TikTok Content Pipeline

TikTok Content Pipeline — OpenClaw Skill

Automated TikTok carousel content generation, publishing, scheduling, and analytics-driven optimization for any niche.

Overview

This skill provides a complete content pipeline for TikTok accounts. It handles:

Content Generation — AI-generated carousel slides with hooks, CTAs, and keyword overlays

Smart Scheduling — Research-backed posting times with account-age-aware frequency

Publishing — Post to TikTok via Postiz API (supports drafts, scheduled posts, multi-platform)

Analytics & Optimization — Track performance, diagnose issues, auto-implement improvements

Required Credentials

| Credential | Purpose | How to Obtain | |---|---|---| | Postiz API Key | Publishing & analytics via Postiz CLI | Sign up at postiz.com → Settings → API Keys | | TikTok Integration ID | Links your TikTok account to Postiz | Postiz dashboard → Integrations → Add TikTok |

Credential Storage (Important)

Recommended: Set POSTIZ_API_KEY as an environment variable (e.g. in ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc) rather than storing it in config files. The pipeline checks for this env var first.

Alternative: Store in accounts//config.json under postiz.apiKey. If using this approach, ensure the file is not committed to version control (add to .gitignore).

The Integration ID is account-specific and stored in per-account config.json.

Security Notes

This skill executes the postiz CLI via shell commands. All arguments are escaped to prevent injection.

The skill writes files only within its own accounts/ and output/ directories.

auto-improve mode can modify account configs and auto-post — test on a throwback account first.

Run npm audit after installing dependencies to check for known vulnerabilities.

Quick Setup

1. Set your Postiz API key: export POSTIZ_API_KEY="your-key-here" 2. Copy config.example.json to accounts//config.json 3. Fill in your TikTok integration ID 4. Create or adapt a template in templates/ for your niche 5. Run: node cli.js create --template

See SETUP.md for the full setup guide.

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How to Use This Skill

1. Create a New Account

node cli.js create my-brand --template example-nostalgia

This copies the template into accounts/my-brand/ and sets createdAt to now.

2. Configure the Account

Edit accounts/my-brand/config.json:

{
  "account": { "name": "my-brand", "handle": "@mybrand", "niche": "your-niche", "createdAt": "2026-01-15T00:00:00Z" },
  "postiz": { "apiKey": "YOUR_KEY", "integrationId": "YOUR_TIKTOK_ID" },
  "posting": { "timezone": "Europe/London" }
}

Or use the CLI:

node cli.js config my-brand --handle @mybrand --integration-id YOUR_ID --api-key YOUR_KEY

3. Generate Content

node cli.js generate my-brand --type showcase
node cli.js generate my-brand --type showcase --post  # Generate and post as draft

The generator uses the template's generator.js to create carousel slides, applies hooks from config, adds keyword overlays for TikTok SEO, and outputs to accounts/my-brand/output/.

4. Check the Posting Schedule

node cli.js schedule my-brand          # This week's schedule
node cli.js schedule my-brand --next   # Next optimal posting slot

The scheduler automatically adjusts frequency based on account age:

Days 0-24: Daily posting (building momentum)

Days 25-30: Taper from 7 → 4 posts/week

Day 31+: 3-4 posts/week on optimal days

5. Run Analytics

node cli.js analytics my-brand --days 7
node cli.js analytics my-brand --days 7 --auto-improve  # Auto-implement fixes

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Research-Backed Viral Mechanics

These findings are baked into the framework's scheduling, optimization, and content scoring:

Algorithm Priority Signals

1. Watch time & completion rate — most critical signal. 80%+ completion = 5x reach. 2. First 3-second hook — determines whether content gets distributed at all. 3. Shares — strongest engagement signal for virality. 4. Saves — growing importance. 15%+ save-to-view = high-value content. 5. Comment engagement — quality conversations > generic comments.

Posting Strategy

3-4 posts/week is optimal for established accounts (NOT 3/day — that hurts reach)

Best days: Wednesday, Tuesday, Thursday

Best times: Tue 5pm, Wed 2-5pm, Thu 3-5pm

New accounts: Post daily for first 30 days to build momentum

Max 1 post/day for established accounts (2/day max for new accounts)

