Content Brain Content Brief Template

Document Type: Template
Status: Active
Version: v1.2
Authority: Content Brain Canon
Applies To: Content Briefs, Production Instructions, Outlines, Content Projects, Website Content, Articles, Social Content, Scripts, Advertising Content, Newsletters, Email Sequences, Manuals, Documentation, Content Packs, Refresh Work, Merge Work And Repurposing Work
Parent: Content Brain Canon
Enforcement Mode: Operational
Last Reviewed: 2026-06-15

Content Brain Content Brief Template

Purpose

The Content Brain Content Brief Template defines the standard structures used to specify content work before production begins.

Its purpose is to ensure Content Brain understands:

what must be produced
why it is required
who it is for
where it will be used
what source material applies
what evidence is required
what format is required
what risks must be controlled
who must review it
who must approve it
what completion means

The Template supports four levels of production instruction:

Full Content Brief
Short Production Brief
Outline Or Blueprint
Direct Production Instruction

The correct level depends on:

task complexity
risk
number of assets
source completeness
compliance sensitivity
number of reviewers
destination requirements
strategic importance

A large formal brief is not required for every content task.

The governing rule is:

Do not begin production until the job is sufficiently defined.

Use the smallest instruction level that safely supports the work.

Template Objective

The objective of this Template is to prevent:

unclear content requests
unnecessary production
content with no defined audience
content with no destination
content created from unsupported assumptions
content created without sufficient sources
content created without clear approval ownership
briefs becoming larger than the work requires
briefing replacing production
first drafts being treated as approved assets
content being created only because a topic appears interesting

The Template must support production.

It must not become an unnecessary barrier between an approved content need and a completed asset.

Scope

This Template applies to:

Website Content

home pages
about pages
service pages
product pages
category pages
collection pages
landing pages
bridge pages
pre-sell pages
advertorials
affiliate review pages
comparison pages
buyer guides
FAQ pages
local pages
authority pages
pillar pages
topic hubs
supporting pages
onboarding pages
knowledge-base pages

Article Content

educational articles
informational articles
commercial articles
affiliate reviews
comparison articles
buyer guides
how-to articles
list articles
case studies
authority articles
thought-leadership articles
research-led articles
search-led articles
evergreen articles
refreshed articles

Social Content

Facebook posts
Instagram captions
Instagram carousels
LinkedIn posts
X posts
X threads
YouTube community posts
TikTok concepts
social series
short-form scripts
engagement posts
comment-response content

Scripted Content

YouTube scripts
YouTube Shorts scripts
TikTok scripts
Instagram Reel scripts
webinar scripts
video sales letter scripts
sales video scripts
explainer scripts
educational scripts
product demonstration scripts
podcast scripts
voiceover scripts
presentation scripts
training scripts
advertising scripts

Advertising Content

headlines
hooks
primary ad copy
descriptions
search ads
display ads
native ads
YouTube ads
Meta ads
TikTok ads
advertorials
pre-sell copy
creative briefs
message-match copy
call-to-action variations

Email And Newsletter Content

newsletters
promotional emails
educational emails
welcome sequences
nurture sequences
launch sequences
affiliate promotional sequences
re-engagement sequences
post-purchase emails
abandoned-cart emails
subject lines
preview text
email variations

Manuals, Guides And Documentation

instruction manuals
user guides
implementation guides
playbooks
standard operating procedures
reports
white papers
ebooks
workbooks
checklists
lead magnets
onboarding packs
client documents
course lessons
training documents
knowledge-base content

Content Packs

website content packs
affiliate content packs
launch content packs
campaign content packs
product content packs
social content packs
email content packs
documentation packs
repurposing packs

Existing-Content Work

refresh
expansion
correction
merging
repurposing
reformatting
internal-linking improvement
retirement preparation
archive preparation

What This Template Does Not Govern

This Template does not independently control:

offer approval
campaign approval
capital approval
advertising budgets
bidding decisions
statistical validation
final compliance authority
final legal authority
broad research authority
plugin implementation
Supabase implementation
Brain Room routing
worker activation
AI Employee activation
autonomous publishing
HeadOffice reporting systems

Those remain governed by the relevant Brain, framework, standard, protocol or authorised implementation layer.

