# Compress GIF images with an API

Compress a GIF directly in the live demo below, or use the same Assembly Instructions to optimize GIF uploads automatically. [🤖/image/optimize](/docs/robots/image-optimize.md) keeps the GIF format and animation while reducing avoidable file overhead.

This example favors compression ratio and removes metadata. Removing metadata can reduce the output further, but it may also remove copyright or attribution information, so preserve it when your workflow requires that data. The amount saved depends on the source palette, frame count, existing compression, and metadata.

GIF is widely supported but limited to a 256-color palette. For larger animations, converting to WebP or video may produce a substantially smaller result. Use GIF optimization when compatibility or an existing GIF workflow matters, and connect the final Step to your preferred[storage provider](/services/file-exporting.md) in production.

Step 1:

### ![Handle uploads](/_next/static/immutable/media/handling-uploads.36rsz9f-z39wy.svg)Handle uploads

We can handle uploads of your users directly.[Learn more ›](/services/handling-uploads.md)

![bird.gif](https://demos.transloadit.com/15/7d503e88b64f54a7e3d7fde8afe380/bird.gif)

[bird.gif](https://demos.transloadit.com/15/7d503e88b64f54a7e3d7fde8afe380/bird.gif)

Image – 39 KB

2s · 312 × 312

```
":original": {
  "robot": "/upload/handle"
}
```

🤖 [/upload/handle](/docs/robots/upload-handle.md)

This bot receives uploads that your users throw at you from browser or apps, or that you throw at us programmatically

Step 2:

### ![Optimize images without quality loss](/_next/static/immutable/media/image-processing.01ifhto-sjz1y.svg)Optimize images without quality loss

We can resize, crop, and (auto-)rotate images, or apply watermarks and other effects, and much more.[Learn more ›](/services/image-processing.md)

![bird.gif](https://demos.transloadit.com/15/7d503e88b64f54a7e3d7fde8afe380/bird.gif)

[bird.gif](https://demos.transloadit.com/15/7d503e88b64f54a7e3d7fde8afe380/bird.gif)

Image – 39 KB

2s · 312 × 312

```
"compressed": {
  "use": ":original",
  "robot": "/image/optimize",
  "result": true,
  "preserve_meta_data": false,
  "priority": "compression-ratio"
}
```

🤖 [/image/optimize](/docs/robots/image-optimize.md)

This bot reduces the size of images while maintaining the same visual quality

Step 3:

### ![Export files to Amazon S3](/_next/static/immutable/media/file-exporting.1zp-mu826z4vh.svg)Export files to Amazon S3

We export to the storage platform of your choice.[Learn more ›](/services/file-exporting.md)

`:original`

* [https://demos.transloadit.com/15/7d503e88b64f54a7e3d7fde8afe380/bird.gif⁠](https://demos.transloadit.com/15/7d503e88b64f54a7e3d7fde8afe380/bird.gif)

`compressed`

* [https://demos.transloadit.com/15/7d503e88b64f54a7e3d7fde8afe380/bird.gif⁠](https://demos.transloadit.com/15/7d503e88b64f54a7e3d7fde8afe380/bird.gif)

```
"exported": {
  "use": [
    "compressed",
    ":original"
  ],
  "robot": "/s3/store",
  "credentials": "demo_s3_credentials",
  "url_prefix": "https://demos.transloadit.com/"
}
```

🤖 [/s3/store](/docs/robots/s3-store.md)

This bot exports encoding results to Amazon S3

## Live Demo. See for yourself

Loading Uppy demo…

This live demo is powered by [Uppy⁠](https://uppy.io), our open source file uploader that you can also use without Transloadit, and [tus⁠](https://tus.io), our open protocol for resumable file uploads that is making uploading more reliable across the world.

