> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://api-docs.voicecheap.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Import media from a URL for transcription

> Import a direct public HTTPS audio/video URL into your account. Redirects and private networks are refused; file and duration limits apply. Use the resulting fileKey in a generation action.

Import a direct public HTTPS audio/video URL into your account. Redirects and private networks are refused; file and duration limits apply. Use the resulting fileKey in a generation action.

```http theme={null}
POST https://api.voicecheap.ai/v1/actions/tools_upload_import
```

## Authentication and permissions

<ParamField header="x-api-key" type="string" required>
  Send a VoiceCheap API key in this header. Authorization: Bearer with the same API key is also supported. OAuth access tokens are accepted only by
  MCP, not by this REST endpoint.
</ParamField>

Required permissions: `transcription:write`.

An active paid subscription is required. Permissions do not change team roles, resource ownership, media credits, or plan limits.

## Parameters

<ParamField body="url" type="string" required>
  Text value.

  Maximum length: 4096. Format: "uri".
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="filename" type="string">
  Text value.

  Minimum length: 1. Maximum length: 255. Pattern: `^[^/\\\r\n\0]+$`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="kind" type="string" required>
  Text value.

  Allowed values: "transcription", "video\_to\_srt", "add\_subtitles", "animated\_captions", "project".
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="requestId" type="string">
  Optional at the transport boundary: the server injects an identifier before validation when omitted. Supply your own stable UUID v4 to recover safely from a lost response.

  Format: "uuid". Pattern: `^[0-9a-fA-F]{8}-[0-9a-fA-F]{4}-4[0-9a-fA-F]{3}-[89abAB][0-9a-fA-F]{3}-[0-9a-fA-F]{12}$`.
</ParamField>

<Accordion title="Complete input schema">
  The JSON Schema below preserves the exact field names, nested types, defaults, bounds, and accepted values exposed by discovery. Additional cross-field rules are listed in the operation notes.

  ```json theme={null}
  {
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "url": {
        "type": "string",
        "maxLength": 4096,
        "format": "uri"
      },
      "filename": {
        "type": "string",
        "minLength": 1,
        "maxLength": 255,
        "pattern": "^[^/\\\\\\r\\n\\0]+$"
      },
      "kind": {
        "type": "string",
        "enum": ["transcription", "video_to_srt", "add_subtitles", "animated_captions", "project"]
      },
      "requestId": {
        "description": "UUID v4 for this action. Reuse the same ID with identical arguments on retries.",
        "type": "string",
        "format": "uuid",
        "pattern": "^[0-9a-fA-F]{8}-[0-9a-fA-F]{4}-4[0-9a-fA-F]{3}-[89abAB][0-9a-fA-F]{3}-[0-9a-fA-F]{12}$"
      }
    },
    "required": ["url", "kind"],
    "additionalProperties": false
  }
  ```
</Accordion>

## Idempotency

Use a UUID v4 in requestId or the Idempotency-Key HTTP header for each mutation. Reuse the same identifier and identical arguments after a network failure. If both are supplied, they must match. Replaying a saved request does not repeat the operation or charge another monthly call. Failed or interrupted requests are not restarted automatically.

Every mutation can return HTTP 202 when a retry finds the same request still running, even when its first execution is normally synchronous. If execution completed but resultStored is false, a retry returns HTTP 200 with saved request state instead of the original result. Retrieve the output through its domain history, result, or download action.

## Request examples

Replace example resource identifiers and media keys with values returned for your account. Keep the request identifier stable when retrying the same mutation.

