bfl-api

name	bfl-api
description	BFL FLUX API integration guide covering endpoints, async polling patterns, rate limiting, error handling, webhooks, and regional endpoints with Python and TypeScript code examples.
metadata	{"author":"Black Forest Labs","version":"1.0.0","tags":"flux, bfl, api, integration, webhooks, rate-limiting"}

BFL API Integration Guide

Use this skill when integrating BFL FLUX APIs into applications for image generation, editing, and processing.

First: Check API Key

Before generating images, verify your API key is set:

echo $BFL_API_KEY

If empty or you see "Not authenticated" errors, see API Key Setup below.

Important: Image URLs Expire in 10 Minutes

Result URLs from the API are temporary. Download images immediately after generation completes - do not store or cache the URLs themselves.

When to Use

• Setting up BFL API client
• Implementing async polling patterns
• Handling rate limits and errors
• Configuring webhooks for production
• Selecting regional endpoints
• Building production-ready integrations

Quick Reference

Base Endpoints

Region	Endpoint	Use Case
Global	https://api.bfl.ai	Default, automatic failover
EU	https://api.eu.bfl.ai	GDPR compliance
US	https://api.us.bfl.ai	US data residency

Model Endpoints & Pricing

Credit pricing: 1 credit = $0.01 USD. FLUX.2 uses megapixel-based pricing (cost scales with resolution).

FLUX.2 Models

Model	Path	1st MP	+MP	1MP T2I	1MP I2I	Best For
FLUX.2 [klein] 4B	/v1/flux-2-klein-4b	1.4c	0.1c	$0.014	$0.015	Real-time, high volume
FLUX.2 [klein] 9B	/v1/flux-2-klein-9b	1.5c	0.2c	$0.015	$0.017	Balanced quality/speed
FLUX.2 [pro]	/v1/flux-2-pro	3c	1.5c	$0.03	$0.045	Production, fast turnaround
FLUX.2 [max]	/v1/flux-2-max	7c	3c	$0.07	$0.10	Maximum quality
FLUX.2 [flex]	/v1/flux-2-flex	6c	6c	$0.06	$0.12	Typography, adjustable controls
FLUX.2 [dev]	-	-	-	Free	Free	Local development (non-commercial)

Pricing formula: (firstMP + (outputMP-1) * mpPrice) + (inputMP * mpPrice) in cents

FLUX.1 Models

Model	Path	Price/Image	Best For
FLUX.1 Kontext [pro]	/v1/flux-kontext	$0.04	Image editing with context
FLUX.1 Kontext [max]	/v1/flux-kontext-max	$0.08	Max quality editing
FLUX1.1 [pro]	/v1/flux-pro-1.1	$0.04	Standard T2I, fast & reliable
FLUX1.1 [pro] Ultra	/v1/flux-pro-1.1-ultra	$0.06	Ultra high-resolution
FLUX1.1 [pro] Raw	/v1/flux-pro-1.1-raw	$0.06	Candid photography feel
FLUX.1 Fill [pro]	/v1/flux-pro-1.0-fill	$0.05	Inpainting

Tip: All FLUX.2 models support image editing via the input_image parameter - no separate editing endpoint needed. Use bfl.ai/pricing calculator for exact costs at different resolutions.

Image Input for Editing

Preferred: Use URLs directly - simpler and more convenient than base64.

Single image editing:

curl -X POST "https://api.bfl.ai/v1/flux-2-pro" \
  -H "x-key: $BFL_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "prompt": "Change the background to a sunset",
    "input_image": "https://example.com/photo.jpg"
  }'

Multi-reference editing:

curl -X POST "https://api.bfl.ai/v1/flux-2-pro" \
  -H "x-key: $BFL_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "prompt": "The person from image 1 in the environment from image 2",
    "input_image": "https://example.com/person.jpg",
    "input_image_2": "https://example.com/background.jpg"
  }'

The API fetches URLs automatically. Both URL and base64 work, but URLs are recommended when available.

