# AGENTS.md — Build guide for Bento

## Project scope
Track permission-based customer events, build a small event-triggered email flow and preview which contacts qualify. Support a welcome message, a wait step and a condition with an operator pause control.

Catalogue verdict: kinda. The visible email + customer data loop is buildable, but a credible replacement needs more than the first screen. Bento earns its keep through deliverability, reputation, network, so expect a weekend or multi-day build and a narrower personal scope.
Use the implementation prompt below to define the deliverable. Complete each phase's acceptance checks before extending the scope.

## Working agreement
- Inspect the repository and its existing instructions before choosing paths, dependencies or commands. Keep one coherent stack and explain changes to the proposed architecture.
- Plan a vertical slice that accepts a real input and produces the useful output described below. Persist only the state the prompt calls for; respect memory-only and upstream-managed workflows. Use fixtures only when they are clearly labelled.
- After scaffolding, document the actual install, development, check and build commands in README and keep them synchronized with the package or project manifest. Do not report commands as successful unless they ran.
- Work in small steps. At handoff, list implemented flows, checks actually performed, remaining blockers, and any credentials or provider setup the owner must supply.
- Do not publish, spend money, contact customers, delete source data or run irreversible migrations without the project owner's authorization.

## Prerequisites
- A verified sending domain, SES account with suitable sending access, DNS ownership and permission-based subscriber records. Provider charges and deliverability work remain.
- Implementation components: Next.js App Router and TypeScript for server-rendered pages and validated mutations. PostgreSQL with Drizzle migrations; Better Auth sessions for a small private workspace. React Email templates, an Amazon SES adapter and a bounded outbox worker with provider event ingestion.
- Scope boundary: sender reputation and deliverability operations; bounce, complaint, and suppression handling

## Stack and architecture
- Next.js App Router and TypeScript for server-rendered pages and validated mutations.
- PostgreSQL with Drizzle migrations; Better Auth sessions for a small private workspace.
- React Email templates, an Amazon SES adapter and a bounded outbox worker with provider event ingestion.
- Domain model: customers, consent states, named events, segment definitions, workflow versions and per-recipient step receipts

## Security and data integrity
- Keep consent evidence and suppression records, validate signed delivery callbacks, and recheck unsubscribes and complaints immediately before every send.
- Correctness boundary: An event ID can start a workflow only once; unsubscribing prevents later queued marketing steps even if the contact remains in the segment.
- Snapshot the campaign revision and recipient segment. Persist one delivery record per recipient, use provider-supported reconciliation after unknown outcomes, and pause on high failure rates.
- Export versioned JSON plus attachments and a readable CSV summary. Restore into a separate database and compare record IDs and attachment checksums before switching.

## Agent implementation rules
- Project rule — data model: customers, consent states, named events, segment definitions, workflow versions and per-recipient step receipts
- Project rule — preserve this invariant: An event ID can start a workflow only once; unsubscribing prevents later queued marketing steps even if the contact remains in the segment.
- Project rule — acceptance evidence: Replay a signup event and receive one welcome delivery record; unsubscribe during a wait step and verify the later message is suppressed.

## Optional agent skills and references
- Optional external skill: [supabase-postgres-best-practices](https://github.com/supabase/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/supabase-postgres-best-practices/SKILL.md) — Review PostgreSQL schemas, queries, indexes, pooling, concurrency and row-level security. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
- Optional external skill: [web-design-guidelines](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/web-design-guidelines/SKILL.md) — Review web interfaces for accessibility, keyboard focus, forms, navigation and interaction quality. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
- Optional external skill: [copywriting](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/blob/main/skills/copywriting/SKILL.md) — Write landing pages and product copy grounded in the intended audience, product value and a clear next action. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.

Read the linked SKILL.md and its dependencies before adding a skill. Select only the skills matching this project's runtime and task; their documentation does not supply API access, credentials or approval to perform external actions. Pin the reviewed revision where the tool supports it. Follow the chosen agent's documented project-level installation mechanism.

## Distribution ideas
These are optional planning notes. Obtain the owner's approval before publishing or contacting anyone.
- Demonstrate the actual Bento-inspired workflow with owned or clearly labeled sample data: Track permission-based customer events, build a small event-triggered email flow and preview which contacts qualify. Support a welcome message, a wait step and a condition with an operator pause control.
- Publish a reproducible walkthrough with this observable result: Replay a signup event and receive one welcome delivery record; unsubscribe during a wait step and verify the later message is suppressed.
- Explain who can operate this scoped tool, its setup and ongoing costs, and these remaining product gaps: sender reputation and deliverability operations; bounce, complaint, and suppression handling Avoid guaranteed savings, performance scores or implied endorsement.

