Publish Orchestrator

publish-orchestrator

Intent

Seventh and final stage of the AnimeLegends generative pipeline. Receives final rendered MP4 from remotion-composer, prepares platform-specific captions and hashtags (TikTok Business, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, X vertical video), schedules posting times per platform's optimal engagement windows, and prepares a DistributeManifest for handoff to external publish systems when they become available.

CRITICAL CONSTRAINT: This skill is FAIL-CLOSED. As of 2026-08-16, AnimeLegends has 0 live shorts published and NO live social platform API integrations. This skill:

• DOES NOT publish to TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, X, or Discord.
• DOES NOT open browser automations or post via unofficial APIs.
• DOES NOT send to influencer networks or buy domains.
• DOES prepare a distribution manifest with platform-ready metadata.
• DOES log the "ready-to-publish" status to Grimoire for audit trail.
• DOES abort with clear explanation if user attempts to force actual publishing.

When real platform integrations are deployed (TikTok Business API, YouTube Data API v3, Instagram Graph API, X API v2), this skill will orchestrate actual posting via those official APIs. Until then: manifest preparation only, no publishing.

Inputs

What this skill expects to receive:

interface PublishOrchestratorInput {
  remotion_output: RemotionComposerOutput;  // from remotion-composer (required)
  script_manifest: ScriptManifest;          // from script-forge (for captions)
  publish_mode: "prepare" | "execute";      // MUST be "prepare" until platforms live (default: prepare)
  scheduled_time?: string;                  // ISO 8601 UTC timestamp for scheduled post (optional)
  platforms?: string[];                     // subset to publish to (default: all)
}

Source of input: RemotionComposerOutput from remotion-composer, with reference to ScriptManifest for caption text.

Outputs

What this skill produces:

interface DistributeManifest {
  distribute_id: string;                    // UUID v4
  render_id: string;                        // parent render UUID
  topic: string;                            // clean topic text
  channel: string;                          // PowerScaling | Philosophy | LoreDrop | TrainingArc | LegendsLabs
  video_path: string;                       // final rendered MP4 file path
  status: "prepared" | "scheduled" | "published" | "failed";
  platforms: Array<{
    platform: string;                       // "tiktok" | "youtube" | "instagram" | "x"
    caption: string;                        // platform-specific caption text
    hashtags: string[];                     // platform-optimized hashtags
    scheduled_time?: string;                // ISO 8601 UTC (if scheduled)
    post_url?: string;                      // published URL (null until live)
    status: "prepared" | "scheduled" | "published" | "failed";
    error?: string;                         // error message if publish failed
  }>;
  metrics?: {                               // null until platforms live
    "12h": { views: number; likes: number; comments: number; shares: number; };
    "24h": { views: number; likes: number; comments: number; shares: number; };
    "48h": { views: number; likes: number; comments: number; shares: number; };
  };
  timestamp: string;                        // ISO 8601
}

Where the output goes: logged to grimoire-keeper, saved to distribute/manifests/ directory for later handoff to publish systems. NOT sent to external platforms (as of 2026-08-16).

Core logic / rules

0. Platform availability check (FAIL-CLOSED)

Before any publish step, check if social platform integrations are available:

• As of 2026-08-16: TikTok Business API, YouTube Data API v3, Instagram Graph API, X API v2 are NOT configured for AnimeLegends.
• Studio status: 0 live shorts published. 5 scripted shorts exist in private repo but not deployed.
• Discovery page: https://www.animelegends.ai/discovery is live with static content, but NO embedded shorts.
• Subscribe page: https://www.animelegends.ai/subscribe is 404 (not live).

If publish_mode="execute":

• ABORT immediately with error: "publish-orchestrator BLOCKED: No live social platform integrations configured. AnimeLegends has 0 published shorts as of 2026-08-16. This skill prepares distribution manifests only. Set publish_mode='prepare' to continue."
• Log to grimoire-keeper with stage="publish-orchestrator", decision="blocked", rationale="no_live_platforms".
• Do NOT attempt to publish to TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, X, or Discord.
• Do NOT open Discord bots, browser automations, or unofficial APIs.
• Return error to user with clear explanation and future roadmap.

If publish_mode="prepare" (default):

• Proceed to manifest preparation steps below.
• Set all platform status="prepared" (not "published").
• Set overall manifest status="prepared".
• Log to Grimoire that distribution manifest was created for future handoff.

