PlaceKeanu API

Free novelty placeholder service with no key: dimensions in the path return a Keanu Reeves placeholder, with greyscale and young-Keanu variants. Tested example included.

No API key requiredHTTPSFree tier

Endpoint tested and returned HTTP 200 on 2026-08-21

What is the PlaceKeanu API?

PlaceKeanu returns placeholder images of Keanu Reeves at any dimensions you request, with no API key. Path segments select greyscale and a younger-era variant, and the service responds with an SVG wrapper rather than a raster file.

The novelty placeholder genre exists because a design review goes differently when the placeholder is funny — people actually look at the mockup. This one is among the better-known examples, and it behaves exactly like the other services in its family: two numbers in the path, an image back, nothing to configure.

There is one genuine technical surprise. The response arrives as `image/svg+xml` with a `viewBox`, not as a JPEG or PNG — the service wraps the photograph in an SVG at your requested dimensions. That is harmless in an `img` tag, and it actually scales more gracefully than a raster file would, but it will break any pipeline that assumes it can read raster pixels or that sniffs the format from the bytes. Path variants add `/g/` for greyscale and `/y/` for a younger Keanu.

Quick facts

Base URL: https://placekeanu.com
Authentication: No API key, no account and no configuration.
Rate limit: No published limit.
Pricing: Free.
CORS: Not enabled — call it from your server
Official docs: Read the docs

How to use the PlaceKeanu API

Every request below was executed against the live API on 2026-08-21, and the response shown is the real body it returned — not an illustration.

1. Fetch a 200x200 Keanu placeholder

GET https://placekeanu.com/200/200

curl

curl 'https://placekeanu.com/200/200'

JavaScript (fetch)

const res = await fetch("https://placekeanu.com/200/200");
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${res.status}`);
const data = await res.json();
console.log(data);

Python (requests)

import requests

res = requests.get("https://placekeanu.com/200/200", timeout=20)
res.raise_for_status()
print(res.json())

Response — HTTP 200

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" width="200" height="200" viewBox="0 0 544 800" preserveAspectRatio="xMidYMid slice"><image xlink:href="data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAgICAgICAkKCgkMDQwNDBIQDw8QEhsTFRMVExspGR4ZGR4ZKSQsJCEkLCRBMy0tM0FLPzw/S1tRUVtybHKVlckBCAgICAgICQoKCQwNDA0MEhAPDxASGxMVExUTGykZHhkZHhkpJCwkISQsJEEzLS0zQUs/PD9

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`width`	path	Required	Requested width in pixels. `200`
`height`	path	Required	Requested height in pixels. `200`
`/g/`	path	Optional	Greyscale variant.
`/y/`	path	Optional	Young Keanu variant.

Response fields

(body)image/svg+xml: An SVG wrapping the photograph at your requested dimensions, with a `viewBox` and `preserveAspectRatio`. Not a raster image, despite what you might expect.
Content-Typeheader: `image/svg+xml`. Any pipeline expecting JPEG or PNG bytes will need adjusting.

What you can build with the PlaceKeanu API

Make a design review mockup more engaging than grey boxes
Demonstrate a photo layout at arbitrary aspect ratios
Test that your image handling copes with an SVG response
Fill a prototype gallery quickly

Common errors and how to fix them

Image processing library rejects the file

The response is SVG, not a raster format.

Fix: Handle `image/svg+xml`, or use a raster placeholder service if your pipeline cannot.

Cross-origin fetch blocked

No CORS header is sent.

Fix: An `img` tag works. Reading the SVG source with fetch will not.

Odd framing at extreme ratios

The SVG preserves aspect ratio and crops to fit.

Fix: Stay near photographic proportions for a sensible result.

PlaceKeanu API — frequently asked questions

Is PlaceKeanu free?

Yes, free with no key or account. It is a novelty placeholder service for mockups.

What format does it return?

SVG, not JPEG or PNG — the photograph is wrapped in an SVG at your requested dimensions. That scales well but surprises pipelines expecting raster bytes.

What variants are there?

Prefix the path with `/g/` for greyscale or `/y/` for a younger Keanu. There are no query parameters.

Should I use it in production?

No. It is a mockup tool, and the images are of a real person with no licence granted for commercial use.

Tools that pair with this API

Placeholder Image Generator

Generate placeholder images at any size online — solid, gradient or checkerboard with the dimensions as text. Download PNG or copy a data URI for markup.

SVG to PNG Converter

Convert SVG vector files to PNG at any resolution you choose. Render crisp raster images from SVG in your browser — free, instant and private.

Image Cropper

Crop images online to an exact rectangle with pixel-precise x, y, width and height inputs or aspect-ratio presets. Free, private and browser-based.

PlaceKeanu is an independent third-party service and is not affiliated with ByteTools or ByteVancer. Details on this page were verified on 2026-08-21; always check the official documentation before relying on this API in production, as terms and limits can change.