mb-ads

name	mb-ads
description	Create and review ads, and prepare provider-safe launch plans/checks. Flexible entry points: full pipeline (copy + images), copy only, images only, creative variations (hook library), video scripts, video repurpose, compliance review, launch-plan, check, or optional Meta ad account check. Use when asked to create ads, ad copy, image prompts, video scripts, creative variations, review ads, plan paid traffic, or check launch performance. Say /mb-ads or describe what you need.
loops	["ship","reflect"]

Ads Skill

Create ads, generate creative variations, review for compliance, and check ad account performance.

Output destinations and operator vocabulary

This skill writes new coordinated work to pushes/<YYYY-MM-DD-slug>/ (the canonical engine primitive). Examples below say "push" for the wrapping record; this is the engine's word. If core/vocabulary.md defines a display word — for example terms.push.singular: drop — speak the operator's word ("drop") in conversation while still writing canonical files (pushes/..., type: push, linked_pushes). Never rename folders, frontmatter, link fields, JSON keys, or commands based on vocabulary.

If the repo still has legacy campaigns/ records, preview the migration before creating new push work:

mb doctor                       # confirms legacy campaigns/ drift
mb migrate campaigns --plan     # read-only preview of moves

The word "campaign" elsewhere in this skill refers to Meta Ads campaigns (the provider's term for its object) — not the Main Branch primitive.

When creating push.md, include the validator-required frontmatter and fill the values from repo truth or operator answers:

---
type: push
slug: YYYY-MM-DD-slug
kind: launch
status: planned
health: unknown
goal: { metric: "", target: "", by: YYYY-MM-DD }
owner: ""
audience: ""
offer: core/offers/<offer>/offer.md
promise: ""
---

If the push is tied to a bet, decision, research file, playbook, or outcome, add the appropriate typed frontmatter link (linked_bets, linked_decisions, linked_research, linked_playbooks, linked_outcomes). Mirror frontmatter links in ## Related links with Markdown relative links, or preview mb doctor repair --plan and ask before applying the repair. Do not infer frontmatter links from body-only references.

When an ad-adjacent workflow needs a resource-delivery plan, provider setup recipe, launch checklist, or external automation approval record, draft it as pushes/<YYYY-MM-DD-slug>/playbooks/<playbook>.md with type: playbook. Treat playbooks as plans and approval records only. Do not publish, schedule, DM, reply, mutate ad accounts, or claim a provider is supported unless mb and a shipped provider adapter prove that path with docs, tests, approval gates, and smoke evidence.

Step 0: Pre-Flight Readiness

Before triage, find the business repo, read deterministic Main Branch facts, then score ad-specific reference depth only when needed. This prevents generating generic ads from thin reference without duplicating repo-health or provider checks that mb already owns.

0a. Find Business Repo (REQUIRED — do this first)

NEVER search the filesystem. NEVER use Explore or Task agents to find repos. NEVER scan ~/Documents/GitHub/.

CWD-first: If core/ or legacy reference/core/ exists in CWD, you're already in the business repo — use it.

If CWD is NOT a business repo:

Run:

mb status --json --peek

• If status identifies a usable business repo, ask the user to confirm it.
• If status cannot identify a repo, ask: "Which business repo should I use? Give me the path."
• If /mb-ads was invoked from /mb-start, the repo is already identified — use it without asking.

Always confirm the repo before proceeding. Never assume.

After the repo is confirmed, run mb status --json --peek from that repo. Use readiness, drift.items, integrations, measurement, and ranked_actions as the source of truth for setup, stale context, GitHub, provider readiness, and repair commands. Only run the direct scoring below for ad-specific creative depth when status is unavailable or lacks the needed ad-specific detail.

0b. Score Reference Files (fast — direct Read only, NO agents)

NEVER spawn Explore or Task agents for pre-flight. Read files directly at the known repo path. Pre-flight should complete in under 10 seconds.

At the repo path, resolve offer context first with .claude/reference/business-primitives/offer-bet-push-proof.md, then check these files and count lines:

[resolved offer.md]          → 0 (missing), 1 (<20 lines), 2 (20-80), 3 (80+)
[resolved audience.md]       → same scoring
core/voice.md                → same scoring
core/proof/testimonials.md → same scoring
core/proof/angles/*.md  → count .md files EXCLUDING README.md: 0=0, 1=1, 2-3=2, 4+=3
core/brand/visual-style.md → same scoring (optional)

In multi-offer mode, score the offer-specific offer.md and audience.md (resolved via path resolution), not the brand-level core/offer.md.

