cURL · Virtual Try-On API
Virtual Try-On API with cURL
The fastest way to understand any API is to call it from the shell. Photta's docs are cURL-first by design — everything on this page runs in a single terminal, no Node or Python required.
In one sentence
Export `PHOTTA_API_KEY`, POST to `https://ai.photta.app/api/v1/tryon/apparel` with the right JSON body, capture the generation ID, then loop `curl … /tryon/apparel/:id` every 3 seconds until `data.status` flips to `completed` — typically within 1.5 to 4 minutes. Pair with `jq` to extract the output URL from the final response.
Updated · 2026-04-19
Your first request
# Submit a try-on job. The API returns 202 Accepted + a generation ID.
JOB=$(curl -s -X POST "$PHOTTA_BASE_URL/tryon/apparel" \
-H "$AUTH_HEADER" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"product_type": "dress",
"product_images": ["https://example.com/dress.jpg"],
"mannequin_id": "mnq_athena_ts",
"pose_id": "pose_standing_front",
"resolution": "2K",
"aspect_ratio": "3:4"
}')
ID=$(echo "$JOB" | jq -r '.data.id')
echo "Generation $ID queued"
# Poll every 3 seconds until the job completes (max 6 minutes).
for i in $(seq 1 120); do
RESULT=$(curl -s "$PHOTTA_BASE_URL/tryon/apparel/$ID" -H "$AUTH_HEADER")
STATUS=$(echo "$RESULT" | jq -r '.data.status')
if [ "$STATUS" = "completed" ]; then
echo "$RESULT" | jq -r '.data.output_url'
break
fi
if [ "$STATUS" = "failed" ]; then
echo "$RESULT" | jq -r '.data.error_message' >&2
exit 1
fi
sleep 3
doneWhat to expect
Typical completion
1–3min
2K / 4K credits
4 / 6
Styles
2
Batch-ready
yes
How it works
Virtual Try-On API with cURL
Five shell steps, zero dependencies beyond curl and jq.
- 01
Step 1
Sign up and generate a key
Head to ai.photta.app, open the Developers tab, click Generate API key. Live keys start with `photta_live_`.
- 02
Step 2
Export the key
Put `export PHOTTA_API_KEY="photta_live_xxx"` in your shell profile or a `.envrc` file so every subsequent curl call picks it up automatically.
- 03
Step 3
Pin the base URL
`export PHOTTA_BASE_URL="https://ai.photta.app/api/v1"` keeps the curl commands short and makes it easy to swap in a sandbox URL once one ships.
- 04
Step 4
Submit and poll
POST to `$PHOTTA_BASE_URL/tryon/apparel` to get an ID, then loop `curl $PHOTTA_BASE_URL/tryon/apparel/$ID` every 3 seconds. Pipe the response to jq to extract `.data.status` cleanly.
- 05
Step 5
Persist the result
When the job completes, pull `.data.output_url` out with jq and `curl -o` the bytes into local storage — ready for your next pipeline step.
Code, end to end
Copy, paste, done.
Four snippets — install prerequisites, wrap the REST call, submit + poll, then handle the errors that actually happen in production.
# Verify curl is available
curl --version
# Export your API key so the rest of the calls can reference it
export PHOTTA_API_KEY="photta_live_xxxxx"# Pin the base URL in a shell variable so every call is a one-liner.
export PHOTTA_BASE_URL="https://ai.photta.app/api/v1"
# Reusable auth header — every request needs it.
AUTH_HEADER="Authorization: Bearer $PHOTTA_API_KEY"# Submit a try-on job. The API returns 202 Accepted + a generation ID.
