
Nano Banana 2 API Developer Guide: Building with Gemini 2.5 Flash Image
Complete developer guide to integrating Nano Banana 2's powerful image generation API into your applications. Learn authentication, API endpoints, best practices, and production deployment strategies.
Nano Banana 2 API Developer Guide: Building with Gemini 2.5 Flash Image
Nano Banana 2, powered by Google's Gemini 2.5 Flash Image model, offers developers a powerful API for integrating advanced AI image generation and editing capabilities into applications. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know to build with Nano Banana 2's API.
Why Build with Nano Banana 2 API?
Technical Advantages
Lightning-Fast Performance
- Average response time: 2-3 seconds per image
- Up to 8× faster than competing models
- Optimized for real-time applications
Cost-Effective Pricing
- $0.039 per generated image through API
- Volume discounts available for enterprise
- No minimum monthly commitment
Production-Ready Reliability
- 99.9% uptime SLA
- Global CDN for image delivery
- Automatic failover and retry mechanisms
Advanced Capabilities
- Character consistency across generations
- Multi-image blending and composition
- Natural language editing
- Style reference support
Getting Started
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have:
- Node.js 18+ or Python 3.9+ installed
- Basic understanding of REST APIs
- API key from nano-banana2.com
- Development environment set up
Authentication
Nano Banana 2 uses API key authentication. Include your key in the Authorization header:
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEYObtaining Your API Key:
- Sign up at nano-banana2.com
- Navigate to Dashboard → Settings → API
- Generate new API key
- Store securely in environment variables
Security Best Practices:
// ❌ Never hardcode API keys
const apiKey = 'nb2_abc123...';
// ✅ Use environment variables
const apiKey = process.env.NANO_BANANA_API_KEY;Core API Endpoints
1. Text-to-Image Generation
Generate images from text descriptions.
Endpoint: POST /api/v1/generate
Request:
const response = await fetch('https://api.nano-banana2.com/api/v1/generate', {
method: 'POST',
headers: {
'Authorization': `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
'Content-Type': 'application/json'
},
body: JSON.stringify({
prompt: "A yellow banana robot in a futuristic city with neon lights, cyberpunk style, highly detailed",
aspect_ratio: "16:9",
num_outputs: 1,
output_format: "png",
guidance_scale: 7.5,
seed: 42 // Optional: for reproducible results
})
});
const data = await response.json();Response:
{
"id": "gen_abc123xyz",
"status": "completed",
"created_at": "2025-11-12T10:30:00Z",
"outputs": [
{
"url": "https://cdn.nano-banana2.com/outputs/abc123.png",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1080
}
],
"credits_used": 4,
"processing_time_ms": 2150
}2. Image Editing
Edit existing images with natural language.
Endpoint: POST /api/v1/edit
Request:
const formData = new FormData();
formData.append('image', imageFile);
formData.append('prompt', 'Change the background to a sunset beach scene');
formData.append('aspect_ratio', 'auto');
formData.append('output_format', 'jpeg');
const response = await fetch('https://api.nano-banana2.com/api/v1/edit', {
method: 'POST',
headers: {
'Authorization': `Bearer ${apiKey}`
},
body: formData
});3. Image Blending
Blend multiple images into cohesive composition.
Endpoint: POST /api/v1/blend
Request:
const formData = new FormData();
formData.append('image1', firstImage);
formData.append('image2', secondImage);
formData.append('prompt', 'Blend these images with natural lighting and unified style');
formData.append('blend_strength', '0.7'); // 0.0 to 1.0
const response = await fetch('https://api.nano-banana2.com/api/v1/blend', {
method: 'POST',
headers: {
'Authorization': `Bearer ${apiKey}`
},
body: formData
});4. Status Check
Check status of async generation jobs.
