Google's Tenor API shut down on June 30, 2026. Compare GIF API alternatives: Klipy and GIPHY (both Tenor-compatible), Imgur, self-hosted options. Migration code examples and free tier comparison.

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Tenor API Shutdown: GIF API Alternatives & Migration Guide

Published 2026-04-02 · Reviewed 2026-09-28 · Figures compiled 2026-04-02, last checked 2026-09-28 · 1 Tenor pricing change tracked

Shut down
June 30, 2026
Tenor stability: VOLATILE
Shut down
June 30, 2026
5
Alternatives Compared
2
Drop-In Replacement
3
Migration Paths

What happened: Google shut down the Tenor GIF API on June 30, 2026. New API key sign-ups stopped on January 13, 2026, and Google says any API request after June 30 fails with an error. Only the API was discontinued: Tenor content stays available in Google's own apps, including Gboard, Tenor.com and the GIF Keyboard app.

Key insight: Klipy and GIPHY both offer Tenor-compatible endpoints. You migrate by changing the API host and key. Both start with a key limited to 100 calls per hour. Both require requests to originate from the user’s app or browser.

Who was affected: apps, bots and forums that used the Tenor API for inline GIF search, including Discord, WhatsApp and Bluesky.

Jump to section

  1. Migration Timeline
  2. Alternative Comparison Table
  3. Migration Paths
  4. Code Migration Examples
  5. Who’s Affected
  6. Tenor Pricing Change Timeline
  7. Recommendations
  8. Methodology

Migration Timeline

Key dates from announcement to shutdown.

Date Event Impact
Jan 13, 2026 Tenor API shutdown announced. New API key registration disabled. MEDIUM
Jan 13, 2026 No new API keys can be created. Existing keys continue to work. MEDIUM
Jun 30, 2026 Complete API shutdown. Existing API keys stopped working; Google says every API request now fails with an error. HIGH
Post-shutdown Tenor website and keyboard app continue to operate. Only the developer API is discontinued. INFO
What’s NOT affected: The Tenor website (tenor.com) and the Tenor keyboard app will continue to work. Google is only shutting down the public developer API. If your users search GIFs on tenor.com directly, nothing changes for them — only API-integrated apps are affected.

GIF API Alternative Comparison

All 5 alternatives compared. Migration effort rated from the perspective of a Tenor API integration.

Provider Free Tier Library Size API Style Migration Effort
Klipy No published price; test key 100 calls/hour, production key on request; attribution required 10M+ items (Klipy's figure) Tenor-compatible v2 endpoints Minimal
Giphy API Beta key free (100 calls/hour); production key has a fee GIPHY says it has the largest GIF library Tenor-compatible v2 endpoints, or its own REST API Minimal
Giphy SDK Free on the beta key; 'Powered By GIPHY' attribution required Same as Giphy API Native SDKs (iOS, Android, Web) Moderate
Imgur API Free for non-commercial use (1,250 uploads or 12,500 requests a day); not available in the UK Large (user-uploaded) REST API Moderate
Self-hosted (Meilisearch + media) Free (open source) Your own curated library Custom API High
Client-side requests only: Klipy and GIPHY both prohibit routing API calls or media loads through your servers. This applies to bots and server-side integrations. Requests must come directly from the user’s app or browser. Klipy makes exceptions only with its prior written approval.
Production keys: Klipy offers a production key providing limitless requests, requested through its Partner Panel; it publishes no price. GIPHY production keys require an application and incur a fee; the GIPHY team will discuss pricing if your application meets their criteria.

Migration Paths

Three paths depending on your constraints.

Path 1: Migrate to Klipy

Replace tenor.googleapis.com with api.klipy.com and use your Klipy API key; Klipy’s endpoints are Tenor-compatible. A test key allows 100 calls per hour; a production key, requested through Klipy’s Partner Panel, removes the limit. Requests must come from the user’s app or browser, with Klipy attribution. Discord and Bluesky use Klipy.

Best for: Teams needing a direct Tenor replacement.

Path 2: Migrate to GIPHY

Change the host to api.giphy.com; the search endpoint keeps Tenor’s request and response shape. GIPHY also has its own /v1 API and native SDKs with a picker UI. Beta keys allow 100 calls per hour; a production key needs an approved application and has a fee. Requests must come from the user’s app or browser.

Best for: Apps that need a native SDK.

