Color Palette Generator API Reference

Overview

Color Palette works by generating color palettes based on color theory principles. It returns harmonious colors with multiple format outputs (HEX, RGB, HSL), accessibility metrics, ready-to-use CSS variables, and downloadable palette images.

Endpoint

One host, one path per API. The block below shows this call in four languages; every one of them is the same HTTP request. Making requests covers the timeouts, retries and parameter rules that apply to all of them. The SDKs wrap the same call in a typed client.

GEThttps://api.apiverve.com/v1/colorpalette

curl "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/colorpalette?color=FF5733&scheme=triade&variation=soft&count=5&distance=0.5&addComplement=true&webSafe=false" \
  -H "x-api-key: your_api_key_here"

const res = await fetch('https://api.apiverve.com/v1/colorpalette?color=FF5733&scheme=triade&variation=soft&count=5&distance=0.5&addComplement=true&webSafe=false', {
  headers: { 'x-api-key': 'your_api_key_here' },
});

if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${res.status} ${await res.text()}`);

const { data } = await res.json();
console.log(data);

import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/colorpalette?color=FF5733&scheme=triade&variation=soft&count=5&distance=0.5&addComplement=true&webSafe=false",
    headers={"x-api-key": "your_api_key_here"},
    timeout=15,
)
res.raise_for_status()

print(res.json()["data"])

package main

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

func main() {
	req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/colorpalette?color=FF5733&scheme=triade&variation=soft&count=5&distance=0.5&addComplement=true&webSafe=false", nil)
	req.Header.Set("x-api-key", "your_api_key_here")

	res, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	defer res.Body.Close()

	out, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
	fmt.Println(string(out))
}

Replace your_api_key_here with the key from your dashboard. When the inputs arrive as a list rather than one at a time, batch requests run up to 200 of them through this same API in a single call.

Authentication

Send your key in the x-api-key header. That is the only auth step — there is no token exchange and no per-endpoint scope to configure. Authentication covers creating, rotating and revoking keys.

401 is the only auth verdict

A 401 means the key is missing, invalid or expired. A 403 means the key is valid but not permitted here — blocked by a key restriction or an IP allow-list. Running out of credits is a 429.

Parameters

Sent in the query string. Premium parameters are accepted on every plan but only take effect on plans that include them.

Parameter	Type	Description
`color`Required	string	The base color to generate the palette from (HEX format without #) hexColor
`scheme`Optional	string	The color scheme type `monocontrasttriadetetradeanalogic` default triade
`variation`Optional	string	The color variation `defaultsoftpastellighthardpale` default default
`count`OptionalPremium	integer	Number of colors to return (1-16). Free tier limited to 5 colors default 5 · range 1–16
`distance`OptionalPremium	number	Color spacing distance (0-1). Affects triade, tetrade, and analogic schemes default 0.5 · range 0–1
`addComplement`OptionalPremium	boolean	Add complement color to analogic scheme
`webSafe`Optional	boolean	Return web-safe colors only

Response

Every API returns the same three top-level keys, so one response handler covers your whole integration: status, error and data. Only data changes shape. Response format covers the envelope, the other output formats and how premium fields are withheld.

