curl --request POST \
--url https://api.tella.com/v1/motion/documents \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer <token>' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '
{
"name": "Lower third",
"height": 3848,
"videoId": "vid_abc123",
"width": 3848
}
'import requests
url = "https://api.tella.com/v1/motion/documents"
payload = {
"name": "Lower third",
"height": 3848,
"videoId": "vid_abc123",
"width": 3848
}
headers = {
"Authorization": "Bearer <token>",
"Content-Type": "application/json"
}
response = requests.post(url, json=payload, headers=headers)
print(response.text)const options = {
method: 'POST',
headers: {Authorization: 'Bearer <token>', 'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
body: JSON.stringify({name: 'Lower third', height: 3848, videoId: 'vid_abc123', width: 3848})
};
fetch('https://api.tella.com/v1/motion/documents', options)
.then(res => res.json())
.then(res => console.log(res))
.catch(err => console.error(err));<?php
$curl = curl_init();
curl_setopt_array($curl, [
CURLOPT_URL => "https://api.tella.com/v1/motion/documents",
CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
CURLOPT_ENCODING => "",
CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS => 10,
CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 30,
CURLOPT_HTTP_VERSION => CURL_HTTP_VERSION_1_1,
CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => "POST",
CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => json_encode([
'name' => 'Lower third',
'height' => 3848,
'videoId' => 'vid_abc123',
'width' => 3848
]),
CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
"Authorization: Bearer <token>",
"Content-Type: application/json"
],
]);
$response = curl_exec($curl);
$err = curl_error($curl);
curl_close($curl);
if ($err) {
echo "cURL Error #:" . $err;
} else {
echo $response;
}package main
import (
"fmt"
"strings"
"net/http"
"io"
)
func main() {
url := "https://api.tella.com/v1/motion/documents"
payload := strings.NewReader("{\n \"name\": \"Lower third\",\n \"height\": 3848,\n \"videoId\": \"vid_abc123\",\n \"width\": 3848\n}")
req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", url, payload)
req.Header.Add("Authorization", "Bearer <token>")
req.Header.Add("Content-Type", "application/json")
res, _ := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
defer res.Body.Close()
body, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
fmt.Println(string(body))
}HttpResponse<String> response = Unirest.post("https://api.tella.com/v1/motion/documents")
.header("Authorization", "Bearer <token>")
.header("Content-Type", "application/json")
.body("{\n \"name\": \"Lower third\",\n \"height\": 3848,\n \"videoId\": \"vid_abc123\",\n \"width\": 3848\n}")
.asString();require 'uri'
require 'net/http'
url = URI("https://api.tella.com/v1/motion/documents")
http = Net::HTTP.new(url.host, url.port)
http.use_ssl = true
request = Net::HTTP::Post.new(url)
request["Authorization"] = 'Bearer <token>'
request["Content-Type"] = 'application/json'
request.body = "{\n \"name\": \"Lower third\",\n \"height\": 3848,\n \"videoId\": \"vid_abc123\",\n \"width\": 3848\n}"
response = http.request(request)
puts response.read_body{
"document": {
"createdAt": "2026-10-22T10:00:00.000Z",
"id": "ffd_abc123",
"name": "Lower third",
"ownerID": "vid_abc123",
"scope": "story",
"sceneID": "<string>"
}
}{
"docsUrl": "https://docs.tella.com/",
"error": "bad_request",
"message": "The request was malformed or contained invalid parameters."
}{
"docsUrl": "https://docs.tella.com/",
"error": "unauthorized",
"message": "Authentication is required. Provide a valid API key."
}{
"docsUrl": "https://docs.tella.com/",
"error": "forbidden",
"message": "You don't have permission to access this resource."
}{
"docsUrl": "https://docs.tella.com/",
"error": "not_found",
"message": "The requested resource was not found."
}{
"docsUrl": "https://docs.tella.com/",
"error": "conflict",
"message": "The request conflicts with the resource's current state, e.g. an Idempotency-Key whose first request is still in progress. Retry once it settles."
}{
"docsUrl": "https://docs.tella.com/",
"error": "rate_limited",
"message": "You have exceeded the rate limit. Please slow down."
}{
"docsUrl": "https://docs.tella.com/",
"error": "server_error",
"message": "An unexpected error occurred"
}{
"docsUrl": "https://docs.tella.com/",
"error": "not_implemented",
"message": "The requested operation is not implemented."
}{
"docsUrl": "https://docs.tella.com/",
"error": "unavailable",
"message": "A dependency was unavailable and the request was not executed. Safe to resend unchanged after the Retry-After delay."
}Create a Tella Motion document
Creates a blank document, 10 s long (the canvas.set op changes that). With videoId it is the video’s, as large as the video unless sized, for an overlay or b-roll you build in place. Without it the document is yours and in no video yet (1920×1080 unless sized); the first video it is placed in takes it over. Edit it with POST /v1/motion/documents/{id}/commands, then show it with POST /v1/videos/{id}/clips/{clipId}/overlays (motionDocumentId) or a layout’s media: {type: "motion", documentId}. It plays there live, so later edits show in the video as you make them.
