Agent skill

Ig Caption Writer

by sergebulaev in sergebulaev/instagram-skills

Draft an Instagram caption with the hook in the first 125 characters, a skimmable body, and one clear CTA, using a 2026 hook formula chosen by goal (saves, shares, comments, follows).

MITAuto-check passedWriting & Content

Install Ig Caption Writer

skills CLI
$ npx skills add sergebulaev/instagram-skills --skill ig-caption-writer -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install sergebulaev/instagram-skills ig-caption-writer --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/sergebulaev/instagram-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/ig-caption-writer .claude/skills/ig-caption-writer && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
ig-caption-writer
GitHub stars
308
Used in
1 other repo
Token cost
~1.7k tokens
SKILL.md length
946 words
Files
2 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
10
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Draft an Instagram caption with the hook in the first 125 characters, a skimmable body, and one clear CTA, using a 2026 hook formula chosen by goal (saves, shares, comments, follows).

  • Works in 10 steps: Gather inputs. Topic, angle, the media… → Pick the formula. Use the goal table to… → Write the hook (first 125 chars). It… → …
  • Caption a single image
  • SKILL.md covers When to use, Formulas this skill uses…, Steps and Hard rules, plus 3 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Ig Caption Writer is an agent skill from sergebulaev/instagram-skills. Draft an Instagram caption with the hook in the first 125 characters, a skimmable body, and one clear CTA, using a 2026 hook formula chosen by goal (saves, shares, comments, follows). Runs the humanizer pass and, on approval, publishes with the image or video you supply via the Publora media flow. Use to caption a single image or a Reel. Not for slide-by-slide carousels (use ig-carousel-planner) or auditing a draft (use ig-humanizer --mode audit).

Its SKILL.md is about 1.7k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 2 other files, including reference files (for example `references/caption-checklist.md`).

It sits in Writing & Content, covering Humanizing AI text, Social media posts and Slides and decks. It works with Instagram. The repository describes itself as: Instagram marketing skills for Claude Code and Codex: captions, carousels, hooks, hashtag strategy, and a weekly plan. Draft, humanize, and publish via Publora. MIT. Content… The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Caption a single image
  • Tasks that involve Humanizing AI text
  • Tasks that involve Social media posts

Example prompts

  • “/ig-caption-writer”

Workflow steps

10 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Gather inputs. Topic, angle, the media (single image or Reel), target
  2. Pick the formula. Use the goal table to shortlist, then suggest 2-3 that
  3. Write the hook (first 125 chars). It must land the payoff, tension, or
  4. Write the body. Short lines, white space between beats, one idea. Teach or
  5. Write one CTA. A specific save or send prompt ("save this for your next
  6. Add hashtags. Hand off the topic to ig-hashtag-strategist or apply the
  7. Humanizer pass. Scrub 2026 AI vocab by paragraph density, cap em
  8. Optional audit. Invoke ig-humanizer --mode audit for a pass-fail check.
  9. Approval card. Show: formula used, the hook (flag if over 125 chars),
  10. On approval, publish with media. Call `lib.publish(kind="post",

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 652be40. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    Links to these hosts (documentation or services it may open):

    • instagram.com

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Ig Caption Writer loads about 1.7k tokens when it runs, and up to ~2.5k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 117 tokens; SKILL.md has 946 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~117
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.7k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~2.5k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from sergebulaev/instagram-skills at commit 652be40, republished under its MIT licence (© sergebulaev). 946 words, ~1,730 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/ig-caption-writer/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
ig-caption-writer
description
Draft an Instagram caption with the hook in the first 125 characters, a skimmable body, and one clear CTA, using a 2026 hook formula chosen by goal (saves, shares, comments, follows). Runs the humanizer pass and, on approval, publishes with the image or video you supply via the Publora media flow. Use to caption a single image or a Reel. Not for slide-by-slide carousels (use ig-carousel-planner) or auditing a draft (use ig-humanizer --mode audit).

Instagram Caption Writer

Write a caption that earns the tap and the save. Instagram hides everything after ~125 characters behind "more", so the hook does the entire job in the first line. This skill front-loads that hook, keeps the body skimmable, and lands one clear call to action.