Sample response

{
  "status": "ok",
  "error": null,
  "data": {
    "source": "#FF5733",
    "sourceName": "Outrageous Orange",
    "hue": 11,
    "scheme": "triade",
    "variation": "soft",
    "distance": 0.5,
    "colorCount": 5,
    "colorPalette": [
      {
        "hex": "#CC988F",
        "name": "Oriental Pink",
        "rgb": {
          "r": 204,
          "g": 152,
          "b": 143
        },
        "hsl": {
          "h": 9,
          "s": 37,
          "l": 68
        },
        "luminance": 0.373,
        "isDark": true,
        "textColor": "#FFFFFF",
        "accessibility": {
          "contrastWithWhite": 2.48,
          "contrastWithBlack": 8.46,
          "wcagAANormal": false,
          "wcagAALarge": false,
          "wcagAAA": false
        }
      },
      {
        "hex": "#805F59",
        "name": "Russett",
        "rgb": {
          "r": 128,
          "g": 95,
          "b": 89
        },
        "hsl": {
          "h": 9,
          "s": 18,
          "l": 43
        },
        "luminance": 0.135,
        "isDark": true,
        "textColor": "#FFFFFF",
        "accessibility": {
          "contrastWithWhite": 5.68,
          "contrastWithBlack": 3.7,
          "wcagAANormal": true,
          "wcagAALarge": true,
          "wcagAAA": false
        }
      },
      {
        "hex": "#E6D2CF",
        "name": "Dust Storm",
        "rgb": {
          "r": 230,
          "g": 210,
          "b": 207
        },
        "hsl": {
          "h": 8,
          "s": 32,
          "l": 86
        },
        "luminance": 0.674,
        "isDark": false,
        "textColor": "#000000",
        "accessibility": {
          "contrastWithWhite": 1.45,
          "contrastWithBlack": 14.48,
          "wcagAANormal": true,
          "wcagAALarge": true,
          "wcagAAA": true
        }
      },
      {
        "hex": "#BF6E60",
        "name": "Contessa",
        "rgb": {
          "r": 191,
          "g": 110,
          "b": 96
        },
        "hsl": {
          "h": 9,
          "s": 43,
          "l": 56
        },
        "luminance": 0.231,
        "isDark": true,
        "textColor": "#FFFFFF",
        "accessibility": {
          "contrastWithWhite": 3.74,
          "contrastWithBlack": 5.61,
          "wcagAANormal": false,
          "wcagAALarge": true,
          "wcagAAA": false
        }
      },
      {
        "hex": "#A2CC8F",
        "name": "Pine Glade",
        "rgb": {
          "r": 162,
          "g": 204,
          "b": 143
        },
        "hsl": {
          "h": 101,
          "s": 37,
          "l": 68
        },
        "luminance": 0.529,
        "isDark": false,
        "textColor": "#000000",
        "accessibility": {
          "contrastWithWhite": 1.82,
          "contrastWithBlack": 11.57,
          "wcagAANormal": true,
          "wcagAALarge": true,
          "wcagAAA": true
        }
      }
    ],
    "colorPaletteRaw": [
      "cc988f",
      "805f59",
      "e6d2cf",
      "bf6e60",
      "a2cc8f"
    ],
    "css": ":root {\n  --primary: #CC988F;\n  --primary-rgb: 204, 152, 143;\n  --secondary: #805F59;\n  --secondary-rgb: 128, 95, 89;\n  --tertiary: #E6D2CF;\n  --tertiary-rgb: 230, 210, 207;\n  --quaternary: #BF6E60;\n  --quaternary-rgb: 191, 110, 96;\n  --quinary: #A2CC8F;\n  --quinary-rgb: 162, 204, 143;\n}",
    "image": {
      "imageName": "6ee29826-a52f-4c87-86f5-bef3b49f0dbb_palette.png",
      "format": ".png",
      "downloadURL": "https://storage.googleapis.com/apiverve/APIData/colorpalette/6ee29826-a52f-4c87-86f5-bef3b49f0dbb_palette.png?GoogleAccessId=635500398038-compute%40developer.gserviceaccount.com&Expires=1766010083&Signature=Boef5OapaNmcyp0F8bGmf%2BVfQk3zQkiWcw1THBfbsevtYGZnOuzr7xKDRlk9FYiHidSoMz6wjody2ymL7GzUoHkDvA8PEdSERhAq2z9St5yWlaX1c87KoNh%2FtCQEJqHixYk039NuYyb%2FhJu18JFY1RNrOfo8OPZEn9a3ICQdTDL0fYQEZEBxnDuc%2B7wvn4q9UFWhCJcf302HcoZoCw76AzrgVRu%2FazuahqHdVWMR1K5QTV3U51lSoqC23ERHjRZ6uZB8W0bCO65qBFrRNzWEPSVCC%2F8oafvvitZwB1YCG674q3MbtRhWXIhX2zdoPCT%2BgxL7E4fgIyXDtDLm5%2Bm%2Fsg%3D%3D",
      "expires": 1766010083748
    }
  }
}

Response fields

Paths are relative to data. Premium fields are absent rather than zeroed on plans that do not include them, so check for presence instead of comparing to 0.

