# Waterfall Casting > Self-healing tiered casting — build a premium/mid/value (or macro/mid/micro) shortlist, reach tier-1 only first, then on a decline or Day-7 no-reply release that slot's budget and reach the next-best creator down the tiers until the role is filled or budget runs out. Use when the user says "waterfall casting", "reach tier 1 then fall back", "auto-fallback to the next tier if they pass", or "tiered outreach with backfill". Reaches a wave, advances on report-back; never promises a yes. Deliverable is the tiered plan + the wave's Reached table. - Skill: `creatorland/waterfall-casting` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add creatorland/waterfall-casting` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/creatorland/waterfall-casting/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Docs & Writing - Author: creatorland (https://skillmd.com/u/creatorland) - Updated: 2026-09-21 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/creatorland/waterfall-casting --- # Waterfall Casting Tiered casting that heals itself. You have N roles to fill and a ranked, tiered shortlist — premium/mid/value or macro/mid/micro. Instead of reaching everyone at once and overspending, this skill reaches **tier-1 only** first, then watches the connection tools: when a tier-1 outreach comes back `replied_declined` or expires at Day-7 with no reply, it **releases that slot's budget to tier-2** and reaches the next-best not-yet-contacted creator — cascading down the tiers until each role is filled or budget is exhausted. For brand-side managers and agency casting directors filling a fixed number of slots who want first-choice talent first and an automatic, honest fallback rather than a single all-in wave. It is **iterative**: it lays out the waterfall plan + budget up front, reaches the first wave, and on a later invocation (or when the user reports back) advances the waterfall a wave at a time. Read first: ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/shared/conventions.md (tool schemas, credit prices, the nine conventions) and ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/shared/connection-flow.md (THE connection contract — the 3 tool schemas, the mandatory pre-flight, graceful degradation, privacy invariants). This skill honors thrifty/thorough credit modes (${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/shared/credit-modes.md), Refusal Recovery (${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/shared/refusal-recovery.md), and the Freshness Gate (${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/shared/freshness-gate.md). > This skill **composes** siblings by reference and never restates their > internals: > - It sources the **tiered shortlist** from `brief-to-shortlist` (run that > skill's casting flow to build the ranked, enriched, freshness-gated list, > then tier it premium/mid/value). If the user already has an in-session > tiered shortlist, use it as-is. > - It reuses the **reach mechanics + mandatory pre-flight** exactly as > `cast-and-connect` applies them (entitlement probe, suppression pre-screen, > budget_band auto-fill, 10×N estimate + confirm, one `request_creator_connection` > per creator). This skill differs only in *which* creators it reaches *when*: > tier-1 first, then cascading on decline/no-reply. > - It reads outreach state via the **same connection-read tools** > `connection-pipeline-tracker` reads (`list_connections` / > `get_connection_status`) to decide when to fall through. Where that skill > *renders* the board, this skill *acts* on it. > > If the user wants a single all-in wave (reach everyone now, no cascade), use > `cast-and-connect`. If they want a read-only board of what's running, use > `connection-pipeline-tracker`. If they only want the shortlist, use > `brief-to-shortlist`. This skill is the one that **backfills automatically**. ## Inputs to collect - **The brief OR an in-session tiered shortlist** (required) — either a written brief (any format; passed straight into the `brief-to-shortlist` flow, then tiered) or a tiered shortlist already produced this session (use as-is; don't re-cast). Don't make the user restructure either. - **Roles to fill (headcount)** (required) — how many slots the campaign needs filled, e.g. "3 creators". This is the *target*, not a reach count; the waterfall reaches one creator per open slot per wave, not the whole list. - **Budget** (required) — total outreach/creator budget. Drives how far the cascade can run: each open slot draws from the pooled budget, and a released (declined/expired) slot's budget rolls down to the next tier. Express the plan against this ceiling. - **Tiering scheme** *(optional)* — `premium/mid/value` (default) or `macro/mid/micro`. If the shortlist already carries tier labels, keep them. - **Opportunity