CueScout

Tracks AI visibility on Perplexity and ChatGPT, mines Reddit and Hacker News for buyer questions, and turns the gaps into a dated writing plan

KINDA · partial replacement
price $49/mosubscription / year $588estimated build time multi-dayreplaced by 0 people

The visibility-check loop is the weekend-buildable half: generate buyer questions, run them through Perplexity and ChatGPT, detect brand and competitor mentions, normalize citations, and score a GEO number. That much is close to what a $49/mo plan actually ships, since Basic only covers one engine. What does not fit in a prompt is the continuous Reddit and Hacker News scan that mines buyer questions from real threads instead of guessing them, the writing-plan-to-draft loop that turns a score into dated work, and weeks of trend history without which one run tells you almost nothing.

Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability

What you give up

  • the continuous Reddit and Hacker News scan and buyer-question clustering, which finds where buyers are already asking instead of guessing questions to feed a model
  • Google rank badges on matched threads, sourced from a paid search API
  • the writing-plan-to-draft loop that turns a gap into a dated 30-day plan and AI-ready page drafts, not just a dashboard number
  • weeks of trend history and a competitor 'what moved' digest; a single run is mostly noise
  • a hosted, shareable report link you can hand a client without exposing your own infra

Why people still pay

They're paying for the parts that don't fit in a prompt: a script that runs every day for months without babysitting, buyer questions mined from real Reddit and Hacker News threads instead of guessed ones, a writing plan and AI-ready drafts wired to the same gaps the scores found, and a link they can hand a client. None of that is a moat a bigger company can't cross; it's the upkeep most people quit paying attention to by week three.

Your build guide

The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.

Before you start

  • A supported Node release, a writable local data directory and a separate backup location. Bind to localhost; remote use requires authentication and HTTPS first. Optional AI generation needs a provider key, a usage budget and approval to send the selected material.
  • Implementation components: Node.js, TypeScript and Express with server-rendered HTML and small browser modules. SQLite through better-sqlite3 with migrations, prepared statements and a single background worker. A single provider SDK with a configured supported model, schema-validated responses and revisioned prompt templates.
  • Scope boundary: the continuous Reddit and Hacker News scan and buyer-question clustering, which finds where buyers are already asking instead of guessing questions to feed a model; Google rank badges on matched threads, sourced from a paid search API
01
Node.js, TypeScript and Express with server-rendered HTML and small browser modules.
02
SQLite through better-sqlite3 with migrations, prepared statements and a single background worker.
03
A single provider SDK with a configured supported model, schema-validated responses and revisioned prompt templates.
04
Domain model: buyer-question sets, branded aliases, provider runs, mention spans and citation-domain observations
engineering roadmap

Implementation plan

1

Phase 1

Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Draft buyer questions for a product, approve a fixed sample, query configured answer APIs and compare brand mentions with competitors. Display raw answers beside a transparent mention-rate calculation. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: the continuous Reddit and Hacker News scan and buyer-question clustering, which finds where buyers are already asking instead of guessing questions to feed a model; Google rank badges on matched threads, sourced from a paid search API

2

Phase 2

Durable model. Model buyer-question sets, branded aliases, provider runs, mention spans and citation-domain observations Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Any GEO score must expose its formula and denominator; API observations do not establish consumer search rankings or market-wide visibility.

3

Phase 3

Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Use short SQLite transactions and persist job state before starting work. Give retries stable operation IDs; report incomplete or unknown results instead of silently repeating them.

4

Phase 4

Permissions and integration failure. Reject unexpected origins and unbounded request bodies even on localhost. Keep credentials outside the database export and redact sensitive text from logs. Treat source documents as untrusted data, prevent them from changing tool permissions, and require review of factual claims before publication. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.

5

Phase 5

Portable handoff. Use a consistent SQLite backup and an attachment manifest. Export portable JSON/CSV, then restore to a new directory without overwriting the original data. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.

6

Phase 6

Acceptance scenarios. Rename a brand alias and preserve the original raw run while recomputing annotations; a failed query is shown separately from a genuine non-mention. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.

the pro prompt
download AGENTS.md
WORKING SLICE
Draft buyer questions for a product, approve a fixed sample, query configured answer APIs and compare brand mentions with competitors. Display raw answers beside a transparent mention-rate calculation.