Core Principle

Content production requires sufficient definition.

Sufficient definition means the operator can answer:

What is being produced?
Why is it being produced?
Who is it for?
Where will it be used?
What outcome should it support?
What source material applies?
What evidence is required?
What format is required?
What risk exists?
Who approves it?
What does complete mean?

Where these questions are already answered clearly, a large formal brief may be unnecessary.

Where they are not answered, production should not continue blindly.

Briefing Level Decision

Before creating a brief, select the correct instruction level.

Level 1: Full Content Brief

Use a Full Content Brief when:

the work is strategically important
the work includes several stakeholders
the work includes several related assets
the asset is high risk
the content includes sensitive claims
the content supports a major campaign
the content supports a complete website
the content requires multiple source types
the content requires specialist review
the content requires detailed audience intelligence
the content requires controlled variation
the content requires cross-Brain inputs
the destination has strict requirements

Level 2: Short Production Brief

Use a Short Production Brief when:

the task is clear
the asset is moderately complex
the source material is mostly complete
the audience and destination are known
some structured guidance is still useful
risk is low or moderate
the work does not require extensive project planning

Level 3: Outline Or Blueprint

Use an Outline Or Blueprint when:

the structure must be approved before drafting
the asset is long
the sequence is important
several sections or scenes must work together
the work includes a website, article, script, sequence, manual or guide
the producer needs structural direction more than a large brief

Level 4: Direct Production Instruction

Use a Direct Production Instruction when:

the task is simple
the purpose is clear
the audience is clear
the destination is clear
the format is clear
the sources are complete
the risk is low
the output can be defined in a short instruction
further briefing would create delay without improving quality

A Direct Production Instruction must still define the job.

It is not permission to produce vague or unsupported content.

Briefing Level Selection

Selected Instruction Level:

Reason For Selection:

Full Content Brief Required:

Short Production Brief Required:

Outline Or Blueprint Required:

Direct Production Instruction Sufficient:

Risk Level:

Approval Owner:

Full Content Brief Template

1. Brief Metadata

Content Title:

Working Title:

Project Name:

Asset Name:

Asset Type:

Content Action:

Create

Refresh

Expand

Correct

Merge

Repurpose

Reformat

Relink

Requesting Human Or Brain:

Brief Owner:

Content Owner:

Approval Owner:

Specialist Review Owner:

Date Created:

Target Date:

Priority:

Current Status:

Business Or Workstream:

Destination:

Channel:

Related Campaign:

Related Offer:

2. Request Source

Request Source:

Possible sources include:

Martyn
HeadOffice
Strategy Brain
Research Brain
Customer Brain
Affiliate Brain
Ads Brain
Conversion Brain
Creative Brain
Compliance Brain
Product Brain
Ecommerce Brain
Data Brain
Experimentation Brain
Search Intelligence
Site Intelligence
approved campaign
existing-content review
performance signal
manual operator request
client request
customer requirement

Why was this content requested?

What business or system need does it support?

Is this request:

exploratory
qualified
approved
operational
urgent
lifecycle-driven

Request Notes:

Known Dependencies:

Known Blockers:

3. Existing-Content Check

Has existing content been checked?

Existing Asset Found:

Existing Asset URL Or Location:

Existing Asset Status:

Does the existing asset satisfy the need?

Selected Action:

create
refresh
expand
correct
merge
repurpose
reformat
relink
no action
retire
archive
another Brain first
specialist review first

Why is this the correct action?

What existing material should be preserved?

What existing material should be removed?

What duplication risk exists?

4. Content Purpose

Primary Purpose:

Secondary Purpose:

Business Role:

Reader Or Viewer Role:

Journey Role:

Funnel Role:

Search Role:

Authority Role:

Trust Role:

Conversion-Support Role:

Sales-Support Role:

Retention Role:

Documentation Role:

What should the audience understand?

What should the audience feel?

What should the audience believe?

What should the audience do next?

What should this content help MWMS achieve?

What would make this content successful?

5. Audience Definition

Primary Audience:

Secondary Audience:

Audience Segment:

Primary Buyer Persona:

Secondary Buyer Persona:

Awareness Stage:

Journey Stage:

Decision Stage:

Knowledge Level:

Primary Problem:

Primary Goal:

Primary Concern:

Primary Objection:

Primary Perceived Barrier:

Secondary Barrier:

Emotional State:

Emotional Driver:

Trust Level:

Decision Criteria:

Success Factors:

What does the audience already know?

