# Video Frame Extractor (screenshots from video files) (`psypherz/video-frame-extractor`) Actor

Extract still images from video files at set times, every N seconds, or N evenly spaced frames. JPG, PNG or WebP, with resize. Direct links and uploads, MP4, WebM, MOV, MKV and more.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/psypherz/video-frame-extractor.md
- **Developed by:** [Muhammad Yasin Bin Abdul Rahman](https://apify.com/psypherz) (community)
- **Categories:** Videos
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.85 / 1,000 frames

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Video Frame Extractor (screenshots from video files)

Pull still images out of video files. Take one frame every N seconds, a set number of evenly spaced frames, or frames at exact times such as 0:30 and 1:15. Save them as JPG, PNG or WebP, at full size or shrunk to a width you choose. Works with MP4, WebM, MOV, MKV, AVI, OGV and most other video files.

**Price: US$0.001 per frame, plus US$0.003 per video (first 50 MB included).** 20 frames from one video cost US$0.024. 100 frames from 5 videos cost US$0.116.

### What people use it for

- **Thumbnails and previews:** pick the best still from a product video, lecture or ad.
- **AI and machine learning:** turn video into image sets for vision models, captioning or labelling.
- **Video review:** check a long recording at a glance with one frame per minute.
- **Content moderation and QA:** sample frames from uploaded videos and check them with an image model.
- **AI agents and automations:** call it from n8n, Make, Zapier or an MCP client and get image links back as JSON.

### Example output

Real output from the sample input (31 Oct 2026, run on Apify). Each frame is saved in the run's key-value store, and `imageUrl` is a direct link to it.

| videoIndex | frameNumber | timestamp | width | height | sizeBytes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 00:00:00.800 | 1152 | 694 | 37460 |
| 1 | 2 | 00:00:02.500 | 1152 | 694 | 56144 |
| 2 | 3 | 00:00:04.320 | 1920 | 1080 | 207626 |

One full item:

```json
{
  "videoIndex": 1,
  "videoUrl": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Moving_clouds_timelapse_1152x694x10fps.ogv",
  "frameNumber": 2,
  "timestampSec": 2.5,
  "timestamp": "00:00:02.500",
  "requestedSec": 2.55,
  "width": 1152,
  "height": 694,
  "format": "jpg",
  "sizeBytes": 56144,
  "imageUrl": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/<store-id>/records/v001-f00002.jpg?signature=<signature>",
  "key": "v001-f00002.jpg",
  "videoDurationSec": 8.5,
  "videoWidth": 1152,
  "videoHeight": 694,
  "videoFps": 10,
  "videoCodec": "theora",
  "videoSizeBytes": 1602227,
  "extractedAt": "2026-10-31T02:22:28+00:00"
}
```

`requestedSec` is the time the frame was picked for. `timestampSec` is the exact time of the frame you got, which is the frame on screen at that moment. If a video fails, its row has an `error` field that says why, and it is not charged.

### Input

| Field | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| `videoUrls` | Direct links to video files, up to 100 per run. | 2 sample videos |
| `uploadedFile` | Or upload one video from your computer. | none |
| `mode` | `interval` (one frame every N seconds), `count` (N evenly spaced frames) or `timestamps` (exact times). | `interval` |
| `intervalSeconds` | Gap between frames in `interval` mode, 0.1 to 3,600. | `10` |
| `frameCount` | Frames per video in `count` mode. Each comes from the middle of an equal slice, so you avoid black first and last frames. | `10` |
| `timestamps` | Times for `timestamps` mode: seconds (`90`, `90.5`) or `mm:ss` / `hh:mm:ss`. | none |
| `startTime`, `endTime` | Only use part of each video. | whole video |
| `maxFramesPerVideo` | Safety cap per video, up to 1,000. | `100` |
| `imageFormat` | `jpg`, `png` or `webp`. | `jpg` |
| `quality` | JPG and WebP quality, 1 to 100. | `85` |
| `maxWidth` | Shrink wider frames to this width, keeping the shape. `0` keeps the original size. | `0` |
| `maxFileMb` | Skip larger videos (not charged). | `500` |
| `keyPrefix` | Text added to the start of each image's storage key. | none |

### Pricing

Pay per event. You only pay for videos that give frames and for frames saved.

| Event | Price |
|---|---|
| Run start, once per run | US$0.001 |
| Video, including its first 50 MB | US$0.003 |
| Each extra MB of a video above 50 MB | US$0.0002 |
| Frame saved | US$0.001 |

Examples: 10 frames from one 20 MB video cost US$0.014. 60 frames from one 100 MB video cost US$0.074. If a frame time lands on a frame already saved (for example a slideshow video), it is saved and charged once. Set "Maximum cost per run" in Apify and the Actor saves only as many frames as that limit covers.

