Brain Name: Content Brain
Document Type: Active Reference Framework
Status: Active Reference Framework
Version: v1.0
Authority: HeadOffice
Applies To: Content Brain, Content Brain Publishing Readiness, Content Brain Content Briefs, Content Brain SEO Content Briefs, Content Brain Affiliate Content Packs, Content Brain Affiliate Funnel Support, Content Brain Refresh, Content Brain Repurposing, Content Brain Internal Linking, Site Content Intelligence Report Generator Specification, Manual Workflow Tests 1 to 10, future Publishing Readiness Checklist UI, future content approval workflows, future content status fields, future Content Brain build readiness planning, and future Content Brain specification candidate work
Parent: Content Brain
Last Reviewed: 2026-06-08
Content Brain Publishing Readiness Status Values Framework
Purpose
The purpose of this page is to define clean publishing readiness status values for Content Brain.
This page exists because Content Brain needs a consistent way to describe whether content is ready, not ready, blocked, parked, or approved for the next manual workflow step.
This page does not authorise build work.
This page does not create plugin instructions.
This page does not create UI instructions.
This page does not create Supabase instructions.
This page does not create Brain Room routing instructions.
This page does not create automation instructions.
This page does not create queue instructions.
This page does not create dashboard instructions.
This page does not create generator instructions.
This page does not create AI Employee instructions.
This page does not create M handoff instructions.
This page exists to standardise manual status language before any future Publishing Readiness Checklist UI, content queue, dashboard, generator, or approval workflow is considered.
The purpose is to keep Content Brain decisions clear, repeatable, and safe during manual operation.
Current Status
Current Content Brain status:
Manual Workflow Only
Plugin UI Not Started
No Supabase Work Started
No Brain Room Routing Started
No Automation Started
No Queue Build Started
No Dashboard Build Started
No Generator Build Started
No AI Employee Build Started
No Cross Brain Routing Build Started
M’s Active Build Work Untouched
Current evidence stage:
Manual Workflow Evidence Stage
Current planning stage:
Build Readiness Planning Stage
Current page role:
Active Reference Framework
Current maturity status:
Workflow usable
Evidence backed
Manual ready
Status values need standardisation
Publishing readiness logic needs cleaner language
Future UI not authorised
Future queue not authorised
Future dashboard not authorised
Future automation not authorised
Future M handoff not authorised
This page is a manual reference framework only.
Why This Page Is Needed
Manual Workflow Tests 1 to 10 showed that Content Brain repeatedly needs final status decisions before content moves forward.
Content Brain often needs to decide whether an asset is:
ready for briefing
ready for drafting
ready for refresh
ready for repurposing
ready for internal linking
ready for publishing review
ready for compliance review
ready for Affiliate Brain review
ready for Ads Brain review
ready for HeadOffice review
not ready
blocked
parked
too risky
duplicate
missing evidence
missing source depth
missing offer evidence
missing site context
ready only after revision
Without standard status values, Content Brain risks using inconsistent language across pages, workflows, and future specifications.
This page gives Content Brain a controlled manual status language.
Core Principle
Publishing readiness is not only about whether content is “good”.
Publishing readiness means the content has enough clarity, evidence, fit, safety, and approval context to move to the next correct step.
A content asset may be strong but still not ready for publishing.
A content asset may be useful but still need compliance review.
A content asset may be complete but still need source review.
A content asset may be promising but still need offer evidence.
A content asset may be accurate but still not fit the site.
A content asset may be ready for briefing but not ready for publishing.
Content Brain must use precise readiness language.
General Status Value Rules
Status values should be:
clear
short
consistent
actionable
easy for the operator to understand
safe for manual workflow use
compatible with future field logic
compatible with future checklist logic
compatible with future dashboard logic
compatible with future queue logic
Status values should not be:
vague
overconfident
too technical
too long
mixed with implementation instructions
treated as database fields yet
treated as UI labels yet
treated as automation triggers yet
treated as final approval without human review
These values are manual operating language only until HeadOffice approves later build work.
Primary Publishing Readiness Status Values
Use the following primary status values across Content Brain manual workflows.
