fal.ai

fal.ai

Access the fal.ai queue API with managed API key authentication. Run 1000+ AI models including image generation (Flux, SDXL), video generation (Minimax), image upscaling, text-to-speech, and more.

Quick Start

# Generate an image with Flux Schnell
python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json

data = json.dumps({
    "prompt": "a tiny cute cat",
    "image_size": "square_hd",
    "num_images": 1
}).encode()

req = urllib.request.Request('https://gateway.maton.ai/fal-ai/fal-ai/flux/schnell', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Base URL

https://gateway.maton.ai/fal-ai/{native-api-path}

The gateway proxies requests to queue.fal.run. For model inference, paths follow the pattern:

/fal-ai/fal-ai/{model-id}
/fal-ai/fal-ai/{model-id}/requests/{request_id}/status
/fal-ai/fal-ai/{model-id}/requests/{request_id}
/fal-ai/fal-ai/{model-id}/requests/{request_id}/cancel

Authentication

All requests require the Maton API key in the Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer $MATON_API_KEY

Environment Variable: Set your API key as MATON_API_KEY:

export MATON_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"

Getting Your API Key

1. Sign in or create an account at maton.ai
2. Go to maton.ai/settings
3. Copy your API key

Connection Management

Manage your fal.ai API key connections at https://ctrl.maton.ai.

List Connections

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://ctrl.maton.ai/connections?app=fal-ai&status=ACTIVE')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Create Connection

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
data = json.dumps({'app': 'fal-ai'}).encode()
req = urllib.request.Request('https://ctrl.maton.ai/connections', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Response:

{
  "connection": {
    "connection_id": "7355bd0b-8aaf-4c58-9122-a1e3d454414d",
    "status": "PENDING",
    "url": "https://connect.maton.ai/?session_token=...",
    "app": "fal-ai",
    "method": "API_KEY"
  }
}

Open the returned url in a browser to enter your fal.ai API key.

Get Connection

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://ctrl.maton.ai/connections/{connection_id}')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Delete Connection

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://ctrl.maton.ai/connections/{connection_id}', method='DELETE')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

API Reference

Queue API

The fal.ai queue API provides asynchronous model inference with status polling.

Submit Request

Submit a request to run a model. Returns immediately with a request ID.

POST /fal-ai/fal-ai/{model-id}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "prompt": "model-specific parameters",
  ...
}

Response:

{
  "status": "IN_QUEUE",
  "request_id": "3229f185-a99a-48c0-a292-e25bf9baaeba",
  "response_url": "https://queue.fal.run/fal-ai/flux/requests/3229f185-a99a-48c0-a292-e25bf9baaeba",
  "status_url": "https://queue.fal.run/fal-ai/flux/requests/3229f185-a99a-48c0-a292-e25bf9baaeba/status",
  "cancel_url": "https://queue.fal.run/fal-ai/flux/requests/3229f185-a99a-48c0-a292-e25bf9baaeba/cancel",
  "queue_position": 0
}

Check Status

Poll for request status until completion.

GET /fal-ai/fal-ai/{model-id}/requests/{request_id}/status

Response (IN_PROGRESS):

{
  "status": "IN_PROGRESS",
  "request_id": "3229f185-a99a-48c0-a292-e25bf9baaeba"
}

Response (COMPLETED):

{
  "status": "COMPLETED",
  "request_id": "3229f185-a99a-48c0-a292-e25bf9baaeba",
  "metrics": {
    "inference_time": 0.3334658145904541
  }
}

Get Result

Retrieve the completed result.

GET /fal-ai/fal-ai/{model-id}/requests/{request_id}

Response (image generation):

{
  "images": [
    {
      "url": "https://v3b.fal.media/files/...",
      "width": 1024,
      "height": 1024,
      "content_type": "image/jpeg"
    }
  ],
  "timings": {
    "inference": 0.1587670766748488
  },
  "seed": 761506470,
  "prompt": "a tiny cute cat"
}

Cancel Request

Cancel a queued or in-progress request.

PUT /fal-ai/fal-ai/{model-id}/requests/{request_id}/cancel

Popular Models

Flux Schnell (Fast Image Generation)

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json

data = json.dumps({
    "prompt": "a serene mountain landscape at sunset",
    "image_size": "landscape_16_9",
    "num_images": 1,
    "num_inference_steps": 4
}).encode()

req = urllib.request.Request('https://gateway.maton.ai/fal-ai/fal-ai/flux/schnell', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Parameters:

• prompt (required): Text description of the image
• image_size: square_hd, square, portrait_4_3, portrait_16_9, landscape_4_3, landscape_16_9
• num_images: Number of images to generate (default: 1)
• num_inference_steps: Number of steps (default: 4)
• seed: Random seed for reproducibility

Fast SDXL (Stable Diffusion XL)

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json

data = json.dumps({
    "prompt": "a futuristic city skyline at night",
    "negative_prompt": "blurry, low quality",
    "image_size": "landscape_16_9",
    "num_images": 1
}).encode()

req = urllib.request.Request('https://gateway.maton.ai/fal-ai/fal-ai/fast-sdxl', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Parameters:

