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Glossary

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

A

Agent

An AI assistant configured with installed skills, resources, 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 do not require 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 (legacy)

Developer-facing slash syntax that invokes workflows (example: /seo-content-audit). Commands remain for developer tools and backward compatibility; prefer "run workflow" in practitioner guidance.

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 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 workflows and skills.

G

Graceful Degradation

The ability of workflows to function with reduced capabilities when MCP servers are unavailable. Workflows 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 workflows, 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

An installable unit that ships behavior, resources, and methodologies to the agent. Install a skill via the marketplace or plugin path; skills provide methods and resources that workflows use (examples: seo-methods, core-writing-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 process you run to produce a deliverable. All workflows follow the 5-phase process: Intake → Data Plan → Analysis → Draft → Polish. Workflows are the practitioner-facing unit of work.

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 workflows behave.