Import existing content

Sometimes you already have finished content — a video your team cut, a set of platform-ready clips, a master you want resized per channel. Import brings that content into JARAI as a production and ships it to your connected platforms, skipping the generation steps. Open it from Productions → Import.

🎬Import existing content

Prefer to read? Open the step-by-step transcript

1. Open Productions → Import.
2. Fill in the basics — title, project type, language, country.
3. Choose a mode: Thin (one platform-ready file per channel) or Smart (one master, resized for you).
4. Upload your file(s) and add the per-channel post details.
5. Import — JARAI registers the production and distributes (or just produces variants).

Before you start

Distribution must be on

Import feeds straight into Distribution (Loop 2). If Loop 2 is turned off for the account you’ll get “Distribution (Loop 2) is off for this account. Enable it in Account Settings before importing.” Turn distribution on first (or use Smart mode’s produce-only option, which works even when distribution is off).

You also need at least one active connected channel on the account, otherwise there’s nowhere to publish (and, in Smart mode, no platform to resize for). Connect one under Connected platforms first.

Two import modes

Mode	You provide	JARAI does	Use when
Thin — platform-ready files	One finished file per channel, with the post title, description and tags	Registers each file and distributes it to its channel	Your files are already sized/cut for each platform
Smart — one master	A single master video	Resizes the master into a per-channel variant, then distributes (or just hands you the variants)	You have one master and want JARAI to adapt it

Smart mode availability

Smart mode may report “Smart import is not available yet — use platform-ready files.” on some deployments. When that happens, use Thin mode with files you’ve already sized.

Thin mode — one file per channel

1. Set the basics — title, project type, language and country.

2. Add an item per channel. For each one pick the target channel, upload the platform-ready file (video, audio or image; up to 500 MB), and enter the post title, optional description and comma-separated tags.

3. Add as many items as you need — one per channel you’re posting to.

4. Import. Each item is distributed to its channel; you land on the new production’s detail page to track it.

Smart mode — one master, resized

1. Set the basics, then upload a single master video (up to 500 MB).

2. Choose what happens next:

   • Leave it as-is to resize and distribute to every connected channel.
   • Tick Produce only — don’t distribute to have JARAI resize the master into per-channel variants you download and post yourself. No SEO, packaging or distribution runs, and it works even if the account has distribution turned off.

3. Import & produce variants. You land on the production detail page; variants appear in the Media library when ready.

If an import is rejected

The form maps the common rejections to plain-English messages:

What you’ll see	What it means
Distribution (Loop 2) is off for this account…	Enable distribution in Account settings first
One of the selected channels is paused…	Reconnect the channel or pick another — see Connected platforms
One of the selected channels no longer exists…	Refresh and pick again
Select a valid project type.	The chosen project type isn’t recognised — pick one from the list
Your role does not permit content import.	You need an operator/admin role on the account
Smart import is not available yet…	Use Thin mode with platform-ready files

Tip

Importing skips the generation pipeline (Steps 1–15) — there’s no brief, script, voiceover or image sourcing. If you want JARAI to create the content instead, use New production.