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Максим Кремнев
Максим Кремнев

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# How I Automated Content Creation with CLI and AI

#cli #contentcreation #ai #typescript

Every time I sat down to write a post, I started from scratch. After six months, I had 50 posts — and not a single one with a consistent style. One read like API documentation, another like a tweet after three cups of coffee.

Then I built a CLI tool. And this post is a live demo of how it works.

The Problem: Why Content Creation Turns Into Chaos

Sound familiar? You sit down to write a post. Open a blank document. Stare at the cursor. The cursor stares back.

After 20 minutes fighting writer's block, you finally write something. Publish it. Then look at your previous post and realize: these could be from two different authors.

I noticed several patterns in my "creative process":

Every post = reinventing the wheel. No system. No template. Every time I'm deciding from scratch: what structure? what tone of voice? who am I writing for?

No consistent voice. One post is formal, another is packed with memes and emojis. Readers don't know what to expect.

AI used chaotically. "Write me a post about microservices" — and you get generic text with no context, no personal style, no understanding of the audience.

No reproducibility. Which post performed well? Why did it work? What did I do differently? Black box.

As a developer, I thought: what if I applied the same approach we use for code to content?

The Idea: Infrastructure as Code for Content

When you start a new React project, you don't create files manually. You run create-react-app or npm create vite — and get a ready structure. Configs, folders, base files — everything in place.

What if we did the same for content?

That's how creator-kit was born — a CLI tool that scaffolds the structure for AI-assisted content creation.

The concept is simple:

Code scaffolding Content scaffolding
create-react-app creator init
package.json constitution.md
src/components/ templates/content/
npm scripts workflow commands

Constitution — your "source of truth". A document that describes your voice, tone, and audience. Set it up once — all AI commands use this context.

Templates — templates for different content types. LinkedIn post, Twitter thread, Telegram — each has its own structure.

Workflow commands — slash commands that guide you from idea to finished post. Step by step.

Let's see how it works in practice.

Practice: Installation and First Run

Step 1: Installation 

npm install -g creator-kit
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Takes about 10 seconds. Package weighs less than 500KB — only what you need.

Step 2: Initialize the Project

Navigate to the directory where you want to manage content and run:

creator init --ai claude
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The --ai claude flag indicates you're using Claude Code (currently the only supported AI, but Qwen and Codex are planned).

Step 3: See What Appeared 

.claude/commands/              # Slash commands for Claude
├── creator.brief.md
├── creator.constitution.md
├── creator.outline.md
├── creator.refine.md
├── creator.review.md
├── creator.todo.md
├── creator.verify.md
└── creator.write.md

.contents/                     # Templates and memory
├── memory/
│   └── constitution.md        # ← Your voice lives here
├── templates/
│   ├── content/               # Post templates
│   │   ├── linkedin-post-template.md
│   │   ├── telegram-post-template.md
│   │   └── twitter-thread-template.md
│   └── workflow/              # Process templates
│       ├── content-brief-template.md
│       ├── content-plan-template.md
│       └── content-tasks-template.md
└── config.json
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Files are in place. Now for the interesting part — the workflow.

Workflow: From Idea to Finished Post

Here's what the content creation process looks like with creator-kit:

/creator.constitution → /creator.brief → /creator.refine → /creator.outline → /creator.todo → /creator.write → /creator.review → /creator.verify
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Let's break down each step.

1. Define Your Voice (done once) 

/creator.constitution
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AI asks you questions:

  • Who is your audience?
  • What tone: formal, casual, somewhere in between?
  • What topics do you cover?
  • What do you avoid?

Answers are saved to constitution.md. This is your "brand guide" — all subsequent commands will take it into account.

2. Create a Brief for Your Idea 

/creator.brief "How I automated content creation with CLI"
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AI takes your raw idea and turns it into a structured brief:

  • Working title
  • Target audience
  • Key message
  • Publishing platform
  • Main points

If the idea is vague, AI will ask clarifying questions.

3. Refine (optional) 

/creator.refine
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Socratic method: AI asks questions, you answer. The brief becomes more precise.

  • "What specific outcome do you want the reader to get?"
  • "Do you have examples from your practice?"
  • "What makes your approach different from existing ones?"

4. Create the Structure 

/creator.outline
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AI generates an article plan:

  • Hook (how to grab the reader)
  • Sections with key points
  • Transitions between sections
  • Call to action

5. Break Down into Tasks 

/creator.todo
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The outline turns into specific tasks:

  • Write the hook
  • Develop section 1
  • Add code examples
  • Formulate CTA

Convenient if you write in multiple sessions.

6. Write 

/creator.write
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AI takes the brief, outline, constitution — and generates a draft. Not generic text, but content in your style, for your audience, following your structure.

7. Check Quality 

/creator.review
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AI analyzes the draft:

  • Does it match the constitution?
  • Is there actionable value?
  • Is the text clear to the target audience?
  • Does the hook work? 
/creator.verify
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Final checklist before publishing.

Meta: This Post as an Example

By the way, this post was created exactly this way.

  1. /creator.brief — generated a brief with the key message: "scaffolding for content"
  2. /creator.outline — got the section structure
  3. /creator.write — AI wrote the draft
  4. I edited, added personal examples

The brief for this post lives in .contents/briefs/006-creator-kit-practical-guide.md.

The constitution defined:

  • Casual tone (like explaining to a friend)
  • Focus on practice (code, commands, examples)
  • Audience — developers of all levels

This isn't magic. It's a system.

Under the Hood (for those curious)

Why CLI, not a web app?

Locality. Your data stays on your machine. Constitution, briefs, drafts — all in your project.

Integration. Works in the same terminal where you code. No need to switch between windows.

Version control. Files are text. You can commit to git, view change history, roll back.

Tech Stack

  • TypeScript 5.x — strict typing
  • Commander.js — CLI parsing
  • fs-extra — file operations
  • Chalk — colored output

Three production dependencies. That's it.

Smart Update 

creator update
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Updates templates to the new version without touching files you've modified. Compares hashes.

If you need to force update — --force. Old files are saved as .bak.

Conclusion

Creator-kit is not a "magic AI writer". AI still writes generic text if you don't give it context.

But:

  • Constitution = your voice, captured in a file
  • Templates = your processes, reproducible every time
  • Workflow = system instead of chaos

AI becomes an assistant that works by your rules.

Try It 

npm install -g creator-kit
cd your-project
creator init --ai claude
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Create your first brief:

/creator.brief "Your idea for a post"
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And see what you get.

What content workflow do you use? Share in the comments — curious to compare approaches.

Links:

  • npm: creator-kit
  • License: MIT
  • Source code: open source

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