adobe-create-social-variations

Adobe Create Social Variations

Produces platform-ready images and videos from a single source file. Uses AI canvas expansion and subject-aware cropping to keep the subject in focus across all aspect ratios. Shows a lightweight 3-crop preview before a full-set run so framing issues are caught early — those crops are then reused in the final output.

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Supported Input Types

Input	Supported	Notes
JPG / PNG	✅ Full workflow
Firefly-generated image	✅ Full workflow	For .ffgenimg assets, pass the presignedRenditionUrl field, not presignedAssetUrl
Express file	⚠️ Partial	Must be exported to JPG/PNG first — tell user before proceeding
PSD / AI (Illustrator)	⚠️ Partial	Flatten first (see Error Handling if this fails)
Video (MP4/MOV)	⚠️ Partial	Resize only — no smart reframe. See VIDEO WORKFLOW
Unsupported (DOCX, PDF, etc.)	❌	Inform user; list accepted formats

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Step 0 - prereq: Initialize Adobe Tools

Call adobe_mandatory_init first. This returns file handling rules and tool routing guidance required for the rest of the workflow.

{ "skill_name": "adobe-create-social-variations", "skill_version": "1.0.1" }

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Step 1 — Entitlement Check

Now that adobe_mandatory_init confirmed that the "Adobe for creativity" connector is live, check which tools are available through the connector and set capability flags.

Image Workflow — Core Tools (required)

All of these must be present for the skill to run at all. If any are missing from the connector, output this message exactly and stop — make no further tool calls:

"To access this skill, please disconnect and reconnect to the "Adobe for creativity" Connector to sign in using an Adobe account, or sign up."

Tool	Purpose
asset_add_file	File picker / CC browse / upload
asset_initialize_file_upload	First call in two-step egress upload
asset_finalize_file_upload	Second call in two-step egress upload
asset_inline_preview	Determines focus strategy before cropping
image_crop_and_resize	Per-platform, per-format cropping
asset_preview_file	Test previews and final delivery

Image Workflow — Enhanced Tools (optional, graceful fallback)

Tool	Flag	If missing
image_generative_expand	expandAvailable = true/false	Use image_crop_and_resize with fit: "reframe" from sourceURI instead. Do NOT mention "AI canvas expansion" to the user. Note in delivery summary: "Smart reframe was used for aspect ratio adaptation."

Video Workflow — Required Tools (optional workflow, all-or-nothing)

Only offer the video workflow if both tools below are available. If either is missing, set videoCapable = false — do NOT mention video resizing capabilities to the user at any point.

Tool	Purpose
video_resize	Same-ratio resize only
resizeVideoPoll	Deferred tool — load before calling

If videoCapable = false and the user explicitly asks about video resizing, avoid verbosity and output this message exactly:

"Video resizing isn't available with your current setup. Please disconnect and reconnect to the "Adobe for creativity" Connector to sign in using an Adobe account, or sign up. In the meantime, I can help with image crops and social media variants though."

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Tool Reference

Step	Tool	Notes
Upload chat-dropped file	asset_initialize_file_upload	First call in two-step egress upload
Complete the upload	asset_finalize_file_upload	Second call in two-step egress upload
Get file from CC or as egress fallback	asset_add_file	File picker / CC browse / upload
Inspect source image	asset_inline_preview	Determines focus strategy before cropping
Expand canvas	image_generative_expand	Creates tall (9:16/4:5) and wide (~2:1/16:9) variants
Crop to platform dimensions	image_crop_and_resize	Per-platform, per-format; also 403 fallback for expand
Preview test crops or full set	asset_preview_file	Before full run (test) and at delivery
Resize video	video_resize	Same-ratio resize only
Poll video resize job	resizeVideoPoll	Deferred tool — load before calling

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IMAGE WORKFLOW

Step 0 — Get the Source File

How you get the file depends on where it is:

Source	Action
File uploaded in chat (/mnt/user-data/uploads/…)	Check <network_configuration>. If egress is enabled (Enabled: true), upload programmatically: get file size and MIME type via bash, call asset_initialize_file_upload, PUT the chunk(s), then asset_finalize_file_upload. If egress is disabled, fall back to asset_add_file().
No file provided yet	Call asset_add_file() immediately — no need to ask first.
File already in Creative Cloud	Call asset_add_file() so the user can select it from their CC storage.

