youtube-pipeline

YouTube Pipeline Skill

This skill provides access to a complete YouTube video production pipeline. It is self-contained: when activated, resolve the folder containing this SKILL.md as <skill-root> and read the bundled workflow, knowledge, prompt, and script files from there.

Quick Reference

Phase	Workflow	Purpose
1	/youtube-phase1-strategy	Find proven topic via 3-source validation (YT Studio + VidIQ + Google Trends)
2	/youtube-phase2-packaging	Engineer title & thumbnail
3	/youtube-phase3-scripting	Write retention-optimized script
3.5	/youtube-phase3.5-shorts	Create 6 Shorts (3 Topic + 3 Extract)
4	/youtube-phase4-production	Film, edit, polish
5	/youtube-phase5-repurposing	Distribute to all platforms (YT, TikTok, IG, LinkedIn)
Master	/youtube-pipeline	Orchestrate all 6 phases

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Bundled Files (Always Read These First)

All runtime instructions are bundled in this skill. Do not require the user's vault, a global config folder, or a specific agent harness for normal use.

Workflow Files:

<skill-root>/resources/youtube-pipeline.md
<skill-root>/resources/youtube-phase1-strategy.md
<skill-root>/resources/youtube-phase2-packaging.md
<skill-root>/resources/youtube-phase3-scripting.md
<skill-root>/resources/youtube-phase3.5-shorts.md
<skill-root>/resources/youtube-phase4-production.md
<skill-root>/resources/youtube-phase5-repurposing.md

Knowledge And Prompts:

<skill-root>/resources/knowledge/
<skill-root>/resources/prompts/

Automation Scripts (Phase 1):

<skill-root>/scripts/parse_yt_studio.ps1
<skill-root>/scripts/google-trends/search.js

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Phase 1 Automation Tools

YouTube Studio HTML Parser

Extracts topics and volume indicators from YouTube Studio's Inspiration tab.

User Workflow:

1. Go to YouTube Studio → Inspiration → Search topic
2. Right-click results → Inspect → Find <yta-section id="top-section">
3. Right-click → Copy → Copy outerHTML
4. Paste into .html file

Agent Command:

$SkillRoot = "<path-to-installed-youtube-pipeline-skill>"
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File (Join-Path $SkillRoot "scripts/parse_yt_studio.ps1") -InputFile "topic.html" -OutputFile "parsed.md"

Google Trends Research

Google Trends validation is required. This skill bundles the local google-trends Node CLI so agents can run trends checks without relying on a separate global skill install.

First-Time Setup:

$SkillRoot = "<path-to-installed-youtube-pipeline-skill>"
$TrendRoot = Join-Path $SkillRoot "scripts/google-trends"
Push-Location $TrendRoot
pnpm install
Pop-Location

Agent Command:

$SkillRoot = "<path-to-installed-youtube-pipeline-skill>"
node (Join-Path $SkillRoot "scripts/google-trends/search.js") -k "Claude Cowork" -p youtube -t "now 7-d"

If Node dependencies are unavailable, use the manual Google Trends workflow in resources/youtube-phase1-strategy.md. Do not assume a Gemini, Codex, Pi, or other harness-specific path.

How to Use This Skill

Option 1: Full Pipeline

Invoke /youtube-pipeline and follow the prompts. The orchestrator will:

1. Ask where you're starting
2. Chain through all 6 phases
3. Track state across phases

Option 2: Single Phase

Jump directly to any phase:

• /youtube-phase1-strategy — Just need a topic (uses 3-source validation)
• /youtube-phase2-packaging — Just need title/thumbnail
• /youtube-phase3-scripting — Just need a script
• /youtube-phase3.5-shorts — Create 6 Shorts from a video
• /youtube-phase4-production — Just need production guidance
• /youtube-phase5-repurposing — Distribute to all platforms

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AI Persona: The Brutal Expert

When running this pipeline, the AI operates as:

• Never yes-mans. Weak ideas get called out.
• Demands proof. "This video is viral" → "Show me the view:sub ratio."
• Generates outputs. AI generates titles, hooks, thumbnail concepts for user to pick from.
• Teaches the why. Every step includes the reasoning behind it.
• Challenges weak work. "That hook is mid. Try this instead..."

