AI briefs and runs
8 min read
After you have connected an AI provider, a task can let AI write per-page content: template field values, the SEO title, the meta description and structured data properties (for example FAQ questions and answers). The AI works from the row's data and the brief you write, so each page gets its own text instead of the same template sentence.
Everything it writes is stored per page and can be edited by hand. Nothing is written until you start a run (or switch on the automatic run).
The AI content step
In the task editor open the step AI content (marked Pro): "Let AI write the text fields of every page with your own API key (OpenAI, Anthropic and others). Available on the Pro plan."
- Switch on Write field content with AI ("Fills the template’s field group fields for every page, based on the page’s data and the brief below."). Switch it on even if you only want AI for the SEO title or structured data: the brief and the run panel appear only then.
- If no key is set the notice No API key yet says "AI content needs an API key from your AI provider." with the link Add an API key in Settings › AI.
- Optionally switch on Run automatically after each generation: "New pages get their AI content right after they are generated. Otherwise start it by hand below." The automatic run starts after a generation run that created or updated pages.
- Fill in the brief and the fields (below), Save, then use the run panel.
The brief
Field | What it is | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Topic | "What the pages are about and who reads them. Sent with every request." | Example: "Guides to the best hotels in each city for families on a budget." |
Language | The language the text is written in | Site language (default), English (US), English (UK), Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Dutch, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish. The brief has one language for the whole task. |
Tone | No preference, Neutral, Friendly, Professional, Persuasive, Playful | Added to the instructions as "Tone: friendly." |
Keywords | "Words the text should use. Separate with commas or Enter." | Used "where they fit naturally" |
Avoid words | "Words the text must not use. Separate with commas or Enter." | Sent as "Never mention: …" |
The plugin always adds fixed rules: write for one page of a site with many similar pages, make it specific to its data, plain text without HTML or Markdown, do not invent facts that are not in the data, and never output {{ or }}.
Fields: what the AI writes
The list Fields shows the fields of every field group whose location rules match the template (see Templates and field values). If none applies: "No field group applies to this template — The AI writes into field group fields. Create a field group whose location rules match the template’s post type, then come back here." with Open Field Groups. Before a template is chosen it says "Choose a template in step 1 to see the fields the AI can write."
For each field:
Control | Meaning |
|---|---|
Write this field (checkbox) | Off means the field is skipped (omitted): the AI never writes it. Use it for fields that must stay hand-written or that are not content. |
Note for the AI | An optional instruction for this field only, for example "Two short paragraphs about local transport." It is sent with the field and a changed note rewrites only that field. |
Not supported | Shown for field types the AI cannot write |
Supported types: Text, Text area, Number, Range, Email, URL, Select, Radio, Checkbox, True/false. Choice fields can only receive one of their configured choices, number fields a number, and a field's maximum length is passed on ("At most 100 characters."). Group and repeater sub-fields, images, dates, relationships and the other types are Not supported. Each answer is run through the field type like a submitted form, so a value the field would refuse is dropped and counted as failed.
AI for the SEO title, description and structured data
- Search engines step: Let AI write the SEO title of each page and Let AI write the meta description of each page (see SEO plugins and meta). The AI is told to write a title of at most 60 characters with the main keyword first and no site name, and a description of one or two sentences of at most 155 characters. Longer answers are cut at a word.
- Structured data step: set a property to Written by AI (optionally with Instructions for AI); lists such as FAQ questions or steps are answered as items with their parts (Structured data).
These targets are part of the same run as the fields.
