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

# Avatars and voice

> Choose a default instructor avatar or generate a custom avatar that looks like you, and learn how your avatar sets the narration voice for your course.

Your avatar is the character that teaches your course. It appears on your course page and follows learners through your lessons, so it is part of how your teaching feels. This page explains how to pick a default avatar, when you can generate a custom one, and how your avatar choice connects to the lesson voice.

## Default avatars vs. custom avatars

Vixi gives you two ways to put a face on your course.

* **Default instructor avatars** — a set of ready-made characters bundled with Vixi. There are **6 bundled default avatars** to choose from, and they are free for everyone.
* **Custom avatars** — an AI-generated avatar built from a photo you upload, styled with the outfit, pose, and look you choose. Generating a custom avatar is a **premium feature**.

<Note>
  On the free plan, you teach with a bundled default avatar — the Free plan can't create custom avatars at all. To generate and save your own custom avatar, you upgrade to a paid plan. You can always switch to a custom avatar later — choosing a default now never locks you out.
</Note>

### How many custom avatars can I create?

Custom AI avatar creation is capped per month by plan:

| Plan    | Custom AI avatars per month | Premium avatar styles |
| ------- | --------------------------- | --------------------- |
| Free    | 0 (default avatars only)    | No                    |
| Pro     | 5 per month                 | Yes                   |
| Premium | 20 per month                | Yes                   |

To compare plans and see current pricing, open **Premium** in the sidebar at [the in-app plans page](https://create.vixiai.co).

## Choosing an avatar while creating a course

When you build a course with [the course creation wizard](/creating/wizard), one of the steps asks:

> Do you want to create your personal avatar to teach your course?

You pick between two options:

* **Yes, create my avatar** — opens the custom avatar flow (a premium feature).
* **No, use a default instructor avatar** — opens a carousel of bundled default characters.

### Picking a default avatar

If you choose **No, use a default instructor avatar**, you land on the **Pick a default avatar** screen. Browse the carousel, then click any character to select it. A checkmark marks your choice.

<Tip>
  You can also use the left and right arrow keys to move through the carousel.
</Tip>

That is all the default path needs. Your chosen character is attached to the course and shows up on your course page and in the lesson player for learners.

### Generating a custom avatar

If you choose **Yes, create my avatar**, the custom avatar flow opens right inside the wizard.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Upload a photo">
    Drop in a clear headshot. Vixi accepts JPEG, PNG, and WebP images. This photo is the starting point for the AI to make an avatar that looks like you.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Tell Vixi who you are">
    Choose your look so the generated avatar matches you, including style options where they apply.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose an outfit">
    Pick from the suggested outfits, or describe your own preferred outfit.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a pose">
    Pick from the suggested poses, or describe your own preferred pose.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a style">
    Select your preferred art style. Once a style is selected, the **Generate avatar** button appears.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Generate">
    Click **Generate avatar**. Vixi creates your custom avatar and shows it to you. From there you continue building your course.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Custom avatar generation is gated at the **Generate avatar** click, not when you enter the flow. The Free plan can create **0** custom avatars, so clicking **Generate avatar** opens an upgrade prompt. Pro includes **5 custom avatars per month** and Premium includes **20 per month**. You can upgrade to create your custom avatar, or click **Use default avatar** to fall back to a bundled character and keep building your course without losing your progress.
</Warning>

## Creating avatars from My Avatars

You don't have to be inside the course wizard to make a custom avatar. Open **My Avatars** from the sidebar to manage every avatar in your library.

On the **My Avatars** page you can:

* Filter avatars by course or by author.
* Assign an avatar to one of your authors with **Assign to author** (this also works in bulk — select several avatars, then assign them together).
* Delete custom avatars you no longer want. Default avatars can be assigned but never deleted.
* Start a new custom avatar with the **Create Personal Avatar** button.

Clicking **Create Personal Avatar** opens the same upload → look → outfit → pose → style flow described above. Because generating a custom avatar is a premium feature, clicking **Generate avatar** here also checks your plan before creating the image.

<Note>
  If you don't have any avatars yet, the page invites you to create a course, which is the most common way educators get their first avatar.
</Note>

## Swapping the avatar on an existing course

You can change which avatars appear on a course at any time without rebuilding it.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the course">
    Go to **My Courses**, open the course, and click **Manage avatars** in its Avatars section.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the current avatars">
    The top section shows the avatars currently in the course. Hover an avatar and click **Deselect** to remove it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add avatars from your library">
    The lower section shows avatars you can select from. Hover one and click **Select** to add it to the course.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Click **Save Changes** to apply your new avatar lineup to the course.
  </Step>
</Steps>

You can attach **up to 4 avatars per course**. The edit screen shows how many avatars are in the course against this per-course limit, so you always know how much room you have left.

## Avatars and your course voice

Your avatar choice does more than set a picture. During course creation, the avatar you settle on also sets the narration voice gender used to voice your lessons. Vixi voices the lesson once based on your final avatar choice, so the picture learners see and the voice they hear match.

<Note>
  Because the voice is tied to the avatar chosen at creation, pick the avatar you want before the lesson is voiced. This keeps the narration consistent with the character teaching your course.
</Note>

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I use a default avatar now and a custom one later?">
    Yes. Choosing a default avatar never blocks you from upgrading and generating a custom avatar afterward. You can swap the avatar on a course at any time from its **Manage avatars** screen.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why can't I delete a default avatar?">
    Default avatars are shared, bundled characters. They can be assigned to authors and used in courses, but they can't be deleted from your library. Only custom avatars you generate can be deleted.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I uploaded a photo but generation was blocked. What happened?">
    Custom avatar generation is a premium feature. The Free plan can create **0** custom avatars, so the **Generate avatar** click opens an upgrade prompt instead of creating the image. Pro includes **5 custom avatars per month** and Premium includes **20 per month**. Choose to upgrade, or pick **Use default avatar** to continue with a bundled character.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How many custom avatars can I create each month?">
    It depends on your plan: Free can create 0 (default avatars only), Pro includes 5 per month, and Premium includes 20 per month. To compare plans, open **Premium** in the sidebar at [the in-app plans page](https://create.vixiai.co).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How many avatars can a course have?">
    You can attach up to 4 avatars per course. Manage the lineup from the course's **Manage avatars** screen, which shows how many you've used against the limit.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What image formats can I upload?">
    The custom avatar flow accepts JPEG, PNG, and WebP photos. A clear headshot works best.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Where to go next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="The course creation wizard" href="/creating/wizard">
    See where the avatar step fits in the full course-building flow.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Learning map and rewards" href="/design">
    Shape how your course looks and how learners are rewarded.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Add knowledge sources" href="/sources">
    Ground your course in your own material before you generate it.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Publish and share" href="/publishing">
    Get your finished course in front of learners.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>