After the file is available, detect image vs. video from mediaType. For images, proceed to Step 1.

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Step 1 — Ask: Which Platforms?

Ask in a single question using AskUserQuestion with multi-select:

Full set / Instagram / TikTok / LinkedIn / Facebook / YouTube / Snapchat / X/Twitter / Pinterest / Threads

Set the test flag based on the user's answer:

• If "Full set" is selected → runTestPreview = true. Use all platforms. A 3-crop test preview will be shown before the full set is generated (see Step 4).
• If any specific platform(s) are selected → runTestPreview = false. Use only the selected platforms. Skip the test preview and go directly from Step 3 to Step 5.

The test preview is a useful safety net for large cross-platform batches, but unnecessary friction for a targeted 1–2 platform run.

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Step 2 — Inspect Image & Set Focus Strategy

Inspect the image first using asset_inline_preview on the source file. Visual inspection produces far better focus decisions than guessing from the filename — and usually means you won't need to ask the user anything at all.

After inspecting, tell the user what you see and what focus strategy you're using, and invite a correction:

"I can see this is a [e.g. 'product shot of a tote bag on a neutral background']. I'll use [focus strategy] to keep [subject] centred across all crops. Does that sound right, or would you like me to focus on something else?"

Only ask a follow-up question if the image is genuinely ambiguous (multiple equally prominent subjects, or a scene with no clear focal point).

Image type	Focus strategy	Rationale
Portrait / headshot / person in scene	"face"	Most reliable for people — facial detection anchors to the face even in tight crops
Upper body / chest-up portrait	"upper_body"	Use when face + torso context matters (outfit, gesture, expression)
Product on clean background	{ prompt: "description of product" }	Name the product explicitly for clean isolation (e.g. { prompt: "tote bag" })
Non-human subject with busy background	{ prompt: "description of subject" }	More precise than generic "subject"
Aerial / flat lay / no clear subject	{ x: 0.5, y: 0.5 }	Centre crop is safest when nothing to detect
User specifies a subject	{ prompt: "user's description" }	Pass their words directly

For images containing people, use "face" — prompt-based focus drifts to bodies rather than faces. Reserve { prompt: "..." } for non-human subjects.

⚠️ If the source image is significantly wider than it is tall (landscape), use 2000px top & bottom for the tall expand (not the default 960px) — this gives the portrait crop enough canvas to reframe around the subject. ⚠️ For the same landscape sources, also use 1500px left & right for the wide expand (not the default 960px) — 960px doesn't give the reframe enough room to pull the subject into centre for the ~2:1 landscape crop.

If the user corrects your assessment, update the focus strategy and confirm before proceeding.

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Step 3 — Generative Expand (directly from source — no padding)

Expand the original image directly. Do not pad to square first — the AI produces better results extending real scene content than bridging across blank bars.

Run both expands before any crops:

// GROUP A — tall canvas (for 9:16 and 4:5 targets)
image_generative_expand(sourceURI, { top: 960, bottom: 960 }) → tallURI
// use 2000 top & bottom if source is significantly landscape

// GROUP B — wide canvas (for ~2:1 and 16:9 targets)
image_generative_expand(sourceURI, { left: 960, right: 960 }) → wideURI
// use 1500 left & right if source is significantly landscape

Square targets (1:1) crop directly from the source — no expand needed.

Expands originate from the original sourceURI — chained expands degrade output. ⚠️ If image_generative_expand returns 403 (entitlement), fall back to image_crop_and_resize with fit: "reframe" from sourceURI for all variants in that group. Note the fallback in the delivery summary.

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Step 4 — Test Preview (Full set only — skip if runTestPreview = false)

If runTestPreview = false (specific platforms selected): skip this step and go directly to Step 5.

If runTestPreview = true (Full set): produce 3 representative test crops — one per aspect ratio family — before generating the full set.

