Also known as "Pillar Content" in the UI (December 2025 rename).
Standard briefs analyze search results and generate strategic content.
Link Magnet briefs perform deep research with citations, structured findings, and auto-generated sources sections. Every statistic, quote, and study includes a citation reference with source URL.
Deep Research Integration
Source Attribution
Content Type Specialization Six content types with research focus tailored to each:
Chart.js Visualizations
Link Magnet briefs start from Pillar Content recommendations, not manual keyword entry.
Authority > Pillar Content
You'll see recommendations for high-value content ideas with:
Click a recommendation to view full details.
Click "Accept & Create Brief"
You have two options:
With Deep Research (Recommended)
Quick Mode (Skip Research)
Most users should choose "With Deep Research." The citation data is what makes link magnets earn backlinks.
Link Magnet brief creation has five phases:
Loads the recommendation data, outline, and content type.
Runs deep research. This is the slowest phase (2-4 minutes) because the system:
What's happening:
Extracts entities (people, products, concepts) from research for Background Brain coverage tracking.
Assembles the content generation prompt with:
Selects creative elements (title format, hook, tone) and generates hero image prompt.
Total time: 5-7 minutes (2-4 minutes for research, 2-3 minutes for brief assembly)
The brief stores structured research including:
Quantified findings with citations.
Example:
```
[1] 73% of consumers prefer sustainable fabrics in swimwear
Source: Cotton Incorporated (2024)
```
Direct quotes with attribution.
Example:
```
[5] "Sustainable swimwear is no longer a niche market—it's expected"
— Dr. Sarah Chen, Textile Sustainability Researcher, ASU
```
Academic or industry research with key findings.
Example:
```
[8] Global Swimwear Sustainability Report by Carbonfact
Key Finding: Nylon production accounts for 65% of swimwear carbon footprint
```
Emerging patterns with supporting data.
Example:
```
[12] Shift toward recycled nylon (ECONYL) increasing 40% year-over-year
Source: Textile Exchange (2024)
```
Non-obvious content angles for differentiation.
Example:
After the brief completes, click "Generate Article."
The AI receives research findings with source URLs and weaves them naturally into the article as inline links. It must:
Example generated content:
```html
Recent research shows that 73% of consumers prioritize
sustainable fabrics when shopping for swimwear, according to
Cotton Incorporated's 2024 report,
with nylon production accounting for 65% of the industry's carbon footprint
per Carbonfact's lifecycle analysis.
"Sustainable swimwear is no longer a niche market—it's expected," notes
Dr. Sarah Chen, a textile sustainability
researcher at Arizona State University.
Sources are woven inline — no separate Sources section at the end.
Each source links to the original research URL.
Different content types emphasize different research elements:
Focus: Statistics, surveys, data points, methodology
Example use case: "Swimwear Sustainability Survey: Consumer Preferences by Region"
Research priorities:
Content structure:
Focus: Best practices, expert consensus, common mistakes
Example use case: "The Complete Guide to Sustainable Swimwear Materials"
Research priorities:
Content structure:
Focus: Formulas, benchmarks, reference data, calculation methodologies
Example use case: "Swimwear Carbon Footprint Calculator"
Research priorities:
Content structure:
Focus: Performance metrics, user satisfaction data, rankings
Example use case: "Top 10 Sustainable Swimwear Fabrics: Performance Comparison"
Research priorities:
Content structure:
Focus: Visual-friendly statistics, timelines, process flows
Example use case: "The Journey of Recycled Swimwear: From Bottle to Bikini"
Research priorities:
Content structure:
Focus: Standards, required components, checklists, regulatory requirements
Example use case: "Sustainable Swimwear Brand Launch Checklist"
Research priorities:
Content structure:
Link Magnet briefs are editable like any brief:
Click "Edit Brief" to modify:
Research data is immutable. You can't re-run the deep research. If you need new research, create a new brief.