What does the audience already believe?

What does the audience misunderstand?

What does the audience need to understand?

What would make the audience stop reading, watching or listening?

What language does the audience use?

What assumptions must not be made?

6. Intent Mapping

Primary Intent:

Secondary Intent:

Possible intent types include:

learn
understand
solve a problem
compare
verify trust
evaluate an option
understand an offer
reduce risk
complete a task
make a decision
take a next step
buy
subscribe
contact
share
save
return later

Search Intent Where Relevant:

Commercial Intent Where Relevant:

Educational Intent:

Problem Intent:

Solution Intent:

Comparison Intent:

Decision Intent:

Action Intent:

Intent Notes:

Does the requested content type match the intent?

7. Asset And Format Definition

Selected Asset Type:

Why is this asset type correct?

Channel:

Destination:

Required Format:

Required Length:

Required Duration:

Required Structure:

Required Number Of Sections:

Required Number Of Assets:

Platform Requirements:

Device Considerations:

Accessibility Requirements:

Formatting Requirements:

Visual Requirements:

Audio Requirements:

Video Requirements:

Production Notes:

8. Content Angle And Positioning

Primary Angle:

Secondary Angle:

Hook:

Opening Direction:

Reader Or Viewer Promise:

Core Idea:

Primary Message:

Supporting Messages:

Positioning:

Mechanism Where Relevant:

Contrarian Angle Where Relevant:

Authority Angle:

Trust Angle:

Education Angle:

Identity Angle:

Outcome Angle:

Affiliate Support Angle Where Relevant:

Buyer Journey Stage Supported:

Barrier To Resolve:

Emotional Trigger:

What makes this content worth consuming?

What makes this content different from generic content?

What information gain should it provide?

What should not be overclaimed?

9. Source And Intelligence Requirements

Required Source Material:

Research Brain Input:

Strategy Brain Input:

Customer Brain Input:

Affiliate Brain Input:

Ads Brain Input:

Conversion Brain Input:

Creative Brain Input:

Compliance Brain Input:

Product Brain Input:

Ecommerce Brain Input:

Search Intelligence Input:

Site Intelligence Input:

Existing Content Input:

Human Instructions:

Source Status:

Source Gaps:

Sources should be classified where possible as:

confirmed fact
verified evidence
approved strategy
validated insight
emerging signal
working assumption
human instruction
content interpretation

Working Assumptions:

Facts That Must Be Confirmed:

Research Still Required:

10. Evidence And Trust Requirements

Required Proof:

Required Evidence:

Research Evidence:

Product Evidence:

Offer Evidence:

Vendor Evidence:

Customer Language:

Expertise Signal:

Experience Signal:

Authority Signal:

Transparency Signal:

Disclosure Requirement:

Limitations To Include:

Expectation Setting:

Trust Risk:

Unsupported Claims To Avoid:

Claims Requiring Evidence:

Evidence Notes:

Source Citations Required:

External References Required:

11. Topic And Search Structure

Use this section where search, topic authority or website structure is relevant.

Primary Topic:

Secondary Topics:

12. Required Structure

Required Title:

Required Hook:

Required Opening:

Required Sections:

Required Sequence:

Required Headings:

Required Subheadings:

Problem Section:

Education Section:

Mechanism Section:

Solution Section:

Offer Education Section:

Comparison Section:

Trust Section:

Proof Section:

Objection Section:

Barrier Resolution Section:

FAQ Section:

Next-Step Section:

Conclusion:

Call-To-Action Section:

Other Required Components:

Structure Notes:

The structure must fit the asset type.

It must not be forced into an article structure where the asset is a script, social post, email, manual or advertising asset.

13. Key Questions To Answer

Question 1:

Question 2:

Question 3:

Question 4:

Question 5:

Additional Questions:

What question must be answered early?

What question must be answered before the call to action?

What question would create distrust if ignored?

What question requires evidence?

What question belongs in an FAQ?

