CDU Heads

A globally fast, caching Minecraft head API service.

About the Service

CDU Heads provides a simple and efficient way to get Minecraft player heads, skins, and avatars. It was specifically created for embedding in CDU websites but is open for public use anywhere.

The service was designed to be globally fast. Once a head is requested, it's cached on Cloudflare's edge network using R2 and KV storage, ensuring subsequent requests from anywhere in the world are delivered with extremely low latency.

Live Demo

Here are some examples using Notch's head. The images below are served directly from this API.

Notch Avatar

Avatar (100px)

Notch Head

Head

Notch Body (Right)

Body (Right)

Notch Player

Player

API Reference

For the {identifier}, you can use a player's UUID (recommended), username, or a raw texture ID.

Simple Avatars

Control size and toggle the helmet layer. Size can be from 8px to 600px.

https://heads.playcdu.co/avatar/{identifier}
https://heads.playcdu.co/avatar/{identifier}/100
https://heads.playcdu.co/avatar/{identifier}/100/nohelm
https://heads.playcdu.co/avatar/{identifier}/100/nohelm.png

Isometric Renders

3D renders of a player's head or body. Facing direction can be changed. Size can be from 32px to 600px.

https://heads.playcdu.co/head/{identifier}
https://heads.playcdu.co/body/{identifier}
https://heads.playcdu.co/body/{identifier}/left

Full Body & Combo

Full-body renders or a combination view. Size can be from 8px to 600px.

https://heads.playcdu.co/player/{identifier}
https://heads.playcdu.co/combo/{identifier}

Player Skins

Retrieve the raw skin file for a player.

https://heads.playcdu.co/skin/{identifier}

Technical Details

UUIDs Recommended

We strongly advise using UUIDs instead of usernames. UUIDs never change, while usernames can.

Aggressive Caching

Images are cached globally. Your browser is instructed to cache them for up to 2 months.

CORS Enabled

The API supports Cross-Origin Resource Sharing, allowing direct AJAX requests from any website.

HTTP/2 Performance

The service supports HTTP/2, allowing faster loading of multiple assets over a single connection.

Terms of Use

This service is free to use for personal and hobby projects. For commercial projects, attribution is kindly requested.