Draft Needed
Meaning:
The content asset has not yet been drafted.
Use when:
the brief or planning work is complete enough to begin drafting
the request is valid
the content type is clear
the next step is drafting
Do not use when:
evidence is missing
site context is missing
offer context is unclear
compliance risk is unresolved
the content should be refreshed instead of newly drafted
Typical next action:
Create draft using the correct Content Brain operational page.
Brief Ready
Meaning:
The content brief is ready to be used for drafting or handoff.
Use when:
audience is clear
purpose is clear
content type is clear
tone guidance is clear
site context is clear enough
next action is clear
Do not use when:
the brief lacks evidence
the brief lacks offer context
the brief lacks site context where needed
the brief contains unsupported claims
the brief needs compliance review first
Typical next action:
Move to drafting or approved manual handoff.
Needs Revision
Meaning:
The content or brief is not ready but can likely be fixed.
Use when:
structure is weak
clarity is weak
tone is off
internal links are missing
reader journey is unclear
CTA is too strong
claims need softening
evidence needs strengthening
content needs more detail
Do not use when:
the asset should be parked
the asset is duplicate
the asset is too risky
the asset needs another Brain before revision
Typical next action:
Revise using the correct Content Brain framework.
Needs Site Intelligence
Meaning:
The content decision depends on understanding the existing site first.
Use when:
site context is missing
existing pages may overlap
tone is unclear
internal linking opportunities are unknown
refresh opportunities may exist
content gaps need confirmation
affiliate support gaps need review
trust gaps need review
Do not use when:
the content is not site dependent
the content is purely internal planning
the operator already has enough site context
Typical next action:
Use Content Brain Site Content Intelligence Framework.
Needs Source Review
Meaning:
The content depends on source material that has not been checked deeply enough.
Use when:
evidence is missing
source depth is shallow
quotes need verification
claims need support
facts may be unstable
affiliate claims need validation
VSL claims need review
external references are unclear
Do not use when:
the issue is only tone or structure
the issue is only internal linking
the issue is only publishing format
Typical next action:
Review source material or route to Research Brain.
Needs Offer Evidence
Meaning:
The content supports an affiliate offer, product, VSL, or campaign, but offer evidence is incomplete.
Use when:
offer claims are unclear
vendor information is missing
affiliate network details are missing
VSL claims are unknown
mechanism is unclear
proof assets are missing
disclosures are unclear
price or guarantee details are uncertain
offer risk is unknown
Do not use when:
the content is not offer related
the offer has already been reviewed
the issue is purely SEO or tone
Typical next action:
Route to Affiliate Brain, Research Brain, or Compliance Brain depending on the gap.
Needs Compliance Review
Meaning:
The content may contain claim risk or policy sensitive language.
Use when:
health claims appear
wellness claims appear
income claims appear
financial claims appear
legal claims appear
safety claims appear
urgency or scarcity claims appear
comparison claims appear
testimonial claims appear
scientific claims appear
environmental claims appear
disaster claims appear
VSL claims appear
affiliate disclosures are needed
CTA pressure may be too strong
curiosity hook may mislead
Do not use when:
there is no meaningful claim risk
the issue is simple wording that can be safely softened manually
Typical next action:
Route to Compliance Brain or HeadOffice for review.
Needs Search Validation
Meaning:
The content has search intent or SEO implications that require Search Intelligence review.
Use when:
search intent is unclear
SERP fit is unknown
keyword cannibalisation may exist
topic overlap may exist
the page may compete with existing content
the topic cluster needs validation
the content is SEO driven
Do not use when:
the content is not search driven
the operator is only creating internal planning material
Typical next action:
Route to Search Intelligence Brain.
Needs Internal Linking Review
Meaning:
The content needs page relationship or link pathway decisions before moving forward.
Use when:
hub and spoke structure is unclear
reader journey links are missing
supporting pages are missing
product support links may be too aggressive
trust links are missing
orphan pages may exist
internal linking may affect conversion path
Do not use when:
the page has no internal linking dependency
the asset is not site connected
Typical next action:
Use Content Brain Internal Linking.
