RankStack Setup Guide

Everything you need to go from purchase to publishing your first batch of content.

Prerequisites Install Connect CMS First Run Commands

1 Prerequisites

RankStack runs inside Claude Code. If you already have Claude Code installed, skip to Step 2.

New to Claude Code? Start here.

What is Claude Code?

Claude Code is Anthropic's AI assistant that runs in your terminal (or desktop app). It can read files, write code, run commands, and interact with APIs. RankStack is a set of "skills" that tell Claude Code how to produce, optimize, and publish SEO content.

Install Claude Code

Sign up for an Anthropic account if you don't have one
Subscribe to a plan that includes Claude Code (Pro or Team)
Install Claude Code:
```
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
```
Or download the desktop app.
Verify it works:
```
claude --version
```

System Requirements

Node.js (required for Claude Code CLI install)

# Download from nodejs.org if not installed
node --version  # Should be 18+

Claude Code (Anthropic subscription required)

Python 3 (for scripts and image generation)

# Mac / Linux:
python3 --version
# Windows:
python --version  # Should be 3.8+

Pillow (for featured images on WordPress and screenshot annotations)

# Mac / Linux:
pip3 install Pillow
# Windows:
pip install Pillow

PyYAML (for the dashboard data builder)

# Mac / Linux:
pip3 install pyyaml
# Windows:
pip install pyyaml

Windows users

RankStack works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. A few notes for Windows:

Use python instead of python3 and pip instead of pip3
The API scripts (.sh files) require Git Bash, WSL, or Windows Subsystem for Linux. If you installed Git for Windows, Git Bash is already available.
Alternatively, use the Claude Code desktop app which handles shell compatibility automatically
File paths use backslashes on Windows (C:\Users\you\rankstack) but Claude Code handles this internally

2 Install RankStack

Extract the skill pack and open it in Claude Code.

Extract and open

Download and extract the RankStack zip file to a folder on your machine
Open the folder in Claude Code:
```
# Mac / Linux:
cd ~/path-to/rankstack
claude
# Windows:
cd C:\Users\you\path-to\rankstack
claude
```
Or in the desktop app: File > Open Folder > select the RankStack folder
You should see the project load with the CLAUDE.md instructions

Set up your .env file

Copy the example file:

# Mac / Linux:
cp .env.example .env
# Windows:
copy .env.example .env

Or simply tell Claude: set up and it will walk you through everything

Tip: The easiest way to get started is to just say get started or set up to Claude. The setup skill guides you through API keys, dependencies, and your first client onboarding automatically.

3 Connect Your CMS

Choose your platform. Each one takes about 5 minutes to connect.

Webflow

Shopify

WordPress

1. Create a Webflow API Token

Go to webflow.com/dashboard/account/api-tokens
Click "Generate new token"
Enable these scopes:
- sites:read
- cms:read
- cms:write
- assets:write
Copy the token

2. Get your Site ID

In Webflow, go to your site > Site Settings > General. The Site ID is shown in the settings panel or in the URL.

3. Tell Claude to onboard

onboard my-client-name

Claude will ask for your token and site ID, then automatically discover your CMS collections, detect field schemas, and pull existing content.

1. Create a Custom App

Go to your Shopify admin: Settings > Apps > Develop apps
If prompted, click "Allow custom app development"
Click "Create an app" and name it (e.g., "RankStack")
Click "Configure Admin API scopes" and enable:
- write_content (for blog articles)
- write_online_store_pages (for pulling pages)
- write_files (for uploading images)
Click Save, then click "Release app" and confirm
After releasing, go to the app's Settings page
Copy the Client ID and Client secret

Note: The Client ID and Client secret are available on the app's Settings page after releasing. If you don't see them, make sure you clicked "Release app" first.

2. Tell Claude to onboard

onboard my-client-name

Claude will ask for your Client ID, Client secret, and store subdomain, then discover blogs, pages, and set up the client directory.

1. Install the Connector Plugin

In WordPress admin: Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
Upload the file: wordpress-plugin/seo-content-engine-connector.zip
Click "Install Now", then "Activate"

The plugin auto-detects Yoast or RankMath and registers SEO meta fields with the REST API.

