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

# Image to Face

> Create a Phoenix face from a headshot image using the Create Face and Get Face APIs.

<Note>
  This guide is for **training a face through the API** with `train_image_url`. If you prefer a guided flow with instant feedback on whether your image passes checks, use the [PAL Maker](https://maker.tavus.io/dev/faces/create).
</Note>

## Outcome

You will `POST /v2/faces` with `train_image_url` and a voice, then poll `GET /v2/faces/{face_id}` until ready. For Phoenix-4.5 preview and tuning status, see [Phoenix-4.5 Preview and Status](/sections/faces/phoenix-45-preview-and-status).

## Prerequisites

* A headshot and composition rules in [Phoenix-4.5 Image Requirements](/sections/faces/phoenix-45-image-requirements) or [Phoenix-4 Image Requirements](/sections/faces/phoenix-4-image-requirements).
* A voice for the face. See [Voices for Image-Based Faces](/sections/faces/voices-for-image-based-faces).
* A publicly downloadable URL for the image (for example a presigned S3 GET URL). Keep it valid for at least **24 hours** after submission.

## 1. Create the face

Send **`"model_name": "phoenix-4.5"`** for Phoenix-4.5. To use Phoenix-4, include `"model_name": "phoenix-4"`. Image training is not available on Phoenix-3 (legacy). Pick a model and see photo rules in [Choose a Model and Training Path](/sections/faces/which-training-path).

Do **not** send `train_video_url` and `train_image_url` in the same request.

```bash theme={null}
curl --request POST \
  --url https://tavusapi.com/v2/faces \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --header "x-api-key: $TAVUS_API_KEY" \
  --data '{
    "callback_url": "",
    "face_name": "my_image_replica",
    "model_name": "phoenix-4.5",
    "train_image_url": "https://example.com/headshot.png",
    "voice_name": "anna",
    "auto_fix_training_image": true
  }'
```

<Tip>
  Set `auto_fix_training_image` to `true` to have Tavus's AI Image Fixer instantly adjust the uploaded image to fit the [Phoenix-4.5](/sections/faces/phoenix-45-image-requirements#image-requirements) or [Phoenix-4](/sections/faces/phoenix-4-image-requirements#image-requirements) photo rules - no editing or recapturing photos required.
</Tip>

## 2. Poll face status

Use [Get Face](/api-reference/faces/get-face):

```bash theme={null}
curl --request GET \
  --url "https://tavusapi.com/v2/faces/$FACE_ID" \
  --header "x-api-key: $TAVUS_API_KEY"
```

<Note>
  Poll until `status` is `completed`. On Phoenix-4.5 that is the watermarked preview; check `finetune_status` for the unwatermarked version. See [Phoenix-4.5 Preview and Status](/sections/faces/phoenix-45-preview-and-status).
</Note>

## 3. Start a conversation

Generate a conversation with your face using [Create Conversation](https://docs.tavus.io/api-reference/conversations/create-conversation)

```bash theme={null}
curl --request POST \
  --url https://tavusapi.com/v2/conversations \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --header "x-api-key: $TAVUS_API_KEY" \
  --data '{
    "face_id": "$FACE_ID"
  }'
```

## Related

* [Create Face](/api-reference/faces/create-face) (validation rules for `train_image_url`)
* [Phoenix-4.5 Preview and Status](/sections/faces/phoenix-45-preview-and-status)
* [Voices for Image-Based Faces](/sections/faces/voices-for-image-based-faces)
* [Phoenix-4.5 Image Requirements](/sections/faces/phoenix-45-image-requirements)
* [Phoenix-4 Image Requirements](/sections/faces/phoenix-4-image-requirements)
* [Video to Face](/sections/faces/video-to-face-quickstart) if you switch to video-based training


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