Polling a video task returns 404 not found: task id errors explained

A 404 when polling a RelayDance video task usually means the request did not match a known task: the base URL, the path, or the task_id is wrong. Poll GET https://relaydance.com/v1/video/generations/{task_id} using the exact task_id returned by POST /v1/video/generations, and send the header Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY. Correct the URL or id, then repeat the poll until status is succeeded or failed.

What does a 404 on the polling endpoint mean?

A 404 on the polling endpoint means the server could not match your request URL to a video task. RelayDance is OpenAI-compatible, and status checks go to GET /v1/video/generations/{task_id} under the base URL https://relaydance.com/v1. Typical mismatches include a base URL that still points to another provider, a base URL missing the /v1 segment, a path that differs from /v1/video/generations/, or a task_id that was truncated, wrapped in quotes, padded with whitespace, or left as the literal placeholder {task_id}. According to the relaydance.com docs, “Set base_url to https://relaydance.com/v1 and keep your OpenAI SDK”, so most fixes involve the client configuration rather than the task itself. See relaydance.com/docs for the full request format.

How do I fix a task id 404 step by step?

To resolve the error, check each part of the poll request in this order.

1. Confirm your client uses the base URL https://relaydance.com/v1.
2. Confirm the task was submitted with POST /v1/video/generations including model, prompt, seconds and metadata, and log the raw response so you can see the returned task_id.
3. Build the poll URL by appending that exact task_id: GET /v1/video/generations/{task_id}, with no spaces, quotes or braces.
4. Send the same Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY header, using a key created at relaydance.com/console.
5. Repeat the poll until status is succeeded or failed, then read the video url from the result.

Does a 404 or a failed task cost anything?

A failed or errored request does not create a charge on RelayDance. Billing is pay-as-you-go per generated video, so a status check that returns 404 is not a billable generation. According to the relaydance.com docs, “Failed or errored requests are never billed”, which also covers video tasks that end with status failed. Charges apply to videos that are generated, at per-second rates listed on relaydance.com/models. Current examples from that page: Seedance 2.0 at 720p costs about $0.190 per second, Seedance 2.0 at 1080p costs about $0.470 per second, and Seedance Fast costs about $0.152 per second. Seedance native 4K is about $4.90 per 5-second clip. Check the models page for live rates before estimating a budget.

How can I avoid polling errors altogether?

You can avoid polling by setting metadata.callback_url, which makes RelayDance POST the final task state to your server. In webhook mode your code does not need to store and reuse the task_id for repeated GET requests, which removes the main source of 404 responses. It also helps to validate the submit request so tasks do not fail for avoidable reasons. Clips can run up to 15 seconds, and each request accepts up to 9 reference images, 3 reference videos and 3 audio tracks in metadata.content[]. Reference images are cited in the prompt as @image1 to @imageN. Other metadata fields include ratio, resolution and generate_audio. If you keep polling, store the task_id exactly as returned and reuse the same base URL for submit and poll calls.

FAQ

Which endpoint do I poll for a RelayDance video task?
Poll GET https://relaydance.com/v1/video/generations/{task_id} with your Bearer API key until status is succeeded or failed.

Am I charged when a task fails or polling returns 404?
No. Failed or errored requests are never billed, and billing applies per generated video.

Can I use the OpenAI SDK with RelayDance?
Yes. The API is OpenAI-compatible: set base_url to https://relaydance.com/v1 and keep your OpenAI SDK. No BytePlus enterprise account or KYC is required, and payments are accepted in USDT and by Stripe card.