# CLAUDE.md - Patherly / ResolutionFlow Project Context

> **Last Updated:** March 27, 2026

---

## Project Overview

**Patherly** (user-facing brand: **ResolutionFlow**) is a **SaaS product for MSP professionals**. It provides troubleshooting decision trees that guide engineers through proven troubleshooting paths, capture decisions and notes, and generate professional ticket documentation.

**Target Market:** MSP companies — IT service providers managing infrastructure and support for multiple clients.

**SaaS Context:** Multi-tenant design — teams represent MSP companies, trees shared within teams, tiered access (super_admin, team_admin, engineer, viewer).

### Branding

| Context | Name Used |
|---------|-----------|
| Repository / directory / database / Docker | `patherly` / `patherly_postgres` |
| Backend, frontend UI, production URLs | **ResolutionFlow** |

- **Design system:** [DESIGN-SYSTEM.md](DESIGN-SYSTEM.md) — THE source of truth for all design decisions
- **Design aesthetic:** Flat, high-contrast dark theme (Sentry/PostHog-inspired). No glass morphism, no gradients on surfaces, no ambient effects. Light mode planned.
- **Accent color:** Electric blue (#60a5fa dark / #2563eb light). Used sparingly — ≤5% of the UI. Warning is amber (#fbbf24), info is cyan (#67e8f9).
- **Fonts:** IBM Plex Sans (`font-sans`, body), Bricolage Grotesque (`font-heading`, headings), JetBrains Mono (`font-mono`, code) — loaded via Google Fonts
- **Logo:** 30px gradient square (ember orange) + "ResolutionFlow" in Bricolage Grotesque 700
- **Layout:** Icon rail sidebar (72px default) with hover flyout panels. Pinnable to full 260px sidebar. See [DESIGN-SYSTEM.md](DESIGN-SYSTEM.md)
- **Brand assets:** `brand-assets/` (source SVGs), `frontend/src/assets/brand/` (app assets), `frontend/public/icons/` (favicon)
- **Terminology:** User-facing label is "Flows" (not "Trees"). Procedural flows are called "Projects" in the UI. Step Library is called "Solutions Library" in the UI. Maintenance flows are hidden from UI for pilot (backend still supports them). `tree_type` column values unchanged in DB.
- **Reference mockups:** `docs/mockups/` (HTML files, open in browser)

**Component styling:** See Design System section below and [DESIGN-SYSTEM.md](DESIGN-SYSTEM.md). All colors via CSS variables. Use "Flows" not "Trees" in user-facing text; use "Projects" not "Procedures" for procedural flows.

## Implementation Principles

- Prefer correct architecture over minimal diff
- If two approaches exist, implement the one that scales, not the one that's faster to write
- Flag any "simpler approach" tradeoffs for product owner review before proceeding

---

## Current State

- **Phase:** Go-to-Market Validation (Pre-PMF)
- **Backend:** Complete (55+ API endpoints, 100+ integration tests)
- **Frontend:** Core features complete, Tree Editor functional
- **Database:** PostgreSQL with Docker, 98 migrations
- **Detailed status:** [CURRENT-STATE.md](CURRENT-STATE.md)

### What's In Progress

- GTM validation: Shadow & Ship — founder dogfooding for 2 weeks, then 5 colleague pilot
- Solutions Library spec written (`docs/plans/2026-03-23-solutions-library-design.md`), implementation post-pilot
- Remaining open issues: #66 Templates + Import/Export, #60 Recurring Issue Detection, #58 Step Feedback Flag

---

## Tech Stack

### Backend

- **Framework:** Python FastAPI
- **Database:** PostgreSQL 16 (async via SQLAlchemy 2.0 + asyncpg)
- **Migrations:** Alembic
- **Auth:** JWT (python-jose) + bcrypt, refresh token rotation (JTI-based)
- **Validation:** Pydantic v2
- **Scheduling:** APScheduler 3.x (async, in-process with FastAPI lifespan) + croniter + pytz

### Frontend

- **Framework:** React 19 + Vite + TypeScript
- **Styling:** Tailwind CSS v4 (`@tailwindcss/vite` plugin, CSS-only config in `index.css`) — flat dark theme with ember orange accent (see [DESIGN-SYSTEM.md](DESIGN-SYSTEM.md))
- **State:** Zustand (with immer + zundo for undo/redo)
- **Routing:** React Router v7
- **API Client:** Axios with token refresh interceptor
- **Icons:** Lucide React

