📋 Overview
Content Genius uses AI credits to generate articles. If your account does not have sufficient AI credits, article generation will fail — even if other users on the same account (such as admins) can generate content without issue. This article explains how AI credits work, why you may see an error, and how to fix it.
⚠️ Understanding the 'Article Generation Could Not Be Started' Error
If you see the message "Article generation could not be started" when trying to generate an article in Content Genius, this typically means one of the following:
- Your user account does not have enough AI credits assigned to it.
- The workspace or sub-account you are working in has run out of AI credits.
- Your user role has a credit limit that differs from the admin's limit.
Admins often have access to the full pool of AI credits and may not encounter this error, while other users — such as editors or contributors — may have a separate, lower credit allocation. This is why admins can generate articles without issue while other users cannot.
🔍 How to Check Your AI Credit Balance
Before attempting to generate an article, confirm that your account has available AI credits:
- Log in to Search Atlas.
- Click your avatar (usually in the top-right corner) and go to Billing → Plans & Top-ups.
- Look for the Your Plan and Credits section to see your current balance.
- If your balance is at zero or below the required threshold, you will need to top up or have an admin allocate credits to your user profile.
✍️ How to Generate an Article in Content Genius
Once you have confirmed you have sufficient AI credits, follow these steps to generate an article:
- In the left sidebar, go to Content → Content Genius.
- Click Generate or Write with AI in Bulk depending on your needs.
- Enter your target keyword or topic, configure your settings, and click Generate.
- The platform will consume AI credits and begin producing your article.
If you prefer to write without AI assistance, select Write it yourself — this option does not consume AI credits.
🛠️ How to Resolve the Error
If you are still seeing the error after checking your credit balance, try the following:
- Contact your workspace admin: Ask them to review AI credit allocations for your user role. Admins can adjust how credits are distributed across team members.
- Upgrade your plan: If the entire workspace is out of AI credits, the account owner may need to purchase additional credits or upgrade the subscription plan.
- Check your user role permissions: Some roles may have restrictions on AI feature usage. An admin can update your permissions if needed.
- Refresh and retry: Occasionally a temporary system issue can trigger this error. Wait a moment, refresh the page, and try again.
💡 Tips for Managing AI Credits Efficiently
- Use Write with AI in Bulk only when you need to generate multiple articles at once, as this consumes more credits per session.
- For shorter or less complex content, consider using Write it yourself and supplementing with targeted AI suggestions to save credits.
- Admins should regularly review credit usage under account settings to avoid unexpected shortfalls for team members.
🙋 Need More Help?
If you have followed the steps above and are still experiencing the error, or if you are unsure how to adjust credit allocations for your team, we are here to help. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.