When to use

  • User says "write me an Instagram caption about X"
  • User has a single image or a Reel and needs the caption around it
  • User wants a sharper hook for a draft they already have
  • User wants a caption that auto-publishes with their media on approval

Formulas this skill uses (caption-first shapes)

CodeFormulaPrimary goalBest for
IG1Number-First Resultsavesone odd-precision result + a "steal this" promise
IG2Contrarian Truthsharesa sharp, defensible against-the-grain claim
IG3Relatable Cold-Opencommentsa specific shared moment, no setup
IG4Mini-Story Confessioncomments, followsa real first-person story with a cost

Full skeletons in ../../references/hook-formulas.md. For carousels (IG5-IG8) use ig-carousel-planner; for Reels (IG9-IG10) the hook lives in the video, and this skill writes the supporting caption.

Pick by goal first
GoalReach for
SavesIG1
SharesIG2
CommentsIG3, IG4
FollowsIG4

Steps

Voice profile first (all drafts). If ../../references/voice-profile.md has filled: yes, load it and match the user's voice fingerprint, hard rules, and CTA/link style throughout. If it is not filled, mention once that ig-humanizer --mode profile can learn their voice from a few posts, then proceed with the generic voice rules.

Never invent the specifics. The rules below ask for a concrete number, a date and a named entity, because that is what separates a real post from a generated one. Take them from what the user actually said in this conversation. Do not invent a figure, a date, a client name or a result, and do not soften a vague claim into a plausible-looking number. If the user has nothing concrete for a beat, ask them once, and if they still have nothing, drop the claim rather than decorate it. A published invented number is a retraction; a missing one is only a weaker post.

  1. Gather inputs. Topic, angle, the media (single image or Reel), target audience, and the goal (saves / shares / comments / follows).
  2. Pick the formula. Use the goal table to shortlist, then suggest 2-3 that also fit the topic and let the user choose.
  3. Write the hook (first 125 chars). It must land the payoff, tension, or number before the "more" fold and make sense on its own.
  4. Write the body. Short lines, white space between beats, one idea. Teach or tell the story that the hook promised. Keep it under 2,200 chars.
  5. Write one CTA. A specific save or send prompt ("save this for your next launch", "send to the friend who keeps doing #2"), a real question, or a single next step. Never "what do you think?".
  6. Add hashtags. Hand off the topic to ig-hashtag-strategist or apply the 3-5 sized set yourself (see ../../references/hashtag-strategy.md). Put them at the end or note they go in the first comment.
  7. Humanizer pass. Scrub 2026 AI vocab by paragraph density, cap em dashes (about one per 100 words; a caption's single dash is not a tell, never swap one for a period), break stacked triads, generic openers and reveal bridges. Fix only a paragraph that reads machine-flat; never manufacture variance or one-word lines for drama. Add an odd-precision number with a named referent or a named entity where the claim allows. Canonical rules: ig-humanizer V3.
  8. Optional audit. Invoke ig-humanizer --mode audit for a pass-fail check.
  9. Approval card. Show: formula used, the hook (flag if over 125 chars), full caption, char count, hashtag set, primary goal, and the media the user must supply.
  10. On approval, publish with media. Call lib.publish(kind="post", draft_text=<approved caption>, target_url="https://www.instagram.com/", media=[<local file paths>], platforms=[<INSTAGRAM_PLATFORM_ID>], scheduled_time=<iso_or_None>). For a Reel pass kind="reel". The wrapper runs the Publora draft then upload then schedule flow. With no media or no Publora key it returns a copy-paste block and a reminder to attach the media.
Show full SKILL.md (272 more words)Show less

Hard rules

Global voice rules: see root SKILL.md Voice rules. Additional skill-specific rules:

  • The first 125 characters must stop the scroll on their own. Rewrite any hook that needs the second line to make sense.
  • One idea per caption. Two ideas means two posts.
  • One specific number where the claim allows it.
  • 3-5 sized hashtags, never 30. 0-3 emoji, placed with intent.
  • Media is required. Never present a caption as publishable without reminding the user to attach the image or video.
  • Do not hard-sell. One natural mention of the next step, max.

