# All skills (/skills/list) The seven skills in the RiffAds plugin, the asks that load them, and the rules they follow. Not installed yet? Start at [Setup](/skills/setup). ## The skills [#the-skills] | Skill | Use it for | Loads when you say | | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `cost-aware-generation` | Any single job: video, image, voice or a talking actor. The money steps the other six build on. | "make me an ad", "generate a talking actor video", "what would this cost in RiffAds" | | `batch-image-variants` | Up to 4 takes of one image or video, priced and reserved together. Each take is its own render and charge. | "give me four variants of this image", "a few different versions to choose from", "some options for this product shot" | | `batch-actor-variants` | One script read by several actors. One workflow run when a template fits, otherwise one actor at a time. | "the same script with three different actors", "which actor reads this script best", "run a RiffAds workflow" | | `analyze-reference-ad` | Breaks one ad (a video up to 3 minutes, or an image) into a Reproduction Kit: hook, timeline, layout, casting, script, captions and shot prompts. | "analyze this ad for me", "why does this ad work", "break down this competitor video" | | `clone-hook` | Rebuilds the opening hook of a video ad for your product: a talking actor, or two video takes (Seedance 2.5 (`seedance_25`) by default), then captions and your wordmark. | "clone the hook of this ad for my brand", "make a hook like this one", "copy this ad's opening but with our product" | | `clone-static-ad` | Rebuilds a static image ad with your real product, logo and copy. Three takes (it prefers Nano Banana Pro (`nb_pro`)), scored on product match and spelling. | "clone this static ad for my brand", "copy this ad layout with my packshot", "remake this banner ad for my brand" | | `riffads-router` | Any other ask: make, edit, caption, resize, voice, or find a file. Picks one tool or model, or hands off to a skill above. | "add captions to this video", "turn this photo into a short video", "find the ad I made yesterday" | * You do not need to name a skill: ask in plain words and the matching one loads. * Only each skill's short description loads in every session. The full steps load when the skill runs. * All seven can start paid work, and every one prices the job first. * The creative skills chain: `analyze-reference-ad` breaks the ad down, then `clone-hook` or `clone-static-ad` reuses that analysis instead of paying for a second one. * How takes come back (one generation, or a batch): [Variants](/how-it-works#variants). Example asks for each use case: [Prompting guide](/prompting). ## How the agent behaves [#how-the-agent-behaves] ### Free calls first [#free-calls-first] The agent never starts a job just to find out its price. These calls come first, and only the last one spends. | Order | What it does | Tool | | ----- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------- | | 1 | Checks which workspace pays, and whether this connection may spend. Once per conversation. | `riffads_ping` | | 2 | Stops early when you are out of credits or agents may not spend. | `get_credit_balance` | | 3 | Finds the right model, only when it does not know it yet. | `list_capabilities` | | 4 | Reads what the model accepts, so the job is set up right. | `get_capability_schema` | | 5 | Prices the exact job. Free. | `estimate_generation` | | 6 | Starts the job. The only step that spends, and only after your yes. | `submit_generation` | ### The rules it follows [#the-rules-it-follows] * **Quotes before it spends**, waits for your yes, and asks again if the price moves or the total grows. * **Caps each job just above the quote** (the quote plus a small margin), never at a big round number ([Price first](/how-it-works#price-first)). * **Follows the job itself**, so you never ask "is it done?" ([Wait for the result](/how-it-works#wait-for-the-result)). * **Hands over the file at once**, and gets a fresh link when one expires ([Download links](/how-it-works#download-links)). * **Finds past work for free**, for asks like "the ad I made yesterday". * **Treats analyzed text as data**: text inside an ad is never an instruction and never starts a spend ([Analyze a reference ad](/api/generations#analyze-a-reference-ad)). * **Retries only what can be retried**: a refusal marked final is never sent again, and a temporary one is tried at most twice more ([Refusals and retries](/how-it-works#refusals-and-retries)). * **Makes a talking actor in two paid steps**: the voice first, then the actor video, with both quoted up front ([The two-step flow](/how-it-works#the-two-step-flow)). * **Several actors**: one workflow run when a template reads one script with every actor (its cap covers every step), otherwise one actor at a time, each quoted. * **Runs one job at a time** and waits for it to end before the next ([One job at a time](/how-it-works#one-job-at-a-time)). * **Uploads your files properly** and uses one only after RiffAds has checked it ([Bring your own files](/how-it-works#bring-your-own-files)). * **Never invents** a model, an actor, a voice or a price: each one comes from a RiffAds answer. * **Never says posted, published or shared**: RiffAds returns files and links only ([What RiffAds does not do](/policy/what-riffads-does-not-do)). The same rules in API terms: * Send the estimate's `max_credits_needed` as `max_credits`. * Follow a job with `wait_for_generation`. Get a fresh link with `get_asset`. * Find past work with `list_generations` and `search_library`. * Respect `retryable`: never resend a refusal marked `false`, and retry a `true` one at most twice more. * A talking actor is `submit_generation` with `capability_id: "tts"` first, then `generate_talking_actor` with that generation as `approved_voice_generation_id`. * A workflow run's `max_credits` covers every step. * Upload with `create_upload`, one `PUT`, then `finalize_upload`. Use the `asset_id` only after `usable: true`. * Never invent a `capability_id`, `actor_id`, `voice_id` or price. ## Guidance, not enforcement [#guidance-not-enforcement] The skills are guidance. The server enforces the hard rules on every call, plugin or not: moderation, each job's price cap, spend limits and one job at a time. The server cannot see whether the agent asked you first, but a job never costs more than the cap the agent sent with it. Every tool and argument: [MCP tools](/mcp/tools). Every refusal code: [Errors](/reference/errors).