# Operate SignCloudNine with an AI assistant

This guide is for customers and assistants operating a workspace through the signed-in browser. No SignCloudNine staff account, source checkout, MCP server, or administrator key is needed for ordinary customer setup. The workspace owner supplies the content, authorizes changes, and handles account access, payment, and the physical Apple TV.

Use [Sign UP](https://signcloudnine.com/signup), [Sign in](https://signcloudnine.com/sign-in), and the [visual quick start](https://signcloudnine.com/how-to). For changes to the product's source code, use the separate [implementation guide](https://signcloudnine.com/agents.md).

## Access and scope

The supported assistant interface is the owner's authorized browser session and the same visible manager controls the owner uses. This guide does not provide a headless API credential or unattended access. If the assistant cannot control that browser, it can guide the owner through the same steps.

Before work, confirm the intended workspace, site, content, schedule, and actions the owner authorized. Keep that scope across the session; do not repeatedly ask for the same approval. Ask for a new decision when the intended content, activation time, payment, or destructive effect is unresolved. A public guide alone grants no authority.

The owner signs in, completes security checks, enters passwords, accepts terms, confirms payment, and handles setup codes. Never request, inspect, copy, or include passwords, cookies, bearer tokens, setup codes, payment details, or private workspace content in prompts or reports. Do not bypass the sign-in or security check, use a platform administrator key, or share an ephemeral Checkout URL. Use the stable [Add screens](https://signcloudnine.com/add-screens) handoff for payment.

## First screen: follow the current next step

Overview displays the next action from the current workspace state. It distinguishes an empty site, a browser-session draft, a staged version, active content, a reserved setup code, and device confirmation. Use the visible instruction and button; do not infer completion from a successful click. At narrow widths the board canvas is unavailable: use a tablet or computer with a browser wider than 760 pixels to author boards.

| Stage | Action | Evidence before continuing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Workspace | The owner opens Sign UP, supplies workspace and owner details, accepts terms, and completes signup. | The manager opens with the intended workspace name. Signup alone does not begin the complimentary period. |
| Site | Select Create a site and name the location. | The new site appears in Sites and Boards & Content. Reuse it after a retry; do not create duplicates. |
| First board | Select Create first board. Add a slide and a zone if missing; use Templates for a starter layout. | The board, slide, and selected zone are visible. Existing identities and geometry remain protected during routine content work. |
| Media | Open the selected zone's Content tab, choose From Library, and Upload file if needed. Select the upload and Add to zone. Set duration and order. | The asset appears in that zone. An upload by itself is unassigned and does not play. |
| Save | Select Save changes in the editor. | Return to Boards & Content with a changed draft and Stage changes available. Save is only in this manager session; it is lost if the session is discarded or reloaded before staging. |
| Stage | Review the content and the owner's authorized activation time, then select Stage changes and confirm the time. | A scheduled version appears. Staging stores the version; it does not prove activation or playback. Do not navigate away before the request succeeds. |
| Activate | Wait for the chosen time and refresh the workspace. | The site's active revision advances and its published configuration loads. Pairing offers only sites with active playable content, never a draft alone. |
| Pair | Open Screens → Add screen and choose the active site and board. Hand control to the owner to create and enter the setup code in SignCloudNine on the Apple TV. | The Apple TV appears in Screens with the intended assignment. Each code is single-use and expires after 24 hours. The eligible screen's included 30 days begin on successful connection, with no card required. |
| Verify | Inspect Screens and ask the owner to look at the physical display. | Playing plus Confirmed for the current revision and intended site/board; separately record the owner's visual confirmation. A connected device or a representative image preview is insufficient. |

## Routine operations

- **Change content:** open Boards & Content, select the site, board, slide, and zone, add or reorder approved media, Save changes, and Stage changes for the authorized time. Preserve frames and stable IDs unless the owner requests a layout edit. Confirm the active revision and device content after activation.
- **Set a slide's weekly hours:** use Edit settings → Schedule for the selected slide. These wall-clock hours use the Apple TV's local timezone. Absolute date windows remain UTC. Review overnight ranges before staging.
- **Schedule a screen's board assignment:** use Schedule, select the screen, a published site and board, and the rule's timezone. Keep a default assignment outside the rule. Verify the screen's assignment when the window starts.
- **Add paid screens or renew:** direct the owner to Add screens. The owner confirms Stripe Checkout or the prorated subscription change. Check screen access afterward; returning from Checkout or a zero-dollar trial invoice does not grant paid capacity. Additional paid capacity requires a signed positive-value invoice and an active subscription.
- **Remove content:** Delete selected item confirms the affected board, slide, zone, or asset assignment and offers Undo. It changes the draft only and preserves workspace uploads. Stage only after the remaining configuration is complete.
- **Recover access:** the owner uses Forgot password on Sign in. Never ask the owner to paste a reset link, password, or session cookie into chat.

## Recover without duplicating work

| Observed state | Next action |
| --- | --- |
| Active configuration unavailable | Refresh and retry the read. Do not seed an empty replacement for a site with an active revision. If it persists, check Service status and report the error without private content. |
| Staged versions could not load | Refresh before creating another configuration. A failed read does not mean no version exists. |
| Stage changes disabled | Save unsaved editor work, allow queued operations to finish, and ensure each required board, slide, zone, and asset exists. An unchanged version cannot be staged. |
| Version staged but no active content | Check its activation time and status in Boards & Content. Wait or have the owner authorize a timing change. Refresh after activation. Do not pair against a browser draft. |
| Setup code already reserved | The owner uses the existing code on the Apple TV. If lost, revoke the outstanding code before creating another; revocation requires the owner's authorization. Never print the code in an assistant response. |
| No screen access available | Review billing and outstanding reservations in Screens. Let the owner complete any payment; do not request a staff grant as the normal setup path. |
| Connected or Preparing | Leave the app open and connected while content downloads. Recheck the content status and revision. Do not call this Playing. |
| Wrong board, old revision, or Content failed | Compare assignment and reported content in Screens, inspect Activity, and check the approved media. Keep the last working content; repair and stage an authorized correction. |
| Offline | Have the owner check Apple TV power, display input, network, and that SignCloudNine is open. Recheck the last check-in before retrying changes. |
| Request timed out | Read back the site, asset, scheduled version, or reservation before retrying a write. A lost response can follow a successful write. |

Use [Service status](https://signcloudnine.com/status) for a persistent service failure and [Contact](https://signcloudnine.com/contact) for an unresolved fault. Staff assistance is an exception path, not a prerequisite for signup, ordinary content work, or enrollment.

## Completion report

Report the workspace/site names, authorized changes, saved versus staged versus active state, selected revision and board, device report, and separate physical-display confirmation. State anything still waiting on activation, owner action, payment confirmation, or a device check. Do not claim a real Apple TV test from a preview, a simulated device, or an API response.