---

## Key Project Structure

```
patherly/
├── backend/
│   ├── app/
│   │   ├── main.py                 # FastAPI entry point
│   │   ├── api/endpoints/          # Route handlers (auth, trees, sessions, admin, steps, survey, copilot, assistant_chat, integrations)
│   │   │   ├── flow_proposals.py   # Knowledge Flywheel review queue CRUD
│   │   │   └── flowpilot_analytics.py # FlowPilot dashboard metrics
│   │   ├── api/deps.py             # Auth dependencies (includes require_team_admin)
│   │   ├── api/router.py           # Route registration
│   │   ├── core/                   # config, database, permissions, security, audit, rate_limit
│   │   ├── models/                 # SQLAlchemy models (includes FlowProposal)
│   │   ├── schemas/                # Pydantic schemas
│   │   ├── services/psa/           # PSA provider abstraction (base, connectwise/, autotask/, halopsa/, cache, encryption, registry, types)
│   │   ├── services/knowledge_flywheel.py        # AI session analysis → flow proposals
│   │   ├── services/knowledge_flywheel_scheduler.py # APScheduler job for batch analysis
│   │   └── services/knowledge_gap_service.py     # Weak options & escalation signal detection
│   ├── alembic/                    # Database migrations (001-029+)
│   ├── scripts/                    # seed_data.py, seed_trees.py
│   └── tests/                      # pytest integration tests
├── frontend/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── api/                    # Axios client + endpoint modules
│   │   ├── components/             # common, layout, dashboard, tree-editor, session, procedural, procedural-editor, library, step-library, ui, flowpilot
│   │   ├── hooks/                  # usePermissions, useSessionTimer, useKeyboardShortcuts
│   │   ├── pages/                  # All page components
│   │   ├── store/                  # Zustand stores (auth, treeEditor, proceduralEditor, userPreferences, scriptGeneratorStore)
│   │   └── types/                  # TypeScript interfaces
│   └── (Tailwind v4: CSS-only config in src/index.css)
├── docs/plans/archive/             # Archived design/impl docs (pre-March 2026)
├── CLAUDE.md                       # This file
├── CURRENT-STATE.md                # Detailed feature status
├── LESSONS-LEARNED.md              # (Deprecated — consolidated into CLAUDE.md)
└── docs/plans/                     # Design docs & implementation plans
```

---

## Environment Variables

### Backend (`backend/.env`)

```bash
APP_NAME=ResolutionFlow
DEBUG=true
DATABASE_URL=postgresql+asyncpg://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/patherly
DATABASE_URL_SYNC=postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/patherly
SECRET_KEY=<openssl rand -hex 32>
ACCESS_TOKEN_EXPIRE_MINUTES=5
REFRESH_TOKEN_EXPIRE_DAYS=7
REQUIRE_INVITE_CODE=true
```

### Frontend (`frontend/.env.local` - optional)

```bash
VITE_API_URL=http://localhost:8000
```

---

## ConnectWise PSA Integration

ResolutionFlow integrates with ConnectWise PSA (formerly Manage) as the primary PSA integration. All ConnectWise API reference materials live in `docs/connectwise/`.

### Best Practices Documentation

Official ConnectWise developer guides live in `docs/connectwise/best-practices/`. Read these BEFORE implementing any CW API integration code:

- `PSA-API-Requests.md` — HTTP methods, response codes, condition query syntax, PATCH format, URL encoding, partial responses, custom fields. READ FIRST.
- `PSA-Callbacks.md` — Callback type/level matrix, retry behavior, URL parameter gotcha, HMAC signature verification.
- `PSA-Pagination.md` — Navigable vs Forward-Only pagination, Link headers, while-loop pattern.
- `PSA-Service-Tickets.md` — Ticket field philosophy, recommended field mappings.
- `PSA-Versioning.md` — Pin API version via Accept header. Use `application/vnd.connectwise.com+json; version=2025.16`.
- `PSA-Cloud-URL-Formatting.md` — Dynamic base URL construction via `/login/companyinfo/{companyId}`.
- `Bundled-Requests.md` — Batch multiple API calls into one request via `/system/bundles`.
- `PSA-Markdown.md` — Ticket notes support markdown. Format session documentation output accordingly.
- `PSA-Company-Synchronization.md` — Filter companies by Status/Type for mapping UI.
- `PSA-Data-Protection.md` — Security role model, request minimal permissions (MY not ALL).

### Reference Files (read in this order)

1. `docs/connectwise/CONNECTWISE-API-REFERENCE.md` — Read FIRST. Quick reference covering auth patterns, tiered endpoint map, key field mappings, and integration architecture flows.
2. `docs/connectwise/connectwise-psa-resolutionflow-reference.json` — Extracted OpenAPI 3.0.1 spec (v2025.16) with only the 670 endpoints and 342 schemas relevant to ResolutionFlow. Use for exact field types, request/response shapes, and parameter details.
3. `docs/connectwise/connectwise-psa-openapi-full.json` — Complete ConnectWise PSA OpenAPI spec (1838 endpoints, 842 schemas). Only consult if you need an endpoint outside the extracted subset.

