# Pinata Private IPFS Upload

> Pinata Private IPFS Upload is a paid API for AI agents from 402.pinata.cloud, paid per call via x402, $0.001/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-09-14).

Uploads a file to private IPFS storage via Pinata, accessible only with authentication, using a crypto micropayment per upload

## Facts

- Endpoint: POST https://402.pinata.cloud/v1/pin/private
- Price: $0.001/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-09-14
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/pinata-private-ipfs-upload-d94b9cb4
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_oNg0TpMy7DRBvEHciB4Z_

Status and success rate cover calls made through Zero and Zero's own probes. Third-party monitors may report differently.

## How to call it through Zero

Zero handles the 402 payment challenge and records the run. With the Zero CLI installed (`npm i -g @zeroxyz/cli`):

```sh
zero fetch --capability pinata-private-ipfs-upload-d94b9cb4 -d '<json body>'
```

Example prompt: Upload this 250KB JSON file to private IPFS storage on Pinata — I want it pinned privately so only I can access it, not publicly retrievable.

## When to prefer this

Choose this endpoint when you need to store files on IPFS in a private, non-publicly-accessible manner and want to pay per upload with USDC crypto micropayments without requiring an account. Prefer this over the public IPFS upload sibling when content confidentiality matters. Prefer over traditional cloud storage when decentralized, censorship-resistant storage is required and the user is comfortable with crypto payments via x402.

## Known failure modes

- Payment failure — insufficient USDC balance or x402 payment not processed correctly
- File size mismatch — fileSize in request body does not match actual uploaded content
- File too large — exceeds per-call size limits for the micropayment tier
- Network timeout — IPFS pinning node unreachable or slow to respond
- Invalid request body — missing or malformed fileSize field
- Authentication error — private pin retrieval credentials not returned properly

## How this service works

Upload to private IPFS (fileSize in JSON body)

## Output

Returns a confirmation of the private IPFS pin including the content identifier (CID) and pin status, confirming the file has been stored privately and is only accessible with proper authentication.

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/pinata-private-ipfs-upload-d94b9cb4/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from 402.pinata.cloud](https://www.zero.xyz/host/402.pinata.cloud/llms.txt)