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Phase 1: 3-Source Research Validation

Find proven topics using three data sources:

Source	What to Check	Signal
YouTube Studio Trends	Inspiration tab → "What people are looking for"	High/Medium volume
Competitor VidIQ	Videos 4+ weeks old still getting views/hr	Evergreen topic
Google Trends	Explore → YouTube Search → Rising queries	Breakout (5000%+)

Perfect Storm: When all 3 sources point to the same topic = proven opportunity.

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Phase 3.5: 6 Shorts System (Topic + Extract)

⚠️ Retention Protection: Extract shorts hurt main video retention (viewers skip sections they've seen). Post extract shorts LAST.

Category	Count	What It Is	When to Post
Topic Shorts	3	NEW recordings on the topic	Week 1: Mon/Wed/Fri
Extract Shorts	3	Sandwich Method clips from main	Week 2: Mon/Wed/Fri

Topic Short Types:

1. Hot Take — Spicy opinion on the topic
2. Quick Win — One actionable tip
3. Story Hook — Personal story as teaser

Sandwich Method (Extract Shorts):

Layer	Time	What It Is
Top Bun	0:00-0:05	Fresh hook (user records new VO)
Meat	0:05-0:50	Clip from main video
Bottom Bun	0:50-1:00	Fresh CTA (user records new VO)

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Phase 5: Repurposing & Distribution

Platform	Content	Extra Work
YouTube	Main + 6 Shorts	None
TikTok	Same 6 Shorts	None (repost)
Instagram	Same 6 Shorts (Reels)	None (repost)
LinkedIn	6 Shorts + 3 Text Posts + Stories	Text posts need drafting

Result: 1 filming session = 7 pieces of content = 2 weeks of distribution across all platforms.

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Key Frameworks (Phase 3 Scripting)

These are embedded in the Phase 3 workflow but summarized here for reference:

Framework	What It Does
Ego Trap Hook	"You think [X] is helping you, but it's actually why you're failing"
Cost of Inaction	"If you ignore this, you'll keep [Pain] while others [Gain]"
DISC Layering	Hit all personality types: D=Results, I=Story, S=Steps, C=Data
30-Second Snap	Reset attention every 30 seconds with visual/energy change
Loop Architecture	Open Loop → Content → Payoff → Bridge to next loop

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Updating This Skill

The files in resources/ are the packaged source used at runtime. If you refresh them from another workspace, copy into this skill folder and keep all references relative to <skill-root>.

To Sync (PowerShell):

$SkillRoot = "<path-to-installed-youtube-pipeline-skill>"
$ExternalWorkflowDir = "<path-to-external-workflow-source>"
$ExternalKnowledgeDir = "<path-to-external-knowledge-source>"
$ExternalPromptDir = "<path-to-external-prompt-source>"

Copy-Item -Path (Join-Path $ExternalWorkflowDir "youtube-*.md") -Destination (Join-Path $SkillRoot "resources") -Force
Copy-Item -Path (Join-Path $ExternalKnowledgeDir "*.md") -Destination (Join-Path $SkillRoot "resources/knowledge") -Force
Copy-Item -Path (Join-Path $ExternalPromptDir "*.md") -Destination (Join-Path $SkillRoot "resources/prompts") -Force

When to Sync:

• After updating any external workflow, processed note, or prompt source.
• To add new phases, add the workflow to resources/, add supporting knowledge/prompts if needed, and update this SKILL.md quick reference.
• If the Google Trends CLI changes, refresh scripts/google-trends/search.js, package.json, and pnpm-lock.yaml together.
• After syncing, run a reference check for absolute local paths and harness-specific install paths.