---
title: Ask Scenario Genie
display: 'Ask Scenario *Genie*'
nav_title: Ask Scenario Genie
summary:
  - "Scenario Genie turns a plain-language request into a chosen model, a written prompt and a ready generate panel."
  - "Give it what you would put in a brief, and ask it to show the plan and wait for your go."
  - "Open it with the blue sparkle or Cmd+K; messages spend CU, more as the chat grows."
description: Ask Scenario Genie in plain language to find a model, set up a generation or point you to a workflow. Good requests versus vague ones, and what it costs.
section: start
order: 90
type: guide
level: Start
roles: [all]
time: { read: 5, do: 10 }
needs: ["Access to Scenario Genie (the blue sparkle button in the top bar)", "A few credits for messages"]
last_verified: 2026-10-12
models_checked: ["Claude Opus 5.5 (default model behind Genie)"]
hero: screens/67-genie-chat-panel.png
related: [scenario-agents-overview, your-first-image]
updated: 2026-10-12
canonical: https://learn.scenario.com/start/ask-scenario-genie
---

Last updated: 2026-10-12

# Ask Scenario Genie

> Ask Scenario Genie in plain language to find a model, set up a generation or point you to a workflow. Good requests versus vague ones, and what it costs.

In short:

- Scenario Genie turns a plain-language request into a chosen model, a written prompt and a ready generate panel.
- Give it what you would put in a brief, and ask it to show the plan and wait for your go.
- Open it with the blue sparkle or Cmd+K; messages spend CU, more as the chat grows.


Use **Scenario Genie** when you know what you want but not which model, page or settings to use. It recommends a model, writes the prompt, fills in the generate panel and runs it on your go.

:::note As of October 2026
The models, settings and screens in this article are the ones Scenario offered in October 2026. New models and updates arrive often, so check the app for newer options before you choose.
:::

:::steps Quick version
1. Click the blue sparkle in the top bar, or press Cmd+K (Ctrl+K on Windows and Linux).
2. Describe the result, the format and what must hold, then add "show me the model, prompt and cost, and wait for my go."
3. Check the model, the prompt, the settings and the price on **Generate**.
4. Say "go ahead", then inspect the result against your brief.
:::

**Outcome:** you give Genie a request it can act on, check its plan, and decide when it spends credits.

## Open it

- **From anywhere:** the blue sparkle at the right of the top bar, or Cmd+K.
- **From Home:** type in **What do you want to make?** ("Create anything..."). The **Try** chips below it are ready-made requests.

![Scenario Genie open on the right side of the app: a message box reading Just describe what you want to create, a model picker set to Claude Opus 5.5, an attach button, and ready-made prompts underneath](https://ufgc0c9mhl4ueq76.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/academy/1257e5ef61ef7bd8a37d0601282ebd1851b5bf7d349cb02e65c3925757d67262.webp "The Genie panel. It stays open as you move between pages.")

The panel keeps the conversation as you move around the app.

- **+** starts a new chat.
- **The clock** shows past chats.
- **The paperclip** attaches files or library assets.

## What to ask it

| You want to | Ask something like |
|---|---|
| Find a model | "Which model is best for a stylized 3D character with exact small details, landscape, no text? Tell me its cost per image." |
| Set up a generation | "Set up four images of [your brief] in 3:2. Show me the model, prompt and cost, and wait for my go." |
| Edit an asset | "Use this image (attached) and change only her dress to emerald green. Keep everything else the same." |
| Animate | "Turn this image into a 5-second video at 768P: the queen taps her scepter on the step, the camera barely moves, soft ambient sound, no music." |
| Find a workflow | "Is there a ready-made workflow that makes a front, side and back turnaround from one character image?" |
| Find your way | "Where do I see how many credits my project used this month?" |

On a generate page, Genie fills in the panel itself; elsewhere it answers and links you to the right page. To build a workflow from a description, use the **Node Agent** in the workflow editor.

## Good requests and vague ones

Give Genie what you would put in a brief: the result, the format, what must hold, what it is for.

| Vague | Specific |
|---|---|
| "Make a cute queen." | "A tiny fierce cartoon queen on a stone step in a castle courtyard: brown hair in two buns, an oversized tilted gold crown, a royal blue dress, an ermine cloak and a gold scepter. Chunky stylized 3D, 3:2, full body in frame, no text." |
| "Make it better." | "Same image, change only the dress to emerald green, keep the light and background exactly as they are." |

With a vague request, Genie guesses what you left out, and each guess is a chance to miss. The specific versions, and the Animate request above, are short forms of the prompts in [Your first image](https://learn.scenario.com/start/your-first-image.md), [Your first edit](https://learn.scenario.com/start/your-first-edit.md) and [Your first video](https://learn.scenario.com/start/your-first-video.md).

## Check the plan before you say go

Genie sets up the run and generates only when you ask. Before you do:

:::steps
1. Read the model Genie chose and its reason, or ask "why this one?".
2. Read the prompt it wrote: every point of your brief should be there, including "no text" or similar limits.
3. Check the settings: aspect ratio, number of outputs, duration and resolution for video.
4. Read the price on **Generate**. For a first try, ask for one output.
5. Say "go ahead".
:::

Inspect the result like any other ([Inspect before you accept](https://learn.scenario.com/browse)), and ask for changes in the same chat, one at a time ("tighter crop, keep the rest").

## Plan and role requirements

- **Access.** Genie is on every page of the web app. If you do not see the blue sparkle, ask your organization admin.
- **Messages cost CU.** Genie spends Compute Units (CU) for the text it reads and writes. Each message rereads the chat so far, so long chats cost more: start a new chat for a new task.
- **The model behind Genie.** The picker under the message box sets the language model Genie reasons with (Claude Opus 5.5 by default on this account). Among the Claude models, Haiku costs the least, Sonnet more and Opus the most; Sonnet is usually enough for routine requests, and Haiku for quick ones. On Free, the models that need a higher plan show a crown and **Upgrade your plan to use this model**.
- **Generation models.** Genie can pick and run any image, video, 3D or audio model, whatever your plan, Free included.
- **Generations** cost what they cost on the generate page, on top of the messages.


Conversations belong to the current project: switching project gives Genie a clean start. To make it remember a preference ("our characters are always stylized 3D, 3:2, no text"), tell it once; see [Work with Scenario Genie](https://learn.scenario.com/agents/scenario-agents-overview.md).

:::check
**Accept when:** Genie names a model and why; its prompt contains every point of your request; the settings match your format; it waited for your go; the result passes your own check against the brief.
**Reject when:** the prompt dropped a constraint you gave; the model is one you ruled out; it ran more outputs, a longer duration or a higher resolution than you asked; the chat has drifted across several tasks.
:::

## If it breaks

- **It answers but does not fill in the panel.** You are not on a generate page. Ask it to take you there, or open **Create**.
- **It picks a model you did not want.** Name the model, or say what rules others out ("must render readable text").
- **It forgets earlier details or gets slow.** The chat is long. Start a new one with **+** and paste your brief.
- **Normal variance.** The same request can lead to a different model or prompt another day as rankings change. Review the plan every time.

Source: https://learn.scenario.com/start/ask-scenario-genie