<RequestExample>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl --request POST 'https://api.voicecheap.ai/v1/actions/tools_upload_import' \
    --header "x-api-key: $VOICECHEAP_API_KEY" \
    --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    --data '{"url":"https://media.example.com/interview.mp4","filename":"interview.mp4","kind":"transcription","requestId":"13579bdf-2468-4ace-8bdf-0123456789ab"}'
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript theme={null}
  const input = {
    url: 'https://media.example.com/interview.mp4',
    filename: 'interview.mp4',
    kind: 'transcription',
    requestId: '13579bdf-2468-4ace-8bdf-0123456789ab',
  };
  const response = await fetch('https://api.voicecheap.ai/v1/actions/tools_upload_import', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'x-api-key': process.env.VOICECHEAP_API_KEY,
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    },
    body: JSON.stringify(input),
  });
  const body = await response.json();
  if (!response.ok) throw new Error(body.code + ': ' + body.message);
  console.log(body);
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  import os
  import requests

  response = requests.post(
      "https://api.voicecheap.ai/v1/actions/tools_upload_import",
      headers={"x-api-key": os.environ["VOICECHEAP_API_KEY"]},
      json={"url": "https://media.example.com/interview.mp4", "filename": "interview.mp4", "kind": "transcription", "requestId": "13579bdf-2468-4ace-8bdf-0123456789ab"},
      timeout=120,
  )
  body = response.json()
  if not response.ok:
      raise RuntimeError(f"{body.get('code')}: {body.get('message')}")
  print(body)
  ```
</RequestExample>

## Response

This operation returns HTTP 202 while running. Save requestId and poll action\_request\_get with that identifier and the original operation name. Polling states are running, completed, failed, and interrupted. A completed result can point to a separate media job; continue with the operation-specific status or output action.

An imported, actor-owned media reference with validated size, duration, media kind and read URL. This is the completed action output, after polling.

<ResponseExample>
  ```json HTTP 202 theme={null}
  {
    "data": {
      "requestId": "13579bdf-2468-4ace-8bdf-0123456789ab",
      "status": "running",
      "pollAction": "action_request_get",
      "pollAfterSeconds": 5
    },
    "requestId": "13579bdf-2468-4ace-8bdf-0123456789ab"
  }
  ```

  ```json HTTP 200 theme={null}
  {
    "data": {
      "fileKey": "uploads/account-user/a1b2c3d4-e5f6-4789-8abc-def012345678-interview.mp4",
      "fileName": "interview.mp4",
      "fileSize": 1048576,
      "durationSeconds": 60,
      "mimeType": "video/mp4",
      "uploadType": "video",
      "readUrl": "https://media.example.com/uploads/account-user/a1b2c3d4-e5f6-4789-8abc-def012345678-interview.mp4"
    },
    "requestId": "13579bdf-2468-4ace-8bdf-0123456789ab"
  }
  ```

  ```json HTTP 202 replay_running theme={null}
  {
    "data": {
      "requestId": "13579bdf-2468-4ace-8bdf-0123456789ab",
      "operation": "tools_upload_import",
      "createdAt": 1792144800000,
      "updatedAt": 1792144820000,
      "status": "running",
      "pollAfterSeconds": 5
    },
    "requestId": "13579bdf-2468-4ace-8bdf-0123456789ab"
  }
  ```

  ```json HTTP 200 replay_completed_without_result theme={null}
  {
    "data": {
      "requestId": "13579bdf-2468-4ace-8bdf-0123456789ab",
      "operation": "tools_upload_import",
      "createdAt": 1792144800000,
      "updatedAt": 1792144820000,
      "status": "completed",
      "resultStored": false,
      "message": "The action completed. Retrieve its output from the corresponding history or resource action."
    },
    "requestId": "13579bdf-2468-4ace-8bdf-0123456789ab"
  }
  ```
</ResponseExample>

## Result fields

| Field | Description |
| - | - |
| `data.fileKey` | Owned completed reference for the generation action. |
| `data.fileName` | Sanitized imported filename. |
| `data.fileSize` | Downloaded source bytes. |
| `data.durationSeconds` | Probed source duration in seconds. |
| `data.mimeType` | Media MIME type inferred from the supported filename extension. |
| `data.uploadType` | audio or video. |
| `data.readUrl` | Temporary URL to read the imported source; generation uses fileKey. |

## Recover and poll this request

Use the same identifier even after a lost connection. If resultStored is false, retrieve the output through the corresponding history, result, or download action. Never start a second generation merely to check progress.

