# retreatfinder.guide

Site grounding for agents without the retreatfinder.guide repository: its seven charter files, unchanged except that headings sit two levels lower and every term id the pinned version defines, in the frontmatter blocks too, is followed by its label from the pinned version. The YAML blocks are therefore for reading, not parsing; the repo files are the source.

- Domain: retreatfinder.guide
- Pins: editorial-charter@1.3.1, portfolio-icp@1.0.0
- Repo: b2201a49cd846f0b429b1df7482dbf551b76c5c7 (committed 2026-10-03T14:16:03-07:00)
- Built 2026-10-05T03:25:29+00:00
- Pages: https://taxonomy.tfw.bz/sites/retreatfinder.guide/

## BRAND.md

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 389bccc40d96a1beacce7243aaa83cf7c9b013edfd9f1ed53a3caa5737e73274

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: retreatfinder.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
archetype: charter:brand-archetype-explorer (explorer)
secondary_archetype: charter:brand-archetype-everyman (everyman)
claims:
  - id: c1
    text: The site is an independent directory, not affiliated with any retreat center or organizer.
    basis: charter:claim-basis-documented (documented)
    source: about.manifest.json copy.summary150
  - id: c2
    text: Prices, inclusions and policies link to the retreat or host page with an access date.
    basis: charter:claim-basis-documented (documented)
    source: VOICE.md section 6 (citation posture)
```

### BRAND

#### Name and entity
Retreat Finder Guide, published by Thomas Prommer. Entity home: https://retreatfinder.guide/en/about/ (`about.manifest.json`). Contact comms@flywheel.bz.

#### Promise
You find a wellness, yoga or meditation retreat that fits how you want to feel and what you can spend, and you learn what is and is not included before you pay a deposit.

#### Personality
The explorer, with an everyman streak: a well-traveled friend who has read the fine print. It answers first, names the exclusions, says who a retreat suits and who should skip it. It does not write postcard openings or mood copy, and it never claims a stay it has not made.

#### Visual pointers
Locked direction "Dusk" (forest and ember, need-based entry points). Tokens: `design/tokens.json`. Rationale and rules: `DESIGN.md`.

#### Do / Don't
Do: answer first, then a "what a day looks like" block, then "who this suits". Do: list what flights, transfers and treatments cost extra. Do: date every price and policy.
Don't: rank retreats by payout. Don't: write "when we stayed" or "we tried". Don't: make health claims about retreats.

## VOICE.md

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 d8091bae73b6705e1ff230633282a3cb71609be284d1970d07115f56d4a26316

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: retreatfinder.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
register: charter:voice-register-consumer (consumer)
person: charter:voice-person-second (second person)
languages: [en, de, es, fr, pt]
addresses: [leisure-wellness-vacationers]
essence: "A well-traveled friend who has read the fine print and tells you what the retreat week is really like and what it costs."
```

<!-- ASSUMED DEFAULT, 2026-09-17: recommended voice option 'a. Well-traveled friend' from ~/reports/site-strategy/retreatfinder.guide.json, pending Tom's review in ~/reports/site-decisions/index.html. If Tom picks another voice this file is replaced. -->

### VOICE: Retreat Finder (retreatfinder.guide)

> Loaded by /humanizer (Step 0) and the content publishing gate (drafting Step 1
> + humanizer Step 3). If absent, both fall back to generic mode.

#### 1. Identity & Register
- Voice owner / who speaks: Retreat Finder editorial team, first-person plural (we) sparingly, mostly second person to the reader
- Register: brand
- Language/locale: en (US English); other locales in section 9
- One-line essence: "A well-traveled friend who has read the fine print and tells you what the retreat week is really like and what it costs."

