# Video Frame Extractor — Thumbnails & Keyframes for AI (`tidydata/video-frame-extractor`) Actor

Extract frames from any video link at fixed intervals or an exact number of evenly spaced frames. Saves JPG, PNG or WebP images with timestamps, ready for AI vision models, thumbnails and video datasets. Resize, cap per video. $1 per 1,000 frames.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/tidydata/video-frame-extractor.md
- **Developed by:** [tidydata](https://apify.com/tidydata) (community)
- **Categories:** Videos, Developer tools
- **Stats:** 9 total users, 3 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$1.00 / 1,000 frame extracteds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

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 — thumbnails and screenshots from video

Turn a video link into **images**: one frame **every N seconds** or an **exact number of evenly spaced frames**. Saves JPG, PNG or WebP with timestamps and a **public link** for every frame. **$1 per 1,000 frames.**

- ✅ Direct links to .mp4, .mov, .webm, .mkv, .avi and more (up to 1 GB)
- ✅ Frame every N seconds, or a fixed count (great for contact sheets and AI vision)
- ✅ Resize (max width) and choose the format
- ✅ Cost cap per video, so long videos never surprise you
- ✅ Perfect to feed video into **AI vision models**, build thumbnails, review footage or create storyboards

### How to use it

1. Paste direct links to video files you have the right to use.
2. Choose the mode, interval or count, size and format.
3. Run, then open the image links or download the table.

### Output example

```json
{
  "videoUrl": "https://example.com/clip.mp4",
  "index": 2,
  "timeSeconds": 2.02,
  "imageUrl": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/…/records/v0-clip-0002.jpg",
  "width": 960,
  "height": 540,
  "format": "jpg",
  "videoDurationSeconds": 5.05
}
```

### Pricing

**$0.001 per frame extracted** ($1 per 1,000). Videos that fail are free.

### Notes

- Links to pages (YouTube, TikTok…) are not supported; use a link to the video file itself.
- Images stay in your run's storage according to your Apify retention.

# Actor input Schema

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

Direct links to video files (.mp4, .mov, .webm, .mkv, .avi…, up to 1 GB each). Page links such as YouTube are not supported: use only videos you have the right to process.

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

Every N seconds, or an exact number of frames spread evenly over the video.

## `everySeconds` (type: `number`):

Used when the mode is 'every N seconds'. For example 5 = one image every 5 seconds.

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

Used when the mode is 'fixed number'. The frames are spread evenly, first at the start and last near the end.

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

Safety cap, also your cost limit per video.

## `format` (type: `string`):

JPG is smallest, PNG is lossless, WebP is a good middle ground.

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

Frames wider than this are scaled down keeping the proportions. 0 = keep the original size.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "videoUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/oaYnZ81lFD3Jt0fjF/records/sample.mp4"
    }
  ],
  "mode": "interval",
  "everySeconds": 2,
  "frameCount": 10,
  "maxFramesPerVideo": 200,
  "format": "jpg",
  "maxWidth": 1280
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

One row per result.

# 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": [
        {
            "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/oaYnZ81lFD3Jt0fjF/records/sample.mp4"
        }
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("tidydata/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": [{ "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/oaYnZ81lFD3Jt0fjF/records/sample.mp4" }] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("tidydata/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": [
    {
      "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/oaYnZ81lFD3Jt0fjF/records/sample.mp4"
    }
  ]
}' |
apify call tidydata/video-frame-extractor --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,tidydata/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/YLjTMly6hN7hjSa4G/builds/sr1x6rX0MjfzeXLWC/openapi.json