### Integration Architecture

- **Session → Ticket Notes:** Post auto-generated session documentation to ConnectWise tickets as internal analysis notes via `POST /service/tickets/{id}/notes`
- **Ticket Context → Session Runner:** Pull ticket details, company info, and attached configurations to give FlowPilot AI real-world context
- **Callbacks:** Register webhooks via `/system/callbacks` for real-time ticket event notifications to suggest relevant Flows

### Key Implementation Rules

- Auth: API Key auth (Base64 of `companyId+publicKey:privateKey`) + `clientId` header on every request
- `clientId` is server-side config (`CW_CLIENT_ID` in `config.py`) — identifies the ResolutionFlow app, NOT per-tenant. Per-connection credentials: `company_id`, `public_key`, `private_key`, `server_url`
- All PSA integration code in `services/psa/` — provider pattern with `PSAProvider` abstract base class, `ConnectWiseProvider` implementation, `PsaProviderRegistry` for multi-PSA dispatch
- PSA endpoints in `api/endpoints/integrations.py` — connection CRUD, ticket ops, member mapping
- Credentials encrypted at rest via `services/psa/encryption.py` (Fernet)
- Each MSP tenant provides their own CW credentials — ResolutionFlow stores these per-team, never per-user
- Design for the Autotask integration following the same service layer pattern (future PSA)
- In-memory TTL cache in `services/psa/cache.py` for board/status/priority lookups
- Respect CW API: paginate with max 1000 per page, handle retries gracefully

---

## Development Commands

```powershell
# Start PostgreSQL
docker start patherly_postgres

# Backend (from backend/)
source venv/bin/activate        # Linux/Mac
# .\venv\Scripts\Activate       # Windows
uvicorn app.main:app --reload

# Frontend (from frontend/)
npm run dev

# Run tests (from backend/)
pytest --override-ini="addopts="

# First time only: create test database
docker exec -it patherly_postgres psql -U postgres -c "CREATE DATABASE patherly_test;"

# Frontend build (IMPORTANT: stricter than tsc --noEmit — always use as final check)
cd frontend && npm run build

# Database migrations
cd backend && alembic upgrade head
alembic revision --autogenerate -m "Description" --rev-id=NNN  # NNN = next sequential number
# IMPORTANT: Migrations use sequential 3-digit IDs (001, 002, ..., 068, 069).
# Check the latest: ls backend/alembic/versions/ | grep -E '^\d{3}_' | sort | tail -1
# The revision ID and filename prefix MUST match (e.g., revision="068", file=068_description.py).
# down_revision MUST point to the previous sequential number. Never use hex hash IDs for new migrations.

# Access PostgreSQL
docker exec -it patherly_postgres psql -U postgres -d patherly

# Seed data
cd backend && pip install httpx && python -m scripts.seed_trees

# CI/CD debugging
gh run list --limit 5                          # Recent CI runs
gh run view <id> --log-failed                  # Failed job logs
gh run view <id> --json jobs --jq '.jobs[] | {name: .name, conclusion: .conclusion}'
# NEVER use `gh run watch` — it holds context open and burns tokens while waiting
```

### URLs

- Frontend: <http://localhost:5173>
- Backend API: <http://localhost:8000>
- API Docs: <http://localhost:8000/api/docs>

### Test Users (seeded via `scripts/seed_test_users.py`)

- All share password: `TestPass123!`
- `admin@resolutionflow.example.com` (super_admin), `teamadmin@resolutionflow.example.com` (team_admin), `engineer@resolutionflow.example.com` (engineer), `pro@resolutionflow.example.com` (solo pro)

---

## Critical Lessons Learned

> Lessons 1-40 archived to `docs/LESSONS-ARCHIVE.md` — fixes are baked into the codebase. Consult if you hit a regression.

### Active Lessons (41+)

**41. Assistant chat uses local React state, not Zustand:** `AssistantChatPage.tsx` uses `useState` for `chats`, `messages`, `input`, `loading`. No store.

**42. Public pages use raw `fetch()`, not `apiClient`:** Survey, shared sessions, and no-auth pages use `fetch()` with full URL. `apiClient` requires auth tokens.

**43. Adding new email types:** Add static async method to `EmailService` in `core/email.py`. Fire-and-forget from endpoints (log errors, don't fail).

**44. AI Chat Builder is flow-type-aware:** `ai_chat_service.py` dispatches by `flow_type`. Troubleshooting: `[TREE_UPDATE]` markers. Procedural: `[STEPS_UPDATE]` markers. Both support `[METADATA]`.

**45. Intake form field schema:** Uses `variable_name` and `field_type` (NOT `name` and `type`).

**46. `CreateFlowDropdown` uses `AIPromptDialog`:** Opens prompt modal, starts AI session, generates flow, navigates to editor with `{ state: { aiPanelOpen: true, sessionId } }`.

**47. Editor-Embedded Flow Assist:** `EditorAIPanel` (320px side panel) + `useEditorAI` hook. Ghost nodes use `_suggestion: true` flag. Actions route to model tiers via `settings.get_model_for_action()`. Delta responses use `[DELTA]...[/DELTA]` markers.

**48. Tree orphan validation uses dynamic root ID:** Orphan check compares against `state.treeStructure?.id` (NOT hardcoded `'root'`).

**49. Full-stack features — verify both ends:** Check the full data flow: schema → endpoint → API client → hook → store → UI.

**50. Anthropic SDK retry:** Set `max_retries=1` to fail fast. Default `max_retries=2` can take 3× timeout.

**51. AI model tier routing:** Use `settings.get_model_for_action(action_type)`. Model IDs: use alias form (`claude-sonnet-4-6`).

**52. Mobile scroll-to-top:** Use `ref.current.scrollIntoView()`, not `window.scrollTo()`. Trigger via `useEffect`.

**53. Flex height chain:** Every ancestor must be a flex container for `flex-1` to work. Missing `flex` class collapses React Flow to 0 height.

