sales-ghost

What this skill does

# Ghost Platform Help

## Step 1 — Gather context

If `references/learnings.md` exists, read it first for accumulated platform knowledge.

1. **What do you need help with?**
   - A) Newsletter setup — Mailgun config, sending, delivery issues
   - B) Membership & subscriptions — Stripe integration, tiers, paid content gating
   - C) Content publishing — editor, scheduling, email-only posts, cards
   - D) Theme customization — Handlebars templates, custom settings, marketplace themes
   - E) Migration — from Substack, WordPress, Medium, Mailchimp, or other platforms
   - F) API integration — Content API, Admin API, webhooks, custom integrations
   - G) Analytics — newsletter open/click rates, member growth, engagement
   - H) Self-hosting — installation, updates, configuration, performance
   - I) Ghost(Pro) — plan selection, billing, limits, custom SSL
   - J) Something else

2. **How are you running Ghost?**
   - A) Ghost(Pro) managed hosting
   - B) Self-hosted (Docker, DigitalOcean, AWS, etc.)
   - C) Third-party managed host (MagicPages, Pikapods, etc.)
   - D) Haven't set up yet — planning

3. **What's your goal?** (describe your specific question or issue)

**If the user's request already provides most of this context, skip directly to the relevant step.**

## Step 2 — Route or answer directly

If the request maps to a strategy skill, route with the exact command:

| Problem domain | Route to |
|---|---|
| Email marketing strategy (sequences, segmentation, automation) | "This is an email marketing question — run: `/sales-email-marketing {user's question}`" |
| Newsletter monetization (paid tiers, finding sponsors) | "This is a monetization question — run: `/sales-newsletter {user's question}`" |
| Growing subscriber/member list | "This is a growth question — run: `/sales-audience-growth {user's question}`" |
| Membership site structure, course content, retention | "This is a membership question — run: `/sales-membership {user's question}`" |
| Email deliverability (SPF, DKIM, DMARC beyond Mailgun) | "This is a deliverability question — run: `/sales-deliverability {user's question}`" |
| Connecting Ghost to CRM or other tools via Zapier/API | "This is an integration question — run: `/sales-integration {user's question}`" |

If the question is Ghost-specific, continue to Step 3.

## Step 3 — Ghost platform reference

**Read `references/platform-guide.md`** for the full platform reference — modules, pricing, integrations, data model, Mailgun setup, Stripe configuration, theme development, migration guides.

Answer the user's question using only the relevant section. Don't dump the full reference.

## Step 4 — Actionable guidance

You no longer need the platform guide — focus on the user's specific situation.

For implementation questions, give step-by-step instructions tailored to their hosting type (Ghost(Pro) vs self-hosted). Reference the API docs in `references/ghost-api-reference.md` when they need programmatic access.

If you discover a gotcha, workaround, or tip not covered in `references/learnings.md`, append it there.

## Gotchas

> *Best-effort from research — review these, especially items about plan-gated features and integration gotchas that may be outdated.*

1. **Starter plan has no paid subscriptions** — you need Publisher ($29/mo) or higher to accept payments from members. Starter only supports free newsletters.
2. **Mailgun is the only bulk email provider** — Ghost does not support SES, SendGrid, or other providers for newsletter sends. Self-hosters on small lists hit the Mailgun free tier limit (100 emails/day). Budget $15-35/mo for Mailgun on top of hosting.
3. **Stripe subscription sync can lag** — members who pay in Stripe may show as "free" in Ghost temporarily. Check the webhook connection in Ghost Admin → Integrations → Stripe if member statuses aren't updating.
4. **No digest/weekly newsletter** — Ghost sends one email per published post. There's no built-in way to batch multiple posts into a weekly digest. Workaround: manually create a weekly roundup post.
5. **Newsletter analytics are approximate** — open tracking relies on pixel loading (blocked by many email clients). Click tracking is more reliable. Don't make decisions based solely on open rates.
6. **Migration breaks embedded content** — Twitter/X embeds, custom HTML blocks, and some media may not render correctly in email after migrating from Substack or WordPress. Test email sends before going live.
7. **Theme changes require Handlebars knowledge** — Ghost uses Handlebars templating, not a visual drag-and-drop builder. Custom themes need HTML/CSS/Handlebars skills. Use marketplace themes if you don't code.
8. **Self-hosted requires CLI updates** — Ghost doesn't auto-update. Run `ghost update` via the Ghost CLI regularly. Skipping major versions can make upgrades painful.

## Related skills

- `/sales-newsletter` — Newsletter monetization (paid subscriptions, sponsorships, premium tiers, pricing strategy)
- `/sales-email-marketing` — Email marketing strategy (campaigns, automation, segmentation across platforms)
- `/sales-audience-growth` — Growing your subscriber/member list (lead magnets, cross-promotion, referrals)
- `/sales-membership` — Membership site strategy (course structure, retention, pricing models)
- `/sales-deliverability` — Email deliverability (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, domain warmup, inbox placement)
- `/sales-integration` — Connecting Ghost to CRM and other tools via Zapier, Make, or API
- `/sales-kit` — Kit platform help (alternative newsletter platform)
- `/sales-mailerlite` — MailerLite platform help (alternative newsletter/email platform)
- `/sales-do` — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do`

## Examples

### Example 1: Mailgun delivery issues
**User says**: "My Ghost newsletter emails aren't being delivered to subscribers"
**Skill does**: Checks Mailgun configuration in Ghost Admin, verifies domain DNS records (SPF, DKIM, CNAME), checks Mailgun dashboard for bounces/complaints, reviews Ghost(Pro) vs self-hosted differences, troubleshoots common Mailgun free tier limits
**Result**: User identifies the delivery bottleneck and fixes their Mailgun configuration

### Example 2: Setting up paid memberships
**User says**: "I want to charge $10/month for premium content on my Ghost blog"
**Skill does**: Confirms plan supports paid subscriptions (Publisher+), walks through Stripe Connect setup, configures membership tiers (free + paid), sets up content gating with the public preview card, creates an offer for founding members
**Result**: User has a working paid membership with Stripe billing and gated content

### Example 3: Migrating from Substack
**User says**: "I'm moving my newsletter from Substack to Ghost — how do I keep my subscribers?"
**Skill does**: Walks through Substack export, Ghost import process, Stripe subscription migration (if paid), DNS/domain transfer, URL redirect setup (Substack /p/ → Ghost slug), email template testing
**Result**: User migrates content, subscribers, and paid members with minimal disruption

## Troubleshooting

### Stripe payments not reflecting in Ghost
**Symptom**: Member pays in Stripe but Ghost shows them as "free"
**Cause**: Stripe webhook not connected or webhook events failing
**Solution**: Go to Ghost Admin → Settings → Membership → Stripe. Disconnect and reconnect Stripe. Check Stripe Dashboard → Developers → Webhooks for failed events. Ensure the webhook URL matches your Ghost domain.

### Newsletter shows 0% open rate
**Symptom**: Newsletter sent successfully but analytics show zero opens
**Cause**: Email clients blocking tracking pixels (Apple Mail Privacy Protection, Gmail proxy)
**Solution**: Open rates are increasingly unreliable. Focus on click rates instead. Check Mailgun dashboard for actual delivery stats. If Mailgun shows delivered but Ghost shows 0%, the tracking pixel may be stripped.