2. Create an Application Password

In WordPress admin: Users > Your Profile
Scroll to "Application Passwords"
Enter a name (e.g., "RankStack")
Click "Add New Application Password"
Copy the generated password (spaces are normal, include them)

Important: When adding this password to your .env file, wrap it in quotes because it contains spaces:

WP_TOKEN_MY_CLIENT="xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx"

3. Tell Claude to onboard

onboard my-client-name

Claude will ask for your site URL, username, and Application Password, then verify the connector plugin is active and discover your site structure.

Troubleshooting WordPress connections

"I don't see Application Passwords" - Requires WordPress 5.6+. Some security plugins (iThemes, Wordfence) disable this feature. Check your security plugin settings.
"Authentication fails" - Make sure you're using your WordPress username (not email). Verify the full password was copied including spaces.
"REST API returns 401" - Some hosts or security plugins block /wp-json/. Check if a security plugin is restricting REST API access.
"Connector plugin status returns 404" - The plugin isn't activated. Go to Plugins in WordPress admin and make sure "SEO Content Engine Connector" shows as Active.
"SEO meta fields not saving" - The connector plugin needs to be active for Yoast/RankMath meta fields to work through the API. If you installed the SEO plugin after the connector, deactivate and reactivate the connector.

4 Your First Content Run

After onboarding a client, here's the workflow to produce and publish your first batch.

Import keywords (or let AI research them)

If you have a keyword CSV from SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Google Keyword Planner, just paste or attach it:

import these keywords for my-client

No keyword tool? No problem:

help me find keywords for my-client

Claude will ask about the business, generate keyword ideas, cluster them into topics, and build your content queue.

Write your first batch

write the next 5 posts

Claude researches each topic, writes 1,200-2,000 word posts, runs SEO checks, generates featured images, and saves everything locally. A separate QA reviewer checks each post for quality.

Publish to your CMS

/publish-blog

Claude converts posts to HTML, uploads images, maps categories and tags, sets SEO meta fields, and publishes to your CMS. Review the drafts first, then publish with one confirmation.

View your dashboard

show dashboard

Opens the Content Command Center showing pillar coverage, keyword opportunities, and your full content pipeline across all clients.

5 Command Reference

Everything you can say to Claude with RankStack installed.

Setup and Onboarding

set up              # First-run setup (API keys, dependencies)
onboard my-client     # Connect a new Webflow, Shopify, or WordPress site

Keyword Research

import keywords              # Import a CSV (SEMrush, Ahrefs, Google Keyword Planner)
help me find keywords        # AI-assisted research (no tools needed)
show keyword bank            # View imported keywords and clusters
plan content                 # Build the prioritized content queue

Content Writing

write the next batch         # Write 5 posts from the queue (default)
write 25 posts               # Write a custom number
write a post about AI tools   # Write a single post on a specific topic
keep going                   # Continue a batch that was interrupted

Publishing

/publish-blog                # Review, push to CMS, and publish posts
publish approved posts       # Publish posts already pushed as drafts

Optimization

audit content                # Run on-page audit of existing posts
import GSC data              # Import Google Search Console CSV
what should we optimize?     # Show the prioritized optimization queue

Dashboard and Linking

show dashboard               # Open the Content Command Center
rebuild post index           # Rebuild the internal link index
update internal links        # Check and update cross-post links

Featured Image Providers

RankStack generates featured images for every post. You can use any of these providers (or none).

Ideogram	Best for blog headers	~$7/mo	`IDEOGRAM_API_KEY`
NanoBanana	Fast, free tier	Free	`GOOGLE_AI_API_KEY`
Flux (fal.ai)	Photorealistic	~$0.03/img	`FAL_KEY`
DALL-E	If you have OpenAI	~$0.04/img	`OPENAI_API_KEY`
Fallback	Branded SVG/PNG	Free	No key needed

Add any key to your .env file and RankStack auto-detects the provider. No key? Branded fallback images are generated automatically.