## Engineering roadmap
1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Track permission-based customer events, build a small event-triggered email flow and preview which contacts qualify. Support a welcome message, a wait step and a condition with an operator pause control. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: sender reputation and deliverability operations; bounce, complaint, and suppression handling
2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model customers, consent states, named events, segment definitions, workflow versions and per-recipient step receipts Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: An event ID can start a workflow only once; unsubscribing prevents later queued marketing steps even if the contact remains in the segment.
3. Phase 3 — Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Snapshot the campaign revision and recipient segment. Persist one delivery record per recipient, use provider-supported reconciliation after unknown outcomes, and pause on high failure rates.
4. Phase 4 — Permissions and integration failure. Keep consent evidence and suppression records, validate signed delivery callbacks, and recheck unsubscribes and complaints immediately before every send. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.
5. Phase 5 — Portable handoff. Export versioned JSON plus attachments and a readable CSV summary. Restore into a separate database and compare record IDs and attachment checksums before switching. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.
6. Phase 6 — Acceptance scenarios. Replay a signup event and receive one welcome delivery record; unsubscribe during a wait step and verify the later message is suppressed. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.

## Paid-product capabilities outside this build
- sender reputation and deliverability operations
- bounce, complaint, and suppression handling
- large-scale segmentation and automation
- payments, recommendations, and audience network
- sender reputation, deliverability, and suppression handling

## Implementation prompt
WORKING SLICE
Track permission-based customer events, build a small event-triggered email flow and preview which contacts qualify. Support a welcome message, a wait step and a condition with an operator pause control.

Build this scoped Bento-inspired workflow with a documented data model and visible failure states.

Architecture
- Next.js App Router and TypeScript for server-rendered pages and validated mutations.
- PostgreSQL with Drizzle migrations; Better Auth sessions for a small private workspace.
- React Email templates, an Amazon SES adapter and a bounded outbox worker with provider event ingestion.

Prerequisites and limits
A verified sending domain, SES account with suitable sending access, DNS ownership and permission-based subscriber records. Provider charges and deliverability work remain.
Outside this release: sender reputation and deliverability operations; bounce, complaint, and suppression handling

Data model and correctness
customers, consent states, named events, segment definitions, workflow versions and per-recipient step receipts
Invariant: An event ID can start a workflow only once; unsubscribing prevents later queued marketing steps even if the contact remains in the segment.
Snapshot the campaign revision and recipient segment. Persist one delivery record per recipient, use provider-supported reconciliation after unknown outcomes, and pause on high failure rates.

Security and privacy
Keep consent evidence and suppression records, validate signed delivery callbacks, and recheck unsubscribes and complaints immediately before every send.

Recovery and export
Export versioned JSON plus attachments and a readable CSV summary. Restore into a separate database and compare record IDs and attachment checksums before switching.

Implementation order
1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Track permission-based customer events, build a small event-triggered email flow and preview which contacts qualify. Support a welcome message, a wait step and a condition with an operator pause control. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: sender reputation and deliverability operations; bounce, complaint, and suppression handling
2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model customers, consent states, named events, segment definitions, workflow versions and per-recipient step receipts Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: An event ID can start a workflow only once; unsubscribing prevents later queued marketing steps even if the contact remains in the segment.
3. Phase 3 — Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Snapshot the campaign revision and recipient segment. Persist one delivery record per recipient, use provider-supported reconciliation after unknown outcomes, and pause on high failure rates.
4. Phase 4 — Permissions and integration failure. Keep consent evidence and suppression records, validate signed delivery callbacks, and recheck unsubscribes and complaints immediately before every send. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.
5. Phase 5 — Portable handoff. Export versioned JSON plus attachments and a readable CSV summary. Restore into a separate database and compare record IDs and attachment checksums before switching. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.
6. Phase 6 — Acceptance scenarios. Replay a signup event and receive one welcome delivery record; unsubscribe during a wait step and verify the later message is suppressed. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.

Acceptance
Replay a signup event and receive one welcome delivery record; unsubscribe during a wait step and verify the later message is suppressed.
Use real source data or clearly labeled fixtures. Explain unsupported input and provider failures; do not fabricate analytics, delivery receipts, accuracy claims or security guarantees.

Optional agent guidance
Optional external skill: [supabase-postgres-best-practices](https://github.com/supabase/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/supabase-postgres-best-practices/SKILL.md) — Review PostgreSQL schemas, queries, indexes, pooling, concurrency and row-level security. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: [web-design-guidelines](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/web-design-guidelines/SKILL.md) — Review web interfaces for accessibility, keyboard focus, forms, navigation and interaction quality. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: [copywriting](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/blob/main/skills/copywriting/SKILL.md) — Write landing pages and product copy grounded in the intended audience, product value and a clear next action. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Project rule — data model: customers, consent states, named events, segment definitions, workflow versions and per-recipient step receipts
Project rule — preserve this invariant: An event ID can start a workflow only once; unsubscribing prevents later queued marketing steps even if the contact remains in the segment.
Project rule — acceptance evidence: Replay a signup event and receive one welcome delivery record; unsubscribe during a wait step and verify the later message is suppressed.

## Completion evidence
Demonstrate the prompt's acceptance scenarios against the scoped workflow. Include setup from a clean checkout and failure recovery. Check persistence across restart and export/restore only for the state the prompt says to store; for memory-only tools, confirm that temporary content is discarded as specified. Record actual results and remaining limitations. A detailed plan alone does not establish a working replacement.