Switch Tracking Backend

Switch ContentForge's tracking and delivery backend between Google Sheets + Drive, Airtable, or Local filesystem. Optionally migrate existing tracking data and output files to the new backend.

When to Use

Switching from local (default) to a cloud backend for collaboration
Migrating from Google to Airtable (or vice versa) for simpler auth
Downgrading to local when cloud access isn't needed
Checking current backend status before switching

How to Use

/cf:switch-backend airtable
/cf:switch-backend google
/cf:switch-backend local
/cf:switch-backend --status

What This Command Does

Step 1: Identify Current Backend

Read the active brand profile's tracking.backend field.

Report current state:

Current backend: local
Records: 47 tracking records
Output files: 42 files in ~/.claude-marketing/{brand}/tracking/outputs/

Step 2: Validate Target Backend

If switching to Airtable:

Check AIRTABLE_TOKEN environment variable exists
If missing, guide through setup:
- Go to airtable.com/create/tokens
- Create a Personal Access Token with data.records:read and data.records:write scopes
- Select the base that will hold tracking data
- Set the environment variable: export AIRTABLE_TOKEN=patXXXXXXXX
Ask for the Airtable Base ID (from the base URL: airtable.com/appXXXXXXXXX/...)

Verify access by running:

python3 {scripts_dir}/airtable-tracker.py --action init --base-id {base_id}

If switching to Google Sheets + Drive:

Check Google credentials at ~/.claude-marketing/google-credentials.json
If missing, guide through setup:
- Go to Google Cloud Console > IAM & Admin > Service Accounts
- Create a project (or use existing)
- Enable Google Sheets API and Google Drive API
- Create a Service Account and download the JSON key
- Save to ~/.claude-marketing/google-credentials.json
- Create a Google Sheet and share it with the service account email (Editor)
- Create a Google Drive folder and share it with the service account email (Editor)
Ask for the Google Sheet ID and Drive folder ID

Verify access by running:

python3 {scripts_dir}/sheets-tracker.py --action init --sheet-id {sheet_id}

If switching to Local:

No setup needed — works immediately

Run init to ensure directory exists:

python3 {scripts_dir}/local-tracker.py --action init --brand "{brand}"

Step 3: Offer Migration

If the current backend has existing records:

You have 47 tracking records and 42 output files on 'local'.
Would you like to migrate this data to Airtable?
  1. Yes — Copy all records and files to the new backend
  2. No — Start fresh (existing data preserved but not synced)
  3. Skip — Just switch, decide on migration later

If yes, run:

python3 {scripts_dir}/backend-migrator.py --action migrate --brand "{brand}" --from {current} --to {target} [backend-specific args]

Report migration results:

Migration complete:
  Records migrated: 47
  Files migrated: 42
  Files failed: 0
  Source data preserved at: ~/.claude-marketing/{brand}/tracking/

Step 4: Update Brand Profile

Update the brand profile JSON:

Set tracking.backend to the new backend value
Fill in backend-specific config (base_id, sheet_id, folder_id, etc.)

Step 5: Confirm

Backend switched to Airtable.
  New tracking records → Airtable base appXXXXXX
  Output files → Airtable attachment fields
  Previous data preserved at: ~/.claude-marketing/{brand}/tracking/

Run /cf:switch-backend --status to verify anytime.

Backend Comparison

Factor	Google Sheets + Drive	Airtable	Local
Auth setup	Service account (~5 min)	Personal token (~2 min)	None
Tracking	Google Sheets	Airtable records	JSON file
File delivery	Google Drive	Attachment field	Local filesystem
Collaboration	Share via Google	Share via Airtable	Single user
Free tier	15GB Drive	1,000 records + 10GB	Unlimited
Offline	No	No	Yes

Check Status

Run with --status flag to check current backend health:

/cf:switch-backend --status

This runs:

python3 {scripts_dir}/backend-migrator.py --action status --brand "{brand}" --from {current_backend}

Important Notes

Migration is additive — source data is never deleted
Migration is idempotent — running twice won't create duplicates
Migration is resumable — if interrupted, re-run picks up where it left off
You can switch back anytime — data is preserved on all backends you've used
The pipeline uses whichever backend is set in tracking.backend — switching takes effect immediately for the next content run

Related Skills

/cf:style-guide — Brand setup (Step G sets initial backend)
/cf:integrations — Check all connector status
/cf:connect — Set up individual connectors

cf-switch-backend