Batch & Automation

For producing many assets at once, the CLI runs a manifest of generations in parallel, with progress tracking and resume.

Run a manifest

gen-ai batch run manifest.yaml
gen-ai batch status <run-id>      # check progress
gen-ai batch resume <run-id>      # re-run only the failed jobs

A manifest is a list of generations — each with a model, prompt, and params. YAML or JSON:

# manifest.yaml
- model: flux-2-pro
  prompt: "a ceramic cup, studio light"
  aspectRatio: "4:3"
- model: seedance-2.0
  prompt: "a fox in autumn leaves"
  duration: 8
- model: eleven-v3
  prompt: "Welcome to the show."

Results download automatically; add --save-to-drive to push everything to your library instead.

Generate from a directory

Run the same operation across every file in a folder (e.g. enhance or animate a batch of images):

gen-ai generate -m wan-2.7-i2v -p "subtle motion" --input-dir ./stills/

The CLI expands the directory into one generation per file.

Piping & composition

Because scripted output is clean JSON, you can compose gen-ai with standard tools:

# Generate, then extract just the URL
gen-ai generate -m flux-2-pro -p "logo concept" --script | jq -r '.results[0].url'

# Drive a list of prompts through a model
while read -r line; do
  gen-ai generate -m flux-2-pro -p "$line" --script
done < prompts.txt

Automating with MCP

For agent-driven automation, an MCP client can loop over picsart_generate calls itself — validating and pricing each with picsart_preflight first, and writing results to Drive with picsart_drive. See the MCP Quickstart.

FAQ

What happens if some jobs fail mid-batch?

Completed jobs are written to the output directory. Failed jobs are logged with their error. Run gen-ai batch resume <run-id> to re-run only the failed jobs — it does not re-run completed ones.

Can I mix models in one manifest?

Yes. Each manifest item has its own model field. You can run image, video, and audio generations in the same manifest file.

What is the difference between a manifest and --input-dir?

A manifest gives you per-item control: different models, prompts, and parameters for each item. --input-dir applies the same model and prompt to every file in a folder. Use a manifest for catalog jobs with varied SKUs, and --input-dir for uniform operations like batch enhancement or animation.

Can I use a manifest with MCP?

Not directly — the MCP tools call one generation at a time. For batch generation via MCP, have the agent loop over items and call picsart_generate for each, using picsart_preflight to validate and estimate cost before each call.

Where do batch results go?

Downloaded to ./output by default. Add --save-to-drive to push all results to your Picsart Drive instead. See Files and Drive.