As of November 9, 2026, you can’t generate new videos using OpenAI’s Sora app or web experience, or its Sora API: OpenAI says the app and web experience were discontinued on April 26, 2026, and the API on September 24, 2026. So there is no currently usable Sora video-length limit for new production work. (help.openai.com)
What was Sora’s video-length limit?
It depended on the version and product surface. OpenAI’s December 2024 announcement for the Sora product said users could generate videos up to 20 seconds long. (openai.com)
Before the API was discontinued, an archived OpenAI Sora 2 guide listed API clip durations of 4, 8, 12, 16, or 20 seconds, with 4 seconds as the default. The guide is explicitly marked as potentially outdated, so those values describe historical API support—not a current service you can use. (developers.openai.com)
| Sora version or surface | Historical duration information | Current status |
|---|---|---|
| Sora product announced in December 2024 | Up to 20 seconds per video | Sora app and web experience discontinued April 26, 2026 |
| Sora 2 API | Archived guide lists 4, 8, 12, 16, or 20 seconds per clip | API discontinued September 24, 2026 |
Could Sora make a longer finished video?
OpenAI’s archived Sora 2 API guide mentions extending an existing video, but it does not establish a current total-length limit—and the API has been discontinued. Don’t treat third-party claims about a particular maximum extended or stitched runtime as a usable OpenAI capability without current official documentation. (developers.openai.com)
Bottom line: historically, a Sora video could be up to 20 seconds in the announced product, and the archived Sora 2 API guide listed durations up to 20 seconds per clip. But as of November 9, 2026, OpenAI’s Sora app, web experience, and API are discontinued, so those limits are historical rather than available production options. (help.openai.com)
Sources
What to know about the Sora discontinuation — OpenAI Help Center