DEV Community

Anton Abyzov
Anton Abyzov

Posted on

The Complete SORA 2 Guide: iOS, Web, API & Automation (October 2025)

#automation #api #openai #tutorial

I Automated SORA 2 Video Generation with N8N - Here's the Complete Technical Guide

I spent 48 hours building a complete automation system for OpenAI's SORA 2 video generation API. This isn't another polished demo - I'm sharing the real build, including the bugs, API errors, and debugging sessions.

TL;DR: Built a production-ready SORA 2 automation pipeline using N8N, Discord webhooks, and MCP. Generate videos on demand, handle failures gracefully, and scale to hundreds of videos per day.

Watch the full video tutorial (46 min): https://youtu.be/c7xZb556RkI

🎯 What We're Building

A complete automation workflow that:

  • Accepts video prompts via web form or webhook
  • Generates videos automatically using SORA 2 API
  • Handles completion, failure, and in-progress states
  • Sends Discord notifications at each step
  • Supports landscape/portrait orientation
  • Configurable video duration (4, 8, 12 seconds)

Tech Stack:

  • SORA 2 API (OpenAI)
  • N8N (self-hosted workflow automation)
  • Discord Webhooks (notifications)
  • MCP (Model Context Protocol)

📋 Prerequisites

Before starting, you'll need:

  1. SORA 2 API Access

    • OpenAI account with organization verification
    • Driver's license or state-issued ID upload
    • 1-2 business days for verification
    • API spending limits configured

  2. N8N Installation

   # Install Node.js 22+
   curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.1/install.sh | bash
   nvm install 22
   nvm use 22

   # Run N8N locally
   npx n8n

   # Access at http://localhost:5678
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode
  1. Discord Webhook
    • Create Discord server
    • Server Settings → Integrations → Webhooks
    • Copy webhook URL

🏗️ Architecture Overview 

User Form Submission
       ↓
   (Prompt, Orientation, Duration)
       ↓
   HTTP POST to SORA 2 API
       ↓
   Discord: "Video generation started"
       ↓
   Wait 60 seconds
       ↓
   Get Video Status
       ↓
   Is Status = "completed"?
   ├─ NO → Is Status = "failed"?
   │        ├─ YES → Discord: "Generation failed"
   │        └─ NO → Loop back to Wait
   └─ YES → Get Video Content
            ↓
        Discord: "Video ready!" + metadata
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

🔧 Step-by-Step Implementation

Step 1: Form Submission Trigger

In N8N, add a Form Trigger node:

Configuration:

  • Form Title: "SORA 2 Video Generator"
  • Fields: 
  prompt (text, required)
  orientation (dropdown: landscape/portrait)
  duration (number: 4, 8, or 12)
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Form URL: http://localhost:5678/form/[your-form-id]

Step 2: SORA 2 API - Video Generation Request

Add HTTP Request node:

Configuration:

Method: POST
URL: https://api.openai.com/v1/video/generations

Headers:
  Authorization: Bearer {{$credentials.openai.apiKey}}
  Content-Type: application/json

Body (JSON):
{
  "model": "sora-2",
  "prompt": "{{$json.prompt}}",
  "orientation": "{{$json.orientation}}",
  "duration": {{$json.duration}},
  "quality": "standard"
}
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Response contains:

  • id: Video generation job ID
  • status: "queued", "processing", "completed", "failed"

Step 3: Initial Discord Notification

Add Discord Webhook node:

Webhook URL: [your Discord webhook]

Message:
🎬 Video generation started!

Prompt: {{$json.prompt}}
Duration: {{$json.duration}} seconds
Orientation: {{$json.orientation}}
Job ID: {{$node["HTTP Request"].json.id}}

Status: Queued ⏳
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Step 4: Wait Loop with Status Checks

This is where it gets interesting. We need to poll the API until the video is ready.

Add Wait Node:

  • Wait Time: 60 seconds

Add HTTP Request Node (Get Status):

Method: GET
URL: https://api.openai.com/v1/video/generations/{{$node["HTTP Request"].json.id}}

Headers:
  Authorization: Bearer {{$credentials.openai.apiKey}}
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Add IF Node (Check Status):

Condition: status = "completed"
  → TRUE: Proceed to get video content
  → FALSE: Check if failed
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Step 5: Handle Failed Status (Critical!)

⚠️ DEBUGGING LESSON #1: My initial workflow looped forever when videos failed. Always handle failure states!

Add IF Node (Check Failed):

Condition: status = "failed"
  → TRUE: Send failure notification, stop workflow
  → FALSE: Loop back to Wait node
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Failure Notification (Discord):

❌ Video generation FAILED

Prompt: {{$json.prompt}}
Reason: {{$node["Get Status"].json.error.message}}
Job ID: {{$node["HTTP Request"].json.id}}

Try again with a different prompt.
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Step 6: Retrieve Completed Video

Add HTTP Request Node (Get Video Content):

Method: GET
URL: {{$node["Get Status"].json.video_url}}

Headers:
  Authorization: Bearer {{$credentials.openai.apiKey}}

Response Format: Binary
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Step 7: Final Success Notification

Add Discord Webhook Node:

✅ Video is READY!