14. Objections And Barriers

Primary Objection:

Secondary Objection:

Trust Objection:

Price Objection:

Risk Objection:

Proof Objection:

Time Objection:

Safety Objection:

Legitimacy Objection:

Comparison Objection:

Ease Objection:

Effort Objection:

Primary Barrier:

Secondary Barrier:

How should each objection be addressed?

Which objections require evidence?

Which objections require specialist or compliance review?

Which objections should not be forced into the asset?

15. Voice Tone And Style

Voice:

Tone:

Style:

Reading Level:

Brand Position:

Formatting Style:

Sentence Style:

Pacing:

Do Use:

Do Not Use:

Required Terminology:

Words Or Phrases To Avoid:

Brand Language Requirements:

Editorial Notes:

Consistency Requirements:

Platform-Specific Style Requirements:

16. Call To Action And Next Step

Primary Call To Action:

Secondary Call To Action:

CTA Type:

educational
internal link
read next
watch video
subscribe
email
contact
download
buy
affiliate bridge
soft conversion
no CTA

CTA Placement:

CTA Frequency:

CTA Risk Notes:

Does the CTA fit the audience stage?

Does the CTA match the asset’s purpose?

Does the CTA overpush?

Does the CTA create false urgency?

What happens after the CTA?

17. Internal-Linking Plan

Links To Include:

Pillar Page Link:

Topic Cluster Links:

Supporting Article Links:

Offer Links:

Affiliate Links:

Trust Page Links:

Comparison Page Links:

FAQ Links:

Product Links:

Service Links:

Next-Step Links:

Anchor Text Notes:

Reader Benefit Of Each Link:

Links To Avoid:

Internal links should support the audience first.

They should not exist only to push money pages.

18. External Source Plan

External Sources Required:

Vendor Source:

Research Source:

Government Or Regulatory Source:

Study Or Report:

Trusted Industry Source:

Technical Source:

Citation Requirement:

Source Risk:

Source Notes:

No source should be invented.

No citation should be added merely to create the appearance of evidence.

19. Compliance Sensitivity

Risk Level:

Possible sensitive areas include:

health claims
pain claims
disease claims
medical claims
finance claims
income claims
investment claims
legal claims
safety claims
guarantee language
scarcity
urgency
testimonials
before-and-after claims
affiliate disclosures
comparative claims
product performance claims
environmental claims
employment claims

Compliance Notes:

Compliance Brain Review Required:

Human Compliance Review Required:

Legal Review Required:

Claims To Avoid:

Claims Requiring Evidence:

Disclosure Requirements:

Risk-Control Notes:

20. Production Instructions

Required Output:

full page
article
social post
social series
carousel copy
full script
short-form script set
ad copy
ad script
newsletter
email
email sequence
manual
guide
report
checklist
lead magnet
content pack
refresh draft
merged asset
repurposed asset
internal-linking plan
publishing package

Output Length:

Output Duration:

Number Of Variations:

Number Of Assets:

Required Sections:

Required Components:

Must Include:

Must Preserve:

Must Remove:

Must Avoid:

Production Notes:

Completion Standard:

21. Review Requirements

Required Reviews:

structural review
developmental review
factual review
evidence review
audience review
intent review
SEO review
editorial review
trust review
conversion-support review
compliance review
legal review
technical review
product review
offer review
internal-linking review
publishing-readiness review
client review
stakeholder review

Review Owner:

Specialist Review Owner:

Approval Owner:

Escalation Owner:

Review Sequence:

Required Review Evidence:

22. Publishing Or Delivery Destination

Destination:

Possible destinations include:

WordPress website
landing page
affiliate support page
ecommerce store
email platform
newsletter platform
social platform
video production
audio production
advertising platform
internal knowledge page
sales support asset
training system
client delivery
document library
manual delivery
content queue
refresh queue
operator handoff

Publishing Owner:

Delivery Owner:

Destination Requirements:

Formatting Requirements:

Asset Naming Requirements:

Image Requirements:

Creative Requirements:

Metadata Requirements:

Publication Timing:

Delivery Timing:

Status After Handoff:

23. Measurement And Feedback Path

Primary Signal To Watch:

Secondary Signal:

Review Timing:

Measurement Owner:

Relevant Brain For Feedback:

Possible feedback sources include:

