User Avatar API

Create highly customizable avatar images with a person's name or initials to improve your user experience.
Get started

https://avatars.abstractapi.com/v1/
    ? api_key = YOUR_UNIQUE_API_KEY
    & name = John Smith

switch icon
Configuration options available with the API.
Various
‍avatar styles
Highly
customizable
High quality
retina support
Lightning fast
loading
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Why do 20,000+ developers trust? Abstract?

Easy to implement and maintain

We built Abstract because most of the API's we've used in the past simply weren't great. Our APIs are built the way we think API's should be: with excellent documentation, multiple easy to use libraries, and tutorials to get you started.

Speed and scale built into everything we do

Something like IP geolocation is probably part of a critical business processes and flow, so we built it (as all of our APIs) for use at scale and at blazing speeds. These aren't just marketing phrases, but fundamental features of our APIs.

Reliable uptime and great support

Developers trust Abstract because of our reliable uptime and excellent technical support that will help get you live quickly, keep you running smoothly, and resolve any issues you have fast regardless of where you are or what you're building.

The User Avatar API creates flexible avatar images from names or initials

Simple yet flexible REST API

The User Avatar API is built with the right mix of simplicity, speed, and flexibility, so you can focus on the parts of your code that matter and still have beautiful, reliable user avatars.

Highly customizable typograpy

Our highly customizable avatar creation process lets you specify fonts, weights, alignment, or style. Make your avatars match your brand and your interface easily.

Specify background and font colors

It's important to have full control over the look and feel of something as visible as your user avatars, so you can set everything for the avatar's color and size.

Multiple scripts and languages supported

Non-Latin scripts and lanuages supported, including Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, and Thai so you can support users from around the world.

Retina support included

Create super crisp and clear avatars even on high resolution screens with highly flexible and high quality images that leave your site or app looking great for users.

Bank-level security for all queries

Abstract is about more than speed and features. We also care deeply about security, so all data that is sent and processed is secured via 256-bit SSL encryption (HTTPS).

Simple, transparent, and cost-effective pricing

FREE

$0

no card
required!

  • 250,000 requests
  • 1 request / second

starter

$9

per
month

  • Unlimited requests / month
  • 3 requests / second
  • Commercial use allowed
  • Email support

pro

$49

per
month

  • Unlimited requests / month
  • 10 requests / second
  • Commercial use allowed
  • Email support

growth

$499

per
month

  • Unlimited requests / month
  • 100 requests / second
  • Commercial use allowed
  • Email support

User Avatar API Documentation

REST

The User Avatar API, like all of Abstract's APIs, is organized around REST. It is designed to use predictable, resource-oriented URL's and to use HTTP status codes to indicate errors.

HTTPS

All communications with the User Avatar API must be secured TLS 1.2 or greater.

API Versions

All of Abstract's API are versioned. The User Avatar API is currently on Version 1.

Your API Key

Your API key is your unique authentication key to be used to access Abstract's User Avatar API. Note that each of Abstract's API has a unique API key, so you will need different keys to access the User Avatar and IP Geolocation APIs, for example. To authenticate your requests, you will need to append your API key to the base URL.

Base URL

https://avatars.abstractapi.com/v1/

User Avatar API Request Parameters

PARAMETER

TYPE

DETAILS

name required

String

The name you want to create an avatar for. You can submit multiple names (such as first, middle, and last), and the API will default to displaying two letters in the avatar. You can change the number of letters displayed with the char_limit parameter below.

api_key required

String

Your unique API key. Note that each user has unique API keys for each of Abstract's APIs, so your IP Geolocation API key will not work for as your User Avatar key, for example.

image_size

Integer

The size of the square avatar image in pixels. It defaults to 32 pixels, and is available in sizes from 6 to 512 pixels.

image_format

String

The desired format of the returned image. It defaults to "svg", but can also be specified as "png".

font_size

Float

The size of the font as a percent of the image_size. It defaults to 0.5, but it can be set between 0.1 and 1.0.

char_limit

Integer

The maximum number of characters displayed in the avatar. It defaults to 2. The actual number of characters displayed can be less than this number, but it cannot be more. The characters will first be chosen from distinct words, then from the second letter of distinct words. For example, with a char_limit of 2,  the string "John" will return "JO", "John Smith" will return "JS", and "John Patrick Smith" will return "JS".

background_color

String

The hex color for the background. It defaults to 335eea. When including a hex color, you do not need to include the "#". So &background_color=e4704a would be valid and &background_color=#e4704a would be invalid.

font_color

String

The hex color for the font. It defaults to white, i.e.,ffffff. When including a hex color, you do not need to include the "#". So &font_color=e4704a would be valid and &font_color=#e4704a would be invalid.

is_uppercase

Boolean

Sets the initials in the avatar to all capitals. It defaults to true.

is_italic

Boolean

Sets the initials in the avatar to all italics. It defaults to false.

is_bold

Boolean

Sets the initials in the avatar to bold. It defaults to false.

Example User Avatar Request With All Default Parameters

To create a user avatar via the API, the absolute minimum required is your unique API key and at least 1 character in the name.

https://avatars.abstractapi.com/v1/
    ? api_key = YOUR_UNIQUE_API_KEY
    & name = John Smith

This simple request would return the following image:

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Frequently Asked Questions
about Abstract's User Avatar API

Why would I use an API to create user avatars?

When users sign up for an app or website, it's common to allow them to upload an image of themselves. However, in many cases users don't do that right away (or ever!), and you and they are stuck with a bunch of bland and empty spaces where an image should be. You can automatically spice up the interface by adding a custom avatar for that user that's created from their name or initials.

How does the User Avatar API work with other services like Gravtar?

Gravtar describes their service as providing "an image that follows you from site to site appearing beside your name when you do things like comment or post on a blog. Avatars help identify your posts on blogs and web forums, so why not on any site?". This is a very popular option for getting a user's image, but it's not always available. Users of Abstract's User Avatar API will often use our service as a fall back when a gravtar cannot be found.

What languages and character types do you support?

We support most characters (including emoji!). We're also rolling out support for additional languages and characters like Arabic, Bengali, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, and Thai.

Developers around the world love Abstract's User Avatar API

Woohoo! No more boring empty images in our user list. We looked at several options to handle this including building and maintaining it in house (no thank you!) but finally found that Abstract handles this. The flexibility is pretty great, but we mainly love the simplicity and not needing to think about it.

Michael Ludwig

Our app didn't have a great fallback if users didn't upload their images, which made our image-heavy UI look pretty weak with a bunch of empty gray squares. We now have really colorful avatars that make the UI look great without requiring the users or us to do a lot of work.

Chris Stillins

Super simple implementation. Great documentation. Great response and up times. Great support team. Lots of new features coming each month. What's not to love with the API? And we love that it's part of Abstract so we can use all their other services too like IP Geolocation and Email Validation.

Cyan Pullman

User Avatar API Changelog

Last Updated on 

May 31, 2023

May 31, 2023

 - 

Added 20% more avatar customization options, improved load times by 18%

November 19, 2020

 - 

Added new text formatting and color options

July 1, 2020

 - 

Improved support for Hebrew, Arabic, and other right-to-left scripts

July 6, 2020

 - 

Added additional avatar color options

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