JOB=$(curl -s -X POST "$PHOTTA_BASE_URL/tryon/apparel" \
-H "$AUTH_HEADER" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"product_type": "dress",
"product_images": ["https://example.com/dress.jpg"],
"mannequin_id": "mnq_athena_ts",
"pose_id": "pose_standing_front",
"resolution": "2K",
"aspect_ratio": "3:4"
}')
ID=$(echo "$JOB" | jq -r '.data.id')
echo "Generation $ID queued"
# Poll every 3 seconds until the job completes (max 6 minutes).
for i in $(seq 1 120); do
RESULT=$(curl -s "$PHOTTA_BASE_URL/tryon/apparel/$ID" -H "$AUTH_HEADER")
STATUS=$(echo "$RESULT" | jq -r '.data.status')
if [ "$STATUS" = "completed" ]; then
echo "$RESULT" | jq -r '.data.output_url'
break
fi
if [ "$STATUS" = "failed" ]; then
echo "$RESULT" | jq -r '.data.error_message' >&2
exit 1
fi
sleep 3
done# -w pulls out the HTTP status without polluting the JSON body.
RESPONSE=$(curl -s -w "\n%{http_code}" -X POST "$PHOTTA_BASE_URL/tryon/apparel" \
-H "$AUTH_HEADER" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{ "product_type": "dress" }')
BODY=$(echo "$RESPONSE" | sed '$d')
STATUS=$(echo "$RESPONSE" | tail -1)
case "$STATUS" in
200|202)
echo "$BODY" | jq '.data' ;;
402)
echo "Out of credits" ; echo "$BODY" | jq '.error' ;;
429)
RETRY=$(echo "$BODY" | jq -r '.error.retry_after')
echo "Rate limited — retry in ${RETRY}s" ;;
*)
echo "Error $STATUS" ; echo "$BODY" | jq '.error' ;;
esacWhy this shape
Why cURL is still the fastest way to verify an API
- Zero install — cURL ships with every major OS
- Pairs with `jq` for scripted pipelines (CI, cron, bash hooks)
- Ideal for smoke-testing endpoints before wiring them into code
- All code in this page copy-pastes into any POSIX shell
What it doesn't do
Honest caveats
- cURL's polling loop blocks your terminal — move to Node/Python for parallel workers
- No streaming parser for the result; you fetch the final URL when the job is done
- Windows Command Prompt users should run WSL or PowerShell's curl.exe wrapper
Questions other developers ask
Questions other developers ask
Is there a Photta CLI tool?+
Not yet — but cURL plus a fifteen-line bash wrapper gets you most of the way. The docs prioritise cURL-first examples because every language can run a subprocess, and the shell is the common denominator in CI pipelines.
Do I need jq to use the API?+
Not strictly — but scripted pipelines are much easier with it. jq lets you pull `.data.id`, `.data.status` and `.data.output_url` out of the JSON response without parsing it by hand. Install with `brew install jq` on macOS or `apt install jq` on Debian/Ubuntu.
How do I authenticate with curl?+
Add `-H "Authorization: Bearer $PHOTTA_API_KEY"` to every request. Keep the key in an env var, never inline it in a script you commit. `curl --oauth2-bearer` also works but the explicit header form is clearer in docs and logs.
Can I use curl-based scripts in production?+
For one-off batch backfills and cron jobs, yes — thousands of teams ship catalog backfills this way. For a long-lived application, a real language is usually better because you get proper error handling, retries, and observability. The curl examples on this page stay accurate even after you port to Node or Python; the request shape is the same.
How do I poll from a bash loop?+
Use `for i in $(seq 1 120); do … ; sleep 3; done` with the status check in the loop body. Break out when `.data.status` is `completed` or `failed`. The code sample on this page shows the exact pattern, including a hard upper bound so a stuck job can't hang the script forever.
How do I read error responses in curl?+
Use `curl -w "\n%{http_code}"` to capture the HTTP status code alongside the JSON body. Branch on the status: 402 for insufficient credits, 429 for rate limits (honour the Retry-After value), 5xx for transient server errors. The error body always has an `error.code` and `error.message` field.
cURL · Virtual Try-On API
Create an account and get an API key
Export `PHOTTA_API_KEY`, POST to `https://ai.photta.app/api/v1/tryon/apparel` with the right JSON body, capture the generation ID, then loop `curl … /tryon/apparel/:id` every 3 seconds until `data.status` flips to `completed` — typically within 1.5 to 4 minutes. Pair with `jq` to extract the output URL from the final response.