Listicle Writer

Listicle blog posts are a popular content format that breaks down topics into easily digestible items. They offer clear insights tailored to specific audiences and help readers quickly assess their options in any given category. However, creating a compelling listicle demands thorough research, a clear structure, and a smooth presentation—challenges that can slow down even the most experienced content teams.

How the Listicle Writer App is Built on Moonlit Platform

Input Collection

The app starts with four straightforward inputs: the number of items for the listicle, the category to investigate, a website URL to gather an image for visual context, and the intended audience for the post. This simple input design makes it easy for users to get started without getting overwhelmed by technical details.

Step 1: Research and Intro Development

This step kicks off with two distinct research-driven chat models:

• Researcher: This function uses a chat model to perform comprehensive research on the given category. By searching through online forums and using varied search queries, it uncovers the top results for the listicle items, ensuring that every recommendation is well-grounded and specific. It also ensures that each item includes a direct link to its landing page.

• Intro Researcher: Complementing the deep dive on listicle items, this model gathers vital statistics and insights that can be used to craft a compelling introduction. It compiles key points and industry standards that the target audience is interested in—making the introduction both informative and engaging.

An additional HTML to Image function then captures a snapshot of the provided website URL. This offers visual context to readers and enhances the overall aesthetic of the blog post.

Step 2: Structuring the Research Data

Next, a chat model transforms the unstructured research into a well-organized JSON format. It creates a nested list where each row represents a listicle item with tailored properties including:

• name: The company or product name

• url: A direct link to the landing page

• best for: A concise description of who benefits most from the offering

• summary: A short overview of its features

This structured data paves the way for generating consistent and copy-ready content in the next steps.

Step 3: Crafting the Intro and Item Details

The platform employs additional chat models to convert structured research into natural, engaging content:

• Intro Writer: Using the detailed research report, this model produces a polished introductory section. It leverages key statistics and insights to grab the reader’s attention and outlines the main considerations when choosing among the different items.

• My Product: Focusing on a specific website URL provided as input, this function dives deep into one listicle item to extract its unique selling points, complete with pros, cons, and relevant details like pricing, integrations, and customer support.

An HTML to Image node also captures a visual of each product’s landing page to visually enrich the post.

Step 4: Assembling the Listicle Content

A chat model then takes all the pieces—intro, structured list, and individual item content—and, with a Python function, assembles them into a cohesive draft. This process ensures that each part of the listicle connects seamlessly, maintaining a logical flow from the introduction to each individual item.

Step 5: Final Touches

Before the post is finalized, a dedicated chat model applies essential refinements:

• It inserts a shortlist between the introduction and the first item, complete with anchor links wrapped in appropriate <a name="..."></a> tags for quick navigation.

• The opening statement is revised to be more confident and straightforward, eliminating generic or overused phrases.

• An H1 heading is added to clearly signal the focus of the listicle.

• A concise conclusion is appended to tie the post together.

• Formatting issues are addressed to ensure the final copy renders perfectly in HTML.

Step 6: Image Injection

A final Python function integrates the captured images into the text. It replaces predefined placeholders with the actual image URLs generated from both the website snapshot and each product’s landing page, ensuring a visually appealing and fully enriched article.

How to Customize and Scale the Listicle Writer App

Customization Options

• Tailor the Research Queries: You can adjust the research prompt to focus on different aspects of the category, such as emerging trends or regional variations, depending on your target audience’s needs.

• Modify the Structured Output: The JSON structure can be extended with additional fields like pricing details or user ratings, offering a customizable level of detail for each item.

• Refine the Content Tone: The prompts for the intro and item descriptions can be adjusted to reflect a specific brand voice or a more technical narrative, providing more control over the final output.

• Visual Enhancements: Increase the number of screenshots by modifying the HTML to Image node settings, ensuring richer visual context for pages with extensive content.

Running the App at Scale

1. Navigate to the Bulk Runs feature on Moonlit Platform.

2. Create a new bulk job by uploading a CSV file that includes the necessary inputs (N Items, Category, Website URL, Audience) for each listicle post.

3. Map the CSV columns correctly and trigger the bulk process to run the app concurrently across all entries.

4. Monitor the progress to generate a wide portfolio of tailored listicle posts efficiently.

Get Started with Moonlit Platform

If you’re ready to save time, streamline your research, and produce compelling listicle blog posts that speak directly to your audience, sign up for Moonlit Platform today. Build and customize your own apps with our no-code workflow builder and see how effortless content creation can be.