Create your first mascot

One sentence becomes your mascot's first reference image: the picture Masko reads before every new pose and animation, so the character keeps the same look.

5 min · 1 credit · Studio or API

Do it in Studio#

1. Open Create a mascot on the Create with AI tab.
2. Write one sentence in Describe your mascot, such as "A friendly orange fox with a blue scarf, for a cooking app". Stuck? Press Give me ideas.
3. Optional: pick a Style card and a few Design touches.
4. Press Generate · 1 credit. Each try appears under Your tries, and Generate another draws one more for 1 credit.
5. Click the try you like. To fix a detail, write it in Change something and press Refine · 1 credit.
6. Fill in Name your mascot and press Create mascot.

Do it with the API#

Create a key with write access in API keys. Run these calls on your server or in a terminal, never in browser code.

export MASKO_API_KEY=masko_YOUR_KEY

1. Create a project#

A project groups your mascots. It is free.

curl -X POST https://api.masko.ai/v1/projects \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MASKO_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "name": "My App" }'

Save data.id as PROJECT_ID.

2. Create the mascot from a sentence#

Send a prompt with no reference images, and Masko draws the first reference for 1 credit, refunded if drawing or saving fails. A retry with the same Idempotency-Key and body is never charged twice.

curl -X POST https://api.masko.ai/v1/mascots \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MASKO_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: first-mascot-001" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Felix the Fox",
    "project_id": "PROJECT_ID",
    "prompt": "A friendly orange fox with a blue scarf, for a cooking app"
  }'

Save data.id as MASCOT_ID. Optional fields: style takes a preset ID from GET /v1/styles, and design_touches takes ideas such as ["proportions", "eyes-big", "mood-cozy"] (see create from text).

3. Look at the reference#

The asset's file_url is a signed link that expires, so keep the asset ID and read it again for a fresh link.

curl https://api.masko.ai/v1/assets/REFERENCE_ASSET_ID \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MASKO_API_KEY"

Optional: compare drafts before you choose#

Preview several takes at 1 credit each, then create the mascot from the one you like for no extra credits. Preview links expire after an hour (expires_in: 3600).

curl -X POST https://api.masko.ai/v1/generate/preview \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MASKO_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "prompt": "A friendly orange fox with a blue scarf, for a cooking app",
    "count": 4
  }'

Then send the chosen url to POST /v1/mascots as "reference_image_urls": ["URL_FROM_PREVIEW"], with name, project_id and the same prompt.

Is there a job to wait for?#

No. Creating a mascot answers once the reference is drawn, so the call takes a little while, but there is nothing to poll. Poses and animations return a job_id; the next tutorial shows how to wait for one.

What you get#

• A mascot with an id, a name and a slug. The slug becomes part of its hosted links, such as https://assets.masko.ai/{prefix}/felix-the-fox/....
• One reference image, a PNG. A mascot holds up to 6 references, and more angles give steadier results. See reference images.
• Hosting on by default for mascots created with the API (settings.cdn_enabled: true), so your next files get permanent links. Asset hosting is billed separately from credits.

Using an AI agent?#

Paste this into an agent connected to the Masko MCP server at https://masko.ai/api/mcp (setup for Cursor or ChatGPT), or into one with the Masko skill and an API key.

Create my first Masko mascot by following
https://masko.ai/docs/tutorials/first-mascot
My product: <what it does and who it is for>.
Use the Masko MCP tools if they are connected. Otherwise use the REST API at
https://api.masko.ai/v1 with MASKO_API_KEY from my environment. Never print the
key or put it in browser code.
Before any paid call, tell me the credits and wait for my OK. It should be 1 credit.
When it is done, show me the reference image and give me the mascot ID.

Next#