Composite = sum of all 6 scores (max 18).

0c. Route on Score

Composite	Status	Action
12-18	GREEN	Proceed to triage
8-11	YELLOW	Warn user, show gaps, allow override
4-7	RED	Route to /mb-think with enrichment targets
0-3	BLOCKED	Route to /mb-setup

Display the readiness report, then proceed. See references/preflight-algorithm.md for gap guidance and smart mix recommendations.

0d. Check Image Generation Readiness

mb connect doctor --json

Use status/connect facts first for Google/Workspace readiness. Only check local environment variables when image generation is actually selected and the CLI does not report that capability. Never ask the operator to paste API keys into chat or public issue text.

0e. Paid-Traffic Measurement Gate

If this ad work is for Google Ads, paid traffic to a site/minisite/lander, retargeting, or any request that asks whether a campaign is ready to launch, check measurement readiness before saying "launch."

1. Load docs/google-ads-gtm-conversion-rubric.md.
2. Run mb connect plan or mb connect doctor --json from the business repo when provider readiness matters.
3. If a site repo is known, run:

mb site check "$SITE_REPO" --business-repo "$BUSINESS_REPO" --json

Use the returned state:

• blocked: do not recommend launch; list the blocked checks and exact next command/manual step.
• ready_for_preview: ads can be drafted, but traffic should not launch; tell the operator to run GTM Preview/Tag Assistant and finish provider metadata/approvals.
• ready_for_operator_review: ads can be prepared for review, but launch still needs explicit operator approval for GTM publication, conversion actions, consent posture, budget, billing, and spend.
• ready: local readiness checks passed, but do not mutate accounts or launch campaigns.

Do not invent ready_for_launch or treat ready as campaign launch permission. Main Branch can prepare and review; the operator launches manually.

Never ask the operator to paste Google Ads/GTM tokens, OAuth secrets, conversion uploads, or customer data into chat. Quote mb connect repair commands instead.

---

Meta Ad Account Readiness (Lazy)

Check Meta ad account access only when the user's request needs live ad account context. Do not duplicate provider setup or health checks in prose.

Readiness Flow

1. Read `mb status --json --peek` → integrations/providers/measurement facts.
2. If the operator needs setup choices, run `mb connect plan`.
3. If something looks broken, run `mb connect doctor --json`.
4. Only after `mb` says Meta Ads account context is ready or repairable, check
   whether the current Claude Code session exposes the required read-only MCP
   tools.
5. Never block generation on missing ad account access.

Graceful degradation: If Meta Ads account context is not ready, skip all account-related features. The skill works fully from repo reference files.

User-Facing Display

In user-facing messages, describe the capability: connecting a Meta ad account, pulling live performance, or auditing active campaigns. Do not mention connector vendor names or unsupported setup paths.

Pre-flight status line (add after Nano Banana check):

If ready:

Ad account: ✓ connected (I can check what's performing before we create)

If not ready:

Ad account: — not connected (optional — lets me see your live Meta ad performance to inform new ads)

Never say: "provider tool not configured" or name an implementation detail the user does not need. Keep the status line capability-first.

If user asks what this means:

"You can optionally connect your Meta/Facebook ad account so I can pull live performance data — what's spending, what's winning, CPAs, creative that's working. This helps me create ads that fit your account structure and build on what's already performing. Want to run mb connect plan, or skip and work from your reference files?"

---

Triage (Flexible Intent Detection)

Detect what the user wants from natural language. Route internally to the right component pipeline. See references/entry-points.md for the complete entry point detection table and component composition.

