We have changed the style of file reference that we recommend for ffmpeg_commands. From August 2026 onwards, our docs recommend writing a plain file path where a job reads or writes a file.
The brace placeholder styles, {{input.mp4}} and <<output.wav>>, have not been deprecated. They will continue to work exactly as they always have, for as long as the API exists. Nothing that you have already built needs to change.
What changed
Only the recommendation, along with the docs that carry it. Every code sample, quickstart, and integration guide now leads with path style:
{
"input_files": { "input.mp4": "https://example.com/video.mp4" },
"output_files": ["output.wav"],
"ffmpeg_commands": ["-i inputs/input.mp4 -vn outputs/output.wav"]
}Previously the same job would have been written like this, and still can be:
{
"input_files": { "input.mp4": "https://example.com/video.mp4" },
"output_files": ["output.wav"],
"ffmpeg_commands": ["-i {{input.mp4}} -vn <<output.wav>>"]
}Both forms resolve to the same paths on the worker and produce identical output. The full details are in File Reference Styles.
Why we made the switch
Onboarding. Two things kept tripping up new users, and both of them disappear with path style.
Automation tools claim the braces. Make and n8n both use {{...}} for their own expressions. A command written with {{input.mp4}} was interpreted by the automation tool before it ever reached the API, so users had to discover the <<name>> escape hatch or fight with escaping. Path style uses no reserved characters, so it can be dropped into an n8n or Make field unmodified.
The command should be the command. -i inputs/input.mp4 -vn outputs/output.wav is a real FFmpeg command against real paths. You can copy an FFmpeg command off Stack Overflow, swap in inputs/ and outputs/, and it will run. You can also copy a working job out of the API and run it locally. Placeholders required an extra mental translation step in both directions, which is exactly the kind of friction that costs someone their first successful job.
Every job already ran in a workspace with inputs and outputs directories, so path style is not a new mechanism. It simply names the thing that was always there. See Running Commands for how the workspace is laid out.
What existing users need to do
Nothing.
- Existing jobs, saved workflows, scripts, and n8n nodes that use
{{name}}or<<name>>will keep running. - New requests that use placeholder style are accepted, have not been deprecated, and are not rate-limited differently.
- There is no migration deadline, because there is no migration.
A large number of our customers use placeholder style today, and that is completely fine. If you are happy with it, keep it. If you are writing something new, especially inside an automation tool, path style will give you a smoother time.
Get started
New to the API? Grab a free API key (2 GB free, no credit card) and send your first job using path style. The quickstart takes a couple of minutes.