1. Platform-specific caption generation

For each target platform in platforms array (default: ["tiktok", "youtube", "instagram", "x"]), generate optimized caption:

TikTok caption rules

• Length: 150 chars max (TikTok truncates longer captions)
• Structure: Hook line + topic rephrased + CTA + hashtags
• Hashtags: 3-5 tags (e.g., #PowerScaling #AnimeAnalysis #AnimeTikTok)
• Emojis: 2-3 channel-appropriate emojis
• Example: "Everyone thinks speed wins—but they're missing something 💥⚡ Why raw power beats speed in anime battles. Follow for more! #PowerScaling #AnimeTheory #AnimeTikTok"

YouTube Shorts caption rules

• Length: 100 chars max (Shorts UI truncates aggressively)
• Structure: Topic statement + CTA + hashtags
• Hashtags: 2-3 tags (e.g., #Shorts #AnimeAnalysis)
• Emojis: 1-2 (more subtle than TikTok)
• Example: "Why speed doesn't beat power in anime 💥 Subscribe for analysis! #Shorts #AnimeAnalysis"

Instagram Reels caption rules

• Length: 125 chars visible before "more" (full 2200 chars supported but truncated)
• Structure: Hook line + topic + CTA + hashtags
• Hashtags: 5-8 tags (Instagram favors more tags than TikTok)
• Emojis: 2-4 (Instagram audience expects more visual flair)
• Example: "Speed vs Power: the battle everyone gets wrong ⚡💪 Why raw power dominates in anime. Follow for deep dives! #PowerScaling #AnimeAnalysis #AnimeReels #AnimeTheory #AnimeCommunity"

X (Twitter) caption rules

• Length: 280 chars max
• Structure: Topic + insight tease + CTA + hashtags
• Hashtags: 2-3 tags (X penalizes hashtag spam)
• Emojis: 1-2 (more professional tone)
• Example: "Why speed doesn't always beat raw power in anime battles ⚡ AOE attacks and zone control neutralize speed every time. Watch the breakdown: [video] #AnimeAnalysis #PowerScaling"

2. Platform-specific hashtag optimization

Generate hashtag sets per platform:

• TikTok: Mix of broad (#anime, #fyp, #foryou) + niche (#PowerScaling, #AnimeTheory, #AnimeLegends)
• YouTube: Minimal hashtags (#Shorts, #Anime, #[Channel]) — YouTube favors watch time over hashtags
• Instagram: Broad + niche + community tags (#AnimeReels, #AnimeCommunity, #AnimeLovers, #PowerScaling, #AnimeLegends)
• X: Niche + trending tags (#AnimeAnalysis, #PowerScaling, #AnimeLegends)

Pull trending hashtags from channel-specific lists (maintained in brand/hashtags.json if available, else use defaults above).

3. Scheduled posting time calculation

If scheduled_time not provided, calculate optimal posting time per platform:

• TikTok: 6-9 PM user local time (peak engagement). Default: 8 PM UTC (covers US evening + EU late evening).
• YouTube Shorts: 12-3 PM UTC (lunch break peak, global).
• Instagram Reels: 9 AM - 12 PM UTC (morning scroll peak).
• X: 9 AM - 11 AM UTC (commute + work break peak).

If scheduled_time provided, use same time for all platforms (unless platform-specific overrides provided).

4. Manifest preparation

• Populate DistributeManifest with all fields.
• For each platform in platforms array:
  • Set platform, caption, hashtags, scheduled_time.
  • Set status="prepared" (NOT "published" — platforms not live).
  • Set post_url=null (no URLs until actual publishing).
  • Set error=null.
• Set overall manifest status="prepared".
• Set metrics=null (no metrics until actual publishing).
• Generate UUID for distribute_id, set timestamp to ISO 8601 UTC.

5. Manifest persistence

• Save DistributeManifest JSON to distribute/manifests/{distribute_id}.json.
• This manifest serves as handoff artifact for future publish systems (when TikTok Business API, YouTube Data API v3, Instagram Graph API, X API v2 are deployed).
• Copy rendered MP4 from remotion_output.video_path to distribute/videos/{distribute_id}.mp4 (archive for publish systems).

6. Grimoire logging

• Log invocation to grimoire-keeper with stage="publish-orchestrator", input_id=render_id, output_id=distribute_id, decision="prepared" (not "published"), rationale="manifest_prepared_for_future_publish", duration_ms.

