fix(tests): remove Post_Assembler eval stub from SyncModeTest (breaks Publisher tests)

SyncModeTest runs alphabetically before GenerationCheckpointRunnerTest and
PublisherSideEffectsTest. Defining PRAutoBlogger_Post_Assembler via eval with
only amortize_research_costs() caused Publisher* and ResearchReaper tests to
fail with 'Call to undefined method sanitize_llm_content()' because the stub
registered before the autoloader could load the real class.

Fix: remove the Post_Assembler eval block entirely from both generate-tick
tests. The 'more ideas remain' path (2-idea queue, pop one) never calls
Post_Assembler::amortize_research_costs() -- that only runs in the last-idea
branch. No stub is needed.

Article_Worker stub is retained (it IS called in this path and needs a no-op
generate() to avoid real LLM calls).

Agent-Session: prab-reliability-test-fix-20260622

.github/mu-plugins/prautoblogger-deploy-receiver.php

@@ -35,25 +35,33 @@ add_action( 'rest_api_init', 'prautoblogger_deploy_register_route' );
  * Register the deploy REST route.
  */
 function prautoblogger_deploy_register_route(): void {
-	register_rest_route( 'prautoblogger-deploy/v1', '/deploy', [
-		'methods'             => 'POST',
-		'callback'            => 'prautoblogger_deploy_handle',
-		'permission_callback' => 'prautoblogger_deploy_check_auth',
-	] );
+	register_rest_route(
+		'prautoblogger-deploy/v1',
+		'/deploy',
+		array(
+			'methods'             => 'POST',
+			'callback'            => 'prautoblogger_deploy_handle',
+			'permission_callback' => 'prautoblogger_deploy_check_auth',
+		)
+	);
 
 	// Health check endpoint (GET) — useful for monitoring.
-	register_rest_route( 'prautoblogger-deploy/v1', '/status', [
-		'methods'             => 'GET',
-		'callback'            => function () {
-			return [
-				'status'  => 'ready',
-				'plugin'  => is_dir( WP_PLUGIN_DIR . '/prautoblogger' ) ? 'installed' : 'not_installed',
-				'active'  => is_plugin_active( 'prautoblogger/prautoblogger.php' ),
-				'version' => prautoblogger_deploy_get_installed_version(),
-			];
-		},
-		'permission_callback' => 'prautoblogger_deploy_check_auth',
-	] );
+	register_rest_route(
+		'prautoblogger-deploy/v1',
+		'/status',
+		array(
+			'methods'             => 'GET',
+			'callback'            => function () {
+				return array(
+					'status'  => 'ready',
+					'plugin'  => is_dir( WP_PLUGIN_DIR . '/prautoblogger' ) ? 'installed' : 'not_installed',
+					'active'  => is_plugin_active( 'prautoblogger/prautoblogger.php' ),
+					'version' => prautoblogger_deploy_get_installed_version(),
+				);
+			},
+			'permission_callback' => 'prautoblogger_deploy_check_auth',
+		)
+	);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -78,7 +86,7 @@ function prautoblogger_deploy_handle( WP_REST_Request $request ): WP_REST_Respon
 		return new WP_Error(
 			'rate_limited',
 			'Deploy in progress or recently completed. Wait 60 seconds.',
-			[ 'status' => 429 ]
+			array( 'status' => 429 )
 		);
 	}
 	set_transient( 'prautoblogger_deploy_lock', time(), 60 );
@@ -87,7 +95,7 @@ function prautoblogger_deploy_handle( WP_REST_Request $request ): WP_REST_Respon
 	$files = $request->get_file_params();
 	if ( empty( $files['plugin']['tmp_name'] ) || ! is_uploaded_file( $files['plugin']['tmp_name'] ) ) {
 		delete_transient( 'prautoblogger_deploy_lock' );
-		return new WP_Error( 'no_file', 'No plugin zip uploaded.', [ 'status' => 400 ] );
+		return new WP_Error( 'no_file', 'No plugin zip uploaded.', array( 'status' => 400 ) );
 	}
 
 	$tmp_file = $files['plugin']['tmp_name'];
@@ -96,11 +104,11 @@ function prautoblogger_deploy_handle( WP_REST_Request $request ): WP_REST_Respon
 	$zip = new ZipArchive();
 	if ( true !== $zip->open( $tmp_file ) ) {
 		delete_transient( 'prautoblogger_deploy_lock' );
-		return new WP_Error( 'invalid_zip', 'Uploaded file is not a valid zip.', [ 'status' => 400 ] );
+		return new WP_Error( 'invalid_zip', 'Uploaded file is not a valid zip.', array( 'status' => 400 ) );
 	}
 
 	$has_main_file = false;
-	for ( $i = 0; $i < $zip->numFiles; $i++ ) {
+	for ( $i = 0; $i < $zip->numFiles; $i++ ) { // phpcs:ignore WordPress.NamingConventions.ValidVariableName.UsedPropertyNotSnakeCase
 		if ( 'prautoblogger/prautoblogger.php' === $zip->getNameIndex( $i ) ) {
 			$has_main_file = true;
 			break;
@@ -113,7 +121,7 @@ function prautoblogger_deploy_handle( WP_REST_Request $request ): WP_REST_Respon
 		return new WP_Error(
 			'invalid_plugin',
 			'Zip must contain prautoblogger/prautoblogger.php at root.',
-			[ 'status' => 400 ]
+			array( 'status' => 400 )
 		);
 	}
 
@@ -143,7 +151,7 @@ function prautoblogger_deploy_handle( WP_REST_Request $request ): WP_REST_Respon
 				activate_plugin( 'prautoblogger/prautoblogger.php' );
 			}
 			delete_transient( 'prautoblogger_deploy_lock' );
-			return new WP_Error( 'backup_failed', 'Could not backup current plugin.', [ 'status' => 500 ] );
+			return new WP_Error( 'backup_failed', 'Could not backup current plugin.', array( 'status' => 500 ) );
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -161,7 +169,7 @@ function prautoblogger_deploy_handle( WP_REST_Request $request ): WP_REST_Respon
 		}
 		delete_transient( 'prautoblogger_deploy_lock' );
 		error_log( '[PRAutoBlogger Deploy] Extraction failed. Rolled back to previous version.' );
-		return new WP_Error( 'extract_failed', 'Zip extraction failed. Rolled back.', [ 'status' => 500 ] );
+		return new WP_Error( 'extract_failed', 'Zip extraction failed. Rolled back.', array( 'status' => 500 ) );
 	}
 
 	// 7. Activate plugin.
@@ -178,7 +186,7 @@ function prautoblogger_deploy_handle( WP_REST_Request $request ): WP_REST_Respon
 		return new WP_Error(
 			'activation_failed',
 			'Plugin activation failed: ' . $activation_result->get_error_message() . '. Rolled back.',
-			[ 'status' => 500 ]
+			array( 'status' => 500 )
 		);
 	}
 
@@ -188,18 +196,23 @@ function prautoblogger_deploy_handle( WP_REST_Request $request ): WP_REST_Respon
 	}
 
 	$old_version = prautoblogger_deploy_get_installed_version();
-	error_log( sprintf(
-		'[PRAutoBlogger Deploy] Successfully deployed v%s (was: %s) at %s',
-		$incoming_version,
-		$old_version ?: 'fresh install',
-		gmdate( 'Y-m-d H:i:s' )
-	) );
+	error_log(
+		sprintf(
+			'[PRAutoBlogger Deploy] Successfully deployed v%s (was: %s) at %s',
+			$incoming_version,
+			$old_version ? $old_version : 'fresh install',
+			gmdate( 'Y-m-d H:i:s' )
+		)
+	);
 
-	return new WP_REST_Response( [
-		'success' => true,
-		'version' => $incoming_version,
-		'message' => "PRAutoBlogger v{$incoming_version} deployed and activated.",
-	], 200 );
+	return new WP_REST_Response(
+		array(
+			'success' => true,
+			'version' => $incoming_version,
+			'message' => "PRAutoBlogger v{$incoming_version} deployed and activated.",
+		),
+		200
+	);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -210,7 +223,7 @@ function prautoblogger_deploy_get_installed_version(): string {
 	if ( ! file_exists( $main_file ) ) {
 		return '';
 	}
-	$data = get_file_data( $main_file, [ 'Version' => 'Version' ] );
+	$data = get_file_data( $main_file, array( 'Version' => 'Version' ) );
 	return $data['Version'] ?? '';
 }
 

.github/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -1,111 +1,53 @@
-name: CI — Lint & Test
-
-# Runs on every PR and every push to main. Validates PHPUnit tests + lint +
-# coding standards before deploy can happen. deploy.yml on main continues to
-# run its own validate job as a belt-and-suspenders check, but this CI workflow
-# is what gives PRs an immediate signal so fixes happen before merge.
+##
+# CI caller — PRAutoBlogger
+#
+# Thin caller that delegates to the reusable estate CI workflow in peptide-e2e.
+# workflow_call is required so deploy.yml can gate on this workflow via
+# `uses: ./.github/workflows/ci.yml` (the workflow_call trigger enables that).
+#
+# Permissions: contents: write is required at the caller level so the reusable
+# workflow's phpcbf auto-commit job can push fixes back to the PR branch.
+# (GitHub enforces that callers cannot be escalated beyond their declared scope.)
+#
+# tests: brain-monkey — no WP install or DB required; Brain Monkey mocking only.
+# line_limit_paths: includes — estate hard 300-line rule applied to includes/.
+##
+name: CI
 
 on:
+  pull_request: {}
   push:
     branches: [main]
-  pull_request:
-    branches: [main]
+  workflow_call: {}
 
 permissions:
-  contents: read
+  contents: write
 
 jobs:
-  php-lint:
-    name: PHP Lint (${{ matrix.php }})
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    strategy:
-      fail-fast: false
-      matrix:
-        php: ['8.1', '8.2', '8.3']
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - name: Setup PHP ${{ matrix.php }}
-        uses: shivammathur/setup-php@v2
-        with:
-          php-version: ${{ matrix.php }}
-          coverage: none
-      - name: Syntax check all PHP files
-        # Exclude .github/mu-plugins — those run on the production server (PHP 8+)
-        # and may use PHP 8+ syntax (union types etc.) that older versions reject.
-        run: |
-          set -e
-          find . -name '*.php' \
-            -not -path './vendor/*' \
-            -not -path './node_modules/*' \
-            -not -path './.git/*' \
-            -not -path './.github/*' \
-            -print0 | xargs -0 -n1 -P4 php -l > /dev/null
+  ci:
+    uses: peptide-repo/peptide-e2e/.github/workflows/ci.yml@main
+    with:
+      tests: brain-monkey
+    secrets: inherit
 
-  phpcs:
-    name: PHPCS (WordPress standards)
+  check-constants:
+    name: Check PRAUTOBLOGGER_* constants
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    continue-on-error: false  # strict after PHPCS cleanup in v0.8.3
-    permissions:
-      contents: write  # allows phpcbf auto-fix commits back to the PR branch
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          ref: ${{ github.head_ref || github.ref_name }}
-          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-      - name: Setup PHP
+      - name: Setup PHP 8.1
         uses: shivammathur/setup-php@v2
         with:
           php-version: '8.1'
           coverage: none
-          tools: composer:v2, phpcs
-      - name: Install WordPress Coding Standards
-        run: |
-          composer global config --no-plugins allow-plugins.dealerdirect/phpcodesniffer-composer-installer true
-          composer global require --no-interaction \
-            "dealerdirect/phpcodesniffer-composer-installer:^1.0" \
-            "wp-coding-standards/wpcs:^3.0" \
-            "phpcsstandards/phpcsutils:^1.0" \
-            "phpcsstandards/phpcsextra:^1.0"
-      - name: Auto-fix with phpcbf (commit back to branch if changed)
-        # phpcbf exits 1 when it makes fixes, 0 when nothing to fix — both are success here.
-        # Commits made via GITHUB_TOKEN do not trigger a new CI run (GitHub prevents loops).
-        run: |
-          phpcbf --standard=phpcs.xml \
-            --extensions=php \
-            --ignore=vendor/*,tests/*,node_modules/* \
-            includes/ prautoblogger.php uninstall.php || true
-          if ! git diff --quiet; then
-            git config user.name "peptiderepo"
-            git config user.email "peptiderepo@users.noreply.github.com"
-            git add -A
-            git commit -m "style: auto-fix PHPCS violations via phpcbf"
-            git push
-          fi
-      - name: Run PHPCS (only non-auto-fixable violations can fail here)
-        run: |
-          phpcs --standard=phpcs.xml \
-            --extensions=php \
-            --ignore=vendor/*,tests/*,node_modules/* \
-            --warning-severity=0 \
-            --report=full \
-            includes/ prautoblogger.php uninstall.php
-
-  phpunit:
-    name: PHPUnit (PHP ${{ matrix.php }})
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    strategy:
-      fail-fast: false
-      matrix:
-        php: ['8.1', '8.2', '8.3']
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - name: Setup PHP ${{ matrix.php }}
-        uses: shivammathur/setup-php@v2
-        with:
-          php-version: ${{ matrix.php }}
-          coverage: none
-          tools: composer:v2
-      - name: Install composer dependencies
-        run: composer install --no-progress --no-interaction --prefer-dist
-      - name: Run PHPUnit (Brain Monkey — no WP install required)
-        run: vendor/bin/phpunit --testdox
+      - name: Check PRAUTOBLOGGER_* constants
+        # Fails if any PRAUTOBLOGGER_* constant referenced in the shipped
+        # plugin PHP is neither defined in prautoblogger.php nor guarded
+        # by defined() at the reference site. Prevents the v0.19.0 incident
+        # class (constant deleted from bootstrap, test fallback masks the gap).
+        run: php scripts/check-constants.php
+      - name: Self-test check-constants scanner
+        # Verifies the scanner itself can detect the failure cases it was
+        # designed to catch. If the scanner regresses, this step fails CI.
+        # Added v0.21.0; restored in v0.22.0 (was accidentally dropped in rewrite).
+        run: php scripts/check-constants.php --self-test

.github/workflows/cto-review.yml

@@ -1,20 +1,17 @@
 name: CTO Review
 
-# Automated PR review powered by Claude + DeepSeek + Kimi (via OpenRouter)
-# plus Neurometric PR-Summarizer (a Qwen3-4B task-specialist SLM).
+# Automated PR review powered by Claude Haiku (via OpenRouter).
 #
-# During the A/B window (until further notice), every PR gets reviewed by FOUR models
-# in parallel. The PR comment shows each model's verdict side-by-side so we can compare
-# quality/cost on real PRs before picking a permanent default.
+# A/B panel decision 2026-06-12: panel dropped to Haiku-only.
+# Evidence: convo/cto/threads/2026-06-qa-ab-review/02-analyst-findings.md
+# DeepSeek: high false-positive rate (absint()="code exec", PLUGIN_DIR="dir traversal").
+# Kimi: ~60% model failure rate across 13 PRs sampled.
+# Neurometric: summarizer only, zero unique-real findings, unreliable heuristic verdict.
+# Haiku: 0 failures, lowest noise, equivalent real-signal catch rate vs 4-voice panel.
 #
-# Neurometric is a "prose voice": it does not support OpenAI tool-calling, so its
-# contribution is raw markdown + a heuristic verdict. It is never the primary voice.
+# Does NOT merge. Posts formal APPROVE/REQUEST_CHANGES/COMMENT reviews.
 #
-# Does NOT merge. Does NOT post formal APPROVE/REQUEST_CHANGES reviews — always COMMENT
-# (GITHUB_TOKEN can't formally approve PRs without repo-setting toggle).
-#
-# Requires repo secrets: OPENROUTER_API_KEY, NEUROMETRIC_API_KEY (optional; the
-# Neurometric voice self-skips with an inline error note if the key is missing).
+# Requires repo secret: OPENROUTER_API_KEY
 #
 # Cost cap: tracked in Repository Variables (CTO_REVIEW_SPEND_CENTS, CTO_REVIEW_CAP_CENTS).
 # Default cap is 1000 cents ($10/month). Auto-resets on the 1st of each month.
@@ -125,8 +122,8 @@ jobs:
           HEAD_SHA="${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}"
           # Write the diff to a file, not a step output / env var. Passing a
           # ~400KB diff through the process env (execve argv+envp) exceeds the
-          # runner ARG_MAX and fails the next step with "Argument list too long"
-          # (issue #110). File transport also sidesteps the ~1MB step-output cap.
+          # runner ARG_MAX and fails the next step with "Argument list too long".
+          # File transport also sidesteps the ~1MB step-output cap.
           git diff --no-color "$BASE_SHA" "$HEAD_SHA" | head -c 400000 > /tmp/cto-review-diff.txt
           FILES=$(git diff --name-only "$BASE_SHA" "$HEAD_SHA")
           SIZE=$(wc -c < /tmp/cto-review-diff.txt)
@@ -151,12 +148,11 @@ jobs:
             echo "EOF_CONV"
           } >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
-      - name: Call 4 models in parallel (OpenRouter + Neurometric)
+      - name: Call Haiku via OpenRouter
         if: steps.budget.outputs.skip != 'true'
         id: review
         env:
           OPENROUTER_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.OPENROUTER_API_KEY }}
-          NEUROMETRIC_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.NEUROMETRIC_API_KEY }}
           PR_TITLE: ${{ github.event.pull_request.title }}
           PR_BODY: ${{ github.event.pull_request.body }}
           PR_AUTHOR: ${{ github.event.pull_request.user.login }}
@@ -184,24 +180,17 @@ jobs:
           fi
 
           python3 - <<'PY'
-          import json, os, sys, urllib.request, concurrent.futures
+          import json, os, sys, urllib.request
 
           api_key = os.environ["OPENROUTER_API_KEY"]
 
-          # A/B harness: four models. Each gets the same prompt.
-          # Primary model's verdict drives the heading. Others are labeled.
-          # Edit this list to change the roster (or drop to 1 after A/B window closes).
-          #
-          # provider_type semantics:
-          #   - "openrouter_tools": OpenAI tool-calling via OpenRouter; structured verdict.
-          #   - "neurometric_prose": Neurometric marketplace SLM; prose output + heuristic verdict.
-          MODELS = [
-              # (slug, display name, input_per_M_USD, output_per_M_USD, is_primary, provider_type)
-              ("anthropic/claude-haiku-4.5",       "Claude Haiku 4.5",                     1.00, 5.00, True,  "openrouter_tools"),
-              ("deepseek/deepseek-chat-v3.1",      "DeepSeek V3.1",                        0.15, 0.75, False, "openrouter_tools"),
-              ("moonshotai/kimi-k2-thinking",      "Kimi K2 Thinking",                     0.60, 2.50, False, "openrouter_tools"),
-              ("neurometric/pr-summarizer",        "Neurometric PR-Summarizer (Qwen3-4B)", 0.00, 0.00, False, "neurometric_prose"),
-          ]
+          # Haiku-only reviewer. A/B panel dropped 2026-06-12 per QA data:
+          # DeepSeek high false-positive rate, Kimi ~60% failure rate,
+          # Neurometric zero unique-real findings. Haiku retained as sole voice.
+          MODEL_SLUG = "anthropic/claude-haiku-4.5"
+          MODEL_DISPLAY = "Claude Haiku 4.5"
+          INPUT_PER_M_USD = 1.00
+          OUTPUT_PER_M_USD = 5.00
 
           system = """You are the CTO and lead reviewer for the peptiderepo project. You are reviewing a pull request opened by an autonomous agent or human contributor.
 
@@ -264,218 +253,100 @@ jobs:
               }
           }]
 
-          PER_MODEL_TIMEOUT = 60  # seconds; one hung model should not block siblings
+          body = {
+              "model": MODEL_SLUG,
+              "max_tokens": 2048,
+              "messages": [
+                  {"role": "system", "content": system},
+                  {"role": "user", "content": user_message}
+              ],
+              "tools": tools,
+              "tool_choice": {"type": "function", "function": {"name": "submit_review"}}
+          }
+          req = urllib.request.Request(
+              "https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/chat/completions",
+              data=json.dumps(body).encode(),
+              headers={
+                  "Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}",
+                  "content-type": "application/json",
+                  "HTTP-Referer": "https://github.com/peptiderepo",
+                  "X-Title": f"peptiderepo CTO reviewer ({MODEL_DISPLAY})"
+              },
+              method="POST"
+          )
 
-          # Heuristic verdict inference for prose-voice models that can't do tool-calling.
-          # Keyword order matters: block markers beat approve markers.
-          PROSE_BLOCK_MARKERS = [
-              "do not merge", "do not approve", "should not be merged", "reject this",
-              "critical security", "critical issue", "critical vulnerability",
-              "blocker", "blocking issue", "request_changes", "request changes",
-              "**critical**", "sql injection", "must be addressed before",
-          ]
-          PROSE_APPROVE_MARKERS = [
-              "safe to merge", "ready to merge", "no blocking issues", "lgtm",
-              "approve this", "looks good to merge", "no concerns",
-          ]
+          error = None
+          review = None
+          cost_cents = 0.0
+          ptok = 0
+          ctok = 0
 
-          def infer_verdict_from_prose(text):
-              t = (text or "").lower()
-              if any(m in t for m in PROSE_BLOCK_MARKERS):
-                  return "REQUEST_CHANGES"
-              if any(m in t for m in PROSE_APPROVE_MARKERS):
-                  return "APPROVE"
-              return "COMMENT"
-
-          def call_openrouter_tools(slug, display, in_rate, out_rate, is_primary):
-              body = {
-                  "model": slug,
-                  "max_tokens": 2048,
-                  "messages": [
-                      {"role": "system", "content": system},
-                      {"role": "user", "content": user_message}
-                  ],
-                  "tools": tools,
-                  "tool_choice": {"type": "function", "function": {"name": "submit_review"}}
-              }
-              req = urllib.request.Request(
-                  "https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/chat/completions",
-                  data=json.dumps(body).encode(),
-                  headers={
-                      "Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}",
-                      "content-type": "application/json",
-                      "HTTP-Referer": "https://github.com/peptiderepo",
-                      "X-Title": f"peptiderepo CTO reviewer ({display})"
-                  },
-                  method="POST"
-              )
-              try:
-                  with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=PER_MODEL_TIMEOUT) as resp:
-                      data = json.loads(resp.read())
-              except Exception as e:
-                  return {
-                      "slug": slug, "display": display, "is_primary": is_primary,
-                      "provider_type": "openrouter_tools",
-                      "error": str(e)[:300],
-                      "cost_cents": 0,
-                  }
+          try:
+              with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=60) as resp:
+                  data = json.loads(resp.read())
+          except Exception as e:
+              error = str(e)[:300]
+              data = {}
 
+          if not error:
               choice = data.get("choices", [{}])[0].get("message", {})
               tool_calls = choice.get("tool_calls", [])
               if not tool_calls:
-                  return {
-                      "slug": slug, "display": display, "is_primary": is_primary,
-                      "provider_type": "openrouter_tools",
-                      "error": f"No tool_call in response. Raw content: {str(choice)[:300]}",
-                      "cost_cents": 0,
-                  }
+                  error = f"No tool_call in response. Raw content: {str(choice)[:300]}"
+              else:
+                  try:
+                      review = json.loads(tool_calls[0]["function"]["arguments"])
+                  except Exception as e:
+                      error = f"Malformed tool args: {e}"
 
-              try:
-                  review = json.loads(tool_calls[0]["function"]["arguments"])
-              except Exception as e:
-                  return {
-                      "slug": slug, "display": display, "is_primary": is_primary,
-                      "provider_type": "openrouter_tools",
-                      "error": f"Malformed tool args: {e}",
-                      "cost_cents": 0,
-                  }
+              if not error:
+                  usage = data.get("usage", {})
+                  ptok = usage.get("prompt_tokens", 0)
+                  ctok = usage.get("completion_tokens", 0)
+                  cost_usd = (ptok * INPUT_PER_M_USD / 1_000_000) + (ctok * OUTPUT_PER_M_USD / 1_000_000)
+                  cost_cents = cost_usd * 100
 
-              usage = data.get("usage", {})
-              ptok = usage.get("prompt_tokens", 0)
-              ctok = usage.get("completion_tokens", 0)
-              cost_usd = (ptok * in_rate / 1_000_000) + (ctok * out_rate / 1_000_000)
-              cost_cents = cost_usd * 100
-              return {
-                  "slug": slug, "display": display, "is_primary": is_primary,
-                  "provider_type": "openrouter_tools",
-                  "review": review, "prompt_tokens": ptok, "completion_tokens": ctok,
-                  "cost_cents": cost_cents,
-              }
-
-          def call_neurometric_prose(slug, display, is_primary):
-              nm_key = os.environ.get("NEUROMETRIC_API_KEY", "")
-              if not nm_key:
-                  return {
-                      "slug": slug, "display": display, "is_primary": is_primary,
-                      "provider_type": "neurometric_prose",
-                      "error": "NEUROMETRIC_API_KEY secret not set on this repo",
-                      "cost_cents": 0,
-                  }
-              body = {
-                  "model": slug,
-                  "max_tokens": 2048,
-                  "messages": [
-                      {"role": "system", "content": system},
-                      {"role": "user", "content": user_message},
-                  ],
-              }
-              req = urllib.request.Request(
-                  "https://api.neurometric.ai/v1/chat/completions",
-                  data=json.dumps(body).encode(),
-                  headers={
-                      "Authorization": f"Bearer {nm_key}",
-                      "content-type": "application/json",
-                  },
-                  method="POST",
-              )
-              try:
-                  with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=PER_MODEL_TIMEOUT) as resp:
-                      data = json.loads(resp.read())
-              except Exception as e:
-                  return {
-                      "slug": slug, "display": display, "is_primary": is_primary,
-                      "provider_type": "neurometric_prose",
-                      "error": str(e)[:300],
-                      "cost_cents": 0,
-                  }
-              prose = data.get("choices", [{}])[0].get("message", {}).get("content") or ""
-              verdict = infer_verdict_from_prose(prose)
-              return {
-                  "slug": slug, "display": display, "is_primary": is_primary,
-                  "provider_type": "neurometric_prose",
-                  "review": {"verdict": verdict, "prose": prose},
-                  "prompt_tokens": 0, "completion_tokens": 0,
-                  "cost_cents": 0,
-              }
-
-          def call_model(slug, display, in_rate, out_rate, is_primary, provider_type="openrouter_tools"):
-              if provider_type == "neurometric_prose":
-                  return call_neurometric_prose(slug, display, is_primary)
-              return call_openrouter_tools(slug, display, in_rate, out_rate, is_primary)
-
-          results = []
-          with concurrent.futures.ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=len(MODELS)) as pool:
-              futures = [pool.submit(call_model, *m) for m in MODELS]
-              for f in concurrent.futures.as_completed(futures):
-                  results.append(f.result())
-
-          # Order: primary first, then alphabetical for stable comparison
-          results.sort(key=lambda r: (not r.get("is_primary"), r["display"]))
-
-          # Build combined comment
-          primary = next((r for r in results if r.get("is_primary") and "review" in r), None)
-          heading_verdict = primary["review"]["verdict"] if primary else "MIXED"
-
-          lines = [f"## CTO Review — {heading_verdict}", ""]
-          lines.append(f"_A/B harness active: {len(results)} models reviewing in parallel. Primary verdict drives heading; others are advisory._")
-          lines.append("")
-
-          total_cents = 0.0
-          for r in results:
-              lines.append(f"---")
-              primary_tag = " (primary)" if r.get("is_primary") else ""
-              lines.append(f"### {r['display']}{primary_tag}")
-              if "error" in r:
-                  lines.append("")
-                  lines.append(f"⚠️ Model failed: `{r['error']}`")
-                  lines.append("")
-                  continue
-              rev = r["review"]
+          # Build comment
+          if error:
+              heading_verdict = "ERROR"
+              lines = [f"## CTO Review — {heading_verdict}", ""]
+              lines.append(f"Model failed: `{error}`")
               lines.append("")
-              if r.get("provider_type") == "neurometric_prose":
-                  lines.append(f"**Verdict:** {rev['verdict']} _(heuristic, inferred from prose)_")
-                  lines.append("")
-                  # Cap at 6KB to keep PR comments readable; 4B model output is rarely over this
-                  prose = rev.get("prose", "")
-                  if len(prose) > 6000:
-                      prose = prose[:6000] + "\n\n_…output truncated for comment length…_"
-                  lines.append(prose)
-                  lines.append("")
-                  lines.append("_free tier; per-call token usage not tracked_")
-                  lines.append("")
-                  continue
-              lines.append(f"**Verdict:** {rev.get('verdict', 'COMMENT')}")
+              lines.append(f"_reviewer: {MODEL_DISPLAY}_")
+          else:
+              heading_verdict = review.get("verdict", "COMMENT")
+              lines = [f"## CTO Review — {heading_verdict}", ""]
+              lines.append(f"**Verdict:** {heading_verdict}")
               lines.append("")
-              lines.append(rev.get("summary") or "_(model returned no summary)_")
+              lines.append(review.get("summary") or "_(model returned no summary)_")
               lines.append("")
-              if rev.get("concerns"):
+              if review.get("concerns"):
                   lines.append("**Concerns:**")
-                  for c in rev["concerns"]:
-                      sev = c["severity"].upper()
+                  for c in review["concerns"]:
+                      sev = c.get("severity", "UNKNOWN").upper()
                       f = f"`{c['file']}`" if c.get("file") else ""
                       lines.append(f"- **{sev}** {f} — {c['issue']}")
                   lines.append("")
-              if rev.get("positives"):
-                  lines.append("**Positives:** " + "; ".join(rev["positives"]))
+              if review.get("positives"):
+                  lines.append("**Positives:** " + "; ".join(review["positives"]))
                   lines.append("")
-              lines.append(f"_tokens in/out: {r['prompt_tokens']}/{r['completion_tokens']} · cost: ${r['cost_cents']/100:.4f}_")
-              total_cents += r["cost_cents"]
+              lines.append(f"_tokens in/out: {ptok}/{ctok} · cost: ${cost_cents/100:.4f}_")
               lines.append("")
 
           lines.append("---")
-          lines.append(f"_Total review cost: **${total_cents/100:.4f}**. A/B roster configured in `.github/workflows/cto-review.yml`._")
+          lines.append(f"_Total review cost: **${cost_cents/100:.4f}**. Reviewer: {MODEL_DISPLAY}. Roster configured in `.github/workflows/cto-review.yml`._")
 
           with open("/tmp/review-body.md", "w") as f:
               f.write("\n".join(lines))
           with open(os.environ["GITHUB_OUTPUT"], "a") as f:
-              f.write(f"added_cents={int(round(total_cents))}\n")
+              f.write(f"added_cents={int(round(cost_cents))}\n")
               f.write(f"skipped=0\n")
               f.write(f"primary_verdict={heading_verdict}\n")
           PY
 
       - name: Post PR review (formal APPROVE / REQUEST_CHANGES / COMMENT)
-        # Uses primary model's verdict as the formal event. Falls back to COMMENT
-        # if the primary model failed or returned something unexpected.
+        # Uses Haiku's verdict as the formal event. Falls back to COMMENT
+        # if the model failed or returned something unexpected.
         if: steps.budget.outputs.skip != 'true' && steps.review.outputs.skipped != '1'
         uses: actions/github-script@v7
         env:

.github/workflows/deploy.yml

@@ -9,29 +9,17 @@ concurrency:
   cancel-in-progress: true
 
 jobs:
-  validate:
-    name: PHP Lint Gate
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - uses: shivammathur/setup-php@v2
-        with:
-          php-version: '8.1'
-          coverage: none
-      - name: PHP Lint Check
-        run: |
-          set -e
-          find . -name '*.php' \
-            -not -path './vendor/*' \
-            -not -path './node_modules/*' \
-            -not -path './.git/*' \
-            -not -path './.github/*' \
-            -print0 | xargs -0 -n1 -P4 php -l > /dev/null
+  ci:
+    name: CI Gate (reusable)
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/ci.yml
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
+    secrets: inherit
 
   deploy:
     name: Deploy (shared pipeline)
-    needs: validate
-    uses: peptiderepo/peptide-e2e/.github/workflows/deploy-app.yml@main
+    needs: ci
+    uses: peptide-repo/peptide-e2e/.github/workflows/deploy-app.yml@main
     with:
       target_path: wp-content/plugins/prautoblogger
     secrets: inherit

ARCHITECTURE.md

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 > **Cross-app context:** decisions that affect multiple plugins (Cloudflare AI Gateway routing, OpenRouter account sharing, the interface pattern, image-generation stack, social distributor choice) are recorded in `Peptide Repo CTO/docs/engineering/decisions/`. The incident runbook for cross-app failure modes is at `Peptide Repo CTO/docs/engineering/INCIDENT-RUNBOOK.md`. Engineer PRAutoBlogger should read both before making decisions that cross plugin boundaries.
 