Needs Refresh Instead
Meaning:
A new content asset should not be created because an existing page should likely be improved instead.
Use when:
similar content already exists
existing page is outdated
existing page is thin
existing page has weak intent match
existing page can be expanded
existing page can be merged
existing page should be refreshed before new content is created
Do not use when:
a new page is clearly required
the existing content does not cover the same purpose
Typical next action:
Use Content Brain Refresh.
Needs Repurposing Review
Meaning:
Existing approved content may be reused, but it needs safe adaptation review first.
Use when:
a blog post may become social content
a guide may become a checklist
an FAQ may become support content
an article may become email content
an internal framework may become client facing content
meaning must be preserved
claim strength must not increase
audience stage must stay appropriate
Do not use when:
the content is not approved
the content contains unresolved claims
the new format changes the meaning too much
Typical next action:
Use Content Brain Repurposing.
Duplicate Risk
Meaning:
The proposed content may duplicate or overlap existing content.
Use when:
same topic already exists
same intent already exists
same audience page already exists
same affiliate support role already exists
same keyword focus already exists
same funnel stage already exists
same FAQ coverage already exists
same comparison angle already exists
Do not use when:
the new page has a clearly different purpose
the new page is a supporting spoke with clear differentiation
Typical next action:
Refresh, merge, reposition, or park.
Thin Content Risk
Meaning:
The content may not add enough useful value.
Use when:
content is generic
content lacks examples
content lacks site specificity
content lacks information gain
content repeats market basics
content lacks reader value
content exists only because AI can generate it
content has weak next step logic
Do not use when:
the content is short but highly useful
the content is intentionally simple and fits the reader need
Typical next action:
Use Content Brain Information Gain Framework.
Parked Pending Clarity
Meaning:
The content should not move forward until the unclear issue is resolved.
Use when:
the request is unclear
site purpose is unclear
audience is unclear
offer is unclear
approval owner is unclear
source evidence is unclear
priority is unclear
content type is unclear
downstream destination is unclear
Do not use when:
a clear next action exists
the content simply needs revision
Typical next action:
Clarify, research, or route to HeadOffice.
Ready For HeadOffice Review
Meaning:
The asset is ready for final direction or priority decision by HeadOffice.
Use when:
the operator has completed the manual review
remaining decision is strategic
priority must be confirmed
approval authority is needed
cross brain routing is needed
build readiness implication exists
Do not use when:
basic content gaps remain
source evidence is missing
compliance review is clearly required first
Typical next action:
HeadOffice review.
Ready For Publishing Review
Meaning:
The asset is ready for final publishing readiness review, not automatic publishing.
Use when:
content is drafted or planned clearly
site fit is acceptable
major evidence gaps are resolved
major claim risks are either resolved or routed
internal linking is acceptable
reader journey is acceptable
next step is final publishing readiness check
Do not use when:
content still needs source review
content still needs offer evidence
content still needs compliance review
content still needs major revision
Typical next action:
Use Content Brain Publishing Readiness.
Approved For Next Manual Step
Meaning:
The asset is approved to move to the next manual workflow step.
Use when:
the next step is clear
the asset has passed the relevant manual check
no unresolved blocking issue remains
the operator knows which page or Brain should receive it next
Do not use when:
the asset is being approved for publishing
the asset needs HeadOffice approval
the asset needs compliance review
the next step is unclear
Typical next action:
Move to the named next manual step.
Do Not Use
Meaning:
The asset should not be used in its current form.
Use when:
claims are unsafe
content is misleading
content duplicates existing material
content does not fit the site
content is too thin
offer evidence is missing and claim risk is high
content could create compliance risk
content could damage trust
content is not worth fixing now
Do not use when:
the asset only needs normal revision
the asset can be safely parked
Typical next action:
Retire, replace, or park.
Status Severity Levels
Content Brain may group status values into severity levels.
Green Status
Meaning:
The asset can move forward manually.
Includes:
Brief Ready
Draft Needed
Ready For Publishing Review
Approved For Next Manual Step
Yellow Status
Meaning:
The asset needs work before moving forward.