Build this scoped CueScout-inspired workflow with a documented data model and visible failure states.

Architecture
- Node.js, TypeScript and Express with server-rendered HTML and small browser modules.
- SQLite through better-sqlite3 with migrations, prepared statements and a single background worker.
- A single provider SDK with a configured supported model, schema-validated responses and revisioned prompt templates.

Prerequisites and limits
A supported Node release, a writable local data directory and a separate backup location. Bind to localhost; remote use requires authentication and HTTPS first. Optional AI generation needs a provider key, a usage budget and approval to send the selected material.
Outside this release: the continuous Reddit and Hacker News scan and buyer-question clustering, which finds where buyers are already asking instead of guessing questions to feed a model; Google rank badges on matched threads, sourced from a paid search API

Data model and correctness
buyer-question sets, branded aliases, provider runs, mention spans and citation-domain observations
Invariant: Any GEO score must expose its formula and denominator; API observations do not establish consumer search rankings or market-wide visibility.
Use short SQLite transactions and persist job state before starting work. Give retries stable operation IDs; report incomplete or unknown results instead of silently repeating them.

Security and privacy
Reject unexpected origins and unbounded request bodies even on localhost. Keep credentials outside the database export and redact sensitive text from logs. Treat source documents as untrusted data, prevent them from changing tool permissions, and require review of factual claims before publication.

Recovery and export
Use a consistent SQLite backup and an attachment manifest. Export portable JSON/CSV, then restore to a new directory without overwriting the original data.

Implementation order
1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Draft buyer questions for a product, approve a fixed sample, query configured answer APIs and compare brand mentions with competitors. Display raw answers beside a transparent mention-rate calculation. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: the continuous Reddit and Hacker News scan and buyer-question clustering, which finds where buyers are already asking instead of guessing questions to feed a model; Google rank badges on matched threads, sourced from a paid search API
2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model buyer-question sets, branded aliases, provider runs, mention spans and citation-domain observations Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Any GEO score must expose its formula and denominator; API observations do not establish consumer search rankings or market-wide visibility.
3. Phase 3 — Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Use short SQLite transactions and persist job state before starting work. Give retries stable operation IDs; report incomplete or unknown results instead of silently repeating them.
4. Phase 4 — Permissions and integration failure. Reject unexpected origins and unbounded request bodies even on localhost. Keep credentials outside the database export and redact sensitive text from logs. Treat source documents as untrusted data, prevent them from changing tool permissions, and require review of factual claims before publication. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.
5. Phase 5 — Portable handoff. Use a consistent SQLite backup and an attachment manifest. Export portable JSON/CSV, then restore to a new directory without overwriting the original data. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.
6. Phase 6 — Acceptance scenarios. Rename a brand alias and preserve the original raw run while recomputing annotations; a failed query is shown separately from a genuine non-mention. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.

Acceptance
Rename a brand alias and preserve the original raw run while recomputing annotations; a failed query is shown separately from a genuine non-mention.
Use real source data or clearly labeled fixtures. Explain unsupported input and provider failures; do not fabricate analytics, delivery receipts, accuracy claims or security guarantees.

Optional agent guidance
Optional external skill: [copywriting](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/blob/main/skills/copywriting/SKILL.md) — Write landing pages and product copy grounded in the intended audience, product value and a clear next action. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: [web-design-guidelines](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/web-design-guidelines/SKILL.md) — Review web interfaces for accessibility, keyboard focus, forms, navigation and interaction quality. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: [sharp-edges](https://github.com/trailofbits/skills/blob/main/plugins/sharp-edges/skills/sharp-edges/SKILL.md) — Review security-sensitive APIs and configuration for dangerous defaults and easy-to-misuse interfaces. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Project rule — data model: buyer-question sets, branded aliases, provider runs, mention spans and citation-domain observations
Project rule — preserve this invariant: Any GEO score must expose its formula and denominator; API observations do not establish consumer search rankings or market-wide visibility.
Project rule — acceptance evidence: Rename a brand alias and preserve the original raw run while recomputing annotations; a failed query is shown separately from a genuine non-mention.