7. User notification

Return success message:

"Distribution manifest prepared: {distribute_id}. Status: PREPARED (not published).
As of 2026-08-16, AnimeLegends has 0 live shorts. Platforms (TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, X) are NOT configured for live publishing.
This manifest is ready for handoff to publish systems when platform integrations are deployed.
Manifest saved to: distribute/manifests/{distribute_id}.json
Video archived to: distribute/videos/{distribute_id}.mp4"

Worked examples

Example 1: Prepare manifest (default, fail-closed)

Input:

{
  "remotion_output": {
    "render_id": "eeee5555-ffff-6666-aaaa-777788889999",
    "topic": "Why speed doesn't beat power",
    "channel": "PowerScaling",
    "video_path": "/workspace/renders/powerscaling_20260816_103000.mp4"
  },
  "script_manifest": {
    "captions": {
      "minimal": "Why speed doesn't always beat raw power in anime battles.",
      "emoji": "Why speed doesn't always beat raw power in anime battles ⚡💥"
    }
  },
  "publish_mode": "prepare"
}

Output:

{
  "distribute_id": "ffff6666-aaaa-7777-bbbb-888899990000",
  "render_id": "eeee5555-ffff-6666-aaaa-777788889999",
  "topic": "Why speed doesn't beat power",
  "channel": "PowerScaling",
  "video_path": "/workspace/renders/powerscaling_20260816_103000.mp4",
  "status": "prepared",
  "platforms": [
    {
      "platform": "tiktok",
      "caption": "Everyone thinks speed wins—but they're missing something 💥⚡ Why raw power beats speed in anime battles. Follow for more! #PowerScaling #AnimeTheory #AnimeTikTok",
      "hashtags": ["PowerScaling", "AnimeTheory", "AnimeTikTok", "anime", "fyp"],
      "scheduled_time": "2026-08-16T20:00:00Z",
      "post_url": null,
      "status": "prepared"
    },
    {
      "platform": "youtube",
      "caption": "Why speed doesn't beat power in anime 💥 Subscribe! #Shorts #AnimeAnalysis",
      "hashtags": ["Shorts", "AnimeAnalysis", "AnimeLegends"],
      "scheduled_time": "2026-08-16T13:00:00Z",
      "post_url": null,
      "status": "prepared"
    },
    {
      "platform": "instagram",
      "caption": "Speed vs Power: the battle everyone gets wrong ⚡💪 Why raw power dominates. Follow! #PowerScaling #AnimeReels #AnimeTheory",
      "hashtags": ["PowerScaling", "AnimeReels", "AnimeTheory", "AnimeCommunity", "AnimeLegends"],
      "scheduled_time": "2026-08-16T10:00:00Z",
      "post_url": null,
      "status": "prepared"
    },
    {
      "platform": "x",
      "caption": "Why speed doesn't always beat raw power in anime battles ⚡ AOE and zone control neutralize speed. #AnimeAnalysis #PowerScaling",
      "hashtags": ["AnimeAnalysis", "PowerScaling", "AnimeLegends"],
      "scheduled_time": "2026-08-16T10:00:00Z",
      "post_url": null,
      "status": "prepared"
    }
  ],
  "metrics": null,
  "timestamp": "2026-08-16T10:35:00Z"
}

Why this output: publish_mode="prepare" (default). Manifest prepared with platform-specific captions and hashtags. All platforms status="prepared", post_url=null. Overall status="prepared". Metrics null. Video NOT published to any platform. Manifest saved for future handoff.

Example 2: Attempt execute mode (BLOCKED)

Input:

{
  "remotion_output": { /* ... */ },
  "script_manifest": { /* ... */ },
  "publish_mode": "execute"
}

Output:

{
  "error": "publish-orchestrator BLOCKED: No live social platform integrations configured. AnimeLegends has 0 published shorts as of 2026-08-16. This skill prepares distribution manifests only. Set publish_mode='prepare' to continue.",
  "stage": "publish-orchestrator",
  "decision": "blocked",
  "rationale": "no_live_platforms",
  "studio_status": {
    "live_shorts": 0,
    "scripted_shorts": 5,
    "platforms_configured": [],
    "discovery_page": "https://www.animelegends.ai/discovery (static content, no embedded shorts)",
    "subscribe_page": "https://www.animelegends.ai/subscribe (404 not live)"
  },
  "remediation": "AnimeLegends social platform integrations (TikTok Business API, YouTube Data API v3, Instagram Graph API, X API v2) are not yet deployed. When deployed, this skill will support publish_mode='execute'. Until then, use publish_mode='prepare' to generate distribution manifests for later handoff."
}

Why this output: User attempted publish_mode="execute". Skill is fail-closed: no live platform integrations. Abort immediately with clear error explaining studio status (0 live shorts) and remediation (wait for platform API deployment). Do NOT publish.

