The provider is getting too many requests from your account. RatioScribe tries your other providers first. If that fails, wait a few minutes and try again, or add another provider.

RatioScribe Documentation and Changelog

Q: It says no AI providers are configured.

Go to RatioScribe > Settings > API Keys. Paste at least one key and click Save Changes. Then click the Test button for that provider.

Q: Test Connection fails or I get an invalid key error.

Copy the key again from the provider's site and paste it with no extra spaces. Click Save Changes and test again. Also check that your provider account has billing turned on and credit left.

Q: How do I replace a saved API key?

An empty field keeps the saved key. To replace a key, paste the new one into the field and click Save Changes.

Q: I get a billing, credit, or quota error.

Add credit or raise your limit in that provider's dashboard. If you have keys for other providers, RatioScribe tries them for you automatically.

Q: The request timed out.

Go to Settings and raise the Request Timeout to 120 or 180 seconds. Shorter lengths and faster models also help. Preview models are often slower.

Q: My bulk articles are not being written.

Check that the current time is inside your Processing Window and that you have not hit the Daily Generation Limit. Background jobs need WP-Cron, which runs when people visit your site. On low-traffic sites, ask your host to set up a real server cron job.

Q: A bulk keyword shows Failed.

It failed 3 times. Open RatioScribe > Queue to see the error. Fix the cause (often a key or billing issue), then click Retry.

Q: A Deep Research job seems stuck.

Go to RatioScribe > Research Jobs and click Check. Gemini jobs over 30 minutes are stopped, and any job still running after 2 hours is marked failed. Use Retry to run it again with the same settings.

Q: Light Research or Deep Research shows a warning.

Light Research needs an OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google key. Deep Research needs an OpenAI or Google key.

This page shows you how to install RatioScribe, add your license key, connect your AI providers, and write your first post. It also explains each screen, every setting, how scheduled jobs and rate limits work, and what you pay for.

Requirements: WordPress 6.0 or newer, PHP 7.4 or newer, An API key from at least one supported AI provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, xAI Grok, Kimi, or Meta Llama). On WordPress 7.0 or newer you can use WordPress AI instead of a key. Current version: 1.5.1.1.

Install RatioScribe

Log in to your account on ishouldbeyourwpguy.com and download the RatioScribe zip file.
In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New Plugin and click Upload Plugin.
Choose the zip file and click Install Now.
Click Activate Plugin.
A new RatioScribe menu appears in the left sidebar of your dashboard.

Activate your license

Your license key turns on automatic plugin updates and ticket support. RatioScribe keeps working without it, but you will not get updates. The key also turns on Content Intelligence (keyword and competitor analysis).

Go to RatioScribe > Settings. You need to be an administrator to see this page.
Find the License & Content Intelligence section.
Paste your key into the License Key field. It looks like YWPG-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX.
Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
Check the Status row. It should say Active.
Lost your key? Use the link under the field to find it in My Account > Plugin Licenses on ishouldbeyourwpguy.com.
Moving to a new site? Click Deactivate License first. This frees the key so you can use it on the other site.

Connect your AI providers

RatioScribe uses your own API keys. You pay the AI company directly for what you use. You only need one provider to start. Adding more lets RatioScribe switch to another provider when one fails.

Get an API key from the provider you want. OpenAI: platform.openai.com. Anthropic (Claude): console.anthropic.com. Google Gemini: aistudio.google.com. xAI Grok: console.x.ai. Kimi: platform.moonshot.cn. Meta Llama: llama.developer.meta.com.
Go to RatioScribe > Settings and scroll to the API Keys section.
Paste each key into its field, such as OpenAI API Key or Anthropic (Claude) API Key.
Click Save Changes. Saved keys show as dots plus the last four characters. RatioScribe never shows the full key again.
Use the Test Connection buttons (Test OpenAI, Test Claude, Test Gemini, and so on) to check each key.
In the AI Provider Settings section, choose your Preferred Provider and Model. Auto (Use first available) is the default.
With Auto, RatioScribe uses the first provider that has a key, in this order: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI Grok, Kimi, Meta Llama, then WordPress AI.
If a provider returns a billing, credit, quota, or rate limit error, RatioScribe tries your other connected providers in the same order. The result shows a Fallback label when this happens.
On WordPress 7.0 or newer, you can pick WordPress AI (WP 7.0+) as the provider. It uses the AI service set up in Settings > Connectors, so no key is needed in RatioScribe.
If you also use the AI Experiments plugin, RatioScribe can use the OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google key saved there when the matching RatioScribe field is empty. Keys in RatioScribe always come first.