Endpoint: GET /api/v1/status/{job_id}
Request:
const response = await fetch(
`https://api.nano-banana2.com/api/v1/status/${jobId}`,
{
headers: {
'Authorization': `Bearer ${apiKey}`
}
}
);
const status = await response.json();
// Returns: { status: 'pending' | 'processing' | 'completed' | 'failed' }SDK Examples
Node.js/TypeScript SDK
import { NanoBanana2Client } from '@nano-banana2/sdk';
const client = new NanoBanana2Client({
apiKey: process.env.NANO_BANANA_API_KEY
});
// Generate image
async function generateImage() {
try {
const result = await client.generate({
prompt: "A serene mountain landscape at sunset",
aspectRatio: "16:9",
numOutputs: 1
});
console.log('Generated image:', result.outputs[0].url);
console.log('Credits used:', result.creditsUsed);
} catch (error) {
console.error('Generation failed:', error);
}
}
// Edit image with retry logic
async function editImageWithRetry(imageUrl: string, prompt: string) {
const maxRetries = 3;
let attempt = 0;
while (attempt < maxRetries) {
try {
const result = await client.edit({
imageUrl,
prompt,
timeout: 30000 // 30 seconds
});
return result;
} catch (error) {
attempt++;
if (attempt >= maxRetries) throw error;
// Exponential backoff
await new Promise(resolve =>
setTimeout(resolve, Math.pow(2, attempt) * 1000)
);
}
}
}
// Batch generation
async function batchGenerate(prompts: string[]) {
const results = await Promise.all(
prompts.map(prompt =>
client.generate({ prompt, aspectRatio: "1:1" })
)
);
return results;
}Python SDK
from nano_banana2 import NanoBanana2Client
import os
import asyncio
client = NanoBanana2Client(api_key=os.getenv('NANO_BANANA_API_KEY'))
# Generate image
async def generate_image():
try:
result = await client.generate(
prompt="A yellow banana robot in a futuristic city",
aspect_ratio="16:9",
num_outputs=1
)
print(f"Generated image: {result['outputs'][0]['url']}")
print(f"Credits used: {result['credits_used']}")
except Exception as e:
print(f"Generation failed: {e}")
# Edit image
async def edit_image(image_path: str, prompt: str):
with open(image_path, 'rb') as f:
result = await client.edit(
image=f,
prompt=prompt,
output_format="png"
)
return result
# Character consistency
async def generate_character_series(character_ref_url: str):
scenes = [
"in a coffee shop",
"at the beach",
"in outer space",
"in a forest"
]
results = []
for scene in scenes:
result = await client.generate(
prompt=f"Character from reference image {scene}",
reference_images=[character_ref_url],
aspect_ratio="1:1"
)
results.append(result)
return results
# Run async functions
asyncio.run(generate_image())Advanced Features
Character Consistency
Maintain consistent characters across multiple generations:
// Step 1: Generate base character
const baseCharacter = await client.generate({
prompt: "A friendly robot character with yellow banana-shaped head, blue uniform",
aspectRatio: "1:1"
});
const characterRefUrl = baseCharacter.outputs[0].url;
// Step 2: Generate scenes with consistent character
const scenes = [
{ prompt: "coffee shop interior, warm lighting", name: "scene1" },
{ prompt: "city street at night, neon lights", name: "scene2" },
{ prompt: "beach during sunset, golden hour", name: "scene3" }
];
const results = await Promise.all(
scenes.map(scene =>
client.generate({
prompt: `Character from ${characterRefUrl} ${scene.prompt}`,
referenceImages: [characterRefUrl],
aspectRatio: "16:9"
})
)
);Style Reference
Apply consistent artistic style across generations:
// Generate style reference
const styleRef = await client.generate({
prompt: "Abstract art style, vibrant colors, geometric shapes",
aspectRatio: "1:1"
});
// Apply style to new generations
const styledImage = await client.generate({
prompt: "A mountain landscape",
styleReferenceUrl: styleRef.outputs[0].url,
styleStrength: 0.8, // 0.0 to 1.0
aspectRatio: "16:9"
});Async Processing with Webhooks
For long-running operations, use webhooks:
// Register webhook endpoint
app.post('/webhooks/nano-banana', (req, res) => {
const { job_id, status, outputs } = req.body;
if (status === 'completed') {
console.log('Generation completed:', outputs);
// Process completed images
saveToDatabase(job_id, outputs);
} else if (status === 'failed') {
console.error('Generation failed:', job_id);
handleFailure(job_id);
}
res.sendStatus(200);
});
// Submit async job
const job = await client.generateAsync({
prompt: "Complex scene with multiple elements",
