> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.tella.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Add a source to the library

> Saves an uploaded source to the library so it can be listed and reused later, both here and in the editor's media panels. Create the source via `POST /v1/sources` and upload the bytes first, then pass its `sourceId`. Without this a source is only reachable through the clips that already reference it.



## OpenAPI

````yaml /openapi.json post /v1/library
openapi: 3.0.3
info:
  description: >-
    The Tella Public API allows you to programmatically access your videos and
    playlists, including transcripts, chapters, and thumbnails.


    ## Authentication


    All requests require a Bearer token in the Authorization header:

    ```

    Authorization: Bearer tella_pk_xxxxx...

    ```


    API keys can be generated in your Tella workspace settings.


    ## Rate Limiting


    The API is rate-limited to 100 requests per minute per user within a
    workspace.

    Rate limit information is returned in response headers:

    - `RateLimit-Policy`: Named quota, request limit, and window in seconds

    - `RateLimit`: Remaining quota and seconds until reset

    - `X-RateLimit-Limit`: Maximum requests per window

    - `X-RateLimit-Remaining`: Remaining requests in current window

    - `X-RateLimit-Reset`: Unix timestamp in milliseconds when the window resets


    A `429 Too Many Requests` response also includes `Retry-After` in seconds.
  title: Tella Public API
  version: 1.0.0
servers:
  - description: Production
    url: https://api.tella.com
security: []
tags:
  - description: Video operations
    name: Videos
  - description: Sections of a video
    name: Clips
  - description: Playlist operations
    name: Playlists
  - description: Sidebar groups for organizing playlists
    name: Playlist Groups
  - description: Tags for categorizing and filtering videos
    name: Tags
  - description: Personal, workspace, and default video backgrounds
    name: Backgrounds
  - description: >-
      Reusable media saved to a workspace, plus Tella's curated sound effect
      catalog — the same items the editor's media panels show
    name: Library
  - description: Webhook endpoint management
    name: Webhooks
externalDocs:
  description: API versioning and deprecation policy
  url: https://www.tella.com/docs/versioning
paths:
  /v1/library:
    post:
      tags:
        - Library
      summary: Add a source to the library
      description: >-
        Saves an uploaded source to the library so it can be listed and reused
        later, both here and in the editor's media panels. Create the source via
        `POST /v1/sources` and upload the bytes first, then pass its `sourceId`.
        Without this a source is only reachable through the clips that already
        reference it.
      operationId: createLibraryItem
      requestBody:
        content:
          application/json:
            schema:
              $ref: '#/components/schemas/CreateLibraryItemRequest'
        required: true
      responses:
        '201':
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/CreateLibraryItemResponse'
          description: Created
          headers:
            Deprecation:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/Deprecation'
            RateLimit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit'
            RateLimit-Policy:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimitPolicy'
            Sunset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/Sunset'
            X-RateLimit-Limit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitLimit'
            X-RateLimit-Remaining:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitRemaining'
            X-RateLimit-Reset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitReset'
        '400':
          content:
            application/json:
              example:
                docsUrl: https://docs.tella.com/
                error: bad_request
                message: The request was malformed or contained invalid parameters.
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorResponse'
          description: The request was malformed or contained invalid parameters.
          headers:
            Deprecation:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/Deprecation'
            RateLimit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit'
            RateLimit-Policy:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimitPolicy'
            Sunset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/Sunset'
            X-RateLimit-Limit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitLimit'
            X-RateLimit-Remaining:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitRemaining'
            X-RateLimit-Reset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitReset'
        '401':
          content:
            application/json:
              example:
                docsUrl: https://docs.tella.com/
                error: unauthorized
                message: Authentication is required. Provide a valid API key.
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorResponse'
          description: Authentication is required. Provide a valid API key.
          headers:
            Deprecation:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/Deprecation'
            RateLimit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit'
            RateLimit-Policy:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimitPolicy'
            Sunset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/Sunset'
            X-RateLimit-Limit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitLimit'
            X-RateLimit-Remaining:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitRemaining'
            X-RateLimit-Reset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitReset'
        '403':
          content:
            application/json:
              example:
                docsUrl: https://docs.tella.com/
                error: forbidden
                message: You don't have permission to access this resource.
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorResponse'
          description: You don't have permission to access this resource.
          headers:
            Deprecation:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/Deprecation'
            RateLimit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit'
