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Put the render call in a Next.js Route Handler and your API key never reaches the browser: the browser, and every social crawler, only ever sees a URL on your own domain. Imejis returns the finished image directly in the response, so a handler is a single upstream request, with nothing to poll and no webhook to receive.

Set two environment variables first: IMEJIS_API_KEY (from your dashboard) and IMEJIS_DESIGN_ID (any design's id).

.env.local
IMEJIS_API_KEY=your_api_key
IMEJIS_DESIGN_ID=your_design_id

The fields you override are component.property pairs: headline.text, title.color, image.image. Only what you send changes, and a design's overridable fields are listed in its Share / API panel.

Every file below comes from a real App Router app (Next.js 16) that is booted in Docker and called end to end before this page ships. The title of each block is where the file goes.

An endpoint that returns the generated imageAn endpoint that returns the generated image

A route in your app that renders on demand and streams the image straight back, so your render key never reaches the browser. This is the shape to use behind an <img src> on a page you control. ?format= picks png, jpeg, webp or pdf, and the route answers with the content type that matches it. A PDF labelled image/png is a file the browser, the email client and Slack all refuse to open.

app/og/route.ts
import type { NextRequest } from "next/server"
 
const BASE = process.env.IMEJIS_RENDER_URL ?? "https://render.imejis.io"
 
// Render on demand and stream the image straight back. The render key stays on
// the server, so it never reaches the browser — point an <img src>, or an
// og:image, at this route.
//
// `?format=` decides what comes back — png · jpeg · webp · pdf — and with no
// format the render host's default (jpeg) applies. Either way the response
// carries whatever type the render API set, passed straight through: a PDF
// labelled `image/jpeg` is a file the browser, the email client and Slack all
// refuse to open.
// The formats the render API accepts. The routes pass `?format=` through when
// one is asked for; with none, the render host's default (jpeg) applies.
const FORMATS = ["png", "jpeg", "webp", "pdf"]
 
export async function GET(req: NextRequest) {
  const title = req.nextUrl.searchParams.get("title") ?? "Hello from Next.js"
  const requested = req.nextUrl.searchParams.get("format") ?? ""
  const params = new URLSearchParams()
  if (FORMATS.includes(requested)) params.set("format", requested)
 
  const upstream = await fetch(
    `${BASE}/v1/${process.env.IMEJIS_DESIGN_ID}?${params}`,
    {
      method: "POST",
      headers: {
        "dma-api-key": process.env.IMEJIS_API_KEY as string,
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        "headline.text": title,
        "subtitle.text": req.nextUrl.searchParams.get("subtitle") ?? "",
      }),
    }
  )
  if (!upstream.ok) {
    return Response.json(
      { error: `render failed: ${upstream.status}` },
      { status: 502 }
    )
  }
 
  // Pass the body straight through — no buffering of the whole image.
  return new Response(upstream.body, {
    headers: {
      "Content-Type": upstream.headers.get("content-type") ?? "image/jpeg",
      // Renders are deterministic, so cache aggressively at the edge/CDN —
      // and every request to the render API is one metered render.
      "Cache-Control": "public, immutable, no-transform, max-age=31536000",
    },
  })
}

One endpoint every size and jpeg qualityOne endpoint, every size, and JPEG quality

A multi-size design carries several canvases: an OG image, a square post, a vertical story. ?variation=<id> picks which one the route renders, and omitting it gives the base size, so one endpoint serves every size your pages ask for. ?quality= trades file size for fidelity on JPEG only; png, webp and pdf ignore it.

app/og-size/route.ts
import type { NextRequest } from "next/server"
 
const BASE = process.env.IMEJIS_RENDER_URL ?? "https://render.imejis.io"
 
