sales-happyscribe

What this skill does

# HappyScribe Platform Help

## Step 1 — Gather context

If `references/learnings.md` exists, read it first for accumulated platform knowledge.

1. **What's your primary goal?**
   - A) Transcribe audio/video files (batch transcription)
   - B) Generate subtitles/captions for video
   - C) Translate transcripts or subtitles into other languages
   - D) Order human transcription for high-accuracy needs
   - E) Integrate HappyScribe API into a pipeline
   - F) Compare HappyScribe to alternatives for my use case
   - G) Troubleshoot a specific issue (accuracy, editor, exports)

2. **What type of content are you transcribing?**
   - A) Meetings / calls
   - B) Interviews / podcasts
   - C) Legal / compliance recordings
   - D) Media production (film, TV, marketing videos)
   - E) Research / academic
   - F) Mixed / high volume

3. **What plan are you on (or considering)?**
   - A) Free trial (10 min)
   - B) Basic ($17/mo — 120 AI minutes)
   - C) Pro ($29/mo — 600 AI minutes)
   - D) Business ($89/mo — 6,000 AI minutes)
   - E) Enterprise (custom)
   - F) Not sure yet

Skip-ahead rule: if the user's prompt already contains enough context, skip to Step 2.

## Step 2 — Route or answer directly

| Problem domain | Route to |
|---|---|
| Choosing a live meeting recorder or note-taker | `/sales-note-taker {user's question}` |
| Building a coaching program from call recordings | `/sales-coaching {user's question}` |
| General CRM-to-tool integration (Zapier, webhooks, iPaaS) | `/sales-integration {user's question}` |
| Comparing batch transcription tools broadly | `/sales-note-taker {user's question}` |

When routing, provide the exact command: "This is a {problem domain} question — run: `/sales-{skill} {user's original question}`"

Otherwise, answer directly below.

## Step 3 — HappyScribe platform reference

**Read `references/platform-guide.md`** for the full platform reference — modules, pricing, integrations, data model, workflows.

If the question involves the API, also read `references/happyscribe-api-reference.md`.

Answer the user's question using only the relevant section. Don't dump the full reference.

## Step 4 — Actionable guidance

You no longer need the platform guide — focus on the user's specific situation.

**Plan selection framework:**
- **One-off or light use (<2 hrs/mo)** → Basic ($17/mo for 120 min, or $8.50/mo annual)
- **Regular transcription (up to 10 hrs/mo)** → Pro ($29/mo for 600 min, 3 seats included)
- **High-volume production (up to 100 hrs/mo)** → Business ($89/mo for 6,000 min, 5 seats, style guides)
- **Overflow credits**: $0.20/min ($12/hr) once monthly allotment is exhausted
- **Human transcription**: $2.00/min ($120/hr) — order separately from subscription

**AI vs Human decision:**
- AI (85% accuracy) → drafts, internal use, content with clear audio and common accents
- Human (99% accuracy) → legal, broadcast, publication, heavy accents, poor audio quality

**Accuracy optimization:**
1. Upload highest quality audio (minimize background noise, crosstalk)
2. Use custom glossaries (Business+) for domain-specific terms
3. Use style guides for formatting consistency across team projects
4. Review speaker labels after transcription — diarization is imperfect

If you discover a gotcha, workaround, or tip not covered in `references/learnings.md`, append it there.

## Gotchas

> *Best-effort from research — review these, especially items about plan-gated features and integration gotchas that may be outdated.*

- **No live/real-time transcription.** HappyScribe is upload-only — it does not join meetings or capture audio live. For live transcription, use Fathom, Fireflies, or Otter.
- **85% AI accuracy requires manual cleanup.** Expect significant corrections with background noise, multiple speakers, or strong accents. Budget editor time into your workflow.
- **Free trial is 10 minutes total, not recurring.** Exports are watermarked on free tier. You cannot evaluate properly without paying.
- **Pricing can change suddenly.** Multiple users report unexpected price increases. Lock in annual billing to protect your rate.
- **Style guides are Business-only.** Teams needing formatting consistency across projects must be on Business ($89/mo) or Enterprise.
- **API rate limit is 200 req/hour.** Lower than most transcription APIs — queue requests and cache responses for high-volume pipelines.
- **Editor can lose unsaved work.** Some users report page refresh bugs that wipe edits. Save frequently and export drafts.
- **Human transcription is billed separately.** The $2.00/min cost is on top of your subscription fee, not instead of it.

## Related skills

- `/sales-note-taker` — Comparing AI meeting note-takers and conversation intelligence platforms (Fathom, Fireflies, Gong, etc.). HappyScribe is a batch transcription option, not a live meeting tool.
- `/sales-sonix` — Sonix platform help (closest competitor — batch AI transcription, 53+ languages, REST API, SOC 2/HIPAA)
- `/sales-integration` — General tool integration patterns (Zapier, webhooks, iPaaS)
- `/sales-do` — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do`

## Examples

### Example 1: Choosing HappyScribe vs Sonix for subtitle production
**User says**: "I produce marketing videos in 5 languages and need subtitles. Should I use HappyScribe or Sonix?"
**Skill does**:
1. Notes HappyScribe supports 120+ languages vs Sonix's 53+ — wider coverage for multilingual workflows
2. Compares subtitle editors: HappyScribe has styling/positioning controls and more export formats (SRT, VTT, STL, Premiere XML, FCP XML); Sonix has video burn-in
3. Compares pricing: HappyScribe Pro $29/mo for 600 min vs Sonix Premium $22/mo + $5/hr — HappyScribe is cheaper at moderate volumes
4. Recommends HappyScribe for multi-language subtitle workflows with extensive format needs
**Result**: Clear recommendation based on language coverage and subtitle feature comparison.

### Example 2: Building an API pipeline for transcription
**User says**: "I want to auto-transcribe uploaded recordings using the HappyScribe API and export as SRT."
**Skill does**:
1. Reads the API reference for endpoint details
2. Sketches the pipeline: Upload via signed S3 URL → Create Order with `is_subtitle: true` → Poll or webhook for completion → Create Export with `format: srt` → Download from export URL
3. Notes: use Orders endpoint (Transcriptions endpoint is deprecated), 200 req/hr rate limit, Bearer token auth
4. Flags: `confirm: true` on order creation to auto-submit, or create then confirm separately for review
**Result**: Working pipeline architecture with HappyScribe-specific endpoint details.

### Example 3: Transcription accuracy is terrible with accented speakers
**User says**: "HappyScribe keeps getting names and technical terms wrong — the transcript is unusable for our legal team."
**Skill does**:
1. Explains 85% AI accuracy is typical — for legal-grade work, recommends human transcription ($2.00/min, 99% accuracy)
2. For AI transcription improvement: create a custom glossary with names and technical terms (Business+ required), upload highest quality audio, ensure clear speaker separation
3. Suggests a hybrid workflow: AI transcription first for speed, then order human proofreading on critical sections
**Result**: Practical fix with cost/accuracy trade-off guidance.

## Troubleshooting

### AI transcription accuracy drops with multiple speakers or accents
**Symptom**: Transcript has frequent word errors, especially with non-native English speakers or cross-talk
**Cause**: HappyScribe's AI engine (Whisper-based) struggles with overlapping speech, strong accents, and domain-specific terminology
**Solution**: Upload the highest quality audio available. Create a custom glossary (Business+) with proper nouns, technical terms, and acronyms. For critical content, use human transcription ($2.00/min). If accuracy is consistently