Never run out of video ideas with Claude (/video-suggest)
Hey, it's Cindy 🌱 "What should I post today" is the question that kills consistency. This tool answers it with data instead of vibes.
btw the waitlist for AI System Club is now open! If you're keen on using AI to automate your content, video editing, job search, business or build AI agents, feel free to sign up (only if you want to hehe). Ps. the waitlist gets first dibs:)
the setup, once
Connect Sandcastles to Claude
You need Sandcastles (Pro plan or above) connected to the Claude desktop app, with a watchlist of your niche's creators. The full setup walkthrough is in the research machine guide.
Complete the connection once
Get the account-specific plugin. In Sandcastles, open Settings, then Connectors, then the MCP section and download the plugin ZIP. MCP access requires an eligible paid Sandcastles plan; check the current plan before buying.
Install in Claude Desktop. Open Customize, Plugins, Add, then Upload Plugin. Upload the ZIP. In the plugin page's Connectors area, choose Install, then Add for the prefilled Sandcastles connector.
Authorize your account. Open Customize, Connectors, find Sandcastles (Custom), choose Connect and complete the Sandcastles sign-in. Confirm the connected state before trying the workflow.
Populate a small watchlist. Use /channels-add with a few creator profile URLs and confirm the returned additions. Use /videos-watchlist to fetch a small sample. Ask Claude to list which examples need /analyze, show the proposed credit cost, and wait for your approval before running those analyses. Confirm that transcripts or analysis results exist before asking for topic, hook or format patterns.
Limit permissions and test. Review the connector's tools. Keep approval enabled for paid analysis or changes until you understand the action and credit cost. Ask Claude to list the available Sandcastles tools and read a small sample from your chosen creator or watchlist.
The official Sandcastles setup documents this installation route. Start with a small watchlist and a few analyzed examples. Ask Claude to identify missing inputs and the proposed credit-using analysis before expanding the sample; an empty dataset is not evidence that a niche has no winners.
These slash commands belong to the installed Sandcastles plugin, not native Claude. If a command is unavailable, describe the same request in plain language and ask Claude to use the connected tools. If sign-in fails, check browser pop-up permissions and organization connector restrictions. Do not paste account passwords or API keys into a prompt.
the workflow
Ask it what to make
In Cowork, type /video-suggest. A bare "what should I make today?" works, but context gets you tailored answers:
💡 the suggestion prompt
/video-suggest Based on what's performing across my watchlist right now, give me a ranked list of the videos I should make next. My channel is [describe your channel in one line, e.g. "AI tips for marketers and creators, warm and practical, no hype"]. For each suggestion, tell me why now (what's trending that makes this timely), a candidate angle not represented in the returned watchlist sample (do not claim nobody has covered it), and which watchlist videos support the recommendation.
what comes back
A ranked to-film list
Ranked recommendations with supporting research: which watchlist videos are driving the suggestion, what's trending, and where the gap is. Read the reasoning, not just the list, because the "why now" is what tells you whether an idea has a week of life left or a month.
💡 Pro move: run it at the start of your filming week, pick the top 3 suggestions, then run each through /analyze on its best supporting video so you walk into filming with the hook pattern already decoded.