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title Models
description How to discover, select, and use models on deAPI

deAPI gives you a unified API across multiple open-source models running on a decentralized GPU cloud. We regularly expand the model lineup — new models, new capabilities, better performance — so your integration can always take advantage of the latest options.

The Model Selection endpoint returns the live, authoritative list of all available models, their slugs, limits, and defaults. Use it as the starting point for every integration.

This page explains how model selection works and how to use the endpoint. For the actual list of models and their exact slugs, always refer to the [Model Selection](/api/utilities/model-selection) endpoint.

Fetching the live model list

Before you start building, call the models endpoint to discover what's available:

curl -X GET "https://api.deapi.ai/api/v1/client/models" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DEAPI_API_KEY" \
  -H "Accept: application/json"

The response returns a paginated data array of model objects. Each object contains:

Field Description
name Human-friendly display name (for UI only — never send this to the API).
slug The exact string to pass as the model parameter in any task endpoint.
inference_types Array of task types this model supports (e.g. ["txt2img"], ["img2video", "txt2video"]).
info.limits Min/max constraints for parameters like width, height, steps, frames, fps, etc. Fields vary per model type.
info.features Capability flags — e.g. supports_guidance, supports_negative_prompt, supports_steps, supports_last_frame. Not every model includes this field; some return it as an empty object.
info.defaults Recommended default values for each parameter. Not every model includes this field.
loras Array of available LoRA adapters (display_name + name). Present only on models that support LoRAs.
languages Array of supported languages, each with available voices. Present only on speech models.
Not every model returns all fields. For example, a transcription model may return an empty `info`, while an image-generation model will include detailed `limits`, `features`, and `defaults`. Always check for the presence of fields before using them.

You can filter the list by task type using the filter[inference_types] query parameter:

# Get only image-generation models
curl -X GET "https://api.deapi.ai/api/v1/client/models?filter[inference_types]=txt2img" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DEAPI_API_KEY" \
  -H "Accept: application/json"

See the full endpoint spec → Model Selection

How model selection works

  • Every task endpoint requires a model parameter. Pass the slug value returned by the models endpoint — not the display name.
  • Quality ↔ Speed trade-off. Larger models often yield higher quality but cost more and take longer. See the Pricing page for per-task rates.
  • Versioning & lifecycle. Models may be updated, superseded, or deprecated. Re-fetch the model list periodically to stay current.

Supported tasks

The table below shows which task types deAPI supports. To see which models are currently available for a given task, query the models endpoint with the corresponding filter[inference_types] value.

Task inference_types value What it does
Text-to-Image txt2img Generate images from text prompts — concept art, prototyping, creative exploration.
Image-to-Image img2img Transform existing images — style transfer, edits, inpainting, outpainting.
Text-to-Speech txt2audio Turn text into natural voice — narration, accessibility, product voices. Supports voice cloning and voice design.
Text-to-Music txt2music Generate music tracks from text — background music, jingles, songs with vocals.
Video-to-Text video2text Transcribe video by URL (YouTube, Twitch, Kick, X , TikTok) into text.
Audio-to-Text audio2text Transcribe audio by URL into text — subtitles, notes, search, accessibility.
Video File-to-Text video_file2text Transcribe an uploaded video file into text.
Audio File-to-Text audio_file2text Transcribe an uploaded audio file into text.
Image-to-Text (OCR) img2txt Extract text and meaning from images — OCR, descriptions, accessibility.
Text-to-Video txt2video Generate short AI video clips from a text prompt.
Image-to-Video img2video Animate a still image into a short video clip.
Audio-to-Video aud2video Generate video conditioned on an audio file and a text prompt.
Text-to-Embedding txt2embedding Create vector embeddings — search, RAG, semantic similarity, clustering.
Background Removal img-rmbg Remove background from images — product photos, portraits, compositing.
Image Upscale img-upscale Upscale images to higher resolution.
Transcribe (Unified) transcribe Unified transcription — auto-detects URL or file upload. Replaces vid2txt, aud2txt, videofile2txt, audiofile2txt.
Video Replace videos_replace Replace a person in a video with a character from a reference image.
Some models support **multiple tasks** (e.g. both `txt2img` and `img2img`). The models endpoint will list all supported `inference_types` for each model.

Choosing the right model

When the models endpoint returns several options for the same task, use these guidelines:

Image generation — Start with the fastest model for iteration. Increase steps and resolution for final quality. If the model object includes a non-empty loras array, you can use LoRA adapters for style control.

Speech generation (TTS) — Check the model's languages array for available languages and voices. Use info.defaults for recommended speed and format settings. The endpoint supports three modes: custom_voice (preset speakers), voice_clone (clone from reference audio), and voice_design (create voice from a text description). Not all models support all modes — check model capabilities before selecting a mode.