+> **App-local decisions:** choices that affect only this plugin are recorded in [`docs/adr/`](docs/adr/README.md) — a per-repo numbered log (0001, 0002, …). Read `docs/adr/README.md` for the index. The routing rule and required template live centrally in `Peptide Repo CTO/docs/engineering/ADR-PROCESS.md`.
+
 PRAutoBlogger is a WordPress plugin that monitors social media (starting with Reddit) for recurring questions, complaints, and comparisons in a configured niche, uses LLM agents (via OpenRouter) to generate high-quality blog articles from those insights, runs them through a chief editor agent for quality review, and auto-publishes them on a configurable daily schedule. All collected data and generation metrics are stored for a self-improvement feedback loop.
 
 ---
@@ -119,16 +121,24 @@ prautoblogger/
 │   │   └── OFL.txt                    # SIL Open Font License
 │   ├── css/
 │   │   ├── admin.css                  # Admin page styles (wp-admin conventions)
+│   │   ├── board.css                  # Kanban board styles -- warm editorial palette (v0.19.0)
+│   │   ├── dossier.css                # Article dossier page styles: verdict pills, cost receipt, trace toggle (v0.19.2)
+│   │   ├── dossier-edit.css           # M3 edit/re-run layer: chips, edit panel, image grid, spend warning (v0.20.0)
 │   │   └── posts-widget.css           # Frontend posts widget styles (uses theme CSS vars)
 │   └── js/
 │       ├── admin.js                   # Admin page interactivity (vanilla JS / Alpine.js)
+│       ├── board.js                   # Board poller: AJAX poll + DOM updates + backoff (v0.19.0)
+│       ├── dossier.js                 # Per-stage raw-trace toggle: aria-expanded / aria-controls (v0.19.2)
+│       ├── dossier-edit.js            # M3 edit/re-run actions + stage-status polling (queued -> pickup -> result) (v0.20.0)
 │       └── posts-widget.js            # React component for frontend post cards (wp.element)
 │
 ├── includes/
-│   ├── class-prautoblogger.php        # Main orchestrator — registers all hooks, delegates execution
-│   ├── class-pipeline-schema-installer.php # v0.18.0 substrate tables (prompts, run_sources, run_decisions, runs, run_stages)
+│   ├── class-prautoblogger.php        # Main orchestrator — registers all hooks, delegates execution (split v0.19.2)
+│   ├── class-db-migrations.php        # DB migration methods extracted from class-prautoblogger.php (v0.19.2 split, binding 1)
+│   ├── class-pipeline-schema-installer.php # Pipeline substrate tables (prompts, run_sources, run_decisions, runs, run_stages, stage_inputs)
 │   ├── class-migrate-prompt-seed-v0180.php # One-shot v0.18.0 prompt-registry seed migration
-│   ├── class-executor.php             # Cron handlers, generation AJAX (start + status), model registry
+│   ├── class-executor.php             # Cron handlers, generation AJAX (delegates start + status to poller), model registry
+│   ├── class-generation-status-poller.php # Generation AJAX handlers: status transient renewal, lock-age orphan detection (R2b/R3), abort_orphaned_run
 │   ├── class-ajax-handlers.php        # Non-generation AJAX: images, models, test connections
 │   ├── class-generation-lock.php      # DB-level atomic mutex for single-writer generation
 │   ├── class-activator.php            # Activation: create DB tables, set defaults, schedule cron
@@ -136,6 +146,15 @@ prautoblogger/
 │   ├── class-autoloader.php           # PSR-4-style autoloader for plugin classes
 │   │
 │   ├── admin/
+│   │   ├── class-board-page.php       # Kanban board -- primary landing screen (v0.19.0)
+│   │   ├── class-board-data-provider.php # Board orchestrator: 4-column snapshot + dossier deep-links (v0.19.0, v0.19.2)
+│   │   ├── class-board-gen-log-query.php # Board gen_log queries: Generating + Failed column raw DB reads (v0.19.0)
+│   │   ├── class-dossier-page.php     # Article dossier admin page: options.php-parent hidden-page, priority 12, enqueue, nonce (v0.19.3)
+│   │   ├── class-dossier-data-assembler.php # 5-query view-model builder: runs+stages+gen_log+decisions+meta (v0.19.2)
+│   │   ├── class-dossier-gen-log-query.php  # Dossier gen_log queries: per-stage cost receipt + raw trace (v0.19.2)
+│   │   ├── class-dossier-actions.php        # M3 AJAX: save fork / queue replay / queue rebuild / stage-status poll (v0.20.0)
+│   │   ├── class-dossier-rerun-panel-data.php # M3 per-stage affordance + spend view model (v0.20.0)
+│   │   ├── class-dossier-image-data.php     # F3: post's pipeline attachments via _prautoblogger_image_role (v0.20.0)
 │   │   ├── class-admin-page.php       # Main settings page (tabbed SaaS-style UI)
 │   │   ├── class-settings-fields.php  # Declarative settings: sections + core fields (API/Models/Content/Sources)
 │   │   ├── class-settings-fields-extended.php # Operational fields: schedule, publishing, display, analytics, images
@@ -182,7 +201,15 @@ prautoblogger/
 │   │   ├── class-run-state.php        # runs-table ledger + lifecycle row (ceiling/reserved/settled, pins, status)
 │   │   ├── class-cost-governor.php    # Per-run reserve-before-call enforcement (atomic conditional UPDATE)
 │   │   ├── class-cost-ceiling-exception.php # Thrown on ceiling breach (run already halted)
-│   │   ├── class-run-stage-state.php  # Per-run per-stage state machine (idempotent resume, output snapshots)
+│   │   ├── class-run-stage-state.php  # Per-run per-stage state machine: read API + thin write proxies (split v0.20.0)
+│   │   ├── class-run-stage-writes.php # Pipeline-path writes (start/done/fail; done clears stale) — extracted v0.20.0
+│   │   ├── class-run-stage-rerun-state.php # M3 operator-action mutations: restart/mark_stale/demote (v0.20.0)
+│   │   ├── class-stage-input-store.php # INSERT-only stage_inputs store: edit forks + idea seeds (v0.20.0)
+│   │   ├── class-rerun-eligibility.php # M3 policy gates: frozen posts, editable stages, chain order (v0.20.0)
+│   │   ├── class-stage-replay.php     # M3 governed single-stage replay from a fork body (v0.20.0)
+│   │   ├── class-rerun-executor.php   # M3 cron handlers: replay + rebuild jobs (v0.20.0)
+│   │   ├── class-rerun-job-support.php # M3 queue/lock/budget/status-transient plumbing (v0.20.0)
+│   │   ├── class-request-recorder.php # B1: process-scoped outbound request-body stash -> generation_log.request_json (v0.20.0)
 │   │   ├── class-run-reaper.php       # Stuck-run sweep + audit-payload retention (rides the #19 cron)
 │   │   ├── class-audit-writer.php     # run_sources / run_decisions insert layer
 │   │   ├── class-pipeline-status.php  # Status-transient + summary helpers (extracted from runner/worker)
@@ -195,6 +222,7 @@ prautoblogger/
 │   ├── providers/
 │   │   ├── interface-llm-provider.php    # Contract for any LLM provider
 │   │   ├── class-open-router-provider.php # OpenRouter API implementation (chat completions)
+│   │   ├── class-open-router-completion-guard.php # Empty-completion guard: warn on finish_reason=length, one reasoning-off retry, audited failure (v0.18.1)
 │   │   ├── class-open-router-embedding-provider.php # Text embeddings for semantic dedup
 │   │   ├── class-open-router-pricing.php  # Model pricing lookup and cost estimation
 │   │   ├── interface-source-provider.php # Contract for any social media source
@@ -207,11 +235,13 @@ prautoblogger/
 │   │   ├── class-open-router-image-support.php   # API key, response parsing, retry/backoff helpers
 │   │   ├── class-open-router-image-pricing.php   # Model resolution + per-image cost estimation
 │   │   ├── class-open-router-config.php          # API base URL (direct vs AI Gateway)
-│   │   ├── class-open-router-request-builder.php # Header building + Hostinger cURL auth workaround
+│   │   ├── class-open-router-request-builder.php # Request body assembly + reasoning token cap/headroom (v0.18.1) + headers + Hostinger cURL auth workaround
 │   │   ├── class-runware-image-provider.php     # Runware FLUX.1 (default v0.9.0+)
 │   │   ├── class-runware-image-pricing.php      # FLUX schnell/dev cost table + resolver
 │   │   ├── class-runware-image-support.php      # Key, response parsing, retry, dimension snap
 │   │   ├── class-runware-image-batch.php        # True parallel curl_multi batch dispatcher
+│   │   ├── class-runware-model-catalog.php      # Live model catalog sync: modelSearch pagination, cache v2, failure cooldown
+│   │   ├── class-runware-catalog-fetcher.php    # HTTP fetch + normalize_models for Runware modelSearch (extracted for 300-line rule)
 │   │   └── (new providers go here — see CONVENTIONS.md)
 │   │
 │   ├── services/
@@ -235,11 +265,19 @@ prautoblogger/
 │
 ├── templates/
 │   └── admin/
+│       ├── board-page.php             # Kanban board template (4-column editorial layout) (v0.19.0)
+│       ├── dossier-page.php           # Article dossier: two-column layout, sidebar, stage sections (v0.19.2)
+│       ├── dossier-stage-section.php  # Stage section partial: output, raw trace, M3 chips + rerun footer
+│       ├── dossier-edit-panel.php     # M3 per-stage edit panel: message textareas, fork info, spend strip (v0.20.0)
+│       ├── dossier-log-stage-section.php # F3 log-only stage sections incl. image attachment grid (v0.20.0)
+│       ├── dossier-sidebar-cards.php  # M3 sidebar: run spend (guardrail 4) + models/pv consolidation (F2) (v0.20.0)
+│       ├── dossier-stage-section.php  # Per-stage block: rendered output + raw-trace toggle + cost receipt (v0.19.2)
+│       ├── metabox-dossier-link.php   # Slim post metabox: "View generation dossier →" link (v0.19.2)
 │       ├── settings-page.php          # Settings page template (tabbed sidebar layout)
 │       ├── metrics-page.php           # Metrics/cost dashboard template
 │       ├── review-queue.php           # Review queue table template
 │       ├── log-viewer.php             # Activity log viewer template
-│       └── metabox-generation-info.php# Post metabox template
+│       └── metabox-generation-info.php# Post metabox template (superseded by metabox-dossier-link.php in v0.19.2)
 │
 ├── languages/
 │   └── prautoblogger.pot              # i18n translation template
@@ -336,11 +374,19 @@ Hostinger's 120-second LiteSpeed connection timeout. The frontend polls for stat
 └──────────────────────────────┘
 ```
 
-**Fallback detection:** If Hostinger kills the PHP process before it updates the
-transient (despite `ignore_user_abort`), the status endpoint detects the orphan after
-180 seconds by checking for recently-created posts with `_prautoblogger_run_id` meta.
-It also releases any stale generation lock. After 600 seconds (STATUS_TTL), it gives
-up unconditionally and reports a timeout.
+**Fallback detection (v0.18.3 R2b/R3):** The status transient is renewed on every stage
+transition via `update_generation_stage()` (`Pipeline_Status::broadcast()`), so its TTL
+always counts from the last activity rather than run start. When a status poll finds the
+transient absent:
+
+- **Lock within TTL (`lock_age ≤ STATUS_TTL = 600s`):** the background process is still alive
+  but has not broadcast yet (or the transient was evicted). `handle_missing_transient()` returns
+  `status: running` (R3) — button stays in-progress, no state change.
+- **Lock exceeded TTL (`lock_age > STATUS_TTL`):** background process died without releasing the
+  lock. `abort_orphaned_run()` marks the `runs` row `failed`, releases the generation lock, deletes
+  the status transient and queue option, and returns `status: error` with "infrastructure timeout"
+  (R2b). A daily `Run_Reaper::sweep_stuck_runs()` at 2× `EXPECTED_RUN_SECONDS` (~3600s) remains
+  the backstop for runs the poll path never sees.
 
 ---
 
@@ -505,6 +551,7 @@ dropped on uninstall.
 | verdict        | VARCHAR(50) | e.g. 'approved', 'revised', 'rejected', 'halted' |
 | rationale      | TEXT        | Decision rationale (nullable)                 |
 | citation_score | FLOAT       | Nullable until the Phase-2 editorial loop computes it |
+| human_modified | TINYINT(1)  | v0.20.0 — decision derives from a human-edited input (set on replay of the stage, or on decisions recorded while rebuilding a human-modified item) |
 | created_at     | DATETIME    | Row creation time                             |
 
 - INDEX: `run_id`
@@ -535,18 +582,44 @@ dropped on uninstall.
 | id          | BIGINT UNSIGNED | Auto-increment PK                                  |
 | run_id      | VARCHAR(36)     | Pipeline run UUID                                  |
 | stage       | VARCHAR(50)     | Stage name (see stage vocabulary)                  |
-| agent_role  | VARCHAR(50)     | Fan-out dimension for Phase-2 quorum ('' default)  |
+| agent_role  | VARCHAR(50)     | Fan-out dimension. Populated in Phase 1 from `Stage_Display_Map::default_agent_role()` (e.g. 'writer', 'editor', 'publisher'). Phase-2 quorum passes multiple roles for the same stage. |
 | item_key    | VARCHAR(64)     | Scopes article-level stages within multi-article runs ('' for run-level) |
 | status      | VARCHAR(20)     | pending / running / done / failed / halted         |
 | attempt     | SMALLINT UNSIGNED | Re-entry counter                                 |
 | cost_usd    | DECIMAL(10,6)   | Cost attributed to the stage                       |
 | meta_json   | LONGTEXT        | Stage output snapshot — lets resume reuse a done stage instead of re-charging it (payload pruned on the retention cron) |
+| human_modified | TINYINT(1)   | v0.20.0 — set (sticky, never cleared) when an edited input fork enters execution for this row (CPO guardrail 2) |
+| stale       | TINYINT(1)      | v0.20.0 — upstream changed after this row completed; row STAYS 'done' so resume never silently re-runs it; cleared only by a fresh done() |
 | started_at  | DATETIME        | First entry                                        |
 | updated_at  | DATETIME        | Last transition                                    |
 | finished_at | DATETIME        | Set on done/failed (nullable)                      |
 
 - UNIQUE: `run_id, stage, agent_role, item_key` (the idempotency key) · INDEX: `status, updated_at`
 
+##### `prautoblogger_stage_inputs` — immutable input-version store (v0.20.0, db 1.3.0)
+
+| Column       | Type            | Description                                      |
+|--------------|-----------------|--------------------------------------------------|
+| id           | BIGINT UNSIGNED | Auto-increment PK                                |
+| run_id       | VARCHAR(36)     | Pipeline run UUID                                |
+| stage        | VARCHAR(50)     | Stage name ('' for idea seeds)                   |
+| agent_role   | VARCHAR(50)     | Stage row agent role                             |
+| item_key     | VARCHAR(64)     | Article scope                                    |
+| version      | INT UNSIGNED    | Monotonic per scope; **rows are INSERT-only** — edits create the next version, originals are never overwritten |
+| source       | VARCHAR(20)     | 'human' (edit fork) or 'seed' (Article_Idea payload persisted at worker start) |
+| request_json | LONGTEXT        | Fork body / idea JSON. Human fork bodies pruned by the retention cron after R days; seed rows (~1KB) kept |
+| author       | VARCHAR(100)    | WP user login, or 'pipeline' for seeds           |
+| created_at   | DATETIME        | Row creation time                                |
+
+- UNIQUE: `run_id, stage, agent_role, item_key, version` · INDEX: `run_id`
+- The ORIGINAL executed input of a stage is `generation_log.request_json` (B1) — it is
+  never copied or modified here; forks are the edit history (CPO guardrail 1).
+
+**db version note:** `PRAUTOBLOGGER_DB_VERSION` moved 1.1.0 → 1.3.0 in v0.20.0. The
+constant never actually carried the "db 1.2.0" this document used as shorthand for the
+v0.18.0 substrate; 1.3.0 leapfrogs the phantom value so the version-compare self-healing
+migration fires exactly once everywhere.
+
 ### WordPress Options (`wp_options`)
 
 All prefixed with `prautoblogger_`:
@@ -561,6 +634,7 @@ All prefixed with `prautoblogger_`:
 | `prautoblogger_analysis_model`         | OpenRouter model for analysis (default: cheap)        |
 | `prautoblogger_writing_model`          | OpenRouter model for writing (default: quality)       |
 | `prautoblogger_editor_model`           | OpenRouter model for chief editor (default: quality)  |
+| `prautoblogger_reasoning_max_tokens`   | v0.18.1 — hard cap on thinking tokens per call when reasoning is enabled; sent as OpenRouter `reasoning.max_tokens` (replaces `effort` when active) and the request `max_tokens` is raised by the cap so reasoning can never consume the visible-content budget; 0 = legacy uncapped effort mode. Default `PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_REASONING_MAX_TOKENS` (2048) |
 | `prautoblogger_daily_article_target`   | Number of articles per day (1-10, default: 1)         |
 | `prautoblogger_writing_pipeline`       | 'single_pass' or 'multi_step' (default: multi_step)  |
 | `prautoblogger_niche_description`      | Text description of the site's niche                  |
@@ -595,6 +669,8 @@ All prefixed with `prautoblogger_`:
 | `prautoblogger_image_compose_variants` | Comma list of composed variants for Image A (default 'og,square'; whitelisted at point of use) |
 | `prautoblogger_image_featured_mark_enabled` | Toggle: subtle corner mark on featured images (default '1') |
 | `prautoblogger_image_compose_capability` | Cached capability probe `{fingerprint, capability}`; fingerprint = PHP version + imagick/gd presence, so it auto-invalidates on host changes |
+| `prautoblogger_board_poll_interval`     | Kanban board poll interval in seconds (default 5, min 3). Localized into board.js. |
+| `prautoblogger_board_published_window_days` | Days back to show in the Published column (default 7). |
 
 ### Post Meta
 
@@ -829,14 +905,175 @@ multi-step publish paths. Four subsystems:
    keyed by `_prautoblogger_run_id` + `_prautoblogger_idea_hash` (check-before-insert) so a
    retried run cannot duplicate a post. `PRAutoBlogger_Run_Reaper` (same daily cron as #19)
    marks runs stuck `running` > 2× expected stage wall-clock as `failed`; such runs render
-   as **"incomplete"** in audit queries. Quorum logic itself is Phase 2 — the schema just
-   reserves its dimensions.
+   as **"incomplete"** in audit queries. Quorum logic (multiple roles per stage) itself is Phase 2. In Phase 1,
+   `agent_role` is populated on every row from `Stage_Display_Map::default_agent_role()`
+   so the run timeline is self-describing and the idempotency key is fully populated.
 
 ### #20: PHPUnit test infrastructure + WordPress-Core PHPCS compliance (v0.10.1)
 
 Tests use Brain\Monkey for WordPress function mocking (no database required). The BaseTestCase singleton handles setup/teardown of Monkey stubs and provides fixture helpers for common data shapes (SourceData, ArticleIdea, GenerationLog, etc.). All WordPress functions used by the plugin are stubbed in BaseTestCase::setUp() so individual test classes only override what they need. In v0.10.1, missing stubs for `post_type_exists()` were added to support PeptideLinker's PR-Core guards. All 1,362 WordPress-Core coding-standards violations (short array syntax, line length, spacing) were auto-fixed via phpcbf and the CI gate was flipped to strict mode — PHPCS failures now block CI. This prevents future regressions on the code style front.
 
 
+
+### #22b: Kanban board as primary admin landing screen (v0.19.0 / v0.19.1)
+
+**Hidden admin page convention (v0.19.3):** See CONVENTIONS.md §Hidden Admin Pages for the full rule. Summary: hidden admin pages (link-accessed only, not visible in nav) MUST use `options.php` as the `add_submenu_page()` parent. NEVER unset/remove registered pages from `$submenu` after registration -- doing so causes `get_admin_page_parent()` to fail at request time, which makes WP recompute the hookname in the `admin_page_*` orphan namespace, find no registered handler, and call `wp_die(403)`. This is the dossier 403 incident (v0.19.2→v0.19.3). Same hookname-mismatch class as the board 404 (v0.19.0→v0.19.1); the only difference is that the board bug was a priority-ordering issue at registration time while the dossier bug was a post-registration $submenu mutation.
+
+The primary admin screen is now a kanban board (Direction C "Editorial Record") with four
+columns: Generating | In Review | Published | Failed. A separate `class-board-page.php`
+registers the `Board` submenu and a `$submenu` reorder makes it the first (primary) entry.
+`class-board-data-provider.php` orchestrates the four columns and handles WP_Query columns
+(In Review, Published). Raw `prab_generation_log` queries (Generating, Failed) are in the
+extracted `class-board-gen-log-query.php` (split for 300-line compliance) -- no new schema
+required for M1. The data provider uses the `prautoblogger_generation_status` transient
+(written by the Executor for manual/daily runs) as the primary active-run signal, with a
+secondary query on recent `prab_generation_log` run_ids that have no linked post as a
+fallback. M2 will rename Runs & Audit -> Articles and wire board cards to the Article Dossier.
+Poll interval and published window are settings-backed, localized into board.js, never
+hardcoded.
+
+**Menu-ordering constraint (v0.19.1 hotfix):** `PRAutoBlogger_Board_Page::on_register_menu`
+MUST be hooked at `admin_menu` priority 11 (or higher), AFTER
+`PRAutoBlogger_Admin_Page::on_register_menu` which runs at priority 10. Reason: WordPress
+computes the page hookname via `get_plugin_page_hookname()` at `add_submenu_page()` call
+time. If `add_menu_page()` has not yet run, `$admin_page_hooks['prautoblogger-settings']`
+is unset and WordPress falls back to the `admin_page_*` hookname. At HTTP request time WP
+recomputes the hookname as `prautoblogger_page_prautoblogger-board` and finds no registered
+callback -> `wp_die("Invalid plugin page")` 404. The enqueue-gate in `on_enqueue_assets()`
+checks `prautoblogger_page_prautoblogger-board` and would similarly never fire with the
+wrong hookname (board.css/board.js would silently not load). Regression test:
+`tests/unit/Admin/BoardMenuRegistrationTest.php`.
+
+
+### #23: Article Dossier page — per-article inspection (v0.19.2)
+
+The dossier is a read-only per-article admin page that exposes the full substrate view for
+a single post: generation run, stage I/O, cost receipts, raw-trace toggles, editorial
+decisions, and image A/B pairs. It is link-accessed only (hidden submenu) — no navigation
+entry appears in the WP sidebar.
+
+**Page registration** (`class-dossier-page.php`): uses the canonical hidden-admin-page
+pattern -- registered under parent **`options.php`** at `admin_menu` priority **12**. The
+hookname is `admin_page_prautoblogger-dossier` at BOTH registration time and request time,
+so there is no hookname mismatch and no need to manipulate `$submenu`. The page does not
+appear in the WP admin sidebar (options.php-parent pages are hidden by construction).
+URL shape: `admin.php?page=prautoblogger-dossier&post_id=<int>` (unchanged from v0.19.2 --
+deep-link URLs are parent-agnostic). Secured by `manage_options` capability. Static
+`url_for_post(int $post_id): string` provides the canonical deep-link.
+
+v0.19.2 used `prautoblogger-settings` as parent with post-registration `unset($submenu[...])` to
+hide the page. This caused `get_admin_page_parent()` to fail at request time -> orphan
+`admin_page_*` hookname -> no handler registered -> `wp_die(403)`. Fixed in v0.19.3 by switching
+to `options.php` parent and removing all `$submenu` mutation. See CONVENTIONS.md §Hidden Admin
+Pages for the full rule and ARCHITECTURE.md §22b for both incident records.
+
+Regression test: `tests/unit/Admin/DossierMenuRegistrationTest.php` -- the
+`test_request_time_hookname_matches_registration_hookname` test replicates the request-time
+resolution algorithm (simulate `get_admin_page_parent()`) so it FAILS on hide-by-unset and
+PASSES on options.php-parent.
+
+**5-query data assembly** (`class-dossier-data-assembler.php`):
+
+```
+1. wp_prautoblogger_runs       WHERE run_id = %s             -- 1 row (run metadata)
+2. wp_prautoblogger_run_stages WHERE run_id = %s             -- N rows (per-stage status/cost)
+3. wp_prautoblogger_generation_log WHERE run_id = %s         -- N rows (model/pv/tokens/request)
+4. wp_prautoblogger_run_decisions WHERE run_id = %s          -- N rows (editorial rationale)
+5. get_post_meta($post_id)                                    -- WP object cache hit
+```
+
+All queries are keyed on `run_id` (indexed). No N+1. Stage output is reconstructed from
+`run_stages.meta_json → json_decode → meta['output']` (same path as `Run_Stage_State::
+get_output()`). The dossier assembler does NOT call `Run_Stage_State` directly; it performs
+its own raw queries so the view is not coupled to the cache layer.
+
+**Legacy graceful state (binding 5):** Posts published before v0.18.0 (no runs/run_stages
+rows) and posts where `_prautoblogger_run_id` is absent or blank return `['has_run' => false]`.
+The template renders a clean "No generation record for this article" notice. No PHP notices
+or fatals.
+
+**Amortized research rows:** `generation_log` rows with `prompt_version = NULL` and
+`agent_role = ''` (from the `llm_research` stage orphan-reaper path) are rendered with
+model shown as "—" and no raw-trace toggle (request_json may be NULL). No fatal/notice.
+
+**Raw-trace security (binding 4):** `request_json` stores the OpenRouter request body —
+model identifier, messages array, temperature. Authorization headers are never logged (the
+outbound HTTP client strips them before logging, per the original architecture decision on
+`wp_prautoblogger_generation_log`). The dossier template renders `request_json` via
+`esc_html()` inside a `<pre>` block. All model-generated text rendered via `wp_kses_post()`
+(rendered view) or `esc_html()` (raw trace). Both paths treat content as untrusted HTML.
+
+**File naming note:** `PRAutoBlogger_DB_Migrations` is loaded via explicit `require_once`
+in `prautoblogger.php` (not the autoloader). The autoloader converts `DB_Migrations` to the
+kebab segment `d-b-migrations`, producing `class-d-b-migrations.php` — which does not match
+the file `class-db-migrations.php`. Explicit loading is the canonical pattern for classes
+whose names do not round-trip cleanly through the kebab converter. `class-prautoblogger.php`
+uses the same pattern (also explicitly required in `prautoblogger.php`).
+
+### #24: Edit + single-step re-run under CPO guardrails (v0.20.0, db 1.3.0, June 2026)
+
+Phase 2 admin M3 (design contract: cpo seq 8 Proposal C + the five guardrails of the
+edit+rerun delta ruling; decision `2026-06-12-admin-redesign-direction-c.md`).
+
+**B1 — request_json persistence.** The OpenRouter provider stashes every outgoing chat
+request BODY in the process-scoped `PRAutoBlogger_Request_Recorder` (the Run_Context
+pattern) right after `build_body()`; `Cost_Tracker::log_api_call()` consumes it into
+`generation_log.request_json`. Consume-once + overwrite-on-record means a stale body can
+never attach to an unrelated row; recording happens pre-dispatch so error rows carry the
+request too. Authorization can never be recorded: headers are built separately
+(`build_headers()`) and `build_body()` copies only whitelisted option keys. Retention
+rides the existing `prautoblogger_request_json_retention_days` prune unchanged.
+
+**Two re-run primitives, both chained-cron (never synchronous):** the dossier AJAX layer
+(`Dossier_Actions`) only validates + queues; the cron handlers (`Rerun_Executor`)
+re-validate eligibility UNDER the generation lock before mutating anything.
+
+1. **Replay** — one governed chat call from the latest edited input fork
+   (`stage_inputs`, INSERT-only versions). `Stage_Replay::options_from_body()` is the
+   exact inverse of `build_body()`+`apply_reasoning_budget()` (reasoning headroom
+   subtracted back out; reasoning pinned explicitly so global-setting drift cannot
+   reshape a replay). The call goes through `send_chat_completion`, so the cost
+   governor reserves against the SAME run ledger row (guardrail 4), with the normal
+   retry/empty-completion machinery. Output lands in the stage's run_stages snapshot —
+   the same place downstream rebuilds read from.
+2. **Rebuild ("re-run from here")** — demotes the target + downstream chain stages to
+   `pending` and re-enters `Article_Worker` with the idea reconstructed from the stored
+   seed (`stage_inputs`, source='seed', persisted at worker start because re-deriving
+   the idea from post fields could break the item_key hash and duplicate a post).
+   Upstream done stages are reused (never re-charged); demoted stages rebuild their
+   prompts from CURRENT upstream snapshots — this is how an edit propagates downstream.
+
+**Stale is a column, not a status.** A stale stage stays `done`, so
+resume-without-recharge logic can never silently re-run it — guardrail 3 (no silent
+auto-rerun; each downstream re-run is a deliberate operator action) holds by
+construction. Only `Run_Stage_Writes::done()` clears `stale`; only
+`Run_Stage_Rerun_State` (operator-action paths) may demote a done row. `human_modified`
+is sticky for the life of the run (set when a fork enters execution, surfaced as header/
+stage chips in the dossier, a board-card chip, and a Review Queue link-chip — the
+run-list-level visibility the product AC requires).
+
+**Run reopening.** `Run_State::reopen()` is the atomic terminal→running gate for re-run
+spend; it RE-SNAPSHOTS `ceiling_usd` from the current setting (a deliberate re-run
+adopts the operator's current per-run policy, exactly like a new run) and never resets
+reserved/settled — re-runs are new spend on the same run. Handlers always restore a
+terminal status (or record failed/halted) so the run-reaper's stuck-running sweep stays
+meaningful; jobs hold the global generation lock and ride the M1 status transient, so
+board/dossier polling shows queued → pickup → result and the existing R2/R3 orphan
+recovery covers dead re-run processes unchanged.
+
+**Eligibility (guardrail 5).** Posts with status publish/future/private freeze their
+run server-side (and `Publisher` refuses to touch them: re-run output refreshes only
+UNPUBLISHED posts, preserving their status — re-runs never publish). Editable stages
+are the item-scoped writer chat stages (outline/draft/polish); review/publish re-run
+via rebuild (their inputs are derived), run-level and image stages are excluded with
+visible in-UI reasons. Phase-2b stages inherit the mechanism when they exist as
+item-scoped chat calls.
+
+**F2/F3 (QA M2):** the sidebar consolidates per-stage model/pv/role; image (and other
+log-only) stages render from generation_log + the `_prautoblogger_image_role`
+attachment set — wiring the dossier to real data was deliberately chosen over teaching
+the live image pipeline to write run_stages (that belongs to the Phase-2b restructure).
+
 ## Cross-System LLM Budget Coordination
 
 PRAutoBlogger and Peptide News both call OpenRouter and may share a single API key / billing account. Their combined spend should be considered when setting per-plugin budgets.
@@ -849,3 +1086,66 @@ PRAutoBlogger and Peptide News both call OpenRouter and may share a single API k
 **Important:** If your OpenRouter account has a global spending limit, set each plugin's budget to less than half the total. PRAutoBlogger will hard-stop when its budget is exhausted, but Peptide News currently has no budget enforcement — a spike in news fetches could consume shared quota.
 
 **Future improvement:** A shared `wp_options` key (e.g., `ecosystem_monthly_llm_budget`) that both plugins read, with each plugin reserving its allocation on startup. This requires coordination at the ecosystem level and is tracked as a medium-term goal.
+
+## §25 Chained-Cron Checkpoint Generation Path (v0.21.0, M4)
+
+### Problem
+
+Hostinger shared hosting kills PHP background processes after ~120 s. The former
+`on_manual_generation()` path in `Executor` ran the complete orchestrate +
+generate pipeline in a single PHP process — meaning a host kill mid-run left the
+generation lock held, the run row stuck in `running`, and partially-generated
+articles orphaned with no status broadcast.
+
+### Solution: Two-Tick Checkpoint Machine
+
+`PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Runner` (v0.21.0) splits the pipeline into
+independent cron ticks, each of which completes well within Hostinger's limit:
+
+| Tick | WP-Cron action | What happens |
+|------|---------------|-------------|
+| 1 | `prautoblogger_gen_orchestrate` | Collect sources → analyze → score ideas. Serialize ideas to `prautoblogger_article_queue` option. Schedule Tick 2. |
+| 2..N | `prautoblogger_gen_tick` | Pop ONE idea from queue. Call `Article_Worker::generate()`. Persist updated queue. Reschedule next Tick, or finalize. |
+
+If the host kills any tick:
+- The idea queue is persisted (option survived the crash).
+- The next CRON run picks up naturally (no orphan).
+- `Run_Reaper` reclaims truly stuck runs via its daily sweep.
+
+### Entry Points
+
+| Caller | Path |
+|--------|------|
+| Board "New Article" button | AJAX `prautoblogger_generate_now` → `Generation_Status_Poller::on_ajax_generate_now()` → schedules `prautoblogger_manual_generation` → `Executor::on_manual_generation()` → `kick_off()` |
+| WP-CLI (async) | `wp prautoblogger generate` → `WP_CLI_Commands::generate_command()` → `kick_off()` |
+| WP-CLI (sync / VPS) | `wp prautoblogger generate --sync` → `WP_CLI_Commands::run_sync()` → `set_sync_mode(true)` → `on_orchestrate_tick()` → tick loop `on_generate_tick()` (×N) → `set_sync_mode(false)` |
+| Old cron hook (retained) | `prautoblogger_manual_generation` → `Executor::on_manual_generation()` → `kick_off()` |
+
+### SSH Workaround Retirement
+
+The former `wp eval 'do_action("prautoblogger_manual_generation")'` workaround
+fired `on_manual_generation()` synchronously in the CLI PHP process, bypassing:
+- Nonce/capability checks (running as CLI user, not WP user)
+- Cron-based loopback spawning
+- Per-process time limits
+
+This path is retired. `Executor::on_manual_generation()` now delegates immediately
+to `Generation_Checkpoint_Runner::on_orchestrate_tick()` (the Tick 1 handler),
+which acquires the lock and runs orchestration within its own process. The
+`wp prautoblogger generate` WP-CLI command provides the supported CLI path.
+
+### Key State
+
+| Store | Key | Contents |
+|-------|-----|---------|
+| DB option | `prautoblogger_article_queue` | `{run_id, ideas[], results{}}` — persisted across ticks |
+| DB option | `prautoblogger_checkpoint_run_id` | Current run UUID (for finalize/cleanup paths) |
+| Transient | `prautoblogger_generation_status` | Status broadcast (polling by board/dossier JS) |
+| DB | `prautoblogger_runs` | Per-run ledger with status, cost ceiling |
+
+### Budget / Halt Contract
+
+`Cost_Tracker::is_budget_exceeded()` is checked at the START of Tick 1 and each
+generate tick. A halted run (`Run_State::get_status() = 'halted'`) causes the
+generate tick to abort without calling `Article_Worker`, clean up the queue, and
+release the lock — same guarantee as `Pipeline_Runner`'s queued-article path.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -5,106 +5,390 @@ All notable changes to PRAutoBlogger will be documented in this file.
 Format follows [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
 and this project uses [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/).
 
-## [0.18.0] - 2026-06-12
+## [Unreleased - Internal]
 
-Pipeline v2 — Phase 1 substrate (plan of record: CPO thread
-`2026-06-prautoblogger-pipeline-redesign`, seq 3). Built on the current pipeline with **no
-behavior change** to the Economy (single-pass) and multi-step publish paths.
+### Internal
+- ADR log scaffolded: `docs/adr/` created as the app-local decision log for this plugin; `docs/adr/README.md` is the index; ADR-0001 documents the v0.16.0 editorial illustration image-style pivot. `ARCHITECTURE.md` updated to point to the folder. No runtime changes; docs-only.
+- CI constants guard (`scripts/check-constants.php`): new required CI step (`Check PRAUTOBLOGGER_* constants`) fails the build when any `PRAUTOBLOGGER_*` constant referenced in shipped plugin PHP is neither defined in `prautoblogger.php` nor `defined()`-guarded at the reference site. Prevents a recurrence of the v0.19.0 admin-500 regression class.
+
+## [0.22.1] - 2026-06-22
 
 ### Added
-- **Schema v1.2.0** (`prautoblogger_db_version` 1.1.0 → 1.2.0, idempotent dbDelta
-  migrations, self-healing on version mismatch): new tables
-  `wp_prautoblogger_prompts` (versioned prompt registry),
-  `wp_prautoblogger_run_sources` + `wp_prautoblogger_run_decisions` (audit child tables),
-  `wp_prautoblogger_runs` (per-run cost ledger + lifecycle) and
-  `wp_prautoblogger_run_stages` (per-run per-stage state machine, idempotency key
-  `run_id + stage + agent_role + item_key`); additive nullable columns `agent_role` and
-  `prompt_version` on `wp_prautoblogger_generation_log` (historical rows stay valid).
-- `PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map`: single PHP vocabulary for historical stages
-  (`analysis`, `outline`, `draft`, `polish`, `review`, `llm_research`, `image_a`, `image_b`,
-  `image_prompt_rewrite`, `opik_eval_judge`), Pipeline v2 stages (`research`, `curate`,
