AI Guides › Step-by-step guides
By Nigel Guy · 5 min read
Most people connect an image or video tool to Claude, type "make me an ad", and let it render until the credits vanish. The other common mistake is trusting a "free credits" banner without checking whether it still applies. Both feel fine in the moment, and both cost you, because Higgsfield bills agent-driven generations at normal rates and Claude will not stop to ask unless you tell it to.
The rule: connect once, make Claude quote the credit cost before every render, and generate one shot before you commit to the rest.
https://mcp.higgsfield.ai/mcp. (One Higgsfield post shows the shorter https://mcp.higgsfield.ai; the version with /mcp is the one on their MCP page and in two other guides, so use that.)Still in Customize > Connectors, select Higgsfield and open Tool permissions. Each category can be Always allow, Needs approval or Blocked. Higgsfield suggests Always allow for a smooth flow. Don't, at least at first. Leave generation tools on Needs approval so you see each render before it spends credits. Reading-only tools such as balance checks are safe to allow.
Open a fresh chat and paste in the prompt below. It is built to halt after the first shot.
Act as my creative director for a short vertical video ad. The Higgsfield connector is already connected in this chat.
MY BRIEF
- What I am selling: [PRODUCT_NAME, THE_PERSON_IT_HELPS, ITS_SINGLE_STRONGEST_SELLING_POINT]
- What the ad should achieve: [e.g. MAKE_NEW_PEOPLE_ON_INSTAGRAM_REELS_AWARE_OF_IT]
- Mood and voice: [e.g. UNDERSTATED_FILM_LOOK_CALM_NARRATION_NO_SALES_PUSH]
- Running time: [15_TO_20] seconds
- Format: vertical 9:16
HOW I WILL JUDGE IT
Someone watching on mute should still grasp the idea from your script. An editor should be able to shoot from your shot list. You should also produce one finished clip in the style I have asked for.
STEPS, IN THIS SEQUENCE
1. Write the script: a hook shown on screen, one specific point about the product, and a gentle closing prompt. Use British English and avoid hype.
2. Break it into shots, giving each one its framing, location, lighting, camera movement and on-screen content.
3. Look up my Higgsfield balance, then name the model you would use for the first shot and explain the choice.
4. Tell me what the first shot will cost in credits before you render anything, and wait until I reply "go".
5. Render the first shot only, describing its look in everyday terms (lens, light, grain, colour).
6. Present the clip, the shot list and the credits actually spent, then stop.
GROUND RULES
- If any bracketed detail is missing or unclear, ask me before you write a word.
- Make no product claims, prices or testimonials that I have not supplied.
- Do not render a second clip unless I explicitly approve it.
BEFORE REPLYING, CHECK: the script matches the running time, every claim comes from my brief, and you have stopped before shot two.
Replace each bracketed line with your own details: what you sell, the aim of the ad, the mood and the running time.
Do this before step 3 if you are unsure you have any. Ask Claude: "Check my Higgsfield balance and plan, and tell me whether I have free generations or only paid credits." Then confirm on higgsfield.ai while logged in. Believe the account, not a banner.
The trap is dated promotions. Higgsfield's "Unlimited MCP" post described a free 24-hour trial for new users that expired on 31 July, needed a card, and converted to a Plus monthly plan automatically. If you see that offer quoted anywhere now, it has ended. The same post says unlimited access applies on higgsfield.ai, while agent-based generation uses standard credit rates, so even the live "unlimited" wording does not cover everything you do through Claude. Another Higgsfield post says "no built-in spending caps", so the quote-first habit is yours to enforce.