# travelsim.guide

Site grounding for agents without the travelsim.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: travelsim.guide
- Pins: editorial-charter@1.3.1, portfolio-icp@1.0.0
- Repo: 1cba6b37a2ecf4f40edae5a7fb5186277c89a288 (committed 2026-10-03T14:31:25-07:00)
- Built 2026-10-05T03:25:29+00:00
- Pages: https://taxonomy.tfw.bz/sites/travelsim.guide/

## BRAND.md

Version 1.1.1 · status draft · sha256 bc390922020c16115814aaf924b0f7bb874c545516df38f62b32182f141958ce

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.1.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: travelsim.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
archetype: charter:brand-archetype-sage (sage)
secondary_archetype: charter:brand-archetype-caregiver (caregiver)
claims:
  - id: c1
    text: TravelSIM Guide was founded in 2026 by Thomas Prommer.
    basis: charter:claim-basis-documented (documented)
    source: about.manifest.json (foundingDate 2026-09-17, source first commit in repo)
  - id: c2
    text: The site claims no personal trips and no provider testing.
    basis: charter:claim-basis-documented (documented)
    source: VOICE.md section 6
  - id: c3
    text: Plan facts carry a source link and an access date.
    basis: charter:claim-basis-documented (documented)
    source: "https://travelsim.guide/en/sim-card-international-travel/ (Sources list with a 2026-09-18 date per link and an Updated 2026-09-18 line, read 2026-10-03)"
```

### BRAND

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

#### Promise
Mobile data abroad, explained as the checks a traveller does in order: at home, before departure and on arrival, with sources and dates and without a provider ranking.

#### Personality
The sage, with a caregiver streak. It explains how a travel eSIM, a local SIM and roaming differ, then names the check to do next, calmly, like clear airport signage. It stays quiet on hype and claims no personal trips or provider tests.

#### Visual pointers
Locked direction "Departures Board": see `design/tokens.json`, `DESIGN.md` and `design/DIRECTION.md`. Pale terminal surfaces carry reading, dark boards carry navigation, yellow is only for the header and gate hover.

#### Do / Don't
Do: give one instruction at a time, in the order the traveller needs it. Do: date and source every plan fact. Do: explain how to compare, so the reader can redo it next week. Do: say what an eSIM cannot do.
Don't: show undated prices, live price feeds or invented coverage maps. Don't: rank providers. Don't: imply trips, tests or credentials nobody holds. Don't: write "hassle-free", "stay connected seamlessly" or influencer copy.

## VOICE.md

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 723d0386117c9d73eba59827e860df2b0557a1654169aa80db79e99e96ef8f89

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: travelsim.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: [international-travellers]
essence: The right check, at the right moment, before you board.
```

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

### VOICE: Travel SIM Guide (travelsim.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: the site, third person for facts, second person (you) for the reader. No named author yet; the byline is added later by a human.
- Register: product (consumer-advice explainer)
- Language/locale: en (source language; de, es, fr, pt translated, see section 9)
- One-line essence: "The right check, at the right moment, before you board."

#### 2. Audience
- Primary audience: international travellers, many not technical
- Reader's job-to-be-done: get working mobile data abroad without overpaying or getting stuck on arrival
- Assume they own a smartphone and have not installed an eSIM before. Always explain eSIM, unlocking, data-only vs number, and when to install and switch on.

#### 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, imperative for steps. Never 'we' or 'I'.
- Sentence rhythm: Short, sequenced sentences. Checks in the order the traveller does them: at home, before departure, on arrival.
- Paragraph length: 2 to 4 sentences, then a numbered list.
- Structural tics to keep / avoid: Keep: 'before you fly' and 'when you land' sections, compare-by-method tables (price per GB, validity, hotspot, number). Avoid: live price claims, travel storytelling, ranking providers.

#### 5. Lexicon
- Preferred terms: travel eSIM, data-only, validity, price per GB, unlocked, install, turn on data roaming for the eSIM line
- Banned phrases (beyond humanizer's generic list): 'stay connected seamlessly', 'hassle-free', 'wanderlust', 'globetrotter', 'digital nomad lifestyle', 'best eSIM ever', 'unbeatable prices', 'we tested', 'on our last trip'
- Capitalization & spelling rules: eSIM (lower-case e, capital SIM), SIM card, EID, IMEI, 4G/5G, GB, Wi-Fi, iPhone, Android. Provider names as written by the company: Airalo, Holafly, Saily, T-Mobile, AT&T, Straight Talk. Country names in full, no flags.
- Domain-jargon level: Low. Every technical term explained on first use.

