@maestroagora/agora 1.0.0 → 1.1.0

package/skills/agora/references/agora-marketing.md

@@ -1,894 +1,1387 @@
-# Agora Marketing
-
-Canonical skill reference adapted from the user-provided handbook dated
-2026-07-17. Repository frontmatter was removed for portability; substantive
-rules, evidence grades, limits, and durable source links remain authoritative.
-
-## Contents
-
-- [Portable LLM activation contract](#portable-llm-activation-contract)
-- [Source basis and authority](#source-basis-and-authority)
-- [Core doctrine](#core-doctrine)
-- [Format router](#format-router)
-- [Required brief](#required-brief)
-- [Build the argument](#build-the-argument)
-- [Emotion without hype](#emotion-without-hype)
-- [Mechanism and differentiation](#mechanism-and-differentiation)
-- [Proof and claim control](#proof-and-claim-control)
-- [Concision and format standard](#concision-and-format-standard)
-- [CTA standard](#cta-standard)
-- [Human voice and AI-writing-tell gate](#human-voice-and-ai-writing-tell-gate)
-- [Written GEO/AEO and citability gate](#written-geoaeo-and-citability-gate)
-- [Operational workflow](#operational-workflow)
-- [Applied examples](#applied-examples)
-- [Release checklist](#release-checklist)
-- [Experiment and learning standard](#experiment-and-learning-standard)
-- [Evidence register](#evidence-register)
-- [Evidence maintenance](#evidence-maintenance)
-- [Change log](#change-log)
-
-> **TLDR:** Build an evidence-supported argument, not a pile of persuasive
-> words. Lead one audience toward one defensible belief. Make a real stake
-> felt, explain the reason to believe, prove it, and ask for one clear action.
-> Written content must also be easy to extract, verify, and quote. Spoken-only
-> content skips the GEO/AEO layer. Truth, claim scope, clarity, and human voice
-> outrank persuasion tricks.
-
-## Portable LLM activation contract
-
-When this file is supplied, installed as a skill, or retrieved into context,
-use it whenever the user asks to write, rewrite, shorten, critique, or plan
-marketing, sales language, CTAs, ads, landing pages, emails, direct messages,
-social posts, scripts, editorial content, comparison pages, or campaign
-arguments. A request in any of those categories activates the instructions for
-that turn.
-
-When activated, the LLM must:
-
-1. Silently classify the asset with the format router below.
-2. Follow this priority order: truth and safety; verified facts and brand
-   constraints; buyer decision; clarity and citability; persuasion; brevity;
-   stylistic polish.
-3. Infer only low-risk context. Ask a question only when the answer would
-   materially change the audience, offer, claim, or action. Otherwise omit the
-   missing claim, narrow it, or place a concise verification note outside the
-   customer-ready copy.
-4. Return ready-to-use copy first. Do not expose chain-of-thought, a planning
-   scaffold, or a rule-by-rule explanation. Add rationale, assumptions,
-   alternatives, or test variants only when requested or materially necessary.
-   If no length is specified, deliver the shortest complete version appropriate
-   to the format; do not generate several near-duplicate options by default.
-5. Use one primary audience, destination belief, and CTA intent per asset.
-6. Apply the written GEO/AEO layer to written outputs. Skip it for spoken-only
-   delivery, but apply it to any published title, description, transcript,
-   captions, show notes, or companion page.
-7. Never invent a product fact, route, price, deadline, result, testimonial,
-   source, urgency, scarcity, or proof point.
-
-This is a decision system, not a visible fill-in-the-blanks template. Use only
-the moves the asset needs, and vary the surface structure naturally.
-
-## Source basis and authority
-
-This handbook synthesizes the two writing references and three research
-reports listed below. The research reports inform the rules but do
-not override the scope or limits of their underlying evidence.
-
-Supplied source set:
-
-- User-provided transcript: `agora style marketing.md` (received 2026-07-17).
-- User-provided reference: `ai-writing-tells-reference (1).md` (received
-  2026-07-17).
-- User-provided research: `Emotional Persuasion and Argument Sequencing in
-  Marketing and Sales.md` (received 2026-07-17).
-- User-provided research: `Evidence on Marketing Copy Length and Structure
-  Across Digital Formats.md` (received 2026-07-17).
-- User-provided research: `Current Evidence on AI Search Visibility Across
-  ChatGPT Search, Claude Web Search, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews,
-  Bing Copilot, and Grok.md` (received 2026-07-17).
-- CiteSurge-only repository authorities: `content/ai-writing-tells.md`,
-  `content/ai-writing-tells.ts`, `docs/product/content-audit.md`,
-  `docs/staff/02-marketing-runbook.md`, and
-  `docs/staff/public-claim-ledger.md`.
-
-- The Agora transcript supplies the argument-first doctrine. It is a
-  direct-response lens, not a universal law or factual claim source.
-- The human-voice reference supplies an editing model based on pattern density,
-  specificity, source fidelity, and author ownership. It does not promise
-  detector evasion.
-- The persuasion research supports argument quality, vivid concrete imagery,
-  positive affect, diagnostic proof, and manageable information load. It also
-  shows that narrative, fear, guilt, scarcity, loss framing, and mechanism
-  language are conditional tools rather than universal conversion laws.
-- The copy-structure research supports format-specific decisions and testing,
-  not one universal short-copy rule.
-- The AI-search research supports clear, self-contained, evidence-bearing
-  passages and engine-specific technical controls. It does not establish a
-  universal citation formula.
-- `content/ai-writing-tells.ts` is the automated scanner authority for gated
-  CiteSurge public copy.
-- `docs/staff/public-claim-ledger.md` controls what CiteSurge may claim in
-  public. It overrides examples, old copy, briefs, and this handbook.
-- `docs/handbook/02-methodology-hiding-rule.md` controls what CiteSurge may
-  disclose about internal methods.
-- Current product docs and live behavior control capability truth.
-
-When this file is used outside CiteSurge, replace repository-specific claim and
-methodology controls with the user's verified product truth, legal constraints,
-brand guidance, and source ledger. If those materials are unavailable, do not
-assume that an example in this file authorizes the claim.
-
-Evidence labels used in this file:
-
-| Label | Meaning |
-|---|---|
-| `A` | Current first-party or official documentation for the named system. |
-| `B` | Controlled, peer-reviewed, preregistered, meta-analytic, or scoped reproducible research. |
-| `C` | Observational platform data, vendor study, or bounded case evidence. |
-| `D` | Contradiction, missing evidence, or an unresolved claim. Do not teach it as fact. |
-| `HOUSE` | Editorial convention chosen for consistency and usability. |
-| `EVIDENCE-INFORMED` | Direction supported within a limited population, channel, or outcome. |
-| `TEST` | A practical starting variant that requires local measurement. |
-
-Do not turn a `HOUSE`, `C`, or `TEST` rule into a scientific claim. No evidence
-grade authorizes transfer to an unmeasured audience, channel, or outcome. A
-result for attention, fluency, click-through, or reply rate is not evidence of
-trust, qualified demand, citation, conversion, or revenue unless those outcomes
-were measured separately.
-
-## Core doctrine
-
-**Compelling argument before compelling words.**
-
-Copy is not persuasive because it contains louder adjectives. It is persuasive
-when its claims, proof, stakes, and conclusion form a path the audience can
-follow and defend.
-
-Word choice still matters. Sequence it correctly:
-
-1. Decide what the audience must understand or believe.
-2. Build the case.
-3. Check the case against truth and evidence.
-4. Improve verbs, rhythm, and phrasing.
-
-Power words without an argument create noise. A sound argument written in flat
-language can be edited. Hype without proof cannot.
-
-### The destination belief
-
-Every asset needs one primary destination belief: the conclusion the prospect
-must accept before the offer or CTA makes sense.
-
-A valid destination belief is:
-
-- specific to the audience and moment;
-- necessary for the next action;
-- supported by supplied or verified evidence;
-- narrow enough for one asset;
-- honest about conditions and uncertainty.
-
-It is not permission to manufacture certainty. The goal is a supported
-conclusion, not an argument the reader is forbidden to question.
-
-Simple transactional copy may need only one claim and one action. Do not force
-a long story, coined mechanism, or full sales argument onto a button, alert,
-email, or high-intent page that already has enough context.
-
-## Format router
-
-| Asset class | Required treatment |
-|---|---|
-| `INDEXABLE_PUBLIC` | Agora argument, human-voice gate, full written GEO/AEO content gate, claim/source review, and technical publication handoff. |
-| `PUBLIC_NON_INDEXABLE_WRITTEN` | Agora argument, human-voice gate, written semantic/evidence rules, and public claim review. Use for ads, social posts, decks, and PDFs without an indexable page. Skip canonical, schema, sitemap, and indexability checks. |
-| `WRITTEN_PRIVATE` | Agora argument, human-voice gate, concrete entities, self-contained claims, and evidence fidelity. Skip crawl, canonical, sitemap, schema, and indexability checks because the asset has no public URL. |
-| `SPOKEN_ONLY` | Agora argument, human cadence, and claim gate. Skip GEO/AEO formatting. Write for breath, delivery, timing, and listener comprehension. |
-| `HYBRID` | Classify each output separately. A video script can be spoken-only; its public title, description, transcript, captions, show notes, and companion page are written assets. |
-
-Keep CTA labels as short as clarity permits. Specificity and a predictable next
-step outrank an arbitrary word count. For written public assets, optimize the
-claim block around the CTA for extraction and evidence; do not stuff proof,
-definitions, or query phrases into the button label.
-
-Use the complete definition and applicable checks in the written GEO/AEO gate
-below. No asset can promise citation, ranking, recommendation, or sale.
-
-## Required brief
-
-Capture these inputs before drafting. Infer only low-risk details from supplied
-context; state consequential assumptions outside the final copy.
-
-```text
-Asset class and channel:
-Audience and buying context:
-Awareness or intent stage:
-Problem, desire, or decision:
-Current belief:
-Destination belief:
-Offer and next action:
-Verified proof and sources:
-Claim and methodology limits:
-Voice samples or brand traits:
-Length and format constraints:
-```
-
-If the brief contains several audiences, beliefs, or CTAs, choose one primary
-path. Split distinct paths into separate assets rather than joining them with a
-long sentence.
-
-## Build the argument
-
-Use the minimum number of moves needed. This is a planning map, not a mandatory
-visible template.
-
-1. **Recognizable reality.** Name the situation in language the audience would
-   use.
-2. **Stakes.** Show the concrete cost, risk, frustration, desire, or missed
-   opportunity.
-3. **Broken assumption.** Explain why the current approach may not produce the
-   desired result. Do not misrepresent alternatives.
-4. **New criterion.** Establish what a credible solution must do.
-5. **Reason to believe.** Explain the product's specific approach or mechanism.
-6. **Difference and proof.** Show how the approach meets the criterion and cite
-   the strongest available evidence.
-7. **After-state.** Make the useful change tangible without inventing an
-   outcome.
-8. **Offer and action.** Present one next step that follows from the case.
-
-The compact logical form is:
-
-```text
-The desired result requires X.
-The current approach lacks X, within the stated scope.
-This offer provides X, supported by Y.
-Therefore this offer is a credible next step for this audience.
-```
-
-This syllogism is a house derivation from the transcript's argument-first idea,
-not a quoted Agora formula. If any premise cannot be proved, revise the premise
-or reduce the claim.
-
-Sequence by decision, not dogma:
-
-- For a high-consideration or B2B decision, a useful default is concrete stake,
-  truthful mechanism, diagnostic proof, relevant limits, brief illustration,
-  then CTA. Treat this as an evidence-aligned heuristic, not a universal law.
-- For a low-cost, hedonic, or early-awareness asset, vivid use, positive affect,
-  and mental imagery may do more work before the proof. The claim still needs
-  support before the action.
-- For a simple high-intent task, lead with the offer, answer, or action. Do not
-  manufacture a story merely to reproduce a sales-page sequence.
-
-### Argument continuity test
-
-For every block, ask:
-
-- What belief does the reader hold before this block?
-- What new information or feeling does this block add?
-- Why does the next block follow?
-- Would deleting this block weaken the case?
-
-Delete blocks that repeat the destination, decorate a claim, or smooth a
-transition without adding information.
-
-## Emotion without hype
-
-Emotion comes from a real situation and its consequence, not from inflated
-word choice.
-
-`HOUSE`: When several tensions would blur the decision, choose one primary
-emotional job for the block:
-
-- tension from a recognized problem;
-- relief from reduced uncertainty or effort;
-- control from clear evidence and a next step;
-- ambition tied to a credible outcome;
-- identity or belonging supported by the audience context;
-- curiosity created by a meaningful information gap.
-
-Then make it concrete:
-
-```text
-Situation + consequence + available agency
-```
-
-Prefer "Your team cannot tell which source shaped the answer" over "Navigate
-the complex AI landscape with confidence." The first gives the reader a scene,
-a problem, and a reason to care. The second asks generic words to carry the
-emotion.
-
-Rules:
-
-- For truthful fear or risk, state bounded severity and likelihood, then give a
-  credible response-efficacy path. Do not leave the reader trapped.
-- `HOUSE`: Prefer one dominant emotional tension when several would blur the
-  decision.
-- Make the desired change observable in the reader's work or life.
-- Prefer a concrete image or consequence to an extra adjective. Stronger
-  arguments, imagery, and positive affect can help persuasion; excessive
-  information load can hurt it. These are average effects, not permission to
-  decorate every sentence.
-- Do not invent fears, motives, memories, pain, testimonials, urgency, or
-  scarcity.
-- Do not shame, corner, or conceal material conditions.
-- Preserve honest trade-offs. Trust is part of persuasion.
-
-Conditional persuasion controls:
-
-| Persuasion device | Safe operating rule |
-|---|---|
-| Narrative | Use a short story or scene to illustrate relevant evidence. Do not assume stories beat facts or use a story as proof. |
-| Curiosity | Open a non-material information gap. Never hide mechanism, fit, price, risk, evidence, or the next step. |
-| Fear or risk | State truthful, bounded severity and likelihood, then a credible response-efficacy path. Most supporting research is non-commercial. |
-| Loss framing | `TEST` only. Compare it with neutral or gain framing and track intent and reactance, not attention alone. Agency does not make it reliably effective. |
-| Guilt | Use sparingly, if at all. Never shame, coerce, or imply moral failure to force action. |
-| Scarcity | State only a real, current, relevant limit. No fake inventory, countdown resets, or invented demand. |
-| Social proof | Use auditable, comparable, scoped evidence. Popularity without relevance is not proof. |
-
-Treat named psychological effects as hypotheses for the audience, channel, and
-outcome. Never teach the lore that people always buy on emotion and justify
-with logic, that stories always beat facts, or that one emotion-first sequence
-works everywhere.
