Jobs

A Job is the core unit of work in Transcodely. Each job takes an input video, applies one or more encoding configurations, and produces transcoded output files. Jobs support multiple outputs, real-time progress tracking, cost estimation, and delayed-start workflows.

Creating a Job

A minimal job requires an input source, an output origin, and at least one output specification:

curl -X POST https://api.transcodely.com/transcodely.v1.JobService/Create 
  -H "Authorization: Bearer {{API_KEY}}" 
  -H "X-Organization-ID: org_a1b2c3d4e5" 
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" 
  -d '{
    "input_url": "gs://my-bucket/uploads/video.mp4",
    "output_origin_id": "ori_x9y8z7w6v5",
    "outputs": [
      {
        "type": "mp4",
        "video": [
          { "codec": "h264", "resolution": "1080p", "quality": "standard" }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "priority": "standard"
  }'

You can also use an Origin for the input source instead of a direct URL:

{
  "input_origin_id": "ori_input123",
  "input_path": "uploads/video.mp4",
  "output_origin_id": "ori_output456",
  "outputs": [ ... ]
}

Job Status Lifecycle

Jobs progress through a well-defined state machine:

Status	Description
`pending`	Job is queued, waiting for a worker
`probing`	Analyzing the input file with ffprobe
`awaiting_confirmation`	Delayed-start jobs pause here for cost review
`processing`	Actively encoding outputs
`completed`	All outputs finished successfully
`partial`	Some outputs completed, others failed
`failed`	Job failed with an error
`canceled`	Job was canceled by the user

State Transitions

pending → probing → processing → completed
                  ↘              ↘ partial
    awaiting_confirmation        ↘ failed
         (delayed start)

Any non-terminal state → canceled (via Cancel)

Terminal states are completed, partial, failed, and canceled. Once a job reaches a terminal state, it cannot change further.

Output Specifications

Each job can have up to 10 outputs. Outputs can be defined inline or reference a Preset:

Inline Output

{
  "outputs": [
    {
      "type": "mp4",
      "video": [
        { "codec": "h264", "resolution": "1080p", "quality": "standard" }
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "webm",
      "video": [
        { "codec": "vp9", "resolution": "720p", "quality": "economy" }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Preset Reference

{
  "outputs": [
    { "preset": "h264_1080p_standard" },
    { "preset": "pst_x9y8z7w6v5" }
  ]
}

Adaptive Streaming (HLS/DASH)

For adaptive bitrate streaming, define multiple video variants in a single output:

{
  "outputs": [
    {
      "type": "hls",
      "video": [
        { "codec": "h264", "resolution": "1080p", "quality": "standard" },
        { "codec": "h264", "resolution": "720p", "quality": "standard" },
        { "codec": "h264", "resolution": "480p", "quality": "standard" }
      ],
      "segments": { "duration": 6 },
      "hls": { "segment_format": "fmp4" }
    }
  ]
}

Output Status

Each output within a job has its own status and progress:

Status	Description
`pending`	Waiting to be processed
`processing`	Currently encoding
`completed`	Successfully finished
`failed`	Encoding failed
`canceled`	Canceled before completion

The overall job progress is the average of all output progresses.

Priority

Jobs support three priority levels that affect processing order and cost:

Priority	Cost Multiplier	Use Case
`economy`	0.75x	Batch processing, non-urgent work
`standard`	1.0x	Normal workflow
`premium`	2.0x	Time-sensitive, highest priority

Delayed Start

For cost-sensitive workflows, use delayed start to review the estimated cost before encoding begins:

curl -X POST https://api.transcodely.com/transcodely.v1.JobService/Create 
  -H "Authorization: Bearer {{API_KEY}}" 
  -H "X-Organization-ID: org_a1b2c3d4e5" 
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" 
  -d '{
    "input_url": "gs://my-bucket/expensive-4k-video.mp4",
    "output_origin_id": "ori_x9y8z7w6v5",
    "outputs": [ ... ],
    "delayed_start": true
  }'

With delayed_start: true, the job follows this flow:

pending — Job is queued
probing — Input file is analyzed
awaiting_confirmation — Job pauses with cost estimate
You review total_estimated_cost and per-output pricing
Call Confirm to proceed, or Cancel to abort

# Confirm the job after reviewing costs
curl -X POST https://api.transcodely.com/transcodely.v1.JobService/Confirm 
  -H "Authorization: Bearer {{API_KEY}}" 
  -H "X-Organization-ID: org_a1b2c3d4e5" 
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" 
  -d '{ "id": "job_a1b2c3d4e5f6" }'

Real-Time Watching

Use the Watch streaming endpoint to receive live updates as a job progresses:

curl -X POST https://api.transcodely.com/transcodely.v1.JobService/Watch 
  -H "Authorization: Bearer {{API_KEY}}" 
  -H "X-Organization-ID: org_a1b2c3d4e5" 
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" 
  -d '{ "id": "job_a1b2c3d4e5f6" }'

The stream sends events as the job progresses:

Event	Description
`snapshot`	Initial full state on connect
`progress`	Progress percentage changed
`status_change`	Status transitioned (e.g., `pending` to `processing`)
`completed`	Terminal state reached — stream closes after this
`heartbeat`	Periodic keepalive (every 30 seconds)

The Watch stream automatically closes when the job reaches a terminal state (completed, failed, canceled, or partial).

Metadata

Attach custom key-value metadata to jobs for your own tracking:

{
  "metadata": {
    "user_id": "usr_12345",
    "campaign": "summer-2026",
    "source": "upload-api"
  }
}

See Metadata for constraints and usage patterns.

Canceling a Job

Cancel a job that is in a non-terminal state:

curl -X POST https://api.transcodely.com/transcodely.v1.JobService/Cancel 
  -H "Authorization: Bearer {{API_KEY}}" 
  -H "X-Organization-ID: org_a1b2c3d4e5" 
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" 
  -d '{ "id": "job_a1b2c3d4e5f6" }'

For jobs in processing state, outputs that have already completed will retain their completed status. In-progress outputs are canceled, and you are only billed for the encoded portion.

Cost Tracking

Every job includes cost fields that are populated at different stages:

Field	Populated At	Description
`total_estimated_cost`	After probing	Sum of all output estimated costs
`total_actual_cost`	After completion	Sum of actual costs (based on encoded duration)
`currency`	At creation	ISO 4217 currency code (inherited from org)

Per-output costs are available in outputs[].estimated_cost and outputs[].actual_cost. For ABR outputs with multiple variants, see variant_pricing[] for per-variant cost breakdowns.

#Jobs

#Creating a Job

#Job Status Lifecycle

#State Transitions

#Output Specifications

#Inline Output

#Preset Reference

#Adaptive Streaming (HLS/DASH)

#Output Status

#Priority

#Delayed Start

#Real-Time Watching

#Metadata

#Canceling a Job

#Cost Tracking