#### 6. E-E-A-T / Experience Claims  (anchors gate Step 7)
- Authentic experience this voice can claim: None claimed. No trips, countries visited or provider use may be implied.
- Named author + bio source: none yet. Do not invent authors, reviewers or credentials. A human adds the byline before publish.
- Quantified credential for bios: to be filled by the human author when assigned. Leave blank rather than guess.
- Citation posture: Phone makers' support pages (Apple, Google, Samsung), carrier pages and provider plan pages, each dated. Regulators for roaming rules (for example the EU roaming regulation).
- Original-data hooks this voice owns: Dated 'how to compare' tables and a phone compatibility checklist.
- "What I got wrong" angle: Documented traps: installing an eSIM that starts its validity at install time, forgetting to switch data to the eSIM line, locked phones.

#### 7. Gold-Standard Examples  (few-shot anchor, highest leverage)
No pages are published yet. These are drafted anchors written for this proposal; replace them with verbatim paragraphs from the first two published pages.
- Example A (drafted for /en/): "Before you buy a travel eSIM, check two things on your phone. First, dial *#06#: if a line labelled EID appears, the phone supports eSIM. Second, check that the phone is unlocked. On an iPhone, go to Settings, General, About, and look for 'No SIM restrictions' under Carrier Lock. If either check fails, an eSIM will not help, and a local physical SIM or your carrier's roaming plan is the option left. Do both checks at home, not at the arrivals gate."
  - Why on-voice: sequenced checks, exact menu path, ends with timing advice.
- Example B (drafted for /en/sim-card-international-travel/): "You have three ways to get data abroad: your home carrier's roaming, a travel eSIM, or a local SIM bought at your destination. Roaming needs no setup but can be the most expensive per GB. A travel eSIM is installed before you leave and usually gives data only. A local SIM often has the most data for the money but needs a shop, sometimes your passport, and a phone with a free SIM slot. Compare them by price per GB for the days you travel."
  - Why on-voice: lays out options by consequence, compare-by-method, no prices.

#### 8. Anti-References  (do NOT sound like)
- Affiliate 'best eSIM 2026' listicles.
- Travel influencer tone.
- Provider marketing ('stay connected in 200+ countries!').

#### 9. Other Languages
Pages in de, es, fr and pt are translated from English with DeepL, then edited by a fluent reader. Keep the same facts, structure and tone axes. Register per language:
- **de:** Sie. Clear and calm, like a consumer-advice page (Verbraucherzentrale register). Use 'eSIM', 'Datentarif', 'Roaming'. EU roaming rules ('Roam like at home') explained for German readers travelling outside the EU. Paid links labelled 'Anzeige'.
- **es:** tú, neutral Spanish that works for Spain and Latin America. 'eSIM', 'tarifa de datos', 'itinerancia (roaming)'.
- **fr:** vous. 'eSIM', 'forfait de données', 'itinérance'. Plain consumer-advice register.
- **pt:** você, Brazilian Portuguese. 'eSIM', 'plano de dados', 'roaming internacional'. Practical, friendly.
- All languages: keep product names, units and model numbers exactly as the vendor writes them. Do not translate UI labels that the reader will see in English inside the software or app; give the English label and a translation in parentheses on first use.

## STRATEGY.md

Version 1.0.2 · status draft · sha256 ec92767fd3321a2f9aaacd2cdc7189b797c8644fe843037dea59b2dc2773ac0d

