Chapter Tools — The Guide

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Around 90% of what we do at Chapter now runs through our own tools. This guide teaches you all of them.

Most agencies stitch together a dozen expensive subscriptions — one for coverage, one for reports, one for tasks, one for contacts. We got tired of paying for tools that almost did what we wanted. So we built our own, designed around exactly how Chapter works.

Together they're called Chapter Tools. They share one look, one login feel, and they talk to each other — a journalist request that lands in the morning can become a task, a piece of coverage, and a line in a client's monthly report without you re-typing a thing.

You don't need to be technical. If you've used Coverage Book, Cision, a shared inbox or any normal dashboard, you already have the instincts. This guide just shows you where the buttons are and what they do.

The one thing to remember Everything starts at the hub — tools.chaptercommunications.co.uk. It's the front door to every tool below, with a "Today" panel showing what needs doing. Bookmark it.

tools.chaptercommunications.co.uk

The Chapter Tools hub — the front door to every tool

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1
You're here — the Chapter Tools hub.
2
Today panel — what's due, overdue, awaiting approval and shipped this week, in one glance.
3
Tool cards — click any tool to open it. Each has its own colour.

What's in this guide

The big picture

How the tools fit together.

You can think of the tools as one production line. Opportunities come in at one end, work moves through the middle, and results go out to clients at the other end. Here's the flow:

Listen

Newsbeat + Newsroom

Spot journalist requests & know who to pitch.

→

Do the work

Actions + Grid

Turn ideas into tasks & planned posts.

→

Measure

Vision

Track the coverage we earn.

→

Report

Pulse

Show clients the results each month.

Strategise sits above all of it — it learns from every tool and helps us decide what to pitch, post and propose next (including for new business).

Tool	In one line	It replaces	Status
Newsroom	Our journalist contact book	Roxhill / Cision media database	Live
Newsbeat	The 9am opportunities email	ResponseSource	Internal
Vision	Coverage tracking	Cision monitoring	Internal
Grid	Social media planner	Later / Canva	Client-facing
Actions	The agency to-do board	Productive	Internal
Pulse	Monthly client reports	Coverage Book reports	Client-facing
Strategise	Brand & audience strategy	Manual strategy decks	Internal

The tools, one by one

Each tool below follows the same pattern: what it is, why we use it, what it replaces, and how you'll actually use it.

NewsroomJournalist CRM

Our own contact book of journalists — who they are, what they cover, and which clients they matter to.

What it is

A searchable database of media contacts, tagged by specialism (e.g. travel, food, property) and by which Chapter clients they're relevant to. It also tracks "moves" — when a journalist changes jobs.

Why we use it

So anyone can find the right journalist in seconds and build a targeted media list, instead of relying on one person's memory or out-of-date spreadsheets.

What it replaces

Expensive media databases like Roxhill and Cision. We import contacts and keep them fresh automatically.

Why it's better

It's tuned to our clients, it updates daily from Press Gazette and Hold the Front Page, and it costs us nothing per seat.

chapter-newsroom.vercel.app

1 · Search bar — name, outlet or keyword

Filter by specialism ↓

2 · Journalist list — name, outlet, beat, client tags

3 · Moves feed

4 · Build media list →

1
Search — type a name, publication, or topic.
2
Results — each journalist shows their specialisms and which clients they suit.
3
Moves feed — who's changed jobs lately, so you never pitch the wrong outlet.
4
Build a list — tick contacts and export a clean media list.

Diagram — Newsroom sits behind a secure team login.

How you'll use it

Search for a topic or client (e.g. "luxury travel").
Skim the results — specialism tags tell you who's a fit.
Tick the journalists you want and export the media list.
Check the Moves feed weekly so your lists stay current.

Good to knowYou don't add contacts by hand — Newsroom pulls them in and updates them for you. If a contact looks wrong, flag it rather than editing blindly.

NewsbeatDaily media opportunities

The email that lands at 9am every weekday with journalist requests and story angles, already matched to our clients.