## Build this in your own language

```
<!-- This pulls Uppy from our CDN -->
<!-- For smaller self-hosted bundles, install Uppy and plugins manually: -->
<!-- npm i --save @uppy/core @uppy/dashboard @uppy/remote-sources @uppy/transloadit ... -->
<link
  href="https://releases.transloadit.com/uppy/v3.10.0/uppy.min.css"
  rel="stylesheet"
/>
<button id="browse">Select Files</button>
<script type="module">
  import {
    Uppy,
    Dashboard,
    ImageEditor,
    RemoteSources,
    Transloadit,
  } from 'https://releases.transloadit.com/uppy/v3.10.0/uppy.min.mjs'
  const uppy = new Uppy()
    .use(Transloadit, {
      waitForEncoding: true,
      alwaysRunAssembly: true,
      assemblyOptions: {
        params: {
          // It's often better store encoding instructions in your account
          // and use a `template_id` instead of adding these steps inline
          steps: {
            ':original': {
              robot: '/upload/handle',
            },
            compressed: {
              use: ':original',
              robot: '/image/optimize',
              result: true,
              preserve_meta_data: false,
              priority: 'compression-ratio',
            },
            exported: {
              use: ['compressed', ':original'],
              robot: '/s3/store',
              credentials: 'demo_s3_credentials',
              url_prefix: 'https://demos.transloadit.com/',
            },
          },
        },
      },
    })
    .use(Dashboard, { trigger: '#browse' })
    .use(ImageEditor, { target: Dashboard })
    .use(RemoteSources, {
      companionUrl: 'https://api2.transloadit.com/companion',
    })
    .on('complete', ({ transloadit }) => {
      // Due to `waitForEncoding:true` this is fired after encoding is done.
      // Alternatively, set `waitForEncoding` to `false` and provide a `notify_url`
      console.log(transloadit) // Array of Assembly Statuses
      for (const assembly of transloadit) {
        console.log(assembly.results) // Array of all encoding results
      }
    })
    .on('error', (error) => {
      console.error(error)
    })
</script>

```

[Read docs: Browsers](/docs/sdks/uppy.md)

## So many ways to integrate

Transloadit is a service for companies with developers. And there are many ways developers can put Transloadit to good use inside your company to automate media processing.

#### Bulk imports

Add one of our [import Robots](/services/file-importing.md) to acquire and transcode massive media libraries.

#### Handling uploads

We are *the* experts at reliably [handling uploads](/services/handling-uploads.md). We wrote the [protocol⁠](https://tus.io/) for it.

#### Front-end integration

We integrate with web browsers via our next-gen file uploader [Uppy⁠](https://uppy.io/) and SDKs for Android and iOS.

#### Back-end integration

Send us batch jobs in any server language using one of our [SDKs](/docs/sdks.md) or directly interfacing with our [REST API](/docs/api.md).

#### Pingbacks

Configure a [notify\_url](/services/content-delivery.md) to let your server receive transcoding results JSON in the `transloadit` POST field.

#### On-demand

Use our [Smart CDN](/services/file-importing.md) to adapt files on-demand and stream them directly to your users.

[Browsers](/docs/sdks/uppy.md)[TransloaditKit](/docs/sdks/transloaditkit.md)[Ruby SDK](/docs/sdks/ruby-sdk.md)[HTTP REST API](/docs/api.md)[Python SDK](/docs/sdks/python-sdk.md)[PHP SDK](/docs/sdks/php-sdk.md)[Node.js SDK](/docs/sdks/node-sdk.md)[Java SDK](/docs/sdks/java-sdk.md)[Go SDK](/docs/sdks/go-sdk.md)[cURL](/docs/sdks/curl.md)[Convex](/docs/sdks/convex.md)

[Browsers](/docs/sdks/uppy.md)[TransloaditKit](/docs/sdks/transloaditkit.md)[Ruby SDK](/docs/sdks/ruby-sdk.md)[HTTP REST API](/docs/api.md)[Python SDK](/docs/sdks/python-sdk.md)[PHP SDK](/docs/sdks/php-sdk.md)[Node.js SDK](/docs/sdks/node-sdk.md)[Java SDK](/docs/sdks/java-sdk.md)[Go SDK](/docs/sdks/go-sdk.md)[cURL](/docs/sdks/curl.md)[Convex](/docs/sdks/convex.md)

[Browsers](/docs/sdks/uppy.md)[TransloaditKit](/docs/sdks/transloaditkit.md)[Ruby SDK](/docs/sdks/ruby-sdk.md)[HTTP REST API](/docs/api.md)[Python SDK](/docs/sdks/python-sdk.md)[PHP SDK](/docs/sdks/php-sdk.md)[Node.js SDK](/docs/sdks/node-sdk.md)[Java SDK](/docs/sdks/java-sdk.md)[Go SDK](/docs/sdks/go-sdk.md)[cURL](/docs/sdks/curl.md)[Convex](/docs/sdks/convex.md)

## Other cool demos

[![Image processing](/assets/images/services/image-processing.svg?dpl=dpl_2va3YBn22HhLsqATrmvGRCEgnYNE)Image processingAdd a sepia effect to an image](/demos/image-processing/add-sepia-effect-to-an-image.md)[![Image processing](/assets/images/services/image-processing.svg?dpl=dpl_2va3YBn22HhLsqATrmvGRCEgnYNE)Image processingApply a text watermark to images](/demos/image-processing/text-watermarking.md)[![Document processing](/assets/images/services/document-processing.svg?dpl=dpl_2va3YBn22HhLsqATrmvGRCEgnYNE)Document processingAdd a header of footer to a PDF](/demos/document-processing/add-header-or-footer-to-pdf.md)

Try Transloadit

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