Includes:
Needs Revision
Needs Site Intelligence
Needs Source Review
Needs Offer Evidence
Needs Search Validation
Needs Internal Linking Review
Needs Refresh Instead
Needs Repurposing Review
Thin Content Risk
Duplicate Risk
Red Status
Meaning:
The asset should not move forward until a serious issue is resolved.
Includes:
Needs Compliance Review
Do Not Use
Parked Pending Clarity when risk is high
Authority Status
Meaning:
The asset requires a human authority decision.
Includes:
Ready For HeadOffice Review
Needs Compliance Review
Needs Offer Evidence where claims are involved
Needs Source Review where claims are involved
Severity levels are only manual interpretation aids.
They are not UI colours.
They are not database values.
They are not automation triggers.
Readiness Decision Flow
Use this manual decision flow:
Step 1:
Does the content depend on an existing website?
If yes, check whether Site Content Intelligence is needed.
Step 2:
Does similar content already exist?
If yes, consider Duplicate Risk or Needs Refresh Instead.
Step 3:
Does the content contain unsupported claims?
If yes, use Needs Source Review or Needs Compliance Review.
Step 4:
Does the content support an affiliate offer or VSL?
If yes, check whether Needs Offer Evidence applies.
Step 5:
Does the content have search intent?
If yes, check whether Needs Search Validation applies.
Step 6:
Does the content need page relationship planning?
If yes, use Needs Internal Linking Review.
Step 7:
Does the content add useful value?
If no, use Thin Content Risk.
Step 8:
Is the content clear but imperfect?
If yes, use Needs Revision.
Step 9:
Is the content ready for final publishing review?
If yes, use Ready For Publishing Review.
Step 10:
Is the content safe to move to the next manual step?
If yes, use Approved For Next Manual Step.
Status Value Use By Workflow
Content Brain Workflow
Common statuses:
Parked Pending Clarity
Needs Site Intelligence
Needs Source Review
Needs Offer Evidence
Needs Search Validation
Approved For Next Manual Step
Content Brain Content Briefs
Common statuses:
Brief Ready
Draft Needed
Needs Revision
Needs Site Intelligence
Needs Source Review
Thin Content Risk
Approved For Next Manual Step
Content Brain SEO Content Briefs
Common statuses:
Needs Search Validation
Duplicate Risk
Thin Content Risk
Needs Internal Linking Review
Brief Ready
Draft Needed
Content Brain Affiliate Content Packs
Common statuses:
Needs Offer Evidence
Needs Compliance Review
Needs Source Review
Needs Site Intelligence
Ready For HeadOffice Review
Approved For Next Manual Step
Content Brain Affiliate Funnel Support
Common statuses:
Needs Offer Evidence
Needs Compliance Review
Needs Revision
Needs Internal Linking Review
Ready For Publishing Review
Content Brain Publishing Readiness
Common statuses:
Ready For Publishing Review
Needs Revision
Needs Compliance Review
Needs Source Review
Do Not Use
Approved For Next Manual Step
Content Brain Internal Linking
Common statuses:
Needs Internal Linking Review
Duplicate Risk
Needs Refresh Instead
Approved For Next Manual Step
Content Brain Refresh
Common statuses:
Needs Refresh Instead
Needs Revision
Needs Source Review
Needs Compliance Review
Ready For Publishing Review
Content Brain Repurposing
Common statuses:
Needs Repurposing Review
Needs Compliance Review
Needs Source Review
Approved For Next Manual Step
Do Not Use
Site Content Intelligence Report Generator Specification
Common statuses:
Needs Site Intelligence
Needs Source Review
Needs Offer Evidence
Needs Compliance Review
Needs Search Validation
Needs Internal Linking Review
Ready For HeadOffice Review
Approved For Next Manual Step
Status Values That Must Not Be Used
Do not use vague statuses such as:
Good
Bad
Done
Fine
Okay
Maybe
Looks good
Use later
Fix later
Approved
Ready
Complete
These are too vague for Content Brain.
If using approval language, always specify what the asset is approved for.
Use:
Approved For Next Manual Step
Ready For Publishing Review
Ready For HeadOffice Review
Brief Ready
Do not use broad approval language unless the approval scope is clear.