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.2
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: travelsim.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-speed-of-answer (speed of answer)]
audiences:
  - kind: charter:audience-kind-consumer (consumer)
    name: International travellers
    segment: international-travellers
    job_to_be_done: Get working mobile data abroad without overpaying or getting stuck on arrival.
profile_required: true
```

### STRATEGY

#### Mission
We help international travellers get working mobile data abroad without overpaying or getting stuck on arrival, by explaining compatibility, plan choice and installation in the order they do them.

#### Positioning
Depth on method first: each page says how to check a phone, how to compare plans by price per GB, validity and hotspot rules, and where the fact comes from, with a date. Speed of answer second: the Departures Board design puts the answer in front. We concede price position, because plan prices change weekly and the site publishes no undated provider prices (`briefs/site.md`).

#### Audiences
International travellers: leisure and business travellers with an unlocked phone going abroad for days or weeks, who want mobile data without roaming charges or a SIM shop queue. Many have not installed an eSIM before. Source: `briefs/strategy.md` ICP a (an assumed default pending Tom's review), `VOICE.md` section 2.

#### Competitors
Provider-owned pages, which cannot compare themselves with rivals. Affiliate "best eSIM" lists. Price-comparison engines such as esimdb.com. Travel bloggers writing from a single trip. Reddit threads and YouTube setup videos. Source: `~/opt/strategy-work/projects/travelsim.guide/research/competitive-landscape.md`.

#### What we will not do
No provider rankings, live price feeds, undated prices or invented coverage maps. No invented trips, testers or credentials. No affiliate links (`PRODUCT.md`). No ad slots in phase 1 (`decisions.md` D-007) and no listing fees. No pages for US prepaid carrier activation until Tom picks the audience (`briefs/HOLD.md`).

#### Bets for the horizon
1. Finish the traveller guides that are not on hold, in five languages, and pass the launch gate so the site can leave noindex (moves pages_indexed).
2. Publish the dated compare-by-method tables and the phone compatibility checklist as the site's own reference (moves content_engaged).
3. Win the plain-language queries "travel esim" and "sim card for international travel" (moves gsc_clicks).

## AUDIENCE.md

Version 1.1.1 · status draft · sha256 ba4da16c01b622b93a9ab48d5585df9ad59f396729fc52634c36c97928df3811

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.1.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: travelsim.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
segments:
  - slug: international-travellers
    name: International travellers
    kind: charter:audience-kind-consumer (consumer)
    archetype: icp:unmapped (Unmapped)  # no pinned archetype fits a trip-connectivity buyer; a new archetype is a taxonomy change
    priority: charter:segment-priority-primary (primary)
    job_to_be_done: Get working mobile data abroad without overpaying or getting stuck on arrival.
    funnel_stages: [charter:funnel-stage-consideration (consideration), charter:funnel-stage-decision (decision)]
    languages: [en, de, es, fr, pt]
    regions: [US, GB, DE, ES, FR, BR]
    pains:
      - Plan prices and data allowances change weekly and are hard to compare.
      - It is unclear whether a plan includes a phone number, a hotspot or unlimited data.
      - Installation fails or data does not connect on arrival.
      - Fear of paying twice or losing the home number.
    channels: [charter:channel-organic-search (organic search), charter:channel-social-video (social video), charter:channel-community (community)]
    size_signal: {metric: monthly_searches, value: 3600, unit: count}
    evidence:
      default: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-researched (researched), source: "PRODUCT.md Users and purpose (travellers choosing mobile data abroad, checking a phone before departure or on arrival); briefs/HOLD.md keeps the US prepaid carrier pages on hold; briefs/strategy.md ICP a", as_of: 2026-10-03}
      regions: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent assumption 2026-10-03 from VOICE.md section 9 language registers (de, es, fr, pt-BR) plus en for US and GB; replace with GSC country data once indexed", as_of: 2026-10-03}
      channels: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "agent draft 2026-10-03 from briefs/strategy.md 'Where they search' (Google, Reddit travel threads, YouTube setup videos)", as_of: 2026-10-03}
      size_signal: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-researched (researched), source: "briefs/keywords.json: keyword 'travel esim', lang en, search_volume 3600 (DataForSEO, 2026-09-01 per ~/opt/strategy-work/projects/travelsim.guide/research/keyword-research.md)", as_of: 2026-09-01}
```

### AUDIENCE

#### International travellers
Leisure and business travellers with an unlocked phone who are going abroad for days or weeks. They want data without roaming charges or a SIM shop queue, and many have never installed an eSIM. They need compatibility, the difference between data and a phone number, and the moment to install explained before they buy. Source: STRATEGY.md section Audiences, `briefs/strategy.md`.

