Setup
On first use, read setup.md and lock integration behavior before starting trend monitoring.
When to Use
User needs ongoing updates about what is trending across the internet and social platforms, with special attention to X and rapid shifts in conversation.
Use this skill to define topic watchlists, run heartbeat-based research cycles, rank signal strength, and send concise messages only when there is meaningful change.
Architecture
Memory lives in ~/trending-now/. See memory-template.md for the baseline structure.
~/trending-now/
|-- memory.md # Activation behavior, scope, and monitoring preferences
|-- topics.md # Active topics, query variants, and relevance boundaries
|-- runs.md # Heartbeat run history and change detection summary
-- alerts.md # Alerts sent, impact notes, and false-positive log
Quick Reference
Use the smallest relevant file for the current task.
| Topic | File |
|---|
| Setup and activation behavior | setup.md |
| Memory schema and state model | memory-template.md |
| Production heartbeat template | HEARTBEAT.md |
| Research and verification workflow | research-protocol.md |
| Source mix and quality requirements | source-map.md |
| Alert message contract and examples | message-format.md |
Requirements
- Web access for live trend validation.
- User-approved scope for topics, geographies, and languages.
- Timezone and active hours for heartbeat delivery behavior.
Never claim a trend is current without timestamped evidence from at least two independent sources.
Data Storage
Local notes in ~/trending-now/ include:
- monitored topics with query variants and stop words
- run-level evidence links and freshness timestamps
- alert history with confidence and post-send outcomes
- rejected spikes and false-positive rationale
Core Rules
1. Define Topic Scope Before Monitoring
Each topic must include:
brand, product, industry, culture, or breaking-event)
inclusion and exclusion criteria
audience and geography boundariesWithout scope, trend monitoring becomes noisy and low trust.
2. Use HEARTBEAT.md as the Operating Contract
Always maintain topic and output rules in HEARTBEAT.md.
Every cycle must follow one contract:
- actionable update -> send structured message
- no meaningful change -> return
HEARTBEAT_OKDo not send filler summaries when there is no decision-relevant movement.
3. Prioritize Source Diversity with X as Fast Signal
For each topic, gather evidence from:
- X for velocity and narrative emergence
- at least one community source (Reddit, forums, niche communities)
- at least one publisher or search trend source
Single-network spikes are hypotheses, not confirmed trends.
4. Enforce Freshness and Recency Windows
Classify findings by age:
- hot: <= 6 hours
- recent: <= 24 hours
- stale: > 24 hours
Escalate only hot or recent signals unless the user explicitly requests longer-horizon analysis.
5. Score Trend Strength Before Alerting
Apply a fixed score per candidate trend:
- volume shift
- cross-source confirmation
- novelty versus prior runs
- user relevance
- action urgency
If score is below threshold, store in watchlist and do not alert yet.
6. Send Messages in Decision-Ready Format
Every alert message must include:
- what changed
- why it matters now
- confidence and risks
- one concrete next action
No long narrative dumps. Message length should fit quick mobile reading.
7. Protect Cost and Credibility
Start with low-cost checks, then deepen only when a signal passes threshold.
Never use paid APIs every cycle unless the user explicitly approves budget.
Always mark uncertain claims and avoid overconfident language.
Common Traps
- Treating repost volume on X as proof of broad trend adoption -> repeated false positives.
- Using only one source family -> hype detection without validation.
- Ignoring recency windows -> old stories presented as breaking updates.
- Sending alerts without an action recommendation -> interesting but not useful output.
- Expanding topic scope mid-cycle without user approval -> relevance drift.
- Logging conclusions without links and timestamps -> impossible to audit later.
External Endpoints
| Endpoint | Data Sent | Purpose |
|---|
| https://x.com | Topic keywords and public post metadata references | Detect fast-moving narratives and sentiment inflections |
| https://www.reddit.com | Topic keywords and thread metadata references | Validate community-level recurrence and depth |
| https://news.google.com | Topic keywords and article metadata references | Confirm publisher coverage and recency |
| https://trends.google.com | Query terms and trend interest snapshots | Estimate demand momentum over time |
No other data should be sent externally unless the user explicitly approves additional sources.
Security & Privacy
Data that leaves your machine:
- topic keywords used for live trend research
- source lookups needed to verify recency and momentum
Data that stays local:
- monitoring preferences and topic definitions under ~/trending-now/
- run history, confidence scores, and alert outcomes
This skill does NOT:
- access private social accounts by default
- post content on any social platform automatically
- run undeclared external requests outside approved sources
Trust
This skill relies on public internet and social sources, including X and other platforms the user approves.
Only install and run it if you trust those sources and the external services used for research.
Related Skills
Install with clawhub install
if user confirms:
monitoring - Build monitoring loops with clear thresholds and escalation paths
news - Structure news tracking and summarization for time-sensitive decisions
competitor-monitoring - Track competitor moves with disciplined evidence and update cadence
in-depth-research - Expand weak or mixed signals into deeper evidence-backed analysis
digest - Turn many raw updates into compact, high-signal briefingsFeedback
clawhub star trending-now
Stay updated: clawhub sync`
Setup
On first use, read setup.md and lock integration behavior before starting trend monitoring.
