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Participant
August 21, 2026
Question

Adobe Photoshop API - Firefly Services

  • August 21, 2026
  • 5 replies
  • 47 views

I am trying to user Adobe Photoshop API to create PSD with groups, i.e. https://developer.adobe.com/firefly-services/docs/photoshop/api/photoshop-v2/, to create a PSD file programmatically. I tried to create a simple PSD with groups of layers. But even though I think I followed the API schema, I still get “An unknown error occurred” error response.

 

For example a payload like below trying to create a PSD with one group that has 2 image layers in it. 

{
    "image": { "source": { "url": "<GET_BACKGROUND>" } },
    "edits": { "layers": [
      {
        "name": "group1", "type": "group_layer",
        "operation": { "type": "add", "placement": { "type": "top" } },
        "children": [
          { "name": "source", "type": "layer",
            "operation": { "type": "add", "placement": { "type": "top" } },
            "image": { "source": { "url": "<Image1>" } } },
          { "name": "add", "type": "layer",
            "operation": { "type": "add", "placement": { "type": "top" } },
            "image": { "source": { "url": "<Image2>" } },
            "blendOptions": { "blendMode": "multiply" } }
        ]
      }
    ] },
    "outputs": [ { "mediaType": "image/vnd.adobe.photoshop", "destination": { "url": "<PUT>" } } ]
  }

 

Anyone has tried this and has any suggestions? Thanks!

    5 replies

    Stephen Marsh
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    August 22, 2026

    @kailin_7881 

     

    Not knowing the code, my first question would be on the image URLs.

    Participant
    August 24, 2026

    Hey, thanks for the reply!

    I double checked on how I generated the URL, the same URL is able to used as plain/flat layer to create a composition. But once I put them as child layer under a group layer, I get the unknown error from the API side..

     

    The submit of the async creation job to Adobe API succeeded, then the async job marked as failed with unknown error. I now assume the input schema is all good, but I need Adobe team’s help to check more..😥

    Participant
    August 24, 2026

    Uh I think this is it.. https://developer.adobe.com/firefly-services/docs/photoshop/guides/photoshop-v2-beta/v1-to-v2/create-composite-v1-reference#7e-group-layers-layersection--group_layer

     

    😭 spend quite some time trying to debug.. Thanks all for the help anyway!

    7e. Group layers (layerSectiongroup_layer)

    Type rename: "layerSection""group_layer"

    Creating a new document with a group layer is not yet supported (upcoming feature). Editing an existing document to add a layer inside a group layer is supported: use operation.placement.type: "into" with referenceLayer pointing to the group (e.g. "referenceLayer": { "name": "Group 1" }). Editing existing group layers (name, visibility, protection, etc.) is also supported. V1 nested children under the layer's children array.

    Stephen Marsh
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    August 22, 2026

    @Trevor.Dennis thanks for the heads up, unfortunately I’m not up to speed on this form of scripting.

    Trevor.Dennis
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    August 22, 2026

    @Stephen Marsh is one of 6the forums scripting experts. He’ll get an email saying he was mentioned, and hopefully be along later to help if he can.