#### Excluded audiences
Not written for: visitors to the United States who want a US prepaid carrier activated (those pages are on hold, `briefs/HOLD.md`), readers who want a provider ranking or a live price, and anyone expecting a deal list. Source: STRATEGY.md section What we will not do.

## MONETIZATION.md

Version 1.1.1 · status draft · sha256 c68cf2900c363106b9c2b03b4c6e561a0968c5afd7694f613538cb86ca53d309

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.1.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: travelsim.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
revenue_lines:
  - slug: display-ads-troubleshooting
    name: Display ads on troubleshooting pages
    type: charter:revenue-type-display-ads (display ads)
    commission_model: charter:commission-model-rpm (RPM)
    placements: [charter:placement-type-display-slot (display slot)]
    segments: [international-travellers]
    kpi_key: ad_revenue_recorded
    status: charter:revenue-status-idea (idea)
    share_band: charter:revenue-share-band-marginal (marginal)
    start_trigger: "Not in phase 1 (strategy-work decisions.md D-007, 2026-09-01: no display ads in phase 1); after that, the owner confirms ad slots (briefs/strategy.md)"
    evidence:
      default: {basis: charter:evidence-basis-assumed (assumed), source: "briefs/strategy.md Monetization option a; strategy-work decisions.md D-007 rules display out for phase 1 only", as_of: 2026-10-03}
```

### MONETIZATION

#### Revenue model
No revenue is live and none is planned. `PRODUCT.md` (2026-09-18) rules out affiliate monetization, and it is the newest stated policy in the repo, so it overrides the affiliate options in `briefs/strategy.md` and the affiliate-first decision D-007 in `~/opt/strategy-work/projects/travelsim.guide/decisions.md` (2026-09-01). D-007 also says no display ads in phase 1. The one line left is a later-phase display idea with no number.

#### Disclosure rules
Disclose a commercial link next to the link on the page, not only in the footer. German pages label paid links "Anzeige". The editorial rule from `decisions.md` D-008 applies: where the best-paying provider is not the best fit, the page says so. Source: `briefs/strategy.md` Compliance.

#### Not monetised
No affiliate links: `PRODUCT.md` says "No affiliate monetization". This removes the Airalo, Holafly and Saily affiliate lines drafted from `briefs/strategy.md`. No provider rankings sold, no sponsored placements, no coupon or brand-bidding promotion, no live price feeds. Source: `PRODUCT.md`, `briefs/strategy.md`.

#### Display ads on troubleshooting pages
An idea only, and not for phase 1. `briefs/strategy.md` puts display ads on troubleshooting and compatibility pages once traffic qualifies. D-007 rules them out in phase 1. No ad network is integrated and no payout is recorded.

## KPI.md

Version 1.0.2 · status draft · sha256 54bc511616d00ad922d1672c9b8e7dcfa1322d61c80361455ea4cc49a3b35d2a

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.2
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: travelsim.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 an editorial site is run on, and this site has no conversion yet, so reach is the primary. gsc_clicks, gsc_impressions and avg_position show how the search queries behind the traveller guides are doing. content_engaged shows whether visitors read the checks. newsletter_subscribed and affiliate_clicked stay enabled because they are part of the editorial-traffic template; affiliate_clicked should read zero, since `PRODUCT.md` rules out affiliate links. crawl_errors and pages_indexed are the guardrails while the five-language page count grows.

#### Reading guide
Weekly pageview_recorded against the `(site)` value target in kpi-mgmt once the owner sets one: no target exists yet and this file does not propose one. Rising gsc_impressions with a flat gsc_clicks and a poor avg_position means the pages are found but not chosen. Rising pageview_recorded with a flat content_engaged means the traffic is not reading. A rise in crawl_errors or a fall in pages_indexed overrides every other reading.

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

## taxonomy/binding.yaml

Version 1.0.1 · status draft · sha256 0430fff47eb6e4087c8625d4c765eb2397db82921ece3da8edf607fd8806ac05

```yaml
charter: 1
version: 1.0.1
profile: editorial-charter@1.3.1
domain: travelsim.guide
status: draft
reviewed_by: ""
iab_content: ["iab:653", "iab:596"]
icp_profile: portfolio-icp@1.0.0
content_profile: null
languages: [en, de, es, fr, pt]
regions: [US, GB, DE, ES, FR, BR]
```