Data Brain
Search Intelligence
Affiliate Brain
Ads Brain
Conversion Brain
Customer Brain
Ecommerce Brain
Experimentation Brain
Compliance Brain
human review
customer feedback
stakeholder feedback
client feedback

Refresh Trigger:

Repurposing Trigger:

Expansion Trigger:

Correction Trigger:

Retirement Trigger:

No-Action Condition:

Feedback Notes:

24. Completion Criteria

The Full Content Brief is complete when:

the request source is clear
the content action is clear
existing content has been checked
the purpose is clear
the audience is sufficiently defined
the intent is mapped
the asset type is selected
the destination is known
source requirements are clear
evidence requirements are clear
structure is defined
key questions are identified
objections and barriers are identified
trust requirements are defined
compliance risk is classified
production requirements are clear
review requirements are clear
approval ownership is clear
publishing or delivery requirements are clear
lifecycle and feedback needs are known

Not every field must be completed for every asset.

Fields that are irrelevant may be marked:

Not Applicable

The brief is ready when the job is sufficiently defined for safe production.

Short Production Brief

Use this version for clear, low-to-moderate-risk work.

Content Title:

Project Or Request:

Request Source:

Content Action:

Asset Type:

Purpose:

Audience:

Audience Stage:

Primary Intent:

Destination:

Channel:

Primary Message:

Angle Or Hook:

Source Material:

Evidence Required:

Required Structure:

Must Include:

Must Avoid:

Voice And Tone:

Primary CTA:

Compliance Risk:

Review Required:

Approval Owner:

Completion Standard:

Measurement Or Follow-Up:

Outline Or Blueprint Template

Use this version when structural approval is required before drafting.

Asset Title:

Asset Type:

Purpose:

Audience:

Destination:

Primary Message:

Hook Or Opening:

Section 1:

Section 2:

Section 3:

Section 4:

Section 5:

Additional Sections:

Evidence Placement:

Trust Elements:

Objections:

CTA Placement:

Internal Links:

Visual Or Creative Requirements:

Ending:

Approval Owner:

Blueprint Completion Standard:

Direct Production Instruction

Use this version for simple, clear and low-risk tasks.

Create:

Purpose:

Audience:

Destination:

Source Material:

Required Format:

Must Include:

Must Avoid:

Voice And Tone:

Call To Action:

Approval Owner:

Completion Standard:

A Direct Production Instruction may be only several lines long.

It must still be clear enough to produce the correct asset.

Optional Module: Website Page

Use this module for website-page production.

Website Name:

Page Type:

Page Purpose:

Page Position In Site:

Parent Page:

Primary Audience:

Primary Journey:

Primary CTA:

Secondary CTA:

Headline Requirement:

Value Proposition:

Problem To Address:

Solution Or Service:

Mechanism:

Trust Requirements:

Proof Requirements:

Objections:

FAQ Requirements:

Internal Links:

Metadata:

URL Guidance:

Image Requirements:

Existing Page To Refresh:

Cross-Page Consistency Requirements:

Optional Module: Article

Use this module for article production.

Article Type:

Primary Topic:

Audience Intent:

Search Intent:

Primary Keyword:

Secondary Keywords:

Angle:

Information Gain:

Article Structure:

Evidence Requirements:

Examples Required:

FAQ Requirements:

Internal Links:

External Sources:

CTA:

Metadata:

Refresh Date:

Optional Module: Social Content

Use this module for social content.

Platform:

Post Type:

Audience:

Objective:

Source Asset:

Hook:

Core Message:

Format:

Length:

Engagement Device:

CTA:

Hashtags Where Relevant:

Visual Requirement:

Platform Constraints:

Number Of Variations:

Series Relationship:

Optional Module: Script

Use this module for scripted content.

Script Type:

Platform:

Audience:

Objective:

Duration:

Hook:

Opening:

Core Structure:

Pacing:

Scene Requirements:

Shot Requirements:

Voiceover Requirements:

On-Screen Text:

Evidence Or Claim Requirements:

CTA:

Closing:

Production Notes:

Optional Module: Advertising Content

Use this module for advertising assets.

