Descript's programmatic video editing API is currently in development. We're building tools that let you automate video and audio editing workflows programmatically. If you're interested in early access, sign up for access here. Before getting started, be sure to read our API documentation. You can also interact with our team and other developers in our dedicated Discord channel.

Creating your API key

Your API key authenticates your requests and connects them to a specific Descript drive. Each token is tied to one drive, so if you work across multiple drives, you'll need a separate key for each. To create one:

1. Go to your Descript account settings and click the API tokens section.
2. Click Create token.
   
3. Give your token a name and select the Descript drive it should be tied to. When you're ready, click Create token.
   
4. A window will appear with your token. Copy and store it in a safe place — you won't be able to view it again. If you lose it, you'll need to generate a new one.
   

Setting up the command line (CLI)

The CLI lets you interact with the Descript API directly from your terminal — useful for importing media, creating projects, and testing your setup.

Requirements

The CLI requires Node.js 24 or higher. Node.js is a JavaScript runtime that allows you to run JavaScript programs from the command line. Click here to download Node.js

To check if Node.js is already installed, open your terminal (or Command Prompt on Windows) and run:

node --version

If you see a version number like v24.x.x or higher, you're all set — skip ahead to Installing the CLI below. If you see an error or a lower version number, follow the installation steps for your operating system.

Steps to install Node.js

brew install node

# Install Node.js from NodeSource
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

# Install Node.js from NodeSource
curl -fsSL https://rpm.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo bash -
sudo dnf install -y nodejs

After installation, verify it worked by running node --version again.

Installing the CLI

Once Node.js is installed, follow these steps to get started:

1. Install the CLI tools from NPM:

   npm install -g @descript/platform-cli@latest

2. Configure your API key:

   descript-api config set api-key

3. Try importing media and creating a project by passing in project and media info as parameters:

   descript-api import --name "New Project" --media "https://descriptusercontent.com/published/00336329-071c-485c-bd2c-73ae100cecca/original.mp4"

Or use the interactive mode!

descript-api import

Set up Descript in Zapier

The Descript Zapier integration lets you automate workflows by connecting Descript to thousands of other apps, without opening the Descript app.

Before you begin: You must sign up for access to the Descript API and Zapier integration. Visit descript.com/enterprise/api-early-access to request access.