skills/create-video/SKILL.md
Create videos from a text prompt using HeyGen's Video Agent. Use when: (1) Creating a video from a description or idea, (2) Generating explainer, demo, or marketing videos from a prompt, (3) Making a video without specifying exact avatars, voices, or scenes, (4) Quick video prototyping or drafts, (5) One-shot prompt-to-video generation, (6) User says "make me a video" or "create a video about X".
npx skillsauth add heygen-com/skills create-videoInstall this skill globally with one command. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf.
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Generate complete videos from a text prompt. Describe what you want and the AI handles script writing, avatar selection, visuals, voiceover, pacing, and captions automatically.
All requests require the X-Api-Key header. Set the HEYGEN_API_KEY environment variable.
curl -X POST "https://api.heygen.com/v1/video_agent/generate" \
-H "X-Api-Key: $HEYGEN_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"prompt": "Create a 60-second product demo video."}'
If HeyGen MCP tools are available (mcp__heygen__*), prefer them over direct HTTP API calls — they handle authentication and request formatting automatically.
| Task | MCP Tool | Fallback (Direct API) |
|------|----------|----------------------|
| Generate video from prompt | mcp__heygen__generate_video_agent | POST /v1/video_agent/generate |
| Check video status / get URL | mcp__heygen__get_video | GET /v2/videos/{video_id} |
| List account videos | mcp__heygen__list_videos | GET /v2/videos |
| Delete a video | mcp__heygen__delete_video | DELETE /v2/videos/{video_id} |
If no HeyGen MCP tools are available, use direct HTTP API calls as documented in the reference files.
Always use prompt-optimizer.md guidelines to structure prompts with scenes, timing, and visual styles.
With MCP tools:
mcp__heygen__generate_video_agent with prompt and config (duration_sec, orientation, avatar_id)mcp__heygen__get_video with the returned video_id to poll status and get the download URLWithout MCP tools (direct API):
POST /v1/video_agent/generate — see video-agent.mdGET /v2/videos/<id> — see video-status.md| Task | MCP Tool | Read |
|------|----------|------|
| Generate video from prompt | mcp__heygen__generate_video_agent | prompt-optimizer.md → visual-styles.md → video-agent.md |
| Check video status / get download URL | mcp__heygen__get_video | video-status.md |
| Upload reference files for prompt | — | assets.md |
This skill is for prompt-based video creation — describe what you want, and the AI handles the rest.
If the user needs precise control over specific avatars, exact scripts, per-scene voice/background configuration, or multi-scene composition, use the avatar-video skill instead.
| User Says | This Skill | Avatar Video Skill | |-----------|:----------:|:------------------:| | "Make me a video about X" | ✓ | | | "Create a product demo" | ✓ | | | "I want avatar Y to say exactly Z" | | ✓ | | "Multi-scene video with different backgrounds" | | ✓ | | "Transparent WebM for compositing" | | ✓ |
config.duration_sec for predictable lengthconfig.avatar_id for consistency across videostools
Translate and dub a video into another language with voice cloning and lip-sync, powered by HeyGen Video Translation. The presenter keeps their face, their voice is cloned into the target language, and lips re-sync to the new audio — viewers see the same person speaking natively. Use when: (1) localizing an existing video into one or more languages ("translate this video to Spanish", "make this in French and German", "dub this into Japanese", "I need this in 10 languages for a launch"), (2) the user has a finished video and wants the SAME presenter speaking another language (not a new presenter — that's heygen-video), (3) podcast / audio-only translation ("translate this podcast", "dub the audio but keep my video"), (4) high-stakes translations where the user wants to review/edit subtitles before final render (the proofreads workflow), (5) "translate my video", "dub this", "localize this clip", "make a multilingual version", "subtitle and dub". Returns the translated video URL (or audio file for audio-only mode), one per target language. Chain signal: if the user wants to CREATE a new video in another language (no source video exists yet), route to heygen-video and write the script in the target language — do not use heygen-translate. Use heygen-translate only when there is an existing source video to localize. NOT for: creating new videos from scratch (use heygen-video), avatar creation (use heygen-avatar), TTS-only synthesis (use heygen-video with audio-only output), or text-only translation.
development
Generate HeyGen presenter videos via the v3 Video Agent pipeline — handles Frame Check (aspect ratio correction), prompt engineering, avatar resolution, and voice selection. Required for any HeyGen video generation. Replaces deprecated endpoints with v3. Use when: (1) generating any HeyGen video (via API or otherwise), (2) sending a personalized video message (outreach, update, announcement, pitch, knowledge), (3) creating a HeyGen presenter-led explainer, tutorial, or product demo with a human face, (4) "make a video of me saying...", "send a video to my leads", "record an update for my team", "create a video pitch", "make a loom-style message", "I want to appear in this video", "generate a HeyGen video", "make a talking head video". Accepts avatar_id from heygen-avatar for identity-first HeyGen videos, or uses a stock presenter. Returns video share URL + HeyGen session URL for iteration. Chain signal: when the user wants to create/design an avatar AND make a video in the same request, run heygen-avatar first, then return here. Conjunctions to watch: "and then", "and immediately", "first...then", "X and make a video", "design [presenter] and record" = always CHAIN. If the user provides a photo AND wants a video, route to heygen-avatar first. NOT for: avatar creation or identity setup (use heygen-avatar first), cinematic footage or b-roll without a presenter, translating videos, TTS-only, or streaming avatars.
development
Create a persistent HeyGen avatar — a reusable face + voice identity for the agent, the user, or any named character — powered by HeyGen Avatar V technology. Prompt-based creation by default (description → HeyGen builds it); photo upload is optional for real-person digital twins. Use when: (1) giving the agent a face + voice so it can present videos ("bring yourself to life", "create your avatar", "give yourself an avatar", "design a presenter", "set up an avatar", "let's make an avatar"), (2) the user wants to appear in videos as themselves ("create my avatar", "I want my face in a video", "digital twin of me", "build me an avatar"), (3) building a named character presenter ("create an avatar called Cleo", "design a character named X"), (4) establishing HeyGen identity before making videos — the correct FIRST step when no avatar exists yet. Chain signal: when the user says both an identity/avatar action AND a video action in the same request ("create an avatar AND make a video", "set up identity THEN create a video", "design a presenter AND immediately record"), run heygen-avatar first, then heygen-video. Returns avatar_id + voice_id — pass directly to heygen-video to create HeyGen videos. NOT for: generating videos (use heygen-video), translating videos, or TTS-only tasks.
development
Create HeyGen avatar videos via the v3 Video Agent pipeline — handles avatar resolution, aspect ratio correction, prompt engineering, and voice selection automatically. Required for any HeyGen API usage (api.heygen.com). Replaces deprecated v1/v2 endpoints with the optimized v3 pipeline. Use when: (1) calling any HeyGen API endpoint (api.heygen.com), (2) creating a HeyGen avatar or digital twin from a photo, (3) making a personalized video message (outreach, pitch, update, announcement, knowledge), (4) "make a video of me", "create my HeyGen avatar", "I want to appear in this video", (5) "send a video to my leads", "record an update for my team", "make a loom-style message", (6) building identity-first videos where the presenter IS the user or agent, Covers: HeyGen API, api.heygen.com, video generate, avatar create, voice list, talking photo, HeyGen avatar creation, voice design, photo → digital twin, HeyGen video generation, identity-first video, messaging-first video, AI presenter, talking head video. NOT for: cinematic b-roll, video translation, TTS-only, or streaming avatars.