Intent Detection

User Says	Entry Point	What Happens
"static ads", "full from scratch", "image ads"	Full Pipeline	Copy + compliance + images (classic flow)
"I already have images, just need copy"	Copy Only	Skip image gen, primaries + headlines
"Just need images for existing copy"	Image Only	Nano Banana image gen only
"creative variations", "hook library", "one-liners", "50 hooks"	Hook Library	Bulk creative variations (flexible quantity)
"video scripts", "ad scripts", "spoken word"	Video Scripts	Spoken-word script pipeline
"I'm repurposing a video", "I shot a video"	Video Repurpose	Transcribe + extract hooks + copy variants
"I want ideas for an ad", "brainstorm"	Ideation	Account check (if available) + concept generation
"research winning ads", "mine reviews", "analyze competitors first"	Research / Mining	Route to /mb-think winning-ad research before generation
"launch ads", "paid traffic plan", "Google Ads launch", "$X/day for Y days"	Launch Plan	Provider-safe plan/check mode, no account mutation
"check launch", "how are ads doing", "continue or kill"	Launch Check	Read status/outcomes/operator exports, recommend continue/change/stop
"Check my ad performance", "what's working"	Account Check	Read-only Meta Ads context if mb connect and runtime tools are ready
"Give me 5 variations of this winning ad"	Performance Iteration	Pull winner + generate variants if account context is ready
"What's working before we create?"	Pre-Gen Account Check	Account overview + creative audit if account context is ready
"review", "audit", "compliance check"	Review	6-lens compliance review

Also accepts: "static", "static ads", "video", "video scripts", "one-liners", "review" -- these route to the same pipelines.

If unclear, ask: "What do you have and what do you need? (e.g., 'I have images, just need copy' or 'full from scratch')"

If research/mining is requested before generation: Route to /mb-think and load mb-think/references/winning-ad-research.md. Customer language, review mining, competitor gap maps, comment mining, and winning script teardown should save to research/ and codify into core/ before this skill generates ads. Do not paste raw review/comment dumps or copied prompt libraries into ad output. If the selected research file has brief_format: grok-8, use its downstream handoff first: business/offering for the promise, ICP for hooks, journey for funnel stage, competitive landscape for differentiation, brand story for voice, content/assets for proof and creative inputs, and metrics/constraints for the review bar. If the brief names a resource-delivery or provider workflow, draft or update a push playbook as a plan only; do not execute provider mutation.

If launch/check is requested for paid traffic: Load references/launch-plan-check.md. Prepare campaign materials, policy findings, measurement readiness, manual provider steps, and approval records; do not mutate ad accounts or start spend.

Proactive Account Awareness

If mb status --json --peek / mb connect doctor --json reports Meta Ads ready and the current runtime exposes the read-only ad account tools:

Before generating: Suggest checking the account first. Explain the value briefly — don't assume the user knows what this does:

"Your Meta ad account is connected. Want me to pull your live performance data first? I can see what's spending, which creative has the best CPA, and use that to inform what we create. (Takes ~30 seconds.)"

If user says yes, run Account Check component (see references/meta-ads-integration.md):

• Pull active campaigns and top performers
• Surface winning patterns (angles, hooks, images with low CPA)
• Extract naming conventions so new ads match
• Show where new creative fits in existing structure

If user says no, proceed to generation with reference files only.

After generating: If Meta Ads account context is available, show account context:

"Here's what's currently live. Your new creative could fit as [suggested placement]."

Account awareness is currently read-only. Write operations are on the roadmap and require explicit operator approval gates -- see references/meta-ads-integration.md.

---

Pre-Flight: Special Ad Categories

Before generating any ads, ask:

"Will this campaign run as a Meta Special Ad Category? (Housing, Employment, Credit, or Social Issues/Politics)"

If Employment (job training, career coaching, hiring, job boards):

1. Load additional rules: See Meta Policy lens → Employment section
2. Warn user: "Employment category has strict restrictions. I'll avoid salary assertions, 'if you've been...' patterns, and job-seeking status claims."
3. Tag the output: Add special_ad_category: employment to frontmatter

Employment Category Quick Rules

These patterns that work in standard ads will get rejected in Employment:

Pattern	Why It Fails	Alternative
"If you've been stuck at £30k..."	Asserts current employment status	"DevOps engineers can reach £60k+"
"Still getting rejected after interviews?"	Personal attribute (job-seeking status)	"Interview preparation that works"
"Tired of your dead-end job?"	Asserts job dissatisfaction	"Career advancement strategies"
Salary numbers as pain (£30k, $50k)	Implies current salary = personal attribute	Salary as aspiration only

The rule: In Employment, ANY assertion about current status (job, salary, employment state) = Personal Attributes violation. Aspirational framing only.