fields** for outreach — `campaign_type` is **required** (e.g. "paid IG Reel + Story", "UGC licensing", "event appearance"); ask if the brief doesn't state it. Optional: `deliverables`, `comp_tags`, `timeline`, `brief_context`, brand-authored `personal_message`. `budget_band` is **auto-filled** from a corpus rate band (see Pre-flight) — don't ask unless the user overrides. For a promo/gifting/event/collab (not a plain casting), also collect the **structured brief** — `archetype` (`casting|product_gift|partner_promo|event_invite|paid_collab`), an `offer` (`{what, value, expiry, redemption}`), and the on-behalf-of `brand` (`{name, represented_by}`) — per the schema and required-field rules in `connection-flow.md` (the new archetypes require `brand` + `offer.what`; don't restate the schema here, reference it). - **Credit mode** — default `thorough`; switch to `thrifty` on the trigger phrases in the credit-modes module. Never ask twice for anything the brief or an existing shortlist already states — quote it back instead. The waterfall rule itself is fixed and stated up front; don't ask the user to re-confirm it each wave. ## Flow This skill runs in **waves**. Wave 1 reaches tier-1. Each later invocation (or report-back) reads current outreach state and advances the cascade. The flow below covers both the first wave and an advancement wave — Step 2 detects which. **Step 0 — Build (or accept) the tiered shortlist.** - If given a **brief**: run the `brief-to-shortlist` casting flow exactly as that skill defines it (normalize → search → profile fan-out → Freshness Gate → optional conflict check → one slate-level rate call wrapped in Refusal Recovery → rank). Honor the same credit mode. Then **tier** the ranked output into premium/mid/value (or macro/mid/micro) — by follower band, rate band, or fit-rank as the brief implies. Do not restate or alter `brief-to-shortlist`'s internals; it owns the casting contract. - If given an **in-session tiered shortlist**: use it as-is. The output of Step 0 is a tiered, ranked, freshness-gated shortlist plus the slate's inferred **vertical** and **rate band** (reused for `budget_band` below, so no extra rate call is needed). **Step 1 — Lay out the waterfall plan + budget (no reach yet, 0 outreach credits).** Before reaching anyone, show the plan so the user understands the cascade and the spend ceiling: - The tiers and who's in each (ranked within tier). - The fixed **fallback rule**, stated honestly: _"I reach tier-1 first. If a tier-1 creator declines or hits Day-7 with no reply, I release that slot and reach the next-best not-yet-contacted creator — tier-2, then tier-3 — until each role is filled or budget runs out. A no-reply or a decline triggers the fall-through; impatience does not."_ - The **budget math**: headcount × budget ceiling, and how a released slot's budget rolls down to the next tier. Reaching is 10 credits/creator regardless of tier; the *campaign* budget (the dollars paid to talent) is what cascades, framed by the corpus rate band per tier. **Step 2 — Read current outreach state (free) and decide the wave.** Call the connection-read tools exactly as `connection-pipeline-tracker` does — this is how the skill knows whether it's Wave 1 or an advancement, and which slots have fallen through: ```json list_connections { "limit": 100 } ``` For any outreach this campaign already started, detail it: ```json get_connection_status { "conn_ref": "" } ``` → lifecycle status, touches sent (of 3), latest reply classification, next scheduled touch. Classify each prior outreach (per connection-pipeline-tracker's reading): - **Filled / advancing** — `replied_interested` or `accepted_inapp`: the slot is working; do **not** backfill it. (The double-opt-in intro is the matchmaker's on a confirmed yes — never an address here.) - **Released → backfill** — `replied_declined`, **or** `expired`, **or** `delivered` with no reply and the sequence already past its **Day-7** end: this slot is open again; its budget rolls to the next tier and the next-best not-yet-contacted creator is the new reach target. - **Still live, leave alone** — `queued | sending | delivered` mid-sequence (before Day-7), or `replied_question` (a reply is owed, not a decline): do **not** fall through yet. A question is not a no. Point the user to `reply-triage` for the question; hold the slot. If `list_connections` returns the **non-entitled refused envelope**, jump to the graceful-degradation branch (below) — never error. **Step 3 — Compute this wave's reach set.** For each **open** role (Wave 1: all roles; advancement: only the released ones), pick the next-best **not-yet-contacted** creator: stay within the current tier until it's exhausted, then drop to the next tier down. Skip anyone already reached for this brand (handled in the pre-screen too). Cap the wave at `min(open roles, budget-allowed reaches)` — if the remaining budget can't fund another tier-appropriate slot, stop and say so rather than reaching into talent the budget can't cover. **Step 4 — Mandatory pre-flight (before any `request_creator_connection`).