Campaign:

Offer:

Audience:

Platform:

Funnel Stage:

Traffic Source:

Angle:

Hook:

Primary Claim:

Compliance Boundary:

Destination:

Message-Match Requirement:

Ad Format:

Length:

Variations Required:

CTA:

Creative Requirement:

Test Requirement:

Ads Brain Approval Status:

Affiliate Brain Approval Status Where Relevant:

Optional Module: Newsletter And Email

Use this module for newsletters and email content.

Audience Or List:

Email Type:

Sequence Name:

Sequence Position:

Objective:

Source Content:

Offer Where Relevant:

Subject-Line Direction:

Preview Text:

Opening:

Core Message:

CTA:

Follow-Up Logic:

Number Of Emails:

Tone:

Compliance Requirements:

Sending Owner:

Measurement Requirement:

Optional Module: Manual Guide Or Documentation

Use this module for manuals, guides and documentation.

Document Type:

Reader Or User:

Required Outcome:

Subject Or Process:

Prerequisites:

Authoritative Sources:

Structure:

Step Sequence:

Warnings:

Dependencies:

Examples:

Troubleshooting:

Completion Criteria:

Technical Review Required:

Update Owner:

Review Date:

Delivery Format:

Optional Module: Content Pack

Use this module for coordinated multi-asset work.

Content Pack Name:

Central Objective:

Audience:

Campaign, Site, Product Or Offer:

Shared Message:

Shared Sources:

Shared Evidence:

Shared Compliance Requirements:

Required Assets:

Asset 1:

Asset 2:

Asset 3:

Asset 4:

Additional Assets:

Asset Relationships:

Production Order:

Shared CTA:

Channel-Specific CTAs:

Cross-Asset Consistency Requirements:

Approval Sequence:

Publishing Or Delivery Sequence:

Pack-Level Measurement:

Optional Module: Refresh

Use this module for refresh work.

Existing Asset:

Refresh Trigger:

Current Problem:

Useful Material To Preserve:

Outdated Material:

Weak Material:

Missing Material:

New Evidence:

New Sections:

Sections To Remove:

Search Changes:

Offer Or Product Changes:

Compliance Changes:

Internal-Link Changes:

New CTA:

Republishing Requirements:

Measurement Requirement:

Optional Module: Merge

Use this module where overlapping assets should be consolidated.

Primary Asset:

Secondary Assets:

Reason For Merge:

Useful Material To Preserve:

Duplicate Material To Remove:

Conflicting Material:

Final Structure:

Redirect Requirements:

Retirement Requirements:

Internal-Link Updates:

Approval Owner:

Optional Module: Repurposing

Use this module for derivative assets.

Source Asset:

Source Asset Status:

Repurposing Objective:

New Audience:

New Channel:

New Format:

Core Message To Preserve:

Evidence To Preserve:

Structure To Change:

Length To Change:

Tone To Change:

Hook To Create:

CTA To Adapt:

Visual Or Creative Requirements:

Number Of Derivative Assets:

Relationship To Original Asset:

Affiliate Support Module

Use this module when the content supports an affiliate offer or funnel.

Offer Name:

Offer Status:

Affiliate Brain Approval Status:

Funnel Stage:

Traffic Source:

Vendor Page Or VSL Relationship:

Pre-Sell Role:

Comparison Role:

Review Role:

Disclosure Requirement:

Claim Risk:

Offer-Education Requirement:

Trust Gap:

Objection Gap:

CTA Type:

Message-Match Requirement:

Do not produce affiliate content unless offer status and content authority are sufficiently clear.

Template Usage Rules

Rule 1: Sufficient Definition Before Production

Do not begin production until the job is sufficiently defined.

Rule 2: Use Proportional Briefing

Use the smallest instruction level that safely supports the work.

Do not create a full brief for a simple task merely because the template exists.

Rule 3: Production Must Follow The Approved Action

A refresh must follow the approved refresh scope.

A merge must preserve the correct primary asset.

A repurposed asset must remain connected to the approved source.

Rule 4: Check Existing Content First

Do not create new content where a suitable asset already exists.

Rule 5: Purpose Before Volume

Content volume is not valuable when purpose is unclear.

Rule 6: Audience Before Angle

Do not select an angle without sufficient audience and intent understanding.

Rule 7: Buyer Intelligence Before Messaging

Where buyer intelligence is relevant, content should align with:

buyer motivations
perceived barriers
decision stage
emotional state
decision criteria
desired outcome
journey progression

Rule 8: Proof Before Claims

Do not make claims without approved source material or sufficient evidence.

