Tenor was Google's GIF search library and API, best known for powering the reaction-GIF keyboards in X, Discord, WhatsApp, and Bluesky. Google stopped accepting new API clients on 13 January 2026 and shut the API off entirely on 30 June 2026, so those integrations had to move. Tenor.com still works as a website, and Tenor GIFs still appear in Google's own products, but there is no longer a public API to build against. swiftimg is a different shape of product — it hosts the animated content you upload, returns a permanent unbranded URL automatically converted to a smaller animated WebP, and offers a REST search API over what has been uploaded. If you are here because your GIF picker broke, that is the gap this fills.
swiftimg vs Tenor at a glance
| Feature | swiftimg | Tenor |
|---|---|---|
| Public API available | Yes | No (shut down 30 June 2026) |
| Accepting new API clients | Yes | No (closed 13 January 2026) |
| Host your own GIFs | Yes (primary use) | No (search catalog only) |
| GIF search API | Yes (/v1/gifs/search) | Discontinued |
| Trending GIFs endpoint | Yes (/v1/gifs/trending) | Discontinued |
| Catalog size | User-uploaded (growing) | Google-scale, but no longer reachable by API |
| Attribution required | No | Was yes (Tenor/Google branding) |
| Automatic animated WebP (5–10× smaller) | Automatic | N/A |
| REST API for uploads | Yes (keys, signed transforms) | Never offered |
| Custom / white-label domain | From $9/mo | No |
List prices as of 2026 for context — directional, not apples-to-apples. Check each provider for current pricing.
When Tenor is the better choice
Nothing, as an API — there isn't one to choose any more. If you only need to find a reaction GIF by hand, tenor.com is still a perfectly good website, and Google Messages and Gboard still have Tenor search built in.
swiftimg vs Tenor — FAQ
What actually happened to the Tenor API?
Google sunset it. New API key registrations stopped on 13 January 2026, and existing keys stopped working on 30 June 2026, with requests returning errors from that date. Google described it as focusing resources on its core products. Tenor.com itself was not shut down and still works as a website.
My app's GIF picker broke — can swiftimg replace it?
Partly, and it depends what the picker was for. If it searched Google's public reaction catalog, nothing replaces that catalog — it was the product, and no equivalent public API exists now. If what you need is a working search-and-embed API over GIFs your own users upload, swiftimg's /v1/gifs/search and /v1/gifs/trending give you a Tenor-shaped picker with permanent, unbranded URLs you control.
How does the swiftimg GIF search API work?
Send GET /v1/gifs/search?q=<query> and you get back a JSON list of ready animated GIFs whose title or tags match, scored by FTS5 rank. Each result includes a direct URL plus the automatic animated WebP variant for cheaper embedding. /v1/gifs/trending returns the most-viewed GIFs for a default surface before the user types. Neither endpoint needs an API key.
Will swiftimg GIFs play in chat the way Tenor ones did?
Yes — direct image URLs unfurl inline in Slack, Discord, X, and iMessage, and the animated WebP variant plays automatically.
Do I have to display 'Powered by swiftimg'?
No. Tenor's terms required visible Tenor/Google attribution on results; swiftimg requires none. On paid plans you can serve everything through your own custom domain so users never see swiftimg at all.
Switching from Tenor?
Image hosting for Discord
Upload images and GIFs to swiftimg and paste a direct link in Discord. The link unfurls inline, and you skip Discord's per-message attachment limit.
Image hosting for Slack
Upload images and GIFs to swiftimg and paste the URL into Slack. The link unfurls with an inline preview, with no per-channel storage cap.
Image hosting for Telegram
Upload to swiftimg and share the link in a Telegram chat or channel for a permanent URL with inline preview.
Animated GIF to WebP: smaller files, same loop
Animated WebP is typically 5–10× smaller than the same GIF with no visible quality loss. Here's why, and how to convert (or get it automatically).
How to embed an image anywhere: HTML, Markdown, BBCode & forums
A practical guide to embedding an image on a website, in Markdown, on a forum, or in a README — with copy-paste snippets and tips for fast, reliable hotlinking.
Weigh it up before you migrate: swiftimg pricing and plan limits next to Tenor, and the image hosting API documentation covering uploads, transforms and signed URLs.
Ready to switch from Tenor?
Start free, then unlock the full API, transforms, signed URLs, and a custom domain on the Developer plan.