How to Use Virtual Try-On API for E-Commerce (2026 Guide)

How to Use Virtual Try-On API for E-Commerce

Virtual try-on technology is transforming online shopping. Instead of guessing how a dress, pair of glasses, or shade of lipstick looks, customers can now see AI-generated previews of products on themselves — all through a simple API call.

This guide walks you through how to integrate a virtual try-on API into your e-commerce store, from choosing the right provider to writing the code.

What Is a Virtual Try-On API?

A virtual try-on API takes two inputs — a person image and a garment/product image — and outputs a photorealistic composite showing the person wearing the product. Under the hood, it uses diffusion models and pose estimation to handle:

Clothing try-on (shirts, dresses, pants, outerwear)
Accessories (hats, glasses, jewelry)
Makeup & beauty (lipstick, foundation, hair color)

Why Virtual Try-On Matters for E-Commerce

The numbers speak for themselves:

Metric	Without Try-On	With Try-On
Conversion rate	2-3%	6-8%
Return rate	25-30%	10-15%
Time on product page	45 seconds	2+ minutes
Cart abandonment	70%	50%

Shopify, ASOS, and Nike have all invested heavily in this technology. With APIs, you can add the same capability to any store.

Top Virtual Try-On API Providers Compared

Provider	Price per Request	Latency	Quality	Restrictions
Hypereal AI	$0.02	~2s	Excellent	None
Google ARCore	Free (limited)	3-5s	Good	Mobile only
Revery.ai	$0.05	4-6s	Good	Clothing only
Vue.ai	Custom pricing	5-8s	Good	Enterprise only
Kolors	$0.03	3-4s	Good	Clothing only

How to Integrate Virtual Try-On API: Step-by-Step

Prerequisites

A Hypereal AI account with API key (sign up free)
Node.js 18+ or Python 3.9+
Product images (garment photos on white background work best)
A way to capture or upload customer photos

Step 1: Get Your API Key

Step 2: Install the SDK

# Node.js
npm install hypereal-sdk

# Python
pip install hypereal

Step 3: Make Your First Try-On Request

Node.js:

import Hypereal from 'hypereal-sdk';

const client = new Hypereal({ apiKey: process.env.HYPEREAL_API_KEY });

const result = await client.tryOn({
  personImage: 'https://your-store.com/customer-photo.jpg',
  garmentImage: 'https://your-store.com/products/dress-001.jpg',
  category: 'upper_body', // upper_body, lower_body, full_body
});

console.log(result.outputUrl); // URL of the try-on result image

Python:

import hypereal

client = hypereal.Client(api_key="YOUR_API_KEY")

result = client.try_on(
    person_image="https://your-store.com/customer-photo.jpg",
    garment_image="https://your-store.com/products/dress-001.jpg",
    category="upper_body"
)

print(result.output_url)

Step 4: Handle the Response

The API returns a JSON response with the generated image:

{
  "status": "completed",
  "output_url": "https://cdn.hypereal.ai/results/tryon-abc123.jpg",
  "processing_time_ms": 1850,
  "credits_used": 1
}

Step 5: Display Results in Your Store

Embed the result in your product page:

function TryOnButton({ productImage }) {
  const [result, setResult] = useState(null);
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);

  const handleTryOn = async (customerPhoto) => {
    setLoading(true);
    const response = await fetch('/api/try-on', {
      method: 'POST',
      body: JSON.stringify({
        personImage: customerPhoto,
        garmentImage: productImage,
      }),
    });
    const data = await response.json();
    setResult(data.outputUrl);
    setLoading(false);
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <button onClick={() => handleTryOn(uploadedPhoto)}>
        Try It On
      </button>
      {loading && <p>Generating preview...</p>}
      {result && <img src={result} alt="Virtual try-on result" />}
    </div>
  );
}

Best Practices for Virtual Try-On Integration

Use high-quality product images — flat-lay or mannequin shots on white backgrounds give the best results
Guide customers on photo uploads — front-facing, well-lit photos produce the most accurate try-ons
Cache results — if 100 customers try the same dress, cache the most common body type results
Show loading states — 2 seconds feels long without feedback; add a skeleton or animation
A/B test placement — try the button near "Add to Cart" vs. in the image gallery
Handle edge cases — provide fallback messaging if the API returns an error

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Low-resolution inputs — blurry photos produce blurry results
Wrong category selection — choosing "upper_body" for a full-length dress will crop incorrectly
No error handling — always wrap API calls in try/catch blocks
Ignoring mobile — over 60% of e-commerce traffic is mobile; ensure the UI works on small screens
Not setting timeouts — add a 10-second timeout to avoid hanging requests

Why Hypereal AI Is the Best Virtual Try-On API

Hypereal AI stands out from the competition for several reasons:

Unified API: Access the best virtual try-on models through a single endpoint — no need to manage multiple providers
No content restrictions: Unlike competitors that limit garment types or block certain categories, Hypereal has no restrictions
Pay-as-you-go: No monthly subscription — pay only for what you use at $0.02 per request
Sub-second to 2-second latency: Fast enough for real-time product pages
50+ additional models: Beyond try-on, access image generation, video creation, avatar generation, and more through the same API
Free credits on signup: Test the API without entering a credit card

Conclusion

Virtual try-on APIs are no longer a luxury — they're a competitive necessity for e-commerce. With conversion rates doubling and return rates halving, the ROI is clear.

Ready to add virtual try-on to your store? Sign up for Hypereal AI and get 35 free credits to start testing today.