Rule 9: Source Gaps Must Remain Visible

Do not hide missing information through unsupported writing.

Rule 10: Offer Status Before Affiliate Production

Do not produce full affiliate content unless offer status and authority are clear.

Rule 11: Review Before Publication

A completed draft is not automatically approved or publishing-ready.

Rule 12: Human Approval Remains Required

Under the current operating model, final publication and delivery remain human controlled.

Rule 13: Feedback After Use

Content should feed useful learning back into the appropriate lifecycle process where possible.

Rule 14: Briefs Must Not Replace Production

A brief is a production control.

It is not the completed asset unless the approved request was specifically for a brief.

Relationship To Content Brain Content Production System Framework

The Content Production System Framework defines how approved content work moves through production.

This Template defines how that work is specified before drafting or revision begins.

Content Production System Framework = production process

Content Brief Template = production instruction structure

Relationship To Content Brain Operating Model

The Operating Model defines how Content Brain is run.

This Template supports the briefing, planning and direct-production-instruction stages.

Relationship To Content Brain Workflow Map

The Workflow Map defines the complete movement of work.

This Template supports:

asset planning
source assembly
briefing
direct production instruction
production readiness

Relationship To Content Brain Publishing Readiness Checklist

This Template defines the job before production.

The Publishing Readiness Checklist defines what must be confirmed after approval and before publication or delivery.

Content Brief Template = pre-production control

Publishing Readiness Checklist = pre-publication control

Relationship To Content Brain Copy Map

This page is classified as:

Classification: Simplify Before Copy

Source Of Truth: MCR

Future Operational Use: Content Brief Workspace, Short Brief Form, Blueprint Form And Direct Production Instruction Form

Future Plugin Or UI: Possible Content Brief And Production Instruction Workspace

No plugin or UI implementation is authorised by this Template.

Relationship To mwmscontentbrain.site

A simplified operational version may later support:

content request clarification
brief creation
production instructions
asset planning
website briefs
article briefs
social briefs
script briefs
advertising briefs
email briefs
documentation briefs
content-pack briefs
refresh briefs
repurposing briefs

The operational version must not replace the MCR source.

Relationship To Other MWMS Documents

This page must remain aligned with:

Content Brain Canon
Content Brain Architecture
Content Brain Operating Model
Content Brain Workflow Map
Content Brain Page Registry
Content Brain Copy Map
Content Brain Content Production System Framework
Content Brain Publishing Readiness Checklist
Content Brain Affiliate Funnel Support Map
Content Brain SEO Content Brief Standard
Content Brain AI Content Quality Governance Framework
Content Brain Information Gain Framework
Content Brain E E A T Content Trust Framework
Content Brain Editorial Consistency Framework
Content Brain Internal Linking Strategy Framework
Research Brain Buyer Persona Intelligence Framework
Research Brain Voice Of Customer Positioning Mining Framework
Affiliate Brain Offer Intelligence
Affiliate Brain Testing Readiness Criteria
Conversion Brain Message Match Framework
Compliance Brain Claims Risk Framework
Data Brain Signal Integrity Framework
MWMS MCR To Brain Copy Rule
MWMS Brain Interaction Protocol
MWMS Document Structure Standard
MWMS Page Naming Standard
MWMS AI Output Standard Full File Delivery Rule

Correction Position

Content Brain Output Templates And Field Standard must not be created as a separate MCR source-of-truth page.

This Template now contains the governing structure for:

full content briefs
short production briefs
outlines
blueprints
direct production instructions
asset-specific briefing modules
output requirements
required production fields

Any genuinely missing field requirement should be reviewed for inclusion in this page rather than creating a duplicate MCR standard.