-
-## Mechanism and differentiation
-
-The Agora source favors a unique mechanism: a specific reason the offer can
-produce the desired result. Keep the useful part; reject invented exclusivity.
-
-A clear mechanism statement answers:
-
-- What changes?
-- What causes that change?
-- Why is this approach relevant to the audience's problem?
-- What evidence supports the difference?
-- What conditions or limits apply?
-
-Use "proprietary," "unique," "only," "superior," or market-leadership language
-only when current evidence authorizes the exact claim. If the approach is
-different but not exclusive, name the concrete difference. If it is standard,
-explain its fit and execution instead of creating branded jargon.
-
-A coherent, truthful causal explanation can make an offer easier to understand
-and can raise perceived efficacy. It does not prove actual efficacy. A coined
-mechanism is optional; a real reason to believe is not. Never retrofit technical
-language around an unsupported outcome.
-
-For CiteSurge public copy, describe differentiation at the principle,
-experience, evidence, and outcome level. Do not disclose prompts, formulas,
-weights, thresholds, vendor routing, fixtures, classifiers, infrastructure, or
-raw provider diagnostics. Vague "proprietary AI" language is not a substitute
-for a reason to believe.
-
-Run the education-leakage test: if the explanation teaches the category but
-leaves the buyer equally likely to choose any competitor, decide whether
-category building is intentional. If it is not, connect the lesson to the
-offer's verified difference or fit. Never invent exclusivity to close the gap.
-
-## Proof and claim control
-
-Argument strength is limited by proof strength. Choose evidence diagnostic of
-the exact claim and decision. As a `HOUSE` selection order, look for:
-
-1. Current, inspectable product behavior or a non-expired approved claim.
-2. First-hand or original evidence with a disclosed method and date.
-3. Current primary or official sources that support the exact statement.
-4. A verified demonstration, comparison, or consented case record.
-5. A verified, attributable testimonial within its real scope.
-6. Corroboration that is independent, comparable, current, and within scope.
-
-Then name any material limitation that keeps the conclusion honest. A
-limitation is not evidence. No proof means narrow or remove the claim; it does
-not mean add adjectives.
-
-Across persuasion research, statistics generally outperform a lone anecdote; a
-relevant anecdote can still make an emotionally charged or self-relevant issue
-concrete. Use the story to illustrate the evidence, not replace it. In online
-review settings, valence, argument quality, usefulness, message trust, and
-source credibility predict purchase intention; raw count alone is insufficient.
-Category-specific automobile evidence shows that conflicting sources can reduce
-intent and early sales. Treat comparability, recency, and consistency as
-`HOUSE` proof-diagnosticity checks, and reconcile material discrepancies rather
-than hiding them.
-
-Keep claim types distinct:
-
-| Type | Treatment |
-|---|---|
-| Fact | Verify source, wording, date, scope, and expiry. |
-| Inference | Show what evidence supports it and retain uncertainty. |
-| Opinion | Attribute ownership; do not present it as measured fact. |
-| Promise | Confirm authority, delivery scope, conditions, and ability to perform. |
-
-For CiteSurge:
-
-- Only non-expired `LIVE` rows in `docs/staff/public-claim-ledger.md` may be
-  marketed as current.
-- `LANDED_INACTIVE`, `OPEN_PENDING`, `FUTURE`, and `UNSUPPORTED` are not current
-  capabilities.
-- Engine behavior claims need current primary support.
-- Customer-facing copy must not expose HTTP codes, auth or quota failures,
-  scraping limits, probe names, raw exceptions, or implementation diagnostics.
-- Do not promise that crawler access, schema, AI-readable files, or any single
-  content edit causes citation.
-- Keep brand mention, source selection, answer absorption, visible citation,
-  referral, recommendation, conversion, and revenue as separate measures.
-- Public positioning sells GEO/AEO. Use SEO only for necessary comparison,
-  decline, or replacement context; never sell it positively. Review every SEO
-  occurrence before publication.
-
-## Concision and format standard
-
-There is no universal short-copy law. Write the shortest complete decision
-path for the channel, audience, stage, device, traffic source, offer complexity,
-language, and risk. One asset should still have one destination belief; one
-block should do one main job; one sentence should carry one main claim.
-
-Ranges below are editing controls or starting variants, not guaranteed optima:
-
-| Format | Working rule | Status and limit |
-|---|---|---|
-| Headline | Aim for 3-9 words; review above 12. | `HOUSE` |
-| Support line | Aim for 12-24 words; review above 30. | `HOUSE` |
-| Sentence | Keep most at 20 words or fewer; review above 25. | `EVIDENCE-INFORMED` for accessibility, based on a small screen-reader study; not a conversion law. |
-| Marketing paragraph | Usually 1-3 sentences; review above 75 words. | `HOUSE` |
-| Hero | Test roughly 25-75 total words when mobile, high intent, or urgency favors compression. | `TEST`; no universal hero optimum. |
-| Button CTA | Test 2-5 words, but use more when needed to make the action predictable. | `TEST`; clarity and transparency outrank brevity. |
-| B2B cold email | Start around 50-100 words and 3-4 sentences, then ask for interest rather than a calendar commitment. | `EVIDENCE-INFORMED`, from large observational Gong datasets; not causal or universal. |
-| Active-deal follow-up | Use roughly 3-6 short sentences with a specific next step; no hard word cap. | `TEST`; context carries more detail. |
-| Warm personal email | Start around 50-120 words when no channel constraint says otherwise. | `HOUSE` |
-| LinkedIn cold message | Test below roughly 400-500 characters with one reason to care and one low-friction ask. | `C` and `TEST`; LinkedIn findings are product- and use-case-specific. |
-| Utility, product, or question-led page | Put the answer, offer, or decision aid in the first sentence or paragraph. | `HOUSE`, aligned with general web usability; do not force this onto narrative or editorial openings. |
-| Long sales or comparison page | No global word cap. Put a useful summary before detail, use progressive disclosure, and chunk proof and objections. | `HOUSE`, aligned with general usability practice. |
-| Comparison set | Test a static table around five or fewer options; reflow or use readable cards on mobile. | `TEST`; a usability starting point, not a ranking rule. |
-| Paid ad | Obey the platform limit. Test personal or subjective framing for attention against objective, brand-consistent framing for conversion. | `TEST`; keep click-through and conversion separate. |
-| Social post | No universal character optimum. Preserve the hook, useful substance, and readable shape. | `HOUSE`; test length in the actual platform and content category. |
-
-On mobile, increase signal and reduce friction; do not merely delete words.
-Preserve meaning, evidence, button clarity, and usable comparison structure. Do
-not force legal qualifications, technical explanations, translations, or
-complex decisions into a house range. Evidence and necessary qualification are
-load-bearing; decorative setup is not.
-
-### Compression order
-
-Cut in this order:
-
-1. repeated claims and empty recaps;
-2. throat-clearing and generic introductions;
-3. adjective stacks and intensifiers;
-4. formal transitions the logic does not need;
-5. unsupported claims and secondary examples;
-6. a secondary CTA or audience path.
-
-Never cut a material condition, source, qualification, or next-step detail just
-to hit a count.
-
-Keep a sentence only if it does at least one job:
-
-- advances the destination belief;
-- proves a material claim;
-- resolves a real objection;
-- makes the action clear.
-
-If deleting it changes nothing, delete it.
-
-## CTA standard
-
-A CTA should feel like the next logical step, not a sudden hard-sell voice.
-
-Every CTA must:
-
-- ask for one concrete action;
-- make the next screen, reply, or commitment predictable;
-- match the audience's intent and the argument's promise;
-- use a specific verb and object when space allows;
-- avoid adding a new claim;
-- use urgency or scarcity only when verified and material;
-- point to a real route or action that works.
-
-Choose one primary CTA intent. A long page may repeat the same action at useful
-decision points; repetition does not create a second CTA path. In a cold B2B
-message, a low-friction interest question can be more appropriate than asking
-for a meeting immediately. In an active conversation or later deal stage, ask
-for the specific next step. Treat both as context-sensitive starting rules.
-
-Useful patterns, subject to route and offer truth:
-
-| Intent | Pattern examples |
-|---|---|
-| Discover | `See the evidence`, `Read the method` |
-| Compare | `Compare approaches`, `Compare plans` |
-| Evaluate | `Review your gaps`, `View the plan` |
-| Act | `Request an audit`, `Book a review` |
-
-Prefer a precise action over `Learn more`, `Get started`, `Unlock your
-potential`, or `Start your journey`, unless the surrounding interface already
-makes the outcome unambiguous. Keep supporting proof or risk-reversal in nearby
-microcopy, not inside the button. Claims such as "No card required" or a
-response time must be verified before use.
-
-## Human voice and AI-writing-tell gate
-
-The goal is not to disguise authorship. The goal is specific, accurate,
-author-owned writing that fits the channel.
-
-### Core tests
-
-- **Competitor-swap test:** if replacing the subject with any competitor leaves
-  the paragraph accurate, rewrite it with a real mechanism, fact, situation,
-  boundary, or point of view.
-- **Read-aloud test:** if the intended speaker would not say it, revise it.
-- **Defense test:** if the author would hesitate to defend a sentence in front
-  of the buyer, verify, qualify, or remove it.
-- **Density test:** judge clusters and repeated templates, not one ordinary word
-  in isolation.
-
-High-risk clusters include vague verbs such as `unlock`, `leverage`, `elevate`,
-and `transform`; inflated adjectives such as `seamless`, `robust`,
-`groundbreaking`, and `world-class`; and generic nouns such as `landscape`,
-`ecosystem`, `journey`, and `game-changer`.
-
-Review or remove:
-
-- stock openers and prompt acknowledgements;
-- formal connective chains;
-- significance tails that explain why a sentence matters instead of adding
-  evidence;
-- repeated three-part lists;
-- repeated `Not only... but also...` structures;
-- heading restatements and automatic paragraph summaries;
-- symmetrical sections that give every point equal weight;
-- generic conclusions that do not decide, request, or direct;
-- repeated bold-label bullets and decorative mid-prose emphasis;
-- fabricated citations, anecdotes, motives, opinions, or credentials;
-- random errors or slang added to look human.
-
-Necessary technical terms, an earned rhetorical triplet, a natural fragment,
-or an author-consistent punctuation choice may remain in ordinary writing. For
-gated CiteSurge public pages, the repository scanner is stricter:
-
-- prompt leakage or acknowledgement openers fail immediately;
-- em dashes and curly quote characters or entities in prose fail;
-- three or more watchlist indicators in one prose block fail;
-- the same template or significance-tail fingerprint repeated twice fails;
-- a single watchlist occurrence is informational, not an automatic failure.
-
-Use `content/ai-writing-tells.md` for rationale and
-`content/ai-writing-tells.ts` for the current machine-readable rules. Never
-promise that copy is "undetectable" or optimize it toward one detector score.
-
-## Written GEO/AEO and citability gate
-
-Apply the semantic and evidence rules below to every written asset. Apply the
-technical rules only when the asset has an indexable public URL. Public
-non-indexable work still needs public-safe claims; private writing still needs
-clear entities and source fidelity. Spoken-only assets skip this section unless
-a written derivative is published.
-
-"Fully GEO/AEO optimized" means maximum practical extractability,
-verifiability, information value, and technical eligibility for the asset. It
-does not mean guaranteed retrieval, selection, quotation, citation, ranking,
-recommendation, referral, or sale. 2026 preprints provide descriptive,
-observational, and experimental evidence for testing modular, self-contained,
-evidence-bearing passages in some AI-search systems; they do not establish a
-universal ranking formula.
-
-### Content requirements
-
-1. **Resolve the real question early when the format calls for it.** Utility,
-   product, comparison, and question-led content should put the answer, offer,
-   or decision aid in the first sentence or paragraph. A narrative or editorial
-   opening may begin with a relevant scene, but should reveal the subject and
-   value before the setup becomes a detour.
-2. **Name the entity and scope.** Use the full brand, product, category, market,
-   date, and population where ambiguity would weaken an extracted passage.
-3. **Build self-contained evidence blocks.** A useful paragraph should preserve
-   its subject, claim, support, and material limit when quoted alone. Replace
-   vague dependencies such as "this," "it," and "as above" when context would
-   be lost.
-4. **Keep evidence next to the claim.** Name and link the exact source, date
-   material facts, distinguish fact from inference, and state relevant limits.
-   Prefer current primary or first-party sources.
-5. **Add information gain.** Contribute original data, first-hand experience,
-   a useful comparison, a reproducible demonstration, a disclosure-safe method,
-   or a defensible point of view. Do not paraphrase category consensus and call
-   it insight.
-6. **Structure around reader intent.** Use descriptive headings, definitions,
-   lists, steps, tables, or FAQs only when they make the answer easier to use.
-   Q&A formatting by itself is not a citability strategy.
-7. **Make provenance visible.** For public editorial work, show a verified
-   author or publisher, publication or review date, sources, and relevant
-   disclosures. Treat these as trust and verification practices, not universal
-   ranking factors.
-8. **Link contextually.** Connect the page to the most relevant evidence,
-   capability, comparison, trust, or next-step page. Do not chase arbitrary
-   internal-link counts.
-9. **Keep surfaces consistent.** Visible copy, metadata, structured data,
-   feeds, sales material, and machine-readable surfaces must describe the same
-   facts and scope.
-10. **Measure distinct events.** Record the engine or surface, prompt or topic,
-    market, date, and observed output. Keep brand mention, source selection,
-    answer absorption, visible citation, referral, recommendation, conversion,
-    and revenue separate.
-
-### Emotional marketing plus extractability
-
-Emotion can earn attention; a self-contained evidence block can support
-understanding and verification. A useful page-level sequence is:
-
-1. a concise hook that names a real tension or desired change;
-2. an early plain-language answer or value claim;
-3. self-contained blocks for mechanism, evidence, comparison, and limits;
-4. one primary CTA intent that follows from the supported conclusion.
-
-The hero may carry more emotion. Proof sections should carry more diagnostic
-facts. Both must use the same destination belief and claim scope. Do not repeat
-this four-part shape mechanically across every section.
-
-### Engine-specific boundaries
-
-These controls were verified against official documentation on 2026-07-17.
-Recheck them before an engine-specific recommendation; crawler names and product
-behavior can change.
