Parent: Content Brain
Status: Active Specification
Version: v1.0
Last Reviewed: 2026-06-11
Purpose
The Content Brain Output Style Selector Specification defines the core Content Brain operating surface for choosing what type of content output should be created from approved intelligence, site intelligence records, existing content gaps, refresh opportunities, affiliate funnel needs, and publishing readiness signals.
This specification corrects the Content Brain build direction.
Content Brain is not Research Brain.
Content Brain can use Research Brain inputs, Site Intelligence Records, evidence records, page reviews, friction signals, compliance flags, and build readiness signals.
But Content Brain’s core job is not to keep researching.
Content Brain’s core job is to turn approved intelligence into usable content assets.
Core Rule
Content Brain must answer:
What content asset should this become?
The Output Style Selector is the main decision layer that helps the operator choose the right content output type.
The Records layer supports this decision.
The Records layer must not become the main Content Brain product.
Content Brain’s real core surface is the Content Output Layer.
Department Purpose
Content Brain owns:
Content output decisions
Content asset selection
SEO content briefs
Affiliate content briefs
Content refresh plans
Publishing readiness outputs
Repurposing packs
Internal linking outputs
Content QA outputs
Affiliate funnel support assets
Content production pathways
Content Brain does not own:
Primary market research
Raw evidence discovery
Research source validation
Paid ad campaign testing
Attribution infrastructure
Automation execution
Finance approval
Compliance policy ownership
Brain Room routing
Worker execution
AI Employee execution
Content Brain can receive inputs from other Brains, but the final Content Brain action must be content-output shaped.
Correct Content Brain Bias
Content Brain must default to this question:
What should we create, improve, refresh, repurpose, or prepare for publishing?
Content Brain must not default to:
What else can we research?
What else can we store?
What else can we log?
What else can we archive?
What else can we turn into another record screen?
Those are support questions.
The core Content Brain question is output selection.
Input Sources
The Output Style Selector may use inputs from:
Content Brain Site Intelligence Records
Content Brain Manual Workflow Test Log
Content Brain Site Intelligence Test Records
Content Brain Site Content Intelligence Framework
Content Brain Site Intelligence Manual Test Protocol
Content Brain Site Intelligence To Content Brief Workflow
Content Brain Publishing Readiness
Content Brain SEO Content Briefs
Content Brain Affiliate Content Packs
Content Brain Refresh
Content Brain Repurposing
Content Brain Internal Linking
Research Brain outputs
Compliance Brain risk notes
Conversion Brain page improvement notes
UX Brain usability and friction notes
Ads Brain creative or campaign signals
Data Brain performance signals
Affiliate Brain offer or funnel context
The input source does not change Content Brain’s job.
The input must be converted into a content output decision.
Core Surface
The core surface of this specification is:
Content Brain Output Style Selector
The Output Style Selector should allow the operator to select the best next content output based on the current page, record, opportunity, site review, affiliate product, existing article, or publishing need.
The selector should not generate full content automatically at this stage.
The selector should guide the manual workflow toward the correct output type.
Manual workflow remains human controlled unless explicitly changed later.
Support Layers
The following are support layers:
Site Intelligence Records
Evidence records
Review outcomes
Friction signals
Build readiness signals
Compliance risk flags
Routing recommendations
Status tracking
Migration tracking
Archive state
Record history
These layers are useful.
These layers are needed.
These layers help move existing WordPress / MCR test material into structured storage.
But they are not the main Content Brain product.
The main Content Brain product is the ability to produce the correct content asset output from approved inputs.
Primary Output Types
The Output Style Selector should support the following primary output types.
SEO Content Brief
Used when the next action is to create a search-focused content brief for a new article, guide, comparison, review, or supporting page.
Best used when:
Search intent is clear
Keyword or topic opportunity exists
The page does not yet exist
The topic supports authority growth
The topic supports affiliate funnel support
The topic needs structured content planning before writing
Output should include:
Target topic
Search intent
Audience stage
Page purpose
Required sections
Evidence requirements
Internal linking opportunities
Compliance notes
Publishing readiness status
Affiliate Pre-Sell Page Brief
Used when the goal is to prepare a pre-sell content asset for an affiliate offer.
