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

# Quickstart

> Generate your first image with Public Endpoints in under 5 minutes.

<div className="overview-page-wrapper" />

This quickstart walks you through generating an image using Runpod Public Endpoints. You'll use the [Flux Schnell](/public-endpoints/models/flux-schnell) model, which is optimized for fast generation.

## Requirements

* A [Runpod account](/get-started/manage-accounts) with at least \$1 in credits
* A [Runpod API key](/get-started/api-keys)

## Step 1: Generate an image in the playground

The fastest way to test Public Endpoints is through the browser-based playground.

1. Go to the [Flux Schnell endpoint](https://console.runpod.io/hub/playground/image/black-forest-labs-flux-1-schnell) in the Runpod console.
2. Under **Input**, enter a prompt: `A golden retriever playing fetch on a sunny beach` (or any other prompt you like).
3. Click **Run**.
4. Wait a few seconds for the image to generate. The result appears under **Result**.

You've just generated your first image. The playground shows the estimated cost (\~\$0.0025 for a 1024x1024 image).

<Frame alt="Public Endpoint playground">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/runpod-b18f5ded/7sBFXAUsMZW3Y79S/images/public-endpoints-quickstart-playground.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=7sBFXAUsMZW3Y79S&q=85&s=eeedbdf0b65237cd9420e9f1e3068f3d" width="3830" height="2458" data-path="images/public-endpoints-quickstart-playground.png" />
</Frame>

## Step 2: Generate an image with the API

Now let's generate an image programmatically using the REST API.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="cURL">
    1. Open a terminal on your local machine.
    2. Copy the following command, replacing `YOUR_API_KEY` with your Runpod API key:

    ```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
    curl -X POST "https://api.runpod.ai/v2/black-forest-labs-flux-1-schnell/runsync" \
      -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
      -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
      -d '{
        "input": {
          "prompt": "A golden retriever playing fetch on a sunny beach",
          "width": 1024,
          "height": 1024
        }
      }'
    ```

    3. Paste the command into your terminal and press **Enter**.
    4. Wait for the response (this takes about 10-20 seconds).
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Python">
    1. Create a new file called `generate_image.py` and paste the following code:

    ```python theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
    import requests

    response = requests.post(
        "https://api.runpod.ai/v2/black-forest-labs-flux-1-schnell/runsync",
        headers={
            "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY",
            "Content-Type": "application/json",
        },
        json={
            "input": {
                "prompt": "A golden retriever playing fetch on a sunny beach",
                "width": 1024,
                "height": 1024,
            }
        },
    )

    result = response.json()
    print(result["output"]["image_url"])
    ```

    2. Replace `YOUR_API_KEY` with your Runpod API key.
    3. Open a terminal, navigate to the directory containing the file, and run:

    ```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
    python generate_image.py
    ```

    4. Wait for the script to print the image URL (this takes about 10-20 seconds).
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Response

Both methods return a JSON response with your generated image:

```json theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
{
  "status": "COMPLETED",
  "output": {
    "image_url": "https://image.runpod.ai/...",
    "cost": 0.02097152
  }
}
```

Open the `image_url` in your browser to view the generated image.

<Warning>
  Image URLs expire after 7 days. Download images immediately if you need to keep them.
</Warning>

## Next steps

* [Make API requests](/public-endpoints/requests): Learn about async requests, SDKs, and best practices.
* [Model reference](/public-endpoints/reference): Explore all available models and their parameters.
* [Connect AI coding tools](/public-endpoints/ai-coding-tools): Use Public Endpoints with Cursor, Cline, and OpenCode.
* [Build a text-to-video pipeline](/tutorials/public-endpoints/text-to-video-pipeline): Chain multiple endpoints to generate videos from text prompts.