• prompt (required): Text description
• negative_prompt: What to avoid in the image
• image_size: Output dimensions
• num_images: Number of images
• guidance_scale: CFG scale (default: 7.5)
• num_inference_steps: Number of steps

Clarity Upscaler (Image Upscaling)

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json

data = json.dumps({
    "image_url": "https://example.com/image.jpg",
    "scale": 2
}).encode()

req = urllib.request.Request('https://gateway.maton.ai/fal-ai/fal-ai/clarity-upscaler', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Parameters:

• image_url (required): URL of the image to upscale
• scale: Upscale factor (2, 4)

Minimax Video Generation

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json

data = json.dumps({
    "prompt": "A cat playing with a ball in slow motion"
}).encode()

req = urllib.request.Request('https://gateway.maton.ai/fal-ai/fal-ai/minimax/video-01', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

F5-TTS (Text-to-Speech)

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json

data = json.dumps({
    "gen_text": "Hello world, this is a test of fal ai text to speech."
}).encode()

req = urllib.request.Request('https://gateway.maton.ai/fal-ai/fal-ai/f5-tts', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

Request Status Values

Request Headers

Complete Workflow Example

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json, time

api_key = os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]
base_url = "https://gateway.maton.ai/fal-ai"

# 1. Submit request
data = json.dumps({
    "prompt": "a beautiful sunset over the ocean",
    "image_size": "landscape_16_9",
    "num_images": 1
}).encode()

req = urllib.request.Request(f'{base_url}/fal-ai/flux/schnell', data=data, method='POST')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {api_key}')
req.add_header('Content-Type', 'application/json')
submit_response = json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req))
request_id = submit_response['request_id']
print(f"Submitted: {request_id}")

# 2. Poll for completion
while True:
    req = urllib.request.Request(f'{base_url}/fal-ai/flux/requests/{request_id}/status')
    req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {api_key}')
    status_response = json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req))
    print(f"Status: {status_response['status']}")

    if status_response['status'] == 'COMPLETED':
        break
    elif status_response['status'] == 'FAILED':
        print("Request failed")
        exit(1)

    time.sleep(1)

# 3. Get result
req = urllib.request.Request(f'{base_url}/fal-ai/flux/requests/{request_id}')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {api_key}')
result = json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req))
print(f"Image URL: {result['images'][0]['url']}")
EOF

Code Examples

JavaScript

const submitRequest = async () => {
  // Submit
  const submitRes = await fetch('https://gateway.maton.ai/fal-ai/fal-ai/flux/schnell', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      'Authorization': `Bearer ${process.env.MATON_API_KEY}`
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      prompt: 'a tiny cute cat',
      image_size: 'square_hd',
      num_images: 1
    })
  });
  const { request_id } = await submitRes.json();

  // Poll
  let status = 'IN_QUEUE';
  while (status !== 'COMPLETED') {
    await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 1000));
    const statusRes = await fetch(
      `https://gateway.maton.ai/fal-ai/fal-ai/flux/requests/${request_id}/status`,
      { headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${process.env.MATON_API_KEY}` } }
    );
    status = (await statusRes.json()).status;
  }

  // Get result
  const resultRes = await fetch(
    `https://gateway.maton.ai/fal-ai/fal-ai/flux/requests/${request_id}`,
    { headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${process.env.MATON_API_KEY}` } }
  );
  return await resultRes.json();
};

Python (requests)

import os
import time
import requests

api_key = os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]
headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}"}

# Submit
response = requests.post(
    "https://gateway.maton.ai/fal-ai/fal-ai/flux/schnell",
    headers=headers,
    json={"prompt": "a tiny cute cat", "image_size": "square_hd", "num_images": 1}
)
request_id = response.json()["request_id"]

# Poll
while True:
    status = requests.get(
        f"https://gateway.maton.ai/fal-ai/fal-ai/flux/requests/{request_id}/status",
        headers=headers
    ).json()["status"]
    if status == "COMPLETED":
        break
    time.sleep(1)

# Get result
result = requests.get(
    f"https://gateway.maton.ai/fal-ai/fal-ai/flux/requests/{request_id}",
    headers=headers
).json()
print(result["images"][0]["url"])

Notes

• The gateway proxies to queue.fal.run for model inference
• All model requests are queued - poll for status until completion
• Model parameters vary by model - check fal.ai documentation for specifics
• Image URLs from fal.ai CDN are temporary - download or store them
• Video generation models may take longer to complete
• Use webhooks for long-running tasks (add ?fal_webhook=URL to submit request)
• IMPORTANT: When piping curl output to jq, environment variables may not expand correctly. Use Python examples instead.

Error Handling

Troubleshooting

1. Check connection exists:

python <<'EOF'
import urllib.request, os, json
req = urllib.request.Request('https://ctrl.maton.ai/connections?app=fal-ai&status=ACTIVE')
req.add_header('Authorization', f'Bearer {os.environ["MATON_API_KEY"]}')
print(json.dumps(json.load(urllib.request.urlopen(req)), indent=2))
EOF

1. Verify path format: Paths must start with /fal-ai/fal-ai/{model-id}

2. Check model exists: Some model IDs include organization prefix (e.g., fal-ai/flux/schnell)

Resources

• fal.ai Documentation
• Model Gallery
• Queue API Reference
• Maton Community
• Maton Support