> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://stir-vid.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Make your first character-swap video.

This walks you through your first StirVid video, end to end.

## Prerequisites

* A StirVid account
* An active plan or free monthly credits
* A source video (upload or a public URL)

## Get started

<Steps>
  <Step title="Sign in">
    Sign in at [stirvid.com](https://stirvid.com). Your monthly credits appear in the header.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload or paste a video">
    Upload a clip from disk or paste a public video URL. StirVid extracts frames and analyzes motion server-side.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a character">
    Pick a character from the catalog. Only **public, platform-ready** characters are selectable for video swap. You can preview each character before selecting.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure motion control">
    Set the generation mode and sound:

    * **Mode:** `std` (fast, lower cost) or `pro` (higher quality)
    * **Sound:** retain original audio or generate silent output
  </Step>

  <Step title="Generate">
    Click **Generate**. StirVid quotes the cost, deducts credits atomically server-side, and enqueues a job.

    <Note>
      Credits are deducted **server-side** as the `CREDITS` virtual currency. If your balance is insufficient, the job is refused before any generation runs.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Poll status">
    The UI polls job status. You can also call `GET /v1/projects/{id}/jobs` directly, or use the MCP tool `generation_status`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Download">
    When the job finishes, the rendered MP4 is available for download and archived to storage.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Want to drive StirVid from an AI agent? See [Agents & MCP](/agents/introduction).
</Tip>