            RateLimit-Policy:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimitPolicy'
            Sunset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/Sunset'
            X-RateLimit-Limit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitLimit'
            X-RateLimit-Remaining:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitRemaining'
            X-RateLimit-Reset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitReset'
        '404':
          content:
            application/json:
              example:
                docsUrl: https://docs.tella.com/
                error: not_found
                message: The requested resource was not found.
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorResponse'
          description: The requested resource was not found.
          headers:
            Deprecation:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/Deprecation'
            RateLimit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit'
            RateLimit-Policy:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimitPolicy'
            Sunset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/Sunset'
            X-RateLimit-Limit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitLimit'
            X-RateLimit-Remaining:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitRemaining'
            X-RateLimit-Reset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitReset'
        '429':
          content:
            application/json:
              example:
                docsUrl: https://docs.tella.com/
                error: rate_limited
                message: You have exceeded the rate limit. Please slow down.
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorResponse'
          description: You have exceeded the rate limit. Please slow down.
          headers:
            Deprecation:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/Deprecation'
            RateLimit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit'
            RateLimit-Policy:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimitPolicy'
            Retry-After:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RetryAfter'
            Sunset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/Sunset'
            X-RateLimit-Limit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitLimit'
            X-RateLimit-Remaining:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitRemaining'
            X-RateLimit-Reset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitReset'
        '500':
          content:
            application/json:
              example:
                docsUrl: https://docs.tella.com/
                error: server_error
                message: An unexpected error occurred
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorResponse'
          description: An unexpected error occurred
          headers:
            Deprecation:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/Deprecation'
            RateLimit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit'
            RateLimit-Policy:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimitPolicy'
            Sunset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/Sunset'
            X-RateLimit-Limit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitLimit'
            X-RateLimit-Remaining:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitRemaining'
            X-RateLimit-Reset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitReset'
        '501':
          content:
            application/json:
              example:
                docsUrl: https://docs.tella.com/
                error: not_implemented
                message: The requested operation is not implemented.
              schema:
                $ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorResponse'
          description: The requested operation is not implemented.
          headers:
            Deprecation:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/Deprecation'
            RateLimit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimit'
            RateLimit-Policy:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/RateLimitPolicy'
            Sunset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/Sunset'
            X-RateLimit-Limit:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitLimit'
            X-RateLimit-Remaining:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitRemaining'
            X-RateLimit-Reset:
              $ref: '#/components/headers/XRateLimitReset'
      security:
        - BearerAuth: []
components:
  schemas:
    CreateLibraryItemRequest:
      additionalProperties: false
      description: >-
        Save an uploaded source to the library so it can be listed and reused
        later
      properties:
        name:
          description: Display name shown in the library. Defaults to the item's type.
          example: Intro camera take
          maxLength: 255
          minLength: 1
          type: string
        scope:
          allOf:
            - $ref: '#/components/schemas/LibraryScope'
          description: >-
            Where to save the item (default: `private`). `workspace` shares it
            with everyone in the workspace and requires an owner or member role;
            viewers get a 403.
        sourceId:
          description: >-
            Source ID from `POST /v1/sources`, with the bytes already uploaded
            to its `uploadUrl`
          example: su_abc123def456
          type: string
        type:
          description: >-
            Expected item type. Optional — the type is taken from the source's
            own kind; supplying a value that disagrees is an error.
          enum:
            - image
            - video
            - sound-effect
          type: string
      required:
        - sourceId
      type: object
    CreateLibraryItemResponse:
      additionalProperties: false
      description: The newly created library item
      properties:
        item:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/LibraryItem'
      required:
        - item
      type: object
    ErrorResponse:
      additionalProperties: false
      description: Standard error response format
      properties:
        docsUrl:
          description: Link to Tella API documentation
          example: https://docs.tella.com/
          format: uri
          type: string
        error:
          description: Machine-readable error code