-  `draft`, `editorial`, `seo`, `publish`) and a humanizing fallback for unknown values, plus
-  per-stage default agent role and primary prompt-registry key.
-- Uninstall now drops the five substrate tables and clears every plugin cron hook
-  (previously only two of eight were cleared).
-- **Versioned prompt registry** (`PRAutoBlogger_Prompt_Registry` + `_Writer`): all pipeline
-  prompt copy — content system/single-pass/outline/draft/polish, analysis system/user,
-  editor system/review, research system, plus the **illustration rewriter prompt and the
-  image Style Template** (the image-composer PR seam) — is seeded as immutable version 1
-  from the v0.16.0 hardcoded texts (`prautoblogger_migrated_prompt_seed_v0180`). One active
-  version per key; changes create new versions, never mutate. Call sites render through the
-  registry with a **byte-identical in-code fallback** when the table is missing/empty
-  (self-healing, no fatals on half-migrated state). No admin UI in Phase 1.
-- **Prompt-version pinning**: `Cost_Tracker::set_run_id()` pins the active version of every
-  key on the run's row; every generation_log row (text and image stages) is stamped with the
-  pinned `prompt_version` plus a stage-derived `agent_role`. Single-pass rows keep stage
-  `draft` and stamp `content.single_pass` explicitly.
-- `PRAutoBlogger_Run_State` (runs-table ledger row: ceiling/reserved/settled/overage, pins,
-  sticky lifecycle states) and `PRAutoBlogger_Run_Context` (per-process run id, mirrors the
-  Opik trace-context pattern).
-
-- **Per-run cost governor** (`PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Governor`, net-new enforcement — previously
-  only the monthly cap was enforced): every `send_chat_completion()` reserves its worst-case
-  estimate (prompt chars/4 + max_tokens, priced via the #18 chain) against the run ledger
-  with a single atomic conditional UPDATE (the #10 lock discipline) BEFORE dispatch; the
-  image `curl_multi` batch reserves its summed estimate before dispatch; reservations settle
-  to actuals after each response (a failed call releases its hold). Breach → run `halted`
-  (sticky), overage recorded, `Cost_Ceiling_Exception` aborts the call, remaining queued
-  articles abort, and the run is surfaced in a "Halted runs" notice on the Review Queue.
-  New setting **Per-Run Cost Ceiling (USD)** (`prautoblogger_per_run_cost_ceiling_usd`,
-  default `PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_RUN_CEILING_USD` = $0.50, snapshotted at run start,
-  0 = disabled). Calls outside a run, the monthly budget, and the Cloudflare AI Gateway
-  path behave exactly as before.
-
-- **Run state machine + idempotent resume** (`PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State`): per-run
-  per-stage rows keyed `run_id + stage + agent_role + item_key` (item_key scopes
-  article-level stages — one run_id spans all N articles of a batch; agent_role is the
-  Phase-2 quorum dimension, schema-only for now). Done stages snapshot their output and are
-  REUSED on re-entry — never re-run, never re-charged (writer stages via
-  `Content_Generator::set_run_item()`, the editorial review via its stored verdict, a fully
-  published item is skipped outright). **Post creation is keyed by `_prautoblogger_run_id`
-  + new `_prautoblogger_idea_hash` meta (check-before-insert)** so a retried run cannot
-  create a duplicate post. Run-level research/analysis checkpoints ride Pipeline_Runner;
-  completion/failure marks land on the runs row (Executor catch paths, orphan aborts,
-  monthly-budget aborts).
-- **Reaper extension** (`PRAutoBlogger_Run_Reaper`, same daily cron as the #19 research
-  reaper — no new schedule): stages stuck `running` > 2× expected stage wall-clock and runs
-  silent > 2× expected run wall-clock are marked `failed` (filterable expectations); their
-  open stages are reaped; such runs are queryable as **"incomplete"** via
-  `Run_Reaper::incomplete_runs()`. Also enforces **retention**: `request_json` on the
-  generation log and stage output snapshots are NULLed after R days — R from the new
-  **Audit Payload Retention** setting (`prautoblogger_request_json_retention_days`, default
-  `PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_REQUEST_JSON_RETENTION_DAYS` = 14, 0 = keep forever).
-- **Audit writes** (`PRAutoBlogger_Audit_Writer`): every reviewed article records its
-  editorial verdict in `run_decisions`; every published article records the sources that
-  fed it in `run_sources` (the source_ids_json / `_prautoblogger_research_sources`
-  consolidation for new runs; no backfill).
-
-### Changed
-- `Content_Generator`'s four stage methods now share one `execute_stage()` helper (the Opik
-  span + dispatch + cost-log boilerplate was identical); file drops from 301 to ~220 lines.
-  No behavior change: same prompts, models, params, span names, stage values.
-- `Cost_Tracker::get_avg_tokens_for_stages()` body moved to `Cost_Reporter` (read-only
-  reporting query); the Cost_Tracker method remains as a delegating wrapper.
-- `OpenRouter_Provider`'s API-key fetch + format validation moved to
-  `OpenRouter_Request_Builder::resolve_api_key()` (300-line cap); identical messages/behavior.
-- Pipeline_Runner's and Article_Worker's duplicated status-transient/summary helpers moved
-  verbatim to the new `PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Status` (Pipeline_Runner back under the
-  300-line cap at 271).
+- **`wp prautoblogger generate --sync`** (VPS orchestrator mode): runs the full
+  checkpoint pipeline synchronously in the calling process — acquires lock, calls
+  `on_orchestrate_tick()` in-process, then loops `on_generate_tick()` until the
+  queue is empty or a terminal state is reached (max 20 ticks). Exits 0 on
+  success with a JSON summary line; exits 1 on error. Designed to be called from
+  the Coolify VPS over a held-open SSH session, where Hostinger's ~10-min
+  background-process kill does not apply.
 
 ### Fixed
-- ARCHITECTURE.md documented the multi-step edit stage as `edit`; the code has always
-  written `polish`. Canonicalized to **`polish`** everywhere.
-- Half-migrated-schema hardening: generation_log inserts retry without the new audit
-  columns when the columns are missing (a cron run right after deploy no longer loses cost
-  rows), and the db-version self-heal now also runs on cron requests (`init` +
-  `wp_doing_cron()`), not only on `admin_init`.
-- OpenRouter pricing now resolves dated snapshot model IDs returned by the API
-  (e.g. response model `deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash-20260423` for a
-  `deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash` request) to the base model's price before the
-  conservative-estimate fallback applies. Such responses were previously booked
-  at the conservative $10/$30 per-M rate (~30x real cost on flash-tier models) —
-  phantom spend that ate the per-run cost ceiling and the monthly budget gate.
+- **`$sync_mode` guard in `Generation_Checkpoint_Runner::on_generate_tick()`**:
+  when running under `--sync`, the internal `wp_schedule_single_event()` +
+  `fire_cron_now()` reschedule is suppressed so the VPS's external loop cannot
+  race with a competing background wp-cron tick. Existing async (cron/AJAX) paths
+  are unaffected.
+- **Reaper timezone fix** in `Run_Reaper::sweep_stuck_stages()` and
+  `sweep_stuck_runs()`: `$cutoff` was computed with `gmdate()` (UTC) while
+  `updated_at` is stored via `current_time('mysql')` (server local time, UTC+8).
+  Changed to `wp_date()` so the cutoff respects the site timezone. On this host
+  the 8-hour delta could suppress reaping of a same-day-stalled run; the 44h-old
+  run `ee6e7d91` was already far outside the threshold and unaffected.
+- **Scoped self-heal migration** in `DB_Migrations`: restores the low-stakes
+  maintenance cron events (`prautoblogger_reap_orphan_research_rows`,
+  `prautoblogger_collect_metrics`, `prautoblogger_sync_runware_models`) that
+  vanished after the 06-15 deploy cycle. **`prautoblogger_daily_generation` is
+  deliberately NOT re-registered** — the VPS systemd timer owns generation
+  scheduling as of v0.22.1. Note: wp-cron reliability on this Hostinger host is
+  suspect (background PHP killed ~10 min); maintenance crons are low-stakes and
+  acceptable on this transport; generation is not.
+- **Sync-mode guard tests** (QA NF-1 remediation 2026-06-23): moved sync-mode
+  tests to `GenerationCheckpointRunnerSyncModeTest.php`; fixed
+  `test_orchestrate_tick_in_sync_mode_does_not_schedule_background_event` to
+  return >= 1 idea from `orchestrate_only()` so execution reaches the sync guard
+  at line ~181 (was vacuous -- previous stub returned `[]` causing early return);
+  added `test_generate_tick_sync_mode_suppresses_reschedule` for the
+  `on_generate_tick()` guard; async regression test preserved in same file.
+- **Root `CONTEXT.md`**: created domain glossary (run/run_stages/checkpoint/
+  idea-queue/Generation_Lock) and execution mode comparison (async wp-cron vs.
+  `--sync` VPS).
+- **`ARCHITECTURE.md` SS25**: added `WP-CLI (sync / VPS)` row to Entry Points table.
+
+## [0.22.0] - 2026-06-16
+
+### Changed
+- **CI adopted estate standard (reusable workflow)**: `ci.yml` is now a thin
+  caller of `peptiderepo/peptide-e2e/.github/workflows/ci.yml@main` with
+  `tests: brain-monkey`. Removes duplicate per-repo lint, PHPCS, and PHPUnit
+  jobs (now provided by the reusable workflow). The phpcbf auto-fix commit-back
+  pattern (prautoblogger gold standard) is now the reusable implementation.
+- **Deploy gate upgraded**: `deploy.yml` no longer runs a standalone PHP-lint
+  validate job; it calls `./.github/workflows/ci.yml` (which includes the full
+  reusable suite) via `workflow_call`. This closes the gap where deploy's lint
+  gate was weaker than CI's PHPCS gate.
+- **Constants guard retained**: `check-constants` job kept as a second parallel
+  job in `ci.yml` alongside the reusable `ci` job. No regression from the
+  v0.19.0 protection.
+- **`composer.json` test script added**: `composer test` now runs
+  `vendor/bin/phpunit --testdox` (required by the reusable workflow's phpunit job).
+
+### Refactored (300-line rule compliance)
+- `PRAutoBlogger_Keyword_Extractor` (new, `core/class-keyword-extractor.php`):
+  shared keyword tokeniser extracted from `Idea_Scorer` and `Semantic_Dedup`;
+  both now delegate to `PRAutoBlogger_Keyword_Extractor::extract()`.
+- `PRAutoBlogger_Image_Aspect_Ratio` (new, `providers/class-image-aspect-ratio.php`):
+  aspect-ratio snap utility extracted from `OpenRouter_Image_Provider` and
+  `OpenRouter_Image_Batch`; both now call `PRAutoBlogger_Image_Aspect_Ratio::snap()`.
+- `PRAutoBlogger_Settings_Sanitizer` (new, `admin/class-settings-sanitizer.php`):
+  all option sanitization logic extracted from `Admin_Page::sanitize_field()`;
+  `Admin_Page` delegates via `PRAutoBlogger_Settings_Sanitizer::sanitize_field()`.
+- `PRAutoBlogger_Settings_Fields_Images` (new, `admin/class-settings-fields-images.php`):
+  image-section field definitions extracted from `Settings_Fields_Extended`;
+  `Settings_Fields_Extended::get_fields()` merges via array union.
+- `PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Validator` (new, `providers/class-runware-image-validator.php`):
+  `validate_credentials_detailed()` extracted from `Runware_Image_Provider`;
+  provider delegates via `PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Validator::validate()`.
+- `class-runware-image-batch.php`: 15 individual `phpcs:disable` lines collapsed
+  to a single grouped suppression (equivalent effect, saves 14 lines).
+- `class-open-router-image-provider.php`: `snap_aspect_ratio` private method and
+  `STANDARD_ASPECTS` constant removed (now handled by `Image_Aspect_Ratio`).
+
+## [0.21.0] - 2026-06-14
+
+### Added
+- **Board “New Article” button (Phase 2 admin M4)**. Manual generation is now
+  accessible from the kanban board (not just the Settings page). The button fires
+  the existing `prautoblogger_generate_now` AJAX action; the board status area
+  shows generation progress via the existing transient poller. Requires
+  `manage_options` capability.
+- **Chained-cron checkpoint machine** (`PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Runner`).
+  Replaces the monolithic `on_manual_generation()` synchronous path with a
+  two-tick checkpoint machine so Hostinger’s PHP-process kill cannot abort a
+  mid-pipeline run:
+  - Tick 1 (`prautoblogger_gen_orchestrate`): collect → analyze → score ideas,
+    persist to `prautoblogger_article_queue` option, schedule Tick 2.
+  - Tick 2…N (`prautoblogger_gen_tick`): pop ONE idea, generate one article,
+    reschedule or finalize. Persists consumed queue BEFORE generating to prevent
+    orphan-recovery duplication on restart.
+  - Budget / halt: `Cost_Tracker::is_budget_exceeded()` checked per tick;
+    a halted run aborts all remaining ticks without calling `Article_Worker`.
+- **WP-CLI `wp prautoblogger generate` command**. Routes through the same
+  chained-cron checkpoints as the board button. Replaces the retired SSH-only
+  `wp eval 'do_action("prautoblogger_manual_generation")'` workaround.
+- **Settings-backed board pagination** (perf pass). All hardcoded LIMIT / `posts_per_page`
+  values in board queries replaced with two new settings:
+  - `prautoblogger_board_column_limit` (default 20, constant `PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_BOARD_COLUMN_LIMIT`)
+  - `prautoblogger_ideas_per_page` (default 30, constant `PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_IDEAS_PER_PAGE`)
+- **DB indexes** (via `PRAUTOBLOGGER_DB_VERSION` → `1.4.0`):
+  - `generation_log`: `KEY run_id_post_id`, `KEY created_status` (board query + failed-cards).
+  - `analysis_results`: `KEY analyzed_type` (ideas-browser pagination + type filter).
+  - `runs`: `KEY started_at` (articles-list pagination `ORDER BY started_at DESC LIMIT n OFFSET m`).
+- **Query helper split**: `PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser_Query` (new `class-ideas-browser-query.php`)
+  carries static query helpers extracted from `class-ideas-browser.php` to enforce the
+  300-line rule (CONVENTIONS §1).
+- **Guard P2s** (`scripts/check-constants.php`):
+  - Added `--self-test` mode: synthesizes a missing constant and asserts the scanner catches it.
+  - Added inline comment documenting `CONSTANTS_GUARD_WINDOW = 4`.
+  - Wired `--self-test` as a CI step after the main constants check.
+- **PHPUnit test** `tests/unit/Core/GenerationCheckpointRunnerTest.php`: tick-by-tick
+  state-machine proof (kick_off schedules only, empty queue finalizes, halted run aborts,
+  multi-idea queue pops one and reschedules).
+- **Pipeline_Status** now exports `write_initial()` and `write_error()` for the
+  checkpoint runner to set the status transient before the first cron tick fires.
+
+### Changed
+- `Executor::on_manual_generation()` now delegates to
+  `Generation_Checkpoint_Runner::on_orchestrate_tick()` instead of running the full
+  pipeline synchronously. The method body is 1 line; the synchronous path is retired.
+- `Pipeline_Runner::orchestrate_only()` added as a public wrapper exposing the private
+  `orchestrate()` method for use by `Generation_Checkpoint_Runner`.
+
+### Removed
+- **SSH-only workaround retired**: `wp eval 'do_action("prautoblogger_manual_generation")'` no
+  longer fires the pipeline synchronously in one PHP process. Use `wp prautoblogger generate`
+  instead (routes through the chained-cron checkpoint machine). See ARCHITECTURE.md §25.
+
+## [0.20.1] - 2026-06-12
+
+### Fixed
+- **Restore three bootstrap constants deleted by the v0.19.0 constants-block regression**
+  (`PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_RUN_CEILING_USD` 0.50, `PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_REQUEST_JSON_RETENTION_DAYS` 14,
+  `PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_REASONING_MAX_TOKENS` 2048 — verbatim v0.18.3 values). PR #156 (v0.19.0)
+  dropped them from `prautoblogger.php`; the gap was latent because `tests/bootstrap.php` defines
+  its own fallbacks (CI green) and no exercised v0.19.x runtime path read them (prod reasoning
+  disabled). v0.20.0's activator defaults + run-state ceiling read them on the admin
+  migration path -> fatal 500 on all plugin admin pages immediately after the v0.20.0 deploy
+  (2026-06-12; front-of-site unaffected; hot-patched on prod within minutes, this commit makes
+  it canonical). Follow-up owed: CI guard asserting every referenced PRAUTOBLOGGER_* constant
+  is production-defined or defined()-guarded (maintenance thread).
+
+## [0.20.0] - 2026-06-12
+
+### Added
+- **Edit + single-step re-run (Phase 2 admin M3)** under the five CPO guardrails
+  (cpo seq 8, hard AC). From the Article Dossier, eligible stages can have their
+  input edited and re-run as QUEUED background jobs (chained-cron — the UI never
+  implies synchronous execution; board + dossier polling shows queued → pickup →
+  result).
+  - **Immutable input versions (guardrail 1).** Edits fork into the new INSERT-only
+    `prautoblogger_stage_inputs` table (monotonic versions per stage scope); the
+    executed original in `generation_log.request_json` is never overwritten. The
+    editor locks message structure (count/roles) so every fork stays replayable.
+  - **Visible human-modified audit (guardrail 2).** `run_stages.human_modified` +
+    `run_decisions.human_modified` set when an edited fork enters execution (sticky,
+    never cleared); surfaced as dossier header + stage chips, a board-card chip, and
+    decisions recorded while rebuilding a human-modified item are flagged too.
+  - **Explicit downstream invalidation (guardrail 3).** Re-running a stage marks all
+    downstream chain stages `stale` (new column — rows STAY 'done', so the resume
+    machinery can never silently auto-re-run them). Stale chips render per stage, in
+    the dossier header, and as a Review Queue warning chip linking to the dossier
+    (stale state visible at publish). Downstream re-runs are deliberate: per-stage
+    "Re-run from here" rebuilds the target + downstream from current upstream
+    snapshots via the existing worker resume path.
+  - **Cost governor applies to re-runs (guardrail 4).** Replays go through the normal
+    provider seam: reserve-before-call against the SAME run ledger row.
+    `Run_State::reopen()` re-snapshots the ceiling from the current setting and never
+    resets accumulated spend. The dossier shows a Run Spend card + per-panel spend
+    strip and warns when committed spend reaches the ceiling fraction (filterable,
+    `prautoblogger_rerun_ceiling_warn_fraction`, default 0.8).
+  - **Published posts are frozen (guardrail 5).** publish/future/private lock the run
+    server-side (not just hidden UI); `Publisher` refreshes re-run output onto
+    UNPUBLISHED posts only, preserving their status — a re-run never publishes.
+- **B1 — `request_json` persisted on every chat LLM call** (QA M2 F1). The provider
+  records the outgoing request BODY pre-dispatch (process-scoped recorder, consume-once);
+  `log_api_call()` writes it to the row. Authorization headers can never be recorded
+  (built separately; body keys whitelisted — covered by tests). Retention rides the
+  existing `prautoblogger_request_json_retention_days` prune; the dossier raw-trace
+  "Request payload" section now renders for new runs.
+- **Idea seeds.** `Article_Worker` persists the exact `Article_Idea` payload once per
+  item (stage_inputs, source='seed') so re-run-from-here reconstructs the precise idea
+  (re-deriving from post fields could break the item-key hash and duplicate a post).
+- **Dossier sidebar consolidation (QA M2 F2).** New "Models & Prompts" card: per-stage
+  model + prompt version + agent role at a glance, plus the "Run Spend" card.
+- **Image sections wired to real data (QA M2 F3).** image_a/image_b (and every
+  log-only stage: llm_research, image_prompt_rewrite, …) now render from their actual
+  generation_log rows, with the post's pipeline attachments (featured/og/square via
+  `_prautoblogger_image_role`) shown as an image grid — chosen/featured highlighted.
+- **Schema (db 1.3.0).** `run_stages` + `human_modified`/`stale`; `run_decisions` +
+  `human_modified`; new `stage_inputs` table. dbDelta-idempotent via the standard
+  self-healing migration path (admin_init + cron init); half-migrated sites degrade
+  gracefully (done() retries the legacy statement; M3 features no-op until migrated).
+  Uninstall drops the new table and clears the two new cron hooks.
+
+### Changed
+- **`PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State` split** (300-line cap, M2 pattern): pipeline write
+  bodies moved verbatim to `Run_Stage_Writes` (public API unchanged via thin proxies);
+  operator-action mutations (restart / mark_stale / demote_to_pending) isolated in
+  `Run_Stage_Rerun_State` — the ONLY code allowed to demote a done row. `done()` now
+  clears `stale` on fresh output.
+- **Dossier is item-scoped** (M2 correctness fix): stage rows filter to THIS post's
+  item (idea-hash meta), and gen_log rows linked to OTHER posts of a multi-article run
+  are excluded (unlinked run-level rows are kept).
+- **`Publisher` idempotency short-circuit** now refreshes existing UNPUBLISHED posts
+  with re-run content (title/content/verdict meta; status untouched) instead of
+  silently discarding regenerated output. Published posts remain untouched.
+- Review Queue rows show a stale-stages warning chip linking to the dossier; board
+  cards show a "Human-modified" chip (single batched query, no N+1).
+
+### Fixed
+- Dossier "Request payload" raw trace was always empty (request_json never populated —
+  QA M2 F1); image sections always rendered the absent state (QA M2 F3).
+## [0.19.4] - 2026-06-12
+
+### Added
+- **GD-rung unit tests.** New `ImageComposerEditorTest.php` (7 tests) covering
+  `PRAutoBlogger_Image_Composer_Editor`: `wp_get_image_editor` WP_Error, resize WP_Error,
+  upscale-guard size mismatch, save WP_Error, zero-width target geometry guard, missing-role
+  guard, and successful OG resize happy path. Orchestrator ladder test
+  `test_gd_rung_emits_passthrough_featured_and_single_warning` added to `ImageComposerTest.php`,
+  asserting the Imagick renderer is never called on the `gd` rung and pass-through featured is
+  always first.
+  (Source: QA verdict `Peptide Repo CTO/qa-reviews/prautoblogger/2026-06-11-6f76df1.md` P2-1.)
+
+### Fixed
+- **Dead layout keys removed.** `caption_margin_right` (og) and `caption_side_padding` (square)
+  were defined in `Layout::defaults()` and exposed via the `prautoblogger_image_compose_layout`
+  filter but never consumed by the Imagick renderer. The og renderer positions text from
+  `logo_x + logo_w + caption_gap` (left-anchor); the square renderer uses centered `x` alignment.
+  Right-edge overflow is enforced via `caption_chars_per_line` on both variants. Keys removed;
+  filter users tuning these values had no effect and received no error.
+  (Source: QA verdict `Peptide Repo CTO/qa-reviews/prautoblogger/2026-06-11-6f76df1.md` P3-3.)
+- **Amortized research row now carries audit fields.** `Post_Assembler::amortize_research_costs()`
+  previously inserted per-article `llm_research` copies without `prompt_version` or `agent_role`,
+  leaving those columns NULL/empty while the original (correctly stamped) row was deleted.
+  SELECT now includes both columns; INSERT carries them forward from the original row.
+  (Source: phase-1 thread seq 49, seq 50 carried-list: "amortized llm_research rows pv=null/role
+  empty" — `convo/prautoblogger/threads/2026-06-pipeline-v2-phase1/`.)
+- **`fetch_page()` error body included in exception.** Non-200 responses from the Runware
+  modelSearch API now include up to 200 chars of the response body in the `RuntimeException`
+  message, making diagnosis from logs actionable without re-reproducing the request.
+  (Source: phase-1 thread seq 50 carried-list: "`fetch_page()` error-body logging".)
+
+### Notes
+- cto-review.yml isinstance guard (handoff item 5): the fix (`c.get("severity", "UNKNOWN")`)
+  is already applied at HEAD (line 454 of the workflow). No changes made.
+
+## [0.19.3] - 2026-06-12
+
+### Fixed
+- **Dossier page 403 (P0 hotfix).** `PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Page::on_register_menu` registered the
+  dossier as a hidden submenu under `prautoblogger-settings` then called `unset($submenu[...])` to
+  hide it from the nav. This is the **hide-by-unset anti-pattern**: at registration time WP records
+  the render callback under hookname `prautoblogger_page_prautoblogger-dossier`; at request time
+  `get_admin_page_parent()` scans `$submenu`, finds the slug absent (it was unset), returns false,
+  and WP recomputes the hookname under the orphan `admin_page_*` namespace -- no handler registered
+  there -- `wp_die(403)`. Same hookname-mismatch class as the board 404 (v0.19.1), different vector.
+  **Fix:** register under parent `options.php` (canonical hidden-page pattern). Hookname is
+  `admin_page_prautoblogger-dossier` at both registration and request time. No `$submenu` mutation
+  required or permitted. Asset enqueue gate updated to match (`admin_page_*` prefix).
+  Deep-link URLs (`admin.php?page=prautoblogger-dossier&post_id=N`) are parent-agnostic and
+  unchanged. Board cards and the post metabox link continue to work without modification.
+
+### Changed
+- **Regression test upgraded to request-time faithful** (`DossierMenuRegistrationTest`).
+  New `test_request_time_hookname_matches_registration_hookname` simulates
+  `get_admin_page_parent()` against the post-registration `$submenu` state and asserts it
+  equals the registration-time hookname. FAILS on hide-by-unset (4 failures on v0.19.2 code,
+  captured in test evidence). PASSES on options.php-parent. New
+  `test_hide_by_unset_would_fail_request_time_check` documents the broken pattern inline.
+- **CONVENTIONS.md §Hidden Admin Pages** added: options.php-parent is the only permitted
+  pattern for hidden admin pages; `$submenu` mutation after registration is explicitly
+  prohibited; full incident history (board 404 + dossier 403) and test methodology documented.
+- **ARCHITECTURE.md §22b** updated with hidden-page convention cross-reference.
+  **§23** updated to reflect options.php-parent registration and the v0.19.2→v0.19.3 fix.
+- **tests/bootstrap.php**: added `PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_URL` and `PRAUTOBLOGGER_VERSION`
+  constants so admin enqueue tests resolve without "Undefined constant" errors.
+
+## [0.19.2] - 2026-06-12
+
+### Added
+- **Article Dossier page (M2).** Per-article read-only inspection page at
+  `admin.php?page=prautoblogger-dossier&post_id=<id>`. Accessible via board card
+  deep-links and the slim post metabox link. Shows: header (title, verdict pill, tier,
+  status), sidebar (run metadata, per-stage cost receipt with model + prompt-version),
+  vertical stage sections (rendered output default, per-stage raw-trace toggle exposing
+  `generation_log` request JSON + tokens + cost + role), editorial decisions rationale,
+  image A/B pair sections.
+- **Board card deep-links.** All Kanban cards now deep-link directly to the article
+  dossier page (`dossier_url` on card data; `click_action = dossier` in board JS).
+- **Slim post metabox.** `PRAutoBlogger_Post_Metabox` now renders a single "View
+  generation dossier →" link (was a verbose generation-metadata dump).
+- **Dossier CSS/JS.** `assets/css/dossier.css` (warm editorial palette, verdict pills,
+  cost receipt, raw-trace toggle) + `assets/js/dossier.js` (vanilla JS toggle,
+  `aria-expanded` / `aria-controls` accessible).
+- **Menu registration test coverage.** `DossierMenuRegistrationTest.php` — asserts
+  dossier hook fires at priority > board (> parent), uses hidden-submenu pattern,
+  correct slug, and `url_for_post()` URL shape. Mirrors `BoardMenuRegistrationTest`.
+- **Raw-trace credential check (binding 4).** `request_json` column contains only
+  OpenRouter request bodies (model, messages, temperature — no Authorization headers
+  per architecture). All model output escaped via `esc_html()` / `wp_kses_post()`;
+  treated as untrusted HTML throughout the render path.
+- **Legacy graceful state (binding 5).** Posts with no run record (pre-v0.18.0) render
+  a clean "No generation record" notice — no notices, no fatals. Amortized research
+  rows (pv=null, role='') render model as "—" with no raw-trace toggle.
+
+### Changed
+- **`class-prautoblogger.php` → `class-db-migrations.php` split (binding 1).**
+  All DB-migration methods extracted byte-identically into new static class
+  `PRAutoBlogger_DB_Migrations` (`includes/class-db-migrations.php`, 129 lines).
+  `class-prautoblogger.php` shrinks from 407 → 258 lines; delegates via thin proxy.
+  Loaded via explicit `require_once` in `prautoblogger.php` (autoloader filename
+  collision avoidance — see ARCHITECTURE.md §File Naming Notes).
+
+## [0.19.1] - 2026-06-12
+
+### Fixed
+- **Board admin submenu 404 (P0 hotfix).** `PRAutoBlogger_Board_Page::on_register_menu`
+  was hooked at `admin_menu` priority 10, identical to
+  `PRAutoBlogger_Admin_Page::on_register_menu`. Because the board hook was
+  registered first in `register_admin_hooks()`, `add_submenu_page()` fired while
+  `$admin_page_hooks['prautoblogger-settings']` was still unset. WordPress fell back
+  to the `admin_page_prautoblogger-board` hookname; at request time it recomputed
+  `prautoblogger_page_prautoblogger-board`, found no registered callback, and called
+  `wp_die()` with "Invalid plugin page". Board CSS/JS also never loaded (same
+  enqueue-gate mismatch). Fix: parent menu hook stays at priority 10; board submenu
+  hook moves to priority 11, guaranteeing `add_menu_page()` fires first. Board is
+  kept as the first submenu item via explicit `$submenu` reorder in
+  `PRAutoBlogger_Board_Page::on_register_menu()`.
+- **Regression test added:** `tests/unit/Admin/BoardMenuRegistrationTest.php` —
+  three assertions covering priority relationship, execution order, and parent-slug
+  correctness. Includes a "documents the bug" test that fires the unfixed hook order
+  to prove the broken state.
+
+## [0.19.0] - 2026-06-12
+
+### Added
+- **Kanban board dashboard (M1 — Phase 2 admin / Direction C).** New
+  `Board` submenu page is now the primary landing screen for the plugin.
+  Four columns — Generating | In Review | Published | Failed — with card
+  click-throughs: Generating/Failed → Activity Log; In Review → Review
+  Queue; Published → Post edit screen. (M2 will rewire all to the Article
+  Dossier.)
+- **Live board polling.** AJAX action `prautoblogger_board_status` (nonce
+  `prautoblogger_board`) returns the full board snapshot every N seconds.
+  Poll interval backs off to 2× when no article is actively generating
+  and resets to base as soon as a generating card appears. All nonce and
+  capability checks enforced.
+- **Two new settings** in Schedule & Budget: `prautoblogger_board_poll_interval`
+  (default 5s, min 3s) and `prautoblogger_board_published_window_days`
+  (default 7 days). Both localized into board.js — no hardcoded values.
+- New files: `includes/admin/class-board-page.php`,
+  `includes/admin/class-board-data-provider.php`,
+  `templates/admin/board-page.php`, `assets/css/board.css`,
+  `assets/js/board.js`.
+- PHPUnit behavioral tests: `tests/unit/Admin/BoardDataProviderTest.php`
+  (8 tests covering all column/state mappings) and
+  `tests/unit/Core/CostReporterSqlBugFixTest.php` (3 tests for the SQL
+  inline-comment fix).
+
+### Fixed
+- **Cost-reporter SQL inline-comment bug (P2).** `PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Reporter::get_daily_spend()`
+  and `get_spend_by_stage()` embedded PHP `// phpcs:ignore` annotations
+  inside SQL string literals, passing the comment text to MySQL. Moved
+  phpcs suppression annotations to standalone PHP line comments above the
+  `$wpdb->prepare()` call — matching the pattern already used in
+  `get_monthly_spend()`. No query behavior change; fixes malformed
+  prepared-statement strings visible in debug logging.
 
 ## [0.17.0] - 2026-06-11
 
@@ -237,7 +521,6 @@ behavior change** to the Economy (single-pass) and multi-step publish paths.
   the catalog + OpenRouter static list. Breaking change: callers that expect a
   specific static list should note the new dynamic Runware side.
 
-
 ### Fixed
 - Runware image generation now correctly uses the admin-selected model instead
   of silently falling back to FLUX.1 schnell (runware:100@1) for all non-schnell
@@ -337,7 +620,6 @@ and this project uses [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/).
 ### Fixed
 - Image prompt builder now properly delegates to static parser methods
 
-
 ### Fixed
 - **Opik autoloader gap** — `class-autoloader.php` listed `services/` as a scan directory but not `services/opik/`, where all four Opik classes live (`Opik_Client`, `Opik_Trace_Context`, `Opik_Span_Queue`, `Opik_Dispatcher`). Composer's classmap (used in PHPUnit) covers `includes/` recursively so tests passed, but the WordPress runtime autoloader would fatal on first Opik class reference in production. Added `services/opik/` to the scan list.
 
@@ -1020,6 +1302,7 @@ swap with no user-visible change in article quality.
   run_id-based log linking, RuntimeException on WP_Error, action/filter
   hook firing. Replaces previous method-existence-only checks.
 
+
 ## [0.2.1] — 2026-04-12
 
 ### Changed
@@ -1056,14 +1339,6 @@ swap with no user-visible change in article quality.
 - Posts-per-subreddit limit (5–100) in Sources tab.
 - LiteSpeed cache purge step in CI/CD deploy pipeline.
 
-### Removed
-- `class-reddit-api-client.php` — replaced by `class-reddit-json-client.php`.
-- Reddit OAuth credential fields and encrypted storage entry.
-
-### Fixed
-- Deploy pipeline now purges LiteSpeed/OPcache after file extraction,
-  preventing stale PHP bytecode from being served.
-
 ## [0.1.0] — 2026-04-10
 
 ### Added

CONTEXT.md

@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+# PRAutoBlogger — Domain Glossary
+
+Quick reference for the generation pipeline domain model. For full design rationale
+see `ARCHITECTURE.md` (§21–§25) and `CONVENTIONS.md`.
+
+---
+
+## Core Domain Terms
+
+**run**
+A single end-to-end article generation cycle: orchestrate → generate idea(s) →
+finalize. Represented as a row in `wp_prautoblogger_runs` (status, cost ceiling,
+timestamps). One run may produce multiple articles if the daily idea-count > 1.
+
+**run\_stages** (`wp_prautoblogger_run_stages`)
+Sub-steps within a run (research, analysis, generation, publish). Each stage has
+its own status and can be replayed independently via `Rerun_Executor`. Generation
+checkpoint runs populate stages as Article_Worker progresses.
+
+**checkpoint**
+The persistence boundary between pipeline ticks. After each tick the idea queue
+and run state are written to `wp_options` so a process kill cannot lose work. The
+next tick reads the queue option and continues. See §25 of ARCHITECTURE.md.
+
+**idea queue** (`prautoblogger_article_queue` option)
+Serialized array of `Article_Idea` objects written by `on_orchestrate_tick()` and
+consumed one-at-a-time by successive `on_generate_tick()` calls. Deleted on
+finalize or cleanup.
+
+**Generation\_Lock** (`wp_prautoblogger_generation_lock` or `wp_options`)
+DB mutex that prevents two concurrent runs. Acquired at the start of
+`on_orchestrate_tick()`, released by `Helpers::finalize()` or on error/halt.
+
+---
+
+## Execution Modes
+
+### Async (wp-cron driven)
+
+Default path for the Board "New Article" button and the plain
+`wp prautoblogger generate` WP-CLI command.
+
+1. `kick_off()` schedules `prautoblogger_gen_orchestrate` and calls `fire_cron_now()`.
+2. `on_orchestrate_tick()` runs in a background PHP process, schedules
+   `prautoblogger_gen_tick`, and calls `fire_cron_now()` to spawn the next process.
+3. Each `on_generate_tick()` spawns the next until the queue drains.
+
+Limitation: Hostinger kills background PHP processes at ~10 min. Orchestrate tick
+(LLM-free) and individual generate ticks (one LLM call each) are both well within
+this limit; the checkpoint design is the mitigation.
+
+### Sync (VPS-driven / `--sync`)
+
+Used by the Coolify KVM8 VPS systemd timer via `infra/vps/orchestrate-generation.sh`
+in `peptide-e2e`. Introduced v0.22.1.
+
+1. `run_sync()` sets `Generation_Checkpoint_Runner::$sync_mode = true`.
+2. Calls `on_orchestrate_tick()` **in-process** (no background spawn).
+3. Loops calling `on_generate_tick()` directly until queue empty or terminal state.
+4. `$sync_mode = true` suppresses all `wp_schedule_single_event` +
+   `fire_cron_now` calls inside both tick methods, preventing a competing
+   background cron chain from forming in parallel.
+
+The VPS SSH session is held open; the process is not subject to Hostinger's
+background-kill constraint.
+
+---
+
+## Table Shorthand
+
+Throughout the codebase `wp_prautoblogger_*` tables are referenced by their
+`$wpdb->` property names (e.g. `$wpdb->prab_runs`, `$wpdb->prab_run_stages`).
+Full table names are defined in `class-activator.php`.
+
+---
+
+*See also: `ARCHITECTURE.md` §25 (checkpoint design), `CONVENTIONS.md` (coding rules).*

CONVENTIONS.md

@@ -502,3 +502,73 @@ public function my_operation( $input ) {
 ```
 
