Adobe Express API FAQ

Answers to the most common questions about the Adobe Express API. If you don't see your question here, contact support.

Access and onboarding

How do I request access?

Fill out the Express API Beta Access Request Form. If you're already a Firefly Services customer and your administrator has provisioned you, you can create your credentials in the Adobe Developer Console.

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If you create credentials in the Developer Console before filling out the form, we'll reach out so you can complete it.

Will Adobe need to approve my integration?

The beta program is only available for testing and evaluation of the APIs. Do not use output from the API for commercial purposes or deploy projects using the beta APIs to production.

I participated in the Express API Alpha— what do I need to do to access the Express API Beta?

The private alpha endpoints will remain active during a brief deprecation period—you should move to the beta APIs as soon as is feasible. If you have existing API credentials, we will be reaching out to the email used to create the credentials to communicate a deadline. If you are an Alpha customer that does not have access to Firefly Services, please reach out to us to let us know.

Can I request a higher rate limit?

Yes. Contact your account manager or fill out the Express API Rate Limit Increase Form, and we'll evaluate your request. See Rate Limits for current defaults.

How do I use the Adobe Express API?

First, get your API key and access token. Then send requests to the API endpoints using the appropriate HTTP methods and parameters. See the Getting Started guide for step-by-step instructions.

About the API

What is the Adobe Express API?

The Adobe Express API is a set of RESTful APIs that let you interact with Adobe Express programmatically. Adobe Express is a web-based design tool for creating professional-quality graphics, videos, and web pages. The API provides endpoints for creating, updating, and managing documents, and for retrieving information about tagged elements.

What use cases does the Adobe Express API support?

The Adobe Express API supports a wide range of use cases, including:

Retrieving information about tagged elements within documents.
Exporting document renditions in different formats.
Generating variations of existing documents.
Managing and updating documents programmatically.
Automating document creation and editing workflows.
Integrating Adobe Express with other applications and services.

What are the key features of the Adobe Express API?

The key features of the Adobe Express (beta) API are:

Get details of a tagged document
Get all tagged documents
Generate variation
Export rendition
Get Job Status: Check the status of a job submitted to the Adobe Express API. The response includes the job's current status and any error messages from processing.

Renditions and exports

What formats can I export?

The Export Rendition API supports JPG, PNG, and MP4 formats. Pass a document ID, and you'll get a pre-signed URL for each page rendition along with a status URL to track progress.

Image URLs are valid for 4 hours, with sizes up to 8192px.
Video URLs are valid for 24 hours, with sizes up to 4096px.

What's the maximum supported size for renditions?

Image renditions max out at 8192px, and video renditions at 4096px. Requests above these limits return an error.

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Rendition size is capped at the original document dimensions. Image renditions can be specified up to 8192px on the longest side, with aspect ratio maintained.
Renditions can be downscaled but not upscaled. For example, with a 1024 x 1024 document, renditions from 1 x 1 up to 1024 x 1024 are supported—any size value over 1024 produces a 1024 x 1024 output.

How long are pre-signed rendition URLs valid?

Image rendition URLs (renditionUrl) are valid for 4 hours. Video rendition URLs are valid for 24 hours. Download or consume the rendition within that window.

How long are thumbnail URLs valid for generating variations?

Thumbnail URLs returned in the Generate Variation response are valid for 24 hours. Download or consume them within that window.

Documents and storage

How long are generated documents stored?

Generated documents are stored in an Express API Documents folder for 30 days, after which they're deleted automatically. To keep a document longer, move or copy it to another location within the 30-day window.

What is a document URN?

A document URN (Uniform Resource Name) is a unique, persistent identifier for a digital document. It stays valid even if the document's location or access method changes.

What storage options are supported for tag mappings?

The tagMappings field supports pre-signed URLs from AWS, Dropbox, and Azure (windows.net). An example tag mapping looks like this:

{
  "tagMappings":
    {
      "imageTag": "PRE-SIGNED URL",
      "textTag": "Hello World",
      "videoTag": "PRE-SIGNED VIDEO URL"
    }
}

Troubleshooting

Why does `/beta/tagged-documents` return an empty array?

If you're getting an empty array from the tagged documents API, check that you've saved your changes after tagging the elements in your document.