---
phase: 02-model-discovery
plan: 02
subsystem: api
tags: [fal, fal-ai, provider, model-discovery, api-route]

# Dependency graph
requires:
  - phase: 01-02
    provides: ProviderInterface, ProviderModel, registerProvider
  - phase: 02-01
    provides: Provider implementation pattern, API route pattern
provides:
  - fal.ai provider implementing ProviderInterface
  - API route for fetching fal.ai models server-side
  - Category-based filtering to image/video models only
affects: [02-03, model-browser, generate-node-refactor]

# Tech tracking
tech-stack:
  added: []
  patterns: [provider self-registration, API route for server-side fetching]

key-files:
  created:
    - src/lib/providers/fal.ts
    - src/app/api/providers/fal/models/route.ts
  modified: []

key-decisions:
  - "fal.ai API key is optional - works without key but with rate limits"
  - "Category filtering uses direct API parameter (not post-processing)"
  - "Authorization header format: Key {apiKey} (different from Replicate Bearer format)"

patterns-established:
  - "fal.ai uses category field directly as ModelCapability (no inference needed)"
  - "Optional auth pattern - isConfigured() returns true only if key exists"

issues-created: []

# Metrics
duration: 5min
completed: 2026-01-09
---

# Phase 02-02: fal.ai Provider Summary

**fal.ai provider with model discovery via REST API, filtered to image/video categories, with optional API key authentication**

## Performance

- **Duration:** 5 min
- **Started:** 2026-01-09T execution start
- **Completed:** 2026-01-09T execution end
- **Tasks:** 2
- **Files created:** 2

## Accomplishments
- Created fal.ai provider implementing full ProviderInterface contract
- Built API route for server-side model fetching with optional API key
- Implemented category-based filtering to text-to-image, image-to-image, text-to-video, image-to-video
- Provider self-registers in registry when module is imported
- Works without API key (rate limited) unlike Replicate which requires auth

## Task Commits

Each task was committed atomically:

1. **Task 1: Create fal.ai provider implementation** - `523bc1f` (feat)
2. **Task 2: Create fal.ai models API route** - `3d4a97f` (feat)

## Files Created/Modified
- `src/lib/providers/fal.ts` - fal.ai provider with listModels, searchModels, getModel, isConfigured, getApiKey
- `src/app/api/providers/fal/models/route.ts` - GET endpoint for model fetching with optional X-API-Key auth

## Decisions Made
- fal.ai category field maps directly to ModelCapability (no keyword inference needed unlike Replicate)
- API key authentication is optional - fal.ai works without but with lower rate limits
- Authorization header uses "Key" prefix (fal.ai format) rather than "Bearer" (Replicate format)
- Status filter set to "active" to exclude deprecated models
- generate() returns stub error - implementation deferred to Phase 3

## Deviations from Plan

None - plan executed exactly as written.

## Issues Encountered

None.

## Next Phase Readiness
- fal.ai provider complete and ready for use
- Both providers (Replicate and fal.ai) now implemented
- Model caching to be added in 02-03
- Two different auth patterns documented (required vs optional)

---
*Phase: 02-model-discovery*
*Completed: 2026-01-09*