---
name: pexels-media
description: Source royalty-free images and videos from Pexels API for design, placeholders, or content. Supports search, curated/popular content, collections, multiple resolutions, and ALWAYS creates detailed sidecar metadata files.
---

# Pexels Media Sourcing

Source high-quality, royalty-free images and videos from Pexels for design work, placeholders, or content creation.

## Prerequisites

This skill requires the `PEXELS_API_KEY` environment variable to be set.

```bash
# Check if API key is available
echo $PEXELS_API_KEY
```

If not set, obtain a free API key from [Pexels API](https://www.pexels.com/api/).

## API Base URLs

- Photos: `https://api.pexels.com/v1/`
- Videos: `https://api.pexels.com/videos/`

## Authentication

All requests require the Authorization header:

```bash
curl -H "Authorization: $PEXELS_API_KEY" "https://api.pexels.com/v1/search?query=nature"
```

## Photo Endpoints

### Search Photos

```bash
curl -H "Authorization: $PEXELS_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.pexels.com/v1/search?query=QUERY&orientation=ORIENTATION&size=SIZE&color=COLOR&locale=LOCALE&page=PAGE&per_page=PER_PAGE"
```

**Parameters:**
| Parameter | Required | Values |
|-----------|----------|--------|
| `query` | Yes | Search term |
| `orientation` | No | `landscape`, `portrait`, `square` |
| `size` | No | `large` (24MP), `medium` (12MP), `small` (4MP) |
| `color` | No | `red`, `orange`, `yellow`, `green`, `turquoise`, `blue`, `violet`, `pink`, `brown`, `black`, `gray`, `white`, or hex code (e.g., `#ffffff`) |
| `locale` | No | `en-US`, `pt-BR`, `es-ES`, `de-DE`, `fr-FR`, `ja-JP`, `zh-CN`, `ko-KR`, etc. |
| `page` | No | Page number (default: 1) |
| `per_page` | No | Results per page (default: 15, max: 80) |

### Curated Photos

Trending photos curated by the Pexels team (updated hourly):

```bash
curl -H "Authorization: $PEXELS_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.pexels.com/v1/curated?page=1&per_page=15"
```

### Get Photo by ID

```bash
curl -H "Authorization: $PEXELS_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.pexels.com/v1/photos/PHOTO_ID"
```

## Video Endpoints

### Search Videos

```bash
curl -H "Authorization: $PEXELS_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.pexels.com/videos/search?query=QUERY&orientation=ORIENTATION&size=SIZE&min_width=MIN_WIDTH&min_height=MIN_HEIGHT&min_duration=MIN_DURATION&max_duration=MAX_DURATION&page=PAGE&per_page=PER_PAGE"
```

**Additional Video Parameters:**
| Parameter | Description |
|-----------|-------------|
| `min_width` | Minimum width in pixels |
| `min_height` | Minimum height in pixels |
| `min_duration` | Minimum duration in seconds |
| `max_duration` | Maximum duration in seconds |

### Popular Videos

```bash
curl -H "Authorization: $PEXELS_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.pexels.com/videos/popular?min_width=1920&min_duration=10&max_duration=60&page=1&per_page=15"
```

### Get Video by ID

```bash
curl -H "Authorization: $PEXELS_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.pexels.com/videos/videos/VIDEO_ID"
```

## Collections

### Featured Collections

```bash
curl -H "Authorization: $PEXELS_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.pexels.com/v1/collections/featured?page=1&per_page=15"
```

### Collection Media

```bash
curl -H "Authorization: $PEXELS_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.pexels.com/v1/collections/COLLECTION_ID?type=TYPE&page=1&per_page=15"
```

**Type parameter:** `photos`, `videos`, or omit for both.

## Photo Sizes Available

When downloading photos, these sizes are available in the API response:

| Key | Description |
|-----|-------------|
| `original` | Original size uploaded by photographer |
| `large2x` | Width 940px, height doubled |
| `large` | Width 940px |
| `medium` | Height 350px |
| `small` | Height 130px |
| `portrait` | Width 800px, height 1200px |
| `landscape` | Width 1200px, height 627px |
| `tiny` | Width 280px, height 200px |

## Video Files Available

Videos include multiple quality files in the response:

| Quality | Typical Resolution |
|---------|-------------------|
| `hd` | 1280x720 |
| `sd` | 640x360 |
| `hls` | Adaptive streaming |
| Various | Full HD, 4K when available |

## MANDATORY: Sidecar Metadata Files

**CRITICAL REQUIREMENT:** For EVERY downloaded file, you MUST create a sidecar metadata file.

### Sidecar File Naming

For a downloaded file `mountain-sunset.jpg`, create `mountain-sunset.jpg.meta.json`.