-
-| System | Safe rule |
-|---|---|
-| ChatGPT Search | `OAI-SearchBot` is the Search crawler; `GPTBot` concerns potential model training; `ChatGPT-User` performs user-initiated fetches. Permission can affect eligibility, not inclusion. ChatGPT referrals can be identified with `utm_source=chatgpt.com`. |
-| Claude web search | `Claude-SearchBot`, `ClaudeBot`, and `Claude-User` have different purposes. Blocking Search or User access may reduce visibility. Do not claim a first-party citation or referral analytics method unless Anthropic documents one. |
-| Perplexity | Treat `PerplexityBot` and `Perplexity-User` separately. Current official descriptions of robots behavior are not fully consistent, so name the agent, action, source, and date rather than saying Perplexity simply respects or ignores `robots.txt`. |
-| Google AI Overviews and AI Mode | Google Search controls and Googlebot govern Search eligibility. `Google-Extended` is separate and does not control inclusion or ranking in Google Search. Google requires no special AI schema, AI text file, or special page structure; `llms.txt` is ignored by Google Search. |
-| Bing and Copilot | Bing Webmaster Tools AI Performance and Microsoft Clarity can distinguish some citations, queries, and referrals. Citation count is not proof of prominence, answer contribution, accuracy, or conversion. IndexNow is a Bing-supported freshness mechanism, not a cross-engine ranking tactic. |
-| Grok | xAI documents web-search results and citations for its API. Its `citations` field can include every URL encountered during tool search, while inline citations are answer-linked and not guaranteed; do not count every encountered URL as visible support. Public site-owner controls for Grok crawling, indexing, and training are not established in the reviewed official material. Mark them unknown rather than inferring them. |
-
-Never import one engine's crawler, metadata, structured-data, or measurement
-rule into another engine without first-party support.
-
-### Indexable-public technical handoff
-
-Copy alone cannot complete GEO/AEO. Confirm or hand off checks for:
-
-- one stable, accessible canonical URL and intentional indexability;
-- important claims and evidence available in robust, accessible page content;
-- intentional, engine-specific crawler policy;
-- HTTPS, stable delivery, useful status behavior, and crawlable links;
-- sitemap discovery and truthful freshness dates where applicable;
-- descriptive metadata aligned with visible copy;
-- contextual internal links and useful image alternatives;
-- valid structured data that matches visible facts and a supported use case;
-- consistent author, publisher, organization, and product identities.
-
-Prefer important evidence in normal accessible HTML for retrieval robustness,
-but do not claim that every engine ignores client-rendered content, PDFs,
-images, or other formats. Structured data can clarify meaning or qualify a page
-for documented features; it does not guarantee AI selection or citation.
-Google documents no special AI schema. OpenAI's documented structured metadata
-use is currently specific to Shopping, not a general ChatGPT ranking rule.
-Never invent questions, authors, dates, ratings, products, or organization
-facts for markup. Do not require `llms.txt`; Google ignores it and a citation
-effect is unproved elsewhere.
-
-### GEO/AEO anti-patterns
-
-Reject:
-
-- keyword or entity stuffing;
-- long copy written only to satisfy a word count;
-- thin definition pages and minor-query variants;
-- hidden answer text or machine-only claims;
-- fake statistics, false precision, or source laundering;
-- FAQ or Q&A blocks added only as a citability tactic;
-- duplicated passages with swapped keywords;
-- crawler permission presented as retrieval, selection, or citation;
-- structured data, authorship, dates, direct answers, or HTML rendering
-  presented as universal ranking factors;
-- citation count treated as answer contribution, accuracy, endorsement,
-  prominence, referral, or conversion;
-- `llms.txt`, IndexNow, or an engine-specific crawler rule presented as a
-  universal requirement;
-- observational movement presented as causal lift;
-- generic AI phrasing that lowers specificity and information value.
-
-## Operational workflow
-
-1. Route the asset.
-2. Confirm audience, decision stage, offer, action, product state, evidence,
-   channel constraints, and disclosure limits.
-3. Write the current belief and one supportable destination belief.
-4. Select the minimum argument moves and attach proof to each premise.
-5. Draft for the channel: one idea per block and one primary action placed at
-   format-appropriate decision points.
-6. Apply the written GEO/AEO layer to every written output. Add technical
-   publication checks only for indexable public work.
-7. Cut setup, repetition, padding, and secondary arguments. Preserve evidence
-   and qualifications; use format ranges only according to their label.
-8. Apply the competitor-swap, read-aloud, defense, and density tests.
-9. Verify the CTA, then compare every final claim with its source and ledger
-   status.
-
-For CiteSurge public changes, pass every changed marketing file or directory
-explicitly to `npm run dev:ai-writing-tells:scan --`, then run:
-
-```powershell
-npm run dev:public:claim-safety:smoke
-```
-
-No-argument AI scan covers only its default gated page set. Pass every changed
-marketing path explicitly. Inspect rendered copy and all changed metadata,
-schema, feed, sitemap, or AI-readable surfaces.
-
-Published Insights also require a reviewer independent from the draft owner.
-That reviewer checks rendered article, sources, claim scope, methodology
-boundary, metadata, schema, feed, and AI-readable summary. Automated checks do
-not replace this review; publication stays blocked when it is unavailable.
-
-## Applied examples
-
-CiteSurge examples below show structure, not standing publication approval.
-Recheck claim ledger, source freshness, offer, and destination route before use.
-
-### Hero
-
-Weak:
-
-> Transform your brand's future with better AI visibility today.
-
-Stronger:
-
-> See the evidence behind AI answers. CiteSurge records observed answers with
-> citation URLs, prompt, engine, and market, then turns verified gaps into a
-> prioritized plan. Review the evidence.
-
-The stronger version moves from uncertainty to control through a concrete
-mechanism and action. It does not ask hype words to supply emotion.
-
-### Short sales email
-
-Fictional evidence for structure only. Replace every observation before use.
-
-> Hi Sam,
->
-> I checked how answer engines describe Acme. Acme appeared in two buyer
-> questions, but neither answer cited an Acme page.
->
-> I put the evidence and three possible fixes into a short audit. Want me to
-> send it?
-
-The sequence is situation, concrete stake, available agency, then one
-low-friction question. No category lecture or inflated claim is needed.
-
-### CTA and microcopy
-
-Weak button: `Unlock your potential`
-
-Stronger button: `Review your gaps`
-
-Supporting line: `See the observed answers before deciding what to fix.`
-
-The button is concise because its action is clear. The nearby line carries
-context and reduces uncertainty.
-
-## Release checklist
-
-- [ ] Asset route, audience, destination belief, and one primary CTA intent are
-  explicit.
-- [ ] Stakes come from a real situation and leave the reader with agency.
-- [ ] Narrative, fear, loss, guilt, scarcity, curiosity, and social proof obey
-  their conditional and ethical controls.
-- [ ] Each premise is verified, qualified, or removed.
-- [ ] Mechanism is concrete, disclosure-safe, and passes the education-leakage
-  test.
-- [ ] Every block advances, proves, resolves, or directs; setup and recaps are
-  cut.
-- [ ] Length and structure fit the format; no `HOUSE` or `TEST` range is treated
-  as a universal performance law.
-- [ ] CTA names a real next action and adds no new claim.
-- [ ] Competitor-swap, read-aloud, defense, and density tests pass.
-- [ ] No fabricated detail, fake urgency, prompt leakage, or detector promise.
-- [ ] Written utility, product, comparison, and question-led copy answers early;
-  all written copy names entities and keeps key evidence blocks self-contained.
-- [ ] Material written claims have exact, current, preferably primary sources.
-- [ ] Material inconsistencies across sources are reconciled or disclosed.
-- [ ] Structure, authorship, freshness, disclosures, and links serve reader
-  intent.
-- [ ] Public visible and machine-readable surfaces agree; indexable work has a
-  technical handoff.
-- [ ] No stuffing, thin variants, machine-only text, or citation guarantee.
-- [ ] Engine-specific crawler and measurement rules were reverified and were not
-  generalized across engines.
-- [ ] CiteSurge public claims map to non-expired `LIVE` rows.
-- [ ] CiteSurge methodology and customer-safety boundaries hold.
-- [ ] Brand mention, source selection, answer absorption, visible citation,
-  referral, recommendation, conversion, and revenue stay distinct.
-- [ ] GEO/AEO remains CiteSurge's sales frame; every SEO occurrence is reviewed.
-- [ ] Required smokes and independent editorial review pass where applicable.
-- [ ] Author can defend every sentence.
-
-## Experiment and learning standard
-
-Use local testing to adapt a `HOUSE`, `C`, `EVIDENCE-INFORMED`, or `TEST` rule.
-Do not convert a weak experiment into doctrine.
-
-1. Change one variable family and pre-register the audience, decision stage,
-   primary outcome, minimum useful effect, and guardrails. If several elements
-   change, label the test a full-page or full-message variant.
-2. Randomize the correct unit and control repeat exposure, sales-rep effects,
-   account overlap, and channel contamination where relevant.
-3. Calculate sample size from the current baseline, minimum useful effect,
-   power target, clustering, and multiple comparisons. Never copy a source
-   study's sample size as the new requirement.
-4. Run through the relevant business cycle. Do not stop when a result first
-   becomes favorable unless a sequential design and stopping rule were declared.
-5. Keep click-through, conversion, reply, meeting, qualified lead, close,
-   citation, referral, and revenue metrics separate.
-6. Track quality and harm guardrails: accessibility, comprehension, negative
-   replies, spam reports, unsubscribes, cost, downstream fit, and trust signals.
-7. Segment only when pre-declared and sufficiently powered.
-8. Record positive, null, mixed, harmful, and inconclusive outcomes.
-9. With low traffic, prefer comprehension tests, usability sessions, message
-   interviews, or sequential learning batches over underpowered causal claims.
-10. Promote a rule only when the observed effect matches the intended outcome
-    and survives the declared guardrails.
-
-## Evidence register
-
-This register records the durable sources used to turn the supplied research
-into operating rules. It deliberately excludes the reports' non-portable
-session citation tokens.
-
-### Persuasion, emotion, mechanism, and proof
-
-| Evidence | Grade | Operational use and limit |
-|---|---:|---|
-| [Verbal persuasion in marketing meta-analysis](https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-025-01095-4) | `B` | Across 308 studies, argument quality, mental imagery, and positivity were positively associated with persuasion while information load was negative. Outcomes and moderators vary; this is not a conversion formula. |
-| [Delayed narrative-persuasion meta-analysis](https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqaa005) and [registered narrative-correction report](https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-020-00266-x) | `B` | Narrative effects are small and conditional; equating information and comprehension can remove the advantage. Use narrative to illustrate, not replace, proof. |
-| [Anecdotal versus statistical evidence meta-analysis](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2020.01.006) | `B` | Statistics generally persuade more; anecdotes can help under high emotion or self-relevance. Match evidence to context without treating one story as representative. |
-| [Mechanism-based claim experiments](https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucae066) | `B` | A coherent causal chain can increase fluency and perceived efficacy. The experiments do not establish actual product efficacy. |
-| [Online review meta-analysis](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dim.2023.100058), [eWOM predictor meta-analysis](https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-019-09924-y), and [source-credibility meta-analysis](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.01.005) | `B` | Valence, argument quality, usefulness, message trust, expertise, and relevance matter. Purchase intention is not always observed purchase behavior. |
-| [Multi-source inconsistency research](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2021.01.003) | `B` | In an automobile experiment and sales analysis, conflicting sources reduced intent and early sales. Generalize cautiously beyond high-consideration durable goods. |
-| [Fear-appeal meta-analysis](https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039729) and [efficacy follow-up](https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqab049) | `B` | Average effects were positive, mainly outside commercial marketing; credible response efficacy is important. This does not license exaggeration or coercion. |
-| [Guilt meta-analysis](https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1201631), [scarcity-backfire experiments](https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1225011), and recent [loss-framing attention](https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhaf006) and [reactance](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115684) studies | `B` | Guilt effects are small, scarcity can backfire, and loss framing can trade attention for reactance or lower intent. Use only truthfully and test the target outcome. |
-
-### Copy length, structure, and CTA design
-
-| Evidence | Grade | Operational use and limit |
-|---|---:|---|
-| [Sentence-length study with screen-reader users](https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49282-3_18) | `B` | A small study of 21 users favored 16-20-word sentences for comprehension. It supports an accessibility editing trigger, not a universal marketing optimum. |
-| [WCAG 2.2 guidance on headings and labels](https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/headings-and-labels) | `A` | Headings and labels should describe topic or purpose and need not be long. Descriptiveness outranks minimal word count. |
-| Gong analyses of [executive cold email length](https://www.gong.io/blog/do-execs-really-reply-to-cold-email-here-s-what-the-data-says), [cold-email structure](https://www.gong.io/files/gong-guide-how-to-master-cold-email-get-the-data-backed-guide-based-on-85-million-emails.pdf), [cold CTA type](https://www.gong.io/blog/this-surprising-cold-email-cta-will-help-you-book-a-lot-more-meetings), and [later-stage sales email](https://www.gong.io/blog/how-to-write-a-sales-email) | `C` | Large observational sales datasets support short first-touch messages, interest CTAs when cold, and more specific asks later. Vendor population, selection, and outcome limits remain. |
-| LinkedIn guidance for [recruiter InMail](https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/product-tips/tips-for-writing-inmails-from-linkedin-recruiters), [Sponsored Messaging](https://business.linkedin.com/advertise/ads/sponsored-messaging/tips), and [LinkedIn ad formats](https://www.linkedin.com/business/marketing/blog/linkedin-ads/a-b2b-marketers-guide-to-every-linkedin-ad-type) | `C` | Shorter message bodies performed better in the named LinkedIn products and datasets. Do not generalize their character ranges to all direct messages. |
-| [Computational-advertising text-style field study](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2021.11.004) | `B` | Subjective, personalized text produced higher click-through while objective, brand-consistent text produced higher conversion in the studied system. Treat this as a channel-specific test hypothesis, not a universal funnel rule. |
-
-### AI-search visibility and citability
-
-| Evidence | Grade | Operational use and limit |
-|---|---:|---|
-| [OpenAI crawler documentation](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/bots) and [publisher FAQ](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12627856-publishers-and-developers-faq) | `A` | Distinguishes Search, training, and user-fetch agents and documents ChatGPT referral tagging. Permission affects access or eligibility, not guaranteed inclusion. |
-| [OpenAI Shopping with ChatGPT Search](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11128490-shopping-with-chatgpt-search) | `A` | Documents structured product metadata in the Shopping context only. It is not evidence for a general ChatGPT ranking or citation factor. |
-| [Anthropic crawler guidance](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/8896518-does-anthropic-crawl-data-from-the-web-and-how-can-site-owners-block-the-crawler) | `A` | Distinguishes Claude's crawler purposes. Do not infer analytics, ranking factors, or cross-engine rules. |
-| [Perplexity crawler documentation](https://docs.perplexity.ai/docs/resources/perplexity-crawlers) and [robots.txt help](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/10354969-how-does-perplexity-follow-robots-txt) | `A` | Official pages verify the named agents and published controls. Their descriptions of robots behavior are not fully consistent, so the unresolved behavioral inference remains `D`; state the agent, action, source, and date. |
-| [Google AI-features guidance](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features) and [AI optimization guidance](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/ai-optimization-guide) | `A` | Normal Google Search eligibility and controls apply; no special AI schema, text file, or page structure is required. `Google-Extended` is separate from Search inclusion and ranking. |
-| [Bing AI Performance](https://blogs.bing.com/webmaster/February-2026/Introducing-AI-Performance-in-Bing-Webmaster-Tools-Public-Preview), [Microsoft Clarity AI citations](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/clarity/ai-visibility/ai-citations), and [IndexNow documentation](https://www.indexnow.org/documentation) | `A` | Supports engine-specific observation of citations, queries, referrals, and freshness submission. None alone proves answer contribution, prominence, accuracy, or business effect. |
-| [xAI web-search documentation](https://docs.x.ai/developers/tools/web-search) and [xAI citation documentation](https://docs.x.ai/developers/tools/citations) | `A` | Documents API search, encountered URLs, and inline citations. Site-owner crawl, index, and training controls remain `D` because they are unknown in the reviewed official material. |
-| [Selection and answer-absorption preprint](https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.25707) | `B` | Descriptive analysis with controlled prompts supports measuring source selection separately from answer absorption; it does not establish a structural intervention effect. |
-| [Multi-engine content-structure preprint](https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.29979) | `B` | Reports experimental structural effects and supports testing self-contained, evidence-bearing passages. It remains a preprint and not a universal ranking rule. |
-| [Google AI Overview sourcing preprint](https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.14021) | `B` | Longitudinal observational evidence supports separating visible citation from claim fidelity. It is Google-specific and non-causal. |
-
-## Evidence maintenance
-
-- Recheck official engine documentation every 30 days when this file is used
-  for engine-specific technical advice, and immediately after a crawler,
-  product, analytics, or policy change.