When to Use
User needs ongoing updates about what is trending across the internet and social platforms, with special attention to X and rapid shifts in conversation.
Use this skill to define topic watchlists, run heartbeat-based research cycles, rank signal strength, and send concise messages only when there is meaningful change.
Architecture
Memory lives in ~/trending-now/. See memory-template.md for the baseline structure.
~/trending-now/
|-- memory.md # Activation behavior, scope, and monitoring preferences
|-- topics.md # Active topics, query variants, and relevance boundaries
|-- runs.md # Heartbeat run history and change detection summary
-- alerts.md # Alerts sent, impact notes, and false-positive log
Quick Reference
Use the smallest relevant file for the current task.
| Topic | File |
|---|
| Setup and activation behavior | setup.md |
| Memory schema and state model | memory-template.md |
| Production heartbeat template | HEARTBEAT.md |
| Research and verification workflow | research-protocol.md |
| Source mix and quality requirements | source-map.md |
| Alert message contract and examples | message-format.md |
Requirements
- Web access for live trend validation.
- User-approved scope for topics, geographies, and languages.
- Timezone and active hours for heartbeat delivery behavior.
Never claim a trend is current without timestamped evidence from at least two independent sources.
Data Storage
Local notes in ~/trending-now/ include:
- monitored topics with query variants and stop words
- run-level evidence links and freshness timestamps
- alert history with confidence and post-send outcomes
- rejected spikes and false-positive rationale
Core Rules
1. Define Topic Scope Before Monitoring
Each topic must include:
brand, product, industry, culture, or breaking-event)
inclusion and exclusion criteria
audience and geography boundariesWithout scope, trend monitoring becomes noisy and low trust.
2. Use HEARTBEAT.md as the Operating Contract
Always maintain topic and output rules in HEARTBEAT.md.
Every cycle must follow one contract:
- actionable update -> send structured message
- no meaningful change -> return
HEARTBEAT_OKDo not send filler summaries when there is no decision-relevant movement.
3. Prioritize Source Diversity with X as Fast Signal
For each topic, gather evidence from:
- X for velocity and narrative emergence
- at least one community source (Reddit, forums, niche communities)
- at least one publisher or search trend source
Single-network spikes are hypotheses, not confirmed trends.
4. Enforce Freshness and Recency Windows
Classify findings by age:
- hot: <= 6 hours
- recent: <= 24 hours
- stale: > 24 hours
Escalate only hot or recent signals unless the user explicitly requests longer-horizon analysis.
5. Score Trend Strength Before Alerting
Apply a fixed score per candidate trend:
- volume shift
- cross-source confirmation
- novelty versus prior runs
- user relevance
- action urgency
If score is below threshold, store in watchlist and do not alert yet.
6. Send Messages in Decision-Ready Format
Every alert message must include:
- what changed
- why it matters now
- confidence and risks
- one concrete next action
No long narrative dumps. Message length should fit quick mobile reading.
7. Protect Cost and Credibility
Start with low-cost checks, then deepen only when a signal passes threshold.
Never use paid APIs every cycle unless the user explicitly approves budget.
Always mark uncertain claims and avoid overconfident language.
Common Traps
- Treating repost volume on X as proof of broad trend adoption -> repeated false positives.
- Using only one source family -> hype detection without validation.
- Ignoring recency windows -> old stories presented as breaking updates.
- Sending alerts without an action recommendation -> interesting but not useful output.
- Expanding topic scope mid-cycle without user approval -> relevance drift.
- Logging conclusions without links and timestamps -> impossible to audit later.
External Endpoints
| Endpoint | Data Sent | Purpose |
|---|
| https://x.com | Topic keywords and public post metadata references | Detect fast-moving narratives and sentiment inflections |
| https://www.reddit.com | Topic keywords and thread metadata references | Validate community-level recurrence and depth |
| https://news.google.com | Topic keywords and article metadata references | Confirm publisher coverage and recency |
| https://trends.google.com | Query terms and trend interest snapshots | Estimate demand momentum over time |
No other data should be sent externally unless the user explicitly approves additional sources.
Security & Privacy
Data that leaves your machine:
- topic keywords used for live trend research
- source lookups needed to verify recency and momentum
Data that stays local:
- monitoring preferences and topic definitions under ~/trending-now/
- run history, confidence scores, and alert outcomes
This skill does NOT:
- access private social accounts by default
- post content on any social platform automatically
- run undeclared external requests outside approved sources
Trust
This skill relies on public internet and social sources, including X and other platforms the user approves.
Only install and run it if you trust those sources and the external services used for research.
Related Skills
Install with clawhub install
if user confirms:
monitoring - Build monitoring loops with clear thresholds and escalation paths
news - Structure news tracking and summarization for time-sensitive decisions
competitor-monitoring - Track competitor moves with disciplined evidence and update cadence
in-depth-research - Expand weak or mixed signals into deeper evidence-backed analysis
digest - Turn many raw updates into compact, high-signal briefingsFeedback
clawhub star trending-now
Stay updated: clawhub sync`
by