> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://heygen-1fa696a7.mintlify.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Social Media Content Pipeline
> Automate social media video creation end-to-end. Use the HeyGen API to convert posts, articles, and product feeds into avatar videos sized for every platform.
## Examples
These were generated with Video Agent from a text prompt — no camera, no editing, no mic.
## The Problem
Creating consistent social media video content requires a camera, microphone, editing skills, and hours of time per video. Most teams can't keep up with the pace platforms demand — daily or weekly posts across TikTok, Reels, and Shorts.
## How It Works
```
Choose topics → Write prompts → Batch generate videos → Post
```
You define the topics and tone. Video Agent handles avatar selection, scripting, visuals, and rendering. Generate a week's worth of content in one run.
## Build It
You can source topics manually, from trending data, or from audience research. Here's an example batch of 5 topics for a SaaS marketing account:
```python theme={null}
topics = [
"Why your onboarding flow is losing users in the first 60 seconds",
"The 3 metrics every SaaS founder checks before coffee",
"Stop building features nobody asked for — do this instead",
"Your pricing page is broken and here's the proof",
"The hiring mistake that kills startups faster than bad code",
]
```
**Use an LLM for topic research.** Ask Claude or ChatGPT: "Give me 10 trending topics in \[your niche] that would perform well as 30-second TikToks." You can also use web search APIs to find what's trending right now.
Short-form video has a specific structure: **hook → content → CTA**, all in under 60 seconds. Your prompts should reflect this.
```python theme={null}
def build_prompt(topic):
return f"""Create a 30-second vertical video (portrait orientation) for TikTok/Reels.
Topic: {topic}
Structure:
- Hook (0-5s): Open with a bold, scroll-stopping statement or question.
- Content (5-25s): Deliver 2-3 punchy insights. Fast pacing, one idea
every 5-7 seconds. Use text overlays for key points.
- CTA (25-30s): End with a clear call-to-action.
Tone: Casual and energetic, like talking to a friend who's also in the industry.
Orientation: portrait.
"""
prompts = [build_prompt(t) for t in topics]
```
See [Prompt Engineering](/cookbook/patterns/prompt-engineering) for more techniques — especially the scene-by-scene structure for longer videos.
Submit all videos to Video Agent. Space them out to respect [rate limits](/docs/pricing).
```python theme={null}
import requests
import time
HEYGEN_API_KEY = "your-api-key"
video_ids = []
for i, prompt in enumerate(prompts):
resp = requests.post(
"https://api.heygen.com/v3/video-agents",
headers={
"X-Api-Key": HEYGEN_API_KEY,
"Content-Type": "application/json",
},
json={
"prompt": prompt,
"orientation": "portrait",
},
)
data = resp.json()["data"]
video_ids.append(data["video_id"])
print(f"[{i+1}/{len(prompts)}] Submitted: {data['video_id']}")
# Wait between submissions to avoid rate limits
if i < len(prompts) - 1:
time.sleep(5)
print(f"\nAll {len(video_ids)} videos submitted.")
```
Wait for all videos to finish rendering.
```python theme={null}
import time
def poll_videos(video_ids):
results = {}
pending = set(video_ids)
while pending:
for vid in list(pending):
resp = requests.get(
f"https://api.heygen.com/v3/videos/{vid}",
headers={"X-Api-Key": HEYGEN_API_KEY},
)
data = resp.json()["data"]
if data["status"] == "completed":
results[vid] = data["video_url"]
pending.discard(vid)
print(f"Completed: {vid}")
elif data["status"] == "failed":
results[vid] = None
pending.discard(vid)
print(f"Failed: {vid} — {data.get('failure_message')}")
if pending:
print(f"Waiting... {len(pending)} still rendering")
time.sleep(15)
return results
results = poll_videos(video_ids)
```
For production pipelines, use [webhooks](/docs/webhooks) instead of polling. Pass a `callback_url` in each creation request and handle notifications as they arrive.
Download all completed videos, then post to your platforms.
```python theme={null}
import os
os.makedirs("output", exist_ok=True)
for i, (vid, url) in enumerate(results.items()):
if url:
video_data = requests.get(url).content
filename = f"output/video_{i+1}.mp4"
with open(filename, "wb") as f:
f.write(video_data)
print(f"Saved: {filename}")
```
## Platform Optimization
Different platforms have different sweet spots:
| Platform | Ideal Duration | Orientation | Tips |
| --------------- | -------------- | ---------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| TikTok | 15–60s | Portrait (9:16) | Strong hook in first 2s, fast pacing |
| Instagram Reels | 15–60s | Portrait (9:16) | Clean visuals, text overlays |
| YouTube Shorts | 15–60s | Portrait (9:16) | Slightly more polished, educational angle |
| LinkedIn | 30–90s | Landscape (16:9) | Professional tone, industry insights |
Pass `"orientation": "portrait"` or `"orientation": "landscape"` in your API call. See [Video Agent docs](/docs/video-agent) for all parameters.
## Variations
* **Themed series:** Generate 5 videos on the same topic from different angles (beginner, advanced, myth-busting, case study, hot take)
* **Multi-language:** Generate in English, then use [Video Translation](/docs/video-translate) to create versions in other languages
* **A/B testing:** Generate 2 versions of the same topic with different hooks, measure which performs better
***
## Next Steps
Write prompts that produce scroll-stopping content.
Already have blog content? Turn it into video.