/variations4 creditsMidjourney onlyVariations
Generate a new 2×2 grid of variations from an existing image. Positional variations (index 1–4) take one image from a grid and explore nearby creative directions. Strong/subtle variations apply to an upscaled image: strong makes dramatic compositional changes, subtle makes small refinements while keeping the image closely related to the original. Midjourney only.
Request Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| parent_task_id | string | Required | Task ID of the parent grid task (/imagine, /reroll, or prior /variations). |
| index | string | Required | Grid position (1-4) or variation strength. 1=top-left, 2=top-right, 3=bottom-left, 4=bottom-right.1234strongsubtle |
| webhook_url | string | Optional | URL where we POST the completed task result. |
| webhook_secret | string | Optional | Sent as x-webhook-secret header in webhook delivery. |
Example Request
curl -X POST https://api.journeyapi.com/api/v1/variations \
-H "Authorization: YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"parent_task_id": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
"index": "strong",
"webhook_url": "https://your-server.com/webhook"
}'Immediate Response
Returns immediately with a task ID. Use /fetch or webhooks to get the result.
{
"task_id": "aa5d3955-d74g-96i9-f261-991100995555"
}Response Fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| task_id | string | UUID of the variation task. |
| task_type | string | "variation-{index}" (e.g., "variation-1", "variation-strong"). |
| original_image_url | string | URL of the new 2×2 grid. |
| image_urls | string[] | Array of 4 individual image URLs. |
Tips
- 1"strong" generates very different images while keeping the theme. "subtle" makes minor tweaks.
- 2Positional variations (1-4) create new grids inspired by that specific image from the parent grid.
- 3Both "strong" and "subtle" require the parent to be an already-upscaled image (from /upscale-1x). Positional variations (1-4) work directly on grid tasks (/imagine, /reroll).
Quirks & Gotchas
In Midjourney v7, "strong" and "subtle" both map to the same underlying "Make Variations" action. The visual difference depends on Midjourney's internal settings, not a separate button.
Passing index "strong" or "subtle" with a grid parent_task_id (not yet upscaled) will return an error. Upscale first with /upscale-1x.
Expert Tips & Best Practices
Strong vs. subtle — creative exploration vs. fine-tuning
Use strong variations to explore a different creative direction while keeping the general subject and style. Think of it as asking Midjourney to 'give me something like this but take more creative liberties.' Use subtle when you're nearly happy with the image but want to see small adjustments — lighting, expression, minor composition tweaks. If you're unsure, start with subtle to avoid diverging too far.
Positional variations for focused exploration
Positional variations (index 1–4) let you focus on one promising candidate from the grid without having to upscale it first. If image 3 has the right subject but wrong lighting, run /variations with index 3 to get four new variations built around that specific image. This is faster than upscaling → strong variations when you just want to explore one candidate further.