FAUNA launched on April 3, 2026. It is an AI agent built into Flora — the node-based creative canvas that integrates over 80 AI models. Unlike a chatbot that gives you text responses, FAUNA has hands. It builds, modifies, and runs workflows directly on the canvas.
Six days in, there is almost no tutorial content about it. This is the walkthrough that should exist.
What FAUNA is
Flora is a canvas where you connect AI models like nodes in a pipeline. An image generation model feeds into an upscaler, which feeds into a video model, which feeds into an audio model. Each step is visible, adjustable, and auditable.
FAUNA is the agent that builds these pipelines for you. You describe what you want in plain language. FAUNA figures out which models to use, how to sequence them, and what prompts to write for each model. It then either asks for your approval or runs immediately, depending on the mode you choose.
The comparison that fits: if Flora is the canvas, FAUNA is a creative director who knows every tool in the studio.
The three modes
FAUNA has three modes, selectable from the chat input. Each changes how much control you give up.
Assist is the default. FAUNA plans a workflow, shows you which nodes it will run and the estimated credit cost, then waits for your approval. Press Cmd Enter (Mac) or Ctrl Enter (Windows) to approve, or Escape to cancel. This is where you start.
Auto runs everything immediately. No approval step. FAUNA executes generations as it decides on them. Useful when you trust the direction and want speed over control.
Plan is ideation only. FAUNA structures workflows and thinks through approaches but does not run any generation. No credits consumed. Use this when you want to explore a creative direction before committing budget.
Opening FAUNA
Press Cmd / (Mac) or Ctrl / (Windows/Linux) anywhere on the canvas. A sidebar appears on the right. You are now in a conversation with FAUNA.
You can also:
- Select nodes on the canvas before opening FAUNA — it uses them as context
- Use
@to reference specific nodes in your message - Drag and drop reference images (JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF — up to 20 MB each, maximum 5 per message)
Your first workflow
Open FAUNA in Assist mode. Try this:
Generate a cinematic product shot of a ceramic coffee mug on a wooden table. Morning light, shallow depth of field. Then upscale the best result to 4K and create a 5-second slow-motion video of steam rising from the mug.
FAUNA will:
- Select an image generation model and write an optimised prompt
- Select an upscaler for the 4K step
- Select a video model for the steam animation
- Show you the full plan with estimated credit cost
- Wait for your approval
You will see the planned nodes appear on the canvas before anything runs. Review the model choices, the prompts, the sequence. If something looks off, tell FAUNA to adjust before approving.
Press Cmd Enter to run. Watch the nodes execute in sequence on the canvas. The results — image, upscaled version, video — all appear as visible, connected nodes that you can revisit, modify, or branch from.
What FAUNA can do
Based on the official documentation:
- Build complete multi-step workflows from a description
- Select from 80+ models across image, video, text, upscaling, and editing
- Modify existing canvas elements — change models, prompts, aspect ratios, labels
- Restructure workflows: add, remove, reconnect nodes
- Create variations and grouped containers
- Process uploaded reference images
- Execute up to 50 nodes simultaneously
- Search for visual references
FAUNA sees your entire canvas in real time. It streams its responses and shows a thinking timeline so you can follow its reasoning.
What FAUNA cannot do
Be honest about the boundaries:
- Single project scope. FAUNA can only see the project you currently have open. It cannot pull assets from other projects or workspaces.
- No memory across sessions. Each conversation starts fresh. FAUNA does not remember what you discussed yesterday.
- No external website access. It works within Flora’s tool suite, not the open web.
- Model selection is not explained. You can see which models FAUNA chose on the canvas, but it does not narrate why it picked one model over another. The decisions are visible but the reasoning is implicit.
These limitations are documented as areas Flora is actively developing — multi-project access, historical context, and parallel agent threads are on the roadmap.
Credits and cost
Flora uses credit-based pricing. Plans start at $18/month (Starter, 20,000 credits). All plans include access to every model on the platform.
In Plan mode, no generation happens, so no credits are consumed — you are only using FAUNA’s reasoning capabilities.
In Assist mode, FAUNA shows the estimated credit cost before you approve. You decide whether to proceed.
In Auto mode, credits are consumed as FAUNA runs generations. The system notifies you if credits are depleting.
FAUNA’s own reasoning does not appear to have a separate credit charge — credits map to the models it invokes. The official documentation does not explicitly confirm this, so treat it as the apparent behaviour rather than a guarantee.
When FAUNA makes sense
FAUNA is not a replacement for knowing what you want. It is a replacement for knowing how to wire up the technical pipeline to get there.
Use FAUNA when:
- You know the creative outcome but not which models or settings to use
- You want to explore a multi-step pipeline without manually connecting nodes
- You are working across image, video, and upscaling in a single workflow
- You want to iterate quickly — change one variable and re-run
Do it manually when:
- You need precise control over every parameter
- You are working with a tested pipeline you have already built
- You want to learn how the individual models behave
Getting started
Flora offers a free tier with 1,000 credits to try the platform. Starter plans begin at $18/month with 20,000 credits. Every plan includes access to every model and to FAUNA. Start Flora — 25% off for 12 months →
Start in Plan mode to explore without spending credits. Once you have a workflow you like, switch to Assist mode to run it with approval at each step. Move to Auto when you trust the direction.
Related
- The AI Creative’s Toolbox — where Flora fits in the broader landscape of creative tools
- AI Image Models in 2026 — the models FAUNA selects from, compared
- Building a Production AI Art Pipeline — using FAUNA in a professional production workflow (member content)
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