curl --request POST \
--url https://api.tella.com/v1/motion/documents \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer <token>' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '
{
"name": "Lower third",
"height": 3848,
"videoId": "vid_abc123",
"width": 3848
}
'import requests
url = "https://api.tella.com/v1/motion/documents"
payload = {
"name": "Lower third",
"height": 3848,
"videoId": "vid_abc123",
"width": 3848
}
headers = {
"Authorization": "Bearer <token>",
"Content-Type": "application/json"
}
response = requests.post(url, json=payload, headers=headers)
print(response.text)const options = {
method: 'POST',
headers: {Authorization: 'Bearer <token>', 'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
body: JSON.stringify({name: 'Lower third', height: 3848, videoId: 'vid_abc123', width: 3848})
};
fetch('https://api.tella.com/v1/motion/documents', options)
.then(res => res.json())
.then(res => console.log(res))
.catch(err => console.error(err));<?php
$curl = curl_init();
curl_setopt_array($curl, [
CURLOPT_URL => "https://api.tella.com/v1/motion/documents",
CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
CURLOPT_ENCODING => "",
CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS => 10,
CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 30,
CURLOPT_HTTP_VERSION => CURL_HTTP_VERSION_1_1,
CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => "POST",
CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => json_encode([
'name' => 'Lower third',
'height' => 3848,
'videoId' => 'vid_abc123',
'width' => 3848
]),
CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
"Authorization: Bearer <token>",
"Content-Type: application/json"
],
]);
$response = curl_exec($curl);
$err = curl_error($curl);
curl_close($curl);
if ($err) {
echo "cURL Error #:" . $err;
} else {
echo $response;
}package main
import (
"fmt"
"strings"
"net/http"
"io"
)
func main() {
url := "https://api.tella.com/v1/motion/documents"
payload := strings.NewReader("{\n \"name\": \"Lower third\",\n \"height\": 3848,\n \"videoId\": \"vid_abc123\",\n \"width\": 3848\n}")
req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", url, payload)
req.Header.Add("Authorization", "Bearer <token>")
req.Header.Add("Content-Type", "application/json")
res, _ := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
defer res.Body.Close()
body, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
fmt.Println(string(body))
}HttpResponse<String> response = Unirest.post("https://api.tella.com/v1/motion/documents")
.header("Authorization", "Bearer <token>")
.header("Content-Type", "application/json")
.body("{\n \"name\": \"Lower third\",\n \"height\": 3848,\n \"videoId\": \"vid_abc123\",\n \"width\": 3848\n}")
.asString();require 'uri'
require 'net/http'
url = URI("https://api.tella.com/v1/motion/documents")
http = Net::HTTP.new(url.host, url.port)
http.use_ssl = true
request = Net::HTTP::Post.new(url)
request["Authorization"] = 'Bearer <token>'
request["Content-Type"] = 'application/json'
request.body = "{\n \"name\": \"Lower third\",\n \"height\": 3848,\n \"videoId\": \"vid_abc123\",\n \"width\": 3848\n}"
response = http.request(request)
puts response.read_body{
"document": {
"createdAt": "2026-10-22T10:00:00.000Z",
"id": "ffd_abc123",
"name": "Lower third",
"ownerID": "vid_abc123",
"scope": "story",
"sceneID": "<string>"
}
}{
"docsUrl": "https://docs.tella.com/",
"error": "bad_request",
"message": "The request was malformed or contained invalid parameters."
}{
"docsUrl": "https://docs.tella.com/",
"error": "unauthorized",
"message": "Authentication is required. Provide a valid API key."
}{
"docsUrl": "https://docs.tella.com/",
"error": "forbidden",
"message": "You don't have permission to access this resource."
}{
"docsUrl": "https://docs.tella.com/",
"error": "not_found",
"message": "The requested resource was not found."
}{
"docsUrl": "https://docs.tella.com/",
"error": "conflict",
"message": "The request conflicts with the resource's current state, e.g. an Idempotency-Key whose first request is still in progress. Retry once it settles."
}{
"docsUrl": "https://docs.tella.com/",
"error": "rate_limited",
"message": "You have exceeded the rate limit. Please slow down."
}{
"docsUrl": "https://docs.tella.com/",
"error": "server_error",
"message": "An unexpected error occurred"
}{
"docsUrl": "https://docs.tella.com/",
"error": "not_implemented",
"message": "The requested operation is not implemented."
}{
"docsUrl": "https://docs.tella.com/",
"error": "unavailable",
"message": "A dependency was unavailable and the request was not executed. Safe to resend unchanged after the Retry-After delay."
}Authorizations
API key obtained from your Tella account settings
Body
A blank document, owned by a video for an overlay or b-roll you build in place, or by you until a video takes it over. It is not put in the media library. Its canvas is 10 s long until a canvas.set op changes it.
What it shows.
1"Lower third"
Canvas height in pixels. Defaults to the video's, or 1080 without a video.
16 <= x <= 7680The video (vid_…) that owns the document. Leave it out for one of your own that no video plays yet: the first video it is placed in takes it over.
"vid_abc123"
Canvas width in pixels. Defaults to the video's, or 1920 without a video.
16 <= x <= 7680Response
Created
A Tella Motion document
A Tella Motion document: a render timeline (a tree of media, sound, text, shape, sequence and composition nodes) that a Tella Motion clip, overlay or b-roll plays live, so edits show in the video at once.
Hide child attributes
Hide child attributes
"2026-10-22T10:00:00.000Z"
Document ID
"ffd_abc123"
"Lower third"
The owner's ID: the video's, for story documents; yours, for user documents.
"vid_abc123"
Who owns the document: story for a video's own documents (its Tella Motion clips, overlays and b-roll), user for one of yours that no video plays yet.
"story"
The clip that plays this document, when it is a Tella Motion clip's. Absent for overlays and b-roll.
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