cf-template

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

# 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 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 — Use templates with --type=custom:template-name
• /contentforge:batch-process — Batch can reference custom templates
• /contentforge:cf-brief — Briefs can target custom template section structures

Agent: None (deterministic template creation) Output: Template .md file at ~/.claude-marketing/_templates/, pipeline validation, usage instructions