// One design, several canvases — an OG image, a square post, a vertical
// story. `?variation=<id>` picks which one you get; with none you get the base
// size. Map YOUR OWN size names to the ids (the design's Share / API panel
// lists them) so a page asks for "story", not for an id.
//
// `?quality=` trades file size for fidelity on JPEG only — png, webp and pdf
// ignore it.
const FORMATS = ["png", "jpeg", "webp", "pdf"]
const SIZES: Record<string, string | null> = {
  og: null,
  story: process.env.IMEJIS_VARIATION_ID ?? "story",
}
 
export async function GET(req: NextRequest) {
  const query = req.nextUrl.searchParams
  const size = query.get("size") ?? "og"
  if (!(size in SIZES)) {
    return Response.json({ error: `unknown size: ${size}` }, { status: 404 })
  }
 
  const params = new URLSearchParams()
  const variation = SIZES[size]
  if (variation) params.set("variation", variation)
  const requested = query.get("format") ?? ""
  if (FORMATS.includes(requested)) params.set("format", requested)
  const quality = Number(query.get("quality"))
  if (quality >= 1 && quality <= 100) params.set("quality", String(quality))
 
  const upstream = await fetch(
    `${BASE}/v1/${process.env.IMEJIS_DESIGN_ID}?${params}`,
    {
      method: "POST",
      headers: {
        "dma-api-key": process.env.IMEJIS_API_KEY as string,
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({ "headline.text": query.get("title") ?? "Every size" }),
    }
  )
  if (!upstream.ok) {
    return Response.json(
      { error: `render failed: ${upstream.status}` },
      { status: 502 }
    )
  }
 
  return new Response(upstream.body, {
    headers: {
      "Content-Type": upstream.headers.get("content-type") ?? "image/jpeg",
      "Cache-Control": "public, immutable, no-transform, max-age=31536000",
    },
  })
}

An endpoint that returns a hosted or signed image urlAn endpoint that returns a hosted or signed image URL

Ask for ?delivery=hosted (a public URL) or ?delivery=signed (a private, expiring one) and hand the URL to the caller instead of the bytes, which is what you want for an email, a webhook payload, or a share card.

app/og-url/route.ts
import type { NextRequest } from "next/server"
 
const BASE = process.env.IMEJIS_RENDER_URL ?? "https://render.imejis.io"
const FORMATS = ["png", "jpeg", "webp", "pdf"]
 
// Ask for a stored URL instead of bytes. `hosted` is public and permanent;
// `signed` is private and expires (`expiresIn` is minutes).
export async function GET(req: NextRequest) {
  const delivery = req.nextUrl.searchParams.get("private") ? "signed" : "hosted"
  const params = new URLSearchParams({ delivery })
  // The stored URL carries the extension of the format it was rendered in, so
  // pass the format through here too — a recipient that sniffs by extension
  // (an email client, a Slack unfurl) needs `.pdf` to say pdf.
  const requested = req.nextUrl.searchParams.get("format") ?? ""
  if (FORMATS.includes(requested)) params.set("format", requested)
  if (delivery === "signed") params.set("expiresIn", "30")
 
  const upstream = await fetch(
    `${BASE}/v1/${process.env.IMEJIS_DESIGN_ID}?${params}`,
    {
      method: "POST",
      headers: {
        "dma-api-key": process.env.IMEJIS_API_KEY as string,
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({
        "headline.text": req.nextUrl.searchParams.get("title") ?? "Shared card",
      }),
    }
  )
  // { url, format, file: { size }, expiresAt (signed only) }
  const stored = await upstream.json()
 
  return Response.json({
    url: stored.url,
    format: stored.format,
    expiresAt: stored.expiresAt ?? null,
  })
}

Bulk image generation from a routeBulk image generation from a route

One POST to /bulk renders many images, a row per record or one per size, and returns a URL for each, in the order you sent them.

app/og-bulk/route.ts
import type { NextRequest } from "next/server"
 
const BASE = process.env.IMEJIS_RENDER_URL ?? "https://render.imejis.io"
 