**54. React Flow CSS in Tailwind v4:** Import in `index.css`, not component JS. Override dark theme using `--xy-*` CSS custom properties.

**55. App shell height chain:** Every wrapper between `.main-content` and canvas needs `flex` + `flex-1` + `min-h-0` or `h-full`.

**56. Railway backend service name is `patherly`:** Production DB name is `railway`. Public Postgres proxy: `interchange.proxy.rlwy.net:45797`.

**57. Node field priority:** `title` → `question` → `description` → `content` → `label`. See `copilot_service.py`.

**58. `scriptGeneratorStore.generate()` optional param:** Always wrap: `onClick={() => generate()}`, never `onClick={generate}`.

**59. ConnectWise `clientId` is server-side config:** Set in `config.py` as `CW_CLIENT_ID`. Per-connection: `company_id`, `public_key`, `private_key`, `server_url`.

**60. Dockerfile build args for Vite env vars:** Any new `VITE_*` or `VITE_PUBLIC_*` env var must be added as `ARG` + `ENV` in `frontend/Dockerfile` for Railway deploys. Railway env vars are runtime-only unless explicitly passed through as Docker build args. Without this, `import.meta.env.VITE_*` resolves to `undefined` in production builds.

**61. Procedural sessions auto-start on page load:** `ProceduralNavigationPage` calls `startSession()` immediately in `loadTree()` — there is no intake form screen or "Start" button. Variables are filled inline during execution. Troubleshooting flows DO have a start screen with ticket/client fields. Don't write tests or UI that assume a Start button on procedural flows.

**62. Playwright strict mode — scope selectors to avoid ambiguity:** Step titles appear in both the sidebar checklist and main content heading. Use `getByRole('heading', { name })` for the main content, or scope with `page.locator('.animate-scale-in')` for command palette items. `getByText()` frequently matches multiple elements due to the sidebar + main content layout.

**63. Node 20 required for frontend builds:** Vite 7+ requires Node 20.19+. The system Node may be v18; use nvm: `export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm" && source "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" && nvm use 20`. For direct binary access without nvm sourcing: `PATH="/home/michaelchihlas/.nvm/versions/node/v20.19.0/bin:$PATH"`.

**64. PostHog product analytics:** Initialized via `PostHogProvider` in `main.tsx` with explicit `posthog.init()` + `client` prop pattern. Event helpers in `lib/analytics.ts` — use `analytics.eventName(props)` to track. `identifyUser()` called in `authStore.fetchUser()`, `resetAnalytics()` on logout. Env vars: `VITE_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_KEY`, `VITE_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_HOST`. Autocapture enabled.

**65. Local Docker Compose uses `resolutionflow` database on port 5433:** Container name is `resolutionflow_postgres`, database is `resolutionflow` (not `patherly`), port mapped to `5433` (not `5432`). The `POSTGRES_PORT` env var controls this. Playwright config defaults must match: `postgresql+asyncpg://postgres:postgres@127.0.0.1:5433/resolutionflow`.

**66. Dev environment runs on Hostinger VPS (46.202.92.250), not localhost:** Code-server runs in Docker on a VPS (previously devserver01/192.168.0.9). Frontend/backend are accessed via `46.202.92.250`, not `localhost`. CORS must include the VPS IP in `CORS_ORIGINS` and `FRONTEND_URL`. Frontend `.env` must set `VITE_API_URL` to the VPS backend URL. See [DEV-ENV.md](DEV-ENV.md) for full setup, Docker config, networking, and known issues.

**67. Tree editor route is `/trees/new`:** NOT `/editor/new`. Check `router.tsx` line 156 for the canonical path. Use `getTreeEditorPath()` from `@/lib/routing` when navigating programmatically.

**68. APScheduler jobs need `max_instances=1`:** Without it, overlapping scheduler runs can process the same records twice (TOCTOU race). Always set `max_instances=1` on interval jobs in `main.py`.

**69. PostgreSQL `func.sum(case(...))` returns `Decimal` via asyncpg:** Cast to `int()` before storing in Pydantic `dict[str, Any]` fields, or JSON serialization may produce unexpected types.

**70. Toast library uses `toast.warning()` not `toast.warn()`:** Import from `@/lib/toast`. Methods: `success`, `error`, `warning`, `info`. See `frontend/src/lib/toast.ts`.

**71. Enhancement/branch_addition proposals cannot be directly approved:** Backend returns 400 — they require `modified_flow_data` via "Edit & Publish" flow. Only `new_flow` proposals support direct approve.

**72. `ai_sessions.status` column is `VARCHAR(30)`:** Must fit `requesting_escalation` (23 chars). If adding new status values, verify length. Migration `f0aad74ea51b` widened from 20→30.

**73. `get_db` rolls back on exception:** The dependency does `await session.rollback()` on error to prevent `InFailedSQLTransaction` cascade. Never remove this — without it, one failed request poisons subsequent requests on the same connection.