-- Check cited preprints quarterly for revisions, peer review, or retraction.
-- Recheck product claims, prices, routes, offers, and legal constraints at the
-  time of use; do not rely on this file as their source of truth.
-- When adding a rule, record the channel, audience, population, measured
-  outcome, date, evidence grade, and material limit.
-- Preserve contradictory and null evidence. Do not silently promote a vendor
-  association or local test into a universal rule.
-- Use durable direct URLs or DOIs. Do not copy temporary research-session
-  citation markers into this file.
-
-## Change log
-
-| Date | Change |
-|---|---|
-| 2026-07-17 | Integrated three commissioned research reports; replaced session-bound research artifacts with durable sources; added portable LLM activation, evidence grades, conditional persuasion controls, format-specific length and CTA guidance, engine-specific GEO/AEO boundaries, and a testing standard. |
+# Agora Marketing
+
+Canonical skill reference adapted from the user-provided handbook dated
+2026-07-17 and rebuilt for the v1.1.0 persuasion contract. The source transcript
+is summarized as operating doctrine, not published verbatim. Evidence grades,
+limits, ethical controls, and durable source links remain authoritative.
+
+## Contents
+
+- [Core doctrine](#core-doctrine)
+- [The destination belief](#the-destination-belief)
+- [Mechanism and company transformation](#mechanism-and-company-transformation)
+- [Commercial modes](#commercial-modes)
+- [Construction order](#construction-order)
+- [Portable LLM activation contract](#portable-llm-activation-contract)
+- [Source basis and authority](#source-basis-and-authority)
+- [Format router](#format-router)
+- [Required brief](#required-brief)
+- [Build the argument](#build-the-argument)
+- [Emotion without hype](#emotion-without-hype)
+- [Mechanism controls](#mechanism-controls)
+- [Proof and claim control](#proof-and-claim-control)
+- [Rejection gates](#rejection-gates)
+- [Concision and format standard](#concision-and-format-standard)
+- [CTA standard](#cta-standard)
+- [Spoken delivery](#spoken-delivery)
+- [Human voice and AI-writing-tell gate](#human-voice-and-ai-writing-tell-gate)
+- [Written GEO/AEO and citability gate](#written-geoaeo-and-citability-gate)
+- [Operational workflow](#operational-workflow)
+- [Applied weak and strong pairs](#applied-weak-and-strong-pairs)
+- [Release checklist](#release-checklist)
+- [Experiment and learning standard](#experiment-and-learning-standard)
+- [Evidence register](#evidence-register)
+- [Evidence maintenance](#evidence-maintenance)
+- [Change log](#change-log)
+
+## Core doctrine
+
+**Compelling argument before compelling words.**
+
+Agora leads one audience from a real stake to one defensible buying,
+investment, or positioning belief. Persuasion is the supported path between
+those points. It is not a feature inventory, category definition, compliance
+pass, or pile of claims.
+
+For `SELL`, `INVEST`, and `POSITION`, use this mandatory commercial spine:
+
+`Recognizable reality -> consequence or opportunity -> new decision criterion -> company or product mechanism -> defensible destination belief -> action or investment relevance.`
+
+Moves may share sentences; none may disappear. An objective channel can cap
+tone and length, but it cannot delete the argument.
+
+Before delivery, silently locate the exact words that carry each of the six
+moves. If any move has no concrete phrase in the draft, rebuild it. Compact
+heroes, profiles, paywalls, emails, and spoken pitches are not exempt. Combine
+moves rather than deleting them, and do not expose the audit.
+
+Truth and safety outrank persuasion. Verified facts and brand constraints
+outrank polish. A flat but supported case can be edited. Hype without proof
+cannot.
+
+When rules conflict, use this priority: truth and safety; verified facts and
+brand constraints; the audience's decision; clarity and citability;
+persuasion; brevity; stylistic polish.
+
+## The destination belief
+
+Every asset needs one primary destination belief: the conclusion the audience
+must accept before the next decision makes sense.
+
+A valid destination belief is:
+
+- specific to the audience, commercial job, and moment;
+- necessary for buying, investing, positioning, understanding, or acting;
+- supported by supplied or verified evidence;
+- narrow enough for one asset;
+- honest about conditions and uncertainty.
+
+Write it before drafting the visible copy. Do not expose it as planning
+scaffolding. Do not replace it with a category label, slogan, or list of
+capabilities.
+
+Simple transactional copy may need only one claim and one action. Do not force
+a full commercial spine onto a confirmation, alert, or known utility task.
+
+## Mechanism and company transformation
+
+The mechanism explains what the company or product changes, what causes that
+change, why the change matters to this audience, and what limits apply. It is
+the reason the destination belief can follow from the facts.
+
+Count the consequence or opportunity move only when the copy names a concrete
+business effect, decision risk, blocked task, exposure, or available gain.
+Words such as `matters`, `confidence`, `better`, or `before acting` do not carry
+the stake by themselves.
+
+Company transformation is the factual movement the company creates between
+the recognizable reality and the useful after-state. For example, software may
+turn observed answer evidence into prioritized work, or turn mismatched finance
+records into routed exceptions. The transformation must be supported by
+supplied product behavior. It is not a performance promise.
+
+Use a supported causal or operating verb as the primary brand verb. Reject
+`shows`, `helps`, `supports`, or `built for` when a stronger factual verb is
+available. Prefer exact verbs such as `records`, `reconciles`, `routes`, or
+`turns`. Never strengthen the verb beyond the evidence.
+
+A mechanism may be standard. Explain its fit and execution instead of inventing
+exclusivity, branded jargon, or superiority.
+
+## Commercial modes
+
+Choose one primary mode. An explicit mode wins. Otherwise infer it from the
+audience, asset, and decision:
+
+| Mode | Infer when the task concerns |
+|---|---|
+| `INVEST` | Investors, funding, pitches, or capital-focused profiles |
+| `SELL` | Marketing, sales, ads, landing pages, outreach, or paywalls |
+| `POSITION` | Company profiles, category narratives, or brand descriptions |
+| `INFORM` | Editorial or educational work |
+| `TRANSACT` | Buttons, confirmations, alerts, or utility microcopy |
+
+Mode answers "what commercial job must the copy do?" Surface answers "where
+and how will the copy appear?" Route them separately. A Crunchbase investor
+description is `INVEST` on an objective indexable surface. A published video
+description is written even when the related script is spoken.
+
+For a tightly limited objective company profile, preserve the supported
+operational problem and company transformation. A category label is optional.
+Do not spend the limit on `Company is [category] that [feature list]` when the
+supplied facts support a problem-to-transformation argument.
+
+`SELL`, `INVEST`, and `POSITION` require the complete commercial spine.
+`INFORM` requires a defensible informational conclusion and source fidelity,
+without manufacturing a sales case. `TRANSACT` requires the clearest supported
+action, state, and consequence, without manufacturing stakes.
+
+For `INVEST`, state investment relevance in the visible copy. Placement in an
+investor directory does not carry this move. Use a neutral sentence that says
+the company `merits evaluation because` of a specific supported mechanism or
+workflow position. Do not end with abstract category restatements built on
+`represents`, `focused on`, `approach to`, or `positioned at`. Do not substitute
+traction, market hype, or a funding CTA.
+
+When several fields form one company profile, make the longest field carry the
+complete commercial spine. A short field may compress the problem or criterion
+with the transformation, but the Full Description cannot become a feature
+inventory. Do not include every supplied capability by default. Omit facts
+that do not advance the destination belief.
+
+## Construction order
+
+Use this exact order:
+
+`Commercial job -> destination belief -> argument -> proof gate -> channel formatting -> written GEO/AEO when applicable -> AI-writing-tell edit -> compression.`
+
+The proof gate comes before channel compliance. A polished, objective,
+extractable, or natural-sounding draft still fails when its premise is missing
+or unsupported.
+
+Channel rules cap tone without deleting the argument. For objective platforms
+such as Crunchbase, write the strongest objective argument permitted and
+explain any channel conflict after the copy.
+
+## Portable LLM activation contract
+
+When this file is supplied, installed as a skill, or retrieved into context,
+use it for writing, rewriting, shortening, critiquing, or planning marketing,
+sales, investor, positioning, editorial, interface, outreach, and spoken copy.
+
+When activated, the LLM must:
+
+1. Select the explicit or inferred commercial mode, then route each surface
+   separately.
+2. Build the destination belief and argument before proof, compliance, voice,
+   or compression passes.
+3. For `SELL`, `INVEST`, and `POSITION`, include every commercial-spine move.
+4. Require every fact to prove a premise, resolve an objection, or enable
+   action. Narrow or remove unsupported claims.
+5. Return ready-to-use copy first. Do not expose chain-of-thought, mode labels,
+   planning scaffolds, or rule-by-rule reasoning.
+6. Apply the written GEO/AEO layer only to written surfaces. Apply technical
+   publication checks only to indexable public surfaces.
+7. Apply the human-voice and AI-writing-tell gate to every deliverable,
+   including zero generated em dashes, smart quotes, stock templates, and
+   generated tripartite rhetoric.
+8. Never invent a fact, route, price, result, source, urgency, scarcity,
+   testimonial, comparison, market claim, or proof point.
+
+This is a decision system, not a visible template. Vary the surface structure
+while preserving the required reasoning moves.
+
+## Source basis and authority
+
+This handbook synthesizes the Agora writing reference, the consolidated
+human-voice reference, and three research reports. The research informs the
+rules but does not override the scope or limits of its evidence.
+
+Supplied source set:
+
+- User-provided transcript: `agora style marketing.md` (received 2026-07-17).
+- User-maintained consolidated reference: `Anti-AI-Writing-Tells.md` (updated
+  2026-07-17). It preserves every operational ban from the earlier
+  `ai-writing-tells-reference (1).md`, removes unsupported numerical detection
+  claims and fixed editing quotas, and adds evidence-backed limits.
+- User-provided research: `Emotional Persuasion and Argument Sequencing in
+  Marketing and Sales.md` (received 2026-07-17).
+- User-provided research: `Evidence on Marketing Copy Length and Structure
+  Across Digital Formats.md` (received 2026-07-17).
+- User-provided research: `Current Evidence on AI Search Visibility Across
+  ChatGPT Search, Claude Web Search, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews,
+  Bing Copilot, and Grok.md` (received 2026-07-17).
+- CiteSurge-only repository authorities: `content/ai-writing-tells.md`,
+  `content/ai-writing-tells.ts`, `docs/product/content-audit.md`,
+  `docs/staff/02-marketing-runbook.md`, and
+  `docs/staff/public-claim-ledger.md`.
+
+- The Agora transcript supplies the argument-first doctrine. It is a
+  direct-response lens, not a universal law or factual claim source.
+- The human-voice reference supplies an editing model based on pattern density,
+  specificity, source fidelity, and author ownership. It does not promise
+  detector evasion.
+- The persuasion research supports argument quality, vivid concrete imagery,
+  positive affect, diagnostic proof, and manageable information load. It also
+  shows that narrative, fear, guilt, scarcity, loss framing, and mechanism
+  language are conditional tools rather than universal conversion laws.
+- The copy-structure research supports format-specific decisions and testing,
+  not one universal short-copy rule.
+- The AI-search research supports clear, self-contained, evidence-bearing
+  passages and engine-specific technical controls. It does not establish a
+  universal citation formula.
+- `content/ai-writing-tells.ts` is the automated scanner authority for gated
+  CiteSurge public copy.
+- `docs/staff/public-claim-ledger.md` controls what CiteSurge may claim in
+  public. It overrides examples, old copy, briefs, and this handbook.
+- `docs/handbook/02-methodology-hiding-rule.md` controls what CiteSurge may
+  disclose about internal methods.
+- Current product docs and live behavior control capability truth.
+
+When this file is used outside CiteSurge, replace repository-specific claim and
+methodology controls with the user's verified product truth, legal constraints,
+brand guidance, and source ledger. If those materials are unavailable, do not
+assume that an example in this file authorizes the claim.
