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Adding a New Account

Setting up a new account means creating the account file, picking an archetype, getting an avatar reference sheet, uploading it to R2, and registering everything so workflows can use it.

Overview

flowchart LR
    A[Decide to add account] --> B[Pick archetype]
    B --> C[Get / create avatar<br/>reference sheet]
    C --> D[Upload sheet to R2]
    D --> E[Create account file]
    E --> F[Set sales channels]
    F --> G[Test with one<br/>simple workflow]
    G --> H[Account ready]

Step 1: Pick the archetype

Decide who this account is. The archetype reference shows common patterns — naturopath, confessional, authoritative, aspirational, mentor, skeptic.

Things to settle before going further:

  • Who is this avatar? (one-line description: "older naturopath who reads as warm and trustworthy")
  • What's their setting default? (where do most of their videos take place)
  • What's their wardrobe vibe?
  • What's their voice characteristic? (accent, energy, pacing)
  • What persona references do they use? ("my mom" vs. "my patient" vs. "my friend")

Don't skip this. The archetype is what makes the avatar feel like a coherent person across many videos. Skipping → the avatar feels like a stock model, not a creator.

Step 2: Get the avatar reference sheet

You need a 3-panel reference photo showing the same face from three angles. Two ways to get one:

Use a photo of a real person
With their permission. Snap a 3-panel sequence (front / three-quarter / side). High quality, even lighting, neutral expression, plain background. This is the simplest path when you have a willing collaborator.
Generate an avatar via image gen tools
Use NanoBanana 2, Midjourney, or similar to generate a consistent face. Generate three views (front / three-quarter / side) of the same face and stitch them. Several free tools exist for this; the process is a separate workflow from the main pipeline.

For new accounts, the second option is more common because you control everything about the face. The first is faster when available.

Specs for the sheet:

  • Vertical 3-panel layout (1920×1080 ish per panel, or any reasonable size)
  • Same face across all three panels
  • Same lighting across all three
  • Plain background (off-white or neutral)
  • Neutral expression (smile is OK but don't lock in a posed expression)
  • Visible from collar-up; the body isn't locked by this sheet anyway

Save the file locally first: reference/avatar-sheets/{account-code}.{jpg|png}.

Step 3: Upload the reference sheet to R2

You: upload reference/avatar-sheets/account-f.jpg to R2.

Claude:
  Uploading to R2 via the PatchWork Worker proxy...

  Uploaded. Public URL:
  https://pub-xxxxx.r2.dev/avatar-sheets/account-f.jpg

  Adding to reference/avatar-sheets/r2-urls.md so future workflows
  can look it up.

Recording the URL in r2-urls.md is important — that's the manifest future workflows read to find each account's avatar.

Step 4: Create the account file

Path: reference/accounts/{account-code}.md

The file template:

# {Account Code} — {Avatar Name or Description}

## Archetype

{Archetype name}: {1-2 sentence description of who this avatar is}

## Avatar reference sheet

- File: `reference/avatar-sheets/{account-code}.jpg`
- R2 URL: `https://pub-xxxxx.r2.dev/avatar-sheets/{account-code}.jpg`

## Default visual direction

- **Default setting**: {kitchen / bathroom vanity / bedroom / etc.}
- **Default lighting**: {natural window light from left / ring light / etc.}
- **Default wardrobe**: {what they wear by default}
- **Default body vibe**: {posture, energy, style}

## Voice characteristics

- **Accent / region**: {if relevant}
- **Pitch**: {soft / medium / projected}
- **Pacing**: {measured / quick / casual}
- **Energy**: {warm / authoritative / urgent / etc.}

## Persona references

The specific phrases this avatar uses that reflect their persona:

- Uses "{e.g., my mom}" not "{e.g., my patient}"
- Reads {as a peer / authority / mentor / etc.}
- Doesn't use {phrases that wouldn't fit the archetype}

## Platforms

- TikTok: {handle if exists}
- Instagram: {handle}
- Facebook: {handle}

## Sales channels

- TikTok Shop: {yes/no, link if set up}
- Amazon (via keyword): {yes/no, keyword if applicable}
- Meta Shop: {yes/no, link if set up}

## Notes

{Operational notes — known constraints, brand decisions, follower count
context, anything operational the pipeline needs to know.}

Step 5: Set up sales channel mechanics

If this account will sell through TikTok Shop or Meta Shop, you need to link products to the account's storefront on the respective platform. This is a manual step in the platform's UI, not something the pipeline does:

TikTok Shop
In the TikTok Seller Center, link each product the account will sell. The Shop button appears on videos once linked. See Sales Channels.
Amazon via keyword
In ManyChat, create the comment-keyword automation per product. See Sales Channels — ManyChat funnels.
Meta Shop
In Meta Business Suite, link products to the Reel's product catalog.

Each of these is a one-time setup per product per account. Document the setup in the account file's "Sales channels" section so future workflows know what's available.

Step 6: Test with a simple workflow

Run a tiny test workflow on the new account to verify everything wired together:

You: do a single-scene test for account F. Just one selfie image gen
     with the new avatar reference, kitchen setting, white t-shirt.

Claude:
  Building a single-image test:
    Account: F
    Avatar ref: https://pub-xxxxx.r2.dev/avatar-sheets/account-f.jpg
    Setting: bright kitchen
    Wardrobe: white cotton t-shirt
    Camera: eye-level selfie, chest to shoulder up

  Generating...

  Check: does the face match the reference sheet? Does the setting
  read as a casual kitchen? Does the wardrobe look right?

  If yes — Account F is ready for production workflows.
  If no — the avatar reference may need re-upload or the prompt may
  need adjustment.

Step 7: Register in the version registry

Add the account to the registry so workflows know it exists:

{
  "accounts": {
    "F": {
      "code": "F",
      "status": "active",
      "added": "2026-05-12",
      "file": "reference/accounts/account-f.md",
      "avatar_r2": "https://pub-xxxxx.r2.dev/avatar-sheets/account-f.jpg",
      "platforms": ["tiktok"],
      "sales_channels": ["tiktok-shop"]
    }
  }
}

Common mistakes

Skipping archetype selection
Without a clear archetype, the avatar drifts across workflows. Define it before the first content.
Using an inconsistent reference sheet
Three panels with slightly different lighting / makeup / hairstyle confuses the model. The model averages them, and you get a blurry-identity output.
Generating the reference sheet through the same NanoBanana 2 endpoint you'll use later
If you generate the ref via the same pipeline that will produce content, you risk getting a face that NanoBanana 2 finds easy — but doesn't feel distinctive. Generate the ref separately, evaluate it for distinctiveness, then upload.
Forgetting to set up sales channels in the account file
Future workflows brief against this file. If sales channels aren't listed, the Manager has to ask each time.

When you're ready

→ Next: Uploading the Avatar Reference to R2 — the R2 upload mechanics in detail if Step 3 needs more depth.