searchcans-content-format-brieflisted

# SearchCans Content Format Brief Map which types of pages, images, videos, and short videos are currently returned for one localized query. The result is a format inventory for planning—not a traffic forecast, ranking guarantee, engagement report, or a license to reuse content. ## Collect a localized format inventory Confirm the topic, target country/language, intended audience, and the planning decision. The default run requests all four surfaces: Google web, Images, Videos, and Short Videos. ```bash python scripts/content_format_brief.py "AI research agent" \ --country us --language en --max-results 10 \ --out content-format-brief.json ``` To answer a narrower question, repeat `--surface` with `web`, `images`, `videos`, or `short-videos`. This reduces cost and scope explicitly. ## Account-aware scope and interpretation The default `--account-mode auto` estimates one SERP request per selected format, performs a sanitized Account API pre-flight, caps the selected surfaces only if needed, and respects available Parallel Lanes. `warn`, `enforce`, and `off` let the operator choose a different policy. Use [the report template](references/content-format-report.md) to deliver: 1. Query, market, retrieved formats, and limits. 2. Observed format/page-type patterns for each surface. 3. Search questions and related searches as leads. 4. A content-format hypothesis and the source/page validation still needed. Do not call something “popular,” “high-engagement,” “best-perfo