Best used when:
The content must warm up the visitor before vendor click-through
The offer needs trust building
The audience needs belief shift
The page must support affiliate conversion
The offer needs story, education, objection handling, or comparison logic
Output should include:
Offer context
Audience problem
Pre-sell angle
Belief shift
Trust signals
Objection handling
CTA direction
Compliance risk notes
Vendor bridge alignment
Product Review Page Brief
Used when the output should become a product review or product-focused affiliate page.
Best used when:
A single offer or product is being reviewed
The audience is near buying decision
Trust, proof, features, benefits, and risk need structure
Compliance and claim control matter
Output should include:
Product summary
Audience fit
Problem solved
Benefits
Concerns
Proof requirements
Comparison context
CTA direction
Compliance notes
Comparison Page Brief
Used when the content asset should compare two or more products, methods, tools, options, or approaches.
Best used when:
The user is comparing options
The buying decision needs contrast
Multiple products or solution paths exist
The content can support affiliate or lead-generation conversion
Output should include:
Comparison criteria
Audience decision stage
Options compared
Strengths and weaknesses
Best-fit recommendation logic
Trust and evidence requirements
Internal links
CTA direction
Listicle Brief
Used when the output should become a list-style article, such as best tools, best options, top methods, examples, ideas, or resources.
Best used when:
The topic fits list search intent
The audience wants options
The content can support internal links, affiliate offers, or authority building
The page needs scannable structure
Output should include:
List angle
Selection criteria
Item structure
Ranking logic if needed
Internal link targets
Affiliate placement notes
Publishing readiness notes
Authority Article Brief
Used when the content asset should build topical authority, explain a concept, educate the audience, or support future internal linking.
Best used when:
The topic supports authority
The content is not directly conversion-first
The page helps support a cluster
The site needs depth and trust
Output should include:
Core topic
Audience knowledge level
Education goal
Key sections
Supporting evidence
Internal link plan
Related future assets
Refresh Plan
Used when an existing page should be improved rather than replaced or ignored.
Best used when:
The page exists
The page is outdated
The page is thin
The page has unclear structure
The page has weak intent alignment
The page has potential but needs improvement
Output should include:
Current page issue
Refresh reason
Sections to update
Sections to add
Sections to remove
Internal links to add
Compliance issues
Publishing readiness status
Thin Content Expansion Plan
Used when a page exists but lacks depth, usefulness, differentiation, or evidence.
Best used when:
The page is too short
The page has weak information gain
The page does not satisfy intent
The page lacks examples, proof, structure, or next steps
Output should include:
Thin content diagnosis
Missing sections
Evidence gaps
User intent gaps
Expansion outline
Internal link opportunities
Compliance notes
Internal Linking Plan
Used when the main output is to improve how pages connect across the site.
Best used when:
A page needs stronger topical support
A hub or cluster needs structure
Existing pages are disconnected
Affiliate support pages need traffic flow
Authority needs to be distributed
Output should include:
Source pages
Target pages
Anchor text direction
Link purpose
Cluster relationship
Priority links
Avoided links
Repurposing Pack
Used when an existing article, review, brief, or content asset should become smaller content pieces.
Best used when:
A strong page exists
Content can be turned into social posts, email, shorts, newsletter ideas, or supporting snippets
The asset should support distribution
Output should include:
Source asset
Repurposing goal
Social post ideas
Email angles
Short-form video angles
Quote or insight snippets
CTA direction
Audience stage
Publishing Readiness Checklist
Used when the content asset is close to publishing and needs final human-controlled review.
Best used when:
A draft exists
A page is being prepared for publishing
Final checks are required before launch
Output should include:
Title check
Intent alignment check
Structure check
Evidence check
Compliance check
Internal linking check
CTA check
Formatting check
Publishing decision
Content QA Output
Used when the page needs quality review rather than a new brief.
Best used when:
The page exists
The operator wants to know whether the page is good enough
The issue may be quality, clarity, trust, structure, usefulness, or compliance
Output should include:
Quality score
Main issues
Missing content
Clarity problems
Trust gaps
Compliance flags
Recommended next action
Affiliate Funnel Support Pack
Used when the content should support a wider affiliate funnel rather than exist as a standalone article.
Best used when:
The page supports an affiliate campaign
The content needs to connect to offer, ads, pre-sell, bridge, email, or retargeting
Multiple assets are needed around one offer
Output should include:
Offer context
Funnel stage
Supporting content assets
Pre-sell page need
Review page need
Comparison page need
Email support
Repurposing support
Internal linking support
Compliance risk notes
Selector Decision Questions
The Output Style Selector should guide the operator using simple decision questions.
