Scan, Score, Rewrite: The 3 Step Content Editing Tool

How do you actually implement content governance? This post provides a deep dive into the Markup AI methodology: Scan, score, and rewrite. We break down the “how-to” of these three core actions, creating a framework for operational excellence that moves teams from reactive cleanup to proactive quality assurance.

Key takeaways:

• Simplify the workflow: Scan, score, and rewrite is the new standard for content operations.
• Remove subjectivity: Use data-driven scoring to make publishing decisions.
• Actionable insights: Don’t just flag errors — fix them instantly with AI.
• Measure everything: Use content scores as a KPI for team performance.

Complexity requires simplicity

As content operations become more complex — more channels, more formats, more creators, more AI — the systems we use to manage them must become simpler. If your governance process requires a 50 page manual, nobody will follow it.

At Markup AI, we believe that high-quality content comes down to three fundamental actions: Scan, score, and rewrite.

This isn’t just a feature list; it’s the rhythm of high-performing teams. By embedding this three-step loop into your workflow, you move from reactive cleanup (fixing things after customers complain) to proactive quality assurance (fixing things before they are seen).

Let’s break down the physics of this workflow.

Step one: Scan

It’s time for total visibility! You can’t fix what you can’t see. The first step in modern governance is comprehensive scanning.

Legacy automated content editing tools often require you to copy-paste text into a separate window or upload a document to a portal. This friction kills adoption.

Markup AI works differently. Our Content Guardian Agents℠ scan content where it lives. The scan phase covers:

• Basics: Spelling, grammar, punctuation.
• Structure: Readability, missing alt text, heading hierarchy.
• Inclusion: Non-inclusive language, clarity, reading ease.
• Terminology: Banned words, deprecated product names, jargon.

The goal of the scan is instant visibility. It provides a health check on your content ecosystem.

Step two: Score

Now we need objective measurement. Afterall, subjectivity is the enemy of scale.

Ask three human editors to review a document, and you’ll get three different opinions. One hates the passive voice; one loves the Oxford comma; one is obsessed with SEO keywords. This inconsistency drives content creators crazy.

Markup AI provides an objective Content Quality Score. This is a single metric (from 0-100) that tells you exactly how well a piece of content adheres to your standards.

The governance threshold:

Once you have a score, you can set a quality gate. For example: “No content can go live unless it scores an 85 or higher.” This creates a binary, clear-cut standard for quality. It eliminates the “it feels a bit off” argument. Data drives the decision.

Step three: Rewrite 

Knowing there is a problem is only half the battle. Fixing it is where the work happens. Let’s look at step three — actionable remediation. 

This is where Markup AI separates itself from traditional spell-checkers. We don’t just highlight the problem; we solve it using generative AI.

When the score drops below the threshold, the Content Guardian Agent analyzes why. It then generates a rewritten version of the text that fixes the specific issues while preserving the original meaning. 

Let’s take a look at some examples:

Issue: “Sentence is too complex (Readability Grade 14).”

Rewrite: The agent splits the sentence into two, simplifies the vocabulary, and brings the grade level down to 8.

Issue: “Used non-compliant language and incorrect product name.”

Rewrite: The agent swaps the language for approved terminology and adds the correct product name.

The benefit: Drastic reduction in editing time. What used to take a human editor 20 minutes of rewriting now takes 20 seconds of review. The human stays in the loop, but their job changes from “janitor” to “approver.”

The feedback loop: Analytics

When you combine scan, score, and rewrite, you create a powerful data stream.

You can view a dashboard that shows:

• “Which content types have the lowest content scores?” so you can focus on areas of improvement.
• “What is the most common error we make?” to help lead a content style guide refresh.
• “How much time did we save using rewrite?” to calculate your ROI. 

This feedback loop allows you to continuously improve your content strategy. You aren’t just governing content; you’re optimizing your organization.

Operationalize excellence

Processes that rely on willpower fail. Processes that rely on automation succeed. By implementing the scan, score, and rewrite framework, you make quality the path of least resistance.

Get the step-by-step checklists and frameworks to implement this in your team by downloading The AI Content Governance Playbook.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Does Markup AI rewrite content automatically without my approval?

No. Content Guardian Agents generate rewritten versions of your text to fix specific issues, but you always remain in control. The workflow transforms your role from “fixer” to “approver,” allowing you to review and accept the AI’s suggestions to ensure they align with your intent.

How is the “rewrite” function different from a standard spell-checker?

Standard tools simply flag errors for you to fix manually. Markup AI uses generative AI to instantly solve the problem. Whether the issue is complex readability or deprecated product names, the agent provides a context-aware rewrite that fixes the error while preserving your original meaning.

Do I need to upload my documents to a separate portal to scan them?

Legacy tools often require copy-pasting, but Markup AI scans your content exactly where it lives through our API integration. This frictionless approach provides instant visibility into spelling, structure, and terminology issues within your existing workflow, removing the need to switch between windows.