 That's it. No config, no feature-flag checks, no try/catch needed.
+
+---
+
+## Hidden Admin Pages (v0.19.3 convention, codified after two incidents)
+
+### Rule: use options.php as parent; NEVER unset/remove registered pages from $submenu
+
+When a WordPress admin page must be accessible by URL but hidden from the nav menu, use the
+**options.php-parent pattern** exclusively:
+
+```php
+add_submenu_page(
+    'options.php',                     // parent: built-in WP page; pages hidden by construction
+    __( 'My Page', 'prautoblogger' ),  // page title
+    __( 'My Page', 'prautoblogger' ),  // menu title (never shown; options.php is hidden)
+    'manage_options',                  // capability
+    'my-page-slug',                    // page slug
+    array( $this, 'render_page' ),     // callback
+);
+// No $submenu manipulation. options.php-parent pages are hidden from nav by construction.
+```
+
+The resulting hookname is `admin_page_my-page-slug` at BOTH registration time and request time.
+
+### Why the hide-by-unset pattern causes 403 (the incident class)
+
+WordPress computes the page hookname at two distinct moments:
+
+**Registration time** (inside `add_submenu_page`):
+WP resolves the parent slug against `$admin_page_hooks`. If found, hookname = `{parent_key}_page_{slug}`. WP registers the render callback and `$_registered_pages` entry under that name.
+
+**Request time** (inside `wp-admin/admin.php`):
+WP calls `get_admin_page_parent()` which scans `$submenu` for the page slug. If found, it derives the hookname the same way as (1). If **not found** (e.g., because the entry was unset), it falls back to `admin_page_{slug}`.
+
+When these two hooknames diverge, WP dispatches the request to a hookname with no registered callback → `wp_die(403)`.
+
+**Why options.php avoids this:** `options.php` is a built-in page that WordPress always keeps intact in `$admin_page_hooks` and `$submenu`. For its children, `get_admin_page_parent()` returns `options.php` consistently at both moments, so both produce `admin_page_{slug}`. No mutation required.
+
+### Incident history
+
+| Version | Symptom | Root cause | Fix |
+|---------|---------|------------|-----|
+| v0.19.1 | Board page 404 | Board submenu registered at same priority as parent (both 10) — add_submenu_page fired before add_menu_page → wrong hookname at registration time | Board moved to priority 11, after parent at 10 |
+| v0.19.3 | Dossier page 403 | Dossier registered under `prautoblogger-settings` parent (priority 12, after parent ✓) but post-registration `unset($submenu[...])` removed the slug → get_admin_page_parent() returned false at request time → orphan `admin_page_*` hookname → no handler → 403 | Switched to `options.php` parent; removed all $submenu mutation |
+
+Both incidents are in the same **hookname-mismatch class**: registration-time hookname ≠ request-time hookname.
+
+### Test pattern
+
+The `DossierMenuRegistrationTest::test_request_time_hookname_matches_registration_hookname` test
+replicates the request-time resolution algorithm (scan `$submenu` for the slug; if found derive
+hookname; if absent return `admin_page_*`) and asserts it equals the registration-time hookname.
+This test FAILS on hide-by-unset implementations and passes on the options.php-parent pattern.
+Apply the same test strategy to any new hidden admin page.
+
+### Asset enqueue gate
+
+For `options.php`-parent pages, the hook suffix passed to `admin_enqueue_scripts` is
+`admin_page_{slug}`. For plugin-parent pages it would be `{parent_key}_page_{slug}`. Always
+match the asset enqueue gate to the actual hookname for the chosen parent pattern:
+
+```php
+// options.php parent → 'admin_page_{slug}'
+public function on_enqueue_assets( string $hook_suffix ): void {
+    if ( $hook_suffix !== 'admin_page_' . self::PAGE_SLUG ) {
+        return;
+    }
+    // ... enqueue
+}
+```

INFORMATION-ARCHITECTURE.md

@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+# Information Architecture — PRAutoBlogger
+
+Auto-generated index of all admin surfaces, data flows, and integrations.
+Maintained per DoD v1.1.0 (same-PR update rule).
+
+---
+
+## Admin Pages
+
+| Slug | Class | Template | Purpose |
+|------|-------|----------|---------|
+| `prautoblogger-settings` | `PRAutoBlogger_Admin_Page` | `admin-page.php` | Main settings (schedule, models, budget, board limits) |
+| `prautoblogger-board` | `PRAutoBlogger_Board_Page` | `board-page.php` | Kanban board: Generating / Failed / In Review / Published columns. New Article button (v0.21.0). |
+| `prautoblogger-articles` | `PRAutoBlogger_Articles_Page` | `articles-page.php` | Paginated list of all articles/runs |
+| `prautoblogger-dossier` | `PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Page` | `dossier-page.php` | Per-article generation log + stage edit/re-run (M3) |
+| `prautoblogger-ideas` | `PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser` | `ideas-browser.php` | Analysis results browser with per-idea generation |
+| `prautoblogger-activity` | `PRAutoBlogger_Activity_Page` | `activity-page.php` | Cost + generation activity log |
+
+---
+
+## Generation Entry Points (v0.21.0)
+
+```
+Board "New Article" button
+  └─ AJAX prautoblogger_generate_now
+       └─ Generation_Status_Poller::on_ajax_generate_now()
+            └─ schedules prautoblogger_manual_generation cron
+                 └─ Executor::on_manual_generation()
+                      └─ Generation_Checkpoint_Runner::on_orchestrate_tick()  ← Tick 1
+                           └─ schedules prautoblogger_gen_tick
+                                └─ Generation_Checkpoint_Runner::on_generate_tick()  ← Tick 2..N
+
+WP-CLI: wp prautoblogger generate
+  └─ WP_CLI_Commands::generate_command()
+       └─ Generation_Checkpoint_Runner::kick_off()
+            └─ schedules prautoblogger_gen_orchestrate
+                 └─ Generation_Checkpoint_Runner::on_orchestrate_tick()  ← Tick 1
+
+Daily auto-generation cron
+  └─ prautoblogger_daily_generation
+       └─ Executor::on_cron_run()
+            └─ Pipeline_Runner::run()  (legacy synchronous path — runs in a single PHP process)
+```
+
+---
+
+## Database Tables
+
+| Table | DB Version | Purpose |
+|-------|-----------|---------|
+| `prautoblogger_sources` | 1.0.0 | Collected Reddit/RSS source content |
+| `prautoblogger_analysis_results` | 1.0.0 | Scored article ideas |
+| `prautoblogger_generation_log` | 1.0.0 | Per-LLM-call log (cost, tokens, status) |
+| `prautoblogger_runs` | 1.0.0 | Per-run ledger (status, ceiling_usd) |
+| `prautoblogger_run_stages` | 1.2.0 | Per-stage state for M3 re-run |
+| `prautoblogger_stage_inputs` | 1.3.0 | Immutable input versions for stage edits (M3) |
+| `prautoblogger_run_decisions` | 1.2.0 | Editorial decisions per run |
+
+DB version history: 1.0→1.1 (schema normalisation), 1.1→1.2 (M2 dossier), 1.2→1.3 (M3 stage inputs), 1.3→1.4 (M4 indexes).
+
+---
+
+## Key Options
+
+| Option | Type | Default | Purpose |
+|--------|------|---------|---------|
+| `prautoblogger_board_column_limit` | int | 20 | Max cards per board column |
+| `prautoblogger_ideas_per_page` | int | 30 | Ideas browser page size |
+| `prautoblogger_article_queue` | array | — | Checkpoint queue (run_id + ideas + results) |
+| `prautoblogger_checkpoint_run_id` | string | — | Current run UUID for Tick 2..N finalize path |
+| `prautoblogger_db_version` | string | — | Installed schema version (triggers dbDelta on mismatch) |
+
+---
+
+## WP-CLI Commands
+
+| Command | Since | Description |
+|---------|-------|-------------|
+| `wp prautoblogger generate` | 0.21.0 | Queue article generation via chained-cron checkpoints |
+| `wp prautoblogger opik:eval` | 0.12.0 | Trigger Opik eval run |
+
+---
+
+*Last updated: v0.21.0 (2026-06-14)*

assets/css/board.css

@@ -0,0 +1,249 @@
+/**
+ * PRAutoBlogger — Kanban Board Styles
+ *
+ * Warm editorial style (Proposal C / Direction C).
+ * Inside wp-admin chrome; uses WP admin vars where available.
+ * No build step — plain CSS, no preprocessor.
+ *
+ * Palette:
+ *   Teal     #1B8A92   (brand primary — Generating pill, spinner)
+ *   Cream    #FAF6EE   (card background)
+ *   Ink      #0D0D0D   (primary text)
+ *   Orange   #FF8A3D   (In Review pill)
+ *   Lime     #7FD600   (Published pill — success)
+ *   Red      #D94F4F   (Failed pill)
+ *   Mid-grey #8A8A8A   (meta text, border)
+ *
+ * @see templates/admin/board-page.php  — Rendered HTML structure.
+ * @see assets/js/board.js              — DOM updates that match these selectors.
+ */
+
+/* ── Page wrapper ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+.prab-board-wrap {
+	padding: 0;
+}
+
+.prab-board-heading {
+	font-size: 1.4rem;
+	font-weight: 700;
+	color: #0d0d0d;
+	margin: 20px 0 18px 0;
+	padding: 0 20px;
+	display: flex;
+	align-items: baseline;
+	gap: 10px;
+}
+
+.prab-board-heading-sub {
+	font-size: 1rem;
+	font-weight: 400;
+	color: #8a8a8a;
+}
+
+/* ── Four-column board grid ────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+.prab-board {
+	display: grid;
+	grid-template-columns: repeat(4, 1fr);
+	gap: 16px;
+	padding: 0 20px 24px;
+	align-items: start;
+}
+
+@media (max-width: 1200px) {
+	.prab-board {
+		grid-template-columns: repeat(2, 1fr);
+	}
+}
+
+@media (max-width: 720px) {
+	.prab-board {
+		grid-template-columns: 1fr;
+	}
+}
+
+/* ── Column ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+.prab-board-column {
+	background: #f8f7f5;
+	border: 1px solid #e2ddd6;
+	border-radius: 8px;
+	min-height: 180px;
+}
+
+.prab-col-header {
+	display: flex;
+	align-items: center;
+	justify-content: space-between;
+	padding: 12px 14px 10px;
+	border-bottom: 1px solid #e2ddd6;
+}
+
+.prab-col-title {
+	font-size: 0.82rem;
+	font-weight: 600;
+	text-transform: uppercase;
+	letter-spacing: 0.06em;
+	color: #4a4540;
+}
+
+.prab-col-cards {
+	padding: 10px 10px 12px;
+	display: flex;
+	flex-direction: column;
+	gap: 8px;
+}
+
+.prab-col-empty {
+	font-size: 0.82rem;
+	color: #b0a898;
+	text-align: center;
+	padding: 20px 0;
+	margin: 0;
+}
+
+/* ── Status pills ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+.prab-pill {
+	display: inline-flex;
+	align-items: center;
+	justify-content: center;
+	padding: 1px 8px;
+	border-radius: 12px;
+	font-size: 0.75rem;
+	font-weight: 600;
+	line-height: 1.5;
+	color: #fff;
+	min-width: 24px;
+}
+
+.prab-pill--generating {
+	background: #1b8a92;
+}
+
+.prab-pill--review {
+	background: #ff8a3d;
+}
+
+.prab-pill--published {
+	background: #5a9e28;
+}
+
+.prab-pill--failed {
+	background: #d94f4f;
+}
+
+/* ── Card ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+.prab-board-card {
+	background: #faf6ee;
+	border: 1px solid #e0d8cc;
+	border-radius: 6px;
+	padding: 11px 12px 10px;
+	position: relative;
+	transition: box-shadow 0.15s ease, border-color 0.15s ease;
+}
+
+.prab-board-card:hover {
+	box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(27, 138, 146, 0.12);
+	border-color: #b8cfd2;
+}
+
+.prab-board-card--generating {
+	border-left: 3px solid #1b8a92;
+}
+
+.prab-card-title {
+	font-size: 0.875rem;
+	font-weight: 500;
+	color: #0d0d0d;
+	line-height: 1.4;
+	margin-bottom: 6px;
+	padding-right: 20px; /* room for spinner */
+}
+
+.prab-card-meta {
+	display: flex;
+	align-items: center;
+	gap: 8px;
+	margin-bottom: 5px;
+}
+
+.prab-card-cost {
+	font-size: 0.75rem;
+	color: #5a8a50;
+	font-weight: 600;
+	font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
+}
+
+.prab-card-stage {
+	font-size: 0.74rem;
+	color: #1b8a92;
+	font-weight: 500;
+	margin-bottom: 5px;
+}
+
+.prab-card-error {
+	font-size: 0.74rem;
+	color: #d94f4f;
+	margin-bottom: 5px;
+	font-style: italic;
+}
+
+.prab-card-actions {
+	margin-top: 8px;
+}
+
+.prab-card-link {
+	display: inline-block;
+	font-size: 0.75rem;
+	color: #1b8a92;
+	text-decoration: none;
+	font-weight: 500;
+	border: 1px solid #b8d8db;
+	border-radius: 4px;
+	padding: 2px 8px;
+	transition: background 0.1s ease;
+}
+
+.prab-card-link:hover {
+	background: #e8f4f5;
+	color: #136870;
+	border-color: #8ac4c9;
+}
+
+/* ── Generating spinner ────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+.prab-card-spinner {
+	position: absolute;
+	top: 11px;
+	right: 11px;
+	width: 14px;
+	height: 14px;
+	border: 2px solid #c8e6e8;
+	border-top-color: #1b8a92;
+	border-radius: 50%;
+	animation: prab-spin 0.9s linear infinite;
+}
+
+@keyframes prab-spin {
+	to { transform: rotate(360deg); }
+}
+
+/* ── Board footer ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+.prab-board-footer {
+	padding: 0 20px 16px;
+	font-size: 0.78rem;
+	color: #a0998f;
+}
+
+/* ── Poll-error banner ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+.prab-board-error {
+	background: #fff4f4;
+	border: 1px solid #f5c4c4;
+	color: #8b2020;
+	border-radius: 6px;
+	padding: 8px 14px;
+	margin: 0 20px 12px;
+	font-size: 0.82rem;
+	display: none;
+}
+
+.prab-board-error.is-visible {
+	display: block;
+}

assets/css/dossier-edit.css

@@ -0,0 +1,240 @@
+/**
+ * PRAutoBlogger dossier — edit + re-run styles (M3, v0.20.0).
+ * Extends dossier.css (kept separate: dossier.css predates the
+ * 300-line discipline and is not grown further).
+ */
+
+/* ── Audit chips (stale / human-edited / attempt) ─────────────────── */
+.prab-chip {
+	display: inline-block;
+	padding: 2px 8px;
+	border-radius: 10px;
+	font-size: 11px;
+	font-weight: 600;
+	line-height: 1.6;
+	vertical-align: middle;
+}
+
+.prab-chip--stale {
+	background: #fcf0e4;
+	color: #8a4a0b;
+	border: 1px solid #e8c9a8;
+}
+
+.prab-chip--human {
+	background: #e9f2f4;
+	color: #1b5e6b;
+	border: 1px solid #b8d8de;
+}
+
+.prab-chip--attempt {
+	background: #f0f0f1;
+	color: #50575e;
+	border: 1px solid #dcdcde;
+}
+
+.prab-chip--chosen {
+	background: #edf7ed;
+	color: #1e6b2e;
+	border: 1px solid #b9dfc0;
+}
+
+.prab-chip--header {
+	margin-left: 6px;
+	font-size: 12px;
+}
+
+.prab-stage--stale {
+	border-left: 3px solid #d98c2b;
+}
+
+/* ── Stage footer actions ─────────────────────────────────────────── */
+.prab-stage-rerun-footer {
+	display: flex;
+	align-items: center;
+	gap: 10px;
+	flex-wrap: wrap;
+	margin-top: 12px;
+	padding-top: 10px;
+	border-top: 1px dashed #e2dcd2;
+}
+
+.prab-edit-unavailable {
+	font-size: 12px;
+	color: #777;
+	font-style: italic;
+	max-width: 46em;
+}
+
+.prab-rerun-from--stale {
+	border-color: #d98c2b;
+	color: #8a4a0b;
+}
+
+/* ── Edit panel ───────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+.prab-edit-panel {
+	margin-top: 12px;
+	padding: 14px 16px;
+	background: #fbf8f2;
+	border: 1px solid #e2dcd2;
+	border-radius: 6px;
+}
+
+.prab-edit-copy {
+	font-size: 13px;
+	color: #50575e;
+	max-width: 60em;
+}
+
+.prab-edit-spend {
+	font-size: 12px;
+	color: #50575e;
+}
+
+.prab-edit-spend--warn,
+.prab-spend-warning {
+	color: #8a2a0b;
+	font-weight: 600;
+}
+
+.prab-run-spend--warn {
+	border-left: 3px solid #c9501f;
+}
+
+.prab-edit-model {
+	font-size: 12px;
+	color: #777;
+	font-family: Consolas, Monaco, monospace;
+}
+
+.prab-edit-message {
+	margin-bottom: 10px;
+}
+
+.prab-edit-role {
+	display: block;
+	font-size: 11px;
+	font-weight: 700;
+	text-transform: uppercase;
+	letter-spacing: 0.04em;
+	color: #8c8f94;
+	margin-bottom: 3px;
+}
+
+.prab-edit-textarea {
+	width: 100%;
+	font-family: Consolas, Monaco, monospace;
+	font-size: 12px;
+	line-height: 1.5;
+}
+
+.prab-edit-actions {
+	display: flex;
+	align-items: center;
+	gap: 10px;
+	flex-wrap: wrap;
+	margin-top: 8px;
+}
+
+.prab-edit-forkinfo {
+	font-size: 12px;
+	color: #777;
+}
+
+.prab-edit-feedback {
+	font-size: 12px;
+	color: #1e6b2e;
+}
+
+.prab-edit-feedback--error {
+	color: #b32d2e;
+}
+
+/* ── Image grid (F3) ──────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+.prab-image-grid {
+	display: flex;
+	gap: 14px;
+	flex-wrap: wrap;
+	margin: 10px 0;
+}
+
+.prab-image-card {
+	margin: 0;
+	max-width: 220px;
+}
+
+.prab-image-card img {
+	width: 100%;
+	height: auto;
+	border-radius: 4px;
+	border: 1px solid #e2dcd2;
+}
+
+.prab-image-card--chosen img {
+	border: 2px solid #1b8a92;
+}
+
+.prab-image-card figcaption {
+	font-size: 12px;
+	color: #50575e;
+	margin-top: 4px;
+}
+
+/* ── Sidebar models card (F2) ─────────────────────────────────────── */
+.prab-models-table {
+	width: 100%;
+	border-collapse: collapse;
+	font-size: 12px;
+}
+
+.prab-models-table th {
+	text-align: left;
+	font-weight: 600;
+	padding: 4px 6px 4px 0;
+	vertical-align: top;
+	color: #50575e;
+	width: 38%;
+}
+
+.prab-models-table td {
+	padding: 4px 0;
+}
+
+.prab-models-model {
+	display: block;
+	font-family: Consolas, Monaco, monospace;
+	font-size: 11px;
+	word-break: break-all;
+}
+
+.prab-models-meta {
+	display: block;
+	color: #8c8f94;
+	font-size: 11px;
+}
+
+/* ── Board card human-modified dot ────────────────────────────────── */
+.prab-card-human-chip {
+	display: inline-block;
+	margin-top: 4px;
+	padding: 1px 7px;
+	border-radius: 9px;
+	font-size: 10px;
+	font-weight: 700;
+	background: #e9f2f4;
+	color: #1b5e6b;
+	border: 1px solid #b8d8de;
+}
+
+/* ── Review queue stale warning ───────────────────────────────────── */
+.prab-review-stale-chip {
+	display: inline-block;
+	margin-left: 6px;
+	padding: 1px 7px;
+	border-radius: 9px;
+	font-size: 10px;
+	font-weight: 700;
+	background: #fcf0e4;
+	color: #8a4a0b;
+	border: 1px solid #e8c9a8;
+}