Multi-Reference I2I

FLUX.2 models support multiple input images for combining elements, style transfer, and character consistency:

Model	Max References
FLUX.2 [klein]	4 images
FLUX.2 [pro/max/flex]	8 images

Parameters: input_image, input_image_2, input_image_3, ... input_image_8

Prompt pattern: Reference images by number in your prompt:

• "The subject from image 1 in the environment from image 2"
• "Apply the style of image 2 to the scene in image 1"
• "The person from image 1 wearing the outfit from image 2, in the pose from image 3"

For detailed multi-reference patterns (character consistency, style transfer, pose guidance), see flux-best-practices/rules/multi-reference-editing.md

Rate Limits

Tier	Concurrent Requests
Standard (most endpoints)	24

Polling vs Webhooks

Approach	Use When
Polling	Scripts, CLI tools, local development, single requests, simple integrations
Webhooks	Production apps, high volume, server-to-server, when you need immediate notification

Start with polling - it's simpler and works everywhere. Switch to webhooks when you need to scale or want event-driven architecture.

Key Behaviors

• Polling: Response includes polling_url for async results
• URL Expiration: Result URLs expire after 10 minutes
• Webhook Support: Configure webhook_url for production workloads

API Key Setup

Required: The BFL_API_KEY environment variable must be set before using the API.

Quick Check

echo $BFL_API_KEY

If Not Set

1. Get a key: Go to https://dashboard.bfl.ai/get-started → Click "Create Key" → Select organization
2. Save to .env (recommended for persistence):

   echo 'BFL_API_KEY=bfl_your_key_here' >> .env
   echo '.env' >> .gitignore  # Don't commit secrets
   

See references/api-key-setup.md for detailed setup instructions.

Authentication

x-key: YOUR_API_KEY

Basic Request Flow

1. POST request to model endpoint
   └─> Response: { "polling_url": "..." }

2. GET polling_url (repeat until complete)
   └─> Response: { "status": "Pending" | "Ready" | "Error", ... }

3. When Ready, download result URL
   └─> URL expires in 10 minutes - download immediately

Related

• Prompting best practices (T2I, I2I, typography, colors): see the flux-best-practices skill
• Multi-reference patterns (character consistency, style transfer, pose guidance): see flux-best-practices/rules/multi-reference-editing.md

References

• references/api-key-setup.md - API key creation and configuration
• references/endpoints.md - Complete endpoint documentation
• references/polling-patterns.md - Async polling implementation
• references/rate-limiting.md - Rate limit handling strategies
• references/error-handling.md - Error codes and recovery
• references/webhook-integration.md - Webhook setup and security

Code Examples

Note: cURL examples are preferred by default as they work universally without requiring Python or Node.js. Use language-specific clients when building production applications.

• references/code-examples/curl-examples.sh - cURL examples (recommended)
• references/code-examples/python-client.py - Python client
• references/code-examples/typescript-client.ts - TypeScript client

Quick Start Example

1. Submit Generation Request

curl -s -X POST "https://api.bfl.ai/v1/flux-2-pro" \
  -H "x-key: $BFL_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"prompt": "A serene mountain landscape at sunset", "width": 1024, "height": 1024}'

Response:

{ "id": "abc123", "polling_url": "https://api.bfl.ai/v1/get_result?id=abc123" }

2. Poll for Result

curl -s "POLLING_URL" -H "x-key: $BFL_API_KEY"

Response when ready:

{ "status": "Ready", "result": { "sample": "https://...", "seed": 1234 } }

3. Download Image

curl -s -o output.png "IMAGE_URL"

Tip: Result URLs expire in 10 minutes. Download immediately after status becomes Ready.

4. Multi-Reference Example

Combine elements from multiple images:

curl -s -X POST "https://api.bfl.ai/v1/flux-2-pro" \
  -H "x-key: $BFL_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "prompt": "The cat from image 1 sitting in the cozy room from image 2",
    "input_image": "https://example.com/cat.jpg",
    "input_image_2": "https://example.com/room.jpg",
    "width": 1024,
    "height": 1024
  }'

Reference images by number in your prompt. See Multi-Reference I2I for limits and patterns.