The sketch video API

POST a sentence, get a hand-drawn whiteboard explainer. Deterministic CPU rendering — labels, arrows and numbers are always exactly what you asked for. MP4, static SVG, animated SVG.

Get an API key — from $15 Try free in the browser

Base URL: https://api.programmaticsketch.dev · Auth: X-API-Key header · Free watermarked previews: 2/IP/day without a key.

Quickstart

# 1. Submit a render job
curl -X POST https://api.programmaticsketch.dev/v1/render \
  -H "X-API-Key: sk_live_YOUR_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"prompt":"How our onboarding works: sign up, connect data, invite team, go live","format":"mp4"}'
# → {"job_id":"abc123","status":"rendering","poll":"https://api.programmaticsketch.dev/v1/jobs/abc123"}

# 2. Poll until done (~20–60s)
curl https://api.programmaticsketch.dev/v1/jobs/abc123
# → {"status":"done","url":"https://llmsketch.com/renders/abc123.mp4", ...}

# 3. Download
curl -O https://llmsketch.com/renders/abc123.mp4

Endpoints

EndpointAuthBody / paramsReturns
GET / POST/v1/sketchkey or 10/day toolspec (SceneSpec JSON) or prompt; format: svg | png | animated_svg; raw=1 for direct imageCDN image URL + copyable Sketch URL (zero-GPU PIL/SVG)
POST/v1/renderkey or 2/day freeprompt (≤600 chars) or scene; format: mp4 | svg | animated_svg | png; judge (bool)job_id + pre-render judge status (or 422 if rejected before FFmpeg)
POST/v1/draw-and-verifykey or 10/day toolprompt, optional scene, format, auto_repairVerified diagram + judge score + Reverse JEV critique questions
POST/v1/stack-mapkey or 10/day toolraw_text (or docker_ps, nginx_t, systemctl_units), formatModel-free architecture map + unowned/unbacked/failed flags
POST/v1/drift-sketchkey or 10/day toolbefore_text, after_text, formatModel-free diff diagram (+added / ~changed / -removed) + Reverse JEV
POST/v1/problem-sketchkey or 10/day toolproblem, optional reaction / solution_attempt, formatForward-JEV question whiteboard + domain classification
POST/v1/reverse-answerkey or 10/day toolanswer, optional problem, formatReverse-JEV gap audit whiteboard + missing assumptions
GET/v1/jobs/{id}none—status: rendering / done / error, url when done
GET/healthnone—service liveness
GET/v1/pricingnone—plans + credit amounts

Errors: 402 invalid key / no credits · 429 free tier limit (2/day video, 10/day tool) · 422 rejected before FFmpeg · 503 storage gate paused.

SceneSpec — skip the LLM, draw exactly your diagram

Pass scene instead of prompt for full control. 2–4 steps, left-to-right flow:

{
  "title": "How the Fish Wall Works",
  "subtitle": "Your name, your fish, your place on the wall",
  "steps": [
    {"label": "Join",   "detail": "Name + phone, 20 seconds"},
    {"label": "Buy",    "detail": "Pay cash or WhatsApp"},
    {"label": "+1 Tap", "detail": "Staff logs each sandwich"},
    {"label": "Claim",  "detail": "Free at 10/50/100/500"}
  ]
}

Constraints: label ≤ 16 chars, detail ≤ 30 chars, title ≤ 30 chars. Output canvas 1280×720, paper #FCFAF4, ink #1A1A2E, hand-drawn double-pass jittered strokes.

Automation — n8n & Make.com

Ready-to-import templates: turn blog posts, changelogs or product updates into narrated whiteboard shorts on a schedule.

⬇ n8n workflow JSON ⬇ Make.com HTTP template

// Make.com: HTTP module config
URL:    https://api.programmaticsketch.dev/v1/render
Method: POST
Headers: X-API-Key: {{your_key}}  ·  Content-Type: application/json
Body:   {"prompt":"{{blog_post_summary}}","format":"mp4"}
// Then: sleep 45s → GET /v1/jobs/{{job_id}} → download url → post to socials

Plans

PlanPriceCreditsExtras
Credit Pack$15 one-time50, never expireAPI access
Starter$19/mo60/movoiceover + music bed
Pro$49/mo250/mo1080p, custom audio, webhooks
B2B Fast Pack$249 one-time10 custom videosdelivered in 24h

Checkout on llmsketch.com — key appears instantly after payment.

Why deterministic?

Generative video models garble text and misalign arrows. This engine rasterizes real TrueType fonts and exact geometry with a Rough.js-style hand-drawn finish — every label is correct, every render is reproducible, and marginal compute cost is $0 on sovereign CPU. That's how we keep prices flat while video-AI APIs charge per second.

Live Developer Workbench (GPU-Free Tools)

Test all three programmatic endpoints directly against https://api.programmaticsketch.dev. Leave API Key blank for the free tier (10/day).

Pass any SceneSpec JSON — no LLM needed — and get a deterministic URL + hosted image.

Paste output from docker ps, nginx -T, and systemctl list-units. Parsed client/server-side with zero LLM cost; flags unowned services and unbacked domains.

Compare Before vs. After stack snapshots. Highlights +added, ~changed, and -removed nodes plus Reverse JEV questions about unexplained changes.