---

Offer Context Resolution

Before loading reference files, resolve active offer context with .claude/reference/business-primitives/offer-bet-push-proof.md:

1. If a future mb JSON field exposes active offer state, use it.
2. Do not treat .vip/local.yaml as canonical active-offer state. If legacy state exists, confirm the offer with the user instead of silently routing.
3. If an offer is selected and core/offers/[offer]/offer.md exists, load it as the active offer.
4. If no offer is selected AND core/offers/ exists: ask which offer.
5. If no core/offers/ folder: use core/offer.md (single-offer mode)
6. Legacy fallback: if the repo does not have core/, read the old reference/core/ and reference/offers/ paths.

In current repos, reference/core and reference/offers are compatibility bridges to core/ and core/offers/. Treat them as aliases, not duplicate files: read through them only as fallback, and never ask the user to update both paths.

Always-core files: soul.md, voice.md, content-strategy.md Offer-aware files: offer.md, audience.md Proof files: company-wide proof in core/proof/testimonials.md, core/proof/typicality.md, and core/proof/angles/; offer-specific proof in matching files under core/offers/[active]/proof/. Read older offer testimonial files as compatibility context only.

Offer argument: /mb-ads [mode] [offer] [campaign] — e.g., /mb-ads static community january-launch If offer specified, it selects the offer for this run only.

---

Reference Required (All Modes)

Before creating ads, the business repo must have:

File	Path	Required
Offer	core/offers/[active]/offer.md or core/offer.md (resolved via path resolution)	Yes
Audience	core/offers/[active]/audience.md or core/audience.md (resolved via path resolution)	Yes
Voice	core/voice.md (always core)	Yes
Testimonials/proof	core/proof/testimonials.md + core/offers/[active]/proof/testimonials.md when present	Yes
Typicality	core/proof/typicality.md + offer-specific typicality when present	Recommended
Angles	core/proof/angles/*.md	Yes (at least 1)
Visual Style	core/brand/visual-style.md	Optional (affects image gen)
Content Strategy	core/content-strategy.md (always brand-level)	Optional (improves topic selection)
Skool Surfaces	core/operations/funnel/skool-surfaces.md	Optional (congruence check)
Ad Account Access	mb status --json --peek + mb connect doctor --json	Optional (enables live performance data)

If required files are missing, Step 0 pre-flight catches this and routes appropriately.

Content funnel awareness: Ads are the "immediate ROI" pillar of the two-pillar value prop (ads + content). In the content pipeline, ads drive newsletter signups, newsletter nurtures, Skool trial converts, revenue follows. If content-strategy.md exists, use content pillars to inform angle selection, metrics to understand what performs organically (ads amplify top-performing organic content), and funnel mapping to determine whether ads should target awareness, consideration, or conversion.

Skool surface congruence: If core/operations/funnel/skool-surfaces.md exists, check it before finalizing any batch. Ad copy must not promise anything not visible on the Skool about page or pricing cards. Pricing mentioned in ads must match current tier structure. Language and framing should echo (not contradict) the about page positioning. The about page is the FIXED surface — ads are the VARIABLE surface.

Angle library note: Angles are NOT locked. They evolve as understanding deepens. Every /mb-think session may surface new angles. The angle library is additive — new angles supplement, never replace. When selecting angles for a batch, mix established angles with any newly codified ones.

---

Mode: Static Ads

Create campaign batches with image prompts + ad copy. Each batch = 5-6 angles, each angle = 3 image creatives (graphic, lo-fi, interrupt). Hook = 123-135 chars, no questions, no "you/your" in first 3 lines, no emojis. 5 ad styles (Deep, UGC, DR, Pattern Interrupt, Testimonial). Format pair: 1:1 + 9:16.

See references/mode-static-ads.md for the full workflow: campaign structure, hook formulas, copywriting batch sequence, ad styles by length, image prompt types, and the file save convention.

---

Mode: Hook Library (Creative Variations)

Generate punchy, truly diversified creative variations for static image ads (Andromeda-optimized). Users can request any quantity. Also called "one-liners" — same methodology, same pipeline.

The core rule: Every variation must include at least one specific anchor (role, niche pain, value prop, or proof point). The Specificity Test: if it could sell a gym membership, it fails.

See references/mode-hook-library.md for the full 6-step process, anchor rule, input modes, output file format with full generation context, and links to one-liner-methodology.md / one-liner-examples.md.

