Operating model
One HubSpot action is never proof of another
Creation, draft editing, publication, workflow connection, contact enrollment, and delivery are separate states. Report each one independently and verify it through the correct HubSpot surface.
Create asset→Edit draft→QA→Publish update→Connect workflow→Enroll audience→Verify delivery
Brad's review preference
When Brad directly requests specific edits to an existing HubSpot email, the task includes publishing those approved edits so the normal email view shows the final version—unless Brad says draft only.
Still verify first: images, links, copy, folder, email type, and workflow state must pass before publication.
Standing safety boundary
- Publication does not authorize a send.
- Publication does not authorize workflow activation.
- Publication does not authorize contact enrollment.
- Test emails are real sends and require the exact recipient approval.
- Credential, subscription, finance, and destructive actions require separate approval.
Navigation standard for integrated pages
Brad–Sterling2 uses one top-level left-navigation entry per integrated operating area. Subsections live in the horizontal tab bar across the top of the page and deep-link through URL hashes such as #emails or #qa. Do not add subsection dropdowns to the left navigation.
Three surfaces
Published email versus pending revision
| Surface | What it shows | Correct use |
|---|---|---|
| Email name / performance | The currently published email and reporting. | Use to see what is live. |
| Edit Email | The auto-saved unpublished revision on the same email ID. | Use to review or modify pending changes. |
| Version history | Historical published/saved versions. | Use for reference only; do not restore while a newer draft is under review. |
Revision protocol
- Read the live email and pending draft separately.
- Change only the intended modules.
- Read the draft back and inspect exact links and source order.
- Verify folder and
AUTOMATED_EMAILtype. - Publish the update only under Brad's approved scope.
- Read the live object back; do not trust a success screen alone.
Publication capability
Draft-write access and publication access are different HubSpot capabilities. A successful draft update is not proof the revision is live.
Blocked publication: state “revision prepared; authenticated Review and update still required.” Never call it published.
Folder and naming
- Place every Sterling-created email in Sterling Emails (Brad).
- Verify the folder ID after creation or correction.
- Do not rely on Created by Brad as authoritative for API-created assets.
- Do not rely on contains exactly as if it were a reusable internal-name prefix filter.
Distinct visual roles
- Product animation: demonstrates the dashboard or product experience.
- Presenter walkthrough: shows Brad speaking in the Loom walkthrough.
- Do not silently replace one with the other.
- Place captions immediately above the intended visual.
File hosting
- Email images and animated GIFs must be copied into HubSpot Files; the Mac mini is an authoring source, never the recipient-facing host.
- Use a content-hash-qualified filename, intentional public-but-not-indexed access, and the final
hubspotusercontentURL. - Require anonymous HTTP 200, expected MIME, safe bytes, dimensions, frame count, looping behavior, and meaningful alt text.
- A successful upload, filename, or old module reference is not proof the email visibly renders the asset.
Permanent storage map
Where Sterling-created media belongs
| Asset | Working source | Durable destination |
|---|---|---|
| Email image or animated GIF | May be created temporarily on the Mac mini | HubSpot Files in the correct portal/folder |
| Full generated video | Temporary Mac master only | Brad's personal Vimeo Team Library → Sterling videos (folder 30060478) |
| Generated non-email image | Temporary Mac working file | Sterling Media on Brad's personal Cloudflare account |
Never embed:
file://, /Users/..., localhost, or another Mac-local path. Do not use Mac-local or general Cloudflare hosting for generated videos unless Brad changes the standing rule.Animated GIF persistence and visibility gate
- QA the source GIF: safe first frame, more than one frame, appropriate dimensions/weight, no private data.
- Close every open Edit Email session before an external draft write.
- Upload with a content-hash-qualified filename and replace the intended module with the exact new HubSpot URL.
- Preserve alt text, responsive dimensions, click destination, caption, and required source order.
- Require two delayed, identical draft readbacks after the autosave window.
- Render the exact saved block; verify natural dimensions and capture two different frames to prove animation.
- Visually inspect the result. A blank gap or broken placeholder fails the gate.
Landing-page destination gate
- Deploy the page first.
- Verify the canonical path renders the intended unique content.
- Verify the embedded media and CTA destination.
- Check the immutable deployment and custom domain.
- Only then update email images or CTAs to that page.