// One POST renders many images and returns a URL for each, in the order sent —
// a row per record, or one per size.
export async function POST(req: NextRequest) {
  const { rows = [] } = await req.json()
 
  const upstream = await fetch(`${BASE}/bulk`, {
    method: "POST",
    headers: {
      "dma-api-key": process.env.IMEJIS_API_KEY as string,
      "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      designId: process.env.IMEJIS_DESIGN_ID,
      delivery: "hosted",
      format: "png",
      data: rows.map((row: { name: string; role?: string }) => ({
        "headline.text": row.name,
        "subtitle.text": row.role ?? "",
      })),
    }),
  })
  const bulk = await upstream.json()
 
  return Response.json({
    summary: bulk.summary,
    urls: bulk.results.map((r: { url?: string }) => r.url ?? null),
  })
}

Using the image url directly in a templateUsing the image URL directly in a template

For a public design you can skip the proxy entirely and point an <img> at the render URL with the field values in the query string. Keep the proxy when the key must stay private. That is the right default.

app/card/page.tsx
import type { Metadata } from "next"
 
const BASE = process.env.IMEJIS_RENDER_URL ?? "https://render.imejis.io"
const SITE = process.env.SITE_URL ?? "http://localhost:3000"
 
type Props = { searchParams: Promise<{ title?: string }> }
 
// og:image points at YOUR OWN route (the proxy above), so crawlers and social
// platforms fetch your domain and the key stays server-side. This is the
// pattern to use for link previews.
export async function generateMetadata({
  searchParams,
}: Props): Promise<Metadata> {
  const { title = "Straight from a URL" } = await searchParams
  const ogImage = `${SITE}/og?title=${encodeURIComponent(title)}`
 
  return {
    title,
    openGraph: { images: [ogImage] },
    twitter: { card: "summary_large_image", images: [ogImage] },
  }
}
 
export default async function Page({ searchParams }: Props) {
  const { title = "Straight from a URL" } = await searchParams
 
  // For a PUBLIC design you can skip the proxy and point an <img> straight at
  // the render URL — but the key then ships in the HTML. Keep the proxy
  // whenever the key must stay private: that is the right default, and what
  // /og above is for.
  const url = new URL(`${BASE}/v1/${process.env.IMEJIS_DESIGN_ID}`)
  url.searchParams.set("dma-api-key", process.env.IMEJIS_API_KEY as string)
  url.searchParams.set("headline.text", title)
 
  return (
    <img
      src={url.toString()}
      width={1200}
      height={630}
      alt={`Card for ${title}`}
    />
  )
}

Dynamic OG images. The app/card/page.tsx block above is the whole link-preview pattern: generateMetadata points og:image at your own /og route, so X, LinkedIn, Slack and iMessage fetch your domain and get a freshly rendered 1200×630 image for that page's real title. Set SITE_URL to your production origin, because crawlers need an absolute URL.

The response is the raw image (`image/jpeg` by default). Choose the format with `?format=png|jpeg|webp|pdf` (default jpeg) and set JPEG quality with `?quality=1-100`. Store the result and get a URL back with `?delivery=hosted` (or `?delivery=signed&expiresIn=60`), and render a specific size of a multi-size design with `?variation=<id>`.

ParameterValuesDefaultWhat it does
?format=png · jpeg · webp · pdfjpegOutput image format.
?quality=1–100noneCompression quality for lossy output; ignored for other formats. (JPEG only)
?delivery=stream · hosted · signedstreamstream = raw image bytes (default); hosted = store + return a public URL; signed = store + return a time-limited URL.
?expiresIn=minutes60Signed-URL lifetime in minutes (default 60, max 10080 = 7 days). (delivery=signed only)
?variation=<size id>masterWhich multi-dimension SIZE to render. Omit or use "master" for the base size; an unknown id falls back to the master. (multi-size designs only)
  • PNG (?format=png): Lossless, supports transparency. Largest file.
  • JPEG (?format=jpeg): Smaller, lossy, no transparency. Quality adjustable.
  • WebP (?format=webp): Smallest, supports transparency. Modern browsers.
  • PDF (?format=pdf): Vector page, for print and documents.

See the delivery modes and generate images with the API guides.

The same calls, framework-free, are on the JavaScript page; Remix and SvelteKit have the file-routed equivalents. These handlers pass upstream.body straight through, so nothing buffers, and the route is dynamic by nature: a static export has nowhere to run it. Each request is one render, 100 free a month, then pricing.