How to Use the Query Builder for Brand Content Pillars

If you've been manually tagging posts one by one or wrestling with the old auto-tag feature, we've got something that'll make your life easier.

The Query Builder creates smart tagging rules that automatically organize all your content - everything you've already posted and everything you'll post in the future. It's perfect for tracking campaigns, analyzing content themes, and figuring out what actually resonates with your audience.

Here's how it works.

You'll find the Query Builder in the Tools section of your Socialinsider dashboard, under Posts.

Think of the Query Builder as your helpful assistant that watches all your content and organizes it based on rules you create. Unlike manual tagging (which is still there if you prefer it), these rules work automatically on every matching post, including all your old content.

Head over to Tools → Content Pillars in your left sidebar. First time here? You'll see a Create pillar button, and the create form will open automatically, ready to go.

If you've already got some content pillars set up, you'll see them listed in the middle sidebar. The first one gets selected automatically, but you can click any pillar to edit it or hit Create pillar to start a new one.

Let's walk through this together, step by step.

Pick a name that clearly describes the content theme you're organizing. Something like:

Whatever name you choose becomes the tag that'll show up on matching posts, so make it something you'll recognize at a glance.

This is the fun part! ✌️ You'll write a query using keywords and operators to tell Socialinsider which posts belong in this pillar.

Starting simple:

Getting fancy:

Don't worry if this feels like learning a new language - there's a syntax help sidebar on the right that shows you all the tricks while you're building your query.

Choose which social platforms this pillar should cover. Maybe you're tracking Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, but this particular pillar only makes sense for Instagram and TikTok - no problem, just pick those two.

You'll only see platforms that are actually part of your project, so no need to worry about accidentally selecting something you're not tracking.

Here's the important bit: you have to test your query before you can save it. (Trust us, this is actually a good thing because it prevents those "oops, that's not what I meant" moments.)

Click the Test Query button, and Socialinsider will check your syntax and show you exactly which posts match.

You'll get one of four results:

✓ Valid query • [X] posts tagged (green box)

Nice! Your query works and found recent matches. You'll see a grid of matching posts from the last 3 months. Ready to save whenever you are.

✓ Valid query • [X] posts tagged + info message (green + blue boxes)

Your query's solid and found matches, just not from the last 3 months. You'll see older matching posts so you can confirm the logic works. This is totally normal for seasonal stuff or if you're planning ahead.

✓ Valid syntax • 0 posts match + warning (green + amber boxes)

Your query is written correctly, but it just doesn't match any posts yet. Perfectly fine if you're setting this up for future content - anything that matches down the road will get tagged automatically.

❌ Invalid query (red box)

There's a syntax hiccup. Fix it and try again. Usually, it's something like mismatched quotes or parentheses - happens to everyone.

If you got matching posts, take a quick look through them. Do they actually represent what you're trying to track? If something looks off, tweak your query and test again. No rush - getting it right is better than getting it fast.

Heads up: If you change anything in your query after testing, the Save button disables itself again. You'll need to retest - it's just making sure everything still works with your changes.

Happy with how it looks? Click Create content pillar, and you're done! Socialinsider will immediately tag all your historical posts that match (across your selected platforms), and it'll automatically tag future posts too.

Once you save it, your brand content pillar appears in the sidebar list and in the Home section.

All your content pillars show up in the Query Builder sidebar. Click any name to edit it.

When you edit and save changes to a pillar, Socialinsider goes back through everything:

So don't stress about getting it perfect the first time - you can always refine things as your strategy evolves.

You can edit manual content pillars (the ones without queries) right from the Home section - just change the pillar's name there.

Hover over any pillar name in the sidebar, and a trash icon pops up on the right. Click it to delete.

When you delete a pillar, all its tags get removed from your posts. Clean slate.

You can also delete a brand content pillar from the Home section.

Once your pillar is saved, it works behind the scenes:

Pretty handy.

Each post that matches your brand content pillar will be tagged automatically, and you'll see the label appear on every matching post.

Once your brand content pillars are working:

The Query Builder is just the start: the real magic happens when you use these insights to make smarter content decisions.