A marketing-site homepage fallback can return HTTP 200 for a missing subpath. A 200 response alone is not sufficient.
Client Command Center precedent
The flagship announcement uses three separate clickable elements—the top dashboard animation, Brad's Loom-preview GIF under “A quick walkthrough of the dashboard.”, and the primary button. Brad directed all three to the branded Cloudflare walkthrough page. The full interactive demo remains available from that landing page.
Workflow status must be explicit
| Claim | Required proof |
|---|---|
| Workflow built | Workflow graph, actions, branches, and referenced email IDs. |
| Workflow active | isEnabled: true or equivalent live UI proof. |
| Contact enrolled | Enrollment record for the exact contact/list and timestamp. |
| Email sent | Delivery/event or recipient inbox proof—not publication. |
Safe publication behavior
Publishing an automated email makes it workflow-eligible. If HubSpot offers to connect it to a workflow after publication, choose I'll do this later unless workflow attachment is separately approved.
Inactive-by-default rule
Builds, drafts, lists, and workflow graphs remain disconnected from production audiences. Re-read workflow enabled state after every email publication or workflow edit.
Testing sequence
Static readback→Preview/editor QA→Approved test recipient→Delivery proof→Brad review→Separate activation decision
Audience confirmation
- Inventory list metadata without exporting unnecessary member data.
- Verify inclusion, exclusion, suppression, and actual email-bearing counts.
- Never infer the production audience from a list name alone.
- Require Brad to confirm the exact audience before enrollment or sending.
Send authority
- A preview is not a send.
- A test email is a real external send.
- A workflow simulation is not delivery.
- Publication is not a send.
- Production send requires the exact email, audience, account, timing, and approved content.
Guarded action
Before any test or production delivery
- Exact recipient or audience approved
- Subject, preview text, body, sender identity, and subscription type verified
- Every link and image checked
- Suppression and exclusion rules read back
- Workflow/enrollment state intentional
- Post-send delivery proof captured
Pre-publication checklist
- Visible brand copy says Outsource Access as two words
- Typography is restrained and mobile-safe
- Requested product and presenter GIFs are distinct and correctly ordered
- Email images/GIFs use content-hash-qualified HubSpot Files URLs—not Mac-local paths
- Image URLs return expected MIME types and safe bytes
- Exact saved GIF blocks visibly render at natural dimensions and change frames
- Two delayed draft readbacks are stable after the editor is closed
- Destinations render the intended unique pages
- Tracking parameters are present once—never duplicated
- Folder and automated-email type are correct
- Published and draft objects were read separately
- Workflows remain in the approved state
After publication
- Read the authoritative live email object.
- Verify subject, preview text, body modules, image alt text, and CTA URLs.
- Confirm published/update timestamp changed.
- Reconfirm workflows and enrollment state.
- Post the direct HubSpot link for Brad's phone review.
Evidence language
Use precise labels:
- Draft prepared
- Published update verified
- Workflow inactive
- No contact enrolled
- No email sent
Never compress these into “campaign complete.”
Fast decision table
| If Brad asks… | Default operating response |
|---|---|
| “Edit this published email.” | Edit the pending revision, QA it, and publish the approved changes unless Brad says draft only. |
| “Let me review it.” | Clarify whether Brad wants the live version or pending editor revision; provide the direct link. |
| “Test it.” | Confirm the exact approved recipient; send only after approval and verify delivery. |
| “Turn it on.” | Confirm workflow, audience, timing, exclusions, and proof plan before activation. |
| “Use this image.” | Host it, HTTP/MIME-check it, inspect safety/animation, then update the intended module. |
| “Link to this page.” | Deploy and unique-page verify first; then patch and read back the destination. |
Current permanent conventions
- Email folder: Sterling Emails (Brad)
- Email images/GIFs: HubSpot Files with content-hash-qualified names
- Generated videos: Vimeo → Sterling videos (
30060478) - Generated non-email images: Sterling Media Cloudflare project
- Review: normal email view shows published version
- Pending revision: open through Edit Email
- Historical content: Version history; do not restore casually
- Internal page subsections: horizontal top tabs
Authority summary
May prepare: drafts, assets, lists, workflow foundations, QA evidence.
Requires direct approval: publication unless included in Brad's explicit edit request, test sends, workflow activation, contact enrollment, production sends, credentials, destructive cleanup, and customer-data mutations.