+
+Evidence labels used in this file:
+
+| Label | Meaning |
+|---|---|
+| `A` | Current first-party or official documentation for the named system. |
+| `B` | Controlled, peer-reviewed, preregistered, meta-analytic, or scoped reproducible research. |
+| `C` | Observational platform data, vendor study, or bounded case evidence. |
+| `D` | Contradiction, missing evidence, or an unresolved claim. Do not teach it as fact. |
+| `HOUSE` | Editorial convention chosen for consistency and usability. |
+| `EVIDENCE-INFORMED` | Direction supported within a limited population, channel, or outcome. |
+| `TEST` | A practical starting variant that requires local measurement. |
+
+Do not turn a `HOUSE`, `C`, or `TEST` rule into a scientific claim. No evidence
+grade authorizes transfer to an unmeasured audience, channel, or outcome. A
+result for attention, fluency, click-through, or reply rate is not evidence of
+trust, qualified demand, citation, conversion, or revenue unless those outcomes
+were measured separately.
+
+## Format router
+
+Route the surface only after choosing the commercial mode. Surface rules change
+delivery and publication checks; they do not change the commercial job.
+
+| Asset class | Required treatment |
+|---|---|
+| `INDEXABLE_PUBLIC` | Agora argument, human-voice gate, full written GEO/AEO content gate, claim/source review, and technical publication handoff. |
+| `PUBLIC_NON_INDEXABLE_WRITTEN` | Agora argument, human-voice gate, written semantic/evidence rules, and public claim review. Use for ads, social posts, decks, and PDFs without an indexable page. Skip canonical, schema, sitemap, and indexability checks. |
+| `WRITTEN_PRIVATE` | Agora argument, human-voice gate, concrete entities, self-contained claims, and evidence fidelity. Skip crawl, canonical, sitemap, schema, and indexability checks because the asset has no public URL. |
+| `SPOKEN_ONLY` | Agora argument, human cadence, and claim gate. Skip GEO/AEO formatting. Write for breath, delivery, timing, and listener comprehension. |
+| `HYBRID` | Classify each output separately. A video script can be spoken-only; its public title, description, transcript, captions, show notes, and companion page are written assets. |
+
+Keep CTA labels as short as clarity permits. Specificity and a predictable next
+step outrank an arbitrary word count. For written public assets, optimize the
+claim block around the CTA for extraction and evidence; do not stuff proof,
+definitions, or query phrases into the button label.
+
+Use the complete definition and applicable checks in the written GEO/AEO gate
+below. No asset can promise citation, ranking, recommendation, or sale.
+
+Channel rules cap tone without deleting the argument. For objective platforms
+such as Crunchbase, write the strongest objective argument permitted and
+explain any channel conflict after the copy.
+
+## Required brief
+
+Capture these inputs before drafting. Infer only low-risk details from supplied
+context; state consequential assumptions outside the final copy.
+
+```text
+Explicit or inferred mode:
+Asset class and channel:
+Audience and buying context:
+Awareness or intent stage:
+Problem, desire, or decision:
+Current belief:
+Destination belief:
+Offer, action, or investment relevance:
+Verified proof and sources:
+Claim and methodology limits:
+Voice samples or brand traits:
+Length and format constraints:
+```
+
+If the brief contains several audiences, beliefs, or CTAs, choose one primary
+path. Split distinct paths into separate assets rather than joining them with a
+long sentence.
+
+## Build the argument
+
+For `SELL`, `INVEST`, and `POSITION`, use this complete sequence:
+
+1. **Recognizable reality.** Name the situation in language the audience would
+   recognize.
+2. **Consequence or opportunity.** State one concrete business effect,
+   decision risk, or available gain without inventing severity or likelihood.
+3. **New decision criterion.** Establish what a credible choice must do.
+4. **Company or product mechanism.** Explain what changes, what causes the
+   change, why it matters, and what limits apply.
+5. **Defensible destination belief.** Land the supported conclusion that makes
+   the buying, investment, or positioning decision rational.
+6. **Action or investment relevance.** Present the next step, or explain why
+   the company merits evaluation when the channel does not permit a CTA.
+
+Moves may share sentences; none may disappear. Broken assumptions, comparison,
+diagnostic proof, after-state, objections, and illustration are optional
+supporting moves. Use them only when they strengthen the required spine.
+
+The compact logical form is:
+
+```text
+The desired result requires X.
+The current approach lacks X, within the stated scope.
+This offer provides X, supported by Y.
+Therefore this offer is a credible next step for this audience.
+```
+
+This syllogism is a house derivation from the transcript's argument-first idea,
+not a quoted Agora formula. If any premise cannot be proved, revise the premise
+or reduce the claim.
+
+Fit the expression to the decision without changing the sequence:
+
+- For a high-consideration or B2B decision, a useful default is concrete stake,
+  truthful mechanism, diagnostic proof, relevant limits, brief illustration,
+  then CTA. Treat this as an evidence-aligned heuristic, not a universal law.
+- For a low-cost, hedonic, or early-awareness asset, vivid use, positive affect,
+  and mental imagery may do more work before the proof. The claim still needs
+  support before the action.
+- For `INFORM`, lead with the answer and preserve source fidelity. Do not
+  manufacture a buying argument.
+- For `TRANSACT`, lead with the action or state. Do not manufacture a story or
+  commercial stake.
+
+### Argument continuity test
+
+For every block, ask:
+
+- What belief does the reader hold before this block?
+- What new information or feeling does this block add?
+- Why does the next block follow?
+- Would deleting this block weaken the case?
+
+Delete blocks that repeat the destination, decorate a claim, or smooth a
+transition without adding information.
+
+## Emotion without hype
+
+Emotion comes from a real situation and its consequence, not from inflated
+word choice.
+
+`HOUSE`: When several tensions would blur the decision, choose one primary
+emotional job for the block:
+
+- tension from a recognized problem;
+- relief from reduced uncertainty or effort;
+- control from clear evidence and a next step;
+- ambition tied to a credible outcome;
+- identity or belonging supported by the audience context;
+- curiosity created by a meaningful information gap.
+
+Then make it concrete:
+
+```text
+Situation + consequence + available agency
+```
+
+Prefer "Your team cannot tell which source shaped the answer" over "Navigate
+the complex AI landscape with confidence." The first gives the reader a scene,
+a problem, and a reason to care. The second asks generic words to carry the
+emotion.
+
+Rules:
+
+- For truthful fear or risk, state bounded severity and likelihood, then give a
+  credible response-efficacy path. Do not leave the reader trapped.
+- `HOUSE`: Prefer one dominant emotional tension when several would blur the
+  decision.
+- Make the desired change observable in the reader's work or life.
+- Prefer a concrete image or consequence to an extra adjective. Stronger
+  arguments, imagery, and positive affect can help persuasion; excessive
+  information load can hurt it. These are average effects, not permission to
+  decorate every sentence.
+- Do not invent fears, motives, memories, pain, testimonials, urgency, or
+  scarcity.
+- Do not shame, corner, or conceal material conditions.
+- Preserve honest trade-offs. Trust is part of persuasion.
+
+Conditional persuasion controls:
+
+| Persuasion device | Safe operating rule |
+|---|---|
+| Narrative | Use a short story or scene to illustrate relevant evidence. Do not assume stories beat facts or use a story as proof. |
+| Curiosity | Open a non-material information gap. Never hide mechanism, fit, price, risk, evidence, or the next step. |
+| Fear or risk | State truthful, bounded severity and likelihood, then a credible response-efficacy path. Most supporting research is non-commercial. |
+| Loss framing | `TEST` only. Compare it with neutral or gain framing and track intent and reactance, not attention alone. Agency does not make it reliably effective. |
+| Guilt | Use sparingly, if at all. Never shame, coerce, or imply moral failure to force action. |
+| Scarcity | State only a real, current, relevant limit. No fake inventory, countdown resets, or invented demand. |
+| Social proof | Use auditable, comparable, scoped evidence. Popularity without relevance is not proof. |
+
+Treat named psychological effects as hypotheses for the audience, channel, and
+outcome. Never teach the lore that people always buy on emotion and justify
+with logic, that stories always beat facts, or that one emotion-first sequence
+works everywhere.
+
+## Mechanism controls
+
+The Agora source favors a unique mechanism: a specific reason the offer can
+produce the desired result. Keep the useful part; reject invented exclusivity.
+
+A clear mechanism statement answers:
+
+- What changes?
+- What causes that change?
+- Why is this approach relevant to the audience's problem?
+- What evidence supports the difference?
+- What conditions or limits apply?
+
+Use "proprietary," "unique," "only," "superior," or market-leadership language
+only when current evidence authorizes the exact claim. If the approach is
+different but not exclusive, name the concrete difference. If it is standard,
+explain its fit and execution instead of creating branded jargon.
+
+A coherent, truthful causal explanation can make an offer easier to understand
+and can raise perceived efficacy. It does not prove actual efficacy. A coined
+mechanism is optional; a real reason to believe is not. Never retrofit technical
+language around an unsupported outcome.
+
+Reject a weak primary brand verb when a stronger factual operating verb is
+available. `Shows`, `helps`, `supports`, and `built for` often hide the company
+transformation. Prefer the exact supplied behavior, such as `records`,
+`reconciles`, `routes`, or `turns`. Do not imply causality or performance that
+the evidence does not establish.
+
+For CiteSurge public copy, describe differentiation at the principle,
+experience, evidence, and outcome level. Do not disclose prompts, formulas,
+weights, thresholds, vendor routing, fixtures, classifiers, infrastructure, or
+raw provider diagnostics. Vague "proprietary AI" language is not a substitute
+for a reason to believe.
+
+Run the education-leakage test: if the explanation teaches the category but
+leaves the buyer equally likely to choose any competitor, decide whether
+category building is intentional. If it is not, connect the lesson to the
+offer's verified difference or fit. Never invent exclusivity to close the gap.
+
+## Proof and claim control
+
+Argument strength is limited by proof strength. Choose evidence diagnostic of
+the exact claim and decision before applying channel, GEO/AEO, voice, or length
+rules. Require every fact to prove a premise, resolve an objection, or enable
+action. A true fact that does none of those jobs is still clutter.
+
+Do not turn an operational mismatch, exception, or review task into financial
+risk, a control deficiency, compliance exposure, loss, or business impact
+unless the supplied evidence supports that consequence. Keep the stake at the
+supported task or decision.
+
+As a `HOUSE` selection order, look for:
+
+1. Current, inspectable product behavior or a non-expired approved claim.
+2. First-hand or original evidence with a disclosed method and date.
+3. Current primary or official sources that support the exact statement.
+4. A verified demonstration, comparison, or consented case record.
+5. A verified, attributable testimonial within its real scope.
+6. Corroboration that is independent, comparable, current, and within scope.
+
+Then name any material limitation that keeps the conclusion honest. A
+limitation is not evidence. No proof means narrow or remove the claim; it does
+not mean add adjectives.
+
+Treat `emerging`, `growing`, `established`, `crowded`, `large`, `expanding`,
+`increasingly`, `accelerating`, `rising`, `surging`, `rapidly`, and similar
+category-stage or market-trend language as claims. When no market evidence is
+supplied, name the category and current situation neutrally.
+
+Do not add a generic disclaimer such as `outcomes are not guaranteed` merely
+because a result claim is unavailable. Omit the result claim. Keep a
+qualification only when it is material to the remaining copy or required by
+law, policy, or the user.
+
+Across persuasion research, statistics generally outperform a lone anecdote; a
+relevant anecdote can still make an emotionally charged or self-relevant issue
+concrete. Use the story to illustrate the evidence, not replace it. In online
+review settings, valence, argument quality, usefulness, message trust, and
+source credibility predict purchase intention; raw count alone is insufficient.
+Category-specific automobile evidence shows that conflicting sources can reduce
+intent and early sales. Treat comparability, recency, and consistency as
+`HOUSE` proof-diagnosticity checks, and reconcile material discrepancies rather
+than hiding them.
+
+Keep claim types distinct:
+
+| Type | Treatment |
+|---|---|
+| Fact | Verify source, wording, date, scope, and expiry. |
+| Inference | Show what evidence supports it and retain uncertainty. |
+| Opinion | Attribute ownership; do not present it as measured fact. |
+| Promise | Confirm authority, delivery scope, conditions, and ability to perform. |
+
+For CiteSurge:
+
+- Only non-expired `LIVE` rows in `docs/staff/public-claim-ledger.md` may be
+  marketed as current.
+- `LANDED_INACTIVE`, `OPEN_PENDING`, `FUTURE`, and `UNSUPPORTED` are not current
+  capabilities.
+- Engine behavior claims need current primary support.
+- Customer-facing copy must not expose HTTP codes, auth or quota failures,
+  scraping limits, probe names, raw exceptions, or implementation diagnostics.
+- Do not promise that crawler access, schema, AI-readable files, or any single
+  content edit causes citation.
+- Keep brand mention, source selection, answer absorption, visible citation,
+  referral, recommendation, conversion, and revenue as separate measures.
+- Public positioning sells GEO/AEO. Use SEO only for necessary comparison,
+  decline, or replacement context; never sell it positively. Review every SEO
+  occurrence before publication.
+
+## Rejection gates
+
+Reject and rebuild a `SELL`, `INVEST`, or `POSITION` draft when:
+
+- it is only a category definition, claim-ledger paraphrase, or feature
+  inventory;
+- an objective profile uses the shape `Company is [category] that [feature
+  list]` even though the supplied mechanism supports a decision problem or
+  company transformation;
+- it has no felt stake, company transformation, or destination belief;
+- one of the six commercial-spine moves disappeared to satisfy a short or
+  objective format;
+- a paywall merely repeats plan facts without naming the blocked action and how
+  the supported upgrade change resolves it;
+- its facts do not prove a premise, resolve an objection, or enable action;
+- its primary brand verb is `shows`, `helps`, `supports`, or `built for` when a
+  supported causal or operating verb is available;
+- a competitor name can replace the company without changing the claim;
+- it uses compliance, formatting, or citability as a substitute for persuasion.
+
+Also reject any draft that fails the proof, continuity, CTA, read-aloud,
+defense, fidelity, or AI-writing-tell tests. Rebuild from the first failed
+premise rather than polishing the surface.
+
+## Concision and format standard
+
+There is no universal short-copy law. Write the shortest complete decision
+path for the channel, audience, stage, device, traffic source, offer complexity,
+language, and risk. One asset should still have one destination belief; one
+block should do one main job; one sentence should carry one main claim.