### Photo Sidecar Content

```json
{
  "source": "pexels",
  "type": "photo",
  "id": 12345,
  "url": "https://www.pexels.com/photo/12345/",
  "download_url": "https://images.pexels.com/photos/12345/pexels-photo-12345.jpeg",
  "downloaded_size": "large",
  "width": 1920,
  "height": 1080,
  "photographer": "John Doe",
  "photographer_url": "https://www.pexels.com/@johndoe",
  "photographer_id": 67890,
  "avg_color": "#7E5835",
  "alt": "Brown mountain during sunset",
  "license": "Pexels License - Free for personal and commercial use",
  "attribution": "Photo by John Doe on Pexels",
  "attribution_html": "<a href=\"https://www.pexels.com/photo/12345/\">Photo</a> by <a href=\"https://www.pexels.com/@johndoe\">John Doe</a> on <a href=\"https://www.pexels.com\">Pexels</a>",
  "downloaded_at": "2025-12-02T14:30:00Z",
  "api_response": {
    // Full original API response for this photo
  }
}
```

### Video Sidecar Content

```json
{
  "source": "pexels",
  "type": "video",
  "id": 12345,
  "url": "https://www.pexels.com/video/12345/",
  "download_url": "https://videos.pexels.com/video-files/12345/...",
  "downloaded_quality": "hd",
  "width": 1920,
  "height": 1080,
  "duration": 30,
  "user": {
    "id": 67890,
    "name": "John Doe",
    "url": "https://www.pexels.com/@johndoe"
  },
  "video_files": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "quality": "hd",
      "file_type": "video/mp4",
      "width": 1920,
      "height": 1080,
      "link": "https://..."
    }
  ],
  "video_pictures": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "picture": "https://...",
      "nr": 0
    }
  ],
  "license": "Pexels License - Free for personal and commercial use",
  "attribution": "Video by John Doe on Pexels",
  "downloaded_at": "2025-12-02T14:30:00Z",
  "api_response": {
    // Full original API response for this video
  }
}
```

## Download Workflow

### 1. Search and Select

```bash
# Search for photos
RESPONSE=$(curl -s -H "Authorization: $PEXELS_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.pexels.com/v1/search?query=office+workspace&orientation=landscape&per_page=5")

# Parse and display results
echo "$RESPONSE" | jq '.photos[] | {id, photographer, alt, url: .src.large}'
```

### 2. Download with Sidecar

```bash
# Get photo details
PHOTO_ID=12345
PHOTO_DATA=$(curl -s -H "Authorization: $PEXELS_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.pexels.com/v1/photos/$PHOTO_ID")

# Extract download URL (choose size)
DOWNLOAD_URL=$(echo "$PHOTO_DATA" | jq -r '.src.large')
FILENAME="pexels-$PHOTO_ID-large.jpg"

# Download the image
curl -L -o "$FILENAME" "$DOWNLOAD_URL"

# Create sidecar metadata (MANDATORY)
echo "$PHOTO_DATA" | jq '{
  source: "pexels",
  type: "photo",
  id: .id,
  url: .url,
  download_url: .src.large,
  downloaded_size: "large",
  width: .width,
  height: .height,
  photographer: .photographer,
  photographer_url: .photographer_url,
  photographer_id: .photographer_id,
  avg_color: .avg_color,
  alt: .alt,
  license: "Pexels License - Free for personal and commercial use",
  attribution: ("Photo by " + .photographer + " on Pexels"),
  downloaded_at: (now | todate),
  api_response: .
}' > "$FILENAME.meta.json"
```

## Rate Limits

- **Default:** 200 requests/hour, 20,000 requests/month
- Check response headers for current limits:
  - `X-Ratelimit-Limit`
  - `X-Ratelimit-Remaining`
  - `X-Ratelimit-Reset`

## Attribution Best Practices

While not legally required by the Pexels license, attribution is encouraged:

- **Minimal:** "Photo by [Photographer] on Pexels"
- **With link:** "Photo by [Photographer](photographer_url) on [Pexels](photo_url)"
- **HTML:** Use the `attribution_html` from the sidecar file

## Example Use Cases

### Placeholder Images for UI Design

```bash
# Get 5 abstract/minimal images for placeholders
curl -s -H "Authorization: $PEXELS_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.pexels.com/v1/search?query=minimal+abstract&orientation=square&size=small&per_page=5"
```

### Hero Background Video

```bash
# Find short, wide landscape videos
curl -s -H "Authorization: $PEXELS_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.pexels.com/videos/search?query=nature+aerial&orientation=landscape&min_width=1920&min_duration=5&max_duration=15"
```

### Product Photography Backgrounds

```bash
# Search for clean, neutral backgrounds
curl -s -H "Authorization: $PEXELS_API_KEY" \
  "https://api.pexels.com/v1/search?query=white+background+texture&color=white&size=large"
```

## Checklist

When using this skill:

- [ ] Verify `PEXELS_API_KEY` is set
- [ ] Choose appropriate endpoint (search, curated, popular, collection)
- [ ] Apply relevant filters (orientation, size, color, duration)
- [ ] Select appropriate resolution for use case
- [ ] Download file to appropriate location
- [ ] **CREATE SIDECAR METADATA FILE** (mandatory)
- [ ] Consider attribution in final use

## References

- [Pexels API Documentation](https://www.pexels.com/api/documentation/)
- [Pexels License](https://www.pexels.com/license/)
- [Pexels API Help](https://help.pexels.com/hc/en-us/categories/900001326143-API)