** Apply `cast-and-connect`'s pre-flight verbatim, per `connection-flow.md`, in order: 1. **Entitlement probe + graceful degradation.** Already covered by Step 2's `list_connections`; if it returned a **refused / not-entitled envelope**, do NOT error — deliver the **full tiered plan + budget + advice** (the read-only half: the waterfall plan, the per-tier rate bands, the fallback rule) plus one line: _"Connections aren't on your plan — here's the waterfall casting plan and budget, and you can reach these creators by upgrading to Creatorland Pro (connections)."_ Stop; the run still succeeded. 2. **Suppression / active-sequence pre-screen.** Drop from this wave's reach set (a) anyone already in an ACTIVE sequence for this brand (`queued | sending | delivered | replied_*` — a repeat is refused + a harassment risk) and (b) anyone who opted out. Report who was skipped and why. (The Step 2 read already has this data; match by the identifier/campaign each was reached under.) 3. **Auto-fill `budget_band` from the corpus rate band.** Reuse the rate band from Step 0. If Step 0 produced none (e.g. thrifty dropped it), make **one** `query_market_intelligence` rate call now, wrapped in Refusal Recovery: ```json query_market_intelligence { "mode": "rate", "vertical": "", "deal_type": "" } ``` Express `budget_band` per **tier** as a market range (e.g. tier-1 `"$5k–$12k (market p25–p75, Beauty macro tier)"`), never a single number or a per-creator quote. Disclose any Refusal-Recovery broadening at the clearance level. 4. **Credit estimate + explicit confirm.** This wave reaches W creators = **10×W credits**. State it and get an explicit yes before firing **any** `request_creator_connection`: > This wave reaches creators (tier-) to fill open slot(s) — costs > ~<10×W> credits (~$<0.25×W>). The plan and budget are already yours; this > starts a 3-touch sequence per creator that auto-stops on reply, and I'll > backfill from the next tier if any decline or hit Day-7 with no reply. > Proceed? Never fire a wave without confirmation. (Reuse `credit-budget-guardian` framing if the user wants a ledger.) **Step 5 — Reach this wave.** One `request_creator_connection` per confirmed creator, all sharing the same `opportunity` (tier-specific `budget_band`): ```json request_creator_connection { "creator": { "type": "creatorland_user_id", "creatorland_user_id": "", "display_name": "" }, "opportunity": { "campaign_type": "", "deliverables": "", "comp_tags": [""], "budget_band": "", "timeline": "", "brief_context": "", "personal_message": "" }, "send_connection_request": true } ``` Use whichever `creator` identifier type the shortlist row carries (`creatorland_user_id` preferred; else `social_handle` with `platform`; `email` only if the brand supplied the address, with a required `display_name`). Capture each returned `conn_ref` + status. If a single creator comes back refused (already-active, not charged), note it and continue with the rest — never abort the wave. **Step 6 — Write the deliverable.** The tiered plan + budget, this wave's Reached table (conn_refs), the fallback rule, and **what's pending** (live slots, released slots backfilled this wave, and what the next advancement wave would do). Point the user to report back (or re-invoke) to advance the cascade. > **Advancing the waterfall:** on the next invocation (or when the user reports > "creator X passed"), re-run from Step 2 — read state, find released slots, > compute the next wave's reach set (one tier down), pre-flight + confirm, reach, > re-write the deliverable. The skill never auto-fires a new wave without a fresh > 10×W estimate + confirm. ## Deliverable Client-ready markdown — the waterfall plan, the current wave's outreach record, and the standing fallback rule: ```markdown # Waterfall Casting — _Wave · · roles to fill · budget ceiling · Creatorland Data_ ## The waterfall plan Reach tier-1 first; on a **decline** or **Day-7 no-reply**, release that slot's budget and reach the next-best not-yet-contacted creator one tier down — until each role is filled or budget runs out. A no-reply or decline triggers the fall-through; impatience does not. We never promise a yes. | Tier | Creators (ranked) | Tier rate band (market p25–p75) | |---|---|---| | Tier 1 (premium/macro) | , | <$x–$y, vertical/tier> | | Tier 2 (mid) | , … | <$x–$y> | | Tier 3 (value/micro) | , … | <$x–$y> | > Bands are the **market band for the vertical/tier — not any individual creator's rate** — used to frame budget, not to quote talent. ## Slot ledger | Slot | Status | Reached (conn_ref) | Result