The existing Content Brain site-only page titled:

Content Brain Output Templates And Field Standard

remains:

operational only
not Canon
held for review
not authorised to redefine this Template
not authorised to drive plugin development

Drift Protection

The system must prevent:

content being produced without sufficient definition
full briefs being required for every small task
briefing overhead delaying simple production
content being drafted without purpose
content being drafted without audience clarity
content being drafted without buyer understanding where relevant
content being drafted without existing-content checking
affiliate content being drafted without clear offer status
unsupported claims
unclear compliance risk
unclear destination
unclear approval ownership
unclear review requirements
unclear completion criteria
vague briefs becoming strategy notes
briefs replacing complete content production
first drafts being treated as approved assets
templates being copied without Copy Map classification
a Content Brief Generator being built before manual use proves the required fields
Site Intelligence fields defining the universal content brief
SEO fields being forced into non-search content
affiliate fields being forced into unrelated content
one universal large form being required for every asset
Content Brain Output Templates And Field Standard being recreated as duplicate MCR authority
operational pages being treated as Canon
automation being activated through a briefing template

Architectural Intent

The Content Brain Content Brief Template exists to make content production:

clear
proportionate
controlled
repeatable
buyer-aware
source-aware
evidence-aware
channel-appropriate
reviewable
approvable
operationally useful

The Template must support both:

simple individual assets
complex multi-asset projects

It must support current human-controlled production and future controlled operational interfaces.

The long-term intent is not to force every task through one enormous form.

The long-term intent is to provide the correct instruction structure for the work being performed.

A strong production instruction reduces waste.

A strong brief improves complex work.

A strong blueprint improves structure.

A clear direct instruction prevents unnecessary delay.

Final Rule

Do not begin content production until the job is sufficiently defined.

Use:

a Full Content Brief for complex or high-risk work
a Short Production Brief for moderately complex work
an Outline Or Blueprint where structure requires approval
a Direct Production Instruction for simple, clear and low-risk work

The instruction must define enough of the following to produce the correct asset:

source
action
purpose
audience
intent
asset type
destination
structure
evidence
risk
review
approval
completion standard

Do not invent missing information.

Do not use briefing as a substitute for production.

Do not treat a draft as approved.

Do not bypass human publication or delivery control.

Change Log

v1.2 — 2026-06-15

Replaced the previous universal brief-first model with a proportional production-instruction system.

Added four instruction levels:

Full Content Brief
Short Production Brief
Outline Or Blueprint
Direct Production Instruction

Expanded the Template to support:

website pages
articles
social content
scripts
advertising content
newsletters
email sequences
manuals
guides
documentation
content packs
refresh work
merge work
repurposing work

Added:

existing-content checking
content-action selection
source classification
asset and format definition
full production instructions
publishing and delivery requirements
lifecycle and feedback requirements
dedicated optional asset modules
updated affiliate-support module
proportional briefing rules
revised drift protection
Content Brain Output Templates And Field Standard correction position

Preserved and expanded:

buyer persona intelligence
buyer journey alignment
perceived barriers
emotional drivers
decision criteria
intent mapping
evidence requirements
compliance sensitivity
trust requirements
internal linking
review requirements
approval ownership
feedback paths

Aligned this Template with:

Content Brain Canon v1.1
Content Brain Architecture v1.1
Content Brain Operating Model v1.2
Content Brain Workflow Map v1.2
Content Brain Content Production System Framework v1.1
Content Brain Page Registry v3.1
Content Brain Copy Map v2.6

v1.1 — 2026-05-07

Expanded the Content Brief Template with:

buyer persona intelligence
buyer journey alignment
barrier-resolution planning
emotional-trigger planning
buyer decision-stage mapping
Research Brain persona-framework alignment

v1.0 — 2026-05-06

Initial creation of the Content Brain Content Brief Template.

Defined the original standard brief structure for:

SEO briefs
affiliate support briefs
authority content
refresh work
repurposing
review requirements
destination control
feedback paths

Change Impact Declaration

Pages Created:

None

Pages Updated:

Content Brain Content Brief Template

Pages Deprecated:

None

Pages To Avoid Creating:

Content Brain Output Templates And Field Standard as a standalone MCR source-of-truth page

Registries Requiring Update:

Content Brain Page Registry should show Content Brain Content Brief Template v1.2.

Content Brain Copy Map should show Content Brain Content Brief Template v1.2 where a version is recorded.

Canon Version Update Required:

Automation Status Change:

Plugin Or UI Status Change:

Worker Status Change:

AI Employee Status Change:

M Handoff Required:

Research Brain Impact:

None

END CONTENT BRAIN CONTENT BRIEF TEMPLATE v1.2