Polotno SDK is a video editing API and an embeddable editor in one package. Users can upload, trim, resize, and animate videos directly on the same canvas they use for images or templates, while your backend automates the same operations through code. Everything runs client-side or on your own infrastructure, keeping data and UX fully under your control. For heavy export workloads or automation pipelines, Polotno Cloud Rendering API can handle rendering at scale.
The video element schema defines every editable parameter, playback, duration, masking, animations, transitions, and visual effects, giving developers complete programmatic control. You can generate or modify videos automatically using JSON schemas or integrate with AI systems to build dynamic creative workflows.
Try it live
This is the standard Polotno editor with animations turned on and the panel scoped to video: add a clip, animate text and elements over it, set timing on the timeline, and export an MP4. Open it fullscreen.
Key features
A video editing SDK needs to cover the whole loop, not just playback. Here's what's included.
Upload and playback
Import MP4, MOV, or WebM files and play them directly on the canvas. Polotno handles in-browser decoding and preview, allowing users to interact with video layers instantly without waiting for server uploads.
Trim and resize
Adjust clip duration, crop, or aspect ratio directly in the browser. Polotno performs these edits locally for fast interaction and zero data transfer delays.
Audio tracks
Add audio alongside the video layers. Tracks show a waveform on the timeline, carry a name and can be renamed, and support volume, mute, and duplicate. Audio snaps against other clips when dragged, and every change is tracked in undo/redo like any other edit. Playback speed applies to audio and video alike. See the audio element schema.
Timeline editing
The pages timeline doubles as a video timeline. Playback resumes from the playhead with a real pause, "Edit as video" switches the workspace into a timeline preview mode, and an element can be split at the playhead straight from the toolbar. Clicking a clip selects the matching element on the canvas. Touch and drag are supported on mobile.
Layering and animation
Combine multiple videos, text, and graphics in one composition. Animate any element with fades, slides, or custom motion parameters to create polished, dynamic visuals.
Masks and overlays
Apply brand frames, custom shapes, or transparency masks to video layers, or fade a clip with an editable opacity gradient positioned on the canvas. This allows flexible composition and style control across different creative formats.
Automation and schema control
Every video property, playback, duration, position, masking, transitions, and effects, is defined in the video element schema. Developers can generate, modify, or automate layouts via JSON, using reusable templates or creating and managing them via API, for integration with AI or data-driven systems.
Export and rendering
Render final compositions to MP4 or GIF client-side, fully self-hosted with polotno-node, or via the Polotno Cloud Render API for automation and scale. Self-hosting versus cloud rendering is a real tradeoff worth reading before you pick one: both methods use the same API and schema, so you can switch between them without changing your integration.
Example use cases
- Marketing and ad builders – Generate short branded videos from reusable templates and campaign data.
- AI content platforms – Combine generative visuals, text, and audio into complete video outputs through schema-based automation.
- E-commerce platforms – Let merchants create quick reels or product ads directly inside their store admin.
- Social media schedulers – Add a built-in video editor for trimming and branding content before publishing.
- Print and design platforms – Extend existing image or layout editors to support video compositions with no new infrastructure.
- Creative automation systems – Generate thousands of personalized videos using JSON schemas and render them at scale via Polotno Cloud.
- Learning and training tools – Enable teams or educators to produce short branded explainers and internal content.
- Enterprise creative hubs – Provide in-house teams a secure, on-brand video editor hosted on internal servers, with optional cloud scaling for export.
Developer benefits
- One video editing SDK for images, templates, and video: unified architecture.
- Self-hosted by default, cloud-ready when needed.
- Schema-driven for automation and reproducibility.
- Commercial-safe licensing for SaaS and enterprise apps.
Brand Ninja used this video editing SDK to add automated image and video generation to their AI platform, launching in under a week. If you're evaluating video-specific alternatives, see how Polotno compares to Remotion and Creatomate.
FAQs
Is this a video editing SDK or a video editing API?
Both, in one product. The video editing SDK is the embeddable UI: the canvas, toolbar, and timeline your users interact with. The video editing API is the same schema accessed from code, for generating or modifying videos without opening the editor. Use either on its own, or together.
Can I run everything locally?
Yes. The editor and rendering service can be fully self-hosted.
Does Polotno support cloud rendering?
Yes. The Cloud Rendering API handles export workloads at any scale.
How does automation work?
All elements, including videos, are defined through JSON schema. You can generate or update projects programmatically.
Which export formats are supported?
MP4 and GIF, both locally and via cloud.
Can I mix videos with text, images, and graphics?
Yes. All creative layers share one canvas and one schema.
Can users add audio?
Yes. Audio tracks sit on the same timeline with waveform display, volume and mute, renaming, and snapping, and they render into the exported video.
Can a clip be trimmed or split on the timeline?
Yes. Clips trim by duration and can be split at the playhead from the toolbar. Playback speed is adjustable per element.