### Limits

- Direct video file links and uploads only. Web pages and social or streaming sites (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Vimeo, Twitch and similar) are refused. Use videos you have the right to process.
- The Actor follows each site's robots.txt and identifies itself honestly. Some sites block automated downloads; those videos fail with a clear reason and are not charged.
- Each 1 MB of `maxFileMb` needs 2 MB of run memory. The default 1 GB memory allows videos up to 512 MB.
- Free Apify plan: up to 2 videos per run, 10 frames per video and 100 MB per video.
- Phone videos recorded in portrait are turned upright using the rotation stored in the file.

### FAQ

**How fast is it?** The Actor jumps to each wanted time instead of playing the whole video, so a few frames from a long video take seconds.

**Can I get every single frame?** Use `interval` mode with a gap equal to one frame (for example 0.04 for 25 fps) and raise `maxFramesPerVideo`. Up to 1,000 frames per video per run.

**Which file types work?** Any common video file: MP4 (H.264, H.265), WebM (VP8, VP9, AV1), MOV, MKV, AVI, OGV, FLV, MPEG and more. Audio-only files and images are refused.

**Can an AI agent call it?** Yes. The input is plain JSON and every frame comes back as a direct image link with its timestamp.

### More tools from the same developer

Same style: clean JSON output, pay only for results, no charge on failed items.

| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| [Bulk Keyword Search Volume](https://apify.com/PsypherZ/keyword-search-volume) | Google Ads search volume, CPC, competition and 12-month trend for up to 10,000 keywords |
| [Google Keyword Ideas](https://apify.com/PsypherZ/google-keyword-ideas) | Hundreds of keyword ideas per seed with volume, CPC, difficulty and search intent |
| [Amazon Keyword Search Volume](https://apify.com/PsypherZ/amazon-keyword-volume) | Monthly Amazon searches for up to 10,000 keywords in 16 markets, plus related keywords |
| [Competitor Keywords](https://apify.com/PsypherZ/competitor-keywords) | Every Google keyword a domain ranks for, with traffic, plus its closest competitors |
| [Google Trends API](https://apify.com/PsypherZ/google-trends-api) | Interest over time, by region, and rising queries and topics for up to 500 keywords |
| [Google SERP Results](https://apify.com/PsypherZ/google-serp-results) | Organic results, featured snippets and People Also Ask for any keyword, country and device |
| [AI Brand Visibility Tracker](https://apify.com/PsypherZ/ai-brand-visibility) | Which brands ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity recommend, and where yours ranks |
| [Google AI Overview Tracker](https://apify.com/PsypherZ/google-ai-overview-tracker) | Which keywords show an AI Overview, what it says, and whether it cites your site |
| [Audio and Video Transcriber](https://apify.com/PsypherZ/audio-video-transcriber) | Timestamped transcripts from audio and video files in 90+ languages |
| [Subtitle Generator](https://apify.com/PsypherZ/subtitle-generator) | Ready-to-use SRT and WebVTT subtitles from audio and video files |
| [Podcast Transcriber](https://apify.com/PsypherZ/podcast-transcriber) | Timestamped transcripts of podcast episodes from any RSS feed or Apple Podcasts link |
| [Image OCR](https://apify.com/PsypherZ/image-ocr) | Text from images in 20 languages, with confidence scores |
| [AI Image Upscaler](https://apify.com/PsypherZ/image-upscaler) | Upscale photos and artwork 2x, 3x or 4x with Real-ESRGAN AI |
| [PDF to Text and Markdown](https://apify.com/PsypherZ/pdf-to-text-markdown) | Clean text and Markdown from PDFs, with OCR for scanned pages |
| [Bulk PageSpeed Insights Audit](https://apify.com/PsypherZ/bulk-pagespeed-audit) | Core Web Vitals and Lighthouse scores for many pages, mobile and desktop |
| [Email List Validator](https://apify.com/PsypherZ/email-list-validator) | Clean email lists: syntax, domain, mail server, throwaway and role checks, plus typo fixes |
| [HTTP Request Runner](https://apify.com/PsypherZ/http-request-runner) | Send thousands of GET, POST and other API requests and get status, headers and body back |
| [Bulk File Downloader](https://apify.com/PsypherZ/bulk-file-downloader) | Save up to 5,000 direct file links to storage, each with a download link and checksum |

