git:20260814.cbbdba4 to git:20261009.d7af708

1 added, 1 removed. Audit A to A.

---

name: cf-template

- description: "Create and manage custom content-type templates beyond the 8 built-ins (article, blog, whitepaper, faq, research-paper, video-script, case-study, newsletter) — defining section structure, word-count allocations, readability targets, citation minimums, and quality standards, then validating the template against every pipeline phase. Saves to ~/.claude-marketing/_templates/ so plugin updates never wipe it. Triggers on \"/contentforge:cf-template\", \"create a template for press releases\", \"add a custom content type\", \"list available templates\", \"import a structure from this example doc\". Deterministic, no agent; produces the template file consumed by /contentforge:create-content --type=custom:name, and /contentforge:cf-brief can target its section structure."

+ description: "Create a custom content-type template: sections, word counts, citation minimums. \"make a template for our case studies\""

argument-hint: "[content-type]"

effort: high

---

# Custom Content Template Manager

Create and manage custom content type templates beyond the 8 built-in types (article, blog, whitepaper, faq, research-paper, video-script, case-study, newsletter). Define section structure, word count ranges, readability targets, citation requirements, and quality standards — then use the template with `/contentforge:create-content` for consistent, repeatable content production.

## Where templates live

- **Built-in templates (read-only):** `templates/content-types/` inside the installed plugin — article, blog, whitepaper, faq, research-paper, video-script, case-study, newsletter.

- **Custom templates (user-created):** `~/.claude-marketing/_templates/` — **never** write into the installed plugin directory. Plugin updates and reinstalls wipe the plugin folder; anything saved there is lost. `~/.claude-marketing/_templates/` survives updates.

## When to Use

Use `/contentforge:cf-template` when:

- You need a **content type not covered** by the 8 built-in templates (product comparison, landing page copy, press release, webinar outline, etc.)

- You want to **standardize a content format** your team produces regularly

- You need to **modify an existing template** (e.g., add a section to the article template)

- You're onboarding a client who has **specific content format requirements**

- You want to **import a content structure** from an example file

**For producing content using a template**, use `/contentforge:create-content --type=custom:template-name`.

**For the 8 built-in templates**, see `templates/content-types/` (these ship with the plugin and cannot be deleted).

## What This Command Does

1. **Define Template** — Specify content type name, base type (or custom), word count range, readability target, and citation requirements

2. **Create Section Structure** — Define sections with names, descriptions, word count allocations, and ordering

3. **Set Quality Standards** — Readability target (grade level), citation density, keyword placement rules, and custom quality criteria

4. **Generate Template File** — Create the template .md file in `~/.claude-marketing/_templates/`

5. **Validate Pipeline Compatibility** — Test that the template works with all ContentForge pipeline phases

## Required Inputs

**Minimum Required:**

- **Template Name** — Name for the custom template (e.g., "case-study", "product-comparison", "email-newsletter")

**Optional:**

- **Base Type** — Start from an existing template and modify: article, blog, whitepaper, faq, research-paper, video-script, case-study, newsletter, or `custom` (blank slate)

- **Word Count Range** — Minimum and maximum word count (e.g., 1500-2500)

- **Readability Target** — Flesch-Kincaid grade level target (e.g., 8-10 for general, 12-14 for professional)

- **Citation Minimum** — Minimum number of citations required (e.g., 5)

- **Section Structure** — Array of section names with descriptions and word count allocations

## How to Use

### Interactive Mode (Recommended)

```

/contentforge:cf-template

```

**Prompts you for:**

1. Template name

2. Base type (or custom)

3. Word count range

4. Readability target

5. Citation minimum

6. Sections (add one at a time, or import from example)

### Quick Mode

```

/contentforge:cf-template case-study --base=article --words=1500-2500 --readability=10-12 --citations=8

```

### Import from Example File

```

/contentforge:cf-template product-comparison --from-example=./example-product-comparison.docx

```

Analyzes the example file's structure (headings, sections, word count) and creates a template matching that format.

### Modify Existing Template

```

/contentforge:cf-template article --modify --add-section="Expert Quotes:Include 3-5 expert quotes with attribution:200-300"

```

### List All Templates

```

/contentforge:cf-template --list

```

Shows built-in and custom templates with key specifications.

## What Happens

### Step 1: Template Definition (1-2 minutes)

Define the template's core specifications.

