# AGENTS.md — Build guide for EmailOctopus

## Project scope
Import consented contacts with a review report, compose a compact newsletter, send a preview and dispatch a bounded campaign. Provide embeddable signup and unsubscribe pages plus delivery-status exports.

Catalogue verdict: kinda. The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For EmailOctopus, manage a small subscriber list and send compliant campaigns through a hosted provider. The hard boundary is deliverability, templates, automations, landing pages, and customer support, plus deliverability, growth network, and integrations.
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- Do not publish, spend money, contact customers, delete source data or run irreversible migrations without the project owner's authorization.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: deliverability, templates, automations, landing pages, and customer support; inbox-placement expertise

## 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: lists, subscribed contacts, tags, campaign revisions, recipient snapshots and SES event 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 imported CSV cannot reactivate a suppressed address; each campaign recipient references the content revision that was actually sent.
- 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: lists, subscribed contacts, tags, campaign revisions, recipient snapshots and SES event receipts
- Project rule — preserve this invariant: An imported CSV cannot reactivate a suppressed address; each campaign recipient references the content revision that was actually sent.
- Project rule — acceptance evidence: Import a previously unsubscribed contact and retain suppression; a bounced delivery appears once after callback replay.

## 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 EmailOctopus-inspired workflow with owned or clearly labeled sample data: Import consented contacts with a review report, compose a compact newsletter, send a preview and dispatch a bounded campaign. Provide embeddable signup and unsubscribe pages plus delivery-status exports.
- Publish a reproducible walkthrough with this observable result: Import a previously unsubscribed contact and retain suppression; a bounced delivery appears once after callback replay.
- Explain who can operate this scoped tool, its setup and ongoing costs, and these remaining product gaps: deliverability, templates, automations, landing pages, and customer support; inbox-placement expertise Avoid guaranteed savings, performance scores or implied endorsement.

## Engineering roadmap
1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Import consented contacts with a review report, compose a compact newsletter, send a preview and dispatch a bounded campaign. Provide embeddable signup and unsubscribe pages plus delivery-status exports. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: deliverability, templates, automations, landing pages, and customer support; inbox-placement expertise
2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model lists, subscribed contacts, tags, campaign revisions, recipient snapshots and SES event receipts Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: An imported CSV cannot reactivate a suppressed address; each campaign recipient references the content revision that was actually sent.
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. Import a previously unsubscribed contact and retain suppression; a bounced delivery appears once after callback replay. 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
- deliverability, templates, automations, landing pages, and customer support
- inbox-placement expertise
- advanced automations
- commerce integrations
- recommendation and ad networks

## Implementation prompt
WORKING SLICE
Import consented contacts with a review report, compose a compact newsletter, send a preview and dispatch a bounded campaign. Provide embeddable signup and unsubscribe pages plus delivery-status exports.

Build this scoped EmailOctopus-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: deliverability, templates, automations, landing pages, and customer support; inbox-placement expertise

Data model and correctness
lists, subscribed contacts, tags, campaign revisions, recipient snapshots and SES event receipts
Invariant: An imported CSV cannot reactivate a suppressed address; each campaign recipient references the content revision that was actually sent.
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: Import consented contacts with a review report, compose a compact newsletter, send a preview and dispatch a bounded campaign. Provide embeddable signup and unsubscribe pages plus delivery-status exports. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: deliverability, templates, automations, landing pages, and customer support; inbox-placement expertise
2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model lists, subscribed contacts, tags, campaign revisions, recipient snapshots and SES event receipts Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: An imported CSV cannot reactivate a suppressed address; each campaign recipient references the content revision that was actually sent.
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. Import a previously unsubscribed contact and retain suppression; a bounced delivery appears once after callback replay. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.

Acceptance
Import a previously unsubscribed contact and retain suppression; a bounced delivery appears once after callback replay.
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: lists, subscribed contacts, tags, campaign revisions, recipient snapshots and SES event receipts
Project rule — preserve this invariant: An imported CSV cannot reactivate a suppressed address; each campaign recipient references the content revision that was actually sent.
Project rule — acceptance evidence: Import a previously unsubscribed contact and retain suppression; a bounced delivery appears once after callback replay.

## 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.