Common problems

This is expected today: a new account starts with 100 credits, and the shortest, standard-quality cartoon (5 seconds, from an idea) costs 180. The builder always tells you the exact cost before you press Generate, and warns you if your balance is short, with an Add credits button right there. See Credits and billing for how to top up.

The email verification screen is stuck, or I lost the code

After you create an account, you're asked for a 6-digit code from your email before that screen moves on. You don't need to wait for it: your account is already signed in at this point, so Skip for now on that screen takes you straight into the studio. If the code never arrives, use Resend code, and check your spam folder. You can always verify later; it only unlocks your signup credits, which are already in your balance regardless.

Generate is greyed out, or shows "Not enough credits"

A few reasons this happens:

Your balance is too low for the current settings. The warning box names your balance and the exact cost, with an Add credits button. Lowering the length or switching from HD to Standard also lowers the cost.
You're in photo mode with no photo uploaded, or idea mode with an empty premise. Generate stays disabled until one of those is filled in.

I can't build a character without leaving Cartoons

That's expected. Characters are built in the DevGhouse Creator, not inside Cartoons. The Open the character builder link opens it in a new tab so your Cartoons session stays open. Save the character there, then come back to this tab; Refresh once saved on the series or cast page picks it up without a full reload. See Character library.

"Create series" is disabled

A series needs a title and at least one character picked from your cast. If your cast is empty, build a character first. See Character library, then come back and refresh.

A cartoon or episode shows "Failed"

The pipeline can fail partway through a render. When it does, credits for any scene that never finished are refunded automatically. You're only charged for the work that actually completed. Nothing else to do beyond trying again; see Credits and billing for the refund rule.

The "Dashboard" link in the studio header goes somewhere unfamiliar

That link opens the main DevGhouse workspace hub, where your account, credit purchases, and every other product live. It's a different site from Cartoons itself, but the same account and the same credit balance.

Something looks broken

Use the Report a bug tab on the right edge of any studio page to send a report without leaving what you were doing.