**From Base Type:**

- Load the base template's structure and specifications

- Allow modifications (add/remove/reorder sections, change word counts, adjust quality standards)

**From Example File:**

- Parse the example document's heading structure (H1/H2/H3)

- Measure word counts per section

- Identify citation patterns

- Generate a template matching the observed structure

**From Custom (Blank Slate):**

- Start with no predefined structure

- User defines every section from scratch

**Example:**

```

Template Definition

================================================================

Name: case-study

Base: article (modified)

Word Count Range: 1,500 - 2,500 words

Readability Target: Grade 10-12 (professional audience)

Citation Minimum: 8 sources

Keyword Strategy: 1 primary + 2 secondary keywords

Production Time Estimate: 25-35 minutes

Modifications from Base (article):

+ Added "Client Challenge" section

+ Added "Solution Implementation" section

+ Added "Results & Metrics" section

+ Added "Client Quote" section

- Removed generic "Background" section

* Changed conclusion to "Key Takeaways + CTA"

================================================================

```

### Step 2: Section Structure Definition (2-3 minutes)

Define each section with name, description, word count allocation, and requirements.

**Section Definition Format:**

```

Section Name: [Name]

Description: [What this section should contain]

Word Count: [min-max] words

Required: [yes/no]

Citation Target: [number of citations expected]

Keyword Placement: [yes/no — should primary keyword appear here?]

Notes: [Additional guidance for the drafter]

```

**Example Section Structure (Case Study):**

```

Section Structure: case-study

================================================================

1. Title & Meta

Description: SEO-optimized title with client name (if permitted)

and key result

Word Count: N/A (title + meta description only)

Required: Yes

Keyword Placement: Yes (primary keyword in title)

2. Executive Summary (150-200 words)

Description: 2-3 paragraph overview of the client, challenge,

solution, and headline result. Should stand alone

as a compelling summary.

Required: Yes

Citation Target: 1 (for the headline metric)

Keyword Placement: Yes (within first 100 words)

3. Client Profile (100-150 words)

Description: Brief overview of the client organization — industry,

size, market position. Establish context without

revealing confidential details unless authorized.

Required: Yes

Citation Target: 0

Keyword Placement: No

4. The Challenge (200-300 words)

Description: Describe the specific problem or pain point the

client faced. Include business impact metrics

(cost, time, risk) where available. Make the

reader identify with the challenge.

Required: Yes

Citation Target: 1-2 (industry context for the challenge)

Keyword Placement: Yes (secondary keyword)

5. Solution Implementation (300-400 words)

Description: How the solution was implemented — phases, timeline,

key decisions, technical approach. Be specific enough

to be credible without revealing proprietary methods.

Required: Yes

Citation Target: 1-2 (technology references, methodology citations)

Keyword Placement: Yes (primary keyword)

6. Results & Metrics (250-350 words)

Description: Quantified outcomes with before/after comparisons.

Include at least 3 metrics (e.g., cost reduction %,

time savings, accuracy improvement, ROI). Use data

visualizations descriptions (tables, charts).

Required: Yes

Citation Target: 2-3 (verified metrics, industry benchmarks)

Keyword Placement: No

7. Client Testimonial (100-150 words)

Description: Direct quote from a client stakeholder about the

experience and results. Include name, title, and

organization (with permission).

Required: Yes (can use anonymized if needed)

Citation Target: 1 (the testimonial itself)

Keyword Placement: No

8. Key Takeaways (150-200 words)

Description: 3-5 bullet points summarizing lessons learned

and transferable insights for the reader.

Required: Yes

Citation Target: 0

Keyword Placement: Yes (primary keyword in closing)

9. Call to Action (50-100 words)

Description: Clear next step for the reader — contact form,

demo request, related case study, whitepaper download.

Required: Yes

Citation Target: 0

Keyword Placement: No

Total Sections: 9

Total Word Count: 1,300 - 1,850 (core) + title/meta

Within Range: Yes (1,500 - 2,500 with CTA and formatting)

================================================================

```

### Step 3: Quality Standards Definition (1 minute)

Set the quality criteria specific to this template.