Prompt: {{$json.prompt}}
Duration: {{$node["Get Status"].json.duration}} seconds
Quality: {{$node["Get Status"].json.quality}}

Download: {{$node["Get Status"].json.video_url}}

🎉 Generation time: {{$node["Get Status"].json.processing_time}} seconds
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

🐛 Real Debugging Moments

Issue #1: Workflow Rearrangement [31:01]

Problem: After adding Discord nodes, workflow connections broke.

Solution: Remove and reconnect nodes in proper execution order. N8N's visual layout matters!

Lesson: Always test after adding new nodes.

Issue #2: Infinite Loop Bug [36:42]

Problem: Workflow kept waiting forever, never completed.

Solution: Add explicit "failed" status check before looping back to wait.

Code Fix:

// BEFORE (broken)
if (status !== "completed") {
  wait(); // Infinite loop if failed
}

// AFTER (fixed)
if (status === "failed") {
  sendFailureNotification();
  stop();
} else if (status !== "completed") {
  wait();
}
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Issue #3: Cameo API Blocking [39:32] 🚨 CRITICAL

Problem: API blocked human face references (cameo feature) even with verification.

Discovery: Cameo works in iOS/Web app but is BLOCKED via API.

Solution: Use generic descriptions instead of person names.

Examples:

// ❌ BLOCKED
"Sam Altman welcomes Anton Abyzov to OpenAI HQ"

// ✅ WORKS
"Professional CEO welcomes software engineer to tech company office"
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Lesson: API has stricter moderation than UI apps. Always test prompts that reference people.

Issue #4: Discord Formatting Errors [40:26]

Problem: Complex prompts with special characters broke Discord messages.

Solution: Sanitize data before sending to external APIs.

Code Fix:

// Escape special characters
const sanitizedPrompt = prompt
  .replace(/\*/g, '\\*')
  .replace(/_/g, '\\_')
  .replace(/`/g, '\\`');

// Or send simple metadata instead
message: `Video ready! Duration: ${duration}s`
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

💰 Cost Optimization

SORA 2 API Pricing (Per Second):

  • Standard quality: $0.10/second
  • Pro 720p: $0.30/second
  • HD 1080p: $0.50/second

Real costs from testing:

  • 4-second video: $0.40 (standard)
  • 12-second video: $1.20-$6.00 (depending on quality)

Monthly scenarios:

  • 10 videos/day × 10 seconds = $300/month
  • 50 videos/day × 15 seconds = $6,750/month

🚨 CRITICAL: Set spending limits at https://platform.openai.com/settings/billing/limits

Optimization strategies:

  1. Start with standard quality for testing
  2. Use 4-second videos for iteration
  3. Batch similar prompts
  4. Cache successful generations
  5. Test prompts in iOS app first (cheaper with ChatGPT Plus)

🤖 N8NMCP Integration

What is N8NMCP?
Model Context Protocol server for N8N - lets Claude Desktop generate workflows using natural language.

Setup:

  1. Install N8NMCP from GitHub
  2. Add to Claude Desktop config
  3. Restart Claude Desktop

Example prompt:

"Build a workflow that sends Discord test message on manual trigger"

Claude generates:

{
  "nodes": [
    {
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger",
      "name": "Manual Trigger"
    },
    {
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.discord",
      "name": "Discord",
      "parameters": {
        "webhook": "{{$credentials.discord}}",
        "message": "Test message from N8NMCP!"
      }
    }
  ]
}
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Import into N8N, test, and it works! 🎉

🎯 Production Checklist

Before deploying to production:

  • [ ] Set OpenAI spending limits
  • [ ] Test all failure scenarios
  • [ ] Handle network timeouts
  • [ ] Add retry logic for transient errors
  • [ ] Monitor Discord for stuck workflows
  • [ ] Store videos in cloud storage (S3/Cloudflare)
  • [ ] Add authentication to form trigger
  • [ ] Log all API requests for debugging
  • [ ] Set up error alerting (PagerDuty/email)
  • [ ] Document common errors and solutions

📊 What I Learned

  1. APIs fail - Build error handling from day one
  2. Cameo via API = blocked - Use generic descriptions
  3. Discord is perfect for notifications - Simple, reliable, instant
  4. N8N visual workflows beat code - Faster to build and debug
  5. N8NMCP is the future - Generate workflows with Claude
  6. Cost adds up fast - SORA 2 API is expensive, test carefully
  7. Real debugging > polished demos - Authenticity builds trust

🚀 Next Steps

Want to build this yourself?

  1. Watch the full 46-minute tutorial: https://youtu.be/c7xZb556RkI
  2. Join the Discord for the N8N workflow template: https://discord.gg/UYg4BGJ65V
  3. Read the documentation: https://anton-abyzov.github.io/ai-power/

Questions? Drop them in the comments - I'll respond to every one.

🔗 Resources

This isn't just theory - this is what I actually built and deployed this week.

If you found this helpful:

  • ⭐ Star the GitHub repo
  • 💬 Share your workflow ideas in comments
  • 🔔 Subscribe on YouTube for more automation tutorials

The future of content creation is automated. Don't get left behind.

Built with N8N, SORA 2, and way too much coffee ☕
October 2025
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Top comments (0)