webhookUrl: "https://your-app.com/webhooks/nano-banana",
numOutputs: 4
});
console.log('Job submitted:', job.id);Production Best Practices
1. Rate Limiting and Throttling
Implement client-side rate limiting:
class RateLimitedClient {
private queue: Array<() => Promise<any>> = [];
private processing = false;
private requestsPerSecond = 10;
async generate(params: GenerateParams) {
return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
this.queue.push(async () => {
try {
const result = await client.generate(params);
resolve(result);
} catch (error) {
reject(error);
}
});
this.processQueue();
});
}
private async processQueue() {
if (this.processing || this.queue.length === 0) return;
this.processing = true;
const task = this.queue.shift()!;
await task();
await new Promise(resolve =>
setTimeout(resolve, 1000 / this.requestsPerSecond)
);
this.processing = false;
this.processQueue();
}
}2. Error Handling and Retry Logic
Robust error handling for production:
async function generateWithRetry(
params: GenerateParams,
maxRetries = 3
): Promise<GenerateResponse> {
for (let attempt = 0; attempt < maxRetries; attempt++) {
try {
return await client.generate(params);
} catch (error) {
const isRetriable =
error.status === 429 || // Rate limit
error.status === 503 || // Service unavailable
error.status >= 500; // Server errors
if (!isRetriable || attempt === maxRetries - 1) {
throw error;
}
// Exponential backoff with jitter
const delay = Math.min(
1000 * Math.pow(2, attempt) + Math.random() * 1000,
30000 // Max 30 seconds
);
await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, delay));
}
}
throw new Error('Max retries exceeded');
}3. Image Caching
Cache generated images to reduce costs:
import Redis from 'ioredis';
import crypto from 'crypto';
const redis = new Redis(process.env.REDIS_URL);
async function getCachedOrGenerate(params: GenerateParams) {
// Create cache key from params
const cacheKey = crypto
.createHash('md5')
.update(JSON.stringify(params))
.digest('hex');
// Check cache
const cached = await redis.get(`img:${cacheKey}`);
if (cached) {
return JSON.parse(cached);
}
// Generate if not cached
const result = await client.generate(params);
// Cache for 7 days
await redis.setex(
`img:${cacheKey}`,
60 * 60 * 24 * 7,
JSON.stringify(result)
);
return result;
}4. Credit Management
Monitor and manage credit usage:
class CreditManager {
async checkBalance(): Promise<number> {
const response = await fetch(
'https://api.nano-banana2.com/api/v1/credits/balance',
{
headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${apiKey}` }
}
);
const { balance } = await response.json();
return balance;
}
async estimateCost(params: GenerateParams): Promise<number> {
const creditsPerImage = 4;
return creditsPerImage * (params.numOutputs || 1);
}
async generateIfSufficient(params: GenerateParams) {
const balance = await this.checkBalance();
const cost = await this.estimateCost(params);
if (balance < cost) {
throw new Error(
`Insufficient credits. Need ${cost}, have ${balance}`
);
}
return await client.generate(params);
}
}5. Monitoring and Logging
Comprehensive monitoring setup:
import { Logger } from 'winston';
class MonitoredClient {
private logger: Logger;
private metrics: MetricsCollector;
async generate(params: GenerateParams) {
const startTime = Date.now();
const requestId = generateRequestId();
this.logger.info('Generation started', {
requestId,
prompt: params.prompt,
aspectRatio: params.aspectRatio
});
try {
const result = await client.generate(params);
const duration = Date.now() - startTime;
this.metrics.recordSuccess({
duration,
creditsUsed: result.creditsUsed,
requestId
});
this.logger.info('Generation completed', {
requestId,
duration,
creditsUsed: result.creditsUsed
});
return result;
} catch (error) {
const duration = Date.now() - startTime;
this.metrics.recordFailure({
duration,
error: error.message,
requestId
});
this.logger.error('Generation failed', {
requestId,
duration,
error: error.message,
stack: error.stack
});
throw error;
}
}
}Common Integration Patterns
1. SaaS Application Integration
// Express.js API endpoint
app.post('/api/images/generate', authenticate, async (req, res) => {
try {
const { prompt, aspectRatio } = req.body;
const userId = req.user.id;
// Check user credits
const userCredits = await getUserCredits(userId);
if (userCredits < 4) {
return res.status(402).json({
error: 'Insufficient credits'
});
}
// Generate image
const result = await client.generate({
