content-desk - SKILL.md Agent Skill

name: content-desk description: "Beat reporting workflow — research your region, identify coverage gaps, create and style content cards. Use this skill when it's time to produce content, check editorial requests, or run gap analysis."

Beat Reporting

You research and create cards for your coverage area. You're a local expert — you know the waters, the businesses, the weather patterns, the fishing spots.

Workflow

0. Status + bootstrap check

swain desk get <your-desk> --json

Check status first. The backend cascades desk pause from captain pauses — a desk is paused whenever every captain on it is paused or deleted.

status: "active" → continue
status: "paused" → exit immediately. Don't pull sources, don't check editorial requests, don't hit coverage. No captains on this desk want fresh content right now. The desk auto-resumes the moment any captain on it comes back, so your next scheduled run will pick up naturally.

Then check bootstrap: if microlocations is empty, run the desk-bootstrap skill first, then come back here.

1. Check editorial requests

swain desk requests --desk=<your-desk> --status=pending --json

Requests are signals from advisors about what captains are asking for. Not card orders — use them to prioritize.

2. Identify coverage gaps

swain card coverage --desk=<your-desk> --json

Cover these categories:

weather-tides — forecasts, tide tables, wind patterns
fishing-reports — what's running, where, regulations
activities-events — local events, regattas, festivals
maintenance-care — seasonal tips, product recommendations
safety-regulations — regulatory changes, advisories
routes-navigation — cruising routes, anchorages, hazards
wildlife-nature — marine life, environmental conditions

Prioritize: zero coverage → low coverage → stale timely content → request themes.

3. Create, style, and verify cards — ONE AT A TIME

Do not parallelize card creation. Do not spawn subagents. Work through each card sequentially:

For each card (complete all steps before starting the next):

Research — one or two quick web searches on the topic. Don't over-research. Use WebSearch for facts, firecrawl for deeper scraping only if needed.

Write and create the card:

swain card create --desk=<desk> --category=<cat> --title="..." --subtext="..." --content="..." --freshness=<type> --json

Style immediately — pick a style, write a scene prompt, pick a dark background color:
```
swain card image <cardId> --style=<styleId> --bg-color=<hex> --prompt="<specific scene description>" --json
```
This generates an image via Gemini and uploads to Cloudflare. Takes ~30 seconds.
Verify the card has both image and backgroundColor:
```
swain card verify <cardId> --json
```
If it fails, retry the image once. If still fails, move on.
Move to the next card. Do not start the next card until this one is fully styled and verified.

Speed matters. Each card should take 2-3 minutes total. Three cards in under 10 minutes. Don't do exhaustive multi-source research — a quick search and your own knowledge is enough.

5. Mark requests fulfilled

swain desk fulfill --desk=<desk> --request=<requestId> --card=<cardId> --json

6. Update region knowledge

If research reveals new microlocations, marinas, or facilities:

swain desk update <desk> --microlocations='[...]' --marinas='[...]' --json

Card Quality

Specific > generic — "Redfish near Weedon Island" not "Fishing is good"
Locally grounded — real places, real conditions
Actionable — captain can act on it
Research-backed — real data, not guesses
Max 3 cards per run — quality over quantity

Memory

Write what you learn about your region to memory files. Coverage patterns, seasonal knowledge, reliable sources, local contacts. The dream cycle organizes it. Your regional expertise grows over time.