+
+Ranges below are editing controls or starting variants, not guaranteed optima:
+
+| Format | Working rule | Status and limit |
+|---|---|---|
+| Headline | Aim for 3-9 words; review above 12. | `HOUSE` |
+| Support line | Aim for 12-24 words; review above 30. | `HOUSE` |
+| Sentence | Keep most at 20 words or fewer; review above 25. | `EVIDENCE-INFORMED` for accessibility, based on a small screen-reader study; not a conversion law. |
+| Marketing paragraph | Usually 1-3 sentences; review above 75 words. | `HOUSE` |
+| Hero | Test roughly 25-75 total words when mobile, high intent, or urgency favors compression. | `TEST`; no universal hero optimum. |
+| Button CTA | Test 2-5 words, but use more when needed to make the action predictable. | `TEST`; clarity and transparency outrank brevity. |
+| B2B cold email | Start around 50-100 words and 3-4 sentences, then ask for interest rather than a calendar commitment. | `EVIDENCE-INFORMED`, from large observational Gong datasets; not causal or universal. |
+| Active-deal follow-up | Use roughly 3-6 short sentences with a specific next step; no hard word cap. | `TEST`; context carries more detail. |
+| Warm personal email | Start around 50-120 words when no channel constraint says otherwise. | `HOUSE` |
+| LinkedIn cold message | Test below roughly 400-500 characters with one reason to care and one low-friction ask. | `C` and `TEST`; LinkedIn findings are product- and use-case-specific. |
+| Utility, product, or question-led page | Put the answer, offer, or decision aid in the first sentence or paragraph. | `HOUSE`, aligned with general web usability; do not force this onto narrative or editorial openings. |
+| Long sales or comparison page | No global word cap. Put a useful summary before detail, use progressive disclosure, and chunk proof and objections. | `HOUSE`, aligned with general usability practice. |
+| Comparison set | Test a static table around five or fewer options; reflow or use readable cards on mobile. | `TEST`; a usability starting point, not a ranking rule. |
+| Paid ad | Obey the platform limit. Test personal or subjective framing for attention against objective, brand-consistent framing for conversion. | `TEST`; keep click-through and conversion separate. |
+| Social post | No universal character optimum. Preserve the hook, useful substance, and readable shape. | `HOUSE`; test length in the actual platform and content category. |
+
+On mobile, increase signal and reduce friction; do not merely delete words.
+Preserve meaning, evidence, button clarity, and usable comparison structure. Do
+not force legal qualifications, technical explanations, translations, or
+complex decisions into a house range. Evidence and necessary qualification are
+load-bearing; decorative setup is not.
+
+### Compression order
+
+Cut in this order:
+
+1. repeated claims and empty recaps;
+2. throat-clearing and generic introductions;
+3. adjective stacks and intensifiers;
+4. formal transitions the logic does not need;
+5. unsupported claims and secondary examples;
+6. a secondary CTA or audience path.
+
+Never cut a material condition, source, qualification, or next-step detail just
+to hit a count.
+
+Keep a sentence only if it does at least one job:
+
+- advances the destination belief;
+- proves a material claim;
+- resolves a real objection;
+- makes the action clear.
+
+If deleting it changes nothing, delete it.
+
+## CTA standard
+
+A CTA should feel like the next logical step, not a sudden hard-sell voice.
+
+Every CTA must:
+
+- ask for one concrete action;
+- make the next screen, reply, or commitment predictable;
+- match the audience's intent and the argument's promise;
+- use a specific verb and object when space allows;
+- avoid adding a new claim;
+- use urgency or scarcity only when verified and material;
+- point to a real route or action that works.
+
+Choose one primary CTA intent. A long page may repeat the same action at useful
+decision points; repetition does not create a second CTA path. In a cold B2B
+message, a low-friction interest question can be more appropriate than asking
+for a meeting immediately. In an active conversation or later deal stage, ask
+for the specific next step. Treat both as context-sensitive starting rules.
+
+Useful patterns, subject to route and offer truth:
+
+| Intent | Pattern examples |
+|---|---|
+| Discover | `See the evidence`, `Read the method` |
+| Compare | `Compare approaches`, `Compare plans` |
+| Evaluate | `Review your gaps`, `View the plan` |
+| Act | `Request an audit`, `Book a review` |
+
+Prefer a precise action over `Learn more`, `Get started`, `Unlock your
+potential`, or `Start your journey`, unless the surrounding interface already
+makes the outcome unambiguous. Keep supporting proof or risk-reversal in nearby
+microcopy, not inside the button. Claims such as "No card required" or a
+response time must be verified before use.
+
+## Spoken delivery
+
+Spoken work keeps the selected commercial mode and proof gate. `SELL`,
+`INVEST`, and `POSITION` scripts still require the complete commercial spine,
+but the moves should sound like one person making one case rather than reading
+a framework aloud.
+
+- Write for breath, emphasis, timing, and listener comprehension.
+- Put the recognizable reality and stake early enough to orient the listener.
+- Use concrete nouns and operating verbs. Cut stacked abstractions.
+- Preserve qualifications and attribution without forcing citation syntax into
+  the spoken line.
+- Read the script aloud and revise any sentence the intended speaker would not
+  say.
+- Skip written GEO/AEO formatting for spoken-only delivery.
+- Route every published title, description, transcript, caption, show note,
+  and companion page as a separate written surface.
+
+## Human voice and AI-writing-tell gate
+
+Apply this gate to every Agora deliverable, including private writing, public
+copy, interface text, outreach, editorial work, and spoken scripts. The goal is
+not to disguise authorship. Produce specific, accurate, author-owned writing
+that fits its channel and survives factual review.
+
+The consolidated human-voice reference originates in Wikipedia's operational
+AI-cleanup guidance. Editors use those patterns to flag and clean likely
+model-written prose, and related editorial systems can adopt the same cues.
+Agora therefore treats the listed items as mandatory output bans. One cue does
+not prove authorship, and following the bans cannot guarantee non-detection.
+Detector scores remain secondary signals with false-positive, domain-shift, and
+versioning limits.
+
+### Global output bans
+
+Unless immutable source text or an explicit legal, technical, brand, or user
+requirement makes preservation necessary, final Agora copy must contain:
+
+- zero generated em dashes;
+- zero curly or smart quotation marks;
+- zero prompt acknowledgements or task meta-commentary;
+- zero stock phrase templates;
+- zero generic significance tails;
+- zero fabricated citations, quotations, anecdotes, memories, motives,
+  credentials, opinions, comparisons, or facts;
+- zero banned vocabulary or connectives without a narrow documented exception;
+- zero unneeded conclusion or recap paragraphs;
+- zero generated tripartite templates;
+- zero generated `Not only... but also...`, `not merely... but...`, or `not
+  just... but...` constructions;
+- zero deliberate errors, fake informality, synonym soup, or detector-evasion
+  promises.
+
+Use straight quotes. Replace each generated em dash with a comma, colon,
+parentheses, or a new sentence. Preserve banned text only inside verified
+quotations, legal wording, code, identifiers, proper names, required technical
+terms, or other immutable material. `HOUSE` records the operational basis of
+these rules; it does not make them optional.
+
+Run a literal final-character sweep after drafting the ready copy and every
+verification note. Replace generated U+2014, U+2018, U+2019, U+201C, and U+201D
+punctuation with an ASCII alternative, including when restating a user's
+unsupported phrase. A post-copy note cannot reintroduce a banned mark.
+
+Run a separate triad sweep before delivery. Never generate the prose syntax
+`X, Y, and Z` or `X, Y, or Z`; treat this as a mechanical output constraint.
+Rewrite generated sequences of three parallel nouns, adjectives, clauses, or
+sentence fragments. A flourish such as `measurement, traceability, and
+discipline` fails. A recap such as `evidence capture, prioritization, and human
+review` also fails; write `captures evidence and keeps prioritization under
+human review`. Recast even sourced facts with a natural pair or connected
+prose. Preserve the three-part syntax only inside immutable quoted or legal
+text, a proper name, or text the user requires verbatim.
+
+Scan the final prose from the last sentence backward. Find every generated
+`, and` and `, or`; when it closes a three-part parallel sequence, rewrite it.
+Check every occurrence, including the last sentence and any note. Do not stop
+after the first repair.
+
+### Global core tests
+
+- **Competitor-swap test:** if replacing the subject with any competitor leaves
+  the paragraph accurate, rewrite it with a real mechanism, fact, situation,
+  boundary, or point of view.
+- **Read-aloud test:** if the intended speaker would not say it, revise it.
+- **Defense test:** if the author would hesitate to defend a sentence in front
+  of the buyer, verify, qualify, or remove it.
+- **Density test:** judge clusters and repeated templates, not one ordinary word
+  in isolation.
+- **Fidelity test:** compare the revision against the fact ledger. Restore every
+  material condition, uncertainty, attribution, name, number, date, quotation,
+  citation, and technical term.
+
+### Banned vocabulary and connectives
+
+Strip these terms by default. Retain one only when it is exact, load-bearing,
+technically required, a verified proper name, immutable verbatim text, or an
+explicit user or house requirement. Document why no concrete alternative is
+more accurate.
+
+- **Verbs:** `delve`, `underscore`, `showcase`, `foster`, `navigate` as a
+  metaphor, `harness`, `leverage`, `unlock`, `unleash`, `empower`, `streamline`,
+  `bolster`, `elevate`, `facilitate`, `enhance`, vague `optimize`, metaphorical
+  `drive`, metaphorical `craft`, `forge`, and `spearhead`.
+- **Adjectives:** `pivotal`, `crucial`, `vital`, `essential`, `robust`,
+  `seamless`, `holistic`, `comprehensive`, `multifaceted`, `nuanced`,
+  `intricate`, `meticulous`, `profound`, `transformative`, `groundbreaking`,
+  `revolutionary`, `cutting-edge`, `state-of-the-art`, `world-class`,
+  `best-in-class`, `unparalleled`, `unprecedented`, `remarkable`, `noteworthy`,
+  `notable`, `significant`, `invaluable`, `indispensable`, `paramount`,
+  `breathtaking`, `stunning`, `vibrant`, `rich` in phrases such as `rich
+  history`, `bespoke`, and `curated`.
+- **Nouns, especially as metaphors:** `tapestry`, `landscape`, `realm`,
+  `ecosystem`, `journey`, `testament`, `frontier`, `forefront`, `cornerstone`,
+  `backbone`, `lifeblood`, `powerhouse`, `trailblazer`, and `game-changer`.
+- **Connectives:** `moreover`, `furthermore`, `additionally`, `in addition`,
+  `notably`, `importantly`, `indeed`, `in essence`, `in summary`, `in
+  conclusion`, `ultimately`, `that said`, `on the other hand`, and `on one
+  hand`.
+
+Delete a connective when the relationship remains clear. When one is required
+by a formal genre, use the shortest accurate transition.
+
+### Banned templates and significance tails
+
+Delete every generated occurrence of:
+
+- `It's important to note that...`;
+- `It's worth noting` or `It's worth mentioning`;
+- `In today's fast-paced world...`;
+- `In the ever-evolving landscape of...`;
+- `In the realm of...`;
+- `A testament to...`;
+- `Stands as a...`;
+- `Serves as a...`;
+- `Plays a crucial`, `pivotal`, or `vital role in...`;
+- `Not only X but also Y`;
+- `Whether you're X or Y...`;
+- `From X to Y, [subject] has...`;
+- `At its core...`;
+- `When it comes to...`;
+- `Navigating the complexities of...`;
+- `Unlocking the potential of...`;
+- `Harnessing the power of...`;
+- `Paving the way for...`;
+- `Setting the stage for...`;
+- `Bringing X to the forefront`.
+
+Delete generated tails such as:
+
+- `..., emphasizing the significance of...`;
+- `..., reflecting the continued relevance of...`;
+- `..., underscoring the importance of...`;
+- `..., highlighting its role in...`;
+- `..., demonstrating its impact on...`;
+- `..., marking a turning point in...`;
+- `..., cementing its place as...`;
+- `..., solidifying its reputation for...`;
+- `..., showcasing its commitment to...`.
+
+End with information or a specific, supportable inference.
+
+### Banned structural and typography patterns
+
+Remove:
+
+- prompt acknowledgements, including `Certainly`, `Of course`, `Absolutely`,
+  `Great question`, or any acknowledgement of the prompt;
+- every paragraph ending with a summary or significance sentence;
+- generated tripartite parallelism used as a rhetorical template;
+- repeated or generated `Not only... but also...` structures;
+- headings followed by a sentence that restates the heading;
+- repeated `**Bold label:** sentence` bullets;
+- balanced both-sides framing that refuses to make a supported claim;
+- conclusions or summary sections in formats that do not need them;
+- generic positive framing that replaces a fact;
+- `Some argue... others contend...` without named sources;
+- definitions repeated across sections;
+- smooth transitions that conceal unrelated facts;
+- topic sentences that restate headings;
+- title case for generic concepts;
+- mid-paragraph bold outside technical, accessibility, or explicit house needs.
+
+Use zero generated em dashes and zero curly or smart quotes. Use straight
+quotes. Use an en dash only when formal publication style requires it;
+otherwise use a hyphen.
+
+Reject prompt leakage immediately, including `Here is your article`, `As an AI
+language model`, `Up to my last training update`, `I hope this helps`, `Let me
+know if you would like`, `Certainly! Here's a`, `Sure, I can help with that`,
+any task meta-commentary, or any reference to the commissioning user inside the
+deliverable. Return the deliverable itself.
+
+### Author voice, genre, and meaning
+
+When authentic author samples are available, profile recurring sentence length,
+paragraph rhythm, formality, contractions, function words, punctuation,
+qualification, directness, humor, openings, turns, and endings. Use stable habits
+without copying phrases, subject matter, or one-off quirks. When samples are
+missing, preserve credible individual choices and request author review rather
+than inventing an idiolect.
+
+Fit the genre. A professional email should surface context and request quickly.
+An executive memo should lead with the decision or finding. Academic and legal
+work must preserve required terminology and citations. Spoken work must sound
+natural when read aloud. Written GEO/AEO work must remain specific without
+forcing identical headings, paragraph lengths, or miniature conclusions.
+
+Never humanize by changing facts, names, figures, dates, quotations, citations,
+causality, uncertainty, legal meaning, or product terminology. Never upload
+confidential, privileged, unpublished, regulated, or personally sensitive text
+to an external detector or rewriting service without authorization and a review
+of its retention and training terms.
