Capability template for marketing and content
Creator vetting shortlist
Before anyone contacts a creator, the program lead sees every name on the longlist scored on six lines, each backed by what was seen and when: audience fit, engagement quality, authenticity, brand safety, sponsored track record and contactability. A person chooses who to approach.
The outcome
Your longlist becomes a dated shortlist you can defend. Every creator carries six scores, and every score carries the evidence behind it: what was seen, on which page, on which day. The engagement rate is worked out from the creator's own recent posts, with the working shown, so nobody has to trust a media kit or a round number in a pitch.
Each creator ends with a verdict: engage, negotiate, skip or exclude, with the rule that decided it. A creator worth approaching but with something to settle first, such as thin evidence or a question about your brand rules, is marked negotiate with exactly what to settle. Anything your rules forbid excludes the creator outright, whatever the rest of the scores say.
The shortlist proposes; your program lead confirms every score and chooses who is approached. No creator is contacted, followed or added to any list by the AI assistant.
Who starts the work, and when
The program lead, or whoever runs your creator partnerships, starts it once there is a longlist and before any first message is drafted. It runs again for a creator on a new date when the evidence was thin or their content has changed.
The brand's owner answers any question the shortlist raises about the brand rules. The program lead approves the shortlist.
What they supply
- Your brand rules. Who the brand is for, a ruling for each platform, your content policy, your redlines and your competitor categories, written by the owner.
- The longlist. Each creator's handle, platform, follower count and where that count came from.
- Recent posts. For each creator, the likes, comments, shares and views shown on their recent public posts, and the day those counts were read.
- Evidence notes. What your team saw on each creator's public pages, with the date: the bio, what commenters say, three months of posts, paid partnerships and the contact route. Where your AI product can read public web pages and you allow it, the assistant can gather these itself.
- Your settings. The date of the run and your own starting engagement bands; the rest has sensible defaults you can change.
What comes out
One shortlist in four parts:
- The shortlist, one line per creator: verdict, total out of 30, confidence, brand-safety flag, tier and engagement rate.
- Creator by creator, the six scores with their evidence, the engagement working, the confidence checks and the rule behind the verdict.
- For your decision: who is proposed for approach and what to settle first, the questions for the owner, and who is not approached now and why.
- Coverage: what was used, what was missing, what could not be judged, and any warnings.
Good looks like this: anyone on the team can recompute every rate from the posts listed, and every score points to something a person could go and look at.
An invented example
Illustrative example with invented data. Fernhollow Tea Co. is an invented online tea brand. Its founder, its creator program lead, the five creators, their handles, posts, counts and comments are all invented; no real company, person or account is described. Profile and post addresses use the reserved .example domain so that none points at a real account.
Fernhollow's creator program lead has a longlist of five creators for a winter launch. First come the inputs the lead supplied, in full, then the shortlist the capability returned.
The inputs
1. The request
Please vet the five creators on our longlist for the winter launch. I am
the creator program lead; our founder owns the brand rules. As of
6 November 2026. No creator has been excluded so far.
2. The brand rules (Fernhollow's creator program file, decided by the founder, 28 October 2026)
Brand: Fernhollow Tea Co., loose-leaf tea sold online.
Who the brand is for: adults in the United States and Canada who brew
loose-leaf tea at home; English-speaking. [decided]
Platforms, creators' own posts about the product:
instagram: yes
youtube: yes
tiktok: with conditions: the platform's paid-partnership label on
every post
x: unknown
other: unknown
Content policy: everyday food, home and lifestyle content is fine. No
explicit content. No claim that tea cures, prevents or relieves any
illness. [decided]
Audience age: none set beyond the creator being an adult. [decided]
Redlines: weight-loss or detox claims for any tea or supplement;
gambling promotions; content that mocks a group of people. [decided]
Competitor categories: other loose-leaf and bagged tea brands. [decided]
Roles: founder (owns these rules); creator program lead (approves
shortlists).