          enum:
            - bad_request
            - unauthorized
            - forbidden
            - not_found
            - rate_limited
            - server_error
            - not_implemented
          example: not_found
          type: string
        message:
          description: Human-readable error message
          example: Resource not found
          type: string
      required:
        - error
        - message
        - docsUrl
      type: object
    LibraryScope:
      description: >-
        Which library the item belongs to: `workspace` items are shared with
        everyone in the workspace, `private` items are only visible to their
        creator
      enum:
        - private
        - workspace
      example: private
      type: string
    LibraryItem:
      additionalProperties: false
      description: >-
        A placeable piece of media — either saved to a workspace's library, or
        an entry in Tella's curated catalog
      properties:
        category:
          description: >-
            Catalog grouping, for `default` items only — the same grouping the
            editor's sound effects panel shows
          example: Everyday
          type: string
        createdAt:
          description: >-
            ISO-8601 creation timestamp. Absent for `default` catalog items,
            which are served from Tella's catalog rather than stored as rows.
          type: string
        dimensions:
          additionalProperties: false
          description: Pixel dimensions, for visual media
          properties:
            height:
              maximum: 9007199254740991
              minimum: -9007199254740991
              type: integer
            width:
              maximum: 9007199254740991
              minimum: -9007199254740991
              type: integer
          required:
            - width
            - height
          type: object
        durationMs:
          description: Duration in milliseconds, for time-based media
          example: 4200
          type: number
        id:
          description: Unique library item identifier
          example: media_abc123def456
          type: string
        name:
          description: Display name shown in the library
          example: Intro camera take
          type: string
        presetId:
          description: >-
            Preset ID, for `default` catalog items only. A preset has no source
            until it is placed, so pass this to `POST
            /v1/videos/{id}/clips/{clipId}/sound-effects` instead of `sourceId`;
            placing it copies the effect into a source owned by your workspace.
          example: cha-ching
          type: string
        scope:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/LibraryReadScope'
        sourceId:
          description: >-
            Source ID. Pass it anywhere a `sourceId` is accepted — clips,
            layouts, overlays, sound effects. Present for every item added
            through this API, including images. Absent for items added in the
            editor, which have no source, for music and LUT items, and for
            `default` catalog items, which use `presetId` instead.
          example: su_abc123def456
          type: string
        type:
          $ref: '#/components/schemas/LibraryItemType'
        updatedAt:
          description: ISO-8601 update timestamp. Absent for `default` catalog items.
          type: string
        url:
          description: >-
            Hosted media URL, for `image`, `music` and `lut` items, and for
            `default` catalog items, where it is a publicly fetchable preview of
            the audio. Images expose this alongside `sourceId`; use `sourceId`
            to place the image on a clip, since overlays and layout media do not
            accept URLs.
          type: string
      required:
        - id
        - type
        - name
        - scope
      type: object
    LibraryReadScope:
      description: >-
        Which set of media to read: `private` (only visible to their creator),
        `workspace` (shared with everyone in the workspace), or `default`
        (Tella's curated sound effect catalog, which holds no other media type)
      enum:
        - private
        - workspace
        - default
      example: private
      type: string
    LibraryItemType:
      description: The kind of media the item holds
      enum:
        - image
        - video
        - sound-effect
        - music
        - lut
      example: video
      type: string
  headers:
    Deprecation:
      description: Indicates that an API operation is deprecated, following RFC 9745
      example: '@1767225600'
      schema:
        type: string
    RateLimit:
      description: >-
        Current quota with remaining requests (`r`) and seconds until reset
        (`t`)
      example: '"public-api";r=95;t=42'
      schema:
        type: string
    RateLimitPolicy:
      description: >-
        Named quota policy with the request limit (`q`) and window in seconds
        (`w`)
      example: '"public-api";q=100;w=60'
      schema:
        type: string
    Sunset:
      description: >-
        Indicates when a deprecated API operation will become unavailable,
        following RFC 8594
      example: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 23:59:59 GMT
      schema:
        type: string
    XRateLimitLimit:
      description: Maximum requests allowed in the current window
      example: 100
      schema:
        type: integer
    XRateLimitRemaining:
      description: Requests remaining in the current window
      example: 95
      schema:
        type: integer
    XRateLimitReset:
      description: Unix timestamp in milliseconds when the window resets
      example: 1704067200000
      schema:
        format: int64
        type: integer
    RetryAfter:
      description: Seconds to wait before retrying a rate-limited request
      example: 45
      schema:
        minimum: 1
        type: integer
  securitySchemes:
    BearerAuth:
      description: API key obtained from your Tella account settings
      scheme: bearer
      type: http

````

## Related topics

- [Media library API](/docs/media-library-api.md)
- [Model Context Protocol (MCP)](/docs/mcp-server.md)
- [Add a clip from an uploaded source](/docs/api-reference/clips/add-a-clip-from-an-uploaded-source.md)
- [Add background music to your video](/docs/help/editing/add-background-music-to-your-video.md)
- [Add media (B-roll)](/docs/help/editing/use-media.md)