Approval Language Rule
Content Brain must avoid vague approval language.
Do not say:
Approved
Ready
Finished
Done
Use precise wording:
Approved For Next Manual Step
Ready For Publishing Review
Ready For HeadOffice Review
Brief Ready
Draft Needed
Needs Compliance Review
Needs Source Review
Reason:
A page may be ready for one step but not ready for another.
A content brief may be ready for drafting but not ready for publishing.
A draft may be ready for compliance review but not ready for publishing.
A content pack may be ready for Affiliate Brain review but not ready for public use.
A bridge page refresh may be ready for HeadOffice review but not ready for campaign traffic.
Precision prevents unsafe handoffs.
Human Approval Rule
The following decisions must remain human controlled:
final publishing approval
claim risk interpretation
source depth confidence
offer evidence interpretation
affiliate disclosure approval
VSL claim interpretation
compliance escalation
HeadOffice priority decision
cross brain authority decision
M handoff approval
technical build approval
plugin approval
UI approval
Supabase approval
Brain Room routing approval
automation approval
queue approval
dashboard approval
generator approval
AI Employee approval
A status value may recommend a next step.
A status value must not replace human authority.
Relationship To Content Brain Publishing Readiness
Content Brain Publishing Readiness should use these status values when deciding whether content can leave Content Brain.
Publishing Readiness should not use vague labels.
Publishing Readiness should decide whether the asset is:
ready for publishing review
needs revision
needs source review
needs offer evidence
needs compliance review
needs HeadOffice review
approved for next manual step
not safe to use
This framework supplies the controlled language.
Relationship To Site Content Intelligence
Site Content Intelligence often identifies issues before a brief is created.
Common Site Content Intelligence statuses include:
Needs Site Intelligence
Duplicate Risk
Thin Content Risk
Needs Refresh Instead
Needs Internal Linking Review
Needs Offer Evidence
Needs Source Review
Needs Compliance Review
Ready For HeadOffice Review
Approved For Next Manual Step
This ensures site intelligence outputs do not become vague recommendations.
Relationship To Future Publishing Readiness Checklist UI
The Build Readiness Shortlist identified a future Publishing Readiness Checklist UI as a strong Tier 1 build candidate, but it should wait until status values are cleaned and standardised.
This page provides the manual status language needed before any future UI planning.
This page does not authorise a UI build.
The future UI should not be considered until these statuses have been tested manually.
Relationship To Future Queues And Dashboards
Future queues and dashboards may eventually need status values.
This page may later inform:
Content Production Queue
Content Refresh Queue
Content Repurposing Queue
Content Operations Dashboard
Publishing Readiness Checklist UI
Content Status Field
Manual Workflow Test Dashboard
Future Content Brain AI Employee Router
However, this page does not approve any of those systems.
These values are not database fields yet.
These values are not UI labels yet.
These values are not automation triggers yet.
Relationship To M Handoff
This page is not an M handoff pack.
Do not give this page to M as implementation instructions.
M should not build from this page.
This page may later support a build ready technical specification if HeadOffice approves that step.
Until then, this page is only manual status logic.
Drift Protection
This framework prevents:
vague readiness language
unsafe approval language
content being treated as ready when it is only ready for one step
drafts being treated as publishable too early
briefs being treated as final content
affiliate content being used without offer evidence
claim sensitive content bypassing Compliance Brain
search content bypassing Search Intelligence Brain
site dependent content being created without site intelligence
duplicate content being created unnecessarily
thin content being approved too easily
refresh opportunities being ignored
repurposing being done without meaning preservation
HeadOffice decisions being skipped
M receiving unclear build instructions
future UI being built before manual status logic is stable
future queues being built around unclear statuses
future dashboards being built around vague status values
future AI Employees acting on unsafe approval language
Recommended Next Step
Use these status values manually during the next Content Brain planning and workflow tests.
Do not build UI.
Do not build queues.
Do not build dashboards.
Do not build generators.
Do not build AI Employees.
Do not create Supabase fields.
Do not create database schema.
Do not create M handoff instructions.
Recommended immediate next action:
Use this framework as supporting logic for future Content Brain Publishing Readiness work and future specification candidate planning.
