Agent Quickstart

This is the primary path for using Content Machine today.

Use it when you are working from Claude Code, Codex CLI, or a similar coding-agent CLI that can read repo-local docs and optionally invoke the repo's runners.

Install Mode

• Existing project: use Agent Harness Install to materialize .content-machine/skills/, .content-machine/flows/, and .content-machine/AGENTS.md.
• Content Machine checkout: use the repo-local skills/, flows/, and scripts/harness/ paths in this guide.

Talk To Your Agent First

After install, you normally do not need to memorize commands. Ask your agent for the outcome and let it read the local skills/, flows/, and runtime docs.

Try:

Use Content Machine to make a 35-second TikTok-style explainer about Redis vs PostgreSQL for caching. Pick the best lane, run the default generate-short flow, and only call it ready if publish-prep passes.

If you already know the format:

Use the reddit-post-over-gameplay lane to turn this story into a vertical short. Keep gameplay full-screen, show a Reddit opener card for 3-5 seconds, add bold captions, and run the review gate.

The three surfaces

• skills/ or .content-machine/skills/ defines when to use something, what input it needs, and how to do it well.
• flows/ or .content-machine/flows/ defines 45ck/prompt-language orchestration: which skills run, in what order, and what marks success.
• scripts/harness/ is the repo-checkout executable surface; installed projects use npx --no-install cm-agent <tool> instead.

Start with skills/ when you want one capability. Start with flows/ when you want a multi-step path.

How Agents Actually Use The Pack

The skills are normal repo files, not magic commands. A coding agent uses them the same way it uses AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, project docs, and local scripts:

1. The root instruction block points the agent at .content-machine/.
2. The agent reads .content-machine/AGENTS.md for operating rules.
3. The agent chooses a skill for one capability or a flow for a coordinated run.
4. The agent opens the relevant SKILL.md or flow notes before acting.
5. The agent calls npx --no-install cm-agent <tool> only when it needs deterministic runtime execution.
6. The agent writes inspectable artifacts under runs/<run-id>/ and reports review status.

That separation matters: skills contain judgment, flows contain orchestration, and cm-agent tools execute the parts that should be deterministic.

Step 1: Choose install mode

For an existing agent project:

npm install --save-dev @45ck/content-machine
npx cm-install --target .content-machine --write-instructions
npx --no-install cm-agent list

Use --instruction-file CLAUDE.md with cm-install when Claude Code should load the root instruction block from CLAUDE.md.

For a Content Machine checkout:

npm install

Node.js 20.6+ is required.

The expected operator model is an existing coding-agent harness such as Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, or similar. Ask the harness for the outcome and let it read the skills/flows and call the JSON-stdio runtime when needed; the command examples are for automation and debugging.

Step 2: Discover and verify what is shipped

Installed project:

cat <<'JSON' | npx --no-install cm-agent skill-catalog
{
  "skillsDir": ".content-machine/skills",
  "includeExamples": true
}
JSON

cat <<'JSON' | npx --no-install cm-agent flow-catalog
{
  "flowsDir": ".content-machine/flows"
}
JSON

Then run diagnostics before generation:

cat <<'JSON' | npx --no-install cm-agent doctor-report
{
  "strict": false
}
JSON

Repo checkout:

cat <<'JSON' | node --import tsx scripts/harness/skill-catalog.ts
{}
JSON

Or:

printf '{}\n' | npm run agent:skill-catalog

cat <<'JSON' | node --import tsx scripts/harness/flow-catalog.ts
{}
JSON

Or:

printf '{}\n' | npm run agent:flow-catalog

Then run diagnostics:

printf '{"strict":false}\n' | npm run agent:doctor-report

Golden first-run order:

1. Confirm Node.js 20.6+.
2. Install or use the repo checkout.
3. List skills and flows.
4. Run doctor-report.
5. Choose the archetype.
6. Run generate-short.
7. Inspect publish-prep before calling the MP4 ready.

For longform source videos, replace step 6 with longform-to-shorts: select candidate clips first, get approval, then run longform-clip-extract, reframe if needed, and render only the approved ranges.

Step 3: Choose the archetype

Before generating, pick the lane. This prevents generic "topic to video" runs from turning into weak stock montages or the wrong Reddit/gameplay layout.

• Use Archetypes for the status table and routing rules.
• Use reddit-post-over-gameplay as the default Reddit/story mode.
• Use reddit-story-split-screen only when top story footage plus bottom gameplay is explicitly wanted.
• Use Quality And Review before promoting a render as ready.

Step 4: Optional no-key smoke test

If you only want to prove the artifact chain without API keys, use the no-key smoke path in content-machine-self-demo. It creates mock audio, mock visuals, caption sidecars, render metadata, and a placeholder MP4. It is not a publishable demo.

Step 5: Run the main full-video path

generate-short is the default topic-to-video path. Use this after provider credentials are configured, for example OPENAI_API_KEY plus a visual provider key such as PEXELS_API_KEY when using Pexels visuals:

Use the command form when scripting automation. Inside Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, or another agent harness, the normal interaction is to ask for the outcome and let the agent choose the skill or flow.