so far | Next if it falls through | |---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | live (tier-1) | | queued | → tier-2: | | 2 | live (tier-1) | | delivered, 1/3 | → tier-2: | | 3 | backfilled (tier-2) | | queued | → tier-3: | ## Reached this wave Outreach started via Creatorland's matchmaker — a 3-touch sequence (day 0 / 3 / 7) that auto-stops on reply, with a double-opt-in intro only if the creator says yes. No creator contact details are shared with you through this; the matchmaker holds them. Opportunity sent: ****<, deliverables, timeline if set>. | # | Creator | Tier | conn_ref | Status | |---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | @ | T1 | | queued | **Skipped in pre-screen:** ; · or "None — all picks were clear to reach (in our records)." ## Pending — what the next wave would do - **Live, holding:** — no backfill yet. - **Released this wave → backfilled:** . - **Next fall-through targets:** , fundable within remaining budget . - Report back (or re-invoke) when a slot declines or lapses and I'll advance the waterfall — with a fresh 10×W estimate + confirm before reaching. --- Data freshness: / shortlisted creators synced within the last sync window; flagged for re-verification. Provenance: Creatorland Data MCP · cast via brief-to-shortlist (search + profiles + 1 rate benchmark, ) · waterfall state via list_connections + get_connection_status (free) · connection requests this wave · . Credits used this run: ~ (cast: ~ · state reads: 0 · reach this wave: × 10 = <10W>). ``` If the entitlement probe returned not-entitled, the deliverable is the **waterfall plan + tier rate bands + fallback rule** only (the advice half), with the Reached / Slot-ledger outreach columns replaced by the single upgrade line — and a credit tally reflecting the cast only (no reach charges). On an advancement wave with no released slots, the deliverable is the slot ledger + "nothing to backfill — all slots live or filled" and a 0-reach-credit tally. ## Honesty rules - **Never promise a reply or a yes.** Frame every reach as "we'll reach them and run a 3-touch sequence that stops on reply" — outcomes are the creator's. A `queued`/`delivered` status is contact made, not a booking. "Backfill" replaces a *released slot*, not a rejected creator's worth. - **Fall-through triggers on decline or Day-7 no-reply — never impatience.** A `replied_question` is a reply owed, not a no; a mid-sequence `delivered` (before Day-7) is still live. Hold those slots; do not cascade early. State this rule up front and apply it literally. - **Privacy floor (conventions 7 + connection-flow).** No creator contact info appears anywhere — not in the plan, the slot ledger, or the Reached table. The reveal is the matchmaker's double-opt-in only. `conn_ref` and status are brand-safe; a creator's address is not, and is never returned or inferred. - **`budget_band` is a per-tier market band, never a per-creator quote** — auto-filled from the corpus rate band, expressed p25–p75 for the vertical/tier. Disclose any Refusal-Recovery broadening at the clearance level. - **`personal_message` is brand-authored only.** Never invent a quote, tone, or promise on the brand's behalf — omit it if the brand gave none. - **Suppression pre-screen is "in our records,"** never an absolute guarantee the creator isn't being contacted elsewhere. - **Always show the credit cost of a wave before reaching, and the actual tally after.** Each wave gets its own 10×W estimate + explicit confirm — the skill never auto-fires the next wave. The plan + budget are delivered regardless of whether any outreach runs. - **Budget is honest about its ceiling.** When the remaining budget can't fund a tier-appropriate backfill, say "budget exhausted below tier-N" and stop — never reach into talent the budget can't cover just to fill a slot. - All `brief-to-shortlist` honesty rules (vertical-level rate framing, provenance never stripped, stale data never silently mixed) carry through the composed shortlist unchanged. ## Credit footprint Per wave: cast happens once (Wave 1 only); reaching is **10 × (creators reached this wave)**; all state reads (`list_connections` / `get_connection_status`) are **free**. thorough: ~31 cast credits on Wave 1 (brief-to-shortlist: 1 search ×2 + ~24 profiles + 1 rate call ×5; +5 per refusal-ladder rung) **+ 10 × (creators reached this wave)**. Filling 3 tier-1 slots in Wave 1 ≈ 31 + 30 = ~61 credits (~$1.53); a later backfill wave reaching 2 ≈ 0 cast + 20 = ~20 credits. · thrifty: ~17 cast credits on Wave 1 (1 search ×2 + ~10 profiles + 1 rate call ×5, max 2 ladder rungs) **+ 10 × (creators reached this wave)**; reach only the open slots this wave, never the whole list. Not-entitled plans incur cast credits only (no reach charges); advancement waves with no released slots incur 0.