Registry update:
Deferred until end of day batch update.
Pending registry entry:
Content Brain Publishing Readiness Status Values Framework
Status:
Active Reference Framework
Version:
v1.0
Parent:
Content Brain
Expected page count impact:
Previous expected page count:
42 pages
New expected page count:
43 pages
Change Impact Declaration
Pages Created:
Content Brain Publishing Readiness Status Values Framework
Pages Updated:
None immediately
Pages Renamed:
None
Pages Deleted:
None
Pages Deprecated:
None
Registries Requiring Update:
Content Brain Page Registry at end of day batch update
Canon Version Update Required:
No
Architecture Version Update Required:
No
Manual Workflow Test Log Update Required:
No
Manual Workflow Synthesis Report Update Required:
No
Build Readiness Shortlist Update Required:
No
Plugin UI Impact:
None
Supabase Impact:
None
Brain Room Routing Impact:
None
Automation Impact:
None
Queue Impact:
None
Dashboard Impact:
None
Generator Build Impact:
None
AI Employee Impact:
None
Cross Brain Routing Impact:
None
M Active Build Impact:
None
Page Count Impact:
Previous expected page count:
42 pages
New expected page count:
43 pages
Registry update timing:
Deferred until end of day batch update
Change Log
Version: v1.0
Date: 2026-06-08
Author: HeadOffice
Change:
Created Content Brain Publishing Readiness Status Values Framework as an Active Reference Framework.
Defined controlled status values for Content Brain manual publishing readiness decisions.
Added primary status values including Draft Needed, Brief Ready, Needs Revision, Needs Site Intelligence, Needs Source Review, Needs Offer Evidence, Needs Compliance Review, Needs Search Validation, Needs Internal Linking Review, Needs Refresh Instead, Needs Repurposing Review, Duplicate Risk, Thin Content Risk, Parked Pending Clarity, Ready For HeadOffice Review, Ready For Publishing Review, Approved For Next Manual Step, and Do Not Use.
Added status severity levels, readiness decision flow, workflow usage guidance, approval language rule, human approval rule, relationship to Publishing Readiness, relationship to Site Content Intelligence, relationship to future Publishing Readiness Checklist UI, relationship to future queues and dashboards, relationship to M handoff, drift protection, recommended next step, and change impact declaration.
Confirmed this page does not authorise plugin UI, Supabase, Brain Room routing, automation, queues, dashboards, generators, AI Employees, cross brain routing, or M implementation handoff.
End Of Day Save Point Template
Page list checked:
Yes / No
Content Brain Site Content Intelligence Report Generator Specification created:
Yes / No
Content Brain Publishing Readiness Status Values Framework created:
Yes / No
Content Brain Page Registry updated today:
Yes / No
Registry update deferred:
Yes / No
Pages created:
Content Brain Site Content Intelligence Report Generator Specification
Content Brain Publishing Readiness Status Values Framework
Pages updated:
None / Content Brain Page Registry if updated at closeout
Pages renamed:
None
Pages deleted:
None
Current expected page count:
43 pages / other
No plugin UI started:
Yes / No
No Supabase work started:
Yes / No
No Brain Room routing started:
Yes / No
No automation started:
Yes / No
No queue work started:
Yes / No
No dashboard work started:
Yes / No
No generator build started:
Yes / No
No AI Employee work started:
Yes / No
No cross brain routing started:
Yes / No
M’s active work untouched:
Yes / No
Target save point:
Content Brain — Publishing Readiness Status Values Framework Created / Registry Update Deferred / Build Readiness Planning Stage / Manual Workflow Only / Plugin UI Not Started
Final Rule
Content Brain must use precise readiness status language.
Do not use vague labels such as ready, approved, done, good, bad, fine, or complete.
Always state what the asset is ready for.
Always state what is blocking the asset.
Always route claim sensitive, offer sensitive, search sensitive, or site sensitive content to the correct manual review path.
These status values are manual operating language only.
They are not build approval.
END CONTENT BRAIN PUBLISHING READINESS STATUS VALUES FRAMEWORK v1.0