how-to-tutorial-writer

--- name: how-to-tutorial-writer description: > Write how-to guides and tutorials that naturally integrate affiliate product recommendations. Triggers on: "write a how-to guide", "tutorial for [task]", "step by step guide to [goal]", "how to [verb] with [product]", "write a tutorial blog post", "guide on how to [task]", "beginner guide to [topic]", "walkthrough for [product]", "write an educational article", "how do I [task] blog post", "write a tutorial that promotes [product]". license: MIT version: "1.0.0" tags: ["affiliate-marketing", "blogging", "seo", "content-writing", "tutorial", "how-to"] compatibility: "Claude Code, ChatGPT, Gemini CLI, Cursor, Windsurf, OpenClaw, any AI agent" metadata: author: affitor version: "1.0" stage: S3-Blog ---

# How-To Tutorial Writer

Write practical, step-by-step tutorial blog posts that solve a real reader problem and naturally recommend affiliate products as the best tool for the job. Uses the "problem → solution → tool" pattern: establish what the reader wants to do, show them exactly how to do it, and position the affiliate product as the right instrument for each step.

## When to Use

- User wants to create educational content that drives affiliate conversions indirectly - User says "how to", "tutorial", "guide", "walkthrough", "step by step" - User wants to rank for "how to [task]" keywords (high traffic, lower competition than "best" keywords) - User has a product that is best understood through demonstration, not just description - User wants to build authority and trust in a niche before making a sale

## Workflow

### Step 1: Define the Tutorial Goal

Parse the request to identify: - **The task**: what the reader wants to accomplish (e.g., "create AI videos for YouTube") - **The tool**: which affiliate product enables the task (e.g., HeyGen) - **The audience**: who is asking this question (beginner / intermediate / advanced) - **The end state**: what the reader will have built or achieved by the end

If the task is vague ("write a tutorial about HeyGen"), default to the most popular use case for that tool — search for it: `"[product name] tutorial" OR "how to use [product name]"` — pick the highest-traffic query.

**Tutorial types** — detect from user's phrasing: | Signal | Type | Format | |---|---|---| | "How to get started", "beginners guide", "first time" | `quickstart` | 5-8 steps, 1,500-2,000 words | | "Step by step", "complete guide", "full tutorial" | `deep-dive` | 8-15 steps, 2,500-3,500 words | | "How to [specific feature]" | `feature-focus` | 5-8 steps on one feature, 1,500-2,000 words | | "How to [goal] without [product]" → redirect to product | `problem-solution` | 6-10 steps, 2,000-2,500 words |

### Step 2: Research the Tutorial Content

Use `web_search` to gather: 1. The actual step-by-step process for accomplishing the task 2. Common mistakes or gotchas beginners encounter 3. Official documentation or help articles for the product 4. What the top-ranking tutorials already cover (identify gaps)

Search queries: - `"how to [task] with [product]"` — understand existing guides - `"[product] tutorial [year]"` — find current instructions - `"[product] [feature] settings"` — get accurate step names - `"[task] mistakes beginners make"` — find pain points to address

**Content accuracy rule**: Never invent product UI details. If unsure about a specific button name or menu path, describe the action generically ("navigate to the settings section") rather than naming something that may be wrong.

### Step 3: Plan the Tutorial Structure

Map every section before writing. A well-structured tutorial follows this flow:

**What readers need before starting (Prerequisites):** - Account requirements (free plan vs. paid tier needed for tutorial steps) - Technical requirements - Assets they should have ready (images, scripts, data)

**The steps themselves:** - Each step = one atomic action (not a cluster of actions) - Steps should be numbered, not just bulleted - Each step has: action verb headline + explanation + expected result - Decision points get callout boxes: "If you see X, do Y instead"

**Affiliate integration points** (natural, not forced): 1. In the Prerequisites section: "You'll need a [Product] account. [Sign up free here →](url)" 2. At the step where the product's key feature is used: contextual CTA 3. After showing the final result: "You just did X with [Product]. Here's what else it can do: [affiliate CTA]" 4. In the "Next Steps" section at the end

**Rule**: Never interrupt a step sequence with a hard sell. CTAs belong at natural pause points — before the reader starts, after they finish a major phase, and at the very end.

### Step 4: Write the Full Tutorial

**Title formula:** - `How to [Task] with [Product]: Step-by-Step Guide ([Year])` - `How to [Task]: A Beginner's Guide Using [Product]` - `[Goal]: How to [Task] in [N] Steps (Even If You're New to [Topic])`

**Introduction (150-200 words):** - Open with the reader's problem/desire (not with "In this tutorial...") - State the end result: "By the end, you'll have [specific output]" - Mention how long it takes and what level of experience is needed - One-sentence product intro: "[Product] is what makes this possible — here's how to use it." - Affiliate CTA if they need to sign up before starting

**Prerequisites section:** ``` **What you need before starting:** - A [Product] account (free plan works / Pro plan required for [specific feature]) → [Create your free account →](affiliate_url) - [Any other required tool/asset/knowledge] - Estimated time: [X minutes] ```

**Step-by-Step Section:** Write each step as: ``` ## Step [N]: [Action Verb] + [What You're Doing]

[2-4 sentence explanation of what this step does and why it matters]

1. [Specific sub-action with exact UI element names where known] 2. [Next sub-action] 3. [Continue...]