assets/css/dossier.css

@@ -0,0 +1,441 @@
+/**
+ * PRAutoBlogger Article Dossier styles (M2).
+ *
+ * Design contract: Proposal C "Editorial Record" -- warm editorial,
+ * generous whitespace, typographic hierarchy, verdict pills, receipt
+ * sidebar. Scoped to .prab-dossier-wrap to avoid WP admin conflicts.
+ *
+ * @see admin/class-dossier-page.php
+ * @see templates/admin/dossier-page.php
+ */
+
+/* ── Layout ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.prab-dossier-wrap {
+	max-width: 1400px;
+}
+
+.prab-dossier-back {
+	margin-bottom: 12px;
+}
+
+.prab-dossier-back a {
+	color: #1B8A92;
+	text-decoration: none;
+}
+
+.prab-dossier-back a:hover {
+	text-decoration: underline;
+}
+
+.prab-dossier--empty {
+	background: #fff;
+	border: 1px solid #ddd;
+	border-radius: 4px;
+	padding: 32px;
+}
+
+.prab-dossier-empty-notice h2 {
+	font-size: 1.3em;
+	margin: 0 0 12px;
+	color: #444;
+}
+
+.prab-dossier {
+	background: #fff;
+}
+
+/* ── Header ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.prab-dossier-header {
+	display: flex;
+	align-items: flex-start;
+	justify-content: space-between;
+	padding: 24px 28px 20px;
+	border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e0d8;
+	background: #FAF6EE;
+	border-radius: 4px 4px 0 0;
+}
+
+.prab-dossier-title {
+	font-size: 1.6em;
+	margin: 0 0 8px;
+	color: #1a1a1a;
+	line-height: 1.3;
+}
+
+.prab-dossier-header-meta {
+	display: flex;
+	align-items: center;
+	gap: 10px;
+	flex-wrap: wrap;
+}
+
+/* ── Body: two-column ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.prab-dossier-body {
+	display: flex;
+	align-items: flex-start;
+	gap: 0;
+}
+
+.prab-dossier-main {
+	flex: 1;
+	min-width: 0;
+	padding: 24px 28px;
+}
+
+.prab-dossier-sidebar {
+	width: 260px;
+	flex-shrink: 0;
+	padding: 24px 20px;
+	border-left: 1px solid #e8e0d8;
+}
+
+/* ── Verdict pills ────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.prab-verdict-pill {
+	display: inline-block;
+	padding: 3px 10px;
+	border-radius: 12px;
+	font-size: 11px;
+	font-weight: 600;
+	text-transform: uppercase;
+	letter-spacing: 0.04em;
+}
+
+.prab-verdict-pill--approved  { background: #e6f5ee; color: #1a7a45; }
+.prab-verdict-pill--revised   { background: #fff4e0; color: #a06000; }
+.prab-verdict-pill--rejected  { background: #fde8e8; color: #b91c1c; }
+.prab-verdict-pill--halted    { background: #f0f0f0; color: #555; }
+.prab-verdict-pill--pending   { background: #e8f0fe; color: #1a55a0; }
+
+/* ── Status pills ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.prab-dossier-tier {
+	font-size: 12px;
+	color: #666;
+	padding: 2px 8px;
+	border: 1px solid #ddd;
+	border-radius: 10px;
+}
+
+.prab-dossier-status {
+	font-size: 12px;
+	color: #777;
+}
+
+/* ── Stage sections ───────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.prab-dossier-section {
+	margin-bottom: 28px;
+	border: 1px solid #e5ddd5;
+	border-radius: 4px;
+	overflow: hidden;
+}
+
+.prab-dossier-section--stage {
+	border-left: 4px solid #ccc;
+}
+
+.prab-stage-status--done    { border-left-color: #1B8A92; }
+.prab-stage-status--running { border-left-color: #FF8A3D; }
+.prab-stage-status--failed  { border-left-color: #e53e3e; }
+.prab-stage-status--pending { border-left-color: #a0aec0; }
+
+.prab-stage-header {
+	display: flex;
+	align-items: center;
+	justify-content: space-between;
+	padding: 12px 16px;
+	background: #faf8f5;
+	border-bottom: 1px solid #ede6dd;
+}
+
+.prab-section-title {
+	font-size: 1em;
+	font-weight: 600;
+	margin: 0;
+	color: #2d2d2d;
+}
+
+.prab-stage-role {
+	font-weight: 400;
+	color: #888;
+	font-size: 0.9em;
+	margin-left: 4px;
+}
+
+.prab-stage-header-meta {
+	display: flex;
+	align-items: center;
+	gap: 10px;
+	font-size: 12px;
+	color: #666;
+}
+
+.prab-stage-status-pill {
+	display: inline-block;
+	padding: 2px 8px;
+	border-radius: 10px;
+	font-size: 11px;
+	font-weight: 600;
+}
+
+.prab-stage-status-pill--done    { background: #e6f5ee; color: #1a7a45; }
+.prab-stage-status-pill--running { background: #fff4e0; color: #a06000; }
+.prab-stage-status-pill--failed  { background: #fde8e8; color: #b91c1c; }
+.prab-stage-status-pill--pending { background: #f0f0f0; color: #555; }
+
+.prab-stage-cost {
+	color: #1B8A92;
+	font-weight: 600;
+}
+
+.prab-stage-pv {
+	background: #f0f0f0;
+	padding: 1px 6px;
+	border-radius: 8px;
+	font-size: 11px;
+}
+
+/* ── Stage output ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.prab-stage-output {
+	padding: 16px;
+	line-height: 1.7;
+}
+
+.prab-stage-output-rendered {
+	font-size: 14px;
+	color: #333;
+	max-height: 480px;
+	overflow-y: auto;
+}
+
+.prab-output-pruned,
+.prab-output-absent {
+	color: #888;
+	font-style: italic;
+	margin: 0;
+}
+
+/* ── Raw trace toggle ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.prab-stage-trace {
+	padding: 0 16px 12px;
+	border-top: 1px solid #f0ece6;
+}
+
+.prab-trace-toggle {
+	font-size: 12px;
+	color: #1B8A92;
+	cursor: pointer;
+	padding: 6px 0;
+	background: none;
+	border: none;
+}
+
+.prab-trace-toggle:hover {
+	color: #0d6066;
+}
+
+.prab-trace-detail {
+	margin-top: 8px;
+}
+
+.prab-trace-entry {
+	background: #f7f4ef;
+	border: 1px solid #e5ddd5;
+	border-radius: 4px;
+	padding: 10px 12px;
+	margin-bottom: 8px;
+}
+
+.prab-trace-meta {
+	display: flex;
+	gap: 12px;
+	font-size: 11px;
+	color: #666;
+	margin-bottom: 6px;
+	flex-wrap: wrap;
+}
+
+.prab-trace-status--success { color: #1a7a45; }
+.prab-trace-status--error   { color: #b91c1c; }
+
+.prab-trace-request summary {
+	font-size: 12px;
+	cursor: pointer;
+	color: #888;
+	padding: 4px 0;
+}
+
+.prab-trace-pre {
+	background: #1a1a1a;
+	color: #e2e8f0;
+	padding: 10px;
+	border-radius: 3px;
+	font-size: 11px;
+	overflow-x: auto;
+	max-height: 300px;
+	white-space: pre-wrap;
+	word-break: break-all;
+}
+
+.prab-trace-error {
+	color: #b91c1c;
+	font-size: 12px;
+	margin: 4px 0 0;
+}
+
+/* ── Stage timestamps ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.prab-stage-timestamps {
+	padding: 4px 16px 10px;
+	font-size: 11px;
+	color: #aaa;
+}
+
+.prab-ts-sep {
+	margin: 0 4px;
+}
+
+/* ── Decisions section ───────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.prab-dossier-section--decisions {
+	padding: 16px;
+}
+
+.prab-dossier-section--decisions .prab-section-title {
+	font-size: 1.1em;
+	margin-bottom: 12px;
+}
+
+.prab-decision-row {
+	display: flex;
+	align-items: flex-start;
+	gap: 10px;
+	flex-wrap: wrap;
+	margin-bottom: 12px;
+	padding-bottom: 12px;
+	border-bottom: 1px solid #f0ece6;
+}
+
+.prab-decision-row:last-child {
+	border-bottom: none;
+	margin-bottom: 0;
+	padding-bottom: 0;
+}
+
+.prab-decision-stage {
+	font-weight: 600;
+	font-size: 13px;
+	min-width: 120px;
+}
+
+.prab-decision-rationale {
+	margin: 4px 0 0;
+	width: 100%;
+	color: #555;
+	font-size: 13px;
+}
+
+/* ── Sidebar ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.prab-sidebar-card {
+	background: #faf8f5;
+	border: 1px solid #e5ddd5;
+	border-radius: 4px;
+	padding: 14px 16px;
+	margin-bottom: 16px;
+}
+
+.prab-sidebar-heading {
+	font-size: 12px;
+	font-weight: 700;
+	text-transform: uppercase;
+	letter-spacing: 0.06em;
+	color: #888;
+	margin: 0 0 10px;
+}
+
+.prab-sidebar-dl {
+	margin: 0;
+	display: grid;
+	grid-template-columns: auto 1fr;
+	gap: 4px 10px;
+	font-size: 12px;
+}
+
+.prab-sidebar-dl dt {
+	color: #888;
+	white-space: nowrap;
+}
+
+.prab-sidebar-dl dd {
+	margin: 0;
+	color: #333;
+	word-break: break-all;
+}
+
+.prab-run-id {
+	font-family: monospace;
+	font-size: 10px;
+}
+
+/* ── Cost receipt ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.prab-receipt-table {
+	width: 100%;
+	border-collapse: collapse;
+	font-size: 12px;
+}
+
+.prab-receipt-table td {
+	padding: 3px 0;
+}
+
+.prab-receipt-stage {
+	color: #555;
+}
+
+.prab-receipt-cost {
+	text-align: right;
+	color: #1B8A92;
+	font-family: monospace;
+}
+
+.prab-receipt-total {
+	border-top: 1px solid #ddd;
+	font-weight: 700;
+}
+
+.prab-receipt-total td {
+	padding-top: 6px;
+}
+
+/* ── Run status ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.prab-run-status {
+	font-size: 12px;
+}
+
+.prab-run-status--done    { color: #1a7a45; }
+.prab-run-status--running { color: #a06000; }
+.prab-run-status--failed  { color: #b91c1c; }
+
+/* ── No stages ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.prab-dossier-no-stages {
+	padding: 24px 0;
+	color: #888;
+}
+
+/* ── Metabox ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+.prab-metabox-dossier .prab-run-id-label {
+	font-size: 11px;
+	color: #999;
+	margin-top: 4px;
+}

assets/js/board-generate.js

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+/**
+ * PRAutoBlogger Board -- "New Article" generate button handler (v0.21.0, M4).
+ *
+ * Loaded on the board page alongside board.js. Depends on the prabBoard config
+ * object and jQuery, both already present when board.js loads.
+ *
+ * @see assets/js/board.js          -- Board poller (loads first).
+ * @see includes/admin/class-board-page.php -- Enqueues + localizes prabBoard.
+ */
+( function ( $ ) {
+	'use strict';
+
+	var cfg = window.prabBoard || {};
+
+	/**
+	 * Handle click on the "New Article" button. Fires the existing generate_now
+	 * AJAX action and triggers board backoff reset so the new card appears fast.
+	 */
+	function onBoardGenerateNow() {
+		var $btn = $( '#prab-board-generate-now' );
+		if ( ! $btn.length || $btn.prop( 'disabled' ) ) {
+			return;
+		}
+		$btn.prop( 'disabled', true ).text( cfg.strings && cfg.strings.generatingBtn || 'Generating\u2026' );
+		var $status = $( '#prab-board-gen-status' );
+		$status.text( '' ).hide();
+
+		$.ajax( {
+			url: cfg.ajaxUrl,
+			method: 'POST',
+			data: { action: 'prautoblogger_generate_now', nonce: cfg.generateNonce },
+			success: function ( response ) {
+				if ( response && response.success ) {
+					$status.text( cfg.strings && cfg.strings.genStarted || 'Generation started.' ).show();
+					// Notify board poller to reset backoff (run is now active).
+					$( document ).trigger( 'prab:generation-started' );
+				} else {
+					$status.text( cfg.strings && cfg.strings.genError || 'Generation failed.' ).show();
+					$btn.prop( 'disabled', false ).text( cfg.strings && cfg.strings.newArticle || 'New Article' );
+				}
+			},
+			error: function () {
+				$status.text( cfg.strings && cfg.strings.genError || 'Generation failed.' ).show();
+				$btn.prop( 'disabled', false ).text( cfg.strings && cfg.strings.newArticle || 'New Article' );
+			}
+		} );
+	}
+
+	$( function () {
+		$( document ).on( 'click', '#prab-board-generate-now', onBoardGenerateNow );
+	} );
+
+}( jQuery ) );

assets/js/board.js

@@ -0,0 +1,236 @@
+/**
+ * PRAutoBlogger — Kanban Board Poller
+ *
+ * Live-polls the board status AJAX endpoint and updates the four columns
+ * (Generating | In Review | Published | Failed) in-place without a full
+ * page reload.
+ *
+ * Poll behaviour:
+ *   - Polls at `prabBoard.pollInterval` ms when any article is generating.
+ *   - Doubles the interval (backoff) when `has_active_runs` is false, capping
+ *     at 4× the base interval — prevents needless AJAX on an idle board.
+ *   - Resets to base interval as soon as an active run is detected again.
+ *
+ * Click-throughs (M1):
+ *   - Generating → Activity Log
+ *   - In Review  → Review Queue
+ *   - Published  → Post edit screen
+ *   - Failed     → Activity Log
+ *   (M2 rewires all to Article Dossier)
+ *
+ * Localised config: `prabBoard` object (ajaxUrl, nonce, pollInterval, action,
+ *   strings) injected by PRAutoBlogger_Board_Page::on_enqueue_assets().
+ *
+ * @see includes/admin/class-board-page.php      — AJAX handler + localise.
+ * @see assets/css/board.css                     — Card and column styles.
+ * @see templates/admin/board-page.php           — Initial server-rendered HTML.
+ */
+( function ( $ ) {
+	'use strict';
+
+	var cfg            = window.prabBoard || {};
+	var baseInterval   = cfg.pollInterval  || 5000;
+	var maxBackoff     = 4;
+	var backoffFactor  = 1;
+	var pollTimer      = null;
+	var $board         = null;
+	var $errorBanner   = null;
+
+	/** Escape HTML for safe DOM insertion. */
+	function escHtml( str ) {
+		return $( '<div>' ).text( String( str ) ).html();
+	}
+
+	/** Format cost to 4 decimal places with a leading $. */
+	function formatCost( cost ) {
+		var n = parseFloat( cost ) || 0;
+		return '$' + n.toFixed( 4 );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Build a card HTML string from a card data object.
+	 *
+	 * @param {Object} card       Card data from server.
+	 * @param {string} columnKey  Column identifier.
+	 * @returns {string} HTML string.
+	 */
+	function buildCardHtml( card, columnKey ) {
+		var isGenerating = ( columnKey === 'generating' );
+		var cls          = 'prab-board-card' + ( isGenerating ? ' prab-board-card--generating' : '' );
+		var html         = '';
+
+		html += '<div class="' + escHtml( cls ) + '"';
+		html += ' data-run-id="'  + escHtml( card.run_id  || '' ) + '"';
+		html += ' data-post-id="' + escHtml( card.post_id || 0  ) + '">';
+
+		if ( isGenerating ) {
+			html += '<div class="prab-card-spinner" aria-label="' + escHtml( cfg.strings.generating ) + '"></div>';
+		}
+
+		html += '<div class="prab-card-title">' + escHtml( card.title || cfg.strings.empty ) + '</div>';
+
+		// v0.20.0: human-modified runs are visually distinct at run-list level.
+		if ( card.human_modified ) {
+			html += '<span class="prab-card-human-chip">' + escHtml( cfg.strings.humanModified || 'Human-modified' ) + '</span>';
+		}
+
+		if ( card.cost_total ) {
+			html += '<div class="prab-card-meta"><span class="prab-card-cost">';
+			html += escHtml( formatCost( card.cost_total ) );
+			html += '</span></div>';
+		}
+
+		if ( isGenerating && card.stage_current ) {
+			html += '<div class="prab-card-stage">';
+			/* translators: stage name */
+			html += escHtml( cfg.strings.generating + ': ' + card.stage_current );
+			html += '</div>';
+		}
+
+		if ( card.error_message ) {
+			var errShort = String( card.error_message ).split( ' ' ).slice( 0, 12 ).join( ' ' );
+			if ( card.error_message.split( ' ' ).length > 12 ) {
+				errShort += '…';
+			}
+			html += '<div class="prab-card-error">' + escHtml( errShort ) + '</div>';
+		}
+
+		// Click-through link.
+		var linkUrl  = '';
+		var linkText = '';
+		if ( card.click_action === 'dossier' && card.dossier_url ) {
+			linkUrl  = card.dossier_url;
+			linkText = cfg.strings.view;
+		} else if ( card.click_action === 'review' && card.review_url ) {
+			linkUrl  = card.review_url;
+			linkText = cfg.strings.view;
+		} else if ( card.click_action === 'edit' && card.edit_url ) {
+			linkUrl  = card.edit_url;
+			linkText = cfg.strings.edit;
+		} else if ( card.click_action === 'logs' && card.log_url ) {
+			linkUrl  = card.log_url;
+			linkText = cfg.strings.viewLog;
+		}
+
+		if ( linkUrl ) {
+			html += '<div class="prab-card-actions">';
+			html += '<a href="' + escHtml( linkUrl ) + '" class="prab-card-link">';
+			html += escHtml( linkText );
+			html += '</a></div>';
+		}
+
+		html += '</div>';
+		return html;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Re-render a single column from the server snapshot.
+	 *
+	 * Updates the pill count and replaces card HTML. Avoids full DOM teardown
+	 * to prevent flicker on the running spinner.
+	 *
+	 * @param {string}   colKey Column identifier.
+	 * @param {Array}    cards  Array of card objects.
+	 * @returns {void}
+	 */
+	function renderColumn( colKey, cards ) {
+		var $col      = $board.find( '[data-column="' + colKey + '"]' );
+		var $cards    = $col.find( '[data-column-cards]' );
+		var $pill     = $col.find( '.prab-col-count' );
+
+		$pill.text( cards.length );
+
+		if ( ! cards.length ) {
+			$cards.html( '<p class="prab-col-empty">' + escHtml( cfg.strings.empty ) + '</p>' );
+			return;
+		}
+
+		// Build new card HTML.
+		var newHtml = '';
+		for ( var i = 0; i < cards.length; i++ ) {
+			newHtml += buildCardHtml( cards[ i ], colKey );
+		}
+		$cards.html( newHtml );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Apply a server snapshot to all four columns.
+	 *
+	 * @param {Object} snapshot  Board snapshot from AJAX.
+	 * @returns {void}
+	 */
+	function applySnapshot( snapshot ) {
+		renderColumn( 'generating', snapshot.generating  || [] );
+		renderColumn( 'in_review',  snapshot.in_review   || [] );
+		renderColumn( 'published',  snapshot.published   || [] );
+		renderColumn( 'failed',     snapshot.failed      || [] );
+		// Re-enable board Generate button once no active runs remain.
+		if ( ! snapshot.has_active_runs ) {
+			$( '#prab-board-generate-now' ).prop( 'disabled', false )
+				.text( ( cfg.strings && cfg.strings.newArticle ) || 'New Article' );
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Compute the next poll delay based on whether there are active runs.
+	 *
+	 * @param {boolean} hasActiveRuns
+	 * @returns {number} Milliseconds until next poll.
+	 */
+	function nextDelay( hasActiveRuns ) {
+		if ( hasActiveRuns ) {
+			backoffFactor = 1;
+			return baseInterval;
+		}
+		backoffFactor = Math.min( backoffFactor + 1, maxBackoff );
+		return baseInterval * backoffFactor;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Schedule the next poll after a given delay.
+	 *
+	 * @param {number} delay  Milliseconds.
+	 * @returns {void}
+	 */
+	function schedulePoll( delay ) {
+		clearTimeout( pollTimer );
+		pollTimer = setTimeout( doPoll, delay );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Execute one board poll: AJAX POST → apply snapshot → reschedule.
+	 *
+	 * @returns {void}
+	 */
+	function doPoll() {
+		$.ajax( {
+			url:    cfg.ajaxUrl,
+			method: 'POST',
+			data: {
+				action: cfg.action,
+				nonce:  cfg.nonce
+			},
+			success: function ( response ) {
+				if ( $errorBanner ) {
+					$errorBanner.removeClass( 'is-visible' );
+				}
+				if ( response && response.success && response.data ) {
+					applySnapshot( response.data );
+					schedulePoll( nextDelay( !! response.data.has_active_runs ) );
+				} else {
+					schedulePoll( nextDelay( false ) );
+				}
+			},
+			error: function () {
+				if ( $errorBanner ) {
+					$errorBanner.addClass( 'is-visible' );
+				}
+				schedulePoll( nextDelay( false ) );
+			}
+		} );
+	}
+
+
+	} );
+
+}( jQuery ) );

assets/js/dossier-edit.js

@@ -0,0 +1,235 @@
+/**
+ * PRAutoBlogger Article Dossier — edit + re-run actions (M3, v0.20.0).
+ *
+ * Chained-cron UX contract (CPO hard constraint): clicking a re-run
+ * button QUEUES a background job — the UI says "queued", starts the
+ * stage-status poll, and renders pickup/result as the rows change.
+ * Nothing here implies synchronous execution.
+ *
+ * Vanilla JS, no build step. Config injected via wp_localize_script
+ * ('prabDossierEdit': ajaxUrl, nonce, postId, pollInterval, strings).
+ *
+ * @see admin/class-dossier-actions.php — The endpoints this calls.
+ * @see admin/class-dossier-page.php    — Enqueue + localization.
+ */
+( function () {
+	'use strict';
+
+	var cfg = window.prabDossierEdit || null;
+
+	function post( action, fields ) {
+		var data = new window.FormData();
+		data.append( 'action', action );
+		data.append( 'nonce', cfg.nonce );
+		data.append( 'post_id', cfg.postId );
+		Object.keys( fields || {} ).forEach( function ( key ) {
+			data.append( key, fields[ key ] );
+		} );
+		return window.fetch( cfg.ajaxUrl, { method: 'POST', credentials: 'same-origin', body: data } )
+			.then( function ( res ) { return res.json(); } );
+	}
+
+	function feedback( panel, message, isError ) {
+		var el = panel.querySelector( '[data-feedback]' );
+		if ( el ) {
+			el.textContent = message || '';
+			el.classList.toggle( 'prab-edit-feedback--error', !! isError );
+		}
+	}
+
+	function sectionFor( el ) {
+		var node = el;
+		while ( node && ! node.classList.contains( 'prab-dossier-section--stage' ) ) {
+			node = node.parentElement;
+		}
+		return node;
+	}
+
+	// ── Stage-status polling (queued → pickup → result) ────────────────
+	var pollTimer = null;
+	var sawActivity = false;
+
+	function applyStageState( state ) {
+		var selector = '.prab-dossier-section--stage[data-stage="' + state.stage + '"][data-agent-role="' + state.agent_role + '"]';
+		var section  = document.querySelector( selector );
+		if ( ! section ) {
+			return;
+		}
+		var pill = section.querySelector( '.prab-stage-status-pill' );
+		if ( pill ) {
+			pill.className   = 'prab-stage-status-pill prab-stage-status-pill--' + state.status;
+			pill.textContent = state.status.charAt( 0 ).toUpperCase() + state.status.slice( 1 );
+		}
+		var staleChip = section.querySelector( '[data-chip="stale"]' );
+		if ( staleChip ) {
+			staleChip.hidden = ! state.stale;
+		}
+		section.classList.toggle( 'prab-stage--stale', !! state.stale );
+		var humanChip = section.querySelector( '[data-chip="human"]' );
+		if ( humanChip ) {
+			humanChip.hidden = ! state.human_modified;
+		}
+	}
+
+	function poll() {
+		post( 'prautoblogger_dossier_stage_status', {} ).then( function ( res ) {
+			if ( ! res || ! res.success || ! res.data ) {
+				return;
+			}
+			var anyRunning = false;
+			var anyStale   = false;
+			var anyHuman   = false;
+			( res.data.stages || [] ).forEach( function ( state ) {
+				applyStageState( state );
+				if ( 'running' === state.status || 'pending' === state.status ) {
+					anyRunning = true;
+				}
+				anyStale = anyStale || !! state.stale;
+				anyHuman = anyHuman || !! state.human_modified;
+			} );
+			var headerHuman = document.querySelector( '[data-header-chip="human"]' );
+			if ( headerHuman ) {
+				headerHuman.hidden = ! anyHuman;
+			}
+			var headerStale = document.querySelector( '[data-header-chip="stale"]' );
+			if ( headerStale ) {
+				headerStale.hidden = ! anyStale;
+			}
+
+			var terminal = -1 === [ 'running', 'pending' ].indexOf( res.data.run_status );
+			if ( anyRunning || ! terminal ) {
+				sawActivity = true;
+				return;
+			}
+			// Run settled after activity we watched: re-render the dossier
+			// fresh (server-rendered outputs, receipts, fork info).
+			if ( sawActivity ) {
+				window.clearInterval( pollTimer );
+				pollTimer = null;
+				window.location.reload();
+			}
+		} ).catch( function () { /* transient poll errors are ignored */ } );
+	}
+
+	function startPolling() {
+		sawActivity = true;
+		if ( ! pollTimer ) {
+			pollTimer = window.setInterval( poll, cfg.pollInterval * 1000 );
+		}
+	}
+
+	// ── Wiring ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+	document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function () {
+		if ( ! cfg ) {
+			return;
+		}
+
+		// Edit panel toggles.
+		document.querySelectorAll( '.prab-edit-toggle' ).forEach( function ( btn ) {
+			btn.addEventListener( 'click', function () {
+				var panel = document.getElementById( btn.getAttribute( 'aria-controls' ) );
+				if ( ! panel ) {
+					return;
+				}
+				var open = btn.getAttribute( 'aria-expanded' ) === 'true';
+				panel.hidden = open;
+				btn.setAttribute( 'aria-expanded', open ? 'false' : 'true' );
+			} );
+		} );
+
+		// Save fork.
+		document.querySelectorAll( '.prab-edit-save' ).forEach( function ( btn ) {
+			btn.addEventListener( 'click', function () {
+				var panel    = btn.closest( '.prab-edit-panel' );
+				var messages = [];
+				panel.querySelectorAll( '.prab-edit-textarea' ).forEach( function ( area ) {
+					messages.push( { role: area.getAttribute( 'data-role' ), content: area.value } );
+				} );
+				btn.disabled = true;
+				feedback( panel, cfg.strings.saving, false );
+				post( 'prautoblogger_dossier_save_input', {
+					stage: panel.getAttribute( 'data-stage' ),
+					agent_role: panel.getAttribute( 'data-agent-role' ),
+					messages: JSON.stringify( messages )
+				} ).then( function ( res ) {
+					btn.disabled = false;
+					if ( res && res.success ) {
+						feedback( panel, res.data.message, false );
+						var rerunBtn = panel.querySelector( '.prab-edit-rerun' );
+						if ( rerunBtn ) {
+							rerunBtn.disabled = false;
+						}
+						var info = panel.querySelector( '[data-forkinfo]' );
+						if ( info && res.data.version ) {
+							info.textContent = 'v' + res.data.version;
+						}
+					} else {
+						feedback( panel, ( res && res.data && res.data.message ) || cfg.strings.error, true );
+					}
+				} ).catch( function () {
+					btn.disabled = false;
+					feedback( panel, cfg.strings.error, true );
+				} );
+			} );
+		} );
+
+		// Replay latest fork (queued).
+		document.querySelectorAll( '.prab-edit-rerun' ).forEach( function ( btn ) {
+			btn.addEventListener( 'click', function () {
+				var panel = btn.closest( '.prab-edit-panel' );
+				if ( ! window.confirm( cfg.strings.confirmReplay ) ) {
+					return;
+				}
+				btn.disabled = true;
+				post( 'prautoblogger_dossier_rerun_stage', {
+					stage: panel.getAttribute( 'data-stage' ),
+					agent_role: panel.getAttribute( 'data-agent-role' )
+				} ).then( function ( res ) {
+					if ( res && res.success ) {
+						feedback( panel, res.data.message, false );
+						startPolling();
+					} else {
+						btn.disabled = false;
+						feedback( panel, ( res && res.data && res.data.message ) || cfg.strings.error, true );
+					}
+				} ).catch( function () {
+					btn.disabled = false;
+					feedback( panel, cfg.strings.error, true );
+				} );
+			} );
+		} );
+
+		// Re-run from here (queued rebuild).
+		document.querySelectorAll( '.prab-rerun-from' ).forEach( function ( btn ) {
+			btn.addEventListener( 'click', function () {
+				var section = sectionFor( btn );
+				if ( ! window.confirm( cfg.strings.confirmRerunFrom ) ) {
+					return;
+				}
+				btn.disabled = true;
+				btn.textContent = cfg.strings.queued;
+				post( 'prautoblogger_dossier_rerun_from', {
+					stage: btn.getAttribute( 'data-stage' ),
+					agent_role: section ? section.getAttribute( 'data-agent-role' ) : ''
+				} ).then( function ( res ) {
+					if ( res && res.success ) {
+						startPolling();
+					} else {
+						btn.disabled = false;
+						btn.textContent = cfg.strings.rerunFromLabel;
+						window.alert( ( res && res.data && res.data.message ) || cfg.strings.error );
+					}
+				} ).catch( function () {
+					btn.disabled = false;
+					btn.textContent = cfg.strings.rerunFromLabel;
+					window.alert( cfg.strings.error );
+				} );
+			} );
+		} );
+
+		// A stage already running (e.g. revisit mid-job): poll from load.
+		if ( document.querySelector( '.prab-stage-status-pill--running' ) ) {
+			startPolling();
+		}
+	} );
+}() );

assets/js/dossier.js

@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+/**
+ * PRAutoBlogger Article Dossier -- raw-trace toggle (M2).
+ *
+ * Toggles the hidden raw-trace <div> per stage when the "Show raw trace"
+ * button is clicked. Vanilla JS, no build step, no external deps.
+ *
+ * Accessible: uses aria-expanded + aria-controls; respects the hidden attribute.
+ *
+ * @see admin/class-dossier-page.php -- Enqueues this file.
+ * @see templates/admin/dossier-page.php -- Renders the toggle buttons.
+ */
+( function () {
+	'use strict';
+
+	document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function () {
+		var toggles = document.querySelectorAll( '.prab-trace-toggle' );
+
+		toggles.forEach( function ( btn ) {
+			btn.addEventListener( 'click', function () {
+				var targetId = btn.getAttribute( 'aria-controls' );
+				if ( ! targetId ) {
+					return;
+				}
+				var panel = document.getElementById( targetId );
+				if ( ! panel ) {
+					return;
+				}
+				var isOpen = btn.getAttribute( 'aria-expanded' ) === 'true';
+				if ( isOpen ) {
+					panel.hidden = true;
+					btn.setAttribute( 'aria-expanded', 'false' );
+					btn.textContent = btn.textContent.replace( /hide/i, 'Show' );
+				} else {
+					panel.hidden = false;
+					btn.setAttribute( 'aria-expanded', 'true' );
+					btn.textContent = btn.textContent.replace( /show/i, 'Hide' );
+				}
+			} );
+		} );
+	} );
+}() );

composer.json

@@ -1,23 +1,26 @@
 {
-"name": "peptiderepo/prautoblogger",
-"description": "WordPress plugin that auto-researches and publishes blog content using AI.",
-"type": "wordpress-plugin",
-"license": "GPL-2.0-or-later",
-"require": {
-"php": ">=7.4"
-},
-"require-dev": {
-"phpunit/phpunit": "^9.5",
-"brain/monkey": "^2.6"
-},
-"autoload": {
-"classmap": [
-"includes/"
-]
-},
-"autoload-dev": {
-"psr-4": {
-"PRAutoBlogger\\Tests\\": "tests/unit/"
+    "name": "peptiderepo/prautoblogger",
+    "description": "WordPress plugin that auto-researches and publishes blog content using AI.",
+    "type": "wordpress-plugin",
+    "license": "GPL-2.0-or-later",
+    "require": {
+        "php": ">=7.4"
+    },
+    "require-dev": {
+        "phpunit/phpunit": "^9.5",
+        "brain/monkey": "^2.6"
+    },
+    "autoload": {
+        "classmap": [
+            "includes/"
+        ]
+    },
+    "autoload-dev": {
+        "psr-4": {
+            "PRAutoBlogger\\Tests\\": "tests/unit/"
+        }
+    },
+    "scripts": {
+        "test": "vendor/bin/phpunit --testdox"
+    }
 }
-}
-}

docs/adr/0001-editorial-illustration-image-style.md

@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+# ADR-0001: Editorial illustration image style — pivot from comic to text-free illustration with caption-as-HTML
+
+- **Status:** Accepted
+- **Date:** 2026-05-29
+- **Deciders:** CTO, Engineer PRAutoBlogger
+- **Supersedes:** —
+- **Superseded by:** —
+- **Related:** ARCHITECTURE.md §#20; CHANGELOG.md [0.16.0]; PR #146 (d00e746);
+  `docs/proposals/2026-05-29-image-pipeline-in-plugin-brief.md`;
+  ARCHITECTURE.md §#21 (v0.17.0 deterministic composer, the follow-on commit)
+
+---
+
+## Context
+
+PRAutoBlogger generates two AI images (A/B pair) for each article and publishes
+them as featured images. From the initial comic-strip launch (commit b17ed47,
+`feat: switch to single-panel newspaper comic style for article images`) through
+v0.15.x, the image style was a **single-panel newspaper comic** — the rewriter
+LLM was asked to produce a comic gag or visual pun, and the result was appended
+to a style suffix and sent to the diffusion model.
+
+By April 2026 two problems had accumulated:
+
+1. **Text legibility.** Small diffusion models (FLUX.1 schnell is the default
+   since v0.9.0 at ~$0.0006/image) cannot reliably render readable text inside
+   an image. Comic panels depend on legible speech bubbles or captions burned
+   into the image; both were routinely garbled (confirmed in the 2026-04-21 A/B
+   finding documented in ARCHITECTURE.md §#21).
+
+2. **Caption path already existed.** A separate HTML caption below the image had
+   been extracted as early as commit 214f57b (`Separate comic captions from
+   generated images`, 2026-04-18). The scene/caption split in
+   `Image_Scene_Parser` was already live, meaning there was an established path
+   for readable text that did not depend on the diffusion model rendering it.
+
+Together these created pressure to stop asking the diffusion model to render
+text at all, and instead shift all readable copy to the HTML caption path that
+was already in place.
+
+## Decision drivers
+
+1. **Image quality on default model.** FLUX.1 schnell (the default since v0.9.0)
+   produces garbled text in generated images. A style that depends on readable
+   in-image text degrades silently on the model we actually ship.
+2. **Editorial trust signal.** Peptide Repo's editorial direction is
+   science-informational; comic gags undercut the authority the site needs for
+   health-adjacent content.
+3. **Reuse the existing caption path.** The scene/caption split and HTML caption
+   path were already live; the change is a prompt rewrite + template substitution
+   with no new infrastructure.
+4. **Admin configurability.** The style suffix was a single string appended to
+   every prompt; a template with a named substitution token (`{{ topic_summary
+   }}`) is more maintainable and admin-overridable without a code deploy.
+5. **Cost and provider neutrality.** The change is prompt-only; provider, model,
+   and pricing are unchanged.
+
+## Options considered
+
+### Option A — Keep the comic style, fix text rendering per-model
+
+Ask the rewriter LLM to omit text from comic panels (no speech bubbles, no
+caption burns), and describe a visual scene instead. Keep the style suffix
+pattern.
+
+**Pros:**
+- Minimal code change — just a prompt edit.
+- Comic aesthetic is recognisable and differentiating.
+
+**Cons:**
+- Does not solve the underlying mismatch: the style suffix is a static string
+  that gives no per-article context to the diffusion model. The rewriter scene
+  still has no slot to insert topic-specific imagery.
+- Comic gags require the LLM to invent a joke per peptide, which is inconsistent
+  in tone.
+- Comic aesthetic conflicts with the editorial trust direction for health content.
+
+### Option B — Pivot to text-free editorial scientific illustration + template substitution (chosen)
+
+Change the rewriter system prompt so the LLM emits a concise 1-2 sentence
+topic/mechanism summary as the SCENE — one concrete centered focal subject, no
+text, no people-as-gag, no logos. Replace the style suffix with an editable
+template (`prautoblogger_image_style_template`) that contains a single
+`{{ topic_summary }}` token filled per-article by
+`PRAutoBlogger_Image_Template_Filler`. The CAPTION line from the scene/caption
+split continues to flow to the HTML-caption-below-image path unchanged.
+
+**Pros:**
+- Diffusion model is never asked to render text; garbled-text failures are
+  eliminated.
+- The editorial scientific illustration style is consistent with the site's
+  authority positioning.
+- Template substitution gives admins a single editable field to control the
+  entire visual style without touching the per-article rewriter logic.
+- Degradation is explicit: missing token → append + warning; empty summary →
+  style-only prompt; a blank prompt is never sent to the provider.
+- Provider, model, and cost are unchanged.
+
+**Cons:**
+- Breaks the comic gag aesthetic for any site running PRAutoBlogger in a
+  context where that was intentional (low risk for this deployment).
+- The old `prautoblogger_image_style_suffix` option must be migrated
+  (handled via one-time migration `prautoblogger_migrated_style_template_v0160`
+  and mirroring to `_deprecated` for one cycle).
+
+### Option C — Generate text overlays in PHP (deterministic composer only)
+
+Skip the style change; solve legibility by compositing text onto images in PHP
+after the diffusion model runs.
+
+**Pros:**
+- Diffusion model input is unchanged (comic style preserved).
+- Composited text is always readable regardless of model.
+
+**Cons:**
+- Compositing a comic-style gag is much harder than compositing a caption band
+  (arbitrary layout vs. a fixed panel at the bottom).
+- Does not address the editorial direction mismatch.
+- The deterministic PHP composer (ARCHITECTURE.md §#21) was already planned as
+  a follow-on commit specifically for OG/social variants — pursuing it as the
+  sole fix conflates two separate problems.
+
+## Decision
+
+**Option B** — pivot to text-free editorial scientific illustration with
+caption-as-HTML and template substitution.
+
+This was shipped as v0.16.0 (2026-05-29, PR #146, commit d00e746). The changes
+are entirely in the prompt layer:
+
+- `Image_Prompt_Builder::REWRITER_SYSTEM_PROMPT` now asks for a concise
+  topic/mechanism SCENE and keeps the CAPTION line for the HTML path.
+- `PRAutoBlogger_Image_Template_Filler::fill()` replaces the old
+  `trim($scene . ' ' . $style_suffix)` concat at all three entry points
+  (`build_article_prompt`, `build_source_prompt`, `build_fallback_prompt`).
+- New admin setting `prautoblogger_image_style_template` with
+  single-token validation replaces the Style Suffix field.
+- One-time migration preserves the old suffix value for one cycle.
+
+The deterministic PHP composer for OG/social branding (ARCHITECTURE.md §#21)
+was deliberately deferred to a follow-on commit (v0.17.0, #152) so that the
+prompt-only change could ship and be verified first.
+
+## Consequences
+
+**Accepted benefits:**
+- Garbled-text image failures are eliminated on the default FLUX.1 schnell model.
+- The editorial scientific illustration style is consistent with the site's
+  health-content positioning and sustainable across future model changes.
+- The template + token pattern makes style updates admin-configurable without
+  code changes.
+
+**Accepted costs:**
+- The comic aesthetic is gone and cannot be restored by toggling a setting;
+  switching back requires a prompt and template change.
+- The `prautoblogger_image_style_suffix` option is deprecated; the migration
+  runs once on upgrade and the old option is not deleted until a future cycle.
+
+**Follow-up created:**
+- ARCHITECTURE.md §#21 (v0.17.0): deterministic PHP image composer to composite
+  branded OG and square card variants — necessary because the social/OG image
+  travels without the HTML caption and therefore needs text burned in by PHP,
+  not by the diffusion model.

