Product Research & Copy Generation

Use this skill when researching products, generating WooCommerce descriptions, or preparing marketing-ready product data for e-commerce.

MCP Tool Discovery

The plugin provides research and product tools that may be agent-prefixed or bare. Always check your tool list for the correct names:

Pattern: nv_oos_{AGENT_NAME}_agent_{TOOL_NAME}
Example: nv_oos_sophie_agent_web_search_validated
         research_product  (bare — usually registered as-is)

Research Task	Tool Name
Deep product research	research_product
Broad topic research	deep_research
Quick web search	web_search_validated or brave_web_search
Product price lookup	lookup_product_price
Live stock check	remote_wp_connection (action: get_wc_products)
Product catalog search	woo_products
Persist findings (on request)	paper_store_write / paper_store_read
Content search (site)	nv_oos_*_agent_search_content_validated

WP-CLI Commands

Key mcp-ai WP-CLI commands for product research. Run via terminal:

Command	Use for
wp mcp-ai harness	Semantic search across product catalogs
wp mcp-ai content	Search existing product content
wp mcp-ai ezuite low-stock-report	ERP inventory research

When to use this skill

Trigger when ANY of the following is true:

• Researching a specific product by SKU, name, or category.
• The task asks to "find out about", "research", or "look up" a product.
• Generating WooCommerce product copy (title, short description, long description).
• Cross-referencing stock levels between a catalog file and the live website.
• Preparing product data for marketing campaigns or content creation.
• The task mentions "product research", "WooCommerce copy", or "product page content".
• Building a product knowledge base for later reference.

Product Data Retrieval Priority

Always follow this order when looking up product details:

Step 1: remote_wp_connection → get_wc_products (live stock, current price)
        └─ Check instock items from the website WooCommerce API

Step 2: Product catalog file (if available — e.g., Products_Export_Converted.json)
        └─ Main source for title, categories, SKU, size, price, permalink

Step 3: research_product — structured product research
        └─ Fill gaps: product descriptions, ingredients, specifications, market context
        └─ For broader brand or market research, see design-deep-research and design-web-research

Cross-check rule: Always verify Step 1 vs Step 2 before making recommendations. If a product is in the catalog but not on the live site, flag it as "not yet published."

Research Tool Selection

research_product — Best for single products

Use when you have a specific product to research. Provides structured data: title, description, specifications, pricing, images, SEO keywords, and source URLs.

Parameters:
  query           — Product name/brand (required)
  depth           — "basic", "standard", "comprehensive" (default: "standard")
  focus_areas     — Specific aspects: ["specifications", "reviews", "pricing", "alternatives"]
  include_pricing — Include pricing info (default: true)
  include_images  — Include image URLs (default: true)
  include_specs   — Include specs and attributes (default: true)

Example:

query: "Conatural Lavender and Chamomile Face Wash 150ml"
depth: "standard"
include_pricing: true
include_specs: true
include_images: true

Use when you need to find current market prices across retailers. Supports image recognition, document parsing, and URL comparison.

Cross-Referencing Live Stock

Use remote_wp_connection to verify product availability on the live site:

1. List connections:
   remote_wp_connection { action: "list_connections" }
   → Find the connection ID for the target site

2. Check by SKU:
   remote_wp_connection {
     connection_id: "conn_8srcad8zylhe",
     action: "get_wc_products",
     sku: "CN29"
   }

3. Check by search:
   remote_wp_connection {
     connection_id: "conn_8srcad8zylhe",
     action: "get_wc_products",
     search: "Lavender Chamomile",
     per_page: 10
   }

4. Check by category:
   remote_wp_connection {
     connection_id: "conn_8srcad8zylhe",
     action: "get_wc_products",
     category: "conatural",
     per_page: 20
   }

Key fields from live products: id, name, permalink, price, stock_status, stock_quantity, categories, type, status.

Generating WooCommerce Copy

Short Description Formula

The short description should hook, inform, and sell in 2–3 sentences:

[Hook — emotional or problem-aware opening]
[Value — what it does and who it's for, with key differentiators]
[Trust signals — certifications, free-from claims, guarantees]
[Availability — delivery/shipping note]

Example:

A soothing, sulfate-free daily cleanser infused with calming lavender and
chamomile — crafted for skin that deserves a moment of calm. This gentle,
pH-balanced gel face wash cleanses without stripping, perfect for sensitive
or combination skin. 100% SLS-free, paraben-free & vegan. Cruelty-free &
halal-certified. Available with islandwide delivery.