**74. FlowPilot action bar height chain:** The action bar (Resolve/Escalate/Pause) requires every ancestor from `app-shell` grid down to have proper flex constraints. Key fix: `ViewTransitionOutlet` wrapper needs `flex flex-col`. If action bar disappears, check height chain with DevTools `getBoundingClientRect()` walk.

**75. Dashboard prefill auto-submits:** `StartSessionInput` navigates to `/pilot` or `/assistant` with `{ state: { prefill } }`. `FlowPilotSessionPage` auto-submits via `useEffect` + `prefillHandledRef` guard — no double-enter. `AssistantChatPage` does the same pattern.

**76. Active session navigation guard:** `FlowPilotSessionPage` uses `useBlocker` (same as `TreeEditorPage`) to intercept navigation during active sessions. "Pause & Leave" auto-pauses before proceeding.

**77. Prefer manual Alembic migrations for targeted changes:** `alembic revision --autogenerate` picks up drift from all tables. For single-column fixes, use `alembic revision -m "desc"` and write `op.alter_column()` manually.

**78. Landing page subtitle is "AI-Powered Troubleshooting for MSPs":** Not "Decision Tree Platform". This tagline appears on login, register, and the HTML `<title>`. The old "Decision Tree Platform" was internal jargon misaligned with user-facing branding.

**79. Custom modals must be mobile-responsive:** Use `items-end sm:items-center` (bottom-sheet on mobile, centered on desktop) and `max-w-full sm:max-w-lg` (full-width on mobile). The shared `Modal.tsx` does this correctly — custom modal implementations must follow the same pattern. See `PrepareSessionModal.tsx` for the fix pattern.

**80. TopBar search collapses to icon on mobile:** Full search bar (`hidden sm:block`) shows on desktop; magnifying glass icon button (`sm:hidden`) shows on mobile (<640px). Both open the same CommandPalette. Don't add `w-full` search bar without the mobile icon fallback.

**81. Never use `transition: all` in landing.css:** Specify exact properties: `transition: background 0.3s, border-color 0.3s, box-shadow 0.3s, transform 0.3s, opacity 0.3s`. `transition: all` animates layout properties and causes jank.

**82. `bun` requires PATH setup on devserver01:** `export BUN_INSTALL="$HOME/.bun" && export PATH="$BUN_INSTALL/bin:$PATH"`. The gstack browse binary and Playwright need this. Chromium system deps: `libatk1.0-0 libatk-bridge2.0-0 libcups2 libxkbcommon0 libatspi2.0-0 libxcomposite1 libxdamage1 libxfixes3 libxrandr2 libgbm1 libasound2`.

**83. FlowPilot ActionBar is `position: fixed; bottom: 0`:** Any UI element placed in normal document flow below the session content will be hidden behind it. New fixed-position elements (like the message bar) must use `bottom: 68px` (action bar height) and the same `left: var(--sidebar-w)` pattern. The conversation column uses `pb-32` for clearance.

**84. AI session `abandoned` status is fully wired:** `POST /ai-sessions/{id}/abandon` sets status to `abandoned` with optional `reason` param. Frontend: `aiSessionsApi.abandonSession()`, `useFlowPilotSession().abandonSession()`, "Close" button in `FlowPilotActionBar`. Redirects to `/sessions` after closing.

**85. Date range filter end dates must use end-of-day:** `toDate.toISOString()` sends midnight (start of day), excluding items created later that day. Always set `toDate.setHours(23, 59, 59, 999)` before sending. For string-based date inputs (AI sessions), append `T23:59:59.999Z`. See `SessionHistoryPage.tsx`.

**86. Script Builder system:** AI-powered script generation at `/script-builder`. Chat-style interface generates PowerShell/Bash/Python scripts from natural language. Backend: `ScriptBuilderSession` model, `script_builder_service.py`, endpoints at `/scripts/builder/`. Frontend: `ScriptBuilderPage`, `ScriptCodeBlock`, `ScriptPreviewModal`, `SaveToLibraryDialog`. FlowPilot can hand off to Script Builder via `action_type: "open_script_builder"` with `sessionStorage` context passing.

**87. FlowPilot must ask GUI vs script preference:** When a task can be done via GUI or script (e.g., creating AD users), FlowPilot must ask the engineer which approach they prefer BEFORE suggesting either. Never assume the user wants a script. See `FLOWPILOT_SYSTEM_PROMPT` rules in `flowpilot_engine.py`.

**88. Charcoal palette — sidebar-darkest approach:** Sidebar `#0e1016`, page `#16181f`, cards `#1e2028`, borders `#2a2e3a`. This gives more contrast range than true-dark. All colors via CSS variables in `index.css` `@theme` block. Accent is electric blue (#60a5fa), not orange or cyan.


**92. `tsc -b` in Dockerfile is stricter than `npx tsc --noEmit`:** The production build (`tsc -b && vite build`) enforces `noUnusedLocals` and `noUnusedParameters` as hard errors. After any refactor that moves logic between components or removes features, trace every import and destructured prop to remove orphans. IDE warnings (yellow squiggles) flag these — check them before pushing.

**93. FlowPilot actions live in the page header, not a bottom bar:** `FlowPilotSessionPage` renders Resolve/Escalate/Share Update in the header bar. Desktop: inline buttons + `⋯` overflow (Pause/Close). Mobile: single `⋯` menu. The bottom only has the message input. `FlowPilotActionBar` component still exists but is no longer used in the main session flow.

