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creator-scanner

What it does

Scans a creator's social media account and analyzes their hook patterns, format choices, and viral mechanics. You give it a handle; it gives you back a structured breakdown of what makes their content work.

When to use it

  • You found a creator who's killing it and you want to understand why
  • You're modeling content after a specific successful account
  • Competitor research — what's a rival creator doing structurally
  • Building a creative template based on a creator's repeatable format

Where it fits in the pipeline

flowchart LR
    A[Found a creator<br/>worth studying] --> B[creator-scanner skill]
    B --> C[Hook breakdown<br/>Format analysis<br/>Mechanic patterns]
    C --> D[Researcher uses<br/>for creative template]
    D --> E[Visual Planner<br/>applies pattern]

How to invoke

You: scan @creator_handle on TikTok

Claude: [triggers creator-scanner, returns breakdown]

Trigger phrases:

  • "scan [@handle]"
  • "analyze this creator: [URL]"
  • "what's [@handle] doing that works"

What you get back

Typical breakdown:

  • Hook patterns — the recurring opener structures (authority-betrayal, symptom-cluster, etc.)
  • Format mix — talking head / mixed-media / POV ratio
  • Pacing — average video length, hook-to-payoff timing
  • Visual signature — recurring framing, lighting, color palette
  • Top performers — their viral hits with view counts + what made them work
  • CTA style — how they convert viewers (Shop button / comment keyword / DM funnel)

Example session

You: scan @example_creator on TikTok — I want to understand their format

Claude: Scanning @example_creator on TikTok...

        Account snapshot:
        - 287K followers, ~30K avg views, top video 2.1M
        - 12 posts in last 30 days, mostly daily
        - Format: 80% talking head, 20% mixed-media recipe demos

        Hook patterns (top 3):
        1. Authority-betrayal: "My doctor never told me this..."
           Used in 6 of last 12 posts, avg 80K views
        2. Symptom-cluster: opens with on-screen text listing 3+ symptoms
           Used in 4 posts, hit 2.1M on one
        3. Confessional: "I'm [age] and I just realized..."
           Used twice, mid-pack performance

        Visual signature:
        - Selfie framing, ~chest-up crop
        - Natural window light from camera-left
        - Subject usually in kitchen or bathroom vanity
        - On-screen captions: white text, black drop shadow,
          serif font, animated word-by-word

        CTA style: comment keyword → DM funnel (Amazon link).
        Never uses Shop button directly.

        Saved to reference/creator-library/@example_creator.md.

Limitations

  • Public content only — can't see private posts, DMs, or analytics
  • View counts are point-in-time; viral content can move fast
  • Tone / personality / "what makes them likeable" is hard to capture — read the actual videos, don't just rely on the structural breakdown
  • For accounts that have changed format recently, the breakdown weights all of their content equally — manually focus on recent posts if direction has shifted