
GET /v2/avatars → pick an avatar, preview it, note avatar_id and default_voice_id. See avatars.md
- List voices (if needed) —
GET /v2/voices → pick a voice matching the avatar's gender/language. See voices.md
- Write the script — Structure scenes with one concept each. See scripts.md
- Generate the video —
POST /v2/video/generate with avatar, voice, script, and background per scene. See video-generation.md
- Poll for completion —
GET /v2/videos/{video_id} until status is . See
Quick Reference
When to Use This Skill vs Create Video
This skill is for precise control — you choose the avatar, write the exact script, configure each scene.
If the user just wants to describe a video idea and let AI handle the rest (script, avatar, visuals), use the create-video skill instead.
| User Says | Create Video Skill | This Skill |
|---|
| "Make me a video about X" | ✓ | |
| "Create a product demo" | ✓ | |
| "I want avatar Y to say exactly Z" | | ✓ |
| "Multi-scene video with different backgrounds" | | ✓ |
| "Transparent WebM for compositing" | | ✓ |
| "Use this specific voice for my script" | | ✓ |
| "Batch generate videos with exact specs" | | ✓ |
Reference Files
Core Video Creation
- references/avatars.md - Listing avatars, styles, avatar_id selection
- references/voices.md - Listing voices, locales, speed/pitch
- references/scripts.md - Writing scripts, pauses, pacing
- references/video-generation.md - POST /v2/video/generate and multi-scene videos
Video Customization
- references/backgrounds.md - Solid colors, images, video backgrounds
- references/text-overlays.md - Adding text with fonts and positioning
- references/captions.md - Auto-generated captions and subtitles
Advanced Features
- references/templates.md - Template listing and variable replacement
- references/photo-avatars.md - Creating avatars from photos
- references/webhooks.md - Webhook endpoints and events
Integration
- references/remotion-integration.md - Using HeyGen in Remotion compositions
Foundation
- references/video-status.md - Polling patterns and download URLs
- references/assets.md - Uploading images, videos, audio
- references/dimensions.md - Resolution and aspect ratios
- references/quota.md - Credit system and usage limits
Best Practices
- Preview avatars before generating — Download
preview_image_url so the user can see the avatar before committing
- Use avatar's default voice — Most avatars have a
default_voice_id pre-matched for natural results
- Fallback: match gender manually — If no default voice, ensure avatar and voice genders match
- Use test mode for development — Set
test: true to avoid consuming credits (output will be watermarked)
- Set generous timeouts — Video generation often takes 5-15 minutes, sometimes longer
- Validate inputs — Check avatar and voice IDs exist before generating
Weekly Installs
290
Repository
heygen-com/skills
GitHub Stars
91
First Seen
10 days ago
Security Audits
Gen Agent Trust HubPassSocketPassSnykPass
Installed on
claude-code276
codex44
github-copilot42
gemini-cli42
kimi-cli42
amp42