3. The settings
As of: 6 November 2026
Starting engagement bands, percent, our own estimates (not measured):
followers basis (instagram, x): nano 2.0 to 5.0; micro 1.5 to 4.0;
mid 1.0 to 3.0; macro 0.5 to 2.0
views basis (youtube, tiktok): nano 4.0 to 9.0; micro 3.0 to 7.0;
mid 2.5 to 6.0; macro 2.0 to 5.0
Everything else: the template's defaults.
4. The longlist (exported)
name,platform,handle,profile_url,followers,followers_source,followers_read_on,contact_path,notes
Steep with Sana,instagram,@sana_steeps_slowly,https://instagram.example/sana_steeps_slowly,18400,profile,2026-11-02,email,
Kettle and Kiln,youtube,@kettle_and_kiln_vt,https://youtube.example/@kettle_and_kiln_vt,72000,media_kit,2026-10-20,manager,
Dawn Brew Diaries,tiktok,@dawnbrew_diaries_26,https://tiktok.example/@dawnbrew_diaries_26,31500,profile,2026-11-03,form,
Leaf and Latte,x,@leaf_latte_loop,https://x.example/leaf_latte_loop,9200,profile,2026-11-02,dm,
Quiet Cup Club,instagram,@quietcup_club_reads,https://instagram.example/quietcup_club_reads,4100,profile,2026-11-02,form,private account
5. Recent posts (exported; counts read 5 November 2026)
handle,platform,post_url,posted_on,likes,comments,shares,views,sponsored
@sana_steeps_slowly,instagram,https://instagram.example/p/sana-07,2026-11-01,512,38,,,no
@sana_steeps_slowly,instagram,https://instagram.example/p/sana-06,2026-10-24,470,29,,,no
@sana_steeps_slowly,instagram,https://instagram.example/p/sana-05,2026-10-15,455,31,,,yes
@sana_steeps_slowly,instagram,https://instagram.example/p/sana-04,2026-10-03,590,47,,,no
@sana_steeps_slowly,instagram,https://instagram.example/p/sana-03,2026-09-20,498,35,,,no
@sana_steeps_slowly,instagram,https://instagram.example/p/sana-02,2026-09-05,430,26,,,yes
@sana_steeps_slowly,instagram,https://instagram.example/p/sana-01,2026-07-30,880,70,,,no
@kettle_and_kiln_vt,youtube,https://youtube.example/watch?v=kk-06,2026-10-28,1240,96,,31000,no
@kettle_and_kiln_vt,youtube,https://youtube.example/watch?v=kk-05,2026-10-14,980,71,,26500,yes
@kettle_and_kiln_vt,youtube,https://youtube.example/watch?v=kk-04,2026-10-07,,84,,24600,no
@kettle_and_kiln_vt,youtube,https://youtube.example/watch?v=kk-03,2026-09-30,1410,118,,35200,no
@kettle_and_kiln_vt,youtube,https://youtube.example/watch?v=kk-02,2026-09-16,1105,88,,29800,no
@kettle_and_kiln_vt,youtube,https://youtube.example/watch?v=kk-01,2026-09-02,1320,102,,33000,yes
@dawnbrew_diaries_26,tiktok,https://tiktok.example/v/dawn-06,2026-11-02,2610,176,22,29800,
@dawnbrew_diaries_26,tiktok,https://tiktok.example/v/dawn-05,2026-10-26,2480,168,19,28400,
@dawnbrew_diaries_26,tiktok,https://tiktok.example/v/dawn-04,2026-10-19,2750,181,25,31900,
@dawnbrew_diaries_26,tiktok,https://tiktok.example/v/dawn-03,2026-10-12,2390,159,17,27600,
@dawnbrew_diaries_26,tiktok,https://tiktok.example/v/dawn-02,2026-10-05,2560,172,20,30100,
@dawnbrew_diaries_26,tiktok,https://tiktok.example/v/dawn-01,2026-09-28,2700,185,23,31200,
@leaf_latte_loop,x,https://x.example/leaf_latte_loop/status/6,2026-11-03,180,14,22,,
@leaf_latte_loop,x,https://x.example/leaf_latte_loop/status/5,2026-10-27,205,19,30,,
@leaf_latte_loop,x,https://x.example/leaf_latte_loop/status/4,2026-10-20,160,11,18,,
@leaf_latte_loop,x,https://x.example/leaf_latte_loop/status/3,2026-10-12,240,26,41,,
@leaf_latte_loop,x,https://x.example/leaf_latte_loop/status/2,2026-10-05,175,15,20,,
@leaf_latte_loop,x,https://x.example/leaf_latte_loop/status/1,2026-09-28,190,17,25,,
6. Evidence notes (typed by the creator program lead; every page read 4 November 2026)
@sana_steeps_slowly
- Bio: "Slow mornings, loose-leaf tea, Toronto." Business email for
collaborations in the bio.