Test	Source	Dimensions	Ratio	Covers
Test 1 — Square	sourceURI	1080×1080	1:1	Instagram square, LinkedIn square, Facebook square
Test 2 — Portrait	tallURI	1080×1350	4:5	Instagram portrait, Threads — bellwether for 9:16 quality
Test 3 — Landscape	wideURI	1200×627	~2:1	LinkedIn landscape, Facebook landscape, X/Twitter

Show all 3 via asset_preview_file and ask:

"Here are 3 test crops covering the main aspect ratios. Do the framing and expansion look good? I'll generate the full set once you approve."

These crops are reused in the final output — only the 9:16 story/reel crop needs to be generated after approval.

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Step 5 — Generate All Platform Variants

If runTestPreview = true: proceed only after user approves test crops in Step 4. If runTestPreview = false: proceed immediately after Step 3.

Generate every variant in the Platform Specs table for each selected platform. Reuse test crop URIs only when dimensions are an exact match — for any different dimensions, run a fresh image_crop_and_resize.

Per-platform variants to generate:

Platform	Variants
Instagram	1080×1080 (reuse test), 1080×1350 (reuse test), 1080×1920
TikTok	1080×1920 only — no 4:5 variant for TikTok
LinkedIn	1200×627 (reuse test), 1080×1080 (reuse test)
Facebook	1200×630, 1080×1080, 1080×1920
X/Twitter	1200×675, 1080×1080
YouTube	1280×720
Snapchat	1080×1920
Pinterest	1000×1500
Threads	1080×1350

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Step 6 — Preview Full Set

Call asset_preview_file with all successfully generated URLs — including partial sets when some variants failed.

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Step 7 — Delivery Summary

Present a clean summary table. Note any fallbacks or skipped steps clearly.

✅ Social media set complete!

| Platform  | Format         | Dimensions | Status        |
| --------- | -------------- | ---------- | ------------- |
| Instagram | Feed Square    | 1080×1080  | ✅ (from test) |
| Instagram | Feed Portrait  | 1080×1350  | ✅ (from test) |
| Instagram | Story / Reel   | 1080×1920  | ✅             |
| TikTok    | Video / Post   | 1080×1920  | ✅             |
| LinkedIn  | Post Landscape | 1200×627   | ✅ (from test) |
| LinkedIn  | Post Square    | 1080×1080  | ✅ (from test) |

If generative expand fell back to reframe:

⚠️ AI canvas expansion is not included in your current Adobe plan — smart reframe was used instead.

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Platform Specs (Image)

#	Platform	Format	Dimensions	Ratio	Quality	Source Canvas
1	Instagram	Feed Square	1080×1080	1:1	7	sourceURI
2	Instagram	Feed Portrait	1080×1350	4:5	7	tallURI
3	Instagram	Story / Reel	1080×1920	9:16	7	tallURI
4	TikTok	Video / Post	1080×1920	9:16	7	tallURI
5	LinkedIn	Post Landscape	1200×627	~2:1	6	wideURI
6	LinkedIn	Post Square	1080×1080	1:1	6	sourceURI
7	Facebook	Feed Landscape	1200×630	~2:1	7	wideURI
8	Facebook	Feed Square	1080×1080	1:1	7	sourceURI
9	Facebook	Story	1080×1920	9:16	7	tallURI
10	X/Twitter	In-stream	1200×675	16:9	6	wideURI
11	X/Twitter	Square post	1080×1080	1:1	6	sourceURI
12	YouTube	Thumbnail	1280×720	16:9	5	wideURI
13	Snapchat	Snap/Story	1080×1920	9:16	2	tallURI
14	Pinterest	Standard Pin	1000×1500	2:3	7	tallURI
15	Threads	Feed Portrait	1080×1350	4:5	7	tallURI

⚠️ Snapchat's 250 KB limit requires quality: 2 — warn the user upfront when Snapchat is selected.