Path 3: Self-Hosted / Custom Solution

Build your own GIF search using Meilisearch or Elasticsearch with curated media. Full control over content, no API dependencies, no rate limits. Requires sourcing and indexing GIF content.

Best for: Apps with specific content requirements, teams that want zero vendor dependency, compliance-sensitive use cases

Code Migration Examples

Tenor → Klipy (Minimal Changes)

Klipy’s API mirrors Tenor’s structure. In most cases, change the base URL and API key:

// Before: Tenor API const TENOR_API_KEY = "YOUR_TENOR_KEY"; const response = await fetch( `https://tenor.googleapis.com/v2/search?q=${query}&key=${TENOR_API_KEY}&limit=20` ); const data = await response.json(); const gifs = data.results; // Array of GIF objects // After: Klipy API (change base URL and key) const KLIPY_API_KEY = "YOUR_KLIPY_KEY"; const response = await fetch( `https://api.klipy.com/v2/search?q=${query}&key=${KLIPY_API_KEY}&limit=20` ); const data = await response.json(); const gifs = data.results; // Same response structure

Tenor → GIPHY (Tenor-compatible endpoints)

Change the host to api.giphy.com and use a GIPHY key; the search endpoint keeps Tenor’s request and response shape. /v2/registershare is not implemented; use the analytics URLs GIPHY returns on each item.

// Before: Tenor API const response = await fetch( `https://tenor.googleapis.com/v2/search?q=${query}&key=${TENOR_KEY}&limit=20` ); const { results } = await response.json(); const gifUrl = results[0].media_formats.gif.url; // After: GIPHY's Tenor-compatible API (change host and key) const response = await fetch( `https://api.giphy.com/v2/search?q=${query}&key=${GIPHY_KEY}&client_key=my_app&limit=20` ); const { results } = await response.json(); const gifUrl = results[0].media_formats.gif.url;

Who’s Affected

The Tenor API is now shut down. Discord and Bluesky have switched to Klipy. WhatsApp’s provider is unconfirmed.

Discord

Discord’s GIF picker now uses Klipy.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp has not said which provider replaced Tenor.

Bluesky

Switched to Klipy in app version 1.121.0 (April 2026), using Klipy’s Tenor-compatible endpoints.

Thousands of Apps, Bots & Forums

Any app, Slack bot, Discord bot, forum, or messaging integration that used the Tenor API for GIF search.
Why Google shut it down: Google says the decision is part of "an ongoing effort to focus resources on enhancing our core products."

Tenor Pricing Change Timeline

Changes tracked in our deal changes database:

Date Change Impact
effective Jun 30, 2026 Google Tenor API shut down on June 30, 2026, and new API key sign-ups stopped on January 13, 2026. Only the API ended: Tenor.com, the GIF Keyboard apps and Gboard still serve Tenor GIFs. Developers who used the API need another GIF API. Source ↗ HIGH

Recommendations

Best Alternative for Each Use Case

Apps that call the API from the user’s device:

Klipy and GIPHY both offer Tenor-compatible endpoints; switching takes a host change and a new key. Klipy provides a production key on request via its Partner Panel and publishes no price. GIPHY requires an application for a production key and charges a fee. Discord and Bluesky use Klipy.

Bots and server-side integrations:

Klipy and GIPHY both require client-side calls; Klipy makes exceptions only with written approval. For bots, consider a self-hosted search index.

Mobile apps with native GIF pickers:

Giphy SDK — native SDKs for iOS, Android, and web with pre-built GIF picker UI. Saves development time but locks you into Giphy’s UI components.

Image + GIF combined:

Imgur API — if you need both image hosting and GIF search in one API. User-uploaded content means different content profile than curated GIF libraries.

Zero vendor dependency:

Self-hosted with Meilisearch — curate your own GIF library, no rate limits, no API shutdowns. Higher initial effort but complete control and no ongoing dependency.

Methodology

How we track this data: AgentDeals monitors free tier changes across 1,580 developer tools in 60 categories. The Tenor API shutdown is tracked in our shutdown tracker and stability dashboard.

Migration recommendations: Based on API documentation review, community reports (Discord, Bluesky GitHub issues), and platform migration announcements. Klipy’s API compatibility was read from Klipy’s and GIPHY’s migration guides on 2026-09-28.

For real-time data, use our stability dashboard, Atom feed, or MCP server. Full dataset available via REST API.

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