prompt,
aspectRatio,
numOutputs: 1
});
// Deduct credits
await deductUserCredits(userId, result.creditsUsed);
// Save to user's gallery
await saveToGallery(userId, result.outputs[0].url);
res.json({
imageUrl: result.outputs[0].url,
creditsUsed: result.creditsUsed,
remainingCredits: userCredits - result.creditsUsed
});
} catch (error) {
res.status(500).json({ error: error.message });
}
});2. E-commerce Product Visualization
async function generateProductVariants(
productImage: string,
backgrounds: string[]
) {
const variants = await Promise.all(
backgrounds.map(async (bgPrompt) => {
return await client.edit({
imageUrl: productImage,
prompt: `Place product in ${bgPrompt}, professional product photography`,
aspectRatio: "1:1"
});
})
);
return variants.map(v => v.outputs[0].url);
}
// Usage
const productUrl = "https://shop.com/products/shoe-1.jpg";
const variants = await generateProductVariants(productUrl, [
"modern white studio background",
"outdoor nature scene",
"urban street setting",
"luxury interior design"
]);3. Content Moderation Pipeline
async function moderateAndGenerate(prompt: string) {
// Pre-generation moderation
const moderationResult = await moderatePrompt(prompt);
if (!moderationResult.safe) {
throw new Error('Prompt violates content policy');
}
// Generate with safety settings
const result = await client.generate({
prompt,
safetySettings: 'strict',
aspectRatio: "16:9"
});
// Post-generation moderation
const imageModeration = await moderateImage(
result.outputs[0].url
);
if (!imageModeration.safe) {
await deleteImage(result.outputs[0].url);
throw new Error('Generated image violates content policy');
}
return result;
}Performance Optimization
Parallel Generation
async function generateMultiplePrompts(prompts: string[]) {
// Process in batches to avoid rate limits
const batchSize = 10;
const results = [];
for (let i = 0; i < prompts.length; i += batchSize) {
const batch = prompts.slice(i, i + batchSize);
const batchResults = await Promise.all(
batch.map(prompt =>
client.generate({ prompt, aspectRatio: "1:1" })
)
);
results.push(...batchResults);
}
return results;
}Image Optimization
import sharp from 'sharp';
async function optimizeGeneratedImage(imageUrl: string) {
// Download image
const response = await fetch(imageUrl);
const buffer = await response.arrayBuffer();
// Optimize with sharp
const optimized = await sharp(Buffer.from(buffer))
.resize(1920, 1080, { fit: 'inside' })
.jpeg({ quality: 85, progressive: true })
.toBuffer();
// Upload to your CDN
return await uploadToCDN(optimized);
}Testing Strategies
Unit Tests
import { describe, it, expect, vi } from 'vitest';
describe('NanoBanana2Client', () => {
it('should generate image successfully', async () => {
const mockClient = {
generate: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
outputs: [{ url: 'https://example.com/image.png' }],
creditsUsed: 4
})
};
const result = await mockClient.generate({
prompt: "Test prompt",
aspectRatio: "16:9"
});
expect(result.outputs[0].url).toBeDefined();
expect(result.creditsUsed).toBe(4);
});
it('should handle rate limiting', async () => {
const mockClient = {
generate: vi.fn()
.mockRejectedValueOnce({ status: 429 })
.mockResolvedValueOnce({ outputs: [{ url: 'test.png' }] })
};
const result = await generateWithRetry({
client: mockClient,
params: { prompt: "test" }
});
expect(mockClient.generate).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
expect(result.outputs[0].url).toBe('test.png');
});
});Integration Tests
describe('Nano Banana 2 Integration', () => {
it('should generate real image', async () => {
const client = new NanoBanana2Client({
apiKey: process.env.TEST_API_KEY
});
const result = await client.generate({
prompt: "A simple test image",
aspectRatio: "1:1"
});
expect(result.outputs[0].url).toMatch(/^https:\/\//);
expect(result.creditsUsed).toBeGreaterThan(0);
// Verify image is accessible
const imageResponse = await fetch(result.outputs[0].url);
expect(imageResponse.ok).toBe(true);
}, 30000); // 30 second timeout
});Deployment Considerations
Environment Configuration
# .env.production
NANO_BANANA_API_KEY=your_production_key
NANO_BANANA_API_URL=https://api.nano-banana2.com
REDIS_URL=redis://your-redis-url
CDN_URL=https://your-cdn.com
MAX_CONCURRENT_REQUESTS=10
REQUEST_TIMEOUT=30000Docker Deployment
FROM node:18-alpine
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm ci --only=production
COPY . .