Example 3: Prepare manifest for single platform subset

Input:

{
  "remotion_output": { /* ... */ },
  "script_manifest": { /* ... */ },
  "publish_mode": "prepare",
  "platforms": ["youtube"]
}

Output:

{
  "distribute_id": "gggg7777-bbbb-8888-cccc-999900001111",
  "render_id": "eeee5555-ffff-6666-aaaa-777788889999",
  "topic": "Why speed doesn't beat power",
  "channel": "PowerScaling",
  "video_path": "/workspace/renders/powerscaling_20260816_103000.mp4",
  "status": "prepared",
  "platforms": [
    {
      "platform": "youtube",
      "caption": "Why speed doesn't beat power in anime 💥 Subscribe! #Shorts #AnimeAnalysis",
      "hashtags": ["Shorts", "AnimeAnalysis", "AnimeLegends"],
      "scheduled_time": "2026-08-16T13:00:00Z",
      "post_url": null,
      "status": "prepared"
    }
  ],
  "metrics": null,
  "timestamp": "2026-08-16T10:40:00Z"
}

Why this output: User specified platforms=["youtube"] only. Manifest prepared for YouTube Shorts only, not TikTok/Instagram/X. Status "prepared", not published.

Failure modes

• Execute mode attempted (BLOCKED) — If publish_mode="execute", ABORT with error: "publish-orchestrator BLOCKED: No live social platform integrations configured." (see Example 2 above). Log to Grimoire with decision="blocked", rationale="no_live_platforms". Do NOT proceed to publish.

• Missing video file — If remotion_output.video_path does not exist on disk, ABORT with error: "Video file not found: {video_path}. Re-run remotion-composer.". Log to Grimoire with decision="error", rationale="missing_video_file".

• Invalid platform — If platforms array contains unknown platform (not "tiktok" / "youtube" / "instagram" / "x"), skip that platform and log warning to Grimoire. Proceed with valid platforms only.

• Caption generation failure — If script_manifest.captions is malformed or empty, generate generic caption from topic (e.g., "{topic}. Follow for more anime analysis! #AnimeLegends"), log warning.

• Scheduled time in past — If scheduled_time is earlier than current UTC time, adjust to +1 hour from now, log warning: "Scheduled time adjusted: was in past, set to {new_time}".

Grimoire logging contract

Every invocation of this skill logs via grimoire-keeper. Fields logged:

• stage: "publish-orchestrator"
• input_id: render_id from input
• output_id: distribute_id from generated manifest (or null if aborted)
• decision: "prepared" (manifest created) | "blocked" (execute mode rejected) | "error" (missing video file)
• rationale: one-line explanation (e.g., "manifest_prepared_4platforms", "no_live_platforms", "missing_video_file")
• cost_usd: 0.00 (no publish costs until platforms live)
• duration_ms: elapsed time from input receipt to manifest generation (or abort)
• platforms_prepared: count of platforms in manifest
• status: "prepared" | "blocked"

Legal firewall

This skill does not generate new content. It only prepares captions (text rewriting of existing sanitized topic) and metadata for distribution. Legal filtering was applied upstream in signal-forge (topic sanitization) and script-forge (dialogue sanitization). Captions reference only AnimeLegends original IP (channel names, mascots). No copyrighted character names or franchise references in captions.

Platform-specific content policies (when platforms go live):

• TikTok: no violence, no adult content, no copyrighted music (use AnimeLegends original soundtrack or licensed music)
• YouTube: no strikes for copyright, no misleading metadata
• Instagram: no spammy hashtags (max 30 tags), no impersonation
• X: no hate speech, no spam

All content produced upstream (gen-director, remotion-composer) adheres to these policies.

Quality gates

• Output DistributeManifest has all required fields (distribute_id, render_id, topic, channel, video_path, status, platforms, timestamp)
• distribute_id is valid UUID v4
• status is "prepared" (NOT "published" — platforms not live as of 2026-08-16)
• platforms array is non-empty
• Each platform entry has: platform, caption, hashtags, scheduled_time, status ("prepared"), post_url (null)
• Each platform caption adheres to platform-specific length limits (TikTok 150, YouTube 100, Instagram 125 visible, X 280)
• Each platform hashtags array is non-empty and channel-appropriate
• metrics is null (no metrics until actual publishing)
• Manifest JSON saved to distribute/manifests/{distribute_id}.json
• Video file copied to distribute/videos/{distribute_id}.mp4
• Grimoire log entry created with all required fields
• If publish_mode="execute" attempted, skill aborts with clear error (fail-closed behavior)

Changelog

0.1.0 — 2026-08-16

• Initial release
• FAIL-CLOSED: No live platform publishing until TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, X APIs deployed
• Distribution manifest preparation for future handoff
• Platform-specific caption generation (TikTok 150 chars, YouTube 100 chars, Instagram 125 visible, X 280 chars)
• Platform-specific hashtag optimization
• Scheduled posting time calculation per platform engagement windows
• Manifest persistence to distribute/manifests/ for later publish systems
• Grimoire logging integration with "prepared" status (not "published")
• Clear error messaging when execute mode attempted (studio has 0 live shorts as of 2026-08-16)