Write your first post

Go to RatioScribe > Write New.
Under Generation Mode, pick Quick Write. It writes from the AI's own knowledge and is the fastest and cheapest mode.
Type your main keyword in the Target Keyword field, such as best WordPress plugins.
Optional: add more detail in Topic Description.
Under Content Settings, pick the Content Type, Writing Tone, Content Length, Target Audience, and Creativity Level.
Optional: under Structure Options, choose which sections to include and add a Custom Outline or Additional Instructions.
Click Generate Content. Most posts take 30 to 90 seconds. Claude can take up to 120 seconds.
Read the result in the Generated Content panel. Click Regenerate if you want a new version.
Click Create Draft Post to save it as a draft and open it in the editor. Or click Copy HTML to paste it somewhere else.
Review and edit the draft, then publish it when you are ready.

Write New screen

Go to RatioScribe > Write New. This is where you create a single post from a keyword.

Quick Write: Writes from the AI's own knowledge. Fast and low cost. Works with any connected provider.
Light Research: Searches the web for current facts and adds source citations. Takes 60 to 120 seconds. Needs an OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google key. On Auto it uses Google first, then Anthropic, then OpenAI.
Deep Research: Runs a long research job in the background. Choose OpenAI (10 to 30 minutes, more sources) or Gemini (2 to 5 minutes). Needs an OpenAI or Google key. You can close the page while it runs and get an email when it is done.
Target Keyword: The main keyword you want to rank for. Required.
Topic Description: Optional extra detail about your angle on the topic.
Research Focus: Shown in research modes. Tells the research what to look for. Leave it empty for general research.
Content Intelligence: Click Analyze Keyword to study the top-ranking pages for your keyword. You get target word count, heading counts, suggested H2 topics, and search features. Click Apply to Content Settings to use the suggested length. Needs an active license or your own DataForSEO login.
Content Settings: Content Type, Writing Tone, Content Length, Target Audience, and Creativity Level. They start with your defaults from Settings.
AI Model: Pick a different provider and model for this one post. This does not change your saved defaults.
Structure Options: Turn the introduction, conclusion, call to action, and source citations on or off. Add a Custom Outline or Additional Instructions.
Processing Mode: Single-Pass (Fast) is the default and adds no extra cost. Multi-Agent (Thorough) runs three extra AI passes that review, rewrite, and score sentences. It uses about 2,000 to 4,000 extra tokens.
Result buttons: Create Draft Post, Copy HTML, Regenerate, and Flag as AI. Select text in the preview, then click Flag as AI to add that phrase to your Pattern Library.

Tools inside the post editor

RatioScribe works in both the Block Editor and the Classic Editor.

Block Editor sidebar: Open a post and click the RatioScribe icon in the top toolbar. Use Write from Scratch to create content from a keyword, or Rewrite for SEO to improve the content already in the post.
Use This Content: Puts the written content into your post. If the post has no title, the keyword becomes the title.
Rewrite for SEO: Shows your original text next to the proposed changes. Click Apply Changes to keep them, or Cancel to discard them.
Classic Editor box: Look for the RatioScribe AI SEO Optimizer box on the edit screen. Pick a Creativity Level and click Rewrite for SEO. Review the changes, then click Apply Changes.

Research Jobs screen

Go to RatioScribe > Research Jobs to track Deep Research jobs.

Summary counts: Active Jobs, Completed, Failed/Cancelled, and Total Jobs.
Filter: Show All Jobs, Active, Completed, or Failed.
Check: Asks the provider for the latest status of a running job.
View: Opens the finished report with word count, citations, and model. From here you can Copy HTML or Create Draft Post.
Details: Shows the keyword, provider, model, settings, citations, and cost for the job.
Retry: Starts a failed job again with the same settings.
Cancel and Delete: Cancel stops a running job. Delete removes a job for good.

Voice Profile screen

Go to RatioScribe > Voice Profile to teach RatioScribe how you write.

Step 1: Upload Writing Samples: Paste 3 to 5 samples of your own writing. Each should be 800 to 2,000 words. Click Save Writing Samples.
Step 2: Analyze Your Voice: Click Analyze My Writing Style. This uses one API call and takes 30 to 60 seconds.
Voice Profile Method: New content follows only the analysis of your samples.
Hybrid Method: Combines the analysis with the Voice Description you wrote on the Settings page.
Delete Voice Profile & Samples: Removes your profile and all samples. This cannot be undone.

Bulk Write screen

Go to RatioScribe > Bulk Write to schedule many articles at once. Each keyword becomes one post.