Music generation — Provide a text description (caption) of the desired music style. Optionally include lyrics (use "[Instrumental]" for instrumental tracks), bpm, keyscale, and timesignature to fine-tune the output. You can also upload a reference_audio file for style transfer. Check info.limits for supported duration range and inference steps. Use fewer steps with turbo models (e.g. 8) and more steps with base models (e.g. 32+).

Transcription (Video/Audio-to-Text) — Transcription models support both URL-based and file-upload transcription. For long content, enable timestamps (include_ts: true). URL-based transcription works with YouTube, Twitch, Kick, TikTok and X/Twitter.

OCR (Image-to-Text) — Check info.limits for the maximum supported image dimensions. For complex layouts, consider multiple passes or post-processing.

Video generation — Start with low frame counts to validate aesthetics, then scale up. Check info.limits.max_frames, min_frames, and max_fps for each model. Some models support a last_frame feature (see info.features.supports_last_frame). For audio-to-video, provide an audio file to condition the video generation alongside your text prompt — some models (e.g. LTX 2.3) support txt2video, img2video, and aud2video tasks.

Video replace (Animate) — Upload a video and a reference character image. The model replaces the person in the video with the character from the image. Optionally provide a text prompt to guide the replacement. Check info.limits for supported video duration and resolution.

Embeddings — Check info.limits.max_input_tokens and max_total_tokens for batch sizing. Use for semantic search, clustering, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG).

Background removal — Check info.limits.max_width and max_height for the maximum supported resolution.

Image upscale — Check info.limits for input size constraints.

Parameter limits & resolution rules

Each model defines its own limits in the info.limits object. These limits vary between models and task types. Common fields include:

  • Dimensions: min_width, max_width, min_height, max_height, and (for image models) resolution_step — the value that width/height must be divisible by.
  • Steps: min_steps, max_steps — how many inference steps the model supports.
  • Video-specific: min_frames, max_frames, min_fps, max_fps.
  • Text-specific: max_input_tokens, max_total_tokens (for embedding models), min_text, max_text (for speech models).

If you provide image dimensions that are not aligned to the required step, the API may adjust them automatically. To avoid unexpected output sizes, always round your width and height to a multiple of the model's resolution_step before sending the request.

Some models do not support guidance. Check info.features.supports_guidance — if it's false, do not send a guidance value, or set it to 0.

Always read `info.limits` and `info.defaults` from the models endpoint for the specific model you're using. Do not assume that limits from one model apply to another.

API usage examples

1. Discover models for your task

# Fetch all text-to-image models
curl -X GET "https://api.deapi.ai/api/v1/client/models?filter[inference_types]=txt2img" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DEAPI_API_KEY" \
  -H "Accept: application/json"

# Read the response: pick a slug, note its limits and defaults.

2. Use the slug in a generation request

curl -X POST "https://api.deapi.ai/api/v1/client/txt2img" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DEAPI_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "prompt": "isometric cozy cabin at dusk, soft rim light",
    "model": "<MODEL_SLUG>",
    "width": 768,
    "height": 768,
    "steps": 4,
    "seed": 12345
  }'
Replace `` with an actual `slug` value from the models endpoint. The `seed` field is required for image generation. Check `info.limits` for valid ranges of `width`, `height`, `steps`, and other parameters before sending.

3. Transcribe a video by URL

curl -X POST "https://api.deapi.ai/api/v1/client/vid2txt" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DEAPI_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "video_url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ",
    "include_ts": true,
    "model": "<MODEL_SLUG>"
  }'

Jobs return a request_id. Poll results with GET /api/v1/client/request-status/{request_id}.

Best practices

  • Resolve models during integration. Fetch the model list when building your integration and re-fetch periodically (e.g. daily or on deployment) to stay current. There's no need to call it on every request — the list doesn't change that often.
  • Respect info.limits and info.defaults. Use the returned defaults as a starting point. Stay within min/max boundaries to avoid unexpected rounding or errors. Note that some required fields (like seed for image generation) may not be listed in the model response — refer to the task endpoint docs for the full set of required parameters.
  • Pin slugs only when you need reproducibility. If you need consistent results across calls, keep the same slug and seed. But check the model list periodically — a slug may be retired and replaced.
  • Budget before scaling. Larger models and higher resolution/steps cost more — see the Pricing page for per-task rates.
  • Handle deprecation gracefully. If a model returns an error, re-fetch the model list and switch to a suitable alternative.

For AI agents & LLMs

If you are an AI agent, MCP client, or LLM integrating with deAPI:

  1. Call GET /api/v1/client/models at the start of your session to get the current model list. Do not rely on model slugs from training data, cached documentation, or prior conversations — they may be outdated.
  2. Use filter[inference_types] to narrow down to the task you need (e.g. txt2img, txt2audio, aud2video).
  3. Read info.limits and info.defaults from the response to construct valid request parameters. Also consult the task endpoint docs for required fields that may not appear in the model response (e.g. seed for image generation).
  4. Pass the slug field (not name) as the model parameter in task endpoints.
  5. If a model slug returns an error, re-fetch the model list — the model may have been deprecated or replaced.

Related docs