What it is

A daily digest of journalist requests, awareness days and competitor coverage — scored against each active client brief so the most relevant opportunities float to the top.

Why we use it

It's how we catch reactive PR opportunities first thing, before the inbox fills up. One scan tells you what's worth jumping on today.

What it replaces

ResponseSource — the paid service that emailed journalist requests. Newsbeat does the same but filtered to our clients.

Why it's better

It only shows opportunities that match a live client brief, with a relevance score, so you're not wading through hundreds of irrelevant requests.

Where to find itIt arrives by email to the team at 9:08am, Monday to Friday. There's nothing to log into — just read the email and act on the top items.

How you'll use it

Open the 9am email with your coffee.
Read the top-scored opportunities first — they match a live brief.
If one's worth pursuing, turn it into a task in Actions (it can do this for you).
Use Newsroom to find the right journalist and respond.

VisionCoverage monitoring

Tracks the coverage we earn for clients — online, social, print and broadcast — all in one place.

What it is

A daily sweep of where our clients are being mentioned, tagged with sentiment (positive/neutral/negative) and the size of the publication.

Why we use it

So we always know what coverage has landed, can react quickly, and have the evidence ready for monthly reports.

What it replaces

Cision's monitoring — one of the priciest tools agencies pay for.

Why it's better

It's tailored to our client list, you can add print and broadcast clippings by hand, and it feeds straight into Pulse reports.

chapter-vision.vercel.app

1 · Client selector

Date range

Channel: online / social / print / broadcast

2 · Coverage list — headline, outlet, tier, sentiment

3 · Add clipping +

1
Pick a client to see everything about them.
2
Coverage list — each item shows the outlet, how big it is, and the sentiment.
3
Add a clipping for print or broadcast that can't be found online.

Diagram — Vision sits behind a secure team login.

How you'll use it

Pick a client to see their recent coverage.
Review new items — check the sentiment is tagged correctly.
Manually add any print or broadcast hits the system couldn't find.
At month-end, the coverage flows automatically into the client's Pulse report.

GridSocial media planner

Where we plan, draft and get sign-off on social posts for clients — and see how the feed will look.

What it is

A planner for Instagram and LinkedIn posts: draft captions, schedule, a calendar view, and a "grid" preview of how the Instagram feed will look. Clients approve posts with a simple link.

Why we use it

It keeps social planning, drafting, approval and export in one place instead of scattered across spreadsheets, email and DMs.

What it replaces

Scheduling tools like Later and design work done ad-hoc in Canva — Grid brings planning, drafting and approval into one place.

Why it's better

Captions can be drafted in the client's voice, clients approve via a magic link (no login), and approved posts export straight to Dropbox.

chapter-grid.vercel.app

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1
Header — Chapter · Grid. Your home base for all social planning.
2
Needs your attention — Grid flags what to chase: stalled approvals, weeks with nothing scheduled.
3
Quick actions — performance, the agency calendar, or add a client.
4
Client accounts — open a client to plan, draft and preview their posts.

How you'll use it

Choose the client and the month you're planning.
Add posts, drop in images, and draft captions (Grid can suggest one).
Send the plan to the client for approval via a magic link.
Once approved, export to Dropbox and schedule.

Heads up (Safari users)Instagram preview images sometimes don't load in Safari because of its privacy settings. If images look broken, try Chrome — the posts themselves are fine.

ActionsThe agency work board

Every piece of work for every client, on one board — from idea to live.

What it is

A kanban board: cards move left-to-right through columns as work progresses. Each card is tagged by client, channel and month, with light time-logging and a retainer view.

Why we use it

It's the single source of truth for "what's everyone doing and where is it up to". Nothing falls through the cracks.

What it replaces

Productive — the project-management tool we used to pay for.

