Gems

How to use Gems thoughtfully

Gems help power CourseSaga's AI creation tools. The best way to stretch them is simple: use AI only where it helps, draft cheaply, review early, and spend more only when you know what you want to keep.

Last updated July 2026

The short version

Start with a small course or one lesson before asking AI to build everything.
Use lower-power generation while you are still exploring the course structure.
Use non-AI options when they fit: search existing images, reuse your own media, or write content manually.
Skip images or use placeholders during early drafts.
Generate or replace images after the text, vocab, quizzes, and lesson order feel right.
Use higher settings for final polish, not for every brainstorming pass.

Why some AI actions use more gems

Different AI requests require different amounts of work. A short text edit is usually lighter than generating a full lesson with images, audio, quiz questions, and longer explanations. Image generation and reference-image workflows tend to cost more because they ask the AI system to create or interpret visual assets, not just text.

CourseSaga will continue to show gem estimates in the app before eligible AI actions. Treat those estimates like a planning tool: if the quote feels high, narrow the request or turn off optional extras for the first pass.

You do not have to use AI for everything

AI generation is optional. If you already know what you want, manual editing can be the most efficient path. You can write or revise course text yourself, add your own examples, choose activities manually, and only use AI for the parts that are genuinely tedious.

Images are a good example. Before generating custom images, try searching for existing images in CourseSaga's image picker. If a photo from Pexels or another supported source clearly fits the vocabulary item, it may be a better choice than paying gems for a generated image. If you have the right image yourself, you can upload your own media instead.

When you use existing or uploaded images, make sure they are appropriate for learners and that you have the rights to use them. Avoid copyrighted characters, private people without permission, sensitive personal information, misleading images, explicit content, hateful content, and anything that would violate CourseSaga's content policies.

A thrifty course-building workflow

Outline first. Ask for a lesson plan, topic list, or vocabulary set before generating a complete media-rich course.
Draft with lower settings. Use lower reasoning or shorter content while you are testing direction, tone, and scope.
Check non-AI media first. Search for existing images or use your own appropriate media before generating custom art.
Pause before media. Build the text, vocab, tutorials, and quizzes before spending gems on final images.
Use image placeholders. Placeholder images are useful while you decide which vocab items truly need custom art.
Polish selectively. Once the course feels useful, replace placeholders for the most important lesson covers and vocabulary cards.

When to spend more gems

Higher-cost options are worth it when they improve something learners will see repeatedly: course covers, lesson covers, core vocabulary images, polished explanations, and activities that anchor the course. They are less useful for throwaway drafts or broad prompts that you have not reviewed yet.

Prompt habits that reduce rework

Specific prompts usually waste fewer gems than vague ones. Include the learner level, target language, topic boundaries, preferred lesson count, and anything the course should avoid. If you only want the AI to improve one lesson, say that. If you want no new images yet, say that too.

Example: "Create one beginner Spanish lesson about ordering coffee. Keep it to 12 vocabulary items, one short tutorial, and a 6-question quiz. Do not generate images yet."

Good uses for placeholders

Placeholders are helpful when you are still validating whether the course is enjoyable. You can test the sequence, review the vocabulary, and play through activities without paying for final visuals. Later, replace only the images that matter most.

Good uses for image search and uploads

Use image search when a real-world photo will teach the concept clearly: food, animals, places, tools, classroom objects, gestures, and many everyday nouns. Use your own uploaded images when the course is personal, local, or specialized, such as a family recipe course, a classroom object set, or workplace vocabulary.

Use AI-generated images when you need a consistent style, an abstract concept, a custom scene, or a visual that is hard to find safely through search. Even then, generate a few important images first, review them, and expand only if they improve the course.

Before you approve a larger AI run

Check that the selected course and lesson are the ones you intended to edit.
Look for options that add images, audio, long explanations, or many quiz questions.
Decide whether image search, placeholders, or uploaded media would work before generating custom images.
Start with fewer lessons or fewer vocabulary items if you are exploring a new idea.
Read the preview carefully before applying changes.

Gem pricing, model choices, and available AI options may change as CourseSaga improves. The app's current preview and purchase screens are the source of truth for your account.