+
+### Detector limits and research basis
+
+Never promise that copy is "undetectable", claim that a detector score proves
+authorship, or optimize toward one changing classifier at the expense of truth,
+voice, or clarity. If detector testing is authorized, calibrate against several
+known-human samples from the same author and genre, use multiple methods when
+feasible, record tool and version, and stop detector-driven editing after two
+rounds unless another pass independently improves the prose.
+
+The earlier source gave `3-5x` em-dash usage and about `90%` experienced-reader
+detection as numerical claims without a supporting source. Do not repeat those
+numbers as scientific facts. This does not weaken any output ban. The bans are
+mandatory because the source patterns are used operationally in Wikipedia-style
+AI cleanup and related editorial screening, not because a percentage guarantees
+detection or non-detection.
+
+The human-voice reference grounds these limits in:
+
+- [RAID benchmark](https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.07940);
+- [Krishna et al. on paraphrasing attacks](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.13408);
+- [DAMAGE shared task overview](https://aclanthology.org/2025.genaidetect-1.9/);
+- [Practical examination of AI-generated text detectors](https://aclanthology.org/2025.findings-naacl.271/);
+- [Detector bias against non-native English writers](https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.02819);
+- [GPTZero detector methodology](https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.13042);
+- [Can AI-Generated Text be Reliably Detected?](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.11156);
+- [Almost AI, Almost Human](https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.15666);
+- [Human heuristics for AI-generated language are flawed](https://arxiv.org/abs/2206.07271);
+- [Function Word Adjacency Networks](https://arxiv.org/abs/1406.4469).
+
+### CiteSurge-only scanner controls
+
+For gated CiteSurge public pages, the repository scanner enforces the global
+prompt-leakage and quote bans and adds CiteSurge-only machine thresholds:
+
+- prompt leakage or acknowledgement openers fail immediately;
+- curly quote characters or entities in prose fail under the global rule;
+- three or more watchlist indicators in one prose block fail;
+- the same template or significance-tail fingerprint repeated twice fails;
+- a single watchlist occurrence is informational, not an automatic failure.
+
+Use `content/ai-writing-tells.md` for CiteSurge rationale and
+`content/ai-writing-tells.ts` for its current scanner rules. Do not apply those
+CiteSurge-specific thresholds, files, or release gates to another brand.
+
+## Written GEO/AEO and citability gate
+
+Apply the semantic and evidence rules below to every written asset. Apply the
+technical rules only when the asset has an indexable public URL. Public
+non-indexable work still needs public-safe claims; private writing still needs
+clear entities and source fidelity. Spoken-only assets skip this section unless
+a written derivative is published.
+
+"Fully GEO/AEO optimized" means maximum practical extractability,
+verifiability, information value, and technical eligibility for the asset. It
+does not mean guaranteed retrieval, selection, quotation, citation, ranking,
+recommendation, referral, or sale. 2026 preprints provide descriptive,
+observational, and experimental evidence for testing modular, self-contained,
+evidence-bearing passages in some AI-search systems; they do not establish a
+universal ranking formula.
+
+### Content requirements
+
+1. **Resolve the real question early when the format calls for it.** Utility,
+   product, comparison, and question-led content should put the answer, offer,
+   or decision aid in the first sentence or paragraph. A narrative or editorial
+   opening may begin with a relevant scene, but should reveal the subject and
+   value before the setup becomes a detour.
+2. **Name the entity and scope.** Use the full brand, product, category, market,
+   date, and population where ambiguity would weaken an extracted passage.
+3. **Build self-contained evidence blocks.** A useful paragraph should preserve
+   its subject, claim, support, and material limit when quoted alone. Replace
+   vague dependencies such as "this," "it," and "as above" when context would
+   be lost.
+4. **Keep evidence next to the claim.** Name and link the exact source, date
+   material facts, distinguish fact from inference, and state relevant limits.
+   Prefer current primary or first-party sources.
+5. **Add information gain.** Contribute original data, first-hand experience,
+   a useful comparison, a reproducible demonstration, a disclosure-safe method,
+   or a defensible point of view. Do not paraphrase category consensus and call
+   it insight.
+6. **Structure around reader intent.** Use descriptive headings, definitions,
+   lists, steps, tables, or FAQs only when they make the answer easier to use.
+   Q&A formatting by itself is not a citability strategy.
+7. **Make provenance visible.** For public editorial work, show a verified
+   author or publisher, publication or review date, sources, and relevant
+   disclosures. Treat these as trust and verification practices, not universal
+   ranking factors.
+8. **Link contextually.** Connect the page to the most relevant evidence,
+   capability, comparison, trust, or next-step page. Do not chase arbitrary
+   internal-link counts.
+9. **Keep surfaces consistent.** Visible copy, metadata, structured data,
+   feeds, sales material, and machine-readable surfaces must describe the same
+   facts and scope.
+10. **Measure distinct events.** Record the engine or surface, prompt or topic,
+    market, date, and observed output. Keep brand mention, source selection,
+    answer absorption, visible citation, referral, recommendation, conversion,
+    and revenue separate.
+
+### Emotional marketing plus extractability
+
+Emotion can earn attention; a self-contained evidence block can support
+understanding and verification. A useful page-level sequence is:
+
+1. a concise hook that names a real tension or desired change;
+2. an early plain-language answer or value claim;
+3. self-contained blocks for mechanism, evidence, comparison, and limits;
+4. one primary CTA intent that follows from the supported conclusion.
+
+The hero may carry more emotion. Proof sections should carry more diagnostic
+facts. Both must use the same destination belief and claim scope. Do not repeat
+this four-part shape mechanically across every section.
+
+### Engine-specific boundaries
+
+These controls were verified against official documentation on 2026-07-17.
+Recheck them before an engine-specific recommendation; crawler names and product
+behavior can change.
+
+| System | Safe rule |
+|---|---|
+| ChatGPT Search | `OAI-SearchBot` is the Search crawler; `GPTBot` concerns potential model training; `ChatGPT-User` performs user-initiated fetches. Permission can affect eligibility, not inclusion. ChatGPT referrals can be identified with `utm_source=chatgpt.com`. |
+| Claude web search | `Claude-SearchBot`, `ClaudeBot`, and `Claude-User` have different purposes. Blocking Search or User access may reduce visibility. Do not claim a first-party citation or referral analytics method unless Anthropic documents one. |
+| Perplexity | Treat `PerplexityBot` and `Perplexity-User` separately. Current official descriptions of robots behavior are not fully consistent, so name the agent, action, source, and date rather than saying Perplexity simply respects or ignores `robots.txt`. |
+| Google AI Overviews and AI Mode | Google Search controls and Googlebot govern Search eligibility. `Google-Extended` is separate and does not control inclusion or ranking in Google Search. Google requires no special AI schema, AI text file, or special page structure; `llms.txt` is ignored by Google Search. |
+| Bing and Copilot | Bing Webmaster Tools AI Performance and Microsoft Clarity can distinguish some citations, queries, and referrals. Citation count is not proof of prominence, answer contribution, accuracy, or conversion. IndexNow is a Bing-supported freshness mechanism, not a cross-engine ranking tactic. |
+| Grok | xAI documents web-search results and citations for its API. Its `citations` field can include every URL encountered during tool search, while inline citations are answer-linked and not guaranteed; do not count every encountered URL as visible support. Public site-owner controls for Grok crawling, indexing, and training are not established in the reviewed official material. Mark them unknown rather than inferring them. |
+
+Never import one engine's crawler, metadata, structured-data, or measurement
+rule into another engine without first-party support.
+
+### Indexable-public technical handoff
+
+Copy alone cannot complete GEO/AEO. Confirm or hand off checks for:
+
+- one stable, accessible canonical URL and intentional indexability;
+- important claims and evidence available in robust, accessible page content;
+- intentional, engine-specific crawler policy;
+- HTTPS, stable delivery, useful status behavior, and crawlable links;
+- sitemap discovery and truthful freshness dates where applicable;
+- descriptive metadata aligned with visible copy;
+- contextual internal links and useful image alternatives;
+- valid structured data that matches visible facts and a supported use case;
+- consistent author, publisher, organization, and product identities.
+
+Prefer important evidence in normal accessible HTML for retrieval robustness,
+but do not claim that every engine ignores client-rendered content, PDFs,
+images, or other formats. Structured data can clarify meaning or qualify a page
+for documented features; it does not guarantee AI selection or citation.
+Google documents no special AI schema. OpenAI's documented structured metadata
+use is currently specific to Shopping, not a general ChatGPT ranking rule.
+Never invent questions, authors, dates, ratings, products, or organization
+facts for markup. Do not require `llms.txt`; Google ignores it and a citation
+effect is unproved elsewhere.
+
+### GEO/AEO anti-patterns
+
+Reject:
+
+- keyword or entity stuffing;
+- long copy written only to satisfy a word count;
+- thin definition pages and minor-query variants;
+- hidden answer text or machine-only claims;
+- fake statistics, false precision, or source laundering;
+- FAQ or Q&A blocks added only as a citability tactic;
+- duplicated passages with swapped keywords;
+- crawler permission presented as retrieval, selection, or citation;
+- structured data, authorship, dates, direct answers, or HTML rendering
+  presented as universal ranking factors;
+- citation count treated as answer contribution, accuracy, endorsement,
+  prominence, referral, or conversion;
+- `llms.txt`, IndexNow, or an engine-specific crawler rule presented as a
+  universal requirement;
+- observational movement presented as causal lift;
+- generic AI phrasing that lowers specificity and information value.
+
+## Operational workflow
+
+1. **Commercial job.** Choose the explicit or inferred mode, audience,
+   decision, and action or investment relevance. Route the surface separately.
+2. **Destination belief.** Write one supportable conclusion before drafting.
+3. **Argument.** Build the full commercial spine for `SELL`, `INVEST`, and
+   `POSITION`. Use only needed moves for `INFORM` and `TRANSACT`.
+4. **Proof gate.** Attach evidence to each premise, preserve limits, and remove
+   facts that do not prove a premise, resolve an objection, or enable action.
+5. **Channel formatting.** Fit the channel without deleting the argument. Honor
+   explicit length and format constraints when they do not require factual
+   distortion.
+6. **Written GEO/AEO when applicable.** Apply semantic and evidence rules to
+   written work. Add technical checks only for indexable public work.
+7. **AI-writing-tell edit.** Apply the global human-voice bans and tests without
+   changing factual meaning.
+8. **Compression.** Cut repetition and decoration last. Preserve proof,
+   qualifications, the destination belief, action relevance, and any explicit
+   usable length range.
+
+Use the sequence exactly: `Commercial job -> destination belief -> argument ->
+proof gate -> channel formatting -> written GEO/AEO when applicable ->
+AI-writing-tell edit -> compression.`
+
+For CiteSurge public changes, pass every changed marketing file or directory
+explicitly to `npm run dev:ai-writing-tells:scan --`, then run:
+
+```powershell
+npm run dev:public:claim-safety:smoke
+```
+
+No-argument AI scan covers only its default gated page set. Pass every changed
+marketing path explicitly. Inspect rendered copy and all changed metadata,
+schema, feed, sitemap, or AI-readable surfaces.
+
+Published Insights also require a reviewer independent from the draft owner.
+That reviewer checks rendered article, sources, claim scope, methodology
+boundary, metadata, schema, feed, and AI-readable summary. Automated checks do
+not replace this review; publication stays blocked when it is unavailable.
+
+## Applied weak and strong pairs
+
+These fictional pairs use the same stated facts on both sides. They teach
+construction, not standing claims. Replace every fact and CTA with verified
+product truth before use.
+
+### Company positioning
+
+Verified facts:
+
+> Rivet reconciles purchase orders against invoices and receipts. It flags
+> discrepancies before routing exceptions to finance teams. No performance or
+> savings claims are supplied. No traction or market claims are supplied.
+
+Weak:
+
+> Rivet is B2B finance software for reconciliation and exception routing.
+
+Strong:
+
+> Finance teams have to investigate when purchase orders do not agree with
+> invoices or receipts. A useful system must identify the mismatch and put it
+> into an actionable queue. Rivet reconciles those records and flags
+> discrepancies before routing exceptions to finance. It turns document
+> matching into exception work the team can act on.
+
+The weak version defines a category and inventories features. The strong
+version makes the operational stake clear and establishes the criterion. It
+then shows the transformation that supports the company position without
+adding a performance claim.
+
+### Investor description
+
+Verified facts:
+
+> Northstar measures how major AI answer systems represent brands and whether
+> they cite them. It records each answer with its prompt and market context.
+> The record also preserves evidence limits. Human-reviewed findings become
+> prioritized content or technical work. The product includes dashboards and
+> reports. It also provides
+> multi-brand workspaces plus programmatic access through an API and MCP.
+> Webhooks are also available. No traction or leadership claims are supplied.
+> No pricing or market-size claims are supplied. No performance claims are
+> supplied.
+
+Weak:
+
+> Northstar is enterprise GEO software with dashboards and human-reviewed
+> reports.
+
+Strong:
+
+> Brand teams cannot choose precise work from an AI answer they cannot trace to
+> the original prompt and market context or to the sources it cited. Northstar
+> records that evidence with its limits. It then turns supported findings into
+> prioritized content or technical work under human review. Multi-brand
+> workspaces and programmatic access make the evidence usable across an
+> enterprise. For investors, Northstar is workflow software for turning
+> observed AI brand representation into governed action.
+
+The strong version states the decision problem and mechanism. It keeps the
+boundary visible, shows the company transformation and lands the investment
+relevance. It does not invent traction or outcomes.
+
+### Hero
+
+Verified facts:
+
+> Northstar records observed AI answers with their citation URLs. Each record
+> keeps its prompt and market context attached. It also preserves evidence
+> limits. Supported findings become prioritized work. An evidence-review route
+> exists.
+
+Weak:
+
+> Better AI visibility for every brand.
+
+Strong:
+
+> An AI answer without its prompt and market context or its citation record
+> cannot support a precise content decision. Northstar keeps that evidence
+> attached before turning supported findings into prioritized work. Review the
+> evidence.
+
+The CTA follows from the mechanism and points to a verified route. The copy
+does not promise visibility or citation. It makes no performance claim.
+
+### Paywall
+
+Verified facts:
+
+> Briefcase Free permits three active client reports. All three slots are in
+> use. Briefcase Pro removes the active-report limit and includes PDF export.
+> An upgrade route exists. No savings or urgency claim is supplied.
+
+Weak:
+
+> Get more from Briefcase. Upgrade now.