Why it's better

It's shaped around how Chapter actually works, and other tools feed it automatically — a Newsbeat opportunity or a Grid post can become an Action without re-typing.

chapter-actions.vercel.app

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1
Top nav — Board, Clients, Activity, and "Pick user" so edits are attributed.
2
Filters — narrow the board to one client, channel or month.
3
Pipeline columns — Ideas → Planned → In Progress → In Approval → Live. Drag a card right as it moves on.
4
Cards — each is a piece of work, tagged and showing where it came from (via Newsbeat, Strategise, Newsroom…).

How you'll use it

Start your day filtered to your clients, or check the hub's "Today" panel.
Drag cards across the board as work moves forward.
Log a little time as you go — it keeps retainers honest.
Move finished work to "Live" so everyone can see it's done.

PulseMonthly client reports

The branded monthly report we send each client, showing the results of our work.

What it is

An automatically-built, Chapter-branded report covering coverage earned, AI visibility, audience and (where relevant) revenue impact — produced once a month per client.

Why we use it

It turns a month of work into a polished story for the client, with almost no manual assembly.

What it replaces

Hand-built Coverage Book reports and slide decks.

Why it's better

It pulls coverage straight from Vision, looks consistently on-brand, and is far faster to produce.

This is the one Laura saw earlyPulse was the first tool in the family. It's grown a lot since — it now pulls live data from the other tools rather than being filled in by hand.

How you'll use it

Make sure the month's coverage is complete in Vision.
Open the client's Pulse report — most of it is already populated.
Add a short narrative / commentary where needed.
Review on-brand, then send to the client.

StrategiseStrategy engine

Helps us decide what to pitch, post and propose — for existing clients and new business.

What it is

A living profile for each brand we work with — its truths, its audiences (personas), and live signals pulled from the other tools — that generates targeted PR, marketing and social briefs.

Why we use it

It turns scattered knowledge into a clear strategy, fast — and it's a powerful new-business tool when pitching prospects.

What it replaces

Hours of manual research and strategy decks built from scratch each time.

Why it's better

It learns over time, and because it draws on Newsroom, Newsbeat, Grid and Actions, its suggestions are grounded in what's actually happening.

chapter-strategise.vercel.app

Strategise — the strategy engine dashboard

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1
Generate — start a new strategy brief, or add a brand or prospect.
2
At a glance — clients, prospects, personas, and signals waiting to be processed.
3
Shovel-ready briefs — brand × persona pairings with fresh signal but no brief yet: your best next moves.
4
Stale brands — clients and prospects that haven't had a strategic refresh in a while.

How you'll use it

Pick a brand (or set up a prospect for a pitch).
Review its truths and audience personas.
Generate a brief — PR angle, social plan, or campaign idea.
Use it as a starting point; always apply your judgement.

Don't worry about this one on day oneStrategise is the most advanced tool. Get comfortable with Newsroom, Newsbeat, Vision, Grid and Actions first — Strategise will make more sense once you know the others.

A typical week with Chapter Tools

To make it concrete, here's roughly how the tools show up across a normal week.

When	You're in…	Doing what
Every morning	Newsbeat email + the hub's Today panel	Scan opportunities, see what's due, plan your day.
Reactive PR	Newsbeat → Newsroom → Actions	Spot a request, find the journalist, log the task.
Throughout the day	Actions	Move cards along, log a little time.
Social planning	Grid	Draft posts, send for client approval, export.
When coverage lands	Vision	Check it's captured and tagged correctly.
Month-end	Vision → Pulse	Finalise coverage, build and send client reports.
New pitch / planning	Strategise	Generate angles and briefs grounded in real signals.

FAQ

Do I need to install anything?

No. Everything runs in your web browser. Just bookmark the hub at tools.chaptercommunications.co.uk and you're set. Newsbeat comes to you by email.

Which browser should I use?

Chrome is the safest choice — every tool works perfectly in it. Safari works too, but it occasionally blocks Instagram preview images in Grid (the posts are fine, it's just the thumbnails). If something looks visually broken, try Chrome before assuming there's a problem.