#### 2. Audience
- Primary audience: mixed (adults booking a leisure wellness trip, often for two or a women's group)
- Reader's job-to-be-done: pick a retreat that matches how they want to feel, fits the budget and has no surprises on inclusions
- Assume they know: what a spa or yoga class is; that retreats vary a lot in price
- Always explain: what all-inclusive covers and excludes, daily schedule, who a retreat suits, cancellation terms, travel logistics

#### 3. Tone Axes  (mark where this voice sits)
- Formal   ───●───  Casual
- Authority ───●───  Peer
- Serious  ──●────  Playful
- Concise  ──●────  Expansive
- Default editorial_track: factual

#### 4. Person, POV & Cadence
- Person: second person (you) for guidance, we for editorial method statements
- Sentence rhythm: medium sentences with the occasional short one for a concrete detail; no fragments
- Paragraph length: 2-4 sentences
- Structural tics to keep: answer first, then a 'what a day looks like' block, then 'who this suits / who should skip it'
- Structural tics to avoid: stacked adjectives, destination postcard openings, lists of three moods

#### 5. Lexicon
- Preferred terms: retreat, retreat center, host, package, inclusions, day rate, shared room, private room, schedule
- Banned phrases (beyond humanizer's generic list): transformative, bucket list, hidden gem, oasis, rejuvenate your soul, escape the everyday, luxury haven, curated experiences, life-changing
- Capitalization & spelling rules: all-inclusive (hyphenated), Vipassana, Sedona, Big Sur, US English spelling
- Domain-jargon level: low; define sound bath, breathwork, Ayurveda on first use

#### 6. E-E-A-T / Experience Claims  (anchors gate Step 7)
- Authentic experience this voice can claim: None personal until a named author with real retreat attendance is assigned. Do not write 'when we stayed' or 'we tried'.
- Named author + bio source: TBD by Tom; byline shows 'Retreat Finder editors' until then
- Quantified credential for bios: TBD with the real author (for example number of retreats attended or years running retreat travel); never invent
- Citation posture: Link retreat or host pages for any price, inclusion or policy, with access date. Cite official tourism or government pages for travel rules.
- Original-data hooks this voice owns: price and inclusion comparisons built from the directory database once listings exist (median package price by region, share of listings with private rooms)
- "What I got wrong" angle: Where it fits, name the booking mistake readers make (booking the cheapest shared room without checking the schedule, missing that flights and transfers are excluded).

#### 7. Gold-Standard Examples  (few-shot anchor)
- Example A (provisional, from the strategy sample for /en/all-inclusive-wellness-retreats/; replace with a published paragraph once live): "An all-inclusive wellness retreat usually covers your room, three meals a day, the scheduled classes and at least some treatments, but the word means different things at different places. Read the inclusions list before the price. Flights, airport transfers, tips, alcohol and extra spa sessions are the items most often left out. Ask the host for a sample daily schedule too, because two retreats with the same price can differ a lot in how many hours are guided. If a package page says all-inclusive and lists no exclusions at all, email the host and get the answer in writing before you pay a deposit."
  - Why on-voice: answers first, names the exclusions, gives a concrete action

#### 8. Anti-References  (do NOT sound like)
- Booking-platform listing copy ("immerse yourself in a sanctuary of serenity")
- Travel influencer first-person diaries
- Generic AI listicles ("Top 10 wellness retreats you need to visit")

#### 9. Other languages
Voice is authored in English. Each language version is written natively for its market (handover 6.6), not translated sentence by sentence. Machine assist only through DeepL.
- de: Native German. Address the reader with "Sie" by default because the site spans luxury all-inclusive and corporate readers; the yoga and meditation sections may use "du" only if Tom approves a section `_VOICE.md`. Use "Retreat" (established loanword) but German for everything else ("Unterkunft", "Verpflegung", "Anreise").
- es: Native Spanish for a broad Spain plus Latin America reader. Use "tú"; wellness travel copy in Spanish is informal. Prices in the local currency only when sourced.
- fr: Native French. Use "vous" throughout. Keep sentences short, avoid anglicisms where a French term exists ("séjour", "hébergement").
- pt: Native Brazilian Portuguese unless the page targets Portugal (then European Portuguese). Use "você". Destination pages about Portugal are written for the Portugal market.

