# Product Direction — AutoShorts Dashboard

This document captures the current product decision so the implementation does not drift.

## Product framing

AutoShorts Dashboard is a creator-facing workspace for managing already prepared short-form video packages.

It must not present itself as a private automation script or internal production control panel. The visible product should feel like a professional content operations dashboard:

- prepared videos arrive in the inbox;
- the creator reviews video, metadata and schedule;
- captions/descriptions can be edited;
- platform/account choices are explicit;
- upload actions require approval;
- initial platform posture is private/draft upload, not public autoposting;
- private-upload and draft status is auditable.

## UI language rule

Do not expose these terms in user-facing UI copy:

- internal production system names;
- automation-agent names;
- automation-agent language;
- AI production language;
- approval-boundary labels that expose implementation details;
- machine-production labels.

Exceptions:

- Legal/compliance fields such as AIGC/synthetic media may appear where a platform requires explicit disclosure.
- Internal developer documentation may mention implementation details when necessary, but product-facing docs and UI should stay neutral.

Preferred visible language:

- Content Inbox
- Prepared packages
- Prepared videos
- Review queue
- Creator approval
- Approval required
- Private upload
- Platform draft
- Publishing schedule
- Topic pipeline
- Topic library
- Ideas backlog
- Content plan
- Source package
- Import folder

## Primary workflow

The MVP should center on this flow:

```text
Prepared video package
  ↓
Content Inbox
  ↓
Review video + metadata
  ↓
Edit caption/title/description/tags
  ↓
Choose platform account
  ↓
Choose timing / private upload option
  ↓
Approve private upload
  ↓
Track status and audit log
```

The dashboard does not need to show how the video was produced. The creator only needs to see the resulting video package and manage what happens next.

## Topic and idea database

The dashboard must also become the steering layer for future content topics.

The creator should be able to:

- see topics already completed;
- see topics currently in progress;
- see planned/upcoming topics;
- influence which topic comes next;
- add raw ideas as links, keywords, notes, examples or short explanations;
- assign ideas/topics to pillars, series and accounts;
- mark a topic as approved, rejected, needs research, ready for production, produced, reviewed, uploaded or archived.

A later production process may consume this queue, but the UI should frame it as a normal content planning database.

## Immediate UX correction backlog

1. Remove internal production language from frontend copy.
2. Replace approval-boundary language with “Approval required” or “Creator approval”.
3. Rename imports to “Recent prepared packages” / “Prepared package imports”.
4. Rework Dashboard home around prepared videos, next approvals and topic pipeline.
5. Make Content Inbox useful with sample/seed package support and import status.
6. Build Topics/Ideas page into a real control database, not a placeholder.
7. Make Review page the strongest page: preview, metadata editor, account, timing/private-upload approval, status.

## Development principle

When choosing between a flashy landing dashboard and a workflow that actually manages prepared video packages, choose the workflow. Visual polish should support operational clarity, not hide missing functionality.