```bash theme={null}
curl --request POST 'https://api.voicecheap.ai/v1/actions/action_request_get' \
  --header "x-api-key: $VOICECHEAP_API_KEY" \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{"requestId":"13579bdf-2468-4ace-8bdf-0123456789ab","operation":"tools_upload_import"}'
```

```json HTTP 200 theme={null}
{
  "data": {
    "requestId": "13579bdf-2468-4ace-8bdf-0123456789ab",
    "operation": "tools_upload_import",
    "status": "completed",
    "createdAt": 1792144800000,
    "updatedAt": 1792144820000,
    "resultStored": true,
    "result": {
      "fileKey": "uploads/account-user/a1b2c3d4-e5f6-4789-8abc-def012345678-interview.mp4",
      "fileName": "interview.mp4",
      "fileSize": 1048576,
      "durationSeconds": 60,
      "mimeType": "video/mp4",
      "uploadType": "video",
      "readUrl": "https://media.example.com/uploads/account-user/a1b2c3d4-e5f6-4789-8abc-def012345678-interview.mp4"
    }
  }
}
```

## Operation notes

* Requires a paid subscription and the action permission. The actor's personal tool plan is rechecked at execution; saved tools and upload references belong to that actor, including when the credential is associated with a team.
* A successful action uses one shared monthly API/MCP call. Beginner allows 500, Starter 5,000 and Creator 25,000 calls/month; Pro, Scale and Enterprise have no monthly ceiling. Per-minute limits still apply: 30, 60, 120, 180, 300 and 600 respectively. Tool generation allowances are separate.
* Use a UUID v4 requestId, or an identical Idempotency-Key header, and retain the same action, ID and arguments on retries. A cached replay does not use another monthly call.
* The upload prefix selects the required permission. tools uses transcription:write, subtitles uses subtitles:write, projects uses projects:write, and voices uses voices:write.
* For tools, subtitles and projects, kind accepts transcription, video\_to\_srt, add\_subtitles, animated\_captions or project. The selected kind determines the workflow limits; the prefix does not force a kind.
* The chosen kind applies its own limits: transcription 200 MiB; video\_to\_srt and add\_subtitles 300 MiB; animated\_captions 250 MiB and audio only; project uses the plan upload limit (Beginner 5 GiB, Starter 10 GiB, Creator 20 GiB, Pro 30 GiB, Scale 40 GiB, Enterprise 60 GiB). Standalone media is at most 2 hours. Captions allow 30 minutes on Beginner and 60 minutes on higher public plans, plus a 2-second container tolerance. Project duration is at most 2 hours, or 3 hours on Enterprise.
* This action runs asynchronously. Poll action\_request\_get with its operation name and original requestId until completion before taking fileKey from the result.
* Use a direct public HTTPS audio/video file URL. Redirects, credentials, fragments, non-443 ports and nonpublic DNS addresses are rejected. A YouTube watch page is not a direct media URL; use the dedicated YouTube actions.
* filename is optional when the URL path ends with a supported media filename. The saved filename is sanitized. The server probes the actual duration before returning a fileKey.
* Importing prepares media and consumes one successful monthly integration call; the daily tool generation allowance is consumed only by the subsequent generation.

## Usage

Each successful invocation consumes one monthly API/MCP call. Media credits and the operation's own generation allowances also apply.

## Errors

| HTTP status | Code | Meaning or recovery |
| - | - | - |
| 400 | `CREDENTIAL_IN_QUERY` | Credentials were supplied in an access\_token or api\_key query parameter. Send credentials in headers. |