Manual Entry: Type one keyword or topic per line.
CSV Upload: Upload a CSV file with one keyword per row. The first column is the keyword. Click Download Template for a sample file.
Default Settings: Generation Mode, Content Type, Content Length, Writing Tone, Target Audience, Post Status, Default Category, and sections to include. They apply to every keyword in the batch.
Batch Name: Optional label so you can find the batch in the Queue.
Start Date: The first day articles start generating.
Articles Per Day: 1 to 10 articles a day. Default is 5.
Processing Window: The hours each day when articles are made. Times use your site timezone.
Batch Estimate: Shows the keyword count, estimated cost, and estimated finish date. Real costs depend on length, provider, and mode.
Load Template and Save as Template: Reuse saved settings, or save the current settings as a template.
Queue Keywords: Adds the keywords to the queue on your schedule.

Queue and Calendar screens

Queue: RatioScribe > Queue lists every bulk keyword with its status: Pending, Scheduled, Processing, Completed, or Failed.
Filters: Filter by status or batch, or search by keyword.
Row actions: View Post, Retry, Cancel, or Delete for each keyword.
Bulk Actions: Delete Selected, Cancel Selected, or Reschedule Selected.
Pause All and Resume All: Pause All cancels every pending and scheduled keyword. Resume All brings cancelled keywords back.
Calendar: RatioScribe > Calendar shows scheduled, processing, completed, and failed articles by day. Use Previous Month, Next Month, and Today to move around.

Templates screen

Go to RatioScribe > Templates to save sets of settings you use often. You load them on the Bulk Write screen.

Create Template: Name the template and pick the generation mode, content settings, sections, outline, instructions, post status, category, tags, and schedule defaults.
Edit, Duplicate, Delete: Change, copy, or remove a template.
Set Default: Marks one template as your default.

Pattern Library screen

Go to RatioScribe > Pattern Library. This is a list of words and phrases RatioScribe swaps out of generated text.

System patterns: Come with the plugin. You can turn them on or off, but not edit them.
Your patterns: Patterns you add or flag. You can edit or delete them.
Add New Pattern: Enter the text, a replacement, a type, a category, and a severity.
Flag as AI: Select text in a result on the Write New screen or in the block editor, then click Flag as AI to add it here.
Import and Export: Back up or share your patterns as a JSON file.

Scheduling, queues, and rate limits

RatioScribe uses WordPress scheduled tasks (WP-Cron) for background work. WP-Cron only runs when someone visits your site, so low-traffic sites may see delays.

Bulk Write: RatioScribe checks the queue every 5 minutes. It only works inside your Processing Window and stops when it reaches your Daily Generation Limit. It makes up to 5 articles per check.

If a bulk article fails, RatioScribe puts it back on the schedule and tries again. After 3 failed tries it is marked Failed. You can click Retry on the Queue screen.

Deep Research: RatioScribe checks running jobs every 30 seconds. A Gemini job that runs longer than 30 minutes is stopped as timed out. Any job still running after 2 hours is marked as failed.

Rate limits: if a provider says you sent too many requests, or there is a billing or quota problem, RatioScribe tries your other connected providers. If no other provider works, you see the error. Wait a few minutes and try again, or add another provider.

If you only use keys saved in the AI Experiments plugin, requests over the provider's per-minute limit wait in a queue instead. The queue is checked every minute. Each request gets up to 3 tries, and each user can have up to 10 waiting requests. Turn on Email me when queued content is ready in Settings to get an email.

Timeouts: the Request Timeout setting controls how long RatioScribe waits for an answer. Claude requests get 30 extra seconds on top of that setting.

Settings reference

Go to RatioScribe > Settings. Click Save Changes after any change.

License Key: Your RatioScribe license key. Turns on updates, support, and Content Intelligence.
DataForSEO Login and DataForSEO Password: Optional. Use your own DataForSEO account for Content Intelligence instead of your license.
Sandbox Mode: Uses free DataForSEO sample data for testing. Off by default.
System Prompt: The main instruction sent to the AI when rewriting content. Click Reset to Default to undo your changes.
Voice Description: Describe your brand voice and tone. Empty by default.
Humanization Intensity (Light, Moderate, Strict): How many common AI words and phrases are replaced in the output. Default is Moderate.
Default Humanization Mode: Single-Pass (Fast) or Multi-Agent (Thorough). Default is Single-Pass.
Preferred Provider: Which AI company to use. Default is Auto (Use first available).
Model: Which model to use from your chosen provider.
Request Timeout: How long to wait for an AI answer: 30, 60, 90, 120, or 180 seconds. Default is 60. Raise it if you see timeouts.
API Keys: One field each for OpenAI, Anthropic (Claude), Google Gemini, xAI Grok, Kimi (Moonshot), and Meta Llama. Leave a field empty to keep the saved key.
Default Content Type: Blog Post, How-To Guide, Listicle, Product Review, Comparison Article, News Article, Opinion Piece, Case Study, Tutorial, or Ultimate Guide. Default is Blog Post.
Default Writing Tone: Professional, Conversational, Formal, Casual, Enthusiastic, Educational, Persuasive, or Witty. Default is Professional.
Default Content Length: Short (about 300 words), Medium (about 800), Long (about 1,500), or Comprehensive (about 2,500). Default is Medium.
Default Target Audience: General Audience, Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced/Expert, Business Professionals, Technical Professionals, or Consumers. Default is General Audience.
Default Creativity Level: Conservative, Balanced, or Creative. Default is Balanced.
Daily Generation Limit: Most bulk articles made per day, from 1 to 10. Default is 5.
Processing Window: Hours when bulk articles are made. Default is 09:00 to 17:00.
Default Generation Mode: Quick Write, Light Research, or Deep Research for bulk jobs. Default is Quick Write.
Default Post Status: Draft, Pending Review, or Published for bulk posts. Default is Draft.
Queue Notifications: Email me when queued content is ready. Saved per user.