**You should see:** [description of what the expected result looks like]

> **Note:** [Optional callout for a common mistake or alternative path] ```

**Result/Output Section:** After all steps, show what the reader has built: - Describe the final output in concrete terms - Include what they can do with it now - Contextual affiliate CTA: "Now that you've [achieved X], you can use [Product]'s [feature] to take it further."

**Troubleshooting Section** (optional, high SEO value): 3-5 common issues readers might hit: - "Error: [X]" → "This usually means [Y]. Fix it by [Z]." - "Step 4 doesn't work if [condition]" → "Instead, try [alternative]."

**Next Steps Section:** - What to do with the result - Related features of the product to explore next - Related tutorials (if user has other content) - Final strong affiliate CTA

**FAQ Section (4-6 questions):** - "Do I need a paid plan for [product] to follow this tutorial?" - "How long does [task] take?" - "Can I do this without [product]?" - "Is [product] free to use for [task]?" - "What should I do if [common problem]?"

### Step 5: Format Output

**Part 1: SEO Metadata** ``` --- SEO METADATA --- Title: [title] Slug: how-to-[task-slug] Meta Description: [150-160 chars — include "how to", the task, and product name] Target Keyword: how to [task] with [product] Secondary Keywords: [product] tutorial, [task] guide, how to [task] [year], [product] for beginners Word Count: [actual] Format: how-to Steps: [N] --- ```

**Part 2: Full Article** Complete markdown ready to publish.

**Part 3: Supplementary Data** - FAQ schema questions/answers - Screenshot suggestions (one per major step) - Products featured with affiliate URLs - Video script outline (optional — if user wants to turn this into a YouTube tutorial)

## Input Schema

```yaml task: # REQUIRED — what the reader wants to accomplish description: string # e.g., "create an AI avatar video for YouTube" goal: string # The end state — "a published YouTube video with AI avatar"

product: # REQUIRED — the affiliate tool that enables the task name: string description: string reward_value: string url: string # Affiliate link reward_type: string cookie_days: number tags: string[]

tutorial_type: string # OPTIONAL — "quickstart" | "deep-dive" | "feature-focus" | "problem-solution" # Default: auto-detected from task complexity

audience_level: string # OPTIONAL — "beginner" | "intermediate" | "advanced" # Default: "beginner" (wider audience)

supporting_tools: object[] # OPTIONAL — other tools used alongside the primary product - name: string url: string purpose: string # What role this tool plays in the tutorial

target_keyword: string # OPTIONAL — override default "how to [task]" keyword

tone: string # OPTIONAL — "conversational" | "technical" # Default: "conversational"

include_video_outline: boolean # OPTIONAL — generate a YouTube video script outline alongside # Default: false ```

### Step 6: Self-Validation

Before presenting output, verify:

- [ ] Steps are numbered (not bulleted) and atomic — one action per step - [ ] Prerequisites section is present with requirements and time estimate - [ ] FTC disclosure appears after title - [ ] No invented UI details — describe generically if unsure - [ ] CTA never interrupts a step sequence

If any check fails, fix the output before delivering. Do not flag the checklist to the user — just ensure the output passes.

## Output Schema

```yaml output_schema_version: "1.0.0" # Semver — bump major on breaking changes article: title: string slug: string meta_description: string target_keyword: string format: "how-to" tutorial_type: string # quickstart | deep-dive | feature-focus | problem-solution content: string word_count: number steps: - number: number headline: string # Step heading affiliate_cta: boolean # Whether this step contains a CTA

products_featured: - name: string url: string role: string # "primary-tool" | "supporting-tool" reward_value: string cta_placement: string[] # Which sections contain CTAs for this product

seo: secondary_keywords: string[] faq_questions: - question: string answer: string screenshot_suggestions: # One per major step — high-value for tutorials - step: number description: string alt_text: string

video_outline: # Only if include_video_outline=true title: string hook: string # First 30 seconds script chapters: - timestamp: string # e.g., "0:00" title: string description_for_youtube: string tags: string[] ```

## Output Format

Present as three sections: 1. **SEO Metadata** — fenced block for copy-paste into CMS 2. **Article** — complete markdown, immediately publishable 3. **Supplementary** — FAQ schema, screenshot suggestions, affiliate URLs, optional video outline

Target word count: 1,500-3,500 words based on tutorial type. Quality over length — do not pad steps.

## Error Handling

- **Task too vague** ("tutorial about email marketing"): Ask: "What specific task should the tutorial walk through? For example: 'how to set up an automated welcome email sequence in Mailchimp'." - **No product provided**: "Which product should this tutorial feature? If you don't have one in mind, I can suggest the best tool for [task]." - **Product feature requires paid plan**: Note clearly in Prerequisites section and add affiliate CTA. Do not hide paid requirements. - **Task not suited for a single tutorial** (too complex): "This task has multiple phases — I'll write a [quickstart] tutorial focused on [first phase]. Let me know if you want additional tutorials for the other phases." - **Product UI has changed**: Use generic action descriptions where UI details are uncertain. Add note: "Screenshots may vary slightly from your current version of [Product]."