Carousel Advantages

3x more saves than standard video

40% longer dwell time when users engage

Lower production barrier — slides are easier to produce than video

5-7 slides optimal for maintaining attention

First slide is everything — must hook immediately

Hook Patterns That Work

| Type | Example | Avg Engagement | |------|---------|---------------| | Contradiction | "Everyone thinks X, but actually..." | 9%+ | | Challenge | "If you used X, you had no skill 😂" | 11%+ | | Gatekeeping | "Only real ones remember..." | 8%+ | | POV | "POV: You just discovered..." | 7%+ | | Nostalgia | "Remember this? 🔥" | 6%+ | | Question | "Would you do this? Yes or no 👇" | 8%+ |

Content Scoring

The ViralOptimizer scores content before posting (0-100):

Hook quality (40% weight) — length, power words, emoji, question format

Structure (30% weight) — slide count, audio, format

Engagement potential (30% weight) — CTA presence, opinion-split, hashtag count

Verdicts:

80+ = 🔥 HIGH VIRAL POTENTIAL — Post immediately

65+ = ✅ GOOD — Ready to post

50+ = ⚠️ DECENT — Consider optimizing

35+ = 🔧 NEEDS WORK — Apply suggestions

<35 = ❌ LOW POTENTIAL — Rethink approach

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Diagnostic Matrix

When analyzing post performance, use this matrix to decide what to fix:

| Views | Engagement | Diagnosis | Action | |-------|-----------|-----------|--------| | High (>1000) | High (>5%) | SCALE | Create 3 variations of this content. Test same hook with different visuals. | | High (>1000) | Low (<3%) | FIX CTA | Hook is working — add stronger call-to-action. Add opinion-split or challenge. | | Low (<500) | High saves (>10%) | FIX HOOK | Content converts — needs better opening hook. Test trending audio. Stronger first-slide text. | | Low (<500) | Low (<3%) | FULL RESET | Try radically different format. Research top creators in niche. Test different posting time. |

Key Thresholds

| Metric | Target | Viral | Poor | |--------|--------|-------|------| | Completion rate | 80% | 90% | 40% | | Save-to-view ratio | 15% | 25% | 3% | | Share rate | 8% | 15% | 2% | | Comment rate | 5% | 10% | 1% | | Profile visit rate | 12% | 20% | 3% | | Follower conversion | 8% | 15% | 2% |

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Creating a Custom Template

Templates define the content types, hooks, hashtags, and generation logic for a niche.

Template Structure

templates/your-niche/
├── config.json      # Content types, hooks, hashtags, settings
├── generator.js     # Content generation logic (extends ContentGenerator)
└── README.md        # Template documentation

config.json Required Fields

{
  "account": { "template": "your-niche", "niche": "Your Niche" },
  "content": {
    "types": {
      "your-content-type": { "description": "...", "slides": 6 }
    },
    "hashtagSets": {
      "default": ["#yourniche", "#fyp"]
    }
  },
  "hooks": {
    "your-content-type": ["Hook text 1", "Hook with {placeholder} 2"]
  },
  "posting": { "timezone": "Europe/London" }
}

generator.js Pattern

const ContentGenerator = require('../../core/ContentGenerator');
class YourNicheGenerator extends ContentGenerator {
  getSupportedTypes() {
    return Object.keys(this.config.content.types);
  }
  async _generateContent(contentType, options, outputDir) {
    this._ensureOutputDir(outputDir);
    const hook = this.getSlide1Hook(contentType, options);
    // Generate slides using sharp/canvas/ImageMagick
    // Return { slides: [...paths], hook: hook.text, caption: '...' }
  }
}
module.exports = YourNicheGenerator;

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Architecture

tiktok-content-pipeline/
├── cli.js                    # Universal CLI
├── core/
│   ├── ContentGenerator.js   # Abstract base for content generation
│   ├── Publisher.js          # Postiz API integration
│   ├── PostingScheduler.js   # Smart scheduling engine
│   ├── ViralOptimizer.js     # Content scoring & optimization
│   └── AnalyticsEngine.js    # Performance tracking & insights
├── accounts/                 # Per-account configs & output (created at runtime)
└── templates/                # Niche templates
    └── example-nostalgia/    # Example template to fork

Core Components

ContentGenerator — Abstract base class. Subclass it per niche. Handles hooks, question hooks, keyword overlays, placeholder replacement.

Publisher — Posts to TikTok (and other platforms) via Postiz CLI. Handles media upload, scheduling, draft mode, and post metadata saving.

PostingScheduler — Account-age-aware scheduling. Knows optimal days/times from research. Supports weekly schedule generation and overdue detection.

ViralOptimizer — Pre-post content scoring. Post-performance diagnostic matrix. Hook pattern library with engagement-weighted selection.

AnalyticsEngine — Pulls metrics from Postiz API. Generates reports with alerts, opportunities, and auto-implementable actions.