POST /v1/content/:containerId/clone-from-post

POST/v1/content/:containerId/clone-from-post

Phase 1stableidempotent

Auth: Bearer
Scope: content:write

Takes a platform post (one of yours or one of the top-performers we surface) and produces a new generated container inspired by it.

This is the "clone a top performer" workflow. The :containerId in the URL is the target — pass a fresh UUID for idempotency. Pass a sourcePlatformPostId we already track — typically one surfaced by top-performers — along with the projectId the new container belongs to. We run a content job that uses the source's hook, pacing, and visual structure as input.

Two modes:

"fork" (default) — structurally close to the source. Same hook shape, same length, same CTA position. The generator treats the source as a template.
"reimagine" — uses the source's premise but lets the generator diverge on structure, voice, and visuals. More variance in output. Higher chance the generator improves on the source.

Path parameters

containerId
string (uuid)required
The new container id (partner-supplied UUID). Used as an idempotency key — replaying with the same id returns the prior response.

Body

projectId
string (uuid)required
Project the new container belongs to. Must be in this org.
projectLayerId
string (uuid)optional
Which content layer to run through. Omit if the project only has one.
sourcePlatformPostId
stringrequired
Id of a post Layers tracks. Accepts the internal `platform_posts.id` or the platform-native `external_id`.
mode
stringoptionaldefault: "fork"
Generation posture.
One of: fork, reimagine
variations
integeroptionaldefault: 1
Number of variations to produce. Max 10.
overrides
objectoptional
Caption, CTA, or voice-over script overrides for the clone.
overrides.caption
stringoptional
Override the source caption.
overrides.cta
stringoptional
Override the source CTA.
overrides.voiceOverScript
stringoptional
Replace the voice-over script.

Request

terminal

curl -X POST https://api.layers.com/v1/content/{newContainerId}/clone-from-post \
  -H "X-Api-Key: $LAYERS_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: 8d2f1a3e-0b4c-4a11-9f7e-33c0a2c1bd55" \
  -d '{
    "projectId": "proj_01HX...",
    "sourcePlatformPostId": "pp_01HX...",
    "mode": "reimagine",
    "variations": 3
  }'

clone-from-post.ts

const newContainerId = crypto.randomUUID();
const res = await fetch(
  `https://api.layers.com/v1/content/${newContainerId}/clone-from-post`,
  {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'X-Api-Key': process.env.LAYERS_API_KEY!,
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      'Idempotency-Key': crypto.randomUUID(),
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      projectId,
      sourcePlatformPostId,
      mode: 'fork',
    }),
  },
);
const { jobId, containerId } = await res.json();

clone_from_post.py

import os, uuid, httpx

new_container_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
r = httpx.post(
    f"https://api.layers.com/v1/content/{new_container_id}/clone-from-post",
    headers={
        "X-Api-Key": os.environ["LAYERS_API_KEY"],
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
        "Idempotency-Key": str(uuid.uuid4()),
    },
    json={
        "projectId": project_id,
        "sourcePlatformPostId": source_id,
        "mode": "reimagine",
        "variations": 2,
    },
)
data = r.json()

Responses

202One job for the clone. The workflow produces variations as part of that single job.

{
  "jobId": "job_01HXZ9G7KMV2QX8Y1S5RJW3B7T",
  "kind": "content_clone_from_post",
  "status": "running",
  "containerId": "cnt_01HXZ9...",
  "locationUrl": "/v1/jobs/job_01HXZ9G7KMV2QX8Y1S5RJW3B7T"
}

404Source post not in this org's scope, or project not found.

{
  "error": {
    "code": "NOT_FOUND",
    "message": "Source post not found.",
    "requestId": "req_..."
  }
}

409Project has no active content layers, or multiple layers with no projectLayerId.

{
  "error": {
    "code": "CONFLICT",
    "message": "Multiple content layers — pass projectLayerId to disambiguate.",
    "requestId": "req_...",
    "details": { "layerCount": 2 }
  }
}

Notes

Clone-from-post does not republish or repost the source. It produces a new, generated container with your project's brand voice. The source is an input, not a direct reference in the output.

Source selection. Only posts we already track (via SIFT or your ad accounts) are valid sources. If you want to seed from an arbitrary URL, upload the media first and use generate-content with brief.referenceMediaIds.
Rights. You are responsible for whether cloning a given source is appropriate for your customer.

Errors

Code	When
`NOT_FOUND`	Source post not in this org's scope, or project not found.
`VALIDATION_FAILED`	Bad mode, `variations > 10`.
`CONFLICT`	Layer ambiguity or container id already exists.
`BILLING_EXHAUSTED`	Credits insufficient.