> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.withgauge.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Content Engine

> Turn a topic or gap into a published article through a guided pipeline, with human checkpoints at the brief and outline.

## Content Engine

The Content Engine turns a topic or content gap into a finished, publishable article through a guided, stage-by-stage pipeline. Instead of starting from a blank page, you describe what you want and Gauge works through the piece with you: gathering a brief, researching the topic, drafting an outline, writing the article, running review passes, and publishing to your CMS.

The pipeline runs inside [Ask Gauge](/navigating/ask-gauge), so every stage is grounded in your organization's own visibility and citation data. You stay in control at the two checkpoints that matter most, the brief and the outline, while Gauge handles the heavier drafting and review work.

Once a piece is written and published, it lives in your [Library](/navigating/library), where you can track its performance and refresh it over time.

## Starting a Piece

You start a new piece from the **New content** screen, which opens with the prompt **"I want to make a…"** and a selector for the format you want.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Choose a format">
    Pick a content type from the selector, such as **Listicle**, **Alternatives**, **Head-to-Head**, or **Freeform Article**. Each format shapes how the brief and outline are structured.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add context">
    Depending on the format, you can set target brands and select reference citations that Gauge should draw from.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Describe what you want">
    In the input box ("Describe what you'd like to create…"), add any specifics, then send. Gauge opens the piece and begins the pipeline.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Content ideas often start elsewhere in Gauge. When a recommended action in the [Action Center](/navigating/action-center) points to a content gap, it can hand that context straight into a new piece.
</Tip>

## How It Works

Each stage produces an artifact you can read and adjust before moving on. The generation stages run in the background, so Gauge works through them and shows you the result when each is ready.

### Brief

Gauge first drafts a **brief** that captures the angle, the target audience, and the key points the piece should cover. This is your first checkpoint: review the brief, tell Gauge what to change, and add any direction or research of your own before moving forward. Getting the brief right here saves rework later.

### Research

With the brief settled, Gauge researches the topic, pulling together supporting context, competitor and brand details where relevant, and source material the article can cite. This research feeds directly into the outline and the draft.

### Outline

Gauge turns the brief and research into a structured **outline** of the sections the article will contain. This is your second checkpoint. Review the structure, reorder or reshape sections, and give directions before generating the full draft.

### Writing

From the approved outline, Gauge writes the **article** section by section, weaving in the research and citations gathered earlier. You get a complete draft rather than a skeleton to fill in.

### Review

Gauge can run targeted **review passes** over the draft, each focused on one dimension, including voice, positioning, structure, citations, and proofreading. It can also grade the article to flag what still needs attention. Each pass finds and fixes issues, and you can run only the passes you want.

### Publishing

When your organization has a CMS connected, the final stage publishes the article to it. You choose the target state:

* **Draft** — saved in your CMS but not visible on your site.
* **Staging** — published to a staging or preview environment, where the CMS supports it.
* **Live** — published to your production site.

<Warning>
  Publishing to **live** changes your real website. Gauge only publishes live when you explicitly ask, and if it finds more than one possible destination it will ask which to use first. See [CMS Integrations](/help/cms-integrations) to connect and configure a CMS.
</Warning>

<Note>
  The Content Engine is for creating new pieces. To browse, manage, and track the performance of content you already own, use the [Library](/navigating/library).
</Note>