Running the AI
Open a saved task, step AI content, panel AI content of this task (the panel is blocked with unsaved changes: "Save the task first; a run uses the saved settings."):
Item | Meaning |
|---|---|
Pages without AI content | Live pages that have no AI value yet |
Requests, Input tokens (approx.), Output tokens (approx.) | An estimate for those pages, measured on one real prompt (about 150 output tokens per value, per item for lists). The panel reminds you: "Estimate for pages without AI content, using gpt-5-mini (OpenAI). Your AI provider bills these requests to the API key’s owner, not to WPMass." |
Write missing content now | Writes values that are missing, outdated or failed earlier |
Rewrite all… | Asks "Rewrite all AI content?" and queues every unlocked AI value on all pages for rewriting (button Rewrite everything) |
Status line | "Writing… 240 fields in the queue" while running; "The last run stopped" with the reason; "Last run: 118 fields written, 2 failed, 40 requests, 52,000 tokens · |
The dialog of Rewrite all… says "Every AI field on %s pages is written again; values you edited by hand are kept. Your AI provider bills every request." Only unlocked values are queued: a value you set by hand is locked and never overwritten. Rewriting bills every request.
You can leave the page: the run continues in the background and the panel updates every 5 seconds. AI runs are separate tasks named pseo_ai #<task id> in wp wpmcf tasks list.
What one request contains
For each page the plugin sends one request with up to 12 stale values (fields, SEO values, schema properties), so the page gets one consistent voice and fewer requests. A page with 20 values needs two requests. Pages are worked through 10 at a time, pages with a queued rewrite first.
What is written and kept
Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
Unchanged values are not asked again | Each value stores a fingerprint of the page's data, the brief and the field's definition and note. Running again when nothing changed costs nothing. |
Changed input rewrites it | Editing a note rewrites that field on all pages. Editing the brief (topic, language, tone, keywords) or a page's data changes the fingerprint of all (or that page's) values, so the next Write missing content now rewrites them and bills them. The page URL is not part of the fingerprint (a domain change does not re-bill everything). |
Hand edits are locked | Values set in the page editor are never overwritten by runs or by Rewrite all…. Remove the lock with Use default. |
Answers are neutralized |
|
Page freshness | When a run writes values the page's Changed date moves, caches are cleared and sitemaps follow. |
Failed values | Stay marked AI failed with the error; the next run asks again (not the same run). |
On the page, values appear where the template reads the field (Templates and field values), as the SEO title and meta description, and in the JSON-LD. The page editor shows each value as Written by AI, Waiting for AI or AI failed and lets you Write with AI one value (10 requests per minute per user) or Rewrite AI values for the page.
Failures and limits during a run
What happens | What the plugin does |
|---|---|
Provider rate limit (HTTP 429) | The run pauses for at least a minute (or the provider's |
Requests per minute reached | The run waits for the next minute window |
Quota or credit exhausted | Stops at once: "The AI provider account has no credit or quota left. Check its plan and billing, then run AI again." |
Key rejected (401/403) | Stops with the provider's message ("Incorrect API key") |
A broken answer (not the requested JSON) | Asked once more; if still broken those values of that page are marked failed and the run goes on |
An answer cut off by the maximum answer length | Not retried; values marked failed with "The AI answer was cut off…"; raise the limit in Settings › AI |
Network or server errors | The task retries after 1, then 2 minutes; the third failure in a row marks it Failed |
No API key, or the plan has no AI | Stops with "Add an API key in Settings › AI." or "AI content needs a plan that includes AI." |
Nothing to write | "There is nothing for AI to write: assign a field group to the template, or map SEO or structured data values to AI." |
Page deleted or hidden meanwhile | Skipped; its pending values are marked "This page or field is no longer written by AI." |
A stop shows its reason in the panel ("The last run stopped"). Fix the cause and click Write missing content now.
Tips for good results
- Write a specific Topic and use Avoid words for claims you cannot make.
- Give each long field a Note for the AI with the length and structure you want.
- Start with 3 to 10 pages (quick start or a filter), read the results in the page editor, adjust the brief, then run everything. A changed brief rewrites all pages.
- Prefer a smaller model first; raise Maximum answer length for long fields or FAQ lists.
- Keep the Write this field checkbox off for fields that hold facts the AI cannot know.
- Review the output of any AI before you rely on it: it can still state things the data does not support.
See AI privacy and costs for what is sent and how to control the bill.
Still stuck? Contact support