- Does the page already exist?
If yes, consider:
Refresh Plan
Thin Content Expansion Plan
Content QA Output
Internal Linking Plan
Repurposing Pack
Publishing Readiness Checklist
If no, consider:
SEO Content Brief
Affiliate Pre-Sell Page Brief
Product Review Page Brief
Comparison Page Brief
Listicle Brief
Authority Article Brief
- Is the goal traffic, conversion, authority, refresh, or distribution?
If traffic:
SEO Content Brief
Listicle Brief
Authority Article Brief
If conversion:
Affiliate Pre-Sell Page Brief
Product Review Page Brief
Comparison Page Brief
Affiliate Funnel Support Pack
If authority:
Authority Article Brief
Internal Linking Plan
Topic cluster support
If refresh:
Refresh Plan
Thin Content Expansion Plan
Content QA Output
If distribution:
Repurposing Pack
Email or social content support
- Is this affiliate-related?
If yes, consider:
Affiliate Pre-Sell Page Brief
Product Review Page Brief
Comparison Page Brief
Affiliate Funnel Support Pack
Publishing Readiness Checklist
Compliance risk review
If no, consider:
SEO Content Brief
Authority Article Brief
Refresh Plan
Internal Linking Plan
Repurposing Pack
- Is the page risky from a compliance or claims perspective?
If yes, include:
Compliance risk notes
Evidence requirements
Safe wording requirements
Human approval status
Possible Compliance Brain review
Content Brain does not become Compliance Brain.
Content Brain flags the risk and routes or requests review where required.
- Is this output ready to generate content?
At the current phase, the answer should usually be:
No full content generation.
The correct output is a brief, plan, checklist, or pack.
Full article generation should not start until explicitly approved as a later Content Brain build layer.
Recommended Selector Fields
The Output Style Selector should include these fields.
Record / Page Name
The name of the source record, page, article, offer, or site review.
Source Type
Options:
Site Intelligence Record
Existing WordPress Page
Affiliate Offer
Content Gap
Refresh Candidate
Manual Review
Research Brain Input
Compliance Input
Conversion Input
Other
Output Type
Options:
SEO Content Brief
Affiliate Pre-Sell Page Brief
Product Review Page Brief
Comparison Page Brief
Listicle Brief
Authority Article Brief
Refresh Plan
Thin Content Expansion Plan
Internal Linking Plan
Repurposing Pack
Publishing Readiness Checklist
Content QA Output
Affiliate Funnel Support Pack
Primary Goal
Options:
Traffic
Conversion
Authority
Refresh
Publishing
Repurposing
Internal Linking
Affiliate Funnel Support
Compliance Preparation
Audience Stage
Options:
Unaware
Problem Aware
Solution Aware
Product Aware
Most Aware
Existing Asset Status
Options:
No page exists
Page exists and needs review
Page exists and needs refresh
Page exists and needs expansion
Page exists and is near publishing
Page exists and should be repurposed
Offer / Funnel Link
Optional field for affiliate or funnel-related outputs.
Compliance Risk
Options:
Low
Moderate
High
Unknown
Evidence Status
Options:
Sufficient
Needs more evidence
Unclear
Not required for this output
Publishing Readiness
Options:
Not started
Draft required
Draft exists
Needs review
Ready after fixes
Ready
Human Approval Status
Options:
Not reviewed
Needs Martyn review
Approved for brief
Approved for refresh
Approved for publishing review
Blocked
Recommended Next Action
Options:
Create brief
Create refresh plan
Create expansion plan
Create internal linking plan
Create repurposing pack
Run Content QA
Run publishing readiness check
Request Compliance Brain review
Request Research Brain clarification
Hold
First UI Behaviour
The first version of the Output Style Selector should remain simple.
It should not create automation.
It should not generate full articles.
It should not publish.
It should not route tasks automatically.
It should not create workers.
It should not call AI Employees.
It should not trigger cross-brain workflows.
It should help the human operator select the right content output type and produce a structured manual output.