Field	Type	Example	Description
`source`	string	`"#FF5733"`
`sourceName`	string	`"Outrageous Orange"`
`hue`	number	`11`
`scheme`	string	`"triade"`
`variation`	string	`"soft"`
`distance`	number	`0.5`
`colorCount`	number	`5`
`colorPalette`	array[5]
`hex`	string	`"#CC988F"`	HEX values for each color in palette
`name`	string	`"Oriental Pink"`
`rgb`	object	`{...}`	RGB values for each color
`r`	number	`204`
`g`	number	`152`
`b`	number	`143`
`hsl`Premium	object	`{...}`	HSL values for each color
`h`Premium	number	`9`
`s`Premium	number	`37`
`l`Premium	number	`68`
`luminance`Premium	number	`0.373`	Luminance value for each color
`isDark`	boolean	`true`
`textColor`	string	`"#FFFFFF"`
`accessibility`Premium	object	`{...}`	WCAG contrast ratios and compliance
`contrastWithWhite`Premium	number	`2.48`
`contrastWithBlack`Premium	number	`8.46`
`wcagAANormal`Premium	boolean	`false`
`wcagAALarge`Premium	boolean	`false`
`wcagAAA`Premium	boolean	`false`
`colorPaletteRaw`	array	`[cc988f, ...]`
`css`Premium	string	`":root { --primary: #CC988F; --primary-rgb: 204, 152, 143; --secondary: #805F59; --secondary-rgb: 128, 95, 89; --tertiary: #E6D2CF; --tertiary-rgb: 230, 210, 207; --quaternary: #BF6E60; --quaternary-rgb: 191, 110, 96; --quinary: #A2CC8F; --quinary-rgb: 162, 204, 143; }"`	Ready-to-use CSS variables
`image`Premium	object	`{...}`	Generated palette image file details
`imageName`Premium	string	`"6ee29826-a52f-4c87-86f5-bef3b49f0dbb_palette.png"`	Filename of the generated palette image
`format`Premium	string	`".png"`	Image file format (e.g. .png)
`downloadURL`Premium	string	"https://storage.googleapis.com/apiverve/APIData/colorpalette/6ee29826-a52f-4c87-86f5-bef3b49f0dbb_palette.png?GoogleAccessId=635500398038-compute%40developer.gserviceaccount.com&Expires=1766010083&Signature=Boef5OapaNmcyp0F8bGmf%2BVfQk3zQkiWcw1THBfbsevtYGZnOuzr7xKDRlk9FYiHidSoMz6wjody2ymL7GzUoHkDvA8PEdSERhAq2z9St5yWlaX1c87KoNh%2FtCQEJqHixYk039NuYyb%2FhJu18JFY1RNrOfo8OPZEn9a3ICQdTDL0fYQEZEBxnDuc%2B7wvn4q9UFWhCJcf302HcoZoCw76AzrgVRu%2FazuahqHdVWMR1K5QTV3U51lSoqC23ERHjRZ6uZB8W0bCO65qBFrRNzWEPSVCC%2F8oafvvitZwB1YCG674q3MbtRhWXIhX2zdoPCT%2BgxL7E4fgIyXDtDLm5%2Bm%2Fsg%3D%3D"	URL to download the generated palette image
`expires`Premium	number	`1766010083748`

Errors

Read the HTTP status first, then error for the specific reason. The body names the parameter that has to change. Error handling covers the full status list and which of them are worth retrying.

Status	Meaning	What to do
`400`	Input was rejected	Read `error`; it names the parameter.
`401`	Key missing or invalid	Check the header name and the key value.
`403`	Key valid, but not permitted	A key restriction or IP allow-list; see key scoping.
`429`	Rate limited, or out of credits	Read `error` to tell them apart; see rate limits.

Use cases

Graphic Design: Use the Color Palette API to generate color palettes for graphic design projects. Use the data to create visually appealing designs, logos, and illustrations
Web Development: Develop websites by using the Color Palette API to generate color palettes. Get ready-to-use CSS variables and ensure WCAG accessibility compliance
UI/UX Design: Design user interfaces by using the Color Palette API to generate color palettes. Use accessibility data to ensure text readability and contrast compliance
Brand Identity: Create cohesive brand color systems with harmonious palettes. Export as CSS variables for consistent implementation across platforms

Other ways to use Color Palette Generator

Set up Color Palette Generator on APIVerve, or reach the same source a different way. Your APIVerve account and credits work on all of them — one key, one balance.

Give it to an AI agentConnect over MCP and your agent calls it as a native tool — Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT.VerveKit →Reference →

Use it in Google Sheets or ExcelA =VERVE() formula fills a column — no script, no export, recalculates in place.VerveSheets →Reference →

Color Palette Generator