Brand Scout: Validated

Purpose: Create Brand Scout reports that iterate until ALL shipping data is documented. Uses Ralph Loop methodology to guarantee completeness.

Trigger Phrases

• "validated brand scout for [company]"
• "complete brand scout for [company]"
• "full brand scout [company]"
• "brand scout validated [company]"
• /brand-scout:validated [company]

The Problem This Solves

Audit revealed 50% of Brand Scout reports are missing shipping data:

• 41 reports missing shipping page URL
• 38 missing free shipping threshold
• 27 missing delivery window
• 19 missing expedited options

The Solution

A self-correcting loop that:

1. Researches the company
2. Validates against 5-point checklist
3. Re-researches gaps
4. Iterates until complete OR explicitly marks data as "Not found"

Validation Checklist (5 Points)

Confidence Markers:

• Confirmed - Found with source URL
• Inferred - Estimated from context
• Not found - Researched 3x, unavailable

Execution Flow

START
  |
  v
[Initial Research] -----> Research company, scrape shipping pages
  |
  v
[Generate Draft] -------> Create report with available data
  |
  v
[Validate Checklist] ---> Check 5 criteria against report
  |                         |
  | (gaps found)            | (all complete)
  v                         v
[Research Gaps] -------> [Mark Complete]
  |                         |
  | (max 3 attempts         |
  |  per criterion)         |
  v                         v
[Update Report] --------> [Save to Brand Scout Reports/]
  |                         |
  | (still gaps?)           |
  v                         v
[Loop or Mark            [Output Success]
 "Not found"]               |
  |                         v
  +----------------------> END

Ralph Loop Integration

When invoked, this skill automatically sets up Ralph Loop:

ralph_loop_config:
  max_iterations: 5
  completion_promise: "BRAND SCOUT VALIDATED"
  validation_gate: 5-point shipping checklist
  failure_mode: mark_incomplete_and_flag

Iteration Behavior:

• Iteration 1: Full research, draft report
• Iteration 2: Validate, identify gaps, targeted research
• Iteration 3: Deep dive on stubborn gaps (try alternate URLs)
• Iteration 4: Last research attempt, prepare to mark "Not found"
• Iteration 5: Final validation, save report (complete or flagged)

Research Sequence

Shipping Page Discovery (Try in Order)

1. [domain]/shipping
2. [domain]/pages/shipping
3. [domain]/policies/shipping-policy (Shopify)
4. [domain]/shipping-returns
5. [domain]/delivery
6. [domain]/faq (search for shipping section)
7. [domain]/help/shipping
8. Footer links labeled "Shipping" or "Delivery"

Data Extraction Patterns

Free Shipping Threshold:

• Look for: "Free shipping on orders over $X"
• Banner/header promotions
• Cart page messaging
• FAQ answers

Delivery Windows:

• "Standard: 3-5 business days"
• "Ground shipping: 5-7 days"
• Processing time + transit time

Carrier Info:

• Tracking page (carrier logos)
• FAQ mentions of UPS/FedEx/USPS
• AfterShip/Route/Narvar branding
• 3PL partner mentions

Expedited Options:

• "Express", "Priority", "2-Day", "Overnight"
• Checkout shipping options (if accessible)
• FAQ shipping tiers

Report Template

See .claude/commands/brand-scout-validated.md for full template.

Key sections that MUST be complete:

## SHIPPING & LOGISTICS PROFILE

### Shipping Page
- **URL**: [REQUIRED] | Confidence: [REQUIRED]

### Shipping Options
| Service | Delivery Window | Cost | Confidence |
|---------|-----------------|------|------------|
| Standard | [REQUIRED] | [REQUIRED] | [REQUIRED] |
| Expedited | [VALUE or "Not offered"] | ... | ... |

### Free Shipping
- **Threshold**: [REQUIRED] | Confidence: [REQUIRED]

### Carrier & Fulfillment
- **Carriers Used**: [REQUIRED - even if "Not disclosed"]

---

## VALIDATION STATUS

| Criteria | Status | Value |
|----------|--------|-------|
| Shipping URL | [PASS/FAIL] | [value] |
| Free Threshold | [PASS/FAIL] | [value] |
| Delivery Window | [PASS/FAIL] | [value] |
| Carrier Info | [PASS/FAIL] | [value] |
| Expedited Options | [PASS/FAIL] | [value] |

**Overall**: [X/5 COMPLETE]

Output Location

Reports saved to: Brand Scout Reports/[Company_Name]_Brand_Scout.md

If incomplete after max iterations:

• Saved as: Brand Scout Reports/[INCOMPLETE]_[Company_Name]_Brand_Scout.md
• Added to: Brand Scout Reports/_AUDIT_REPORT.md priority list

Usage Examples

Basic

/brand-scout:validated Huel

With Domain

/brand-scout:validated "Bare Performance Nutrition" --domain bpnsupps.com

More Iterations for Complex Companies

/brand-scout:validated "Hims & Hers" --max-iterations 7

Fix Existing Report

/brand-scout:validated "Phys Choice" --update-existing

Success Criteria

Report is VALIDATED when:

1. All 5 shipping criteria have values
2. Each value has a confidence marker
3. No placeholder text ("TBD", "[RESEARCH]")
4. Validation table shows 5/5 PASS or explicit "Not found"
5. Report saved to correct location

Completion Promise: <promise>BRAND SCOUT VALIDATED</promise>

Integration with Existing Skills

This skill enhances but does not replace:

Recommended Flow:

1. Use /brand-scout:validated for all new leads
2. Use audit to check existing reports
3. Run validated on flagged reports to fix gaps

Metrics

Track these to measure improvement:

Built on Ralph Loop methodology: iterate until genuinely complete.