---
title: "Ideas"
description: "Find article topics, add your own ideas and manage competitor sites. Learn how to turn an idea into a new article and check which topics you have already used."
group: Features
order: 1
updated: "2026-11-01"
features: ["ideas", "competitors"]
---
# Ideas

## How do I choose what PostSprout writes about?

Open **Ideas** to add a topic, generate suggestions or choose a starter template. Choose **Write this** on one of your ideas to open it in the **New article** form. Your brand's seed keywords and competitor sites also help supply subjects for future articles.

## When to use it

Use ideas to keep a list of subjects your customers ask about. Add a description when the title alone does not explain the angle. Use competitor sites to follow subjects relevant to your shop, then review the suggested ideas before writing.

## Steps

1. Open **Ideas**, then **Add ideas** and **Add your own**.
   ![Add ideas menu open with Add your own at the bottom](/docs-images/features/ideas/1.webp)
2. Enter **Topic / Title**, add a **Description (optional)** and select **Priority**. Choose **Submit**.
   ![Submit a Content Idea form with a title and description typed in and a priority chosen](/docs-images/features/ideas/2.webp)
3. To get suggestions, choose **Generate 20 fresh ideas**. You can also choose **Load 18 starter templates** from **Add ideas**. Use the search field and filters to find a subject.
   ![Ideas list of AI generated ideas with the All, Yours, Templates, Used and Unused filters, Unused selected](/docs-images/features/ideas/3.webp)
4. Choose **Write this** on your idea. The **New article** form opens with that idea selected.
   ![One idea with its title, description, priority and status badges, and the Write this button](/docs-images/features/ideas/4.webp)
5. To manage competitors, open **Brand** and find **Competitors**. Use **Add a site** and **Add**, or choose **Find competitors**. If asked, enter the buyer searches and choose **Save and search**.
   ![Competitors section with saved competitor names, an Add a site field and Find competitors](/docs-images/features/ideas/5.webp)

## Settings

| Option | What it changes |
| --- | --- |
| **Topic / Title** | Names the subject of your manual idea. |
| **Description (optional)** | Gives the writer more detail about your intended angle. |
| **Priority** | Marks a manual idea as **Low**, **Medium** or **High**. |
| **All**, **Yours**, **Templates**, **Used**, **Unused** | Filter the idea list. |
| **Seed Keywords (comma-separated)** in **Brand** | Gives topic generation subjects related to your brand. |
| **Add a site** in **Competitors** | Adds a competitor to follow. **Remove** takes it out of your list. |

For active subscriptions and trials, PostSprout looks for feeds or sitemaps on saved competitor sites. It records an initial baseline, then uses new pages as candidates for ideas. A site without a readable feed may not supply ideas.

## Limits

As of November 2026, each blog can generate ideas 10 times a day. The screen shows how many generations are left today and when the limit resets. Each **Generate 20 fresh ideas** asks for 20 ideas. PostSprout drops ideas that repeat ones you already have, so fewer may be added.

You can add up to 5 competitor sites yourself. After a search, **Find competitors** shows how many hours remain before you can search again.

## Common problems and fixes

**“Start your trial or choose a plan to generate ideas.”** means your blog does not have the subscription required for generated suggestions. Open **Plan & Billing** to check your status.

**“Already in your list”** means that competitor is already saved. If you reach the site limit, remove a site you no longer want first.

If a competitor search fails, you can still add a site manually or write your own idea. A used idea remains visible with its usage information; use **Unused** when you want subjects you have not written yet.

## Related pages

[Articles and the editor](/docs/features/articles) · [Brand voice and authors](/docs/features/brand-voice-and-authors) · [Publishing schedule and calendar](/docs/features/publishing-schedule) · [Quick start](/docs/start-here/quick-start)