**Quality Standards:**

```

Quality Standards: case-study

================================================================

Readability:

Target Grade Level: 10-12 (Flesch-Kincaid)

Target Reading Ease: 45-55 (Flesch)

Audience: Business professionals, decision-makers

Citations:

Minimum Total: 8 sources

Minimum Density: 1 citation per 300 words

Required Types: At least 1 client-provided metric,

at least 2 industry benchmarks

Recency: 80% of sources within 24 months

SEO:

Primary Keyword Density: 1.5-2.0%

Primary Keyword Placements: Title, Executive Summary,

Challenge, Solution, Takeaways

Secondary Keywords: 2 keywords at 0.5-0.8% density

Meta Title: Under 60 characters

Meta Description: Under 155 characters

Content Quality:

Metrics Required: Minimum 3 quantified results

Testimonial: Required (anonymized acceptable)

Implementation Detail: Specific enough for credibility

Before/After: At least 1 before/after comparison

Brand Compliance:

Follows brand profile voice and terminology

Required disclaimers included (if applicable)

No prohibited claims

Humanization:

Burstiness: advisory, content-derived variation (no fixed target)

AI Pattern Check: Standard (43-pattern catalog)

================================================================

```

### Step 4: Generate Template File (1 minute)

Create the template .md file in `~/.claude-marketing/_templates/` (create the directory if it doesn't exist).

**Generated File: `~/.claude-marketing/_templates/case-study-structure.md`**

```markdown

# Case Study Content Template

**Template Name:** case-study

**Template Revision:** 1.0.0

**Created:** 2026-02-25

**Base Type:** article (modified)

## Specifications

| Specification | Value |

|--------------|-------|

| Word Count | 1,500 - 2,500 |

| Readability | Grade 10-12 |

| Citations | 8+ sources |

| Primary Keywords | 1 |

| Secondary Keywords | 2 |

| Production Time | 25-35 min |

| Sections | 9 |

## Section Structure

[Full section definitions as defined in Step 2]

## Quality Standards

[Full quality standards as defined in Step 3]

## Usage

Use with ContentForge:

/contentforge:create-content "Title" --type=custom:case-study --brand=BrandName

## Examples

See the built-in structures in templates/content-types/ for format reference

```

### Step 5: Pipeline Compatibility Validation (1 minute)

Test the template against all ContentForge pipeline phases.

**Validation Checks:**

- **Phase 1 (Research):** Can generate outline matching section structure

- **Phase 3 (Drafting):** Section word counts sum to within template range

- **Phase 5 (Structurer):** Heading hierarchy is valid (H1 > H2 > H3)

- **Phase 6 (SEO):** Keyword placement rules are compatible with section structure

- **Phase 6.5 (Humanizer):** Burstiness target is achievable for this word count

- **Phase 7 (Reviewer):** Quality standards are scoreable by the 5-dimension system

**Example Validation:**

```

Pipeline Compatibility: case-study

================================================================

Phase 1 (Research): PASS — Outline can target 9 sections

Phase 2 (Fact Check): PASS — Citation targets defined per section

Phase 3 (Drafting): PASS — Word counts sum to 1,300-1,850 (within range)

Phase 4 (Validation): PASS — Citation density achievable

Phase 5 (Structurer): PASS — H1 > H2 hierarchy valid

Phase 6 (SEO): PASS — Keyword placements in 5 sections

Phase 6.5 (Humanizer): PASS — Burstiness achievable at 1,500+ words

Phase 7 (Reviewer): PASS — All 5 quality dimensions scoreable

Phase 8 (Output): PASS — .docx generation compatible

Overall: PASS — Template is pipeline-compatible

================================================================

```

## Built-In Template Examples

For reference, here are templates others commonly create:

### Case Study

```

/contentforge:cf-template case-study --base=article --words=1500-2500 --readability=10-12 --citations=8

```

Sections: Executive Summary, Client Profile, Challenge, Solution, Results, Testimonial, Takeaways, CTA

### Product Comparison

```

/contentforge:cf-template product-comparison --base=article --words=2000-3500 --readability=9-11 --citations=12

```

Sections: Overview, Comparison Criteria, Product-by-Product Analysis (3-5 products), Feature Matrix, Pricing Comparison, Use Case Recommendations, Verdict, CTA

### Landing Page Copy

```

/contentforge:cf-template landing-page --base=custom --words=500-1000 --readability=7-9 --citations=3

```

Sections: Hero Headline + Subhead, Problem Statement, Solution Overview, Key Benefits (3-5), Social Proof, Feature Highlights, FAQ (3-5 questions), CTA

### Email Newsletter

```

/contentforge:cf-template email-newsletter --base=blog --words=400-800 --readability=7-9 --citations=2

```

Sections: Subject Line (A/B options), Preview Text, Opening Hook, Main Content (1-2 topics), Key Takeaway, CTA, PS Line

## Output

The template creation produces:

| Output | Description |

|--------|------------|

| **Template File** | .md file at `~/.claude-marketing/_templates/[name]-structure.md` |

| **Usage Instructions** | Command to use the template with `/contentforge:create-content` |

| **Pipeline Validation** | Compatibility test results for all 10 phases |

| **Specifications Summary** | Word count, readability, citations, sections count |

