# Tavus API — Orthogonal API

> Pay-per-use API on Orthogonal. Each call is billed to your Orthogonal balance.
> Base API: `https://api.orthogonal.com/v1/run` · [llms.txt](https://orthogonal.com/llms.txt) · [browse all APIs](https://orthogonal.com/discover)

Tavus APIs allow you to create a Conversational Video Interface (CVI), an end-to-end pipeline for building real-time video conversations with an AI replica. Each replica is integrated with a persona that enables it to see, hear, and respond like a human.

**Verified:** no

## Access

**Run API:** `POST https://api.orthogonal.com/v1/run`
**Auth:** `Authorization: Bearer $ORTHOGONAL_API_KEY`
Get an API key at https://orthogonal.com/dashboard/settings/api-keys

Every call goes through the unified Run API: send the API `slug`, the endpoint `path`, and the `query`/`body` parameters. The response is `{ "success": true, "price": "<usd>", "data": { ... } }`.

## Endpoints

### List Personas

This endpoint returns a list of all Personas. You can first list the Personas to choose which one you'd like to create a conversation with. Then, using the Create Conversation endpoint, you can start a conversation with that persona providing the persona ID.

`GET /v2/personas`

**Estimated cost:** $0.01

_No parameters required._

```bash
curl -X POST 'https://api.orthogonal.com/v1/run' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer $ORTHOGONAL_API_KEY' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"api":"tavus","path":"/v2/personas","method":"GET"}'
```

### Create Conversation

This endpoint starts a real-time video conversation with your AI replica, powered by a persona that allows it to see, hear, and respond like a human. Provide the most relevant persona_id obtained from the List Personas endpoint.

`POST /v2/conversations`

**Estimated cost:** $0.02

**Docs:** https://docs.tavus.io/api-reference/conversations/create-conversation

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|-------|------|----------|-------------|
| `persona_id` | string | Yes | p1b06420cfdc |

```bash
curl -X POST 'https://api.orthogonal.com/v1/run' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer $ORTHOGONAL_API_KEY' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"api":"tavus","path":"/v2/conversations","body":{"persona_id":"<string>"}}'
```

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Full details and an interactive quickstart: https://orthogonal.com/discover/tavus