## STRATEGY.md

Version 1.1.1 · status draft · sha256 9fb2979a429d4af83d6f7bf4dc26e47b0e8b51b3b18cf2cb24de8fc0f21ef8c5

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.1.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: retreatfinder.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
mission_shape: charter:mission-shape-serve-x-to-achieve-y (serve X to achieve Y)
horizon: charter:horizon-12m (12 months)
positioning:
  primary: charter:positioning-axis-authority-depth (authority depth)
  secondary: [charter:positioning-axis-locality (locality)]
audiences:
  - kind: charter:audience-kind-consumer (consumer)
    name: Leisure wellness vacationers
    segment: leisure-wellness-vacationers
    job_to_be_done: Find a retreat in a region they can reach and understand what the package covers before paying.
profile_required: true
```

### STRATEGY

#### Mission
We help adults planning a wellness, yoga or meditation retreat compare location, format, cost and what is actually included, so they can pick a week that matches how they want to feel.

Source: the drafted default from briefs/strategy.md (ICP a), sharpened with the approved entity copy in about.manifest.json (copy.summary150, 2026-09-19).

#### Positioning
Authority depth first, and the site stays an independent directory that is not affiliated with any retreat center and sells no paid placements (about.manifest.json): the fine print that package pages hide (flights, transfers, treatments, cancellation terms), read for the reader. Locality second: retreats are grouped by type and by destination, so a reader can start from the feeling or from the place. We concede inventory size: booking marketplaces list thousands of retreats and this directory will not match them early on.

#### Audiences
Leisure wellness vacationers are adults, often travelling solo, with a friend or as a couple, who have a week or a long weekend and a budget set aside for a restful trip. The trigger is usually a stressful stretch or an occasion such as an anniversary. They compare packages by location, price and inclusions. Assume they know what a spa or yoga class is; always explain what all-inclusive covers, the daily schedule and who a retreat suits.

#### Competitors
Retreat booking marketplaces with large listing counts lead these results (briefs/strategy.md, risks). womensretreat.guide is a sister site and owns the "wellness retreats for women" query, so this site holds that cluster back (briefs/HOLD.md).

#### What we will not do
No ranking of retreats by commission. No health claims about retreats. No invented listings: location, venue and city pages use directory placeholders only. No affiliate links on the planned mental-health and psychedelic sections. No affiliate link or ad slot goes live until Tom confirms.

#### Bets for the horizon
1. Own the commercial retreat-plus-audience and retreat-plus-place pages: all-inclusive, California, couples (moves gsc_clicks).
2. Put an inclusions and exclusions block on every retreat page so readers can compare packages (moves content_engaged).
3. Add disclosed "check dates and price" links to marketplaces with programs, once Tom confirms (moves affiliate_clicked).

## AUDIENCE.md

Version 1.1.1 · status draft · sha256 fca3306ef39be0844dca55a721d2f5bb7d96022b4bb94892b481aa083c817c78

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.1.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: retreatfinder.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
segments:
  - slug: leisure-wellness-vacationers
    name: Leisure wellness vacationers
    kind: charter:audience-kind-consumer (consumer)
    archetype: icp:first-time-experience-seeker (First-time experience seeker)
    priority: charter:segment-priority-primary (primary)
    job_to_be_done: Find a retreat in a region they can reach and understand what the package covers before paying.
    funnel_stages: [charter:funnel-stage-awareness (awareness), charter:funnel-stage-consideration (consideration), charter:funnel-stage-decision (decision)]
    languages: [en, de, es, fr, pt]
    regions: [US, DE, ES, FR, BR]
    pains:
      - Package pages hide exclusions such as flights, transfers and treatments.
      - Prices are hard to compare across booking platforms.
      - It is unclear whether a retreat is restful or a strict program.
    channels: [charter:channel-organic-search (organic search)]
    entry_paths: ["/en/all-inclusive-wellness-retreats/", "/en/wellness-retreat-california/", "/en/wellness-retreats-couples/"]
    size_signal: {metric: monthly_searches, value: 9190, unit: count}
    evidence:
      default: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent draft 2026-10-03 from briefs/strategy.md (assumed default ICP a, pending Tom) and briefs/site.md; about.manifest.json copy.summary150 names both first-time retreat choosers and returning practitioners", as_of: 2026-10-03}
      size_signal: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-researched (researched), source: "briefs/strategy.md (size signal: 9,190 monthly searches across 12 planned en pages, briefs/keywords.json)", as_of: 2026-09-17}
      regions: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent assumption 2026-10-03: US from the California and Sedona queries in briefs/strategy.md; DE, ES, FR, BR from the de, es, fr, pt page plan in briefs/site.md; no traffic data yet", as_of: 2026-10-03}
      channels: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent draft 2026-10-03 from briefs/strategy.md (Google, Instagram and booking marketplaces; only Google maps to a charter channel)", as_of: 2026-10-03}
```