## Output Example

```

Template Created: case-study

================================================================

File: ~/.claude-marketing/_templates/case-study-structure.md

Specifications:

Word Count: 1,500 - 2,500

Readability: Grade 10-12

Citations: 8+ sources

Sections: 9

Production Time: 25-35 min

Pipeline Validation: PASS (all 10 phases compatible)

Usage:

/contentforge:create-content "Client X: How AI Reduced Diagnostic Time by 40%"

--type=custom:case-study --brand=AcmeMed

Templates Available (Built-In + Custom):

Built-in: article, blog, whitepaper, faq, research-paper, video-script, case-study, newsletter

Custom: case-study (new)

================================================================

```

## Managing Templates

### List All Templates

```

/contentforge:cf-template --list

```

Available Content Templates

================================================================

BUILT-IN (5):

article | 1,500-2,000 words | Grade 10-12 | 8-12 citations

blog | 800-1,500 words | Grade 8-10 | 5-8 citations

whitepaper | 2,500-5,000 words | Grade 12-14 | 15-25 citations

faq | 600-1,200 words | Grade 8-10 | 3-5 citations

research-paper | 4,000-8,000 words | Grade 14-16 | 25-50 citations

video-script | duration-driven | Grade 6-9 | 2-5 citations

case-study | 1,200-2,000 words | Grade 9-11 | 5-10 external citations

newsletter | 500-1,200 words | Grade 7-9 | 2-5 inline links

CUSTOM (1):

case-study | 1,500-2,500 words | Grade 10-12 | 8+ citations

================================================================

```

### View Template Details

```

/contentforge:cf-template case-study --view

```

Displays the full template specification with all sections and quality standards.

### Delete Custom Template

```

/contentforge:cf-template case-study --delete

```

Removes the custom template file. Built-in templates cannot be deleted.

### Export Template

```

/contentforge:cf-template case-study --export=./case-study-template.json

```

Exports the template as JSON for sharing with other ContentForge installations.

## Troubleshooting

### "Word counts don't sum to range"

**Cause:** Section word count allocations don't add up to the template's total word count range.

**Solution:** Adjust individual section word counts or the template's total range. The template creator will warn you during definition if allocations are mismatched.

### "Pipeline validation failed at Phase 7"

**Cause:** Quality standards are too strict or conflicting (e.g., Grade 7 readability with 25 citations — low readability + high citation density is hard to achieve).

**Solution:** Relax either the readability target or the citation minimum. The validation will suggest which constraint to adjust.

### "Template not found when using --type=custom:name"

**Cause:** Template file doesn't exist in `~/.claude-marketing/_templates/` (custom) or `templates/content-types/` (built-in), or the name doesn't match.

**Solution:** Run `/contentforge:cf-template --list` to see available templates. Names are kebab-case (e.g., `case-study`, not `Case Study`). Custom templates created before mid-2026 may still sit inside the old plugin-directory location — if so, move them to `~/.claude-marketing/_templates/` so plugin updates don't delete them.

### "Can't modify built-in template"

**Cause:** Built-in templates (article, blog, whitepaper, faq, research-paper, video-script, case-study, newsletter) are read-only.

**Solution:** Create a custom template based on the built-in one: `/contentforge:cf-template my-article --base=article`. This creates a copy you can modify freely.

## Limitations

- **Custom templates** live at `~/.claude-marketing/_templates/` on this machine (not synced to cloud unless exported)

- **Base type modification** copies the base — changes to the base later won't propagate to the custom template

- **Maximum sections**: 15 per template (more than 15 makes the pipeline unwieldy)

- **Minimum word count**: 300 words (below this, the quality scoring system is unreliable)

- **Import from example** works best with well-structured .docx files (clear heading hierarchy)

## Agent Used

None. This skill uses deterministic template creation (section definition, word count calculation, validation rules) without agent-based reasoning.

## Related Skills

- **[/contentforge:create-content](../../commands/create-content.md)** — Use templates with `--type=custom:template-name`

- **[/contentforge:batch-process](../batch-process/SKILL.md)** — Batch can reference custom templates

- **[/contentforge:cf-brief](../cf-brief/SKILL.md)** — Briefs can target custom template section structures

---

**Agent:** None (deterministic template creation)

**Output:** Template .md file at `~/.claude-marketing/_templates/`, pipeline validation, usage instructions