Automatic video generation

Prerequisite: project configured

This guide assumes you already created a project and set creative options (content types, channel description, models, duration, narrator, etc.). If not, complete How to create videos first.

Auto Mode (Auto Generate Videos in schedule settings) creates ideas and full videos ahead of your post dates and publishes them to the accounts you assign. Use one project per channel or niche so description, models, and posting targets stay aligned.

What Auto Mode does

When auto_generate is enabled for a project, VidMachine keeps upcoming slots filled: it generates video ideas and completes videos before each scheduled post time, then uploads to YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and/or Instagram Reels (when connected and selected). You can still generate or edit videos manually on the Videos page while Auto Mode is on.

Step 1: Connect accounts

Open Accounts in the dashboard sidebar. Connect one or more YouTube channels and TikTok accounts via OAuth. Instagram Reels appears when your account has Instagram integration enabled — connect it the same way. You can link multiple accounts and choose which channel each project uses in schedule settings. Without connected accounts, videos can still be generated but will not auto-publish until you assign accounts or publish manually.

VidMachine Accounts page with Connect YouTube, Connect TikTok, and Connect Instagram buttons — Connect the platforms you want to publish to before enabling Auto Mode.

Step 2: Open Schedule settings

Go to Projects and click Schedule on the project you want to automate. This opens the Schedule Settings modal for that project.

VidMachine Projects table with the Schedule button highlighted on a project row — Each project has its own schedule — use one project per channel or niche.

Step 3: Enable Auto Generate Videos

In Schedule Settings, turn on Auto Generate Videos. Until this switch is on, VidMachine will not create or post videos automatically for this project, even if weekdays and times are set.

Schedule Settings modal with the Auto Generate Videos toggle highlighted — Turn on Auto Generate Videos to start the hands-free pipeline for this project.

Step 4: Configure your schedule

Choose posting weekdays, time, timezone, and how many days ahead videos should be generated. Assign YouTube, TikTok, and/or Instagram accounts for auto-publishing, then click Update Schedule.

Schedule Settings modal showing weekdays, post time, timezone, generate days ahead, and linked social accounts — Set when videos go live and which connected accounts receive each post.

Schedule fields reference

Auto Generate Videos
Master switch for automatic generation and posting for this project.
Post On Weekdays
Which days to publish (select at least one). More days means more videos per week and higher credit use.
Post At Time
Time of day (24-hour) when each scheduled video should go live, interpreted in the timezone below.
Timezone
IANA timezone (e.g. America/New_York). The dashboard may pre-fill your detected timezone.
Generate Days Ahead
1–30 days (default 5). How far before the post date VidMachine should have the video ready. Use at least 3–7 days so slow runs or retries do not miss post day.
YouTube / TikTok / Instagram account
Optional per platform. Only the selected account receives auto-published videos for this project. Leave blank to skip auto-publish on that platform.
TikTok publish defaults
When TikTok is selected: default caption template, privacy, comment/duet/stitch, commercial and branded content flags, and music consent — applied to each auto-published TikTok post unless overridden per video.
Distribution protection
On by default when at least one platform account is linked. If the last three published videos on a platform (each at least 24 hours old) all have fewer than 20 views, that platform enters a 7-day cooldown. With one platform connected, the whole schedule pauses and upcoming times shift forward. With multiple platforms, only the affected platform is skipped. You can turn protection off or resume early from the schedule modal or alerts on Projects/Videos.
Auto Mode credits estimate
Shown in the schedule modal: approximate weekly credit use based on your post days and current project settings. See Credits & billing for what drives cost.

How generation and posting run

Background jobs run on a fixed interval: generation runs about every 10 minutes and posting about every 5 minutes. For each project with Auto Mode on, the system computes upcoming post dates from weekdays, post time, and timezone, then ensures a video exists at least generate_days_ahead before each date. When post time arrives, the video is published to the linked accounts. Monitor upcoming and published items on the Videos page and the Auto Mode column on Projects.

When something goes wrong

If generation or publishing fails, check the Auto Mode column for an error message. After 2 consecutive failures, Auto Mode turns off for safety — fix the issue (credits, account permissions, model errors), then re-enable Auto Generate Videos in schedule settings. Insufficient credits block new generation until you add credits or your subscription renews.

Tips for reliable automation

Keep a credit buffer for your posting frequency. Use 2–3 image and video models in priority order for fallbacks. Set generate days ahead to 3–7. Use a clear channel description (see How to create videos). Assign the correct YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram accounts per project when you run multiple channels.

Related guides

How to create videos · Getting started · Credits & billing · API reference (enable auto_generate via PATCH /projects)