# From idea to script to recording

> Capture an idea, develop it into a script, create the episode from that script, prepare your guest and record, with every step tracked in one place.

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.conviapro.com/llms.txt).

Good episodes usually start as a rough idea that gets sharper before anyone presses record. This guide is for hosts and producers who want to plan in Convia Pro: capture ideas as they come, develop the best ones into scripts, turn a finished script into an episode, and prepare your guest, so that by recording day everyone knows the shape of the conversation.

## Before you start

- **Your Brand Brain is set up**, especially Brand Voice. AI drafts of ideas and scripts come out closer to how you sound. See [Brand Brain](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/brand-brain.md).
- **You have AI credits** if you want Convia to draft scripts. Writing ideas and scripts by hand is free. See [AI credits](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/ai-credits.md).
- **Your guest has a profile**, if the episode has one. Add guests under **Collaboration → Guests**. See [Guest Portal](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/guest-portal.md).
- **A scheduling email template**, if you want to email guests the recording-day details. Set it up under **Brand Brain → Guest Emails**.

## Stage 1: Capture ideas as they come

Ideas live under **In Motion → Ideas**. Get every idea in, whatever its source, so you choose from the whole list rather than whatever you remember.

- **By hand:** click **New Idea** and enter a title, description, notes and tags. Set a priority.
- **From a trend:** on a trend alert, choose **Quick Idea (Basic)** or **Create Idea (AI)**. The idea links back to the trend. See [Write about what's trending](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/write-about-trends.md).
- **From search data:** with website analytics connected, **Create idea** on a near-page-one query starts an idea prefilled with the query and page. See [Bring people to your website](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/grow-website-traffic.md).
- **From feeds:** items from the sources in **In Motion → Trend Monitor → Feed Manager** can become ideas.

## Stage 2: Develop the idea

Use the idea's status to show where it stands:

| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| **New** | Just captured, not yet evaluated |
| **Researching** | Gathering more information |
| **Ready** | Fully developed, ready to create |
| **In Progress** | Being produced |
| **Completed** | Content created and published |

Add research to the idea's notes while it is **Researching**. Move it to **Ready** once you know the angle, because the script is only as clear as the idea behind it.

## Stage 3: Write the script

Convia has four script types: **Podcast** for audio episodes, **Video** for YouTube and webinars, **Short** for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, and **Presentation** for slide-based content.

**From the idea (AI draft)**

1. Open the idea and, under **Act on Idea**, choose **Script**.
2. Pick the **Script Type**.
3. Click **Generate with AI**. Convia writes the script from the idea in your brand voice.

**By hand**

1. Go to **In Motion → Scripts** and click **New Script**.
2. Choose the type, then write or paste the script.

Either way, the script page shows a live word count and an estimated length, so you can see whether it fits your format. See [Ideas and scripts](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/ideas-and-scripts.md).

## Stage 4: Sharpen the script

On the script's page, the **Develop Script with AI** button opens a chat to brainstorm, work on the outline and refine the concept. Edit the text directly, click **Save Changes**, and update the script's status as it moves toward recording.

Script chat uses AI credits per message. Writing and editing by hand stays free.

## Stage 5: Create the episode from the script

When the script is ready, turn it into an episode so recording, guests and repurposing all hang off one record.

1. On the script's page, click **Create Episode from Script**.
2. Convia creates a draft episode with the script's title, description and tags, saves any unsaved script edits first, and opens the new episode.
3. The script text becomes the episode's **Conversation Outline** on its **Episode Prep** page.

The script now shows an **Episode Created** badge and a **View Episode** button. A blank script cannot become an episode, so add the content first.

## Stage 6: Prepare your guest

1. On the episode's **Overview** page, add the guest so they are linked to the episode.
2. In the episode header, open **Notify Guests** and choose **Send scheduling email** to email the recording-day details. It needs the scheduling template from **Before you start** and at least one guest on the episode.
3. Invite the guest to the Guest Portal with **Send Portal Invite**. Once they have access, they can read the episode's **Conversation Outline** there before you record.

If you held a prep call instead of writing a script, paste its transcript into **Prep Call Transcript** on **Episode Prep** and use **Generate Conversation Outline** to draft the outline from it. See [Promote an episode with your guest](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/promote-with-your-guest.md).

## Stage 7: Record and upload

After the session, open the episode's **Recording** page. Upload the raw file under **Original recording** and the finished video under **Final edit**, or start editing in Descript from **Original recording** and bring the edit back with **Import from Descript**. Once the final edit is in, Magic Repurpose is ready to run. Continue with [Get the most from a new episode](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/maximize-an-episode.md).

## Stage 8: Close the loop on the idea

Set the idea to **Completed** once the content is out. The idea's **Content Created** section lists everything made from it, including scripts, articles and campaigns, so you can see what each idea produced.

## What a good result looks like

- Your Ideas list is current, with statuses that tell the team what is taken and what is ready.
- Every recorded episode traces back to a script and an idea.
- Your guest saw the outline before recording day and got the scheduling email.
- The episode has its final edit uploaded and is ready to repurpose.

## Common pitfalls

- **Skipping the Ready stage.** A script written from a half-formed idea usually needs rewriting. Develop the idea first.
- **Choosing the wrong script type.** The type shapes length and structure. You can change it on the script's page if you picked wrong.
- **Creating the episode from a blank script.** Convia asks you to add content first.
- **No scheduling template.** **Send scheduling email** stays unavailable until the template is set.
- **Inviting a guest with no email.** A portal invite needs the guest's email address.

## Related

- [Ideas and scripts](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/ideas-and-scripts.md): every option for ideas, scripts and feeds.
- [Episodes and clips](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/episodes-and-clips.md): the episode pages, including Episode Prep and Recording.
- [Guest Portal](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/guest-portal.md): what guests can see and do.
- [Get the most from a new episode](https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/maximize-an-episode.md): what to do once the recording is in.

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Source: https://docs.conviapro.com/docs/idea-to-recording · Section: Guides · Last updated: 2026-10-03