### AUDIENCE

#### Leisure wellness vacationers
Adults, most often travelling solo, with a friend or as a couple, with a week or a long weekend and a budget for a restful trip. They compare retreats by location, price and what is included, and they want to know what a retreat week is really like. The approved entity copy says the site suits both people choosing a retreat for the first time and returning practitioners deciding where to go next, which is why the closest portfolio archetype is the first-time experience seeker. Source: briefs/strategy.md, VOICE.md section 2, about.manifest.json.

#### Excluded audiences
Not written for: readers looking for women-only retreats, which sister site womensretreat.guide owns (briefs/HOLD.md, hold set 2026-09-17; ten pages stay undrafted until that file changes), and readers looking for treatment programs, because health claims about retreats are out of scope (briefs/site.md).

## MONETIZATION.md

Version 1.1.1 · status draft · sha256 8270a914958d8003e077b8d63bd8c0625e84ac5d010e52494764552907354467

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.1.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: retreatfinder.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
revenue_lines:
  - slug: affiliate-bookretreats
    name: BookRetreats affiliate program
    type: charter:revenue-type-affiliate (affiliate)
    partner: {name: BookRetreats, entity: null, program_url: "https://a.bookretreats.com/"}
    program_status: charter:program-status-assumed (assumed)
    commission_model: charter:commission-model-revshare-percent (revenue share)
    placements: [charter:placement-type-listing (listing), charter:placement-type-inline-link (inline link)]
    segments: [leisure-wellness-vacationers]
    kpi_key: affiliate_clicked
    status: charter:revenue-status-idea (idea)
    share_band: charter:revenue-share-band-minor (minor)
    start_trigger: Tom confirms the monetization choice in the site-decisions review
    evidence:
      default: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent draft 2026-10-03 from briefs/strategy.md monetization option a; the program page was not read in this run", as_of: 2026-10-03}
  - slug: affiliate-tripaneer-bookyogaretreats
    name: Tripaneer and BookYogaRetreats affiliate program
    type: charter:revenue-type-affiliate (affiliate)
    partner: {name: Tripaneer, entity: BookYogaRetreats, program_url: "https://www.tripaneer.com/affiliates"}
    program_status: charter:program-status-assumed (assumed)
    commission_model: charter:commission-model-revshare-percent (revenue share)
    placements: [charter:placement-type-listing (listing), charter:placement-type-inline-link (inline link)]
    segments: [leisure-wellness-vacationers]
    kpi_key: affiliate_clicked
    status: charter:revenue-status-idea (idea)
    share_band: charter:revenue-share-band-minor (minor)
    start_trigger: Tom confirms the monetization choice in the site-decisions review
    evidence:
      default: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent draft 2026-10-03 from briefs/strategy.md monetization option a; the program page was not read in this run", as_of: 2026-10-03}
  - slug: display-ads-guide-pages
    name: Display ads on guide pages
    type: charter:revenue-type-display-ads (display ads)
    network: Mediavine Journey
    commission_model: charter:commission-model-rpm (RPM)
    placements: [charter:placement-type-display-slot (display slot)]
    segments: [leisure-wellness-vacationers]
    kpi_key: ad_revenue_recorded
    status: charter:revenue-status-idea (idea)
    share_band: charter:revenue-share-band-minor (minor)
    start_trigger: Tom confirms the monetization choice and traffic reaches the network minimum
    evidence:
      default: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent draft 2026-10-03 from briefs/strategy.md (Journey from 1,000 monthly sessions from tier-1 countries, Raptive at 25,000 pageviews; requirements not re-read in this run)", as_of: 2026-10-03}
```

### MONETIZATION

#### Revenue model
The assumed default in briefs/strategy.md is affiliate links to retreat marketplaces from listing modules and "check dates and price" buttons, plus display ads on guide pages. Every line is an idea until Tom confirms. No line is marked core because no source gives a revenue split, and no dated decision signs any line, so all three stay ideas.