Installed project:

cat <<'JSON' | npx --no-install cm-agent run-flow
{
  "flowsDir": ".content-machine/flows",
  "flow": "generate-short",
  "runId": "demo-run",
  "input": {
    "topic": "Redis vs PostgreSQL for caching",
    "audio": { "voice": "af_heart" },
    "visuals": { "provider": "pexels", "orientation": "portrait" },
    "render": { "fps": 30, "downloadAssets": true },
    "publishPrep": { "enabled": true, "platform": "tiktok" }
  }
}
JSON

Repo checkout:

cat <<'JSON' | node --import tsx scripts/harness/run-flow.ts
{
  "flow": "generate-short",
  "runId": "demo-run",
  "input": {
    "topic": "Redis vs PostgreSQL for caching",
    "audio": { "voice": "af_heart" },
    "visuals": { "provider": "pexels", "orientation": "portrait" },
    "render": { "fps": 30, "downloadAssets": true },
    "publishPrep": { "enabled": true, "platform": "tiktok" }
  }
}
JSON

This writes run-scoped files under runs/demo-run/ by default.

By default the review gate is fail-closed: if publish-prep says the short is not ready, generate-short exits non-zero instead of quietly handing back junk. The run also writes runs/demo-run/provenance/asset-ledger.json and passes it into publish-prep, so stock footage, user media, gameplay, or external audio must have rights evidence before the run is considered publish-ready.

If you prefer npm aliases, the same runner is available as npm run agent:run-flow.

Step 6: Plan longform clips before rendering

Use this when the input is a podcast, interview, talk, screen recording, or other long source file. The flow writes candidate and handoff artifacts; it does not pretend approved JSON is already a final MP4.

Installed project:

cat <<'JSON' | npx --no-install cm-agent run-flow
{
  "flowsDir": ".content-machine/flows",
  "flow": "longform-to-shorts",
  "runId": "source-clips",
  "input": {
    "timestampsPath": "input/source/timestamps.json",
    "sourceMediaPath": "input/source/source.mp4",
    "maxCandidates": 3
  }
}
JSON

Repo checkout:

cat <<'JSON' | node --import tsx scripts/harness/run-flow.ts
{
  "flow": "longform-to-shorts",
  "runId": "source-clips",
  "input": {
    "timestampsPath": "input/source/timestamps.json",
    "sourceMediaPath": "input/source/source.mp4",
    "maxCandidates": 3
  }
}
JSON

Review runs/source-clips/longform-to-shorts/handoff/render-handoff.v1.json, approve a candidate, then run longform-clip-extract to create clip-local render inputs before calling video-render.

Installed command form:

cat <<'JSON' | npx --no-install cm-agent longform-clip-extract
{
  "sourceMediaPath": "input/source/source.mp4",
  "approvalPath": "runs/source-clips/longform-to-shorts/highlights/highlight-approval.v1.json",
  "boundarySnapPath": "runs/source-clips/longform-to-shorts/highlights/boundary-snap.v1.json",
  "timestampsPath": "input/source/timestamps.json",
  "outputDir": "runs/source-clips/extracted"
}
JSON

Step 7: Pull a reference video or run one skill directly

Installed project:

cat .content-machine/skills/brief-to-script/examples/request.json | \
  npx --no-install cm-agent brief-to-script

cat .content-machine/skills/reverse-engineer-winner/examples/request.json | \
  npx --no-install cm-agent reverse-engineer-winner

cat <<'JSON' | npx --no-install cm-agent publish-prep
{
  "videoPath": "runs/demo-run/render/video.mp4",
  "scriptPath": "runs/demo-run/script/script.json",
  "assetLedgerPath": "runs/demo-run/provenance/asset-ledger.json",
  "outputDir": "runs/demo-run/publish-prep",
  "platform": "tiktok",
  "validate": { "cadence": true, "audioSignal": true }
}
JSON

Repo checkout:

Generate only a script:

cat skills/brief-to-script/examples/request.json | \
  node --import tsx scripts/harness/brief-to-script.ts

Reverse-engineer a reference short from a local file or supported URL. URL inputs use yt-dlp before analysis; only use URLs you own, have permission to analyze, or can otherwise use under the source terms:

cat skills/reverse-engineer-winner/examples/request.json | \
  node --import tsx scripts/harness/reverse-engineer-winner.ts

Run diagnostics, including ffmpeg, ffprobe, and yt-dlp checks:

cat skills/doctor-report/examples/request.json | \
  node --import tsx scripts/harness/doctor-report.ts

Run the review gate directly when you want a hard ready-to-post verdict:

cat <<'JSON' | node --import tsx scripts/harness/publish-prep.ts
{
  "videoPath": "runs/demo-run/render/video.mp4",
  "scriptPath": "runs/demo-run/script/script.json",
  "assetLedgerPath": "runs/demo-run/provenance/asset-ledger.json",
  "outputDir": "runs/demo-run/publish-prep",
  "platform": "tiktok",
  "validate": { "cadence": true, "audioSignal": true }
}
JSON

Appendix: Install the pack into another project

If you are already working from this repo, skip this during first-run generation. Use it only when you want these skills inside a separate coding-agent project:

npm install --save-dev @45ck/content-machine

npx cm-install --target .content-machine --write-instructions

That creates .content-machine/skills/ and .content-machine/flows/ with SKILL.md files already pointed at the installed package runner. It also writes .content-machine/README.md and .content-machine/AGENTS.md, plus a managed root instruction block when --write-instructions is used. These tell the harness how to discover skills, pass flowsDir, run diagnostics, and validate outputs.

Read the guide next to the surface

• Archetype guide: ARCHETYPES.md
• Review guide: QUALITY-AND-REVIEW.md
• Skill guide: ../../skills/README.md
• Flow guide: ../../flows/README.md
• Optional repo-side runners: ../../scripts/harness/README.md
• Repo direction: ../../DIRECTION.md

Legacy CLI

The cm CLI still exists, but it is now a thin compatibility shell rather than the primary interface.

If you need it, use:

• npm run cm -- --help
• Legacy CLI Archive