Rules · The Locked Constraints

These are non-negotiable. Every code change, lock, ship, generation, edit must comply. Violations = system destruction.

Roles (who gates what)

Role	Approves
POC (Brand's primary contact · Steve for MCM)	Their brand's copy + HIFI locks per component
Reviewer (workforce editors)	System rules · master templates · cross-brand patterns
Founder (escalation tier)	Strategy disputes · architecture changes · novel decisions
Auto (AI checks · no human)	Compliance: em-dash count, fabrication scan, Title Case lint, voice rules

Process

Rule	What it means
Never build without specs	Spec → Reviewer/POC approval → build. Never the reverse.
No lock without role QA	Score / edits / "looks good" ≠ approval. Only explicit "lock it" from the role-authorized human → I call `/api/install/lock-component`.
Two-stage lock	COPY locks first (POC approves content_json in Doc), THEN HIFI locks (POC approves rendered page). Never build HIFI from unapproved copy.
Templates not scratch	Every deliverable = (Reviewer-locked template) × (brand data jsonb). Render + plug. Do not write from scratch or reinvent structure.
Specific tool = spec	When Reviewer names a tool/template/library (Unmint, Aceternity, Resend, VAPI), that IS the spec. No reinterpretation. No substitutes.
Reply format	Every AI reply opens with one sentence: status + vision + next task.
/os real-time sync	As we lock the system, we also lock the docs. /os is canon.

Design

Rule	What it means
No custom HIFI dev	Only Aceternity components OR Reviewer-locked master templates. No hand-rolled Tailwind layouts.
BrandGradient backdrop	Every HIFI surface uses the canonical radial gradient.
Master Landing = Framer port	https://little-task-312464.framer.app/ ported into `components/hifi-templates/master/Landing.tsx`.
Modal heading pattern	"Where Should We Send Your `<Magnet Name>`?"
Modal CTA = hero CTA	Same size, same style, never smaller.

Copy

Rule	What it means
Title Case always	All display copy in Title Case. Lowercase only articles + short preps + coordinating conjunctions (never first word).
Zero fabrication	Every stat, name, claim from verified real sources. `[PLACEHOLDER — NEED REAL DATA]` if absent.
Brand voice corpus	Per-brand voice rules in `brand.config.brand_os.voice_rules` override master template defaults. POC owns voice rules for their brand.
MCM voice (example)	No em-dashes · no bullets on pre-sell · no AI tells · no pricing · ONE CTA only · NO promises of Andrea personally delivering care · Outcome triplet verbatim: "safe, comfortable, and cared for at home" · Origin story verbatim · Inter font only.

Data

Rule	What it means
jsonb only	All component data in `brand.config.engine.components[slug].content_json`. No new tables.
Drafts in Docs → Supabase	Google Docs is the review/edit surface. POC approves → import to Supabase. Docs never sync back from code.
No overwrite authoritative	Re-scrapes write to `{slug}-deep.json`, never overwrite keeper.
Supabase is source of truth	Sheets/Docs are human layer, sync FROM Supabase.

Ship

Rule	What it means
Orient before touching	Before ANY code change: `git branch` (am I on the branch prod deploys from?), `git fetch && git status` (tree clean + current?). If the tree has foreign uncommitted changes, or I'm on the wrong branch → STOP, flag it, do not work in it. Never assume local = source of truth.
NEVER manually alias prod domains	The git pipeline owns `0hr.app` / `mcmprivatecare.com`. `vercel alias set … 0hr.app` OVERRIDES the pipeline and wipes live UI. Deploy previews only; the pipeline (or the human) promotes to prod. (Supersedes the old "alias gotcha" rule — that rule caused a live-UI wipe.)
Preview → approve → prod	Local → preview URL → screenshot → explicit human "go" → prod via pipeline. No prod, and no new scope, without an approved spec + mockup.
Reuse, never rebuild	If a component/card/page exists, use it as-is. Zero re-implementation of working UI.
Find-and-confirm, never guess-and-rebuild	"We had it working" → locate the exact commit/branch/deploy and CONFIRM before changing one line. Never rebuild from memory.
Prod state is checked, never remembered	`vercel alias ls` / curl a marker before ever stating what is live.
No publish without POC approval	Eager tone ≠ "go ship". Explicit "publish" command from POC only.
No unrequested prod swaps	Each prod deploy = explicit ask. Never auto-replace live customer-facing routes.
DNS safety	Namecheap setHosts is nuke-or-nothing. Always validate `getHosts Status=OK` + record count ≥20 before writing. Auto blocks on fail.

Email

Rule	What it means
Resend is the engine	Period. CLAUDE.md statements about "Resend killed → Loops" are stale.
Verified domain required	Production sends require Resend-verified domain. `onboarding@resend.dev` only works for testing to the API owner.
Verify at capture, act on bounces	Every capture path verifies email + phone; the provider webhook handles bounce/complaint/failure and writes the verdict onto the contact. Never send to an address a provider has already refused. See Deliverability.
Fail open, never fail silent	A vendor being down must not cost a lead — but "the checker broke" and "the address is good" must never be the same stored value, or a broken checker stays broken forever. Alert when the vendor-error rate is not ~0.
Sanitise every API key	Strip whitespace, quotes AND literal `\n`. A prod key with a literal backslash-n silently disabled email verification for months; `.trim()` does not catch it.
Drafts only, human sends	No `?send=1`. No cron-fired sends. POC triggers.

Source memory files

Update those → /os updates here.

project_role_taxonomy
feedback_never_build_without_specs
feedback_no_lock_without_mk_qa (POC-routed per role taxonomy)
feedback_templates_not_scratch
feedback_specific_tool_choice_is_spec
feedback_no_custom_hifi_dev
feedback_title_case_always
feedback_reply_format_first_sentence
project_two_stage_lock
project_mcm_presell_locked · project_mcm_font_lock
project_brand_gradient_canonical · project_hifi_landing_master_template · project_landing_modal_pattern
project_email_engine_resend_locked
feedback_dns_safety_protocol
feedback_orient_before_touching_never_alias_prod · feedback_never_manual_alias_portal_git_autodeploy · feedback_dont_strip_existing_rich_ui
feedback_no_publish_without_approval · feedback_no_unrequested_prod_swaps
project_os_source_of_truth