Formation User Guide

Welcome to Formation! This guide helps you get started with hiring AI agents and making inference requests to AI models on the Formation network.

Who This Guide Is For

This documentation is designed for end users who want to:

• 🤖 Hire AI agents to perform tasks and solve problems
• 🧠 Use AI models for text generation, analysis, and other AI capabilities
• 💳 Understand pricing and manage your account credits
• 🔧 Integrate Formation into your applications and workflows

Quick Start

New to Formation?

1. Get Started with Agents - Learn how to browse, hire, and use AI agents
2. Model Inference Guide - Make your first AI model inference request
3. API Reference - Complete API documentation for developers

Already familiar with OpenAI?

Formation is 100% OpenAI-compatible! You can use your existing OpenAI code with Formation models by simply changing the base URL:

# Instead of OpenAI
client = OpenAI(api_key="your-openai-key")

# Use Formation
client = OpenAI(
    api_key="your-formation-signature",  # ECDSA signature
    base_url="https://formation.ai/v1"   # Formation endpoint
)

What You Can Do on Formation

🤖 AI Agents

AI agents are specialized services that can perform complex tasks:

• Text Processing: Writing, editing, summarization, translation
• Code Generation: Programming assistance, debugging, code review
• Data Analysis: Processing spreadsheets, generating insights
• Creative Tasks: Content creation, brainstorming, design assistance
• Research: Information gathering, fact-checking, analysis
• Workflow Automation: Multi-step processes, task orchestration

Browse Available Agents →

🧠 AI Models

AI models provide direct inference capabilities:

• Language Models: Chat completions, text generation
• Specialized Models: Code generation, mathematical reasoning
• Multimodal Models: Text + image understanding
• Custom Models: Community-deployed specialized models

Start Using Models →

Formation vs. Other AI Platforms

Account & Billing

Credit System

Formation uses a simple credit-based billing system:

• 1 credit = $0.01 USD
• Credits are deducted in real-time as you use services
• No surprise bills - you only pay for what you use
• Transparent pricing for all agents and models

Subscription Tiers

Choose the plan that fits your usage:

Authentication

Formation uses ECDSA signature authentication for security:

• No API keys to manage or leak
• Cryptographically secure authentication
• Compatible with Ethereum wallets and tools
• Learn more about authentication →

Getting Help

Documentation Sections

• Agents - Complete guide to hiring and using AI agents
• Models - Direct AI model inference and API reference
• Examples - Code examples in multiple languages

Support Channels

• Community Discord: discord.gg/formation
• GitHub Issues: github.com/formation-ai/formation
• Email Support: support@formation.ai (Pro+ subscribers)

Common Questions

Q: How is Formation different from OpenAI? A: Formation is a decentralized network that's 100% OpenAI-compatible but offers specialized AI agents and community-deployed models that you can't find elsewhere.

Q: Can I use my existing OpenAI code? A: Yes! Just change the base URL to Formation's endpoint and use ECDSA signature authentication instead of API keys.

Q: How much does it cost? A: Formation uses transparent credit-based pricing. Most text generation costs 1-2 credits per 1,000 tokens (1-2 cents). Agents have their own pricing based on complexity.

Q: What if I need help? A: Start with our documentation, join our Discord community, or contact support if you're on a Pro+ plan.

Next Steps

For Immediate Use

1. Get Started with Agents - Hire your first AI agent
2. Try Model Inference - Make your first API call

For Developers

1. API Reference - Complete technical documentation
2. Code Examples - Working examples in Python, JavaScript, cURL
3. Integration Guide - Add Formation to your app

For Businesses

1. Enterprise Features - Dedicated support and SLAs
2. Custom Deployment - Deploy your own agents and models
3. Volume Pricing - Discounts for high-volume usage

Ready to get started? Choose your path:

• 🚀 Hire an AI Agent - Get work done with specialized AI
• 🧠 Use AI Models - Direct access to language models
• 💻 View Code Examples - See Formation in action

Welcome to the future of AI! 🎉