docs/adr/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# PRAutoBlogger — App-Local ADR Log
+
+This folder is the per-repo decision log for the **PRAutoBlogger** plugin.
+It records architectural choices that affect this codebase alone.
+
+**Cross-cutting decisions** (spanning multiple plugins, shared infra, or
+CI/deploy standards) live centrally in
+`Peptide Repo CTO/docs/engineering/decisions/`.
+
+For the routing rule, required sections, and status lifecycle, read the
+canonical process document:
+`Peptide Repo CTO/docs/engineering/ADR-PROCESS.md`
+
+The canonical template for new ADRs is:
+`Peptide Repo CTO/docs/engineering/adr-template.md`
+
+## Numbering
+
+ADRs in this folder use a per-repo zero-padded sequence starting at `0001`.
+A new ADR always gets the next unused number; numbers are never reused.
+
+## Index
+
+| Number | Title | Status | Date |
+|--------|-------|--------|------|
+| [0001](0001-editorial-illustration-image-style.md) | Editorial illustration image style — pivot from comic to text-free illustration with caption-as-HTML | Accepted | 2026-05-29 |

includes/admin/class-admin-page.php

@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Admin_Page {
 	public function on_enqueue_assets( string $hook_suffix ): void {
 		$pages = array(
 			'toplevel_page_' . self::PAGE_SLUG,
+			'prautoblogger_page_prautoblogger-board',
 			'prautoblogger_page_prautoblogger-metrics',
 			'prautoblogger_page_prautoblogger-review-queue',
 			'prautoblogger_page_prautoblogger-ideas',
@@ -269,84 +270,14 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Admin_Page {
 	/**
 	 * Sanitize a settings field value.
 	 *
+	 * Delegates to PRAutoBlogger_Settings_Sanitizer (extracted for 300-line compliance).
+	 *
 	 * @param mixed $value The submitted value.
 	 * @return mixed Sanitized value.
+	 *
+	 * @see admin/class-settings-sanitizer.php
 	 */
 	public function sanitize_field( $value ) {
-		$option_name = '';
-		$filter      = current_filter();
-		if ( 0 === strpos( $filter, 'sanitize_option_' ) ) {
-			$option_name = substr( $filter, strlen( 'sanitize_option_' ) );
-		}
-
-		$encrypted = array( 'prautoblogger_openrouter_api_key', 'prautoblogger_ga4_credentials_json', 'prautoblogger_runware_api_key' );
-		if ( in_array( $option_name, $encrypted, true ) ) {
-			// Empty value means password field wasn't touched — keep existing.
-			if ( '' === $value ) {
-				return get_option( $option_name, '' );
-			}
-
-			// Already encrypted (has "enc:" prefix) — return as-is.
-			// This is the primary defence against double-encryption:
-			// PRAutoBlogger_Encryption::encrypt() also checks for this prefix,
-			// so even if this callback is called multiple times, the value
-			// is encrypted exactly once and never re-encrypted.
-			if ( PRAutoBlogger_Encryption::is_encrypted( $value ) ) {
-				return $value;
-			}
-
-			// New plaintext value — encrypt it (adds "enc:" prefix).
-			return PRAutoBlogger_Encryption::encrypt( sanitize_text_field( $value ) );
-		}
-
-		$json_fields = array( 'prautoblogger_target_subreddits', 'prautoblogger_topic_exclusions', 'prautoblogger_enabled_sources' );
-		if ( in_array( $option_name, $json_fields, true ) ) {
-			// PHP array from checkboxes — sanitize each item and re-encode.
-			if ( is_array( $value ) ) {
-				return wp_json_encode( array_values( array_map( 'sanitize_text_field', $value ) ) );
-			}
-
-			$trimmed = trim( (string) $value );
-
-			// Already JSON-encoded array — decode, sanitize each item, re-encode.
-			// This prevents sanitize_text_field() from mangling the JSON string,
-			// which caused json_decode() on read to return null → empty subreddits.
-			if ( '[' === substr( $trimmed, 0, 1 ) ) {
-				$decoded = json_decode( $trimmed, true );
-				if ( is_array( $decoded ) ) {
-					return wp_json_encode( array_values( array_map( 'sanitize_text_field', $decoded ) ) );
-				}
-			}
-
-			// Comma-separated plain text — split, sanitize, encode as JSON array.
-			$items = array_filter( array_map( 'trim', explode( ',', $trimmed ) ) );
-			return wp_json_encode( array_values( array_map( 'sanitize_text_field', $items ) ) );
-		}
-
-		$numeric = array( 'prautoblogger_daily_article_target', 'prautoblogger_monthly_budget_usd', 'prautoblogger_min_word_count', 'prautoblogger_max_word_count', 'prautoblogger_default_author', 'prautoblogger_default_category', 'prautoblogger_pullpush_cache_ttl', 'prautoblogger_reddit_posts_per_subreddit' );
-		if ( in_array( $option_name, $numeric, true ) ) {
-			return is_numeric( $value ) ? $value : 0;
-		}
-		if ( 'prautoblogger_image_model' === $option_name ) {
-			return $this->sanitize_image_model( (string) $value );
-		}
-		if ( 'prautoblogger_image_style_template' === $option_name ) {
-			// Multi-line template: validation + textarea-safe sanitisation
-			// (incl. the single-token check, brief A5) lives in the filler.
-			return PRAutoBlogger_Image_Template_Filler::sanitize_for_save( (string) $value );
-		}
-		return sanitize_text_field( (string) $value );
-	}
-
-	/** Validate model id against the registry and persist the derived provider. */
-	private function sanitize_image_model( string $value ): string {
-		$candidate = sanitize_text_field( $value );
-		$provider  = PRAutoBlogger_Image_Model_Registry::provider_for( $candidate );
-		if ( '' !== $provider ) {
-			update_option( 'prautoblogger_image_provider', $provider );
-			return $candidate;
-		}
-		add_settings_error( 'prautoblogger_image_model', 'prautoblogger_image_model_unknown', sprintf( esc_html__( 'Image model "%s" is not in the registry. Keeping the previous selection.', 'prautoblogger' ), esc_html( $candidate ) ) );
-		return (string) get_option( 'prautoblogger_image_model', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_IMAGE_MODEL );
+		return PRAutoBlogger_Settings_Sanitizer::sanitize_field( $value );
 	}
 }

includes/admin/class-board-data-provider.php

@@ -0,0 +1,230 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Supplies card data for the kanban board page from existing DB tables.
+ *
+ * Orchestrates the four board columns:
+ *   Generating | In Review | Published | Failed
+ *
+ * Generation-log queries (Generating, Failed) are delegated to
+ * PRAutoBlogger_Board_Gen_Log_Query. WP_Query columns (In Review, Published)
+ * are handled here.
+ *
+ * M2: cards now include `dossier_url` so board.js can deep-link to the
+ * Article Dossier instead of the old per-column destinations.
+ *
+ * No schema changes -- all data comes from tables that already exist.
+ *
+ * Triggered by: PRAutoBlogger_Board_Page::on_ajax_board_status().
+ * Dependencies: PRAutoBlogger_Board_Gen_Log_Query, PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Page,
+ *               WordPress WP_Query, get_option().
+ *
+ * @see admin/class-board-gen-log-query.php -- Raw gen_log queries (Generating/Failed).
+ * @see admin/class-board-page.php          -- Calls get_board_snapshot().
+ * @see admin/class-dossier-page.php        -- Provides url_for_post() for deep-links.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md                     -- Database schema.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Board_Data_Provider {
+
+	/** @var PRAutoBlogger_Board_Gen_Log_Query Handles raw gen_log DB queries. */
+	private PRAutoBlogger_Board_Gen_Log_Query $gen_log_query;
+
+	/**
+	 * @param PRAutoBlogger_Board_Gen_Log_Query|null $gen_log_query Optional injection for testing.
+	 */
+	public function __construct( ?PRAutoBlogger_Board_Gen_Log_Query $gen_log_query = null ) {
+		$this->gen_log_query = $gen_log_query ?? new PRAutoBlogger_Board_Gen_Log_Query();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Return the full board snapshot consumed by the AJAX poller.
+	 *
+	 * @return array{
+	 *   generating: array<int, array<string, mixed>>,
+	 *   in_review:  array<int, array<string, mixed>>,
+	 *   published:  array<int, array<string, mixed>>,
+	 *   failed:     array<int, array<string, mixed>>,
+	 *   has_active_runs: bool,
+	 * }
+	 */
+	public function get_board_snapshot(): array {
+		$generating = $this->gen_log_query->get_generating_cards();
+		$in_review  = $this->get_in_review_cards();
+		$published  = $this->get_published_cards();
+		$failed     = $this->gen_log_query->get_failed_cards();
+
+		return array(
+			'generating'      => $generating,
+			'in_review'       => $in_review,
+			'published'       => $published,
+			'failed'          => $failed,
+			'has_active_runs' => ! empty( $generating ),
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Cards for runs that are currently in-progress.
+	 *
+	 * @return array<int, array<string, mixed>>
+	 */
+	public function get_generating_cards(): array {
+		return $this->gen_log_query->get_generating_cards();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Cards for generation runs that ended in an error state.
+	 *
+	 * @return array<int, array<string, mixed>>
+	 */
+	public function get_failed_cards(): array {
+		return $this->gen_log_query->get_failed_cards();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Cards for generated draft posts awaiting human review.
+	 * M2: cards include dossier_url for deep-linking.
+	 *
+	 * @return array<int, array<string, mixed>>
+	 */
+	public function get_in_review_cards(): array {
+		$query = new WP_Query(
+			array(
+				'post_type'      => 'post',
+				'post_status'    => 'draft',
+				'posts_per_page' => max( 5, (int) get_option( 'prautoblogger_board_column_limit', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_BOARD_COLUMN_LIMIT ) ),
+				'meta_query'     => array(
+					array(
+						'key'   => '_prautoblogger_generated',
+						'value' => '1',
+					),
+				),
+				'orderby'        => 'date',
+				'order'          => 'DESC',
+			)
+		);
+
+		$cards = array();
+		foreach ( $query->posts as $post ) {
+			if ( ! ( $post instanceof WP_Post ) ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+			$run_id     = (string) get_post_meta( $post->ID, '_prautoblogger_run_id', true );
+			$cost_total = (float) get_post_meta( $post->ID, '_prautoblogger_total_cost', true );
+
+			$cards[] = array(
+				'run_id'       => $run_id,
+				'post_id'      => $post->ID,
+				'title'        => $post->post_title,
+				'cost_total'   => $cost_total,
+				'created_at'   => strtotime( $post->post_date_gmt ),
+				'click_action' => 'dossier',
+				'dossier_url'  => PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Page::url_for_post( $post->ID ),
+				'review_url'   => admin_url( 'admin.php?page=prautoblogger-review-queue' ),
+				'edit_url'     => get_edit_post_link( $post->ID, 'raw' ),
+			);
+		}
+
+		return $this->flag_human_modified( $cards );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Cards for published posts within the configured window.
+	 * M2: cards include dossier_url for deep-linking.
+	 *
+	 * @return array<int, array<string, mixed>>
+	 */
+	public function get_published_cards(): array {
+		$window_days = max( 1, (int) get_option( 'prautoblogger_board_published_window_days', 7 ) );
+		$date_after  = gmdate( 'Y-m-d H:i:s', time() - ( $window_days * DAY_IN_SECONDS ) );
+
+		$query = new WP_Query(
+			array(
+				'post_type'      => 'post',
+				'post_status'    => 'publish',
+				'posts_per_page' => max( 5, (int) get_option( 'prautoblogger_board_column_limit', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_BOARD_COLUMN_LIMIT ) ),
+				'date_query'     => array(
+					array(
+						'after'     => $date_after,
+						'inclusive' => true,
+					),
+				),
+				'meta_query'     => array(
+					array(
+						'key'   => '_prautoblogger_generated',
+						'value' => '1',
+					),
+				),
+				'orderby'        => 'date',
+				'order'          => 'DESC',
+			)
+		);
+
+		$cards = array();
+		foreach ( $query->posts as $post ) {
+			if ( ! ( $post instanceof WP_Post ) ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+			$run_id     = (string) get_post_meta( $post->ID, '_prautoblogger_run_id', true );
+			$cost_total = (float) get_post_meta( $post->ID, '_prautoblogger_total_cost', true );
+
+			$cards[] = array(
+				'run_id'       => $run_id,
+				'post_id'      => $post->ID,
+				'title'        => $post->post_title,
+				'cost_total'   => $cost_total,
+				'published_at' => strtotime( $post->post_date_gmt ),
+				'click_action' => 'dossier',
+				'dossier_url'  => PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Page::url_for_post( $post->ID ),
+				'edit_url'     => get_edit_post_link( $post->ID, 'raw' ),
+				'post_url'     => get_permalink( $post->ID ),
+			);
+		}
+
+		return $this->flag_human_modified( $cards );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Set 'human_modified' on each card in ONE batched query (v0.20.0 —
+	 * CPO product AC: human-modified runs are visually distinct at the
+	 * run-list level). No per-card queries; self-healing on a missing
+	 * table/column (flag simply stays false).
+	 *
+	 * @param array<int, array<string, mixed>> $cards Column cards.
+	 * @return array<int, array<string, mixed>> Cards with the flag set.
+	 */
+	private function flag_human_modified( array $cards ): array {
+		$run_ids = array();
+		foreach ( $cards as $i => $card ) {
+			$cards[ $i ]['human_modified'] = false;
+			if ( ! empty( $card['run_id'] ) ) {
+				$run_ids[] = (string) $card['run_id'];
+			}
+		}
+		if ( empty( $run_ids ) || ! PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::is_available() ) {
+			return $cards;
+		}
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table        = PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::table_name();
+		$placeholders = implode( ',', array_fill( 0, count( $run_ids ), '%s' ) );
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching,WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.NotPrepared -- $placeholders is a fixed %s list.
+		$flagged = $wpdb->get_col(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"SELECT DISTINCT run_id FROM {$table} WHERE human_modified = 1 AND run_id IN ({$placeholders})",
+				$run_ids
+			)
+		);
+		if ( ! is_array( $flagged ) || empty( $flagged ) ) {
+			return $cards;
+		}
+		$flagged = array_flip( array_map( 'strval', $flagged ) );
+		foreach ( $cards as $i => $card ) {
+			if ( isset( $flagged[ (string) ( $card['run_id'] ?? '' ) ] ) ) {
+				$cards[ $i ]['human_modified'] = true;
+			}
+		}
+		return $cards;
+	}
+}

includes/admin/class-board-gen-log-query.php

@@ -0,0 +1,186 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Raw generation-log queries for the kanban board.
+ *
+ * Extracted from PRAutoBlogger_Board_Data_Provider to stay under the 300-line
+ * cap. Handles the two columns that read directly from prab_generation_log:
+ *   Generating (in-progress runs) | Failed (error runs with no linked post)
+ *
+ * No schema changes — data comes from prab_generation_log which already exists.
+ *
+ * Triggered by: PRAutoBlogger_Board_Data_Provider::get_generating_cards()
+ *               PRAutoBlogger_Board_Data_Provider::get_failed_cards()
+ * Dependencies: WordPress $wpdb, get_transient().
+ *
+ * @see admin/class-board-data-provider.php — Orchestrator that calls this class.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md                     — Database schema (generation_log).
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Board_Gen_Log_Query {
+
+	/** Seconds of gen-log inactivity after which a run is no longer "generating". */
+	public const GENERATING_GRACE_SECONDS = 1800;
+
+	/** Transient key written by PRAutoBlogger_Executor for the active generation run. */
+	public const STATUS_TRANSIENT = 'prautoblogger_generation_status';
+
+	/**
+	 * Cards for runs that are currently in-progress.
+	 *
+	 * Detection strategy: check the generation status transient first (authoritative
+	 * for the active manual-run or daily-cron run), then fall back to recent gen_log
+	 * run_ids that have no associated published/draft post yet.
+	 *
+	 * @return array<int, array<string, mixed>>
+	 */
+	public function get_generating_cards(): array {
+		global $wpdb;
+
+		$cards = array();
+
+		// Primary: check if the executor transient signals an active run.
+		$status = get_transient( self::STATUS_TRANSIENT );
+		if ( is_array( $status ) && 'running' === ( $status['status'] ?? '' ) ) {
+			$cards[] = array(
+				'run_id'        => '',
+				'post_id'       => 0,
+				'title'         => $status['stage'] ?? __( 'Generating…', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'cost_total'    => 0.0,
+				'stage_current' => $status['stage'] ?? '',
+				'stage_count'   => 0,
+				'started_at'    => $status['started'] ?? 0,
+				'click_action'  => 'logs',
+				'log_url'       => admin_url( 'admin.php?page=prautoblogger-logs' ),
+			);
+		}
+
+		// Secondary: runs in gen_log that are recent and have no linked post.
+		$table = $wpdb->prefix . 'prautoblogger_generation_log';
+		$since = gmdate( 'Y-m-d H:i:s', time() - self::GENERATING_GRACE_SECONDS );
+
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
+		$raw_runs = $wpdb->get_results(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"SELECT run_id,
+					MIN(created_at) as started_at,
+					MAX(stage)      as last_stage,
+					COUNT(*)        as stage_count,
+					SUM(CASE WHEN response_status = 'success' THEN estimated_cost ELSE 0 END) as cost_total
+				FROM {$table}
+				WHERE created_at >= %s
+				  AND run_id IS NOT NULL
+				  AND post_id IS NULL
+				GROUP BY run_id
+				ORDER BY started_at DESC
+				LIMIT %d",
+				$since,
+				(int) max( 5, get_option( 'prautoblogger_board_column_limit', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_BOARD_COLUMN_LIMIT ) )
+			),
+			ARRAY_A
+		);
+
+		if ( ! is_array( $raw_runs ) ) {
+			return $cards;
+		}
+
+		foreach ( $raw_runs as $row ) {
+			$run_id = (string) $row['run_id'];
+			if ( '' === $run_id ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			// Skip if we already have a transient card (avoid duplicate).
+			if ( ! empty( $cards ) && '' === $cards[0]['run_id'] ) {
+				// Only add secondary cards if we have a real run_id.
+				// The transient card already covers the active run.
+			}
+
+			$cards[] = array(
+				'run_id'        => $run_id,
+				'post_id'       => 0,
+				'title'         => sprintf(
+					/* translators: %s: pipeline stage name */
+					__( 'Generating — %s', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					esc_html( ucfirst( (string) $row['last_stage'] ) )
+				),
+				'cost_total'    => round( (float) $row['cost_total'], 6 ),
+				'stage_current' => (string) $row['last_stage'],
+				'stage_count'   => (int) $row['stage_count'],
+				'started_at'    => strtotime( (string) $row['started_at'] ),
+				'click_action'  => 'logs',
+				'log_url'       => admin_url( 'admin.php?page=prautoblogger-logs' ),
+			);
+		}
+
+		return $cards;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Cards for generation runs that ended in an error state.
+	 *
+	 * Looks for recent gen_log rows with response_status='error' that have
+	 * no corresponding published post — these are pipeline failures.
+	 *
+	 * @return array<int, array<string, mixed>>
+	 */
+	public function get_failed_cards(): array {
+		global $wpdb;
+
+		$table = $wpdb->prefix . 'prautoblogger_generation_log';
+		$since = gmdate( 'Y-m-d H:i:s', time() - ( 7 * DAY_IN_SECONDS ) );
+
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
+		$raw = $wpdb->get_results(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"SELECT run_id,
+					MIN(created_at) as started_at,
+					MAX(error_message) as last_error,
+					MAX(stage)         as last_stage,
+					COUNT(*)           as call_count
+				FROM {$table}
+				WHERE created_at >= %s
+				  AND response_status = 'error'
+				  AND run_id IS NOT NULL
+				  AND post_id IS NULL
+				GROUP BY run_id
+				ORDER BY started_at DESC
+				LIMIT %d",
+				$since,
+				(int) max( 5, get_option( 'prautoblogger_board_column_limit', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_BOARD_COLUMN_LIMIT ) )
+			),
+			ARRAY_A
+		);
+
+		if ( ! is_array( $raw ) ) {
+			return array();
+		}
+
+		$cards = array();
+		foreach ( $raw as $row ) {
+			$run_id = (string) $row['run_id'];
+			if ( '' === $run_id ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+			$cards[] = array(
+				'run_id'        => $run_id,
+				'post_id'       => 0,
+				'title'         => sprintf(
+					/* translators: %s: pipeline stage name */
+					__( 'Failed — %s', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					esc_html( ucfirst( (string) $row['last_stage'] ) )
+				),
+				'error_message' => (string) $row['last_error'],
+				'started_at'    => strtotime( (string) $row['started_at'] ),
+				'click_action'  => 'logs',
+				'log_url'       => admin_url( 'admin.php?page=prautoblogger-logs' ),
+			);
+		}
+
+		return $cards;
+	}
+}

includes/admin/class-board-page.php

@@ -0,0 +1,195 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Registers and renders the kanban board -- the primary landing screen for PRAutoBlogger.
+ *
+ * Board columns: Generating | In Review | Published | Failed.
+ * Cards live-update via AJAX polling at a settings-backed interval (default 5s),
+ * backing off to 2x when no active generating run is detected.
+ *
+ * Card click-throughs (M1):
+ *   - Generating -> Activity Log filtered to run context
+ *   - In Review  -> Review Queue
+ *   - Published  -> Post edit screen
+ *   - Failed     -> Activity Log
+ *
+ * M2 will rewire all click-throughs to the Article Dossier page.
+ *
+ * Triggered by: PRAutoBlogger::register_admin_hooks() on `admin_menu`.
+ * Dependencies: PRAutoBlogger_Board_Data_Provider, wp_localize_script.
+ *
+ * @see admin/class-board-data-provider.php -- Supplies card data.
+ * @see templates/admin/board-page.php      -- HTML template.
+ * @see assets/js/board.js                  -- Polling + DOM updates.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md                     -- Section: Board (kanban dashboard).
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Board_Page {
+
+	private const PAGE_SLUG = 'prautoblogger-board';
+
+	/** AJAX action name for board polling. */
+	public const AJAX_ACTION = 'prautoblogger_board_status';
+
+	/** Nonce action string for board AJAX. */
+	public const NONCE_ACTION = 'prautoblogger_board';
+
+	/**
+	 * Register the Board as the PRIMARY (first) submenu item, overriding the
+	 * implicit Settings landing page. The trick is: WordPress auto-generates a
+	 * submenu duplicate of the top-level page; we name it "Board" so the
+	 * first click goes to the board, not the raw settings page.
+	 *
+	 * Registration order note: this method is hooked at admin_menu priority 11
+	 * so that PRAutoBlogger_Admin_Page::on_register_menu() (priority 10) has
+	 * already called add_menu_page(). This ensures WordPress has populated
+	 * $admin_page_hooks['prautoblogger-settings'] before add_submenu_page()
+	 * runs here, so get_plugin_page_hookname() resolves to the correct
+	 * 'prautoblogger_page_prautoblogger-board' suffix rather than the fallback
+	 * 'admin_page_prautoblogger-board'. See ARCHITECTURE.md Section: Board.
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public function on_register_menu(): void {
+		// Override the auto-created "PRAutoBlogger" submenu entry with "Board".
+		add_submenu_page(
+			'prautoblogger-settings',
+			__( 'PRAutoBlogger Board', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			__( 'Board', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			'manage_options',
+			self::PAGE_SLUG,
+			array( $this, 'render_page' )
+		);
+
+		// Reorder submenu so Board is the FIRST entry (primary click target).
+		// WordPress auto-appended a duplicate of the top-level page as submenu
+		// index 0; our Board was appended at index 1. We swap them so the
+		// top-level PRAutoBlogger click lands on the Board page, not Settings.
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.WP.GlobalVariablesOverride.Prohibited -- intentional submenu reorder.
+		global $submenu;
+		if ( isset( $submenu['prautoblogger-settings'] ) ) {
+			$items = $submenu['prautoblogger-settings'];
+			// Find the Board entry and move it to position 0.
+			$board_idx = null;
+			foreach ( $items as $i => $item ) {
+				if ( isset( $item[2] ) && self::PAGE_SLUG === $item[2] ) {
+					$board_idx = $i;
+					break;
+				}
+			}
+			if ( null !== $board_idx && $board_idx > 0 ) {
+				$board_item = $items[ $board_idx ];
+				unset( $items[ $board_idx ] );
+				// Prepend board item at position 0 while preserving remaining order.
+				$submenu['prautoblogger-settings'] = array_merge( array( $board_item ), array_values( $items ) );
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Render the board page.
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public function render_page(): void {
+		if ( ! current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) {
+			return;
+		}
+		include PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_DIR . 'templates/admin/board-page.php';
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Enqueue board-specific JS + CSS and localize the poller config.
+	 *
+	 * Called via `admin_enqueue_scripts` action, gated to this page's hook suffix.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $hook_suffix Current admin page hook suffix.
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public function on_enqueue_assets( string $hook_suffix ): void {
+		$board_hook = 'prautoblogger_page_' . self::PAGE_SLUG;
+		if ( $hook_suffix !== $board_hook ) {
+			return;
+		}
+
+		wp_enqueue_style(
+			'prautoblogger-board',
+			PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_URL . 'assets/css/board.css',
+			array( 'prautoblogger-admin' ),
+			PRAUTOBLOGGER_VERSION
+		);
+
+		wp_enqueue_script(
+			'prautoblogger-board',
+			PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_URL . 'assets/js/board.js',
+			array( 'jquery' ),
+			PRAUTOBLOGGER_VERSION,
+			true
+		);
+		wp_enqueue_script(
+			'prautoblogger-board-generate',
+			PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_URL . 'assets/js/board-generate.js',
+			array( 'jquery', 'prautoblogger-board' ),
+			PRAUTOBLOGGER_VERSION,
+			true
+		);
+
+		$poll_interval   = max( 3, (int) get_option( 'prautoblogger_board_poll_interval', 5 ) );
+		$published_days  = max( 1, (int) get_option( 'prautoblogger_board_published_window_days', 7 ) );
+
+		wp_localize_script(
+			'prautoblogger-board',
+			'prabBoard',
+			array(
+				'ajaxUrl'           => admin_url( 'admin-ajax.php' ),
+				'nonce'             => wp_create_nonce( self::NONCE_ACTION ),
+				'generateNonce'     => wp_create_nonce( 'prautoblogger_generate_now' ),
+				'pollInterval'      => $poll_interval * 1000,
+				'publishedWindowDays' => $published_days,
+				'action'            => self::AJAX_ACTION,
+				'strings'           => array(
+					'generating'   => __( 'Generating', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'inReview'     => __( 'In Review', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'published'    => __( 'Published', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'failed'       => __( 'Failed', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'empty'        => __( 'Nothing here yet.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'cost'         => __( 'Cost', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'view'         => __( 'View', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'edit'         => __( 'Edit', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'viewLog'      => __( 'View Log', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'pollError'    => __( 'Board update failed -- retrying.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'humanModified'  => __( 'Human-modified', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'newArticle'     => __( 'New Article', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'generatingBtn'  => __( 'Generating...', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'genStarted'     => __( 'Generation started. Board will update automatically.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'genError'       => __( 'Generation failed to start. Check the Activity Log.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				),
+			)
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * AJAX handler: return the current board snapshot (all four columns).
+	 *
+	 * Nonce: `prautoblogger_board`. Requires `manage_options` capability.
+	 *
+	 * Side effects: DB reads only -- no writes.
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public function on_ajax_board_status(): void {
+		check_ajax_referer( self::NONCE_ACTION, 'nonce' );
+
+		if ( ! current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) {
+			wp_send_json_error( array( 'message' => __( 'Insufficient permissions.', 'prautoblogger' ) ), 403 );
+			return;
+		}
+
+		$provider = new PRAutoBlogger_Board_Data_Provider();
+		$snapshot = $provider->get_board_snapshot();
+
+		wp_send_json_success( $snapshot );
+	}
+}

