5-Minute Quick Start

Welcome to iContentForge! This guide will walk you through the complete core workflow to go from a blank slate to published AI content in just a few minutes. Follow these steps to create your first project, generate a keyword matrix, produce articles, connect your CMS, and publish.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Navigate to icontentforge.com and click "Get Started" or "Sign Up". You can sign up using your email or a social provider via Clerk authentication.

Once logged in, you'll land on your dashboard. The Free plan provides a limited quota to test the platform's capabilities.

Step 2: Create Your First Project

A Project is a container for all content related to a specific website, topic, or client.

1. From your dashboard, click the "+ New Project" button.
2. Enter a descriptive Project Name (e.g., "My Tech Blog").
3. (Optional) Add a Project Description.
4. Click "Create Project".

You will be redirected to your new project's main dashboard.

Step 3: Generate a Keyword Matrix

The Keyword Matrix is the foundation of your content strategy. It uses AI to expand a seed keyword into a structured list of article ideas, complete with search intent and competition analysis.

1. Inside your project, navigate to the "Keyword Matrix" tab.
2. In the input field, enter a broad seed keyword for your niche (e.g., "indoor plants").
3. Click "Generate Matrix".

iContentForge will analyze the keyword and generate a table of potential article topics. You can review, edit, or delete rows before proceeding.

// Example of a generated keyword matrix entry
{
  "keyword": "low light indoor plants",
  "searchIntent": "informational",
  "estimatedVolume": 8800,
  "competition": "Medium",
  "priority": "High"
}

Step 4: Generate Articles

With your keyword matrix ready, you can now generate full-length articles.

1. In the Keyword Matrix, select the checkboxes next to the keywords you want to turn into articles.
2. Click the "Generate Articles" button at the top of the table.
3. A modal will appear. Configure your settings:
   • Tone of Voice: (e.g., Professional, Friendly, Authoritative)
   • Target Word Count: Set a minimum range.
   • Include FAQ Section: Toggle on/off.
4. Click "Start Generation".

The articles will move through the status pipeline: draft → queued → generating → ready. You can monitor progress in the "Articles" tab.

Step 5: Connect Your CMS

To publish your generated articles, you need to connect a Content Management System (CMS).

1. Go to your project's "Settings" tab and select "CMS Configuration".
2. Choose your CMS from the list of connectors (e.g., WordPress, Ghost, Shopify).
3. You will be prompted to enter connection details. This typically involves an API endpoint and API key.

Example: WordPress Connection

# You'll need your WordPress site URL and an application password.
API Endpoint: https://yourblog.com/wp-json/wp/v2
API Key: Generated application password from WordPress Users panel

After entering valid credentials, click "Test Connection" to verify, then "Save Configuration".

Step 6: Publish Your Content

Once your CMS is connected and articles are in the "ready" status, you can publish them.

1. Go to the "Articles" tab.
2. You will see a list of your generated articles. Select one or multiple.
3. Click the "Publish" button.
4. Choose an action:
   • Publish Now: Immediately pushes the article to your CMS.
   • Schedule: Set a future date and time for publication.
   • Add to Drip Feed: Automatically queues articles to be published approximately every 5 minutes.

The article status will change to published upon successful transfer to your CMS. You can now view it live on your website!

Next Steps

Congratulations! You've completed the core workflow. Now, explore more powerful features:

• Learn how to structure your site with the visual Silo Radar tool.
• Understand how automatic XML Sitemaps are generated for your project.
• Review your usage and upgrade your Billing & Plans.