Audience Swipe File Builder
Automatically scan your replies and comments to build a running swipe file of recurring questions, objections, and content ideas from your audience.
Your best content ideas are buried in your own comment sections and reply threads. People literally tell you what they want to hear — but you never capture it, and next week you're staring at a blank content calendar again.
Who it's for: creators with engaged audiences on X or LinkedIn, personal brand builders, newsletter writers looking for topic ideas, community managers, solopreneurs doing their own content marketing
Example
"Scan my last 4 weeks of X replies and comments" → Swipe file with 47 audience questions grouped into 8 themes, top 10 recurring pain points ranked by frequency, and 15 content ideas directly from your audience's own words
New here? 3-minute setup guide → | Already set up? Copy the template below.
# Audience Swipe File Builder
## Your Role
You scan social media replies and comments to build a running swipe file of recurring audience themes. You extract questions, objections, compliments, and requests, then group them by theme with frequency tracking.
## Source Configuration
- X handle: @[YOUR HANDLE]
- LinkedIn profile: [YOUR LINKEDIN URL]
## Process
1. Scan recent replies, mentions, and comments on X and LinkedIn since the last run.
2. Pull out every recurring question, objection, compliment, and request.
3. Group them by theme.
4. For each theme, write a one-liner describing the core tension or desire behind it.
5. Append today's findings to `/swipe-file.md` with today's date as a header.
6. Update the ranked top 10 list at the top of the file with frequency counts.
## Extraction Categories
### Questions
Direct questions, implied questions, "how do I..." and "what if..." statements. Capture the exact phrasing.
### Objections
Pushback, skepticism, counterarguments, "but what about...", "this won't work because..." — these reveal barriers to action.
### Compliments
Specific praise — not generic "great post" but "this framework finally made X click for me." These reveal what people actually value.
### Requests
Direct asks: "Can you cover...", "Do you have a template for...", "Would love a deeper dive on..." — these are content ideas handed to you.
## Output Format
Append to `/swipe-file.md`:
```markdown
# Audience Swipe File
## Top 10 Recurring Themes (Updated [DATE])
1. [Theme name] (×[count])
2. [Theme name] (×[count])
...
---
## [TODAY'S DATE]
### Questions
- "[Exact quote or paraphrase]"
→ Theme: [Theme name] | Core tension: [One-liner]
### Objections
- "[Exact quote or paraphrase]"
→ Theme: [Theme name] | Core tension: [One-liner]
### Compliments
- "[Exact quote or paraphrase]"
→ Theme: [Theme name] | Core tension: [One-liner]
### Requests
- "[Exact quote or paraphrase]"
→ Theme: [Theme name] | Core tension: [One-liner]
```
## Rules
- **Never overwrite** previous entries. Always append with today's date.
- **Keep the top 10 list updated** at the top of the file with cumulative frequency counts.
- **Use their language** — capture exact phrases when possible, not your paraphrase.
- **One-liners matter** — the "core tension" description should be specific enough to become a content hook.
## Commands
```
"Scan my replies and update the swipe file"
"What are my audience's top themes this month?"
"Build swipe file from this week's engagement"
```
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What This Does
Scans your replies and comments on X and LinkedIn, extracts recurring questions, objections, compliments, and requests, then groups them by theme. After a month, you have a content goldmine built entirely from conversations you were already having.
The swipe file grows automatically. Each week it appends new findings without overwriting previous entries, and maintains a ranked list of the top 10 most common themes with frequency counts at the top.
Prerequisites
- X and/or LinkedIn accounts with active engagement
- MCP connection to X API (for reading replies/mentions)
- Claude scheduled tasks enabled
Quick Start
Step 1: Create Your Project Folder
mkdir -p ~/audience-research
Step 2: Download the Template
Click Download above, then:
mv ~/Downloads/CLAUDE.md ~/audience-research/
Step 3: Configure Your Handles
Open CLAUDE.md and replace the placeholder handles with your actual X and LinkedIn profiles.
Step 4: Set Up the Schedule
cd ~/audience-research
claude
Say: "Schedule this to run every Friday at 9am. Scan my replies and comments and update the swipe file."
How It Works
Each week, Claude:
- Scans your recent replies, mentions, and comments on X and LinkedIn
- Pulls out every recurring question, objection, compliment, and request
- Groups them by theme
- Writes a one-liner for each theme describing the core tension or desire behind it
- Appends findings to
/swipe-file.mdunder today's date - Updates the ranked top 10 themes list at the top of the file with frequency counts
Example Output
# Audience Swipe File
## Top 10 Recurring Themes (Updated 2026-03-08)
1. "How do I start?" anxiety (×23)
2. Pricing confidence (×18)
3. Tool overwhelm (×14)
4. Consistency struggles (×12)
5. Audience growth plateau (×11)
...
---
## 2026-03-08
### Questions
- "How do you decide what to post vs what to save for the newsletter?"
→ Theme: Content allocation tension
- "What tools do you actually use day to day?"
→ Theme: Tool overwhelm
### Objections
- "This only works if you already have an audience"
→ Theme: Chicken-and-egg frustration
### Compliments
- "This is the first framework that actually made sense"
→ Theme: Craving simplicity over complexity
### Requests
- "Can you do a breakdown of how you structure your week?"
→ Theme: Behind-the-scenes demand
What Gets Extracted
| Type | What It Captures |
|---|---|
| Questions | What your audience is asking, struggling with, or confused about |
| Objections | Pushback, skepticism, "but what about..." responses |
| Compliments | What people specifically praise — reveals what they value most |
| Requests | Direct asks for content, products, or deeper dives |
Tips
- Let it run for 4+ weeks before drawing conclusions — patterns emerge over time
- Use the top 10 list for content planning — each theme is a proven content angle
- The one-liners are gold — the "core tension" descriptions become hooks for future posts
- Don't just read it, use it — every top theme is a validated content idea your audience is already asking for