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Glossary

Definitions for common terms used throughout the Seer Agent Engine documentation.

A

Agent

An AI assistant configured with specific skills, commands, and context to perform marketing workflows. Agents follow the 5-phase process: Intake → Data Plan → Analysis → Draft → Polish.

Auto-load

A skill property that enables automatic activation based on context triggers (keywords, intent patterns, file patterns). Skills with auto-load: true don't need explicit invocation.

B

BigQuery

Google's serverless data warehouse. Used by Seer agents to access organic rankings, traffic data, and SERP snapshots via MCP integration.

C

Command

A user-invoked workflow triggered with a slash prefix (e.g., /content-audit). Commands orchestrate the 5-phase process and produce deliverables.

Core Dependencies

The required foundation plugin (core-dependencies) that provides shared skills (writing-standards, quality-standards) and the skill activation engine. All division plugins depend on it.

D

DataForSEO

A third-party API providing real-time SERP data, keyword research, and competitor positioning. Accessed via MCP integration.

Deliverable

The output of a command workflow, typically a Google Doc containing research, analysis, and recommendations. Examples: Content Audit, Content Outline, Search Landscape Analysis.

Division

An organizational unit within Seer (SEO, Analytics, Paid Media, Operations, Innovation). Each division has its own plugin with domain-specific commands and skills.

G

Graceful Degradation

The ability of commands to function with reduced capabilities when MCP servers are unavailable. Commands fall back to manual data input or alternative sources.

H

Hook

An event-driven mechanism that triggers actions at specific points in the agent lifecycle (UserPromptSubmit, PreToolUse, PostToolUse, Stop). Used for QA gates and skill activation.

M

MCP (Model Context Protocol)

Anthropic's protocol for connecting AI models to external data sources and tools. Seer uses MCP servers for BigQuery, DataForSEO, and Wrike integrations.

MCP Server

A service that implements the MCP protocol to provide tools or resources to AI agents. Examples: BigQuery MCP, DataForSEO MCP, Wrike MCP.

P

Plugin

A package that extends agent capabilities. Contains commands, skills, hooks, and MCP configurations. Plugins can be installed via the marketplace or loaded from local directories.

Q

QA Gate

A quality checkpoint that determines review requirements. Three tiers:

  • Auto-Ship: No review required (data extraction, keyword research)
  • Peer Review: Senior review required (strategic recommendations, client deliverables)
  • Shadow Mode: Validation required (new methodologies, high-stakes work)

R

Resource (Skill)

A detailed content file within a skill's resources/ directory. Keeps the main SKILL.md lean while providing deep-dive content on specific topics.

S

Skill

A behavior mode that defines HOW the agent thinks. Skills are auto-loaded based on context triggers and provide methodologies, standards, and guidelines. Examples: seo-methods, writing-standards, quality-standards.

Skill Activation Engine

The system in core-dependencies that scans prompts for trigger patterns and suggests relevant skills to the agent. Uses keyword matching, intent patterns, and file path patterns.

T

Tier (Setup)

A progressive level of MCP configuration:

  • Tier 1: Methodologies only (no MCP setup)
  • Tier 2: BigQuery (automated data for SEO/Analytics)
  • Tier 3: DataForSEO (real-time SERP data)
  • Tier 4: Wrike (task management and time tracking)

Trigger

A condition that activates a skill. Types include:

  • Keywords: Specific words in the prompt
  • Intent Patterns: Regex patterns matching user intent
  • File Patterns: Glob patterns matching file paths

W

Workflow

The 5-phase process that all commands follow:

  1. Intake: Gather requirements via questions
  2. Data Plan: Identify data sources needed
  3. Analysis: Gather and interpret data
  4. Draft: Create the deliverable
  5. Polish: Apply standards and QA

Commands trigger workflows. Skills define the methodology used within each phase.

Wrike

Project management platform used by Seer for task tracking. Integrated via MCP for time tracking and task export workflows.

M

Methodology

The structured approach a division uses to analyze and recommend (e.g., SEO methods, analytics frameworks). Methodologies live in skills and guide how commands behave.