includes/admin/class-dossier-actions.php

@@ -0,0 +1,299 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * AJAX endpoints for the dossier's edit + re-run actions (v0.20.0, M3).
+ *
+ * What: Four manage_options + nonce gated endpoints. The mutation
+ *       endpoints follow the chained-cron contract strictly: save_input
+ *       only INSERTs an immutable fork version; the two rerun endpoints
+ *       only validate + queue (Rerun_Job_Support::queue) — execution and
+ *       ALL run/stage state mutations happen in the cron handler after
+ *       re-validation under the generation lock. Run identity (run_id /
+ *       item_key) is always derived server-side from the post's meta —
+ *       never trusted from the client; the client only names the stage
+ *       row it acted on, which is validated against an existing row.
+ *       stage_status is the read-only poll the dossier JS uses to show
+ *       queued -> pickup -> result.
+ * Who triggers it: assets/js/dossier-edit.js via admin-ajax.php;
+ *       registered in class-prautoblogger.php.
+ * Dependencies: Rerun_Eligibility, Stage_Input_Store, Stage_Replay
+ *       (decode), Rerun_Job_Support/Executor, Run_Stage_State.
+ *
+ * @see assets/js/dossier-edit.js     — The frontend caller.
+ * @see core/class-rerun-executor.php — The cron handlers jobs land in.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md #24           — Edit + re-run design.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Actions {
+
+	/** Nonce action shared by all four endpoints. */
+	public const NONCE_ACTION = 'prautoblogger_dossier_actions';
+
+	/**
+	 * AJAX: save an edited stage input as a new immutable fork version.
+	 *
+	 * The fork body is the stage's base request (latest fork, else the
+	 * recorded request_json) with ONLY the message contents substituted —
+	 * roles, message count, model and call options are not editable, so
+	 * a fork is always a well-formed replayable chat body. Prompt text
+	 * is stored raw (it is LLM input, never rendered unescaped).
+	 *
+	 * Side effects: one stage_inputs INSERT.
+	 *
+	 * @return void Sends JSON.
+	 */
+	public function on_save_input(): void {
+		$request = $this->authorize_and_resolve();
+
+		$check = PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Eligibility::check( $request['run_id'], $request['post_id'] );
+		if ( ! PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Eligibility::is_editable_stage( $request['stage'] ) || ! $check['ok'] ) {
+			$reason = $check['ok'] ? __( 'This stage cannot be replayed with an edited input.', 'prautoblogger' ) : $check['reason'];
+			wp_send_json_error( array( 'message' => $reason ), 400 );
+			return;
+		}
+
+		$base_body = $this->resolve_base_body( $request );
+		if ( null === $base_body ) {
+			wp_send_json_error( array( 'message' => __( 'No persisted input exists for this stage.', 'prautoblogger' ) ), 400 );
+			return;
+		}
+
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.Security.ValidatedSanitizedInput.InputNotSanitized -- raw prompt text for the LLM; structure-validated below, stored raw, escaped at render.
+		$raw      = isset( $_POST['messages'] ) ? wp_unslash( (string) $_POST['messages'] ) : '';
+		$messages = json_decode( $raw, true );
+		$merged   = $this->merge_messages( $base_body, is_array( $messages ) ? $messages : null );
+		if ( null === $merged ) {
+			wp_send_json_error( array( 'message' => __( 'Edited messages must match the original structure (same count and roles, non-empty contents).', 'prautoblogger' ) ), 400 );
+			return;
+		}
+
+		$user    = wp_get_current_user();
+		$version = PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Input_Store::save_fork(
+			$request['run_id'],
+			$request['stage'],
+			$request['agent_role'],
+			$request['item_key'],
+			(string) wp_json_encode( $merged ),
+			(string) $user->user_login
+		);
+		if ( null === $version ) {
+			wp_send_json_error( array( 'message' => __( 'The edited input could not be saved.', 'prautoblogger' ) ), 500 );
+			return;
+		}
+
+		wp_send_json_success(
+			array(
+				'version' => $version,
+				'message' => sprintf(
+					/* translators: %d: fork version number. */
+					__( 'Saved as version %d. The original input is preserved unchanged; re-running this stage will use your edited version and mark all downstream stages stale.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					$version
+				),
+			)
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * AJAX: queue a single-stage replay of the latest edited fork.
+	 *
+	 * Validates, then ONLY schedules — chained-cron semantics. The UI
+	 * copy never implies synchronous execution.
+	 *
+	 * @return void Sends JSON.
+	 */
+	public function on_rerun_stage(): void {
+		$request = $this->authorize_and_resolve();
+
+		$check = PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Eligibility::check_replay(
+			$request['run_id'],
+			$request['post_id'],
+			$request['stage'],
+			$request['agent_role'],
+			$request['item_key']
+		);
+		if ( ! $check['ok'] ) {
+			wp_send_json_error( array( 'message' => $check['reason'] ), 400 );
+			return;
+		}
+
+		PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::queue(
+			PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Executor::REPLAY_ACTION,
+			array( $request['run_id'], $request['post_id'], $request['stage'], $request['agent_role'], $request['item_key'] ),
+			sprintf(
+				/* translators: %s: stage display label. */
+				__( 'Queued: re-running %s with the edited input…', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map::label( $request['stage'] )
+			)
+		);
+
+		wp_send_json_success(
+			array(
+				'queued'  => true,
+				'message' => __( 'Re-run queued. The pipeline will pick it up shortly — progress appears here and on the board.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			)
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * AJAX: queue re-run-from-here (rebuild this stage + downstream).
+	 *
+	 * @return void Sends JSON.
+	 */
+	public function on_rerun_from(): void {
+		$request = $this->authorize_and_resolve();
+
+		$check = PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Eligibility::check_rebuild(
+			$request['run_id'],
+			$request['post_id'],
+			$request['stage'],
+			$request['item_key']
+		);
+		if ( ! $check['ok'] ) {
+			wp_send_json_error( array( 'message' => $check['reason'] ), 400 );
+			return;
+		}
+
+		PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::queue(
+			PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Executor::REBUILD_ACTION,
+			array( $request['run_id'], $request['post_id'], $request['stage'], $request['item_key'] ),
+			sprintf(
+				/* translators: %s: stage display label. */
+				__( 'Queued: re-running the pipeline from %s…', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map::label( $request['stage'] )
+			)
+		);
+
+		wp_send_json_success(
+			array(
+				'queued'  => true,
+				'message' => __( 'Re-run from here queued. Stages will rebuild in sequence — progress appears here and on the board.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			)
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * AJAX: read-only stage-status poll for the dossier.
+	 *
+	 * @return void Sends JSON: run status, per-stage state, live message.
+	 */
+	public function on_stage_status(): void {
+		$request = $this->authorize_and_resolve( false );
+
+		$stages = array();
+		foreach ( PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::stages_for_item( $request['run_id'], $request['item_key'] ) as $row ) {
+			$stages[] = array(
+				'stage'          => (string) ( $row['stage'] ?? '' ),
+				'agent_role'     => (string) ( $row['agent_role'] ?? '' ),
+				'status'         => (string) ( $row['status'] ?? '' ),
+				'stale'          => ! empty( $row['stale'] ),
+				'human_modified' => ! empty( $row['human_modified'] ),
+				'attempt'        => (int) ( $row['attempt'] ?? 1 ),
+				'finished_at'    => (string) ( $row['finished_at'] ?? '' ),
+			);
+		}
+
+		$live = get_transient( PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Status_Poller::STATUS_TRANSIENT );
+
+		wp_send_json_success(
+			array(
+				'run_status' => (string) ( PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::get_status( $request['run_id'] ) ?? '' ),
+				'stages'     => $stages,
+				'live'       => is_array( $live ) ? $live : null,
+			)
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Shared gate: nonce + capability, then derive run identity from the
+	 * POSTed post_id server-side. Sends a JSON error (and exits) on any
+	 * failure.
+	 *
+	 * @param bool $require_stage Whether the request must name a stage row.
+	 * @return array{post_id: int, run_id: string, item_key: string, stage: string, agent_role: string}
+	 */
+	private function authorize_and_resolve( bool $require_stage = true ): array {
+		check_ajax_referer( self::NONCE_ACTION, 'nonce' );
+		if ( ! current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) {
+			wp_send_json_error( array( 'message' => __( 'Insufficient permissions.', 'prautoblogger' ) ), 403 );
+		}
+
+		$post_id = isset( $_POST['post_id'] ) ? absint( $_POST['post_id'] ) : 0;
+		$run_id  = $post_id > 0 ? (string) get_post_meta( $post_id, '_prautoblogger_run_id', true ) : '';
+		if ( 0 === $post_id || '' === $run_id ) {
+			wp_send_json_error( array( 'message' => __( 'No generation run is recorded for this article.', 'prautoblogger' ) ), 400 );
+		}
+		$idea_hash = (string) get_post_meta( $post_id, '_prautoblogger_idea_hash', true );
+		$item_key  = '' !== $idea_hash ? 'idea:' . $idea_hash : '';
+
+		$stage      = isset( $_POST['stage'] ) ? sanitize_key( (string) wp_unslash( $_POST['stage'] ) ) : '';
+		$agent_role = isset( $_POST['agent_role'] ) ? sanitize_key( (string) wp_unslash( $_POST['agent_role'] ) ) : '';
+		if ( $require_stage && '' === $stage ) {
+			wp_send_json_error( array( 'message' => __( 'No stage specified.', 'prautoblogger' ) ), 400 );
+		}
+
+		return array(
+			'post_id'    => $post_id,
+			'run_id'     => $run_id,
+			'item_key'   => $item_key,
+			'stage'      => $stage,
+			'agent_role' => $agent_role,
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * The base body an edit forks from: latest saved fork, else the
+	 * stage's recorded request_json.
+	 *
+	 * @param array<string, mixed> $request Resolved request context.
+	 * @return array<string, mixed>|null Decoded body, or null when absent.
+	 */
+	private function resolve_base_body( array $request ): ?array {
+		$fork = PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Input_Store::latest_fork( $request['run_id'], $request['stage'], $request['agent_role'], $request['item_key'] );
+		if ( null !== $fork && ! empty( $fork['request_json'] ) ) {
+			return PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Replay::decode_body( (string) $fork['request_json'] );
+		}
+		$log_rows = ( new PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Gen_Log_Query() )->get_by_run( $request['run_id'] );
+		$rows     = $log_rows[ $request['stage'] ] ?? array();
+		foreach ( array_reverse( $rows ) as $row ) {
+			if ( ! empty( $row['request_json'] ) ) {
+				$body = PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Replay::decode_body( (string) $row['request_json'] );
+				if ( null !== $body ) {
+					return $body;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		return null;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Substitute edited message contents into the base body. Structure
+	 * is locked: same message count, same roles, all contents non-empty
+	 * strings — so every fork stays a replayable chat body.
+	 *
+	 * @param array<string, mixed>     $base     Decoded base body.
+	 * @param array<int, mixed>|null   $messages Edited messages payload.
+	 * @return array<string, mixed>|null Merged body, or null when invalid.
+	 */
+	private function merge_messages( array $base, ?array $messages ): ?array {
+		if ( null === $messages || count( $messages ) !== count( $base['messages'] ) ) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		$merged = $base;
+		foreach ( array_values( $messages ) as $i => $message ) {
+			if ( ! is_array( $message ) || ! isset( $message['role'], $message['content'] )
+				|| ! is_string( $message['role'] ) || ! is_string( $message['content'] ) ) {
+				return null;
+			}
+			if ( ( $base['messages'][ $i ]['role'] ?? null ) !== $message['role'] ) {
+				return null;
+			}
+			if ( '' === trim( $message['content'] ) ) {
+				return null;
+			}
+			$merged['messages'][ $i ]['content'] = $message['content'];
+		}
+		return $merged;
+	}
+}

includes/admin/class-dossier-data-assembler.php

@@ -0,0 +1,275 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Assembles the view model for the Article Dossier page.
+ *
+ * Orchestrates 5 queries (all indexed by run_id or post_id):
+ *   1. wp_prautoblogger_runs         -- run ledger row
+ *   2. wp_prautoblogger_run_stages   -- all stage rows for the run
+ *   3. wp_prautoblogger_generation_log -- per-stage cost + raw trace
+ *   4. wp_prautoblogger_run_decisions  -- rationale per stage
+ *   5. post meta (WP object cache)     -- run_id + verdict + keywords
+ *
+ * Legacy posts (no run row) return ['has_run' => false] -- never notices.
+ * Amortized research rows (pv=null, role='') render gracefully.
+ *
+ * v0.20.0 (M3): stage rows are filtered to THIS post's item (item_key
+ * from the idea-hash meta; multi-article runs no longer collide) and
+ * gen_log rows exclude entries linked to OTHER posts; per-stage edit/
+ * re-run affordance data + run spend ride the view model
+ * (Dossier_Rerun_Panel_Data); log-only stages (image_a/image_b/
+ * llm_research/... -- generation_log rows with no run_stages row) and
+ * the post's pipeline attachments are exposed so the image sections
+ * render from their REAL data sources (QA M2 F3).
+ *
+ * Triggered by: PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Page::render_page().
+ * Dependencies: PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Gen_Log_Query, PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map,
+ *               PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State.
+ *
+ * @see admin/class-dossier-gen-log-query.php -- Raw generation_log queries.
+ * @see core/class-run-stage-state.php        -- Stage I/O access.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md                        -- Substrate schema.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Data_Assembler {
+
+	/** @var PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Gen_Log_Query */
+	private PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Gen_Log_Query $log_query;
+
+	/**
+	 * @param PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Gen_Log_Query|null $log_query Injectable for tests.
+	 */
+	public function __construct( ?PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Gen_Log_Query $log_query = null ) {
+		$this->log_query = $log_query ?? new PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Gen_Log_Query();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Assemble the full dossier view model for a post.
+	 *
+	 * @param int $post_id WordPress post ID (0 = bogus/not found).
+	 * @return array<string, mixed> View model consumed by dossier-page.php.
+	 */
+	public function assemble( int $post_id ): array {
+		$base = array(
+			'post_id'       => $post_id,
+			'has_run'       => false,
+			'post_title'    => '',
+			'post_status'   => '',
+			'verdict'       => '',
+			'tier'          => '',
+			'run_id'        => '',
+			'run'           => null,
+			'stages'        => array(),
+			'decisions'     => array(),
+			'gen_log_index' => array(),
+			'item_key'      => '',
+			'eligibility'   => array(
+				'ok'     => false,
+				'reason' => '',
+			),
+			'spend'              => PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Rerun_Panel_Data::spend( null ),
+			'human_modified_any' => false,
+			'stale_any'          => false,
+			'log_only_stages'    => array(),
+			'images'             => array(),
+		);
+
+		if ( $post_id <= 0 ) {
+			return $base;
+		}
+
+		$post = get_post( $post_id );
+		if ( ! ( $post instanceof WP_Post ) ) {
+			return $base;
+		}
+
+		$base['post_title']  = $post->post_title;
+		$base['post_status'] = $post->post_status;
+		$base['verdict']     = (string) get_post_meta( $post_id, '_prautoblogger_editor_verdict', true );
+		$base['tier']        = (string) get_post_meta( $post_id, '_prautoblogger_article_type', true );
+
+		$run_id = (string) get_post_meta( $post_id, '_prautoblogger_run_id', true );
+		if ( '' === $run_id ) {
+			return $base;
+		}
+		$base['run_id'] = $run_id;
+
+		$run = $this->get_run_row( $run_id );
+		if ( null === $run ) {
+			return $base;
+		}
+
+		$idea_hash         = (string) get_post_meta( $post_id, '_prautoblogger_idea_hash', true );
+		$item_key          = '' !== $idea_hash ? 'idea:' . $idea_hash : '';
+		$base['item_key']  = $item_key;
+
+		$base['has_run']       = true;
+		$base['run']           = $run;
+		$base['stages']        = $this->get_stage_rows( $run_id, $item_key );
+		$base['decisions']     = $this->get_decision_rows( $run_id );
+		$base['gen_log_index'] = $this->filter_log_for_post( $this->log_query->get_by_run( $run_id ), $post_id );
+		$base['eligibility']   = PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Eligibility::check( $run_id, $post_id );
+		$base['spend']         = PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Rerun_Panel_Data::spend( $run );
+
+		foreach ( $base['stages'] as $role_key => $stage_row ) {
+			$stage_name = (string) ( $stage_row['stage'] ?? '' );
+			$rerun      = PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Rerun_Panel_Data::for_stage(
+				$stage_row,
+				$base['gen_log_index'][ $stage_name ] ?? array(),
+				$run_id,
+				$base['eligibility']
+			);
+			$base['stages'][ $role_key ]['rerun'] = $rerun;
+			$base['human_modified_any']           = $base['human_modified_any'] || $rerun['human_modified'];
+			$base['stale_any']                    = $base['stale_any'] || $rerun['stale'];
+		}
+
+		// QA M2 F3: stages that exist only in generation_log (image_a/
+		// image_b, llm_research, image_prompt_rewrite, ...) render from
+		// their real source instead of silently disappearing.
+		$run_stage_names         = array();
+		foreach ( $base['stages'] as $stage_row ) {
+			$run_stage_names[ (string) ( $stage_row['stage'] ?? '' ) ] = true;
+		}
+		$base['log_only_stages'] = array_values( array_diff( array_keys( $base['gen_log_index'] ), array_keys( $run_stage_names ) ) );
+		$base['images']          = PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Image_Data::for_post( $post_id );
+
+		return $base;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Fetch the run ledger row.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id Pipeline run UUID.
+	 * @return array<string, mixed>|null
+	 */
+	private function get_run_row( string $run_id ): ?array {
+		global $wpdb;
+		if ( null === $wpdb ) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		$table = $wpdb->prefix . 'prautoblogger_runs';
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching
+		$row = $wpdb->get_row(
+			$wpdb->prepare( "SELECT * FROM {$table} WHERE run_id = %s", $run_id ),
+			ARRAY_A
+		);
+		return is_array( $row ) ? $row : null;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Fetch run_stages rows for a run, indexed by stage name — scoped to
+	 * one item (+ run-level rows) when an item key is known.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id   Pipeline run UUID.
+	 * @param string $item_key Item key ('' = no scoping, M2 behavior).
+	 * @return array<string, array<string, mixed>> Stage rows keyed by stage name.
+	 */
+	private function get_stage_rows( string $run_id, string $item_key = '' ): array {
+		if ( ! PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::is_available() ) {
+			return array();
+		}
+		global $wpdb;
+		if ( null === $wpdb ) {
+			return array();
+		}
+		$table = PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::table_name();
+		// v0.20.0: scope to THIS post's item + run-level rows. When the
+		// idea-hash meta is absent (pre-v0.18 posts) fall back to the
+		// unfiltered M2 behavior (single-item runs are unaffected).
+		if ( '' !== $item_key ) {
+			// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching
+			$rows = $wpdb->get_results(
+				$wpdb->prepare( "SELECT * FROM {$table} WHERE run_id = %s AND item_key IN (%s, '') ORDER BY id ASC", $run_id, $item_key ),
+				ARRAY_A
+			);
+		} else {
+			// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching
+			$rows = $wpdb->get_results(
+				$wpdb->prepare( "SELECT * FROM {$table} WHERE run_id = %s ORDER BY id ASC", $run_id ),
+				ARRAY_A
+			);
+		}
+
+		$index = array();
+		foreach ( ( $rows ?? array() ) as $row ) {
+			if ( ! is_array( $row ) ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+			$stage    = (string) ( $row['stage'] ?? '' );
+			$role_key = $stage . ':' . ( $row['agent_role'] ?? '' );
+			$row['display_output'] = $this->extract_output( $row );
+			$index[ $role_key ]    = $row;
+		}
+		return $index;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Drop gen_log rows linked to OTHER posts (multi-article runs share
+	 * one run_id). Rows with no post linkage (NULL/0 — run-level work
+	 * and pre-link entries) are kept.
+	 *
+	 * @param array<string, array<int, array<string, mixed>>> $log_index Rows keyed by stage.
+	 * @param int                                             $post_id   This dossier's post.
+	 * @return array<string, array<int, array<string, mixed>>>
+	 */
+	private function filter_log_for_post( array $log_index, int $post_id ): array {
+		$filtered = array();
+		foreach ( $log_index as $stage => $rows ) {
+			foreach ( $rows as $row ) {
+				$row_post = (int) ( $row['post_id'] ?? 0 );
+				if ( 0 !== $row_post && $row_post !== $post_id ) {
+					continue;
+				}
+				$filtered[ $stage ][] = $row;
+			}
+		}
+		return $filtered;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Extract the text output from a run_stages meta_json blob.
+	 * Returns null when meta_json is NULL (pruned) or absent.
+	 *
+	 * @param array<string, mixed> $row Stage row.
+	 * @return string|null
+	 */
+	private function extract_output( array $row ): ?string {
+		if ( empty( $row['meta_json'] ) ) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		$meta = json_decode( (string) $row['meta_json'], true );
+		return ( is_array( $meta ) && isset( $meta['output'] ) ) ? (string) $meta['output'] : null;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Fetch all run_decisions rows, indexed by stage name.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id Pipeline run UUID.
+	 * @return array<string, array<string, mixed>> Decision rows keyed by stage.
+	 */
+	private function get_decision_rows( string $run_id ): array {
+		global $wpdb;
+		if ( null === $wpdb ) {
+			return array();
+		}
+		$table = $wpdb->prefix . 'prautoblogger_run_decisions';
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching
+		$rows = $wpdb->get_results(
+			$wpdb->prepare( "SELECT * FROM {$table} WHERE run_id = %s ORDER BY id ASC", $run_id ),
+			ARRAY_A
+		);
+
+		$index = array();
+		foreach ( ( $rows ?? array() ) as $row ) {
+			if ( ! is_array( $row ) ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+			$stage          = (string) ( $row['stage'] ?? 'unknown' );
+			$index[ $stage ] = $row;
+		}
+		return $index;
+	}
+}

includes/admin/class-dossier-gen-log-query.php

@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Raw generation_log queries for the Article Dossier (M2).
+ *
+ * Returns per-stage generation log data indexed by stage name: model,
+ * prompt_version, agent_role, token counts, estimated cost, request_json
+ * (raw trace), and response_status. Amortized research rows (pv=null,
+ * role='') are included and rendered gracefully by the template.
+ *
+ * Triggered by: PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Data_Assembler::assemble().
+ * Dependencies: WordPress $wpdb.
+ *
+ * @see admin/class-dossier-data-assembler.php -- Calls get_by_run().
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md                         -- generation_log schema.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Gen_Log_Query {
+
+	/**
+	 * Fetch all generation_log rows for a run, indexed by stage.
+	 *
+	 * Multiple rows per stage (e.g. multi-step draft) are accumulated as an
+	 * array so the template can render multiple raw-trace entries per section.
+	 *
+	 * SECURITY: request_json is stored without API keys (never logged per
+	 * architecture). The template must escape this via esc_html() before render.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id Pipeline run UUID.
+	 * @return array<string, array<int, array<string, mixed>>> Rows keyed by stage.
+	 */
+	public function get_by_run( string $run_id ): array {
+		global $wpdb;
+		if ( null === $wpdb || '' === $run_id ) {
+			return array();
+		}
+
+		$table = $wpdb->prefix . 'prautoblogger_generation_log';
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching
+		$rows = $wpdb->get_results(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"SELECT id, stage, model, agent_role, prompt_version,
+				        prompt_tokens, completion_tokens, estimated_cost,
+				        request_json, response_status, error_message, created_at
+				 FROM {$table}
+				 WHERE run_id = %s
+				 ORDER BY id ASC",
+				$run_id
+			),
+			ARRAY_A
+		);
+
+		$index = array();
+		foreach ( ( $rows ?? array() ) as $row ) {
+			if ( ! is_array( $row ) ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+			$stage = (string) ( $row['stage'] ?? 'unknown' );
+			if ( ! isset( $index[ $stage ] ) ) {
+				$index[ $stage ] = array();
+			}
+			$index[ $stage ][] = $row;
+		}
+		return $index;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Aggregate cost + token totals per stage for the sidebar receipt.
+	 *
+	 * @param array<string, array<int, array<string, mixed>>> $log_index Output of get_by_run().
+	 * @return array<string, array{cost: float, prompt_tokens: int, completion_tokens: int, calls: int}>
+	 */
+	public function aggregate_per_stage( array $log_index ): array {
+		$totals = array();
+		foreach ( $log_index as $stage => $rows ) {
+			$cost              = 0.0;
+			$prompt_tokens     = 0;
+			$completion_tokens = 0;
+			foreach ( $rows as $row ) {
+				$cost              += (float) ( $row['estimated_cost'] ?? 0 );
+				$prompt_tokens     += (int) ( $row['prompt_tokens'] ?? 0 );
+				$completion_tokens += (int) ( $row['completion_tokens'] ?? 0 );
+			}
+			$totals[ $stage ] = array(
+				'cost'              => $cost,
+				'prompt_tokens'     => $prompt_tokens,
+				'completion_tokens' => $completion_tokens,
+				'calls'             => count( $rows ),
+			);
+		}
+		return $totals;
+	}
+}

includes/admin/class-dossier-image-data.php

@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Resolves a post's pipeline image attachments for the dossier (M3/F3).
+ *
+ * What: The image sections' REAL data source — the attachments the
+ *       image pipeline produced (featured + composed og/square variants,
+ *       discovered via the `_prautoblogger_image_role` attachment meta
+ *       and the post thumbnail), paired in the template with the
+ *       image_a/image_b generation_log rows. Replaces the M2 sections
+ *       that keyed off run_stages rows the image pipeline never writes
+ *       (QA M2 F3 — wiring the dossier to real data was the smaller,
+ *       safer change vs. teaching the live image pipeline to write
+ *       run_stages; the pipeline restructure is Phase 2b).
+ * Who triggers it: PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Data_Assembler::assemble().
+ * Dependencies: get_children(), attachment meta, wp_get_attachment_image_url().
+ *
+ * @see admin/class-dossier-data-assembler.php   — Caller.
+ * @see templates/admin/dossier-log-stage-section.php — Renders the pairs.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md #24                      — M3 design (F3 note).
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Image_Data {
+
+	/**
+	 * The post's pipeline attachments (featured/og/square) via the
+	 * `_prautoblogger_image_role` attachment meta — the image sections'
+	 * real data source (QA M2 F3).
+	 *
+	 * @param int $post_id Post ID.
+	 * @return array<int, array{id: int, role: string, url: string, is_featured: bool}>
+	 */
+	public static function for_post( int $post_id ): array {
+		$featured_id = (int) get_post_thumbnail_id( $post_id );
+		$children    = get_children(
+			array(
+				'post_parent' => $post_id,
+				'post_type'   => 'attachment',
+				'numberposts' => 12,
+			)
+		);
+
+		$images = array();
+		$seen   = array();
+		foreach ( (array) $children as $attachment ) {
+			$att_id = (int) ( $attachment->ID ?? 0 );
+			if ( $att_id <= 0 ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+			$role = (string) get_post_meta( $att_id, '_prautoblogger_image_role', true );
+			if ( '' === $role && $att_id !== $featured_id ) {
+				continue; // Not a pipeline attachment.
+			}
+			$url = (string) wp_get_attachment_image_url( $att_id, 'medium' );
+			if ( '' === $url ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+			$seen[ $att_id ] = true;
+			$images[]        = array(
+				'id'          => $att_id,
+				'role'        => '' !== $role ? $role : 'featured',
+				'url'         => $url,
+				'is_featured' => $att_id === $featured_id,
+			);
+		}
+		// Featured image attached elsewhere (not a child) still renders.
+		if ( $featured_id > 0 && ! isset( $seen[ $featured_id ] ) ) {
+			$url = (string) wp_get_attachment_image_url( $featured_id, 'medium' );
+			if ( '' !== $url ) {
+				$images[] = array(
+					'id'          => $featured_id,
+					'role'        => 'featured',
+					'url'         => $url,
+					'is_featured' => true,
+				);
+			}
+		}
+		return $images;
+	}
+}

includes/admin/class-dossier-page.php

@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Registers and renders the Article Dossier admin page (M2).
+ *
+ * The dossier is link-accessed -- it is NOT a visible submenu item. It uses
+ * the canonical hidden-admin-page pattern: register under parent 'options.php'
+ * so WordPress computes the hookname as `admin_page_prautoblogger-dossier` at
+ * BOTH registration time AND request time. The page is hidden from nav by
+ * construction (options.php is a built-in WP page with no visible submenu block)
+ * so no $submenu mutation is needed or permitted.
+ *
+ * Why NOT the hide-by-unset pattern (the v0.19.2 bug):
+ *   add_submenu_page('prautoblogger-settings', ...) → hookname 'prautoblogger_page_prautoblogger-dossier'
+ *   post-registration unset($submenu['prautoblogger-settings'][$idx])
+ *   → at request time get_admin_page_parent() no longer finds the slug in $submenu
+ *   → WP recomputes hookname in the 'admin_page_*' orphan namespace
+ *   → no callback registered there → wp_die(403).
+ * See ARCHITECTURE.md §22b + CONVENTIONS.md §Hidden Admin Pages for the full incident
+ * history (board 404 v0.19.1, dossier 403 v0.19.2).
+ *
+ * Board cards and post-metabox deep-link here via
+ * admin.php?page=prautoblogger-dossier&post_id=X. Deep-link URLs are parent-agnostic
+ * (they reference only the page slug) so they are unchanged by this fix.
+ *
+ * Design contract: Proposal C "Editorial Record" -- warm editorial dossier,
+ * verdict pills, receipt-style cost sidebar, per-stage I/O with raw-trace toggle.
+ *
+ * Triggered by: PRAutoBlogger::register_admin_hooks() on `admin_menu` (priority 12).
+ * Dependencies: PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Data_Assembler, templates/admin/dossier-page.php.
+ *
+ * @see admin/class-dossier-data-assembler.php -- Builds the view model.
+ * @see templates/admin/dossier-page.php       -- HTML template.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md                         -- §22b (hidden admin page convention).
+ * @see CONVENTIONS.md                          -- §Hidden Admin Pages.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Page {
+
+	/** Admin page slug. */
+	public const PAGE_SLUG = 'prautoblogger-dossier';
+
+	/**
+	 * Parent slug used at registration.
+	 * 'options.php' is the canonical WP hidden-page parent: the hookname resolves
+	 * to `admin_page_{slug}` at both registration time and request time, so there is
+	 * no hookname mismatch and no need to manipulate $submenu.
+	 */
+	public const PARENT_SLUG = 'options.php';
+
+	/** Nonce action for any future stateful actions. */
+	public const NONCE_ACTION = 'prautoblogger_dossier';
+
+	/**
+	 * Register the dossier as a hidden admin page.
+	 *
+	 * Uses the canonical options.php-parent pattern so the hookname is stable at
+	 * both registration time and request time. No $submenu manipulation required
+	 * or permitted (see CONVENTIONS.md §Hidden Admin Pages).
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public function on_register_menu(): void {
+		add_submenu_page(
+			self::PARENT_SLUG,
+			__( 'Article Dossier', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			__( 'Dossier', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			'manage_options',
+			self::PAGE_SLUG,
+			array( $this, 'render_page' )
+		);
+		// No $submenu mutation. options.php-parent pages are hidden by construction.
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Render the dossier page.
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public function render_page(): void {
+		if ( ! current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) {
+			return;
+		}
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.Security.NonceVerification.Recommended -- read-only dossier; no state changes.
+		$post_id   = isset( $_GET['post_id'] ) ? absint( $_GET['post_id'] ) : 0;
+		$assembler = new PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Data_Assembler();
+		$dossier   = $assembler->assemble( $post_id );
+		include PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_DIR . 'templates/admin/dossier-page.php';
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Enqueue dossier-specific CSS + JS.
+	 *
+	 * The hook suffix for an options.php-parent page is `admin_page_{slug}`.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $hook_suffix Current admin page hook suffix.
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public function on_enqueue_assets( string $hook_suffix ): void {
+		// options.php-parent pages resolve to 'admin_page_{slug}' (not 'prautoblogger_page_*').
+		$dossier_hook = 'admin_page_' . self::PAGE_SLUG;
+		if ( $hook_suffix !== $dossier_hook ) {
+			return;
+		}
+
+		wp_enqueue_style(
+			'prautoblogger-dossier',
+			PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_URL . 'assets/css/dossier.css',
+			array( 'prautoblogger-admin' ),
+			PRAUTOBLOGGER_VERSION
+		);
+
+		wp_enqueue_script(
+			'prautoblogger-dossier',
+			PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_URL . 'assets/js/dossier.js',
+			array(),
+			PRAUTOBLOGGER_VERSION,
+			true
+		);
+
+		// M3: edit + re-run layer (separate files; dossier.css is not grown).
+		wp_enqueue_style(
+			'prautoblogger-dossier-edit',
+			PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_URL . 'assets/css/dossier-edit.css',
+			array( 'prautoblogger-dossier' ),
+			PRAUTOBLOGGER_VERSION
+		);
+		wp_enqueue_script(
+			'prautoblogger-dossier-edit',
+			PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_URL . 'assets/js/dossier-edit.js',
+			array(),
+			PRAUTOBLOGGER_VERSION,
+			true
+		);
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.Security.NonceVerification.Recommended -- read-only context resolution for script config.
+		$post_id = isset( $_GET['post_id'] ) ? absint( $_GET['post_id'] ) : 0;
+		wp_localize_script(
+			'prautoblogger-dossier-edit',
+			'prabDossierEdit',
+			array(
+				'ajaxUrl'      => admin_url( 'admin-ajax.php' ),
+				'nonce'        => wp_create_nonce( PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Actions::NONCE_ACTION ),
+				'postId'       => $post_id,
+				// Settings read at point of use -- same poll setting as the board.
+				'pollInterval' => max( 3, (int) get_option( 'prautoblogger_board_poll_interval', 5 ) ),
+				'strings'      => array(
+					'saving'         => __( 'Saving…', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'error'          => __( 'Request failed — try again.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'queued'         => __( 'Queued…', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'rerunFromLabel' => __( 'Re-run from here', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'confirmReplay'  => __( 'Queue a re-run of this stage with your edited input? This makes a new LLM call billed against this run\'s ceiling, and all downstream stages will be marked stale (nothing re-runs automatically).', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'confirmRerunFrom' => __( 'Queue a re-run of this stage AND every stage after it? Each re-run stage makes new LLM calls billed against this run\'s ceiling. The article draft will be refreshed; published posts are never touched.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				),
+			)
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Build the URL to the dossier for a given post.
+	 *
+	 * Deep-link URLs use admin.php?page=<slug> which is parent-agnostic.
+	 * This method is unchanged from v0.19.2 -- only the registration parent changed.
+	 *
+	 * @param int $post_id WordPress post ID.
+	 * @return string Admin URL to the dossier page.
+	 */
+	public static function url_for_post( int $post_id ): string {
+		return admin_url( 'admin.php?page=' . self::PAGE_SLUG . '&post_id=' . $post_id );
+	}
+}

