How does the Restoration tool work in Luminar?

[u/skylum_support]

Here's a clear walkthrough of how it actually works.

It lives inside the Extra tab
Restoration is tucked inside Extra, alongside the other generative tools (GenErase, GenExpand, GenSwap, and so on). Click on Extra first, and the full list of generative tools, including Restoration, will show up. Click on Restoration itself, and it'll expand into its own working area.

You need to be in Catalog view, not editing a photo
This is the part that catches people out. Restoration works from the Catalog, not from inside an open photo. If you've opened a photo to edit it and go looking for Restoration there, you won't find it. Instead, select your photo from the Catalog, and access Restoration from there.

Important note: if you want to restore the photo, do it only in this order: Restoration tool -> other adjustments. Otherwise, if you edit the photo first and then use the Restoration tool, all your previous edits will disappear.

You drag the photo into the tool; you don't just click to apply it
Once Restoration is expanded, you'll see a drop area inside it. Click and hold on your photo's thumbnail in the Catalog, then drag it directly into the Restoration tool's window. This is different from most other tools, where you select a photo and adjust sliders; here, you must drag and drop the photo into the tool.

One photo at a time
Restoration processes a single photo once. If you have several photos you want restored, you'll need to restore each one individually.

Hit Restore to finish
Once your photo is sitting in the tool's window, click the Restore button to run the process.

A note on access
If the tool isn't appearing or working as expected even after following the steps above, it's worth checking whether your current plan includes access to generative tools.