**94. Frontend chat uses unified_chat_service, not assistant_chat_service:** `AssistantChatPage` calls `/ai-sessions/{id}/chat` → `unified_chat_service.py`. The old `assistant_chat_service` endpoints were removed (only retention settings remain at `/assistant/retention`). When tracing chat features, start from `aiSessionsApi.sendChatMessage` → `ai_sessions.py` → `unified_chat_service.py`. Never wire chat features into `assistant_chat.py`.

**95. Image upload → AI vision pipeline:** Paste/attach images → upload to Railway S3 bucket via `uploadsApi.upload()` → send `upload_ids` with chat message → backend fetches from S3 via `storage_service.download_file()` → resized via `storage_service.resize_image_for_vision()` (Pillow, 1568px max, PNG→JPEG) → base64-encoded → sent as Claude multimodal content blocks. Max 3 images/message. Images are NOT stored in conversation history (text-only). Vision helpers live in `storage_service.py`.

**96. `bg-accent` is ember orange — never use for code/kbd elements:** In Tailwind v4, `bg-accent` maps to `--color-accent: #f97316`. Use `bg-code` for code blocks, `bg-white/[0.12] border border-white/[0.06]` for inline code/badges, `bg-white/[0.08]` for kbd shortcuts. Orange is reserved for interactive elements only (buttons, active nav, links).

**97. Railway Object Storage (S3 bucket) is provisioned:** Bucket `resolutionflow-uploads` on Railway canvas. Variables: `STORAGE_ENDPOINT`, `STORAGE_ACCESS_KEY`, `STORAGE_SECRET_KEY`, `STORAGE_BUCKET_NAME`, `STORAGE_REGION` — mapped via variable references on the `patherly` backend service. Accessed via boto3 in `storage_service.py`. Pillow (`Pillow>=10.0.0`) + `libjpeg-dev`/`zlib1g-dev` in Dockerfile for image resize.

**98. `lazyWithRetry` for stale chunk errors:** All lazy-loaded routes use `lazyWithRetry` from `@/lib/lazyWithRetry.ts` instead of `React.lazy`. Auto-reloads the page on chunk load failures (stale deploys). Uses sessionStorage debounce (10s) to prevent loops. When adding new lazy routes, use `lazyWithRetry`, not `lazy`.

**99. Tailwind v4 `text-secondary` renders invisible on dark backgrounds:** `text-secondary` maps to `--color-secondary: #2e3140` (a dark surface color), NOT `--color-text-secondary`. For readable secondary text, use `text-muted-foreground` (`#848b9b`). Also avoid `text-muted` (`#4f5666`) for body text — it's for labels only. This applies to ALL new components.

**100. Hover pop-out card pattern:** For cards that expand on hover "in front of everything": use `pointer-events-none` on the scrim (`fixed inset-0 z-40 bg-black/30`), absolute-position the expanded card at `z-50` with its own `onClick` handler, and dismiss via `onMouseLeave` on the wrapper div. Never put interactive event handlers on the scrim — it blocks clicks on sibling elements.

**101. AI marker format compliance:** The AI assistant uses `[QUESTIONS]`, `[ACTIONS]`, and `[FORK]` markers in responses. Parsed by `unified_chat_service.py` (`_parse_*_marker` functions), returned as structured data in the API response. System prompt in `assistant_chat_service.py` has a final reminder section, and each user message gets an invisible `[SYSTEM: ...]` reminder appended in `_call_anthropic_cached()`. If markers stop appearing: check conversation history stores `display_content` (stripped), verify system prompt final reminder exists, check user message reminder injection is active.

**102. TaskLane activation must happen in ALL chat response paths:** `AssistantChatPage.tsx` has three code paths calling `sendChatMessage`: `handleSend` (regular messages), `sendPrefill` (dashboard handoff), `handleResumeNew` (resume from concluded session). ALL three must check `response.actions`/`response.questions` and call `setShowTaskLane(true)`. Missing this in any path causes TaskLane to not appear on first message.

**103. Docker not available in code-server container:** The dev environment runs code-server inside Docker on the VPS. The `docker` CLI is not available inside the code-server container. To query the database, use the VPS SSH session: `docker exec resolutionflow_postgres psql -U postgres -d resolutionflow -t -c "SQL"`. Python is also not available in the container.

**104. `landing.css` uses self-contained `--lp-*` color variables:** The landing page defines its own color palette at the top of `landing.css` (`--lp-bg`, `--lp-accent`, `--lp-text-*`, etc.). Never use `var(--color-*)` theme tokens in `landing.css` — they may resolve incorrectly outside the app shell context. Extend the `--lp-*` palette for any new landing page colors.

**105. `npm run build` fails with `EACCES: permission denied` on `dist/` in code-server:** This is a filesystem permission issue in the Docker environment, not a TypeScript error — the TS compilation completes successfully. Use `npx tsc -b` to verify TypeScript cleanly without needing to write to `dist/`.