- Comments on the six recent posts: mostly people describing their own
brewing or asking about water temperature and steep times. Commenters
mention Toronto, Montreal, Chicago and Portland. She answers most
questions.
- No analytics shared.
- Comments varied and specific; no account seen repeating a comment.
Follower count is not a round number.
- Last three months: brewing guides, morning routines, one café review.
Nothing explicit, no health or weight-loss claims, no current tea-brand
partnership.
- Two posts labelled "Paid partnership": a ceramics studio (15 October)
and a paper planner brand (5 September). Comments on them read like
those on her other posts.
@kettle_and_kiln_vt
- About page: brewing, pottery and slow living from a studio in Vermont.
Manager's address listed for business enquiries.
- Subscriber count 72,000 is from the media kit they sent on 20 October;
I did not check the channel page.
- Media kit says 64% of viewers are in the United States (their figure).
No analytics shared.
- Comments: long threads from people brewing at home, about clay teapots
and brewing temperatures; the creator pins answers to common questions.
- Views steady across videos; comments specific; no repeated generic
comments seen.
- Last three months: inside our policy, no health claims. One video
(7 October) makes a winter tea cocktail with whisky. Our rules say
nothing about alcohol. Its like count is hidden, so the export has
no likes for it.
- Two videos labelled as paid promotions: a kettle maker (14 October) and
a honey producer (2 September). Comments on them like the rest.
@dawnbrew_diaries_26
- Bio: "Sunrise tea moments." Link page with a contact form; no email.
- Content: morning tea videos and desk setups.
- Comments: on four of the six recent posts, the same five accounts are
the first to comment, each with short generic praise worded a little
differently each time ("So nice!!", "Love this", "Obsessed"). Other
comments mostly short. A few commenters mention US cities.
- Last three months on TikTok: inside our policy, no health or
weight-loss claims, no tea-brand partnership seen. Only TikTok checked.
- Looked through three months of posts: none labelled as an ad or paid
partnership.
@leaf_latte_loop
- Bio: "Tea, coffee and wellness tips." Open direct messages; no email.
- Post of 12 October: "my detox blend melts belly fat in a week", with a
link and discount code for a supplement shop. No ad or partnership
label on the post.
- Comments: a mix of tea and coffee drinkers, several naming US cities;
some reply threads about the posts.
- Comments varied; no repeated accounts seen.
- No posts labelled as paid partnerships.
@quietcup_club_reads
- The account is private: posts and comments cannot be seen. The profile
shows 4,100 followers and the bio "Quiet cups and slow books", with a
link page holding a contact form.
The output
CREATOR VETTING SHORTLIST: Fernhollow Tea Co., as of 6 November 2026
For: creator program lead. Prepared 6 November 2026 from: the brand
rules (Fernhollow's creator program file, 28 October 2026); the
longlist (5 creators); recent posts (25 rows, counts read 5 November
2026); evidence notes for 5 creators; earlier decisions (none supplied;
the request says no creator has been excluded so far).
Run: partial (1 creator with lines not judged; 1 creator without usable
posts).
Scores: proposed, for the creator program lead to confirm or change;
each verdict stands only once its scores are confirmed.
Labels: followers as labelled on each creator; engagement Measured
(counts read off public post pages on 5 November 2026); starting bands
Estimated, set by Fernhollow Tea Co.; scores and totals proposed
judgments.
In short: 5 creators vetted. Engage 1, negotiate 1, skip 2, exclude 1.
First, the founder's ruling on Kettle and Kiln's whisky cocktail video,
and its subscriber count read off the channel page.