# Actor input Schema

## `videoUrls` (type: `array`):

Direct links to video files (MP4, WebM, MOV, MKV, AVI, OGV and more), one per line. Web pages and social or streaming sites (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Vimeo and similar) are not supported.

## `uploadedFile` (type: `string`):

Upload one video file from your computer.

## `mode` (type: `string`):

How to pick frames from each video.

## `intervalSeconds` (type: `number`):

Used by "One frame every N seconds". The first frame is at the start time.

## `frameCount` (type: `integer`):

Used by "A set number of evenly spaced frames". Each frame is taken from the middle of an equal slice of the video, so you avoid black first and last frames.

## `timestamps` (type: `array`):

Used by "Frames at exact times". Seconds (90 or 90.5) or mm:ss / hh:mm:ss (1:30, 01:02:03.5). Times past the end of a video are skipped.

## `startTime` (type: `string`):

Optional. Ignore the video before this time. Seconds or mm:ss.

## `endTime` (type: `string`):

Optional. Ignore the video after this time. Seconds or mm:ss.

## `maxFramesPerVideo` (type: `integer`):

A safety cap on frames from each video. You only pay for frames saved.

## `imageFormat` (type: `string`):

File type of the saved frames.

## `quality` (type: `integer`):

JPG and WebP quality from 1 to 100. Ignored for PNG.

## `maxWidth` (type: `integer`):

Shrink frames wider than this, keeping the shape. 0 keeps the original size.

## `maxFileMb` (type: `integer`):

Larger videos are skipped and not charged. Each 1 MB of limit needs 2 MB of run memory (the default 1 GB memory allows up to 512 MB videos).

## `keyPrefix` (type: `string`):

Optional text added to the start of every saved image's key, for example "product-demo-".

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "videoUrls": [
    "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Moving_clouds_timelapse_1152x694x10fps.ogv",
    "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Ocean_waves_at_L%C3%A6kjavik_beach%2C_Iceland.webm"
  ],
  "mode": "count",
  "intervalSeconds": 10,
  "frameCount": 5,
  "maxFramesPerVideo": 100,
  "imageFormat": "jpg",
  "quality": 85,
  "maxWidth": 0,
  "maxFileMb": 500
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

One row per frame: image link, timestamp, size and video details, or the reason a video failed.

## `files` (type: `string`):

The key-value store that holds the frame images.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "videoUrls": [
        "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Moving_clouds_timelapse_1152x694x10fps.ogv",
        "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Ocean_waves_at_L%C3%A6kjavik_beach%2C_Iceland.webm"
    ],
    "mode": "count",
    "frameCount": 5
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("psypherz/video-frame-extractor").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "videoUrls": [
        "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Moving_clouds_timelapse_1152x694x10fps.ogv",
        "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Ocean_waves_at_L%C3%A6kjavik_beach%2C_Iceland.webm",
    ],
    "mode": "count",
    "frameCount": 5,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("psypherz/video-frame-extractor").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "videoUrls": [
    "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Moving_clouds_timelapse_1152x694x10fps.ogv",
    "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Ocean_waves_at_L%C3%A6kjavik_beach%2C_Iceland.webm"
  ],
  "mode": "count",
  "frameCount": 5
}' |
apify call psypherz/video-frame-extractor --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,psypherz/video-frame-extractor"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/RQuTf6aix3LfZS4KH/builds/eymtVj7I2Tcc2wq56/openapi.json