File naming convention: [basename]_[platform]_[descriptor]_[ratio].jpg Example: hero_instagram_story_9x16.jpg

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VIDEO WORKFLOW

Step 0 — Get the Source File

Video tools require an assetId — not a URL. How you get it depends on where the file is:

Source	Action
File uploaded in chat (/mnt/user-data/uploads/…)	Check <network_configuration>. If egress is enabled (Enabled: true), upload programmatically: get file size and MIME type via bash, call asset_initialize_file_upload, PUT the chunk(s), then asset_finalize_file_upload. The returned assetId is what video tools need. If egress is disabled, fall back to asset_add_file().
No file provided yet	Call asset_add_file() immediately.
File already in Creative Cloud	Call asset_add_file() so the user can select it.

If egress is disabled and the user has already dropped a video into chat, explain why it can't be used directly: "To resize your video I'll need you to select it via the file picker — this gives Adobe the asset ID it needs. I'll open it now."

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Step 1 — Determine Video Type

If the user has already described or implied the video orientation (e.g. "I shot this on my phone in portrait" → clearly 9:16), skip this question and proceed. Otherwise ask:

"To suggest the best output sizes, it helps to know what kind of video this is. What type is it?"

Use AskUserQuestion with single-select:

Option	Aspect Ratio	Common use
Phone video — portrait	9:16	Shot on phone, vertical
Phone video — square	1:1	Shot in square mode
Screen recording	16:9	Desktop or laptop capture
Camera / DSLR	16:9	Professional or mirrorless camera
Other / not sure	—	Default to 1:1 (safest cross-platform)

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Step 2 — Suggest Safe Output Sizes

Only suggest same-ratio resizes. Cross-ratio resizes (e.g. 16:9 → 9:16) produce black bars and are algorithmically penalised on TikTok and Instagram Reels. If a user asks for a cross-ratio resize, explain the limitation and offer same-ratio alternatives instead.

Source ratio	Safe output sizes
9:16 (portrait)	1080×1920, 720×1280, 540×960
1:1 (square)	1080×1080, 720×720
16:9 (landscape)	1920×1080, 1280×720, 854×480

Present these as options with AskUserQuestion (multi-select).

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Step 3 — Resize

⚠️ resizeVideoPoll is a deferred tool — load it first before attempting to poll. Direct calls without loading will fail with "not loaded" error.

For each selected size, call video_resize with the asset ID:

video_resize({ assetId: sourceAssetId, width: W, height: H }) → { statusId }

Poll with resizeVideoPoll until complete. Poll 3–4 times with brief pauses before reporting slow progress to the user.

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Step 4 — Preview

Call asset_preview_file with all completed outputs.

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Step 5 — Delivery Summary

✅ Video resize complete!

| Size      | Ratio | Status |
| --------- | ----- | ------ |
| 1080×1920 | 9:16  | ✅      |
| 720×1280  | 9:16  | ✅      |

Note: Video resizing does not apply intelligent reframing — cross-ratio reformatting is out of scope for this skill.

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Error Handling

Situation	Action
Egress upload fails (chunk PUT 5xx after retry)	Stop upload. Fall back to asset_add_file() and tell the user: "Direct upload didn't work — I'll open the picker so you can select the file."
image_generative_expand returns 403 (entitlement)	Fall back to image_crop_and_resize with fit: "reframe" from sourceURI. Note in delivery summary: "AI canvas expansion is not included in your current Adobe plan — smart reframe was used instead." Retrying does not resolve a 403 entitlement — continue per the fallback rule.
image_crop_and_resize returns 403 (entitlement)	Stop workflow. Tell the user: "Image cropping isn't available on your current Adobe plan — I can't complete this request here."
PSD/AI flattening returns 403	Stop workflow. Tell the user: "Flattening this file type isn't available on your current Adobe plan — export as JPG or PNG first, then try again."
.ffgenimg file type fails expand	Retry using presignedRenditionUrl instead of presignedAssetUrl
401 not authenticated	Ask user to re-authenticate via Adobe OAuth
Image too large after crop	Re-run with lower quality setting
Express file uploaded	Ask user to export as JPG/PNG first
PSD / AI file uploaded	Flatten first (JPEG, 300 DPI). On 403, see entitlement row above.
video_resize fails	Report clearly; suggest user re-upload as MP4
Unsupported file format (DOCX, PDF, etc.)	Inform user. Accepted inputs: JPG, PNG, Firefly images, PSD/AI, MP4/MOV.