**106. Guard async "select item → load data → apply state" flows with a ref:** When a component lets the user switch between items (chat sessions, flows, scripts) and loads data asynchronously on each switch, the load for item A can complete *after* the user has already switched to item B — overwriting B's state with A's stale data. Fix pattern: keep a `currentSelectionRef = useRef(initialId)` and update it synchronously whenever the selection changes (in every creation/switch path). After every `await`, bail out if `currentSelectionRef.current !== thisItemId`. See `AssistantChatPage.tsx` `selectChat` for the reference implementation (`currentChatRef`).

## RBAC & Permissions

- **Role hierarchy:** super_admin > team_admin > engineer > viewer
- **Team Admin:** `role='engineer'` + `is_team_admin=True` + valid `team_id`
- **Backend deps:** `get_current_active_user(user, db)` (any active + auto-downgrades expired trials), `require_engineer_or_admin` (blocks viewers), `require_admin` (super admin only)
- **Never use** `role == "admin"` — use `is_super_admin` instead
- **Frontend:** `usePermissions()` hook for all permission checks
- **Centralized:** `backend/app/core/permissions.py`, `frontend/src/hooks/usePermissions.ts`

---

## Design System

**Source of truth:** [DESIGN-SYSTEM.md](DESIGN-SYSTEM.md) — always read this before making visual or UI decisions.

- **Theme:** Flat, high-contrast dark theme (Sentry/PostHog-inspired). No glass morphism, no backdrop blur, no ambient orbs, no gradient backgrounds on surfaces. Light mode planned.
- **Backgrounds:** `bg-page` (`#1a1c23`), `bg-sidebar` (`#10121a`), `bg-card` (`#22252e`), `bg-elevated` (`#2e3140`)
- **Cards:** `bg-card` with 1px `border-default` (`#2e3240`), 8px radius. No shadows, no blur, no gradients. Hover: `border-hover` (`#3d4252`)
- **Buttons:** Primary: solid `accent` (#f97316), white text, 5px radius. Ghost: transparent + 1px border, hover `bg-elevated`
- **Inputs:** `bg-input` (`#282b35`) with 1px `border-default`, 5px radius. Focus: `border-color: accent` + `box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px accent-dim`
- **Text:** `text-heading` (`#f0f2f5`) → `text-primary` (`#e2e5eb`) → `text-muted-foreground` (`#848b9b`) → `text-muted` (`#4f5666`). NEVER use `text-secondary` — in Tailwind v4 it maps to a surface color (#2e3140), not a text color.
- **Borders:** `border-default` (`#2e3240`), `border-hover` (`#3d4252`)
- **Functional colors:** `#34d399` (success), `#eab308` (warning), `#f87171` (danger) — each with `-dim` variant at 10% opacity
- **Accent:** Ember orange `#f97316` — used sparingly (≤5% of UI). `accent-dim` = `rgba(249,115,22,0.10)`, `accent-text` = `#fdba74`
- **Deprecated:** Do NOT use `glass-card`, `glass-stat`, `bg-gradient-brand`, `text-gradient-brand`, `backdrop-filter: blur()`, ambient orbs, purple gradients, or cyan accent (`#22d3ee`)

---

## Frontend Patterns

- **Component guidelines:** Use `cn()` from `@/lib/utils`, Lucide icons (wrap in `<span>` for title), modals with fixed header/footer
- **Type organization:** Create in `types/`, export from `types/index.ts`, import with `import type { T } from '@/types'`
- **Scratchpad overlay:** `position: fixed`, `onOpenChange` callback for parent padding adjustment, `right-2` positioning
- **Custom step flow:** `CustomStepModal` → `PostStepActionModal` → `ContinuationModal` → custom step view. Key state: `pendingStep`, `pendingContinuationNodeId`, `customBranchMode`, `branchOriginNodeId`. Use `findCustomStep()` not `findNode()` for custom step UUIDs.
- **Session sharing:** `ShareSessionModal` manages share links, `SharedSessionPage` renders public/account views. Helper utils in `lib/sessionShare.ts`. Share URLs use `/shared/sessions/:token`.
- **Procedural navigation:** `ProceduralNavigationPage` handles intake forms, step-by-step execution, and resume via `location.state.sessionId`. Uses `StepChecklist`, `StepDetail`, `ProgressBar`, `CompletionSummary` components.
- **Routing helper:** Use `getTreeNavigatePath()` and `getTreeEditorPath()` from `@/lib/routing` for all tree/session navigation.
- **Account section layout:** `AccountLayout` has NO sidebar nav. Account sub-pages (categories, target-lists) are reached via link cards on `AccountSettingsPage.tsx`. New account pages: add route in `router.tsx` under `account` children + add a link card in `AccountSettingsPage`.
- **Dashboard cockpit:** `QuickStartPage` is the copilot-first launchpad. Greeting + "What are you troubleshooting?" + ChatGPT-style `StartSessionInput` (auto-growing textarea, paste images, drag-drop files, attach button, paste logs, suggestion chips). Below: `PendingEscalations`, `ActiveFlowPilotSessions`, `RecentFlowPilotSessions`. Collapsible "Dashboard" section for `PerformanceCards`, `KnowledgeBaseCards`, `TeamSummary`.
- **Sidebar sections:** Amber "New Session" button → Home → RESOLVE (History) → KNOWLEDGE (Flows with Solutions Library sub-item, Scripts) → INSIGHTS (Data). Footer: Account, Pin/Unpin. No help/guides/feedback in sidebar — accessible via TopBar.