Manual Workflow Status
The first version remains:
Manual Workflow Still Human Controlled
Records Plugin UI Started For Test Records Only
Full Content Brain Plugin UI Not Started unless separately approved
No automated content generation unless explicitly approved later
No worker execution unless explicitly approved later
No Brain Room routing unless explicitly approved later
No queue system unless explicitly approved later
No M handoff unless explicitly approved later
This does not mean those future layers are banned.
It means this specification defines the manual core output surface first.
Future Build Direction
After the Output Style Selector is stable, future Content Brain layers may include:
Brief creation screen
Refresh plan screen
Publishing readiness screen
Repurposing pack screen
Internal linking planner
Affiliate funnel support planner
Content QA screen
Content production queue
Human approval workflow
Content generator
Content worker
Content Brain AI Employee
Brain Room routing to Compliance, Research, Conversion, Ads, or Data
Cross-brain task wiring
These are future build layers.
They must be sequenced correctly and approved before implementation.
Records Layer Relationship
The Site Intelligence Records layer remains important.
It should continue to store:
Repeatable Site Intelligence test records
Evidence records
Review outcomes
Friction signals
Build readiness signals
Compliance risk flags
Routing recommendations
Status tracking
Migration tracking
Archive state
The Records layer helps determine what output should come next.
But the Output Style Selector decides what Content Brain should produce from that record.
Correct relationship:
Record stores the intelligence.
Selector chooses the content output.
Brief / plan / checklist / pack creates the usable content asset pathway.
WordPress And Supabase Boundary
WordPress pages should be used for:
Core operating pages
Frameworks
Protocols
Templates
Short summary logs
Specifications
Approved canon pages
Supabase should be used for:
Repeatable Site Intelligence test records
Evidence records
Review outcomes
Friction signals
Build readiness signals
Compliance risk flags
Routing recommendations
Status and migration tracking
The Output Style Selector may later connect to Supabase records, but it should not create more WordPress test-page bloat.
Success Criteria
The Output Style Selector is successful when:
The operator can look at a record or page and quickly choose the correct content output.
Content Brain feels like a content department, not Research Brain.
Site Intelligence Records support the workflow without dominating it.
The next action is clear.
The output type is clear.
Manual workflow remains controlled.
No unnecessary WordPress test pages are created.
Existing MCR / WordPress test material can be migrated into structured records.
Content Brain moves toward content asset production.
Failure Conditions
The Output Style Selector has failed if:
It becomes another research record screen.
It focuses mainly on evidence capture.
It creates more WordPress test-page bloat.
It starts full content generation without approval.
It starts automation without approval.
It creates cross-brain routing without approval.
It hides the difference between support layer and core surface.
It makes Content Brain feel like Research Brain.
It does not help select a content output type.
Operating Principle
Content Brain should not ask:
How do we store more intelligence?
Content Brain should ask:
What should this intelligence become?
Final Rule
The Content Brain Output Style Selector is the core Content Brain decision surface for turning approved intelligence, site intelligence records, existing page reviews, and content opportunities into the right content output pathway.
The Records layer supports the selector.
The selector must remain output-focused.
Content Brain must be built around content asset production, not research capture.
Version: v1.0
Date: 2026-06-11
Author: HeadOffice
Change:
Added Content Brain Output Style Selector Specification as the corrected core Content Brain output-layer specification.
This page defines the Output Style Selector as the primary Content Brain decision surface for turning approved intelligence, Site Intelligence Records, existing page reviews, affiliate funnel needs, and content opportunities into the correct content output pathway.
Change Impact Declaration
Pages Created:
Content Brain Output Style Selector Specification
Pages Updated:
None
Pages Deprecated:
None
Standalone Pages Not Created:
Content Brain Output Style Selector UI Build Pack
Content Brain Content Generator Specification
Content Brain AI Employee Specification
Content Brain Output Queue Specification
Content Brain Brain Room Routing Specification
Registries Requiring Update:
Content Brain Page Registry
MWMS Architecture Registry if tracking new Content Brain core surface specifications
Canon Version Update Required:
No
Change Log Entry Required:
Yes
Strategic Absorption Result:
Content Brain direction corrected back toward its core department purpose. Site Intelligence Records remain a required support layer for structured storage and migration of repeatable test material, but the main Content Brain surface is now defined as the Output Style Selector. This moves Content Brain toward content asset production pathways, including SEO briefs, affiliate pre-sell briefs, refresh plans, internal linking plans, publishing readiness outputs, repurposing packs, content QA outputs, and affiliate funnel support packs.