> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.9pic.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Run an Event

> End-to-end event flow on Pay As You Go, with credit costs called out at every step

## Why This Matters

Running an event on Pay As You Go is operationally identical to running one on Pro — same gallery, same sync, same AI search. The difference is the meter is on. This page walks through the same end-to-end flow as the Dashboard Guide, but with the **credit cost** called out at every step so you know what's about to come out of your balance.

For deep-dive reference on any single step, link out to the corresponding [Dashboard Guide](/dashboard-guide) page.

## Before You Begin

* You're on the **Pay As You Go** plan (your sidebar shows the **Pay As You Go** badge).
* You have an idea of how many photos this event will produce. Multiply by \~1.1 to estimate credit cost (1 credit per processed photo with AI on, plus a small buffer).
* Your **available credits** balance covers your estimate. Open **Credits** in the sidebar to confirm.
* You're an **admin** of the organisation. Operators can run events but cannot top up credits.

<Tip>
  **Plan your top-up before the event, not during.** Processing pauses the moment you hit zero credits. Top up to \~1.5× your event estimate so a busy day doesn't stall mid-sync.
</Tip>

## The 7-Step Event Flow on Pay As You Go

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create the event">
    Sidebar → **Events** → **Create Event**.

    On Pay As You Go you can set **Platform Visibility** to **Public** (trial accounts couldn't). Public events are accessible at `app.9pic.ai/<event-slug>` to anyone with the link.

    **Credit cost: 0.** Creating an event is free.

    <Frame caption="Create Event on Pay As You Go">
      <img src="https://assets.9pic.ai/docs/pay-as-you-go-guide/run-event-create-public.webp" alt="Create New Event page on a Pay As You Go account showing the review panel with Visibility set to Public" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Decide on AI search settings (this drives your bill)">
    On the event details page, open the **Configuration** tab and check:

    * **Enable Selfie Search** (powered by 9Pic FaceFind)
    * **Enable BIB Search** (powered by 9Pic BibTrack)

    These two toggles are the single biggest credit-cost lever. **If both are off, processing this event's photos consumes 0 credits.** If either is on, processing consumes 1 credit per photo.

    Most public-facing events keep at least one on (otherwise the search experience is degraded). Internal-only galleries can leave both off and process for free.

    <Warning>
      **Store Original Memories** is a separate setting on **Create New Event**. Leaving it on stores full-resolution originals and adds to your usage. Leave it off unless your event explicitly needs originals (sales, archival).
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload photos with 9Pic Uplink (or drag & drop)">
    Use **9Pic Uplink** (desktop uploader) for large batches, or drag & drop directly into the event gallery for small batches.

    **Credit cost: 0** for the upload itself. Photos sit in **Pending** state and don't consume credits until you process them.

    See [Camera Configuration Guide](/dashboard-guide/event-requirements/camera-configuration-guide) for camera settings that produce the best AI search results.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Process the photos (this is where credits move)">
    Click **Sync Images** → **Process Photos**. The dashboard shows you:

    * The number of **pending photos** waiting.
    * Your **available credits** balance.
    * Whether the batch fits in your balance.

    If the batch needs more credits than you have, the **Process** button is disabled and the dialog shows: "*You have N credits available, but need M credits for this processing job.*" Top up first, then come back.

    <Tip>
      **Use the Custom Batch option to test first.** Process **100 photos** with your settings before processing thousands. Verify the watermark, the search results, and the gallery look right. Then run the rest.
    </Tip>

    **Credit cost:** 1 credit per processed photo (when AI is enabled). 0 credits when AI is fully off.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Brand the gallery (the basics)">
    Open the **Branding** tab on the event:

    * **Cover image** — a gallery banner.
    * **Watermark** — your logo or text overlay applied to processed photos.
    * **Event name & description** — public-facing copy.

    **Credit cost: 0** for changing branding settings. **But:** if you change the watermark **after** photos are already processed and you want the new watermark applied, see Step 7 (Re-process Watermark) — that does consume credits.

    See [Branding](/dashboard-guide/photos/branding) for the full reference.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go live and share the public link">
    On the event overview, click **Go Live**. The dashboard runs the go-live checks (watermark configured, at least one processed batch, etc.) and flips the event to public.

    Share the public link `app.9pic.ai/<event-slug>` with attendees. They can browse, search by face (FaceFind), or search by BIB (BibTrack) depending on the toggles you set in Step 2.

    **Credit cost: 0** for going live. Search-side queries don't consume your credits — your bill is set at processing time.

    See [Go-Live Failed troubleshooting](/dashboard-guide/troubleshooting/go-live-failed) if go-live fails.
  </Step>

  <Step title="(Optional) Re-process watermark only if you really need to">
    If you go live and then realise the watermark is wrong, you can re-apply the new watermark to all already-processed photos.

    From the event details, open **Reprocess Watermark**. The dashboard tells you exactly how many credits this will cost: **10% of your processed photo count.** Re-watermarking 5,000 processed photos uses 500 credits.

    BIB tags, selfie-search index, and all other data are preserved — only the watermark overlay changes.

    <Warning>
      **Re-process watermark is the most common surprise PAYG bill.** Get the watermark right *before* you sync 5,000 photos. Test on a Custom Batch of 100 first.
    </Warning>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Credit Costs at a Glance for One Event

For a typical 5,000-photo public event with FaceFind enabled, BIB Search off, and Store Originals off:

| Action                                                   | Credit cost       |
| -------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- |
| Create event                                             | 0                 |
| Upload 5,000 photos                                      | 0                 |
| Process 5,000 photos with FaceFind on                    | 5,000             |
| Brand & go live                                          | 0                 |
| Re-process watermark *if* you need to fix it post-launch | 500               |
| **Best case (no re-process)**                            | **5,000 credits** |
| **Worst case (one re-process)**                          | **5,500 credits** |

Multiply by your per-credit cost (visible on **Credits → Available Credits → Show**) for the dollar number.

## Common Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I run an event with AI search disabled to save credits?">
    Yes. If both **Enable Selfie Search** and **Enable BIB Search** are off, processing those photos uses 0 credits. The trade-off is your attendees won't have face search or BIB search — they'll have to scroll the gallery manually. For internal-only galleries, this is fine.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My credits ran out mid-event. What now?">
    Already-processed photos stay live and searchable. New photos queue and wait in **Pending** state. Top up at **Credits → Purchase Credits** (minimum 1,000 credits), then click **Sync Images** again on the affected event. Processing resumes automatically.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What does Sync Images do?">
    Sync Images pulls newly uploaded photos into the dashboard and stages them for processing. It doesn't consume credits — the actual processing step (which applies AI search and watermarking) is what uses credits.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How long does processing 5,000 photos take?">
    Processing is asynchronous. For a typical event, expect under 30 minutes for several thousand photos. The event details page shows a live progress bar. You can close the tab — processing continues server-side.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can my team upload while I'm processing?">
    Yes. Uploads queue independently of processing. Operators can keep adding photos via 9Pic Uplink while the previous batch is being processed.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Photo Processing Costs" icon="gauge" href="/pay-as-you-go-guide/photo-processing-costs">
    The full credit-cost cheatsheet by action type.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Avoid Credit Foot-Guns" icon="triangle-exclamation" href="/pay-as-you-go-guide/avoid-credit-foot-guns">
    The 5 mistakes that burn the most credits.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Manage Credits" icon="chart-line" href="/pay-as-you-go-guide/manage-credits">
    Watch your balance and monthly usage.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Photos Reference" icon="book" href="/dashboard-guide/photos/overview">
    Full Dashboard Guide reference for the Photos product.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>