Anti-patterns (skill will refuse)

  • A hook that only makes sense after the fold.
  • Em dashes above the cap (more than about one per 100 words), or an em dash swapped for a period.
  • "Let's talk about.." or "Here's the thing.." openers; "The result?" as a reveal.
  • Announced candor ("real talk", "not gonna lie", "POV:" on something that is not a POV) with no dated fact behind it.
  • Staccato stacks ("No X. No Y. Just Z.") and one-word lines added for drama.
  • 20-30 hashtags stuffed at the top.
  • Engagement bait ("double tap if you agree", "comment YES").
  • Rule-of-three lists without specifics.
  • "leverage", "fundamentally", "game-changer", "level up", "dive in".
  • Padding a one-line idea to look substantial.

Resources

  • ../../references/hook-formulas.md - all 10 Instagram formulas (IG1-IG4 are caption-first)
  • ../../references/algorithm-heuristics.md - 2026 Instagram ranking rules
  • ../../references/hashtag-strategy.md - the 3-5 sized hashtag recipe
  • ../../references/media-workflow.md - the draft, upload, schedule flow
  • references/caption-checklist.md - the per-caption scrub and fit list
  • ig-carousel-planner - when the idea is a slide-by-slide carousel
  • ig-hashtag-strategist - build the sized hashtag set
  • ig-humanizer - AI-tell scrubber, plus --mode audit for review
  • ig-hook-extractor - reverse-engineer a hook from a post you admire

© sergebulaev, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 1 other file (references) in skills/ig-caption-writer of sergebulaev/instagram-skills.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/caption-checklist.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 652be40

Used in 1 other repository

We found 3 copies of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 1 other GitHub owner. This page covers the copy in sergebulaev/instagram-skills, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

Compare with similar skills

Ig Caption Writer next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Ig Caption Writer compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Ig Caption Writer this skillsergebulaev/instagram-skills3081 repos~1.7kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Social Media Pro Maxcriptogus/agent-evolve-network288—~1.6kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence
Socialcoreyhaines31/marketingskills54k4 repos~4.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Social Contentfreekmurze/dotfiles1k23 repos~2.1kAutomated safety check: PassNone
Social PostHao0321/claude-skill-social-post727—~2.9kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Linkedin Humanizersergebulaev/linkedin-skills4.3k1 repos~5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Works with

Questions about Ig Caption Writer

What does Ig Caption Writer do?

Draft an Instagram caption with the hook in the first 125 characters, a skimmable body, and one clear CTA, using a 2026 hook formula chosen by goal (saves, shares, comments, follows). Ig Caption Writer is an agent skill from sergebulaev/instagram-skills. Draft an Instagram caption with the hook in the first 125 characters, a skimmable body, and one clear CTA, using a 2026 hook formula chosen by goal (saves, shares, comments, follows).

When should I use Ig Caption Writer?

Ig Caption Writer fits situations like: caption a single image; tasks that involve Humanizing AI text; tasks that involve Social media posts.

How do I install Ig Caption Writer in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add sergebulaev/instagram-skills --skill ig-caption-writer -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/ig-caption-writer in sergebulaev/instagram-skills) into .claude/skills/ig-caption-writer in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Ig Caption Writer in Codex?

Run `npx skills add sergebulaev/instagram-skills --skill ig-caption-writer -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/ig-caption-writer in sergebulaev/instagram-skills) into .agents/skills/ig-caption-writer in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Ig Caption Writer in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add sergebulaev/instagram-skills --skill ig-caption-writer -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/ig-caption-writer, .gemini/skills/ig-caption-writer, .github/skills/ig-caption-writer and .opencode/skills/ig-caption-writer in your project.

What does Ig Caption Writer need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Ig Caption Writer is instructions for the agent only.

Does Ig Caption Writer access the network?

SKILL.md names 1 domain. As links in the text: instagram.com. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Ig Caption Writer safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Ig Caption Writer use?

Ig Caption Writer is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Ig Caption Writer use?

About 1.7k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 6.9k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 773 tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Ig Caption Writer?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Ig Caption Writer: Social Media Pro Max (criptogus/agent-evolve-network, 288 stars), Social (coreyhaines31/marketingskills, 54k stars), Social Content (freekmurze/dotfiles, 1k stars) and Social Post (Hao0321/claude-skill-social-post, 727 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Ig Caption Writer?

sergebulaev (a GitHub user) maintains it in sergebulaev/instagram-skills, which has 308 GitHub stars. The repository holds 10 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 7, 2026.

Source: sergebulaev/instagram-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.