Social Search & Content Creator

---

name: social-search

description: Find trending topics, create editorial-style social media graphics, and post to X/Twitter and Instagram. Includes image generation with photographic backgrounds, dark gradient overlays, and bold typography. No paid social APIs needed.

---

# Social Search & Content Creator

Find → Create → Post pipeline for X/Twitter and Instagram content.

Prerequisites

1. FIND — Research Trending Topics

X/Twitter (bird CLI)

bird search "query" -n 10          # Search tweets
bird read <url-or-id>              # Read a specific tweet
bird thread <url-or-id>            # Full thread
bird mentions                      # Check mentions
bird user-tweets <username>        # User's tweets

Instagram (Brave-powered scraper)

node {baseDir}/scripts/instagram-search.js "query" [--limit 10] [--type posts|profiles|reels|all]

Types: `posts` (inurl:/p/), `profiles` (user pages), `reels` (inurl:/reel/), `all` (default)

Viral/Trending Search (recommended starting point)

# Find viral content about a topic (sorted by engagement)
node {baseDir}/scripts/viral-search.js "query" [options]

# Options:
#   --platform x|instagram|both    (default: both)
#   --min-likes N                  Min likes to include (default: 50)
#   --min-retweets N               Min retweets (default: 10)
#   --sort engagement|recent       (default: engagement)
#   --limit N                      Results per platform (default: 10)
#   --trending                     What's blowing up RIGHT NOW on X
#   --days N                       Only last N days (default: 7)

Examples:

# What's viral about AI trading this week
node {baseDir}/scripts/viral-search.js "AI trading" --min-likes 100 --days 7

# What's trending across crypto right now (no query needed)
node {baseDir}/scripts/viral-search.js --trending

# Instagram-only viral search
node {baseDir}/scripts/viral-search.js "DeFi" --platform instagram --limit 10

# Lower the bar for niche topics
node {baseDir}/scripts/viral-search.js "delta neutral farming" --min-likes 10 --min-retweets 3

**How engagement scoring works:**

2. CREATE — Generate Editorial Graphics

The System: Photographic Background + Dark Gradient + Bold Typography

**This is what makes the images look professional, not just text on a background.**

The approach:

Generate Images

OPENAI_API_KEY="your-key" python3 {baseDir}/scripts/gen_image.py "prompt" output.png [1024x1536]

Sizes: `1024x1024` (square), `1024x1536` (portrait/Instagram), `1536x1024` (landscape/Twitter)

⚠️ CRITICAL IMAGE RULES (learned the hard way)

1. **NEVER just put text on a solid dark background** — it looks flat and amateur

2. **ALWAYS use a photographic/cinematic background** — real scenes, real subjects

3. **ALWAYS use dark gradient overlay** on the lower 40% for text readability

4. **Keep subject visible** in the top 60% — face, setting, context

5. **Text lives in the bottom 40% only** — never cover the subject

6. **Use bold condensed typography** (Anton-style) — not regular weight fonts

7. **Include branded elements** — badge, branding URL, slide counter

8. **Cinematic lighting** — moody, dramatic, not flat studio lighting

Master Prompt Template

Copy this template exactly. Only change the parts in [BRACKETS].

Instagram carousel post design. EXACTLY 1080 pixels wide by 1350 pixels tall (4:5 vertical ratio).

Background: [DESCRIBE THE SCENE - who/what is shown, setting, lighting, mood]. Keep subject clearly visible in top 60% of image. Cinematic lighting, dramatic.

Overlay: Heavy dark gradient ONLY on bottom 40% of image - solid black (95% opacity) at very bottom, fading to transparent at 60% height. Top portion stays clear.

Text positioning (bottom area):
- 65% from top: Small rectangular badge with [COLOR] background and [TEXT COLOR] bold text: [BADGE TEXT]
- 70-90% from top: Huge white bold text in Anton font, uppercase, centered:
[MAIN HEADLINE
SPLIT ACROSS
2-3 LINES]
- [Optional: Below headline in smaller white text, any supporting details]
- Bottom right corner (95% from top): [X/Y] in white, small
- Bottom left corner (95% from top): [brand.url] in white, Montserrat Bold, small, lowercase

Font: Anton for headline. Montserrat Bold for branding.

Style: Clean Instagram carousel slide, vertical format, text at bottom like Kalshi/Bloomberg editorial style. Cinematic, high contrast, professional.

Badge Color System

Background Scene Ideas by Topic

**Crypto/Trading**: Trader at multiple monitors, trading floor, candlestick charts on screens

**Tech/AI**: Neural network visualizations, server rooms, holographic displays

**Finance**: City skyline at night, office with Bloomberg terminals, stock exchange

**Startup**: Founder at whiteboard, team in modern office, product on screen

**Education**: Person studying, lecture hall, books with highlighted text

Carousel Structure (3 slides)

Example: Crypto Educational Carousel

**Slide 1 prompt background**: "A young male trader in a dark room lit by multiple monitors showing crypto charts. Blue and green screen glow on his face. Hoodie, leaning forward, focused."

**Slide 2 prompt background**: "Close-up of an AI neural network visualization on a large curved monitor in a dark trading room. Neon blue data streams flowing across the screen."

**Slide 3 prompt background**: "Aerial view of a massive trading floor with hundreds of screens running autonomously, seats empty. No humans present. Dramatic overhead shot, neon blue glow."

3. POST — Publish Content

X/Twitter (bird CLI)

bird tweet "Your tweet text"                         # Text only
bird tweet "Text" --media image.jpg                  # With image
bird tweet "Text" --media img1.jpg --media img2.jpg  # Multiple
bird reply <tweet-id-or-url> "Reply text"            # Reply

Instagram (instagrapi)

# Photo post
node {baseDir}/scripts/instagram-post.js --action photo --caption "Caption" image.jpg

# Reel
node {baseDir}/scripts/instagram-post.js --action reel --caption "Caption" video.mp4

# Story
node {baseDir}/scripts/instagram-post.js --action story --caption "Caption" image.jpg

# Carousel
node {baseDir}/scripts/instagram-post.js --action carousel --caption "Caption" img1.jpg img2.jpg img3.jpg

Instagram auth: Set `IG_USERNAME` and `IG_PASSWORD` env vars. Google sign-in won't work — need a password set on the account.

Full Workflow Example

# 1. Research what's trending
bird search "agentic trading crypto" -n 10
node {baseDir}/scripts/instagram-search.js "AI crypto trading" --limit 10

# 2. Generate 3-slide carousel
OPENAI_API_KEY="key" python3 {baseDir}/scripts/gen_image.py "slide 1 prompt..." slide1.png 1024x1536
OPENAI_API_KEY="key" python3 {baseDir}/scripts/gen_image.py "slide 2 prompt..." slide2.png 1024x1536
OPENAI_API_KEY="key" python3 {baseDir}/scripts/gen_image.py "slide 3 prompt..." slide3.png 1024x1536

# 3. Post to X
bird tweet "your caption" --media slide1.png --media slide2.png --media slide3.png

# 4. Post to Instagram
node {baseDir}/scripts/instagram-post.js --action carousel --caption "your caption" slide1.png slide2.png slide3.png