1. THE SHORTLIST
@sana_steeps_slowly (instagram): engage. Total 26 of 30. Confidence
high. Brand-safety flag none. Tier micro. Engagement 2.81% of
followers.
@kettle_and_kiln_vt (youtube): negotiate. Total 26 of 30. Confidence
low. Brand-safety flag review. Tier mid. Engagement 4.31% of views.
@dawnbrew_diaries_26 (tiktok): skip. Total 15 of 30. Confidence high.
Brand-safety flag none. Tier micro. Engagement 9.31% of views.
@quietcup_club_reads (instagram): skip. Total not complete. Confidence
low. Brand-safety flag review. Tier nano. Engagement not computed.
@leaf_latte_loop (x): exclude. Total 14 of 30. Confidence high.
Brand-safety flag exclude. Tier nano. Engagement 2.44% of followers.
2. CREATOR BY CREATOR
@sana_steeps_slowly (instagram, https://instagram.example/sana_steeps_slowly)
Followers: 18,400 (Measured, read 2 November 2026). Tier: micro.
Engagement: 2.99, 2.71, 2.64, 3.46, 2.90, 2.48; median 2.81% of
followers over 6 usable posts; 1 outside the window. Within the
starting band 1.5 to 4.0%.
Sponsored posts: median 2.56% over 2; other posts 2.95% over 4.
Audience fit 4: commenters on the six recent posts describe their own
brewing and ask about water temperature and steep times, and name
Toronto, Montreal, Chicago and Portland, inside the brand's markets;
no analytics shared by the creator, so 5 is not open; read 4 November
2026.
Engagement quality 4: rate within the starting band; comments are
specific questions about the posts and she answers most of them; read
4 November 2026.
Authenticity 5: comments varied and specific, no account seen repeating
a comment, follower count not a round number; no signal seen; read 4
November 2026.
Brand safety 5: three months of posts (brewing guides, morning routines,
one café review) inside the content policy, nothing explicit, no
health or weight-loss claims, no current tea-brand partnership; read 4
November 2026.
Sponsored track record 3: two posts labelled "Paid partnership", a
ceramics studio (15 October) and a paper planner brand (5 September),
neither in the tea category; median 2.56% against 2.95% for other
posts, roughly the same level, and comments on them read like the
rest; read 4 November 2026.
Contactability 5: business email for collaborations in the bio; read 4
November 2026.
Confidence: high: all three checks passed.
Verdict: engage, by rule 5: total 26 with brand safety 5.
Checks: none.
@kettle_and_kiln_vt (youtube, https://youtube.example/@kettle_and_kiln_vt)
Followers: 72,000 (Creator's claim, read 20 October 2026). Tier: mid.
Engagement: 4.31, 3.97, 4.34, 4.00, 4.31; median 4.31% of views over 5
usable posts; 1 without counts. Within the starting band 2.5 to 6.0%.
Sponsored posts: median 4.14% over 2; other posts 4.31% over 3.
Audience fit 4: comments come from people brewing at home and asking
about clay teapots; the media kit's 64% United States share is the
creator's claim and no analytics were shared, so 5 is not open; read
4 November 2026.
Engagement quality 4: rate within the starting band; long comment
threads on clay teapots and brewing temperatures, with the creator
pinning answers to common questions; read 4 November 2026.
Authenticity 5: views steady across videos, comments specific, no
repeated generic comments seen; no signal seen; read 4 November 2026.
Brand safety 4: three months of videos inside the content policy, no
health claims; the 7 October video makes a winter tea cocktail with
whisky, and the rules do not mention alcohol; read 4 November 2026;
owner to rule: is a tea cocktail made with whisky inside the content
policy?
Sponsored track record 4: two videos labelled as paid promotions, a
kettle maker (14 October), close to the tea category, and a honey
producer (2 September); median 4.14% against 4.31% for other videos,
and comments on them like the rest; read 4 November 2026.
Contactability 5: manager's address for business enquiries on the About
page; read 4 November 2026.
Confidence: low: follower count from a media kit, not the profile; 5
usable posts where a full sample is 6.
Verdict: negotiate, by rule 7: total 26 with brand safety 4 reaches the
engage line. Held at negotiate because: confidence is low; a
brand-safety question is open for the founder. Brand-safety flag
review: the brand safety evidence says owner to rule.