Creative selections are regenerable. Click "Regenerate All Creative Selections" for fresh AI recommendations (title format, hook, tone, etc.).
Use Link Magnets when:
Don't use Link Magnets when:
Use Link Magnets strategically for high-value content that earns links, not routine blog posts.
Always review generated content citations:
If validation warnings appear:
Editing source links:
source name format when editingLink Magnet briefs include data visualization suggestions.
To implement visualizations:
Example chart code:
```html
```
Citations: [Source: Carbonfact 2024]
analyzing: Phase 1-2 (loading recommendation + deep research) processing_entities: Phase 3 (entity extraction for Background Brain) processing_creative: Phase 4-5 (prompt building + creative selections) completed: Brief ready, research stored error: Research or brief creation failed
Symptom: Brief status shows "error" with "Research timeout after 300s"
Cause: Research took longer than 5-minute timeout (rare)
Fix: Click "Retry Generation." Research usually completes on second attempt.
Symptom: After content generation, warning shows "Citation [n] not found"
Cause: AI hallucinated a citation number not in research data
Fix: Edit content and remove/correct the hallucinated citation.
Symptom: Brief completes but research data is empty
Cause: Research service temporarily unavailable
Fix: Contact support. Brief is still usable but lacks citations.
Symptom: Research completes but only 2-3 statistics found
Cause: Obscure topic with limited authoritative sources
Fix: Consider broader topic, or use Quick Mode (skip research) for non-citation content.
Q: How long does Link Magnet brief creation take? 5-7 minutes. Deep research (2-4 min) is the longest phase. Standard briefs are 3-5 minutes.
Q: Can I create Link Magnet briefs for any keyword? No. Link Magnet briefs start from Pillar Content recommendations, which are AI-generated content ideas designed for link-earning potential. You can't create a Link Magnet brief from a manual keyword.
Q: What if I want citations but don't have a recommendation? Create a Custom Brief instead. It won't have deep research, but you can manually research and cite sources.
Q: Does deep research use real-time data? Yes. ILLIXIS searches live sources (academic journals, industry reports, news sites) and extracts current findings. Not cached data.
Q: Can I re-run research after the brief is created? No. Research is immutable once stored. If you need updated research (e.g., 6 months later), create a new brief from a new recommendation.
Q: How many sources does a typical brief include? 20-30 citations total: 8-15 statistics, 3-5 quotes, 3-5 studies, 3-5 trends. Not all citations get used in generated content (typically 10-15 are cited).
Q: What makes a source "credible" vs "low credibility"? ILLIXIS scores credibility as:
Academic and government sources rank highest.
Q: Can I edit research findings after creation? No. Research data is locked. You can edit the generated content and manually add/remove citations, but you can't modify the research findings stored in the brief.
Q: What happens if deep research finds no sources? Rare. If it happens, the brief completes with empty research sections and you get a warning. Content generates without citations (treat it like a standard brief).
Q: Do Link Magnet briefs count against my quota? Yes. Link Magnet brief creation counts against your monthly brief generation quota.
Q: Can I use Link Magnet content for other purposes? Yes. The research and citations are yours. Repurpose into:
Respond to journalist queries automatically. Earn backlinks from high-authority publications.
Location: Authority Builder → Journalist Queries
Link Magnet Recommendations identify strategic content opportunities designed to earn backlinks naturally. The system analyzes your brand, competitors, and successful content patterns to suggest 6 types of high-value pillar content.
Link magnets are high-authority content pieces designed to earn backlinks naturally. ILLIXIS uses deep research to create research-backed content with authoritative citations that other sites want to reference.
ILLIXIS tracks domain authority, analyzes link profiles, and identifies link-building opportunities. The integration provides real-time backlink intelligence across briefs, competitive gap analysis, and domain health tracking.
One platform. You approve. ILLIXIS executes. Marketing that just happens.
Marketing, Unstacked.