Write a brief for the agent

Last updated: October 10, 2026

Give the Layer agent a brief it can act on in one pass: what to make, from which material, for what use. A clear brief means fewer questions back, the right model and files, and results you can ship.

Before you start

  • Open the session the work belongs in. The agent's results land on that session's board.
  • Most agent actions do not use Creative Units; generations and intensive jobs, such as game asset direction, building workflows and playable ads, do. See layer.ai/pricing.

Steps

  1. Point at the material. Select the tiles you mean on the board, or drag files onto the chat box, before you write. The agent works on what you selected or attached, so you do not need to describe it.

  2. Mention what should steer the result. Type @ in the chat box and pick a reference set (or a workspace skill) from the list. A mention chip binds the set to the run; typing the set's name in plain words does not.

  3. Say what to make and what it is for. Name the asset, how many, and where it will be used: four 1:1 icons for the shop, energy, gems, coins and tickets, readable at small size. The use tells the agent the shape, the framing and how much empty space to leave.

  4. Add the constraints that change the result. Aspect ratio and resolution, video length, a transparent background, a model you want, a palette or an art style. Leave out anything you would accept either way; the agent picks a sensible default and tells you what it assumed.

  5. Send it, and answer any card the agent shows. If a job needs files or choices you did not give, the agent shows a card to pick them, with the usual answers preselected. For a costly or multi-step job it shows Approve generation with the model, quantity and Estimated cost: click Approve to start.

  6. Refine in the same chat. Say what to change about a result (the second one, warmer light, keep the pose) rather than starting again. The agent keeps the conversation, the files and the choices made so far.

Result

The agent replies with what it started, which model it used and the estimated cost, and the results appear on the session's board as they finish. Everything it makes is also in the Asset Library.

Production tips

  • Chain steps in one message. Generate the hero, then animate it walking, then remove the background runs as one job: the agent waits for each result and feeds it into the next step.
  • Name the model when it matters. If you name one, the agent uses it, even with a reference set attached. Otherwise it uses the default for that kind of job, or picks from the reference set. Compare models first in Choose a model.
  • Brief ads by placement. State the placement, aspect ratio and length (a 15-second vertical ad for a short-form feed). Without them the agent assumes a format and says so, which may not be the one you are buying media for.
  • Batch the same job. For a job that runs per file, such as a character sheet or a pixel-art conversion, attach all the files at once. Each goes through the same job with the same settings, priced as one estimate.
  • Put house rules in a skill. Studio guidance you repeat in every brief (naming, framing, what never to show) belongs in a workspace skill under Skills in the sidebar. Mention it with @, or attach it to a reference set so it applies whenever the set is used.
  • Ask about Layer, too. The agent answers questions about models, prices and what Layer can do, and browsing the model catalog this way spends nothing.

If something goes wrong

  • The result ignores your reference set. Check that the set shows as a chip in your message. Mention it again with @ rather than typing its name.
  • The agent used the wrong file. Select the right tile on the board, or attach the file, and say which one to use. Pointing at a file is more reliable than describing it.
  • The approval card shows Top up instead of Approve. The workspace does not hold enough Creative Units for the job. Top up, or ask a workspace admin.
  • The agent declines the request. It handles Layer work only: creating and editing assets, workflows, training and questions about the product. Rephrase the request around the asset you need.

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