ConvertKit Management Skill

Monitor and manage ConvertKit email marketing for creators.

MANDATORY: Discovery-First Pattern

Always discover account info and subscriber count before querying forms or sequences.

Phase 1: Discovery

#!/bin/bash
CK_API="https://api.convertkit.com/v3"
API_SECRET="${CONVERTKIT_API_SECRET}"

echo "=== Account Info ==="
curl -s "$CK_API/account?api_secret=$API_SECRET" | \
  jq -r '"Name: \(.name)\nPlan: \(.plan_name)\nSubscribers: \(.total_subscribers)"'

echo ""
echo "=== Forms ==="
curl -s "$CK_API/forms?api_secret=$API_SECRET" | \
  jq -r '.forms[] | "\(.name) | ID: \(.id) | Type: \(.type) | Subscribers: \(.total_subscriptions) | Created: \(.created_at)"'

echo ""
echo "=== Sequences ==="
curl -s "$CK_API/sequences?api_secret=$API_SECRET" | \
  jq -r '.courses[] | "\(.name) | ID: \(.id) | Subscribers: \(.total_subscriptions) | Created: \(.created_at)"'

echo ""
echo "=== Tags ==="
curl -s "$CK_API/tags?api_secret=$API_SECRET" | \
  jq -r '.tags[] | "\(.name) | ID: \(.id) | Created: \(.created_at)"' | head -20

Phase 1 outputs: Account plan, forms, sequences, tags

Phase 2: Analysis

#!/bin/bash
echo "=== Subscriber Growth (recent) ==="
curl -s "$CK_API/subscribers?api_secret=$API_SECRET&sort_order=desc&per_page=5" | \
  jq -r '.subscribers[] | "\(.email_address) | State: \(.state) | Created: \(.created_at)"'

echo ""
echo "=== Subscriber States ==="
total=$(curl -s "$CK_API/subscribers?api_secret=$API_SECRET" | jq '.total_subscribers')
echo "Total subscribers: $total"

echo ""
echo "=== Broadcasts (recent) ==="
curl -s "$CK_API/broadcasts?api_secret=$API_SECRET" | \
  jq -r '.broadcasts[:10] | .[] | "\(.subject) | Status: \(.status) | Sent: \(.sent_at // "not sent")"'

echo ""
echo "=== Automations ==="
curl -s "$CK_API/automations?api_secret=$API_SECRET" | \
  jq -r '.automations[] | "\(.name) | Status: \(.status) | Subscribers: \(.subscriber_count)"' | head -10

echo ""
echo "=== Form Conversion Rates ==="
curl -s "$CK_API/forms?api_secret=$API_SECRET" | \
  jq -r '.forms[] | "\(.name): \(.total_subscriptions) subs from \(.total_unique_visitors // "N/A") visitors"'

Output Format

CONVERTKIT STATUS
=================
Account: {name} ({plan})
Total Subscribers: {count}
Forms: {count} | Sequences: {count} | Tags: {count}
Recent Broadcasts: {count}
Active Automations: {count}
Top Form: {name} ({conversions} conversions)
Issues: {list_of_warnings}

Anti-Hallucination Rules

1. NEVER assume resource names — always discover via CLI/API in Phase 1 before referencing in Phase 2.
2. NEVER fabricate metric names or dimensions — verify against the service documentation or --help output.
3. NEVER mix CLI commands between service versions — confirm which version/API you are targeting.
4. ALWAYS use the discovery → verify → analyze chain — every resource referenced must have been discovered first.
5. ALWAYS handle empty results gracefully — an empty response is valid data, not an error to retry.

Counter-Rationalizations

Shortcut	Counter	Why
"I'll skip discovery and check known resources"	Always run Phase 1 discovery first	Resource names change, new resources appear — assumed names cause errors
"The user only asked for a quick check"	Follow the full discovery → analysis flow	Quick checks miss critical issues; structured analysis catches silent failures
"Default configuration is probably fine"	Audit configuration explicitly	Defaults often leave logging, security, and optimization features disabled
"Metrics aren't needed for this"	Always check relevant metrics when available	API/CLI responses show current state; metrics reveal trends and intermittent issues
"I don't have access to that"	Try the command and report the actual error	Assumed permission failures prevent useful investigation; actual errors are informative

Common Pitfalls

• API key vs API secret: Most endpoints need api_secret, not api_key
• Subscriber states: active, cancelled, bounced, complained — filter accordingly
• Rate limits: 120 requests/minute — batch subscriber queries
• Sequences vs Automations: Sequences are linear email series; automations are rule-based workflows