The planned affiliate links fit the approved entity copy in about.manifest.json. That copy says the site is not affiliated with any retreat center or organizer and that listings are not paid placements. A disclosed commission on a link to a booking marketplace is neither: the marketplaces are not retreat centers, and no retreat pays to be listed or to rank. If a program ever pays for listing position or a featured slot, the manifest copy must change first.

#### Disclosure rules
Disclose the commission next to the links in plain words such as "we earn a commission", not only "affiliate link" (FTC Endorsement Guides, per briefs/strategy.md). Editorial choosing guides stay independent of commission.

#### Not monetised
Retreat order is never set by payout. No affiliate links to treatment or ayahuasca programs in the planned mental-health and psychedelic sections, because legal status varies by country and health referrals raise patient-brokering questions (briefs/strategy.md). Paid featured and verified listing tiers were an option not chosen. No line goes live until Tom confirms.

#### BookRetreats affiliate program
Listing modules and "check dates and price" buttons link to BookRetreats. The strategy note describes tiered commission by monthly bookings; the tiers are not repeated here because the program page was not read in this run.

#### Tripaneer and BookYogaRetreats affiliate program
The same modules can link to Tripaneer and BookYogaRetreats. The strategy note quotes a commission share range; it is not repeated here for the same reason.

#### Display ads on guide pages
Display ads on guide pages through Mediavine Journey once the site meets the network minimum, with a later move to Raptive.

## KPI.md

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 316f34798d05e8bd1b897a94f9c25f16707022b33bb944853611840a16e74af5

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: retreatfinder.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
template: charter:kpi-template-editorial-traffic (editorial traffic)
template_override: ""
kpis:
  - {key: pageview_recorded, role: charter:kpi-role-primary (primary)}
  - {key: gsc_clicks, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: gsc_impressions, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: avg_position, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: content_engaged, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: newsletter_subscribed, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: affiliate_clicked, role: charter:kpi-role-secondary (secondary)}
  - {key: crawl_errors, role: charter:kpi-role-guardrail (guardrail)}
  - {key: pages_indexed, role: charter:kpi-role-guardrail (guardrail)}
catalog_sha: 4304fc97e9ac457725bdc25dcbb724c36257a707cbb3c237b69cd3e7ba04ac39
```

### KPI

#### Why these metrics
pageview_recorded is the number the site is run on while the first job is ranking the retreat-type and destination pages. gsc_clicks, gsc_impressions and avg_position show whether those pages earn search visibility against marketplace listings. content_engaged shows whether the inclusions and daily-schedule blocks are read. newsletter_subscribed is kept from the template as a return path. affiliate_clicked stays enabled for the planned, disclosed marketplace links and stays near zero until Tom confirms them. crawl_errors and pages_indexed are the guardrails: errors must not rise as listing and destination pages are added.

#### Reading guide
Read pageview_recorded weekly against the target in kpi-mgmt once one is entered; none exists yet. Rising impressions with flat clicks means titles or positions need work. A rising pageview count with flat content_engaged means readers land but do not reach the inclusions block.

#### Review cadence
Quarterly, with the 12-month bets in STRATEGY.md.

## taxonomy/binding.yaml

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 a21fca7d23546b92b552f7c76a853626670c8e454eea2d4c2f6a56367ac8180b

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: retreatfinder.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
iab_content: ["iab:653", "iab:223"]
icp_profile: portfolio-icp@1.0.0
content_profile: null
languages: [en, de, es, fr, pt]
regions: [US, DE, ES, FR, BR]
```