ENV NODE_ENV=production
ENV PORT=3000
EXPOSE 3000
CMD ["node", "dist/server.js"]Kubernetes Configuration
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
name: nano-banana-app
spec:
replicas: 3
template:
spec:
containers:
- name: app
image: your-app:latest
env:
- name: NANO_BANANA_API_KEY
valueFrom:
secretKeyRef:
name: nano-banana-secrets
key: api-key
resources:
requests:
memory: "256Mi"
cpu: "250m"
limits:
memory: "512Mi"
cpu: "500m"Troubleshooting
Common Issues
Issue 1: Timeout Errors
// Solution: Increase timeout and implement retry
const result = await client.generate({
prompt: "complex scene",
timeout: 60000, // 60 seconds
retries: 3
});Issue 2: Rate Limit Exceeded
// Solution: Implement exponential backoff
if (error.status === 429) {
const retryAfter = error.headers['retry-after'];
await sleep(retryAfter * 1000);
return await client.generate(params);
}Issue 3: Inconsistent Character Results
// Solution: Use seed for reproducibility
const result = await client.generate({
prompt: "character description",
seed: 42,
referenceImages: [characterUrl]
});Cost Optimization Strategies
1. Prompt Caching
Cache similar prompts to avoid regeneration:
const promptSimilarity = calculateSimilarity(newPrompt, cachedPrompt);
if (promptSimilarity > 0.95) {
return getCachedResult(cachedPrompt);
}2. Batch Processing
Group multiple requests to save on API overhead:
const results = await client.generateBatch({
prompts: arrayOfPrompts,
sharedParams: {
aspectRatio: "16:9",
outputFormat: "jpeg"
}
});3. Image Reuse
Leverage generated images across multiple contexts:
// Generate base scenes once
const baseScenes = await generateBaseScenes();
// Reuse in different contexts
const variations = await Promise.all(
baseScenes.map(scene =>
client.edit({
imageUrl: scene.url,
prompt: "add subtle variations"
})
)
);Resources and Next Steps
Official Documentation
Community Resources
Sample Projects
- E-commerce product visualizer
- Social media content generator
- Real-time image editing app
- AI avatar creator
Conclusion
Nano Banana 2's API provides developers with powerful, flexible, and performant tools for integrating AI image generation into applications. With competitive pricing, fast response times, and advanced features like character consistency and multi-image blending, it's an excellent choice for production applications.
Key takeaways:
- Use SDK wrappers for simplified integration
- Implement proper error handling and retry logic
- Cache aggressively to optimize costs
- Monitor usage and performance metrics
- Follow security best practices for API key management
- Test thoroughly before production deployment
Whether you're building a SaaS product, e-commerce platform, content creation tool, or innovative AI application, Nano Banana 2's API offers the performance and capabilities you need to deliver exceptional user experiences.
Ready to start building? Get your API key at nano-banana2.com and check out the complete API documentation. Join thousands of developers already building with Nano Banana 2.
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