Do I need a separate login for each tool?

No. They share the same sign-in approach, reached from the hub. If you're ever asked to log in again, it's just a routine security timeout — sign back in and carry on.

What if I make a mistake — can I break something?

Very unlikely. The tools are designed so normal day-to-day use is safe. The riskiest things are deleting something or sending something to a client — and those always ask you to confirm. When in doubt, don't delete; flag it instead.

How do the tools "talk to each other"?

They share information behind the scenes. A Newsbeat opportunity can become an Action; coverage in Vision flows into Pulse; Strategise reads signals from across the family. You don't manage any of this — it just means you rarely have to re-type the same thing twice.

Where's the data stored — is it safe?

Yes. It's stored securely in the cloud (the same kind of infrastructure the big tools use), and access is limited to the Chapter team. Nothing is on your personal laptop that could be lost.

The tools keep changing — how do I keep up?

This guide is the source of truth and is kept up to date. When a tool gains a feature, the guide is refreshed and the version date at the top changes. Check back if something looks different from what's described here.

Who do I ask if I'm stuck?

Ask Neil. For anything that looks genuinely broken (an error message, a page that won't load), note exactly what you clicked and what you saw, and flag it — see the section below.

If something looks wrong

Most "errors" are minor and have a simple fix. Here are the common ones.

What you see

Instagram images in Grid are blank or broken.

What to do

You're probably in Safari. Open the same page in Chrome. The posts and captions are fine — it's only the preview thumbnails Safari blocks.

What you see

A page won't load, or spins forever.

What to do

Refresh the page (Cmd+R). If it still fails, wait a minute and try again — a tool is occasionally updating in the background.

What you see

"Please sign in" appears unexpectedly.

What to do

This is a normal security timeout. Sign back in from the hub and continue — nothing is lost.

What you see

The Newsbeat email didn't arrive.

What to do

Check your spam/Other folder first. If it's genuinely missing on a weekday, flag it to Neil — the morning send may need a nudge.

What you see

Coverage or a post looks like it's missing.

What to do

Check your filters first — you may be filtered to the wrong client, month, or channel. Reset the filters and look again before assuming it's gone.

What you see

A red error message you don't understand.

What to do

Don't panic and don't keep clicking. Take a screenshot, note what you were doing, and send it to Neil. That's exactly the information needed to fix it quickly.

Golden ruleIf something feels wrong, stop and flag it rather than repeatedly clicking or deleting. A screenshot and a one-line "I clicked X and saw Y" solves nearly everything.

Glossary

Plain-English meanings for the few words you'll come across.

The hub: The front-door page that links to every tool, with a "Today" panel. Lives at tools.chaptercommunications.co.uk.
Dashboard: A screen that shows information at a glance — like the ones you've used in Coverage Book or Cision.
Kanban board: A board of cards in columns (e.g. Ideas → In progress → Live). You drag a card right as the work moves along. That's what Actions is.
Brief: A short description of what a client wants and who they're trying to reach. Newsbeat scores opportunities against these.
Specialism: What a journalist mainly covers — travel, food, property, etc. Used to tag contacts in Newsroom.
Moves feed: A running list of journalists changing jobs, so you don't pitch someone at an outlet they've left.
Sentiment: Whether a piece of coverage is positive, neutral or negative about the client.
Publication tier: How big or influential an outlet is — a national paper ranks higher than a small blog.
Magic link: A one-click link that lets a client approve social posts without creating an account or password.
Retainer view: A summary in Actions showing how much of a client's monthly retainer time has been used.
Persona: A short profile of a type of customer a brand wants to reach. Used in Strategise.
Signals: Useful bits of live information (coverage, opportunities, activity) that the tools pass to Strategise to inform strategy.
Export: Saving something out of a tool into a file or into Dropbox — e.g. a media list or approved posts.
Ingest: The tool automatically pulling in new information (e.g. fresh coverage or journalist moves).