Long Description Structure

<h2>Emotional/aspirational headline</h2>
<p>Contextual opening — connect to customer's life/needs</p>

<h3>Key Benefits (Why)</h3>
<ul>
  <li>Feature → Benefit for the customer</li>
  <li>Feature → Benefit for the customer</li>
</ul>

<h3>Brand/Product Values (Trust)</h3>
<ul>
  <li>Certifications, ethical claims, manufacturing standards</li>
</ul>

<h3>How to Use</h3>
<ol>
  <li>Step-by-step instructions</li>
</ol>

<h3>Store/Service Promise</h3>
<ul>
  <li>Delivery, gift wrapping, authenticity guarantees</li>
</ul>

Product Meta Checklist

Field	Required?	Source
Title	✅ Yes	Catalog file or research
Regular Price	✅ Yes	Catalog file or live site
SKU	✅ Yes	Catalog file
Categories	✅ Yes	Catalog file
Tags	Recommended	Research + keyword extraction
Brand attribute	Recommended	Research
Stock quantity	✅ Yes	Live site (most current)
Permalink	✅ Yes	Catalog file
Short Description	✅ Yes	Generated from research
Long Description	✅ Yes	Generated from research

Marketing Angle Extraction

After research, extract marketable hooks from the product data:

1. Scarcity/urgency — Is stock low? "Only X units available"
2. Local relevance — How does this fit the target market? (climate, culture, lifestyle)
3. Price positioning — Affordable luxury? Premium? Entry-level?
4. Differentiators — Certifications, ingredients, ethical claims, exclusivity
5. Seasonal fit — Does this align with current campaigns or weather?
6. Cross-sell opportunities — What else in the catalog complements this?

Organize findings into:

• Key selling points (bullet list for ad copy)
• Marketing angles (thematic hooks for campaigns)
• Content formats (Reel, static post, story, carousel)

Paper Store Integration (on request only)

When explicitly asked to save research, use paper_store_write. To target a specific WordPress site, pass connection_id (discover IDs via remote_wp_connection with action "list_connections"):

paper_store_write {
  collection: "product-research"
  id: "sku-XXX-product-slug"
  title: "SKU — Product Name (Full Research)"
  connection_id: "conn_8srcad8zylhe"  ← Target specific site
  ...
}

Without connection_id, the operation defaults to the local WordPress site. Use paper_store_read and paper_store_list with connection_id to retrieve prior research from the correct site.

Source Citation

Always track where information came from:

Source Type	Examples
Manufacturer	Brand's official product page
Retailer	Other stores carrying the product
Live API	WooCommerce API response from the site
Catalog file	Products_Export_Converted.json

Cite URLs and retrieval dates. Flag data that may be stale (e.g., "stock levels from catalog file — live updates not reflected").

Critical Rules

• Live stock beats catalog data — always verify with remote_wp_connection first.
• Only recommend in-stock products — flag out-of-stock items clearly.
• Link to product permalinks — use the Permalink column from the catalog file or the live site URL.
• Match brand/category to sitemap — only reference brands in the approved brand list.
• Use proper URL formats — luxury brands use /luxury/{category}/{brand}/ format.
• No cash on delivery — don't mention COD in copy.
• Store research when asked — paper_store is for explicit persistence requests, not automatic saves.
• Be transparent about data freshness — note when catalog data may be outdated vs live API data.

Common Mistakes

WRONG:
- Recommending a product that's out of stock on the live site
- Using catalog permalink when product isn't published yet
- Including cash on delivery in copy
- Referencing brands not in the approved brand list
- Using manufacturer's international pricing instead of local price
- Saving to paper_store without being asked

RIGHT:
- Cross-checking stock via remote_wp_connection before any recommendation
- Flagging "not yet live on website" for unpublished products
- Using local pricing and Sri Lanka-specific context
- Citing sources with URLs and retrieval dates
- Presenting copy in the brand's established tone of voice
- Only persisting to paper_store when the user explicitly requests it

What This Skill Does NOT Cover

• Deep multi-source market or brand research → design-deep-research
• Creating WordPress post drafts from research → design-content-research
• Image generation for products → design-image-generation
• Pricing strategy, margin analysis, or financial modeling
• Inventory management beyond stock-level checks
• EZuite ERP operations → ezuite_erp / ezuite_erp_get_products
• Social media content writing from product data → design-social-content

Cross-references

• Run design-content-calendar to schedule product launch content.
• Run design-social-content to create social posts from product research.
• Run design-image-generation to create product visuals — check your tool list for the Gemini image tool.
• Run design-brand-kit to ensure product copy aligns with brand guidelines.
• Run design-campaign-orchestration to integrate product launches into monthly campaigns.
• Run design-deep-research for broader brand or market research — use deep_research.
• Run design-web-research for quick fact checks and trend lookups — use web_search.
• Run design-content-research to convert product research into WordPress drafts.
• Run mcp-ai-wpoos-plugin for remote_wp_connection documentation.