Pre-publish Post Assistant Skill

Purpose

This skill helps prepare blog posts for publication by providing intelligent suggestions for:

Categories - From existing site categories, with distribution awareness
Tags - From existing tags, avoiding tag pollution
SEO Metadata - Title, meta description, and focus keyphrase

All suggestions include rationale explaining the reasoning.

When to Use This Skill

User says "classify this post" or "suggest categories/tags"
User asks to "prepare this post for publishing"
User wants "SEO suggestions" for a draft
User provides a draft post and asks for taxonomy suggestions
User mentions "new blog post" and needs categorization help

Key Principles

Category Selection

Limit to 1-2 categories per post (primary + optional secondary)
Prefer categories with moderate post counts (avoid over/under-populated)
Match content theme, not just keywords
Consider category hierarchy if applicable

Tag Selection

Limit to 3-5 tags per post
Only use existing tags (no new tag creation unless explicitly requested)
Avoid tag pollution (tags with only 1-2 posts are low value)
Prefer tags that group related content meaningfully
Consider tag search potential

SEO Metadata

Title: 50-60 characters, include primary keyword, compelling
Meta Description: 150-160 characters, summarize value proposition, include CTA
Focus Keyphrase: 2-4 words, searchable, relevant to content

Input Formats

The skill accepts draft content in multiple formats:

# File path
"Classify this post: /path/to/draft.md"

# URL (for already-published posts needing optimization)
"Suggest tags for https://example.com/my-post/"

# Inline text
"Here's my draft: [content]... What categories fit?"

Data Sources

Categories and Tags

Can be retrieved from:

WordPress GraphQL - Live data from WP
Static dist folder - Parse from built site (/category/, /tag/ pages)
Cached taxonomy file - Pre-generated taxonomy.json

Distribution Data

For balanced suggestions, the skill needs post counts per category/tag:

Categories: Aim for even distribution, flag if category would become oversized
Tags: Prefer tags with 5+ posts, warn about orphan tags

Output Format

## Suggested Categories

| Category | Post Count | Confidence | Rationale |
|----------|------------|------------|-----------|
| personal-development | 245 | High | Core theme matches self-improvement focus |
| productivity-effectiveness | 89 | Medium | Secondary theme around habits and routines |

**Recommendation**: Use "personal-development" as primary category.

---

## Suggested Tags

| Tag | Post Count | Confidence | Rationale |
|-----|------------|------------|-----------|
| habits | 45 | High | Central topic of the post |
| productivity | 67 | High | Directly discussed |
| morning-routine | 12 | Medium | Specific example in content |

**Recommendation**: Use all 3 tags. Avoid creating new tags.

---

## SEO Metadata

**Title** (58 chars):
> How to Build Morning Habits That Actually Stick | Your Blog

**Meta Description** (156 chars):
> Discover the science-backed approach to building morning habits that last. Learn the 3-step framework used by high performers. Start your transformation today.

**Focus Keyphrase**:
> morning habits

**Rationale**:
- "morning habits" has good search volume and matches user intent
- Title includes keyphrase naturally at the beginning
- Description creates urgency and promises specific value

Workflow

1. Analyze Content

Extract main themes and topics
Identify key concepts and terminology
Determine content type (how-to, opinion, review, etc.)

2. Load Taxonomy

Fetch existing categories with post counts
Fetch existing tags with post counts
Identify distribution patterns

3. Match & Score

Score each category/tag by relevance
Consider distribution balance
Flag potential issues (orphan tags, oversized categories)

4. Generate SEO

Craft title with primary keyword
Write compelling meta description
Suggest focus keyphrase

5. Present with Rationale

Show recommendations in table format
Explain reasoning for each suggestion
Highlight any concerns or alternatives

Configuration

{
  "taxonomy_source": "graphql|dist|file",
  "dist_path": "./dist",
  "taxonomy_file": "./taxonomy.json",
  "graphql_endpoint": "https://wp.example.com/graphql",
  "limits": {
    "max_categories": 2,
    "max_tags": 5,
    "min_tag_posts": 3
  },
  "seo": {
    "title_max_length": 60,
    "description_max_length": 160,
    "site_name": "Your Blog"
  }
}

Example Usage

Basic Classification

User: "Classify this post for me: /content/drafts/morning-routine-guide.md"

Claude: [Reads file, analyzes content, fetches taxonomy]
        [Presents category/tag suggestions with rationale]
        [Generates SEO metadata]

Quick Tag Check

User: "What tags should I use for a post about Bitcoin ETFs and institutional adoption?"

Claude: [Analyzes topic, checks existing tags]
        "Based on your existing tags, I recommend:
        - bitcoin (89 posts) - primary topic
        - cryptocurrency (45 posts) - broader category
        - investing (23 posts) - relevant angle

        Avoid creating new tags like 'etf' or 'institutional' unless you plan
        to write more content on these specific topics."

SEO Focus

User: "Generate SEO metadata for my post about productivity apps for remote workers"

Claude: [Analyzes topic and search intent]

        Title: "Best Productivity Apps for Remote Workers in 2025 | Your Blog"

        Description: "Discover the top productivity apps that remote workers
        swear by. From task management to focus tools, find the perfect
        stack for your home office."

        Focus Keyphrase: "productivity apps remote workers"

Best Practices Enforced

No tag pollution - Won't suggest creating new tags unless justified
Balanced distribution - Warns if category is becoming oversized
SEO compliance - Enforces character limits and keyword placement
Existing taxonomy - Always checks against actual site data
Transparent reasoning - Every suggestion includes rationale

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