---
updatedAt: 2025-06-10T21:52:33.000Z
agentTools:
  projectIndex: https://docs.videoflow.io/llms.txt
---

# Channel promotion Stream Engine

## Promote your channel across external media platforms

Promote your channel and its content across external media platforms, such as websites, mobile apps, and social media pages, by showcasing program thumbnails and providing direct links to Inputs in your channel.

## Populate external media platforms with thumbnails and Input links

External media platforms can be populated with your thumbnails and links to Input (content) in your channel. When users click your links, they are redirected to your channel and go through the authentication and entitlement process. If needed, they'll be asked to pay.

**To get the links**:

1. Use [Search Inputs API](https://docs.videoflow.io/reference/search-inputs) to get the thumbnail and page\_url links.
2. The API response includes a `page_url` — this is the link where the Input becomes playable within your channel, and the `thumbnail_link`.
3. If you use a custom domain, replace the base of `page_url` and `thumbnail` URLs with your custom domain per the example that follows.\
   **Original:**\
   `https://vfc-*********.vfchannel.io/video/exampleabcdef1234567890`\
   **Custom domain version:**\
   `Your-custom-domain/video/exampleabcdef1234567890`
4. Add UTM parameters for analytics and traffic tracking.
5. When users click on a link, they are redirected to your channel and will go through the authentication and entitlement process. In case they need to pay, they'll be prompted to do so before they can view content.

## Data available in Search Input API response JSON

The Search Input API returns a structured JSON response containing 1+ Inputs

```
    "data": [
        {
            "content_type": "input",
            "input": {
                "name": "All Dunks Assists from Denver Nuggets",
                "description": "",
                "thumbnail": "https://stream.videoflow.io/example/example1/thumbnails/thumbnails.0000019.jpg",
                "state": "vod",
                "duration": 5.82,
                "dvr": true,
                "created_time": "2025-04-09T13:37:05.910Z",
                "token": "example",
                "featured": false,
                "type": "upload",
                "settings": {
                    "tags": []
                },
                "parent": null,
                "metadata": {
                    "action": "dunk",
                    "team1": "denver",
                    "team2": "",
                    "player": ""
                },
                "geo_restriction": {
                    "enabled": false,
                    "type": "block",
                    "list": []
                }
            },
            "page_url": "https://abc-123456789123.vfchannel.io/video/CqKcjLFKlHzQ~sVRbjw32f~xdOvuGdZV4",
            "token": "example"
        },
      }    
```