| 400 | `EMPTY_MEDIA` | The direct media URL returned an empty body. |
| 400 | `FILE_TOO_LARGE` | The declared or downloaded source exceeds the chosen kind's upload limit. |
| 400 | `IDEMPOTENCY_CONFLICT` | The header and body request IDs differ. |
| 400 | `INVALID_FILE_TYPE` | The supplied or URL-derived filename lacks a supported extension for the chosen kind. |
| 400 | `INVALID_MEDIA_DURATION` | The downloaded media duration cannot be probed or exceeds the chosen kind's plan limit. |
| 400 | `INVALID_MEDIA_TYPE` | The response content type is not audio, video, application/ogg or application/octet-stream. |
| 400 | `INVALID_MEDIA_URL` | Use a direct HTTPS URL without user credentials, fragments or a non-443 port; provide a valid media filename. |
| 400 | `INVALID_REQUEST_ID` | requestId or Idempotency-Key is not a UUID v4. |
| 400 | `MEDIA_DOWNLOAD_REFUSED` | The direct download did not return HTTP 200. Redirects are refused. |
| 400 | `MEDIA_IMPORT_FAILED` | The source could not be downloaded, probed or saved; check its public URL and media format. |
| 400 | `MEDIA_URL_NOT_PUBLIC` | The hostname cannot be resolved, or at least one resolved address is private or otherwise nonpublic. |
| 400 | `VALIDATION_ERROR` | Arguments do not satisfy the action schema, or an unknown argument was supplied. |
| 401 | `API_KEY_EXPIRED` | The API key has expired. |
| 401 | `INVALID_API_KEY` | Provide a valid, unexpired API key. |
| 401 | `INVALID_CREDENTIAL` | The Authorization header is malformed or conflicts with x-api-key. |
| 401 | `MISSING_CREDENTIAL` | No usable header credential was supplied, or it exceeded 4096 characters. |
| 401 | `USER_NOT_FOUND` | The credential's account no longer exists. |
| 403 | `ACCOUNT_UNAVAILABLE` | The acting or billing account is unavailable or being deleted. |
| 403 | `AMBIGUOUS_TEAM_API_KEY` | The credential's user belongs to more than one team, so the billing context is ambiguous. |
| 403 | `INSUFFICIENT_SCOPE` | The API key or MCP connection lacks the required action permission. |
| 403 | `INTEGRATION_PLAN_UNSUPPORTED` | The account's integration limits could not be verified. |
| 403 | `PAID_SUBSCRIPTION_REQUIRED` | The authenticated actor no longer has a paid subscription when this tool action executes. |
| 403 | `SUBSCRIPTION_REQUIRED` | Use an active paid subscription. |
| 403 | `TEAM_OWNER_NOT_FOUND` | The effective team owner account could not be found. |
| 409 | `CONCURRENT_ACTION_LIMIT_REACHED` | This account already has 10 integration actions running. Poll an existing request before starting another. |
| 409 | `IDEMPOTENCY_CONFLICT` | Reuse an identifier only with the same operation and arguments. |
| 429 | `INTEGRATION_MONTHLY_LIMIT_REACHED` | Used and pending calls have reached the shared monthly API/MCP allowance. |
| 429 | `INTEGRATION_RATE_LIMIT_REACHED` | The account has reached its per-minute integration limit; inspect retryAfterSeconds. |
| 500 | `INTERNAL_ERROR` | Check saved request state and resource history before deciding to retry a mutation. |
| 503 | `ACTION_RESULT_UNAVAILABLE` | The action ran but request-result persistence could not be confirmed. Poll the same action and requestId and inspect resource history before starting another write. |
| 503 | `SERVER_RESTARTING` | The server is restarting. Retry shortly and keep the same request identifier for a mutation. |

```json theme={null}
{
  "code": "INSUFFICIENT_SCOPE",
  "message": "This credential does not permit the requested action.",
  "status": 403,
  "details": {
    "requiredScopes": ["transcription:write"]
  }
}
```


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