/output-folder

description: Print the absolute path to the user-visible ContentForge output folder and open it in the OS file manager
argument-hint: "[brand] (omit to use the active brand)"

Output Folder

Show the user where ContentForge actually saves the finished `.docx` files, and (when supported) open that folder in the OS file manager. This is the answer to "where did my file go?" — a real question from the v3.12.2 user-feedback cycle.

Trigger

User runs `/contentforge:output-folder`, or asks any variant of "where did my file save", "I can't find the output", "open output folder".

Background

ContentForge writes two copies of every finished `.docx`:

1. **Internal tracking copy** at `~/.claude-marketing/{brand}/tracking/outputs/{year}/{month}/{slug}_v1.0.docx`. This is the system-of-record for `/contentforge:cf-analytics`, `/contentforge:cf-audit`, etc. It lives inside a dotfolder that Windows hides by default — users rarely find it. 2. **User-visible published copy** at `~/Documents/ContentForge/{brand}/{content_type}/{YYYY-MM}/{slug}.docx`. If `$CONTENTFORGE_PUBLISH_DIR` is set it replaces the whole `~/Documents/ContentForge/{brand}` prefix — see the warning in Configuration below. This is the copy to surface.

The published copy was added in v3.12.3 specifically because end users reported "the file isn't saving on local drive" — it was saving, just somewhere they couldn't see.

Process

Step 1: Resolve the path

The published-output directory resolves exactly as `local-tracker.py get_publish_dir()` does — first non-empty wins:

1. `--publish-dir` override, if passed 2. `$CONTENTFORGE_PUBLISH_DIR/` if the env var is set — **note: no `{brand}` segment is appended in this branch** 3. `~/Documents/ContentForge/{brand-slug}/` otherwise

A `{content_type-slug}` segment is appended after that base in every branch.

So when the env var is set, the resolved folder is `$CONTENTFORGE_PUBLISH_DIR/{content_type}/` — the same tree for every brand. Report the path that actually resolves; do not invent a `{brand}` segment that isn't there.

Default to the active brand if no argument was provided. If neither is available, prompt: "Which brand's output folder? Run `/contentforge:output-folder <brand>` or set up a brand with `/contentforge:brand-setup`."

Step 2: Print the absolute path

Always show the path explicitly in the conversation so the user can copy/paste it even if the OS open step fails:

📂 ContentForge output folder for {brand}:
   {absolute_path}

   Subfolders are organized by content type (article / blog / whitepaper / faq / research_paper / video_script / case_study / newsletter)
   and by month (YYYY-MM). The newest run is in the latest month folder.

Step 3: Open the folder in the OS file manager

Pick the platform-appropriate command. The plugin runs on Windows (most users), macOS, and Linux:

# Windows
start "" "{absolute_path}"

# macOS
open "{absolute_path}"

# Linux
xdg-open "{absolute_path}"

If the open step fails (no display, headless environment, no associated handler), don't error — the user already has the path from Step 2.

Step 4: If the folder doesn't exist yet

`~/Documents/ContentForge/{brand}/` is created the first time a pipeline run finishes Phase 8. If the folder is missing, say:

The output folder doesn't exist yet — that means no `/contentforge:create-content` run
has completed for "{brand}" yet. Run a pipeline first, then come back here.

Expected location after the first successful run:
   {absolute_path}

Do NOT create the folder pre-emptively — empty folders are noise.

Configuration

End users (or admins setting up a shared workstation) can redirect the visible-copy location with the `CONTENTFORGE_PUBLISH_DIR` env var:

# Persistent — add to your shell profile
export CONTENTFORGE_PUBLISH_DIR="$HOME/Dropbox/Marketing/ContentForge"

# Per-run
CONTENTFORGE_PUBLISH_DIR="/mnt/team-share/ContentForge" /contentforge:create-content ...

> **Warning — `CONTENTFORGE_PUBLISH_DIR` is shared across all brands.** > The default path includes a per-brand folder (`~/Documents/ContentForge/{brand}/...`), but > the env-var branch does **not** append the brand. Every brand publishes into the same > `$CONTENTFORGE_PUBLISH_DIR/{content_type}/{YYYY-MM}/` tree, so two brands producing a > piece with the same slug in the same month will collide. If you run more than one brand, > either leave the env var unset or point it at a per-brand location (for example, set it > per-run rather than in your shell profile).

The internal tracking copy (under `~/.claude-marketing/`) is unchanged — that stays as the plugin's system-of-record. The env var only affects the published copy.

Related

• [`commands/create-content.md`](create-content.md) — the pipeline that produces the files this command reveals.
• [`scripts/local-tracker.py`](../scripts/local-tracker.py) — implements the dual-copy save (`mark_complete` writes both paths and returns them in its JSON output).