+
+Strong:
+
+> All three Free plan report slots are in use. To create another active client
+> report, choose a plan with a higher limit. Pro removes the active-report
+> limit and includes PDF export. Upgrade to Pro.
+
+The strong version ties the current state to the decision criterion and plan
+mechanism. It lands the destination belief and action without fake urgency.
+
+### Cold email
+
+Verified facts:
+
+> In a saved audit, Acme appeared in two buyer-question answers. Neither answer
+> visibly cited an Acme page. The audit preserves each answer with its prompt
+> and citation record. It contains three supported proposed fixes. The sender
+> can share it.
+
+Weak:
+
+> Hi Sam, we offer a data-led answer-engine audit with actionable insights for
+> brands. Are you free for a call?
+
+Strong:
+
+> Hi Sam,
+>
+> Acme appeared in two buyer-question answers I checked, but neither answer
+> visibly cited an Acme page. That leaves no Acme source in the visible citation
+> record for your team to inspect. I saved each answer with its prompt and
+> citation record. The short audit also contains three supported proposed
+> fixes. Want me to send it?
+
+The strong version uses a verified observation as the stake and explains the
+evidence boundary. It asks for the smallest logical next action.
+
+### Spoken pitch
+
+Verified facts:
+
+> Rivet reconciles purchase orders against invoices and receipts. It flags
+> discrepancies before routing exceptions to finance teams. The audience is
+> investors. No traction or market-size evidence is supplied. No savings or
+> performance evidence is supplied.
+
+Weak:
+
+> Rivet is a B2B software platform for finance teams with reconciliation and
+> exception-management capabilities.
+
+Strong:
+
+> Finance teams do not need a longer list of mismatched documents. They need
+> each exception identified and sent to the people who can resolve it. Rivet
+> reconciles the purchase order against the invoice and receipt. It flags the
+> discrepancy before routing the exception to finance. For investors, Rivet is
+> workflow software at the point where mismatched records become work.
+
+The strong version is written for breath. It makes the stake and criterion
+audible before explaining the mechanism. It lands the destination belief with
+investment relevance. It claims neither speed nor savings. It makes no
+market-leadership claim.
+
+## Release checklist
+
+- [ ] Explicit or inferred commercial mode, separately routed surface,
+  audience, destination belief, and action relevance are clear.
+- [ ] `SELL`, `INVEST`, and `POSITION` include every commercial-spine move in
+  the required order, even when moves share sentences.
+- [ ] Stakes come from a real situation and leave the reader with agency.
+- [ ] Narrative, fear, loss, guilt, scarcity, curiosity, and social proof obey
+  their conditional and ethical controls.
+- [ ] Each premise is verified, qualified, or removed.
+- [ ] The proof gate ran before channel, GEO/AEO, voice, and compression work.
+- [ ] Every fact proves a premise, resolves an objection, or enables action.
+- [ ] Mechanism is concrete, disclosure-safe, and passes the education-leakage
+  test.
+- [ ] The primary brand verb states a supported transformation rather than
+  defaulting to `shows`, `helps`, `supports`, or `built for`.
+- [ ] Every block advances, proves, resolves, or directs; setup and recaps are
+  cut.
+- [ ] Length and structure fit the format; no `HOUSE` or `TEST` range is treated
+  as a universal performance law.
+- [ ] Objective channel rules cap tone without deleting the argument; any
+  material channel conflict appears after the ready copy.
+- [ ] CTA names a real next action and adds no new claim.
+- [ ] Competitor-swap, read-aloud, defense, and density tests pass.
+- [ ] Zero banned vocabulary, connectives, templates, significance tails,
+  generated em dashes, curly or smart quotes, and generated tripartite rhetoric
+  without a narrow documented exception.
+- [ ] No fabricated detail, fake urgency, prompt leakage, artificial human
+  texture, or detector promise.
+- [ ] Written utility, product, comparison, and question-led copy answers early;
+  all written copy names entities and keeps key evidence blocks self-contained.
+- [ ] Material written claims have exact, current, preferably primary sources.
+- [ ] Material inconsistencies across sources are reconciled or disclosed.
+- [ ] Structure, authorship, freshness, disclosures, and links serve reader
+  intent.
+- [ ] Public visible and machine-readable surfaces agree; indexable work has a
+  technical handoff.
+- [ ] No stuffing, thin variants, machine-only text, or citation guarantee.
+- [ ] Engine-specific crawler and measurement rules were reverified and were not
+  generalized across engines.
+- [ ] CiteSurge public claims map to non-expired `LIVE` rows.
+- [ ] CiteSurge methodology and customer-safety boundaries hold.
+- [ ] Brand mention, source selection, answer absorption, visible citation,
+  referral, recommendation, conversion, and revenue stay distinct.
+- [ ] GEO/AEO remains CiteSurge's sales frame; every SEO occurrence is reviewed.
+- [ ] Required smokes and independent editorial review pass where applicable.
+- [ ] Author can defend every sentence.
+- [ ] Ready-to-use copy appears first, with no exposed mode, scaffold, or
+  private reasoning.
+
+## Experiment and learning standard
+
+Use local testing to adapt a `HOUSE`, `C`, `EVIDENCE-INFORMED`, or `TEST` rule.
+Do not convert a weak experiment into doctrine.
+
+1. Change one variable family and pre-register the audience, decision stage,
+   primary outcome, minimum useful effect, and guardrails. If several elements
+   change, label the test a full-page or full-message variant.
+2. Randomize the correct unit and control repeat exposure, sales-rep effects,
+   account overlap, and channel contamination where relevant.
+3. Calculate sample size from the current baseline, minimum useful effect,
+   power target, clustering, and multiple comparisons. Never copy a source
+   study's sample size as the new requirement.
+4. Run through the relevant business cycle. Do not stop when a result first
+   becomes favorable unless a sequential design and stopping rule were declared.
+5. Keep click-through, conversion, reply, meeting, qualified lead, close,
+   citation, referral, and revenue metrics separate.
+6. Track quality and harm guardrails: accessibility, comprehension, negative
+   replies, spam reports, unsubscribes, cost, downstream fit, and trust signals.
+7. Segment only when pre-declared and sufficiently powered.
+8. Record positive, null, mixed, harmful, and inconclusive outcomes.
+9. With low traffic, prefer comprehension tests, usability sessions, message
+   interviews, or sequential learning batches over underpowered causal claims.
+10. Promote a rule only when the observed effect matches the intended outcome
+    and survives the declared guardrails.
+
+## Evidence register
+
+This register records the durable sources used to turn the supplied research
+into operating rules. It deliberately excludes the reports' non-portable
+session citation tokens.
+
+### Persuasion, emotion, mechanism, and proof
+
+| Evidence | Grade | Operational use and limit |
+|---|---:|---|
+| [Verbal persuasion in marketing meta-analysis](https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-025-01095-4) | `B` | Across 308 studies, argument quality, mental imagery, and positivity were positively associated with persuasion while information load was negative. Outcomes and moderators vary; this is not a conversion formula. |
+| [Delayed narrative-persuasion meta-analysis](https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqaa005) and [registered narrative-correction report](https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-020-00266-x) | `B` | Narrative effects are small and conditional; equating information and comprehension can remove the advantage. Use narrative to illustrate, not replace, proof. |
+| [Anecdotal versus statistical evidence meta-analysis](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2020.01.006) | `B` | Statistics generally persuade more; anecdotes can help under high emotion or self-relevance. Match evidence to context without treating one story as representative. |
+| [Mechanism-based claim experiments](https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucae066) | `B` | A coherent causal chain can increase fluency and perceived efficacy. The experiments do not establish actual product efficacy. |
+| [Online review meta-analysis](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dim.2023.100058), [eWOM predictor meta-analysis](https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-019-09924-y), and [source-credibility meta-analysis](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.01.005) | `B` | Valence, argument quality, usefulness, message trust, expertise, and relevance matter. Purchase intention is not always observed purchase behavior. |
+| [Multi-source inconsistency research](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2021.01.003) | `B` | In an automobile experiment and sales analysis, conflicting sources reduced intent and early sales. Generalize cautiously beyond high-consideration durable goods. |
+| [Fear-appeal meta-analysis](https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039729) and [efficacy follow-up](https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqab049) | `B` | Average effects were positive, mainly outside commercial marketing; credible response efficacy is important. This does not license exaggeration or coercion. |
+| [Guilt meta-analysis](https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1201631), [scarcity-backfire experiments](https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1225011), and recent [loss-framing attention](https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhaf006) and [reactance](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115684) studies | `B` | Guilt effects are small, scarcity can backfire, and loss framing can trade attention for reactance or lower intent. Use only truthfully and test the target outcome. |
+
+### Copy length, structure, and CTA design
+
+| Evidence | Grade | Operational use and limit |
+|---|---:|---|
+| [Sentence-length study with screen-reader users](https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49282-3_18) | `B` | A small study of 21 users favored 16-20-word sentences for comprehension. It supports an accessibility editing trigger, not a universal marketing optimum. |
+| [WCAG 2.2 guidance on headings and labels](https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/headings-and-labels) | `A` | Headings and labels should describe topic or purpose and need not be long. Descriptiveness outranks minimal word count. |
+| Gong analyses of [executive cold email length](https://www.gong.io/blog/do-execs-really-reply-to-cold-email-here-s-what-the-data-says), [cold-email structure](https://www.gong.io/files/gong-guide-how-to-master-cold-email-get-the-data-backed-guide-based-on-85-million-emails.pdf), [cold CTA type](https://www.gong.io/blog/this-surprising-cold-email-cta-will-help-you-book-a-lot-more-meetings), and [later-stage sales email](https://www.gong.io/blog/how-to-write-a-sales-email) | `C` | Large observational sales datasets support short first-touch messages, interest CTAs when cold, and more specific asks later. Vendor population, selection, and outcome limits remain. |
+| LinkedIn guidance for [recruiter InMail](https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/product-tips/tips-for-writing-inmails-from-linkedin-recruiters), [Sponsored Messaging](https://business.linkedin.com/advertise/ads/sponsored-messaging/tips), and [LinkedIn ad formats](https://www.linkedin.com/business/marketing/blog/linkedin-ads/a-b2b-marketers-guide-to-every-linkedin-ad-type) | `C` | Shorter message bodies performed better in the named LinkedIn products and datasets. Do not generalize their character ranges to all direct messages. |
+| [Computational-advertising text-style field study](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2021.11.004) | `B` | Subjective, personalized text produced higher click-through while objective, brand-consistent text produced higher conversion in the studied system. Treat this as a channel-specific test hypothesis, not a universal funnel rule. |
+
+### AI-search visibility and citability
+
+| Evidence | Grade | Operational use and limit |
+|---|---:|---|
+| [OpenAI crawler documentation](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/bots) and [publisher FAQ](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/12627856-publishers-and-developers-faq) | `A` | Distinguishes Search, training, and user-fetch agents and documents ChatGPT referral tagging. Permission affects access or eligibility, not guaranteed inclusion. |
+| [OpenAI Shopping with ChatGPT Search](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11128490-shopping-with-chatgpt-search) | `A` | Documents structured product metadata in the Shopping context only. It is not evidence for a general ChatGPT ranking or citation factor. |
+| [Anthropic crawler guidance](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/8896518-does-anthropic-crawl-data-from-the-web-and-how-can-site-owners-block-the-crawler) | `A` | Distinguishes Claude's crawler purposes. Do not infer analytics, ranking factors, or cross-engine rules. |
+| [Perplexity crawler documentation](https://docs.perplexity.ai/docs/resources/perplexity-crawlers) and [robots.txt help](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/10354969-how-does-perplexity-follow-robots-txt) | `A` | Official pages verify the named agents and published controls. Their descriptions of robots behavior are not fully consistent, so the unresolved behavioral inference remains `D`; state the agent, action, source, and date. |
+| [Google AI-features guidance](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features) and [AI optimization guidance](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/ai-optimization-guide) | `A` | Normal Google Search eligibility and controls apply; no special AI schema, text file, or page structure is required. `Google-Extended` is separate from Search inclusion and ranking. |
+| [Bing AI Performance](https://blogs.bing.com/webmaster/February-2026/Introducing-AI-Performance-in-Bing-Webmaster-Tools-Public-Preview), [Microsoft Clarity AI citations](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/clarity/ai-visibility/ai-citations), and [IndexNow documentation](https://www.indexnow.org/documentation) | `A` | Supports engine-specific observation of citations, queries, referrals, and freshness submission. None alone proves answer contribution, prominence, accuracy, or business effect. |
+| [xAI web-search documentation](https://docs.x.ai/developers/tools/web-search) and [xAI citation documentation](https://docs.x.ai/developers/tools/citations) | `A` | Documents API search, encountered URLs, and inline citations. Site-owner crawl, index, and training controls remain `D` because they are unknown in the reviewed official material. |
+| [Selection and answer-absorption preprint](https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.25707) | `B` | Descriptive analysis with controlled prompts supports measuring source selection separately from answer absorption; it does not establish a structural intervention effect. |
+| [Multi-engine content-structure preprint](https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.29979) | `B` | Reports experimental structural effects and supports testing self-contained, evidence-bearing passages. It remains a preprint and not a universal ranking rule. |
+| [Google AI Overview sourcing preprint](https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.14021) | `B` | Longitudinal observational evidence supports separating visible citation from claim fidelity. It is Google-specific and non-causal. |
+
+## Evidence maintenance
+
+- Recheck official engine documentation every 30 days when this file is used
+  for engine-specific technical advice, and immediately after a crawler,
+  product, analytics, or policy change.
+- Check cited preprints quarterly for revisions, peer review, or retraction.
+- Recheck product claims, prices, routes, offers, and legal constraints at the
+  time of use; do not rely on this file as their source of truth.
+- When adding a rule, record the channel, audience, population, measured
+  outcome, date, evidence grade, and material limit.
+- Preserve contradictory and null evidence. Do not silently promote a vendor
+  association or local test into a universal rule.
+- Use durable direct URLs or DOIs. Do not copy temporary research-session
+  citation markers into this file.
+
+## Change log
+
+| Date | Change |
+|---|---|
+| 2026-07-18 | Rebuilt the persuasion contract for v1.1.0 with explicit commercial modes, a mandatory commercial spine, proof-before-compliance construction, objective-channel limits, rejection gates, progressive loading, and factual weak/strong pairs. |
+| 2026-07-17 | Integrated three commissioned research reports; replaced session-bound research artifacts with durable sources; added portable LLM activation, evidence grades, conditional persuasion controls, format-specific length and CTA guidance, engine-specific GEO/AEO boundaries, and a testing standard. |