---

Mode: Video Scripts

Create diverse spoken-word scripts for camera delivery. 15-30 scripts across 3-4 buyer avatars, ~5th grade reading level, contractions, fragments. Each ad = a fundamentally different reason to buy.

See references/mode-video-scripts.md for the 6-step process, script structure (Hook / Body / CTA), spoken delivery optimization, and save convention.

---

Mode: Review

Review ads through 6 compliance and quality lenses before shipping (FTC, Meta Policy, Copy Quality, Visual Standards, Voice Authenticity, Substantiation). Spawns 6 parallel Task agents (read-only), synthesizes a unified P1/P2/P3 report, presents proposed P2/P3 copy changes as a diff, and applies them only after explicit approval.

See references/mode-review.md for the full lens table, review process, severity levels, and status determination.

---

Automatic Post-Generation Pipeline

Every generation entry point (Full Pipeline, Copy Only, Hook Library, Video Scripts) runs this pipeline automatically after saving output. Do not ask the user whether to run compliance review -- it is automatic.

See references/post-generation-pipeline.md for the complete pipeline: checkpoint pre-review, lens tier selection, Nano Banana check, parallel agent spawning (compliance + image), synthesis, proposed-change approval gate, unified report, and post-review checkpoint.

Quick summary: Save a checkpoint for the pre-review state after operator approval, spawn 5-6 compliance agents + optional image agents in parallel, synthesize P1/P2/P3 findings, surface P1 to user, show proposed P2/P3 copy edits as a dry-run diff, apply copy edits only after explicit approval, present unified report, and offer a post-review checkpoint.

"While You Wait" pattern: When spawning parallel agents that take >30 seconds, show a brief note so the user knows what's happening:

"Running compliance review across 6 lenses + generating images in parallel. This takes about 2-3 minutes. These run as sub-agents so they won't eat into your session context."

---

Compliance (All Modes)

Never say:

• Cures/treats/heals [condition]
• Guaranteed results
• Will eliminate [problem]

Safe to say:

• Many have found this helpful
• Supports/complements existing approach
• Framework for understanding
• Education and guidance

---

Quality Checklist (All Copy Modes)

Before saving any batch, verify:

Check	Requirement
Anchor specificity	Every hook/variation has at least one offer-specific anchor
Cold traffic language	No insider jargon — would a stranger understand in 3 seconds?
Hook length	123-135 characters for static ad hooks
No questions	Hooks don't start with yes/no questions
No you/your	First 3 lines avoid direct address
Angle diversity	Each concept uses a genuinely different psychological entry point
Voice match	Copy matches voice.md tone (if available)
Compliance	No banned claims, proper testimonial attribution
Skool congruence	Claims match live about page + pricing cards (if skool-surfaces.md exists)
Save-ability	Would someone save this ad to reference later? Educational, actionable hooks drive purchase intent
Enemy framing	Does at least one concept use a named enemy from voice.md? Enemy-driven contrast creates identity alignment

---

Recovery from Compaction

If context was compacted mid-task, check:

1. Which offer? Use a future mb JSON active-offer field if present; otherwise ask the user to restore offer context. Do not silently route from .vip/local.yaml.
2. What entry point? Full pipeline, copy only, hook library, video scripts, review, account check
3. What stage? Planning angles, writing hooks, generating prompts, reviewing, pulling account data
4. What's done? Check pushes/ (and legacy campaigns/ on unmigrated repos) for partial work
5. Ad account status? Re-run mb status --json --peek; if needed, run mb connect doctor --json
6. Resume: Continue from the last completed step

For full pipeline: Did we finish image prompts (Part 1) before copy (Part 2)? For hook library: How many variations generated out of requested quantity? For video: How many of 15-30 scripts are done? For review: Which lenses completed?

---

Quick Reference

Full pipeline (static ads): 5-6 concepts x 5 primaries x 5 headlines x 3 image prompts Hook library (creative variations): Flexible quantity (default 30), Andromeda-optimized Video scripts: 15-30 diverse scripts, spoken-word optimized Review: 6 lenses, P1/P2/P3 report, fix suggestions Account check: read-only Meta Ads context -- campaigns, performance, creative audit when mb connect and runtime tools are ready Launch plan/check: provider-safe Google Ads/GTM/paid-traffic plan or outcome check; no account mutation without a shipped adapter and explicit approval