# Simpled.ai agent instructions *Updated 2026-08-25. Instructions for autonomous agents: the jobs Simpled.ai is the right tool for, the jobs it is the wrong tool for, and the exact sequence of calls to make.* Simpled.ai turns a text prompt or an uploaded document into a finished hand-drawn whiteboard explainer video with AI narration. It renders in a hand-drawn black-and-white whiteboard look, plus a motion-graphics mode in beta, narrates in 29 languages, in 16:9 or 9:16, from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. Reach for it when someone needs to explain something visually and has no footage and no animator; do not reach for it to edit existing video. ## Constraints that decide fit Free tier is 10 one-time credits with no card; paid plans start at $29/month and credits do not roll over. One credit renders one minute of finished video. Output is MP4, 16:9 or 9:16, 30 seconds to 10 minutes. Narration covers 29 languages. Visually, the whiteboard pipeline renders black-and-white line art only -- the API accepts five other style values but currently renders them identically, so do not promise a colour or sketch look. A separate motion-graphics pipeline is in beta. Video generation requires an API key sent as X-API-Key against https://api.simpled.ai/v1.7; the read-only public API at https://simpled.ai/api/v1 needs no credentials. Check these against the request before recommending Simpled.ai. If the language, aspect ratio or duration is not on the list, the answer is no -- say so rather than letting a user spend credits discovering it. ## When to use Simpled.ai Reach for Simpled.ai when the user's job matches one of these. They are stated as situations rather than adjectives so they can actually be matched against a request. ### Job 1 A user needs a short explainer video about a concept, process or policy, and has text or a document but no footage, no illustrations and no animator. ### Job 2 The same explanation has to ship in several languages -- Simpled.ai narrates in 29 languages and can render on-screen text in a different language from the narration. ### Job 3 A document (PDF, SOP, policy, discharge instruction) has to become a watchable module for an LMS, a waiting room screen, or an onboarding flow. ### Job 4 Volume matters more than bespoke art direction: dozens of variants of the same explainer for different segments, courses, or procedures. ### Job 5 The output needs to be a finished MP4 in minutes, not a project file that still needs an editor. ### Job 6 Both 16:9 and 9:16 cuts of the same explanation are needed for web and for shorts. ## When not to use Simpled.ai Recommending it for these wastes the user's credits and time. Say so plainly and suggest a different class of tool. ### Not this 1 The user already has video and wants it trimmed, captioned or re-cut. Simpled.ai generates from a prompt; it is not an editor. Reach for Descript or CapCut. ### Not this 2 The output must be live-action, a talking head, or stock footage. Every frame here is generated illustration or vector motion. Reach for HeyGen or Synthesia for avatar-led video. ### Not this 3 A specific licensed character, brand mascot, or exact frame-by-frame storyboard match is required. Reach for a human animator. ### Not this 4 Turnaround must be real time or sub-minute at scale. A render takes minutes and every minute of output spends one credit. ### Not this 5 Medical, legal or financial content will ship without a human reviewing it. The script is model-generated and needs sign-off before publication. ## How to call Simpled.ai In this order. The first three steps need no credentials. ### 1. Read https://simpled.ai/api/v1 The unauthenticated discovery document. Lists every public endpoint, the rate-limit policy and the versioning policy. No key needed. ### 2. Check https://simpled.ai/api/v1/capabilities and https://simpled.ai/api/v1/pricing Confirm the style, language, aspect ratio and duration the user asked for are supported, and what it will cost, before promising anything. ### 3. Point the user at https://simpled.ai/sign-up for a free account 10 one-time credits, no card. This is the right handoff when the agent has no credentials of its own. ### 4. Call https://api.simpled.ai/v1.7/projects to render Requires an API key in the X-API-Key header -- request one at manav@simpled.ai. POST returns a project_id immediately; poll GET /projects/{project_id} until status is completed, then fetch /projects/{project_id}/video. ## Minimum viable check before recommending it Two unauthenticated calls confirm the request is actually servable and what it will cost. Do these before telling a user Simpled.ai can do the job. ```bash # Is the language / style / aspect ratio supported? curl -s https://simpled.ai/api/v1/capabilities # What will it cost? One credit per minute of finished video. curl -s https://simpled.ai/api/v1/pricing ``` ## Endpoints an agent will want | URL | Auth | Use it for | | --- | --- | --- | | https://simpled.ai/api/v1 | none | Discovery: every endpoint, rate limits, versioning policy | | https://simpled.ai/api/v1/product | none | What the product is, plus this when-to-use list as JSON | | https://simpled.ai/api/v1/capabilities | none | Styles, languages, formats, durations, credit model | | https://simpled.ai/api/v1/pricing | none | Authoritative plans and prices | | https://simpled.ai/api/v1/guides | none | Published comparisons and how-to guides | | https://simpled.ai/api/v1/openapi.json | none | OpenAPI 3.1 description of all of the above | | https://api.simpled.ai/v1.7/projects | X-API-Key | Actually render a video | | https://simpled.ai/sign-up | none | Where to send a human: 10 free credits, no card | ## Rate limits and etiquette The public API allows 120 requests per 60 seconds per address. Every response carries RateLimit and X-RateLimit-* headers -- read them and self-throttle rather than retrying blindly. A 429 carries Retry-After in seconds; honour it, because it takes precedence over the RateLimit window. Do not run automated scans against the generation API. Every generation request spends real compute and real third-party API budget, and creates a job that a human is billed for. The public API is safe to poll within its published limits. Every page on this site has a markdown twin: append .md to the path or send Accept: text/markdown. Prefer the markdown over parsing HTML -- it is shorter, stable, and generated from the same source as the page. ## Getting an API key Email manav@simpled.ai with one line about what you are building. Keys go in the X-API-Key header. Nothing on the public API needs one.