---

## Common Tasks

- **New endpoint:** Create in `endpoints/` → add to `router.py` → schema in `schemas/` → tests → frontend API client
- **New page:** Create in `pages/` → add route in `router.tsx` → nav link in `AppLayout.tsx`
- **New public route (no auth):** Add at top level in `router.tsx` alongside `/login`, `/register` — NOT inside the `ProtectedRoute`/`AppLayout` children.
- **Schema change:** Update model → `alembic revision --autogenerate -m "desc" --rev-id=NNN` (NNN = next sequential number, e.g., 068 → 069) → review → `alembic upgrade head`
- **New frontend API module:** Types in `types/` → export from `types/index.ts` → client in `api/` → export from `api/index.ts`

---

## Coding Standards

### Python

- Type hints everywhere, async/await for DB, Pydantic for validation, `DateTime(timezone=True)` always

### TypeScript

- Interfaces for all data, `const` over `let`, functional components + hooks, reusable logic in custom hooks

### Git

- Format: `type: description` (feat, fix, refactor, docs, test, chore)
- Always include `Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>`
- Always create feature branch BEFORE committing: `git checkout -b feat/feature-name`
- Large features: commit per phase with `npm run build` validation

### After Completing Work

When a feature, fix, or significant piece of work is finished and merged/committed:

1. **Update `CURRENT-STATE.md`** — move completed items, update "In Progress" and "What's Next" sections
2. **Update `03-DEVELOPMENT-ROADMAP.md`** — check off completed work, update phase status
3. **Close related GitHub Issues** — use `gh issue close #N` for any issues resolved by the work
4. **Update `CLAUDE.md`** if the work introduced new patterns, lessons learned, or changed project structure

---

## gstack (Browser & Workflow Skills)

**Web browsing:** Always use the `/browse` skill from gstack for all web browsing needs. Never use `mcp__claude-in-chrome__*` tools.

**Available skills:**

| Skill | Purpose |
|-------|---------|
| `/office-hours` | Brainstorm new ideas (YC-style office hours) |
| `/plan-ceo-review` | CEO/founder-mode plan review (scope, ambition) |
| `/plan-eng-review` | Engineering plan review (architecture, edge cases) |
| `/plan-design-review` | Design plan review (UI/UX critique) |
| `/design-consultation` | Create a design system / DESIGN.md |
| `/review` | Pre-landing PR code review |
| `/ship` | Ship workflow (tests, review, PR creation) |
| `/browse` | Headless browser for QA testing and site dogfooding |
| `/qa` | Systematic QA testing + auto-fix bugs found |
| `/qa-only` | QA report only (no fixes) |
| `/design-review` | Visual QA — find and fix design inconsistencies |
| `/setup-browser-cookies` | Import cookies from real browser for authenticated testing |
| `/retro` | Weekly engineering retrospective |
| `/investigate` | Systematic debugging with root cause analysis |
| `/document-release` | Post-ship documentation updates |
| `/codex` | Second opinion via OpenAI Codex CLI |
| `/careful` | Safety guardrails for destructive commands |
| `/freeze` | Restrict edits to a specific directory |
| `/guard` | Full safety mode (careful + freeze) |
| `/unfreeze` | Remove edit restrictions |
| `/gstack-upgrade` | Upgrade gstack to latest version |

---

## Deployment (Railway)

- **Production:** `resolutionflow.com` (frontend), `api.resolutionflow.com` (backend)
- Auto-deploys on push to `main`
- PR environments auto-created (need manual domain generation in Railway dashboard)
- PR envs need `VITE_API_URL` set with `https://` prefix on frontend service
- `ALLOW_RAILWAY_ORIGINS=true` enables CORS for `*.up.railway.app`
- Shared Variables (project-level in Railway dashboard) auto-propagate to all environments including PR envs — use for secrets like `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`
- Super admin utility: `backend/make_superadmin_simple.py list|<email>`

---

## Future Roadmap

- **Phase 3:** PSA integrations (ConnectWise in progress), file attachments, client context, analytics
- **Phase 4:** Additional PSA integrations (Autotask/Kaseya), PowerShell automation, enterprise SSO

---

## Quick Reference

| What | Where |
|------|-------|
| API Docs | <http://localhost:8000/api/docs> |
| Detailed Status | [CURRENT-STATE.md](CURRENT-STATE.md) |
| Development Roadmap | [03-DEVELOPMENT-ROADMAP.md](03-DEVELOPMENT-ROADMAP.md) |
| GitHub Issues | `gh issue list --state open` |
| Bugs & Fixes | CLAUDE.md → Critical Lessons Learned section |
| Design System | [DESIGN-SYSTEM.md](DESIGN-SYSTEM.md) |
| Dev Environment | [DEV-ENV.md](DEV-ENV.md) — 46.202.92.250 setup, Docker, CORS, networking |