$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy or download AGENTS.md

share on X ↗

Alternatives to building your own

ElmoCovers the visibility-check half well; it has no Reddit/HN buyer-thread mining and no writing-plan or draft generation on top of the scores.224aug 2026open source↗

no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real

CueScout pricing

planmonthlyannual (per mo)what you get
basic$49/workspace$39.17/workspace1 product; 450 checks/month (15/day); Perplexity only; scans every 24 hours; 3 plan regenerations/week; 20 drafts/month; 1 report.Annual total is $470; quarterly billing is $129 per quarter.
growth$99/workspace$79.17/workspace3 products; 1,200 checks/month (40/day); ChatGPT and Perplexity; scans every 12 hours/product; 10 plan regenerations/week; 80 drafts/month; 3 reports.Annual total is $950; quarterly billing is $259 per quarter.
agency$249/workspace$199.17/workspace10 products; 3,600 checks/month; ChatGPT and Perplexity; scans every 6 hours/product; 30 plan regenerations/week; 240 drafts/month; 10 reports.Annual total is $2,390; quarterly billing is $649 per quarter.
founder pack——30 days of Basic-level access for 1 product.One-time $19 purchase; not a recurring subscription.

free tierno free tier

billingmonthly, quarterly, or annual; annual plans are billed upfront

hidden costsMore than 10 products requires custom pricing.

pricing sources checked 2026-08-14 · pricing source ↗

Questions about CueScout

Can you build your own CueScout with AI?

Partly. The visibility-check loop is the weekend-buildable half: generate buyer questions, run them through Perplexity and ChatGPT, detect brand and competitor mentions, normalize citations, and score a GEO number. That much is close to what a $49/mo plan actually ships, since Basic only covers one engine. What does not fit in a prompt is the continuous Reddit and Hacker News scan that mines buyer questions from real threads instead of guessing them, the writing-plan-to-draft loop that turns a score into dated work, and weeks of trend history without which one run tells you almost nothing.

What does the CueScout build prompt cover?

The prompt starts with this scope: Draft buyer questions for a product, approve a fixed sample, query configured answer APIs and compare brand mentions with competitors. Display raw answers beside a transparent mention-rate calculation. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: the continuous Reddit and Hacker News scan and buyer-question clustering, which finds where buyers are already asking instead of guessing questions to feed a model; Google rank badges on matched threads, sourced from a paid search API; the writing-plan-to-draft loop that turns a gap into a dated 30-day plan and AI-ready page drafts, not just a dashboard number. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.

How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?

Start with the CueScout prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.

How long will this CueScout project take?

The catalogue estimate is multi-day for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.

What would I give up by replacing CueScout?

the continuous Reddit and Hacker News scan and buyer-question clustering, which finds where buyers are already asking instead of guessing questions to feed a model; Google rank badges on matched threads, sourced from a paid search API; the writing-plan-to-draft loop that turns a gap into a dated 30-day plan and AI-ready page drafts, not just a dashboard number; weeks of trend history and a competitor 'what moved' digest; a single run is mostly noise; a hosted, shareable report link you can hand a client without exposing your own infra. They're paying for the parts that don't fit in a prompt: a script that runs every day for months without babysitting, buyer questions mined from real Reddit and Hacker News threads instead of guessed ones, a writing plan and AI-ready drafts wired to the same gaps the scores found, and a link they can hand a client. None of that is a moat a bigger company can't cross; it's the upkeep most people quit paying attention to by week three.

What price is this guide comparing against?

The recorded Basic plan is $49/mo (monthly; quarterly billing is the default toggle), checked 2026-08-08. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.

What can I use instead of building CueScout?

Elmo: Covers the visibility-check half well; it has no Reddit/HN buyer-thread mining and no writing-plan or draft generation on top of the scores. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.

Every week, more subscriptions die.

New verdicts, new prompts, the week's most-doomed apps.
One email. Unsubscribe in one click.

last week:100 Questions · KINDA1of10 · KINDA1Password · KINDA+1090 more

free forever · no scanner spam · the prompt stays on the site, the deaths come to you

$weekly: what got a verdict, what died.