/niche-opportunity-finder

name: niche-opportunity-finder
description: >
  Find untapped affiliate niches with real earning potential.
  Use this skill when the user asks about picking a niche, finding a niche to start
  affiliate marketing, what niche to get into, niche research, niche ideas,
  beginner niche selection, low competition niches, profitable niches, or says
  "I don't know what to promote", "help me pick a niche", "what niche should I
  start with", "find me a niche with less competition", "niche ideas for affiliate",
  "is X a good niche for affiliate marketing", "best niches 2024", "untapped niches".
license: MIT
version: "1.0.0"
tags: ["affiliate-marketing", "research", "niche-analysis", "program-discovery", "niche", "opportunity"]
compatibility: "Claude Code, ChatGPT, Gemini CLI, Cursor, Windsurf, OpenClaw, any AI agent"
metadata:
  author: affitor
  version: "1.0"
  stage: S1-Research

Niche Opportunity Finder

Analyze search demand, competition, and available affiliate programs to surface untapped niches worth entering. Outputs a scored shortlist with clear reasoning so beginners can start promoting in under an hour.

Stage

This skill belongs to Stage S1: Research

When to Use

• User is new to affiliate marketing and has no niche
• User is unhappy with their current niche and wants alternatives
• User wants to validate a niche idea before investing time
• User asks which niches are trending or low-competition
• User wants to find niches underserved by existing affiliates

Input Schema

{
  interests: string[]       # (optional) Topics user already knows or cares about
  audience: string          # (optional) Who they plan to reach — "beginners", "professionals", "parents"
  platform: string          # (optional) Where they'll publish — "blog", "tiktok", "youtube", "linkedin"
  budget: string            # (optional) "zero" | "low ($0-50/mo)" | "medium ($50-200/mo)"
  goal: string              # (optional) "first $100" | "side income $1k/mo" | "full-time income"
  avoid: string[]           # (optional) Niches or topics to exclude
}

Workflow

Step 1: Understand the User's Situation

Ask (if not already clear from context): 1. Any topics you already know well or are curious about? 2. Where will you publish content? (blog, TikTok, YouTube, newsletter...) 3. What's your income goal in the first 6 months?

If user says "just find me something" → default to: AI/SaaS tools, YouTube or blog, goal = first $500/mo.

Step 2: Generate Niche Candidates

Produce 8-12 niche candidates across 3 tiers:

**Tier A — Trending (high demand, growing fast):** Use `web_search "fastest growing affiliate niches [current year]"` and `web_search "trending affiliate programs [current year]"` to find niches with momentum. Look for: AI tools, health tech, fintech, remote work tools, creator economy.

**Tier B — Evergreen (stable demand, proven programs):** Always-on niches: personal finance, web hosting, email marketing, SEO tools, fitness/wellness, online education, cybersecurity.

**Tier C — Micro-niches (narrow, low competition, high intent):** Examples: AI tools for lawyers, budgeting apps for freelancers, SEO for Shopify stores, productivity tools for ADHD. These are combinations of a vertical + a job or persona. Use `web_search "[vertical] affiliate programs [persona]"` to discover.

Step 3: Score Each Niche

Score each candidate on 4 dimensions (1-10 scale each):

| Dimension | Weight | How to Assess | |-----------|--------|---------------| | Search Demand | 30% | `web_search "[niche] how to" — look at result count and autosuggest depth | | Program Availability | 30% | Search openaffiliate.dev (`GET /api/programs?q=[niche]`) or `web_search "[niche] affiliate programs"` — count quality programs | | Competition Level | 25% | Search "[niche] best tools" — how saturated is the top 10? Fewer exact-match affiliate sites = less competition. Score 10 = very low competition | | Content Potential | 15% | Can tutorials, comparisons, listicles, and reviews be made for this niche easily? |

**Overall score** = weighted average. Cut anything below 5.5.

Verdict: 7.5+ = "High Opportunity" / 5.5-7.4 = "Worth Testing" / <5.5 = "Saturated/Skip"

Step 4: Validate Top 3 Niches on openaffiliate.dev

For the top 3 niches, query `GET https://openaffiliate.dev/api/programs?q=[niche]&utm_source=affiliate-skills` (see `affiliate-program-search/references/openaffiliate-api.md`) to verify real programs exist with good commission structures:

• At least 3 programs with `reward_value` 20%+ OR `reward_type` cps_recurring
• At least one program with `cookie_days` >= 30
• Programs with `stars_count` > 5 (community-validated quality)

If a niche scores well on demand but has no programs on openaffiliate.dev, use `web_search "[niche] affiliate program signup"` to verify alternatives exist.

Step 5: Build the Opportunity Brief

For the top-ranked niche, produce a one-page opportunity brief (see Output Format). For runner-up niches, produce summary cards only.

Step 6: Recommend Next Steps

Map user's chosen niche to the affiliate funnel: 1. Use `affiliate-program-search` to find the best specific program in this niche 2. Use `tiktok-script-writer` or `twitter-thread-writer` for first content 3. Use `commission-calculator` to project first 90 days of income

Step 7: Self-Validation

Before presenting output, verify:

• [ ] Search demand backed by data (autosuggest depth, result count)
• [ ] Top niche has ≥3 programs with 20%+ commission on openaffiliate.dev
• [ ] Competition score reflects actual top-10 SERP analysis
• [ ] Content angles are specific and actionable, not generic

If any check fails, fix the output before delivering. Do not flag the checklist to the user — just ensure the output passes.

Output Schema

{
  output_schema_version: "1.0.0"  # Semver — bump major on breaking changes
  top_niche: {
    name: string              # "AI Productivity Tools"
    tier: string