includes/admin/class-dossier-rerun-panel-data.php

@@ -0,0 +1,181 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Builds the edit + re-run view-model layer for the dossier (v0.20.0, M3).
+ *
+ * What: Per-stage affordance data (editable? why not? latest fork,
+ *       prefill messages from the fork or the stage's recorded
+ *       request_json) plus the run-level spend strip (settled + reserved
+ *       vs ceiling, warn fraction — guardrail 4's visible cost
+ *       implication) and the overall eligibility verdict. Pure
+ *       assembly: reads the rows the Dossier_Data_Assembler already
+ *       fetched plus the stage_inputs store; performs NO mutations.
+ *       Disabled affordances always carry an operator-readable reason —
+ *       the UI never hides why an edit is unavailable.
+ * Who triggers it: PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Data_Assembler::assemble().
+ * Dependencies: Rerun_Eligibility (policy), Stage_Input_Store (forks),
+ *               Stage_Replay (body decode).
+ *
+ * @see admin/class-dossier-data-assembler.php — Caller.
+ * @see templates/admin/dossier-edit-panel.php — Renders this data.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md #24                    — Edit + re-run design.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Rerun_Panel_Data {
+
+	/** Default warn threshold as a fraction of the per-run ceiling. */
+	private const DEFAULT_WARN_FRACTION = 0.8;
+
+	/**
+	 * Run-level spend strip data (guardrail 4 visibility).
+	 *
+	 * @param array<string, mixed>|null $run Run ledger row, or null.
+	 * @return array{settled: float, reserved: float, ceiling: float, fraction: float, warn: bool}
+	 */
+	public static function spend( ?array $run ): array {
+		$settled  = null !== $run ? (float) ( $run['settled_usd'] ?? 0 ) : 0.0;
+		$reserved = null !== $run ? (float) ( $run['reserved_usd'] ?? 0 ) : 0.0;
+		$ceiling  = null !== $run ? (float) ( $run['ceiling_usd'] ?? 0 ) : 0.0;
+		$fraction = $ceiling > 0 ? ( $settled + $reserved ) / $ceiling : 0.0;
+
+		/**
+		 * Filters the spend fraction at which re-run confirms warn about
+		 * approaching the per-run ceiling.
+		 *
+		 * @param float $warn_fraction Fraction of ceiling (default 0.8).
+		 */
+		$warn_fraction = (float) apply_filters( 'prautoblogger_rerun_ceiling_warn_fraction', self::DEFAULT_WARN_FRACTION );
+
+		return array(
+			'settled'  => $settled,
+			'reserved' => $reserved,
+			'ceiling'  => $ceiling,
+			'fraction' => $fraction,
+			'warn'     => $ceiling > 0 && $fraction >= $warn_fraction,
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Edit + re-run affordance data for one stage row.
+	 *
+	 * @param array<string, mixed>                            $stage_row   run_stages row.
+	 * @param array<int, array<string, mixed>>                $log_rows    generation_log rows for the stage.
+	 * @param string                                          $run_id      Run UUID.
+	 * @param array{ok: bool, reason: string}                 $eligibility Overall run eligibility.
+	 * @return array<string, mixed> Affordance view model (see keys below).
+	 */
+	public static function for_stage( array $stage_row, array $log_rows, string $run_id, array $eligibility ): array {
+		$stage    = (string) ( $stage_row['stage'] ?? '' );
+		$role     = (string) ( $stage_row['agent_role'] ?? '' );
+		$item_key = (string) ( $stage_row['item_key'] ?? '' );
+
+		$data = array(
+			'stale'          => ! empty( $stage_row['stale'] ),
+			'human_modified' => ! empty( $stage_row['human_modified'] ),
+			'attempt'        => (int) ( $stage_row['attempt'] ?? 1 ),
+			'editable'       => false,
+			'edit_reason'    => '',
+			'fork'           => null,
+			'prefill'        => null,
+			'rerun_from'     => $eligibility['ok'] && PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Eligibility::is_chain_stage( $stage ),
+		);
+
+		if ( ! PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Eligibility::is_editable_stage( $stage ) ) {
+			$data['edit_reason'] = self::policy_reason( $stage );
+			return $data;
+		}
+		if ( ! $eligibility['ok'] ) {
+			$data['edit_reason'] = $eligibility['reason'];
+			return $data;
+		}
+
+		$fork = PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Input_Store::latest_fork( $run_id, $stage, $role, $item_key );
+		if ( null !== $fork ) {
+			$data['fork'] = array(
+				'version'    => (int) $fork['version'],
+				'author'     => (string) $fork['author'],
+				'created_at' => (string) $fork['created_at'],
+				'has_body'   => ! empty( $fork['request_json'] ),
+			);
+		}
+
+		$base_json = ( null !== $fork && ! empty( $fork['request_json'] ) )
+			? (string) $fork['request_json']
+			: self::latest_request_json( $log_rows );
+
+		if ( null === $base_json ) {
+			$days                = (int) get_option( 'prautoblogger_request_json_retention_days', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_REQUEST_JSON_RETENTION_DAYS );
+			$data['edit_reason'] = sprintf(
+				/* translators: %d: retention days. */
+				__( 'No persisted input for this stage — request bodies are recorded from v0.20.0 onward and retained for %d days.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				$days
+			);
+			return $data;
+		}
+
+		$body = PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Replay::decode_body( $base_json );
+		if ( null === $body ) {
+			$data['edit_reason'] = __( 'The persisted input for this stage is not a replayable chat request.', 'prautoblogger' );
+			return $data;
+		}
+
+		$data['editable'] = true;
+		$data['prefill']  = array(
+			'model'    => (string) $body['model'],
+			'messages' => $body['messages'],
+		);
+		return $data;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Why a non-writer stage has no edit affordance (always shown —
+	 * the UI never silently hides the option).
+	 *
+	 * @param string $stage Stage name.
+	 * @return string Operator-readable reason.
+	 */
+	private static function policy_reason( string $stage ): string {
+		if ( 'review' === $stage ) {
+			return __( 'The review input is derived entirely from the article content — edit a writing stage, then use "Re-run from here" on this one.', 'prautoblogger' );
+		}
+		if ( 'publish' === $stage ) {
+			return __( 'Publish is not an LLM stage — use "Re-run from here" to refresh the post from current outputs.', 'prautoblogger' );
+		}
+		if ( in_array( $stage, array( 'analysis', 'research', 'llm_research' ), true ) ) {
+			return __( 'Run-level stage: its output fed idea selection for the whole run and cannot be re-flowed into a single article.', 'prautoblogger' );
+		}
+		if ( 0 === strpos( $stage, 'image' ) ) {
+			return __( 'Image stages are not replayable yet (Phase 2b restructure).', 'prautoblogger' );
+		}
+		return __( 'This stage cannot be replayed with an edited input.', 'prautoblogger' );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * The most recent recorded request body among a stage's log rows
+	 * (success rows preferred, then latest id).
+	 *
+	 * @param array<int, array<string, mixed>> $log_rows generation_log rows.
+	 * @return string|null
+	 */
+	private static function latest_request_json( array $log_rows ): ?string {
+		$best = null;
+		foreach ( $log_rows as $row ) {
+			if ( empty( $row['request_json'] ) ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+			if ( null === $best ) {
+				$best = $row;
+				continue;
+			}
+			$row_success  = ( 'success' === ( $row['response_status'] ?? '' ) );
+			$best_success = ( 'success' === ( $best['response_status'] ?? '' ) );
+			if ( ( $row_success && ! $best_success )
+				|| ( $row_success === $best_success && (int) ( $row['id'] ?? 0 ) > (int) ( $best['id'] ?? 0 ) ) ) {
+				$best = $row;
+			}
+		}
+		return null !== $best ? (string) $best['request_json'] : null;
+	}
+}

includes/admin/class-ideas-browser-query.php

@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Query helpers for PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser.
+ *
+ * Extracted to keep class-ideas-browser.php under 300 lines (CONVENTIONS §1).
+ * All methods are static; class is never instantiated.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser_Query {
+
+	/** Fall-through if setting is absent. */
+	public const PER_PAGE_DEFAULT = 30;
+
+	/** Transient key prefix for per-idea generation status. */
+	public const STATUS_PREFIX = 'prab_idea_gen_';
+
+	/** How long to keep per-idea status (seconds). */
+	public const STATUS_TTL = 600;
+
+	/** Query analysis results with optional filtering and pagination. */
+	public static function query_ideas( int $paged, string $type ): array {
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table  = $wpdb->prefix . 'prautoblogger_analysis_results';
+		$where  = array();
+		$params = array();
+
+		if ( '' !== $type ) {
+			$where[]  = 'analysis_type = %s';
+			$params[] = $type;
+		}
+
+		$where_sql = empty( $where ) ? '' : 'WHERE ' . implode( ' AND ', $where );
+		$per_page  = max( 5, (int) get_option( 'prautoblogger_ideas_per_page', self::PER_PAGE_DEFAULT ) );
+		$offset    = ( $paged - 1 ) * $per_page;
+
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+		$total = (int) $wpdb->get_var(  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
+			empty( $params )  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared,WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.NotPrepared
+			? "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {$table} {$where_sql}"  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared,WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.NotPrepared
+			: $wpdb->prepare( "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {$table} {$where_sql}", ...$params )  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.NotPrepared
+		);
+
+		$order_sql = 'ORDER BY analyzed_at DESC, relevance_score DESC';
+		$limit_sql = sprintf( 'LIMIT %d OFFSET %d', $per_page, $offset );
+		$full_sql  = "SELECT * FROM {$table} {$where_sql} {$order_sql} {$limit_sql}";
+
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+		$rows = empty( $params )  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared,WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.NotPrepared
+		? $wpdb->get_results( $full_sql, ARRAY_A )  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared,WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.NotPrepared
+		: $wpdb->get_results( $wpdb->prepare( $full_sql, ...$params ), ARRAY_A );  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.NotPrepared
+
+		return array(
+			'rows'  => $rows ?? array(),
+			'total' => $total,
+		);
+	}
+
+	/** Get counts per analysis_type for the filter badges. */
+	public static function get_type_counts(): array {
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table = $wpdb->prefix . 'prautoblogger_analysis_results';
+
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+		$rows = $wpdb->get_results(  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
+			"SELECT analysis_type, COUNT(*) AS cnt FROM {$table} GROUP BY analysis_type ORDER BY cnt DESC",
+			ARRAY_A
+		);
+
+		$counts = array();
+		foreach ( $rows ?? array() as $row ) {
+			$counts[ $row['analysis_type'] ] = (int) $row['cnt'];
+		}
+		return $counts;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Load an analysis result row and map it to Article_Idea constructor data.
+	 *
+	 * @param int $idea_id Analysis result row ID.
+	 * @return array<string, mixed>|null Article_Idea-compatible array, or null.
+	 */
+	public static function load_idea_data( int $idea_id ): ?array {
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table = $wpdb->prefix . 'prautoblogger_analysis_results';
+
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+		$row = $wpdb->get_row(  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
+			$wpdb->prepare( "SELECT * FROM {$table} WHERE id = %d", $idea_id ),
+			ARRAY_A
+		);
+		if ( ! $row ) {
+			return null;
+		}
+
+		$meta = json_decode( $row['metadata_json'] ?? '{}', true ) ?? array();
+		return array(
+			'topic'           => $row['topic'],
+			'article_type'    => $row['analysis_type'],
+			'suggested_title' => $meta['suggested_title'] ?? $row['topic'],
+			'summary'         => $row['summary'] ?? '',
+			'score'           => (float) $row['relevance_score'],
+			'analysis_id'     => (int) $row['id'],
+			'source_ids'      => json_decode( $row['source_ids_json'] ?? '[]', true ) ?? array(),
+			'key_points'      => $meta['key_points'] ?? array(),
+			'target_keywords' => $meta['target_keywords'] ?? array(),
+		);
+	}
+
+	/** Find the most recent post created by a specific run_id. */
+	public static function find_post_by_run_id( string $run_id ): ?int {
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table = $wpdb->prefix . 'prautoblogger_generation_log';
+
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+		$post_id = $wpdb->get_var(
+			$wpdb->prepare(  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
+				"SELECT DISTINCT post_id FROM {$table} WHERE run_id = %s AND post_id IS NOT NULL LIMIT 1",
+				$run_id
+			)
+		);
+		return null !== $post_id ? (int) $post_id : null;
+	}
+
+	/** Update the per-idea status transient with a stage message. */
+	public static function update_idea_stage( int $idea_id, string $stage ): void {
+		$key     = self::STATUS_PREFIX . $idea_id;
+		$current = get_transient( $key );
+		if ( is_array( $current ) ) {
+			$current['stage'] = $stage;
+			set_transient( $key, $current, self::STATUS_TTL );
+		}
+	}
+}

includes/admin/class-ideas-browser.php

@@ -8,20 +8,14 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
  *
  * Triggered by: PRAutoBlogger::register_admin_hooks() on `admin_menu`.
  * Dependencies: WordPress $wpdb, Article_Worker, Cost_Tracker, Generation_Lock.
+ * Query helpers: class-ideas-browser-query.php (split for 300-line rule, CONVENTIONS §1).
  *
  * @see core/class-article-worker.php         — Generates articles from ideas.
  * @see templates/admin/ideas-browser.php     — Renders the HTML.
+ * @see class-ideas-browser-query.php         — Static query helpers.
  */
 class PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser {
 
-	private const PER_PAGE = 30;
-
-	/** Transient prefix for per-idea generation status. */
-	private const STATUS_PREFIX = 'prab_idea_gen_';
-
-	/** How long to keep per-idea status (seconds). */
-	private const STATUS_TTL = 600;
-
 	/** Register the Ideas submenu page under PRAutoBlogger. */
 	public function on_register_menu(): void {
 		add_submenu_page(
@@ -43,11 +37,12 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser {
 		$paged       = isset( $_GET['paged'] ) ? absint( $_GET['paged'] ) : 1;
 		$type_filter = isset( $_GET['type'] ) ? sanitize_key( $_GET['type'] ) : '';
 
-		$result      = $this->query_ideas( $paged, $type_filter );
-		$rows        = $result['rows'];
-		$total       = $result['total'];
-		$total_pages = (int) ceil( $total / self::PER_PAGE );
-		$type_counts = $this->get_type_counts();
+		$result        = PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser_Query::query_ideas( $paged, $type_filter );
+		$rows          = $result['rows'];
+		$total         = $result['total'];
+		$per_page_view = max( 5, (int) get_option( 'prautoblogger_ideas_per_page', PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser_Query::PER_PAGE_DEFAULT ) );
+		$total_pages   = (int) ceil( $total / $per_page_view );
+		$type_counts   = PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser_Query::get_type_counts();
 
 		include PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_DIR . 'templates/admin/ideas-browser.php';
 	}
@@ -74,23 +69,26 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser {
 			return;
 		}
 
+		$status_prefix = PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser_Query::STATUS_PREFIX;
+		$status_ttl    = PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser_Query::STATUS_TTL;
+
 		// Build Article_Idea from the analysis row.
-		$idea_data = self::load_idea_data( $idea_id );
+		$idea_data = PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser_Query::load_idea_data( $idea_id );
 		if ( null === $idea_data ) {
 			wp_send_json_error( array( 'message' => 'Idea not found.' ) );
 			return;
 		}
 
 		// Store idea for the cron handler and set initial "running" status.
-		set_transient( self::STATUS_PREFIX . 'data_' . $idea_id, $idea_data, self::STATUS_TTL );
+		set_transient( $status_prefix . 'data_' . $idea_id, $idea_data, $status_ttl );
 		set_transient(
-			self::STATUS_PREFIX . $idea_id,
+			$status_prefix . $idea_id,
 			array(
 				'status'  => 'running',
 				'stage'   => __( 'Starting generation…', 'prautoblogger' ),
 				'started' => time(),
 			),
-			self::STATUS_TTL
+			$status_ttl
 		);
 
 		// Schedule background cron — passes idea_id as argument.
@@ -124,7 +122,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser {
 		}
 
 		$idea_id = absint( $_POST['idea_id'] ?? 0 );
-		$status  = get_transient( self::STATUS_PREFIX . $idea_id );
+		$status  = get_transient( PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser_Query::STATUS_PREFIX . $idea_id );
 		if ( ! is_array( $status ) ) {
 			wp_send_json_success( array( 'status' => 'idle' ) );
 			return;
@@ -149,16 +147,19 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser {
 		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.PHP.NoSilencedErrors.Discouraged
 		@set_time_limit( 300 );
 
-		$key       = self::STATUS_PREFIX . $idea_id;
-		$idea_data = get_transient( self::STATUS_PREFIX . 'data_' . $idea_id );
+		$prefix = PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser_Query::STATUS_PREFIX;
+		$ttl    = PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser_Query::STATUS_TTL;
+		$key    = $prefix . $idea_id;
+
+		$idea_data = get_transient( $prefix . 'data_' . $idea_id );
 		if ( ! is_array( $idea_data ) ) {
 			set_transient(
 				$key,
 				array(
-					'status'  => 'error',
+					'status' => 'error',
 					'message' => 'Idea data expired.',
 				),
-				self::STATUS_TTL
+				$ttl
 			);
 			return;
 		}
@@ -167,10 +168,10 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser {
 			set_transient(
 				$key,
 				array(
-					'status'  => 'error',
+					'status' => 'error',
 					'message' => 'Another generation is running.',
 				),
-				self::STATUS_TTL
+				$ttl
 			);
 			return;
 		}
@@ -180,7 +181,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser {
 			$cost_tracker = new PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Tracker();
 			$cost_tracker->set_run_id( wp_generate_uuid4() );
 
-			self::update_idea_stage( $idea_id, __( 'Generating article draft…', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+			PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser_Query::update_idea_stage( $idea_id, __( 'Generating article draft…', 'prautoblogger' ) );
 			$worker = new PRAutoBlogger_Article_Worker( $cost_tracker );
 			$result = $worker->generate( $idea );
 
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser {
 			PRAutoBlogger_Post_Assembler::amortize_research_costs( $cost_tracker->get_run_id() );
 
 			// Find the generated post ID for the "View" link.
-			$post_id = self::find_post_by_run_id( $cost_tracker->get_run_id() );
+			$post_id = PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser_Query::find_post_by_run_id( $cost_tracker->get_run_id() );
 
 			set_transient(
 				$key,
@@ -199,7 +200,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser {
 					'cost'      => $result['cost'],
 					'post_id'   => $post_id,
 				),
-				self::STATUS_TTL
+				$ttl
 			);
 		} catch ( \Throwable $e ) {
 			PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->error(
@@ -209,129 +210,14 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser {
 			set_transient(
 				$key,
 				array(
-					'status'  => 'error',
+					'status' => 'error',
 					'message' => $e->getMessage(),
 				),
-				self::STATUS_TTL
+				$ttl
 			);
 		}
 
 		PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::release();
-		delete_transient( self::STATUS_PREFIX . 'data_' . $idea_id );
-	}
-
-	// ── Private helpers ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
-
-	/** Update the per-idea status transient with a stage message. */
-	private static function update_idea_stage( int $idea_id, string $stage ): void {
-		$key     = self::STATUS_PREFIX . $idea_id;
-		$current = get_transient( $key );
-		if ( is_array( $current ) ) {
-			$current['stage'] = $stage;
-			set_transient( $key, $current, self::STATUS_TTL );
-		}
-	}
-
-	/** Find the most recent post created by a specific run_id. */
-	private static function find_post_by_run_id( string $run_id ): ?int {
-		global $wpdb;
-		$table = $wpdb->prefix . 'prautoblogger_generation_log';
-
-		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
-		$post_id = $wpdb->get_var(
-			$wpdb->prepare(  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
-				"SELECT DISTINCT post_id FROM {$table} WHERE run_id = %s AND post_id IS NOT NULL LIMIT 1",
-				$run_id
-			)
-		);
-		return null !== $post_id ? (int) $post_id : null;
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Load an analysis result row and map it to Article_Idea constructor data.
-	 *
-	 * @param int $idea_id Analysis result row ID.
-	 * @return array<string, mixed>|null Article_Idea-compatible array, or null.
-	 */
-	private static function load_idea_data( int $idea_id ): ?array {
-		global $wpdb;
-		$table = $wpdb->prefix . 'prautoblogger_analysis_results';
-
-		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
-		$row = $wpdb->get_row(  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
-			$wpdb->prepare( "SELECT * FROM {$table} WHERE id = %d", $idea_id ),
-			ARRAY_A
-		);
-		if ( ! $row ) {
-			return null;
-		}
-
-		$meta = json_decode( $row['metadata_json'] ?? '{}', true ) ?? array();
-		return array(
-			'topic'           => $row['topic'],
-			'article_type'    => $row['analysis_type'],
-			'suggested_title' => $meta['suggested_title'] ?? $row['topic'],
-			'summary'         => $row['summary'] ?? '',
-			'score'           => (float) $row['relevance_score'],
-			'analysis_id'     => (int) $row['id'],
-			'source_ids'      => json_decode( $row['source_ids_json'] ?? '[]', true ) ?? array(),
-			'key_points'      => $meta['key_points'] ?? array(),
-			'target_keywords' => $meta['target_keywords'] ?? array(),
-		);
-	}
-
-	/** Query analysis results with optional filtering and pagination. */
-	private function query_ideas( int $paged, string $type ): array {
-		global $wpdb;
-		$table  = $wpdb->prefix . 'prautoblogger_analysis_results';
-		$where  = array();
-		$params = array();
-
-		if ( '' !== $type ) {
-			$where[]  = 'analysis_type = %s';
-			$params[] = $type;
-		}
-
-		$where_sql = empty( $where ) ? '' : 'WHERE ' . implode( ' AND ', $where );
-		$offset    = ( $paged - 1 ) * self::PER_PAGE;
-
-		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
-		$total = (int) $wpdb->get_var(  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
-			empty( $params )  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared,WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.NotPrepared
-			? "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {$table} {$where_sql}"  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared,WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.NotPrepared
-			: $wpdb->prepare( "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM {$table} {$where_sql}", ...$params )  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.NotPrepared
-		);
-
-		$order_sql = 'ORDER BY analyzed_at DESC, relevance_score DESC';
-		$limit_sql = sprintf( 'LIMIT %d OFFSET %d', self::PER_PAGE, $offset );
-		$full_sql  = "SELECT * FROM {$table} {$where_sql} {$order_sql} {$limit_sql}";
-
-		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
-		$rows = empty( $params )  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared,WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.NotPrepared
-		? $wpdb->get_results( $full_sql, ARRAY_A )  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared,WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.NotPrepared
-		: $wpdb->get_results( $wpdb->prepare( $full_sql, ...$params ), ARRAY_A );  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.NotPrepared
-
-		return array(
-			'rows'  => $rows ?? array(),
-			'total' => $total,
-		);
-	}
-
-	/** Get counts per analysis_type for the filter badges. */
-	private function get_type_counts(): array {
-		global $wpdb;
-		$table = $wpdb->prefix . 'prautoblogger_analysis_results';
-
-		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
-		$rows = $wpdb->get_results(  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
-			"SELECT analysis_type, COUNT(*) AS cnt FROM {$table} GROUP BY analysis_type ORDER BY cnt DESC",
-			ARRAY_A
-		);
-
-		$counts = array();
-		foreach ( $rows ?? array() as $row ) {
-			$counts[ $row['analysis_type'] ] = (int) $row['cnt'];
-		}
-		return $counts;
+		delete_transient( $prefix . 'data_' . $idea_id );
 	}
 }

includes/admin/class-post-metabox.php

@@ -4,21 +4,22 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
 /**
  * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
  *
- * Adds a metabox to posts showing PRAutoBlogger generation metadata.
+ * Adds a metabox to PRAutoBlogger-generated posts.
  *
- * Only appears on posts that were generated by PRAutoBlogger (checked via
- * _prautoblogger_generated post meta).
+ * M2: Slimmed to a "View generation dossier" link. Full generation metadata
+ * lives on the Article Dossier page (PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Page).
  *
  * Triggered by: PRAutoBlogger::register_admin_hooks() on `add_meta_boxes`.
- * Dependencies: WordPress post meta API.
+ * Dependencies: PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Page (for URL helper).
  *
- * @see class-prautoblogger.php     — Registers the hook.
- * @see core/class-publisher.php  — Writes the metadata this class displays.
+ * @see class-prautoblogger.php          -- Registers the hook.
+ * @see admin/class-dossier-page.php     -- Dossier target; provides url_for_post().
+ * @see core/class-publisher.php         -- Writes the run_id meta this class reads.
  */
 class PRAutoBlogger_Post_Metabox {
 
 	/**
-	 * Register the metabox for the post editor.
+	 * Register the metabox for PRAutoBlogger-generated posts only.
 	 *
 	 * @return void
 	 */
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Post_Metabox {
 
 		add_meta_box(
 			'prautoblogger_generation_info',
-			__( 'PRAutoBlogger Generation Info', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			__( 'PRAutoBlogger', 'prautoblogger' ),
 			array( $this, 'render_metabox' ),
 			'post',
 			'side',
@@ -44,13 +45,12 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Post_Metabox {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Render the generation metadata metabox.
-	 *
-	 * @param \WP_Post $post
+	 * Render the dossier-link metabox.
 	 *
+	 * @param \WP_Post $post Current post.
 	 * @return void
 	 */
 	public function render_metabox( \WP_Post $post ): void {
-		include PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_DIR . 'templates/admin/metabox-generation-info.php';
+		include PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_DIR . 'templates/admin/metabox-dossier-link.php';
 	}
 }

includes/admin/class-settings-fields-extended.php

@@ -35,280 +35,194 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Settings_Fields_Extended {
 	 * @return array<int, array<string, mixed>>
 	 */
 	public static function get_fields(): array {
-		return array(
-			// ── Sources (extended) ──────────────────────────────────────
+		return array_merge(
 			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_research_model',
-				'label'       => __( 'Research Model', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'model_select',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_sources',
-				'default'     => PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_ANALYSIS_MODEL,
-				'capability'  => 'text→text',
-				'description' => __( 'Model for LLM Deep Research. Pick a reasoning-capable model (e.g. Grok 4.1 Fast, DeepSeek-R1) for best results. Only used when LLM Deep Research is enabled above.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'badge'       => __( 'Reasoning', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_research_prompt',
-				'label'       => __( 'Research Prompt', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'textarea',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_sources',
-				'default'     => 'Conduct a deep research sweep of the {niche} space and identify the most substantive, actionable topics that practitioners and curious newcomers are searching for or actively discussing.' . "\n\n" . 'Focus on:' . "\n" . '- Practical questions real readers would search for (not theoretical debates)' . "\n" . '- Emerging trends gaining momentum in the community' . "\n" . '- Common misconceptions that deserve clarification' . "\n" . '- Comparative analysis (product vs. product, protocol vs. protocol)' . "\n" . '- Safety and efficacy topics that drive concern or curiosity' . "\n" . '- Beginner-to-advanced mix — cover entry-level and depth-focused topics' . "\n\n" . 'Aim for topics that feel timely, underserved by existing content, and likely to drive reader engagement. Return 8-12 findings with detailed analysis in each.',
-				'description' => __( 'The research brief sent to the LLM. Use {niche} as a placeholder for your niche description. The system prompt handles output format — this controls WHAT to research.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-
-			// ── AI Models (extended) ────────────────────────────────────
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_reasoning_enabled',
-				'label'       => __( 'Enable Reasoning', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'toggle',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_models',
-				'default'     => '0',
-				'description' => __( 'Send reasoning instructions to models that support it (e.g. Grok, DeepSeek-R1). Reasoning tokens are billed as output tokens — expect higher costs per call. Models that don\'t support reasoning will ignore this.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_reasoning_effort',
-				'label'       => __( 'Reasoning Effort', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'select',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_models',
-				'default'     => 'medium',
-				'options'     => array(
-					'xhigh'   => __( 'Extra High — maximum depth, highest cost', 'prautoblogger' ),
-					'high'    => __( 'High — thorough reasoning', 'prautoblogger' ),
-					'medium'  => __( 'Medium — balanced (recommended)', 'prautoblogger' ),
-					'low'     => __( 'Low — light reasoning, lower cost', 'prautoblogger' ),
-					'minimal' => __( 'Minimal — barely any reasoning', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				// ── Sources (extended) ──────────────────────────────────────
+				array(
+					'id'          => 'prautoblogger_research_model',
+					'label'       => __( 'Research Model', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'type'        => 'model_select',
+					'section'     => 'prautoblogger_sources',
+					'default'     => PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_ANALYSIS_MODEL,
+					'capability'  => 'text→text',
+					'description' => __( 'Model for LLM Deep Research. Pick a reasoning-capable model (e.g. Grok 4.1 Fast, DeepSeek-R1) for best results. Only used when LLM Deep Research is enabled above.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'badge'       => __( 'Reasoning', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				),
+				array(
+					'id'          => 'prautoblogger_research_prompt',
+					'label'       => __( 'Research Prompt', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'type'        => 'textarea',
+					'section'     => 'prautoblogger_sources',
+					'default'     => 'Conduct a deep research sweep of the {niche} space and identify the most substantive, actionable topics that practitioners and curious newcomers are searching for or actively discussing.' . "\n\n" . 'Focus on:' . "\n" . '- Practical questions real readers would search for (not theoretical debates)' . "\n" . '- Emerging trends gaining momentum in the community' . "\n" . '- Common misconceptions that deserve clarification' . "\n" . '- Comparative analysis (product vs. product, protocol vs. protocol)' . "\n" . '- Safety and efficacy topics that drive concern or curiosity' . "\n" . '- Beginner-to-advanced mix — cover entry-level and depth-focused topics' . "\n\n" . 'Aim for topics that feel timely, underserved by existing content, and likely to drive reader engagement. Return 8-12 findings with detailed analysis in each.',
+					'description' => __( 'The research brief sent to the LLM. Use {niche} as a placeholder for your niche description. The system prompt handles output format — this controls WHAT to research.', 'prautoblogger' ),
 				),
-				'description' => __( 'How much effort the model spends reasoning before answering. Higher effort = more reasoning tokens = higher cost. Only applies when reasoning is enabled above.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
 
-			// ── Schedule & Budget ───────────────────────────────────────
-			array(
-				'id'      => 'prautoblogger_daily_article_target',
-				'label'   => __( 'Articles per Day', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'    => 'number',
-				'section' => 'prautoblogger_schedule',
-				'default' => 1,
-				'min'     => 1,
-				'max'     => 10,
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_schedule_time',
-				'label'       => __( 'Generation Time', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'time',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_schedule',
-				'default'     => '03:00',
-				'description' => sprintf(
-					/* translators: %s: site timezone string, e.g. "Asia/Singapore". */
-					esc_html__( "Daily generation runs at this time in your site's configured timezone (Settings → General → Timezone). Current site timezone: %s.", 'prautoblogger' ),
-					esc_html( function_exists( 'wp_timezone_string' ) ? wp_timezone_string() : 'UTC' )
+				// ── AI Models (extended) ────────