What it costs to run

Your RatioScribe license pays for the plugin, updates, and support. It does not include AI usage.

AI usage is billed by each provider to your own account. RatioScribe adds no markup. Check your usage and set spending limits in each provider's dashboard.

Cost depends on the provider, the model, the length of the post, and the mode. Quick Write costs the least. Light Research costs more. Deep Research costs the most. The Write New and Bulk Write screens show cost estimates before you start.

Multi-Agent processing uses about 2,000 to 4,000 extra tokens per post.

Content Intelligence through your license is included, up to the monthly number of analyses shown on the Settings page. If you use your own DataForSEO login, DataForSEO bills your account.

Troubleshooting

It says no AI providers are configured.

Test Connection fails or I get an invalid key error.

How do I replace a saved API key?

I get a billing, credit, or quota error.

I hit a rate limit.

The request timed out.

My bulk articles are not being written.

A bulk keyword shows Failed.

A Deep Research job seems stuck.

Light Research or Deep Research shows a warning.

My license status is not Active.

Will RatioScribe stop working if my license expires?

Changelog

Version 1.5.1.1 October 20, 2026

Changed the Get a License Key button to point to ishouldbeyourwpguy.com.
Added links under the License Key field to find a lost key and to manage your subscription.
Improved the built-in update system.

Version 1.5.1.0 September 13, 2026

Added automatic plugin updates for sites with an active license.

Version 1.5.0.1 June 11, 2026

Fixed: security improvements.
Changed saved API keys to show only the last four characters on the Settings page.

Version 1.5.0.0 May 21, 2026

Added WordPress AI (WP 7.0+) as a provider option.
Added automatic use of WordPress AI when no API keys are set.
Fixed compatibility with WordPress 7.0.

Version 1.4.0.0 February 26, 2026

Added the Processing Mode choice on the Write New screen: Single-Pass or Multi-Agent.
Added a setting for the default processing mode.
Added a Show Changes view so you can see each sentence before and after.

Version 1.3.5.0 February 26, 2026

Added a sentence-by-sentence score with a color heat map on the Write New screen and in the block editor.

Version 1.3.4.0 February 25, 2026

Added the Pattern Library screen with add, edit, import, and export.
Added the Flag as AI button on the Write New screen and in the block editor.

Version 1.3.2.0 February 25, 2026

Changed all provider model lists to include newer models.
Changed the default Anthropic model to Claude Sonnet 4.6 and the default Grok model to Grok 4.1 Fast.

Version 1.3.1.0 February 25, 2026

Added one API Keys section in Settings for all six providers.
Changed RatioScribe so it no longer needs the AI Experiments plugin.

Version 1.3.0.1 February 24, 2026

Added the cleanup intensity setting (Light, Moderate, Strict).
Added a quality score after each generation on the Write New screen and in the block editor.

Version 1.1.0.0 February 4, 2026

Added Content Intelligence with keyword and competitor analysis on the Write New screen.
Added Bulk Write with manual or CSV keyword import.
Added the Queue and Calendar screens.
Added daily limits and processing windows for bulk jobs.

Version 1.0.9.0 January 22, 2025

Added the Voice Profile screen to match new content to your own writing.

Version 1.0.8.3 January 21, 2025

Fixed posts running longer than the chosen length.

Version 1.0.8.2 January 21, 2025

Fixed stray formatting and code blocks in the Classic Editor.
Improved how dashes are handled in generated text.

Version 1.0.8.1 January 21, 2025

Fixed Claude timeouts when rewriting in the Classic Editor.

RatioScribe documentation