Checks: none.
@dawnbrew_diaries_26 (tiktok, https://tiktok.example/@dawnbrew_diaries_26)
Followers: 31,500 (Measured, read 3 November 2026). Tier: micro.
Engagement: 9.42, 9.39, 9.27, 9.30, 9.14, 9.32; median 9.31% of views
over 6 usable posts. Above the starting band 3.0 to 7.0%.
Sponsored posts: No comparison: no posts marked sponsored.
Audience fit 3: the subject (morning tea videos and desk setups) fits
and a few commenters mention US cities, but most comments are too
short to show who is watching; read 4 November 2026.
Engagement quality 2: rate above the starting band, but comments are
mostly short generic praise with few real exchanges about the posts;
read 4 November 2026.
Authenticity 1: on four of the six recent posts the same five accounts
are the first to comment, each with short generic praise worded a
little differently each time ("So nice!!", "Love this", "Obsessed");
one clear signal, not word-for-word repeats; read 4 November 2026.
Brand safety 4: three months of TikTok videos inside the content policy,
no health or weight-loss claims, no tea-brand partnership seen; other
channels not checked; read 4 November 2026.
Sponsored track record 2: looked through three months of posts and found
none labelled as an ad or paid partnership; read 4 November 2026.
Contactability 3: a link page with a contact form, no email; read 4
November 2026.
Confidence: high: all three checks passed.
Verdict: skip, by rule 6: total 15 with brand safety 4 reaches the
negotiate line, but authenticity 1 is below the floor of 2. Platform:
with conditions (the platform's paid-partnership label on every post).
Checks: none.
@quietcup_club_reads (instagram, https://instagram.example/quietcup_club_reads)
Followers: 4,100 (Measured, read 2 November 2026). Tier: nano.
Engagement: Not computed: no posts supplied (the account is private).
Sponsored posts: No comparison: no posts supplied.
Audience fit not judged: the account is private, so commenters cannot
be seen; read 4 November 2026.
Engagement quality not judged: the account is private, so no posts or
comments can be seen; read 4 November 2026.
Authenticity not judged: the account is private, so comments and counts
cannot be seen; read 4 November 2026.
Brand safety not judged: the account is private, so its posts cannot be
read; read 4 November 2026.
Sponsored track record not judged: the account is private, so labelled
posts cannot be seen; read 4 November 2026.
Contactability 3: a link page in the bio with a contact form; read 4
November 2026.
Confidence: low: no usable posts, so the sample is not full and no rate
was computed; lines not judged.
Verdict: skip, by rule 3: not judged: audience fit, engagement quality,
authenticity, brand safety, sponsored track record. Brand-safety flag
review: brand safety not judged.
Checks: none.
@leaf_latte_loop (x, https://x.example/leaf_latte_loop)
Followers: 9,200 (Measured, read 2 November 2026). Tier: nano.
Engagement: 2.35, 2.76, 2.05, 3.34, 2.28, 2.52; median 2.44% of
followers over 6 usable posts. Within the starting band 2.0 to 5.0%.
Sponsored posts: No comparison: no posts marked sponsored.
Audience fit 3: commenters are a mix of tea and coffee drinkers, several
naming US cities, and the stated subject ("Tea, coffee and wellness
tips") only partly matches the brand's audience; read 4 November 2026.
Engagement quality 3: rate within the starting band; some reply threads
about the posts; read 4 November 2026.
Authenticity 5: comments varied, no repeated accounts seen; no signal
seen; read 4 November 2026.
Brand safety 0: redline hit, weight-loss or detox claims: the post of 12
October says "my detox blend melts belly fat in a week" and links to a
supplement shop; read 4 November 2026.
Sponsored track record 0: the 12 October post promotes a supplement shop
with a discount code and carries no ad or partnership label; no posts
labelled as paid; read 4 November 2026.
Contactability 3: open direct messages, no email; read 4 November 2026.
Confidence: high: all three checks passed.
Verdict: exclude, by rule 2: brand safety 0, at or below the exclusion
line of 1; redline: weight-loss or detox claims. Platform: unknown.
Checks: none.
3. FOR YOUR DECISION
Proposed to approach: @sana_steeps_slowly (engage). @kettle_and_kiln_vt
(negotiate); settle first: the founder's ruling on the 7 October
whisky cocktail video; the subscriber count read off the channel page
instead of the media kit; one more usable post for a full sample.
Questions for the founder on the brand rules: @kettle_and_kiln_vt: is a
tea cocktail made with whisky inside the content policy, which does
not mention alcohol?
Checks to settle: None.
Not now: @dawnbrew_diaries_26: skip, authenticity 1 below the floor of
2; vet again on a later date if the repeated first comments stop.
@quietcup_club_reads: skip, five lines not judged because the account
is private; vet again if the account is made public.
@leaf_latte_loop: exclude, redline (weight-loss or detox claims, post
of 12 October).
4. COVERAGE
Used: the brand rules; the settings; the longlist (5 creators); recent
posts (25 rows); evidence notes for 5 creators; the request. Missing:
usable posts for @quietcup_club_reads; an earlier-decisions file (the
request says no creator has been excluded so far). Could not judge:
audience demographics (public signals only; no evidence line cites a
creator's own analytics); lines left empty: @quietcup_club_reads:
audience fit, engagement quality, authenticity, brand safety, sponsored
track record; engagement for @quietcup_club_reads. Warnings:
@kettle_and_kiln_vt followers come from its media kit (Creator's claim)
and do not count as recent; 1 post for @kettle_and_kiln_vt (7 October
2026) has its like count hidden and was not used; 1 post for
@sana_steeps_slowly (30 July 2026) is outside the 90-day window and was
not used. Fine: headers match; every score is 0 to 5 or not judged;
every line has evidence; the brand rules are decided for audience,
content policy and redlines; every platform on the longlist has a ruling
(x's ruling is unknown).
Prepared for the creator program lead's decision. No one was
contacted, no creator's account was touched, nothing was posted or sent,
and no list or record was changed.
Where it fits
- Marketing and content: choosing the creators who carry the brand to new audiences.
- Consumer brands: where creators often sell more than advertising does, and one wrong partner travels fast.
- Marketing and advertising: agencies vetting creators for several brands need one method they can show each client.
- Growth & scaling: when a creator program grows past the few names the founder knows personally.
What has to change for your company
- Your brand rules. Decide who writes them and how a ruling is recorded. The shortlist applies them exactly as written and asks the owner whenever they are silent.
- Your starting bands. Set the engagement range you expect for each size of creator, then replace it with your own figures once you have vetted enough creators.
- Your verdict lines. Decide the totals that mean engage and negotiate, the brand-safety score that excludes, and the authenticity floor.
- Your exports. Agree the columns of your longlist and posts files. When a file's columns differ, the assistant stops and asks.
- Who confirms. Name who confirms the scores and who approves the shortlist.
- Your platform. It is written for ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini, and works from files you supply and public pages only. It never needs a login to any platform.
What has been checked
Fully Powered AI wrote this capability template. It was editorially reviewed on 9 November 2026. It was tried on its invented example on 9 November 2026 in two runs; the record of the second is published with it, and summarizes the first and the changes made after it. It has not yet been tested in a client environment. It has not yet been tested as a packaged version in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini.
Testing in your environment means running it on creators your team has already vetted by hand, plus hard cases written in advance, each with its expected behavior: a private account, a creator whose only figures come from a media kit, a post that crosses one of your redlines, the same accounts leaving the same praise on every post, a bio that tries to instruct the assistant. Pilot acceptance-test preparation builds that test set, and What we test before we call an AI workflow ready shows the record.
The full capability template
Everything above is the outline. The complete capability template is the working version: the roles, the inputs, the procedure, the exceptions and stop conditions, the output format, the reviewer checklist, the acceptance tests, the instructions for an AI assistant and what to customize for your company. It comes with a download and the link to its folder in Fully Powered’s public repository.
Free with an account. Sign in by email: no password and no card.
Next step
Bring a real piece of this work to a call. We’ll walk through what it takes to fit this capability to your rules, prove it on your work and put it in the hands of the roles that own it.