> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL.
> For a complete documentation index, see https://developer.ideogram.ai/v1/api-reference/tools/remove-background/llms.txt.
> For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://developer.ideogram.ai/_mcp/server.

# Remove Background

POST https://api.ideogram.ai/v1/remove-background
Content-Type: multipart/form-data

Remove the background of a given image synchronously. The foreground subject
is identified and returned on a transparent background. Supported image formats include JPEG,
PNG, and WebP.
Image links are available for a limited period of time; if you would like to keep the image,
you must download it.


Reference: https://developer.ideogram.ai/v1/api-reference/tools/remove-background

## Authentication

- `Api-Key` header (required) — API key for access control. Use in the header with the name \"Api-Key\"

## Request

### Body (multipart/form-data)

This endpoint expects a multipart form containing a file.

- `image` (file, required) — The image whose background is being removed (max size 25MB); only JPEG, WebP and PNG formats are supported at this time.

## Response

### 200

Background removed successfully.

- `created` (datetime, required) — The time the request was created.
- `data` (list of RemoveBackgroundImageObject, required) — A list containing the single foreground image. The endpoint always returns exactly one entry.

## Errors

### 400 Bad Request Error

Invalid input provided.

- `any`

### 401 Unauthorized Error

Not authorized to remove background.

- `any`

### 422 Unprocessable Entity Error

Initial image failed the safety checks.

- `error` (string, required)

### 429 Too Many Requests Error

Too many requests.

- `any`

## Types

### RemoveBackgroundImageObject

- `is_image_safe` (boolean, required) — Whether the foreground image passes safety checks. If false, the url field will be empty.
- `url` (string, optional, nullable) — The direct link to the foreground image. Empty when the image fails safety checks.

## Examples

**Request**

```json
{
  "image": "<file: [object Object]>"
}
```

**Response**

```json
{
  "created": "2024-01-15T09:30:00Z",
  "data": [
    {
      "is_image_safe": true,
      "url": "https://ideogram.ai/api/images/ephemeral/xtdZiqPwRxqY1Y7NExFmzB.png?exp=1743867804&sig=e13e12677633f646d8531a153d20e2d3698dca9ee7661ee5ba4f3b64e7ec3f89"
    }
  ]
}
```

**SDK Code**

```python
import requests

url = "https://api.ideogram.ai/v1/remove-background"

files = { "image": "open('[object Object]', 'rb')" }
headers = {"Api-Key": "<apiKey>"}

response = requests.post(url, files=files, headers=headers)

print(response.json())
```

```javascript
const url = 'https://api.ideogram.ai/v1/remove-background';
const form = new FormData();
form.append('image', '[object Object]');

const options = {method: 'POST', headers: {'Api-Key': '<apiKey>'}};

options.body = form;

try {
  const response = await fetch(url, options);
  const data = await response.json();
  console.log(data);
} catch (error) {
  console.error(error);
}
```

```go
package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"strings"
	"net/http"
	"io"
)

func main() {

	url := "https://api.ideogram.ai/v1/remove-background"

	payload := strings.NewReader("-----011000010111000001101001\r\nContent-Disposition: form-data; name=\"image\"; filename=\"[object Object]\"\r\nContent-Type: application/octet-stream\r\n\r\n\r\n-----011000010111000001101001--\r\n")

	req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", url, payload)

	req.Header.Add("Api-Key", "<apiKey>")

	res, _ := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)

	defer res.Body.Close()
	body, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)

	fmt.Println(res)
	fmt.Println(string(body))

}
```

```ruby
require 'uri'
require 'net/http'

url = URI("https://api.ideogram.ai/v1/remove-background")

http = Net::HTTP.new(url.host, url.port)
http.use_ssl = true

request = Net::HTTP::Post.new(url)
request["Api-Key"] = '<apiKey>'
request.body = "-----011000010111000001101001\r\nContent-Disposition: form-data; name=\"image\"; filename=\"[object Object]\"\r\nContent-Type: application/octet-stream\r\n\r\n\r\n-----011000010111000001101001--\r\n"

response = http.request(request)
puts response.read_body
```

```java
import com.mashape.unirest.http.HttpResponse;
import com.mashape.unirest.http.Unirest;

HttpResponse<String> response = Unirest.post("https://api.ideogram.ai/v1/remove-background")
  .header("Api-Key", "<apiKey>")
  .body("-----011000010111000001101001\r\nContent-Disposition: form-data; name=\"image\"; filename=\"[object Object]\"\r\nContent-Type: application/octet-stream\r\n\r\n\r\n-----011000010111000001101001--\r\n")
  .asString();
```

```php
<?php
require_once('vendor/autoload.php');

$client = new \GuzzleHttp\Client();

$response = $client->request('POST', 'https://api.ideogram.ai/v1/remove-background', [
  'multipart' => [
    [
        'name' => 'image',
        'filename' => '[object Object]',
        'contents' => null
    ]
  ]
  'headers' => [
    'Api-Key' => '<apiKey>',
  ],
]);

echo $response->getBody();
```

```csharp
using RestSharp;

var client = new RestClient("https://api.ideogram.ai/v1/remove-background");
var request = new RestRequest(Method.POST);
request.AddHeader("Api-Key", "<apiKey>");
request.AddParameter("undefined", "-----011000010111000001101001\r\nContent-Disposition: form-data; name=\"image\"; filename=\"[object Object]\"\r\nContent-Type: application/octet-stream\r\n\r\n\r\n-----011000010111000001101001--\r\n", ParameterType.RequestBody);
IRestResponse response = client.Execute(request);
```

```swift
import Foundation

let headers = ["Api-Key": "<apiKey>"]
let parameters = [
  [
    "name": "image",
    "fileName": "[object Object]"
  ]
]

let boundary = "---011000010111000001101001"

var body = ""
var error: NSError? = nil
for param in parameters {
  let paramName = param["name"]!
  body += "--\(boundary)\r\n"
  body += "Content-Disposition:form-data; name=\"\(paramName)\""
  if let filename = param["fileName"] {
    let contentType = param["content-type"]!
    let fileContent = String(contentsOfFile: filename, encoding: String.Encoding.utf8)
    if (error != nil) {
      print(error as Any)
    }
    body += "; filename=\"\(filename)\"\r\n"
    body += "Content-Type: \(contentType)\r\n\r\n"
    body += fileContent
  } else if let paramValue = param["value"] {
    body += "\r\n\r\n\(paramValue)"
  }
}

let request = NSMutableURLRequest(url: NSURL(string: "https://api.ideogram.ai/v1/remove-background")! as URL,
                                        cachePolicy: .useProtocolCachePolicy,
                                    timeoutInterval: 10.0)
request.httpMethod = "POST"
request.allHTTPHeaderFields = headers
request.httpBody = postData as Data

let session = URLSession.shared
let dataTask = session.dataTask(with: request as URLRequest, completionHandler: { (data, response, error) -> Void in
  if (error != nil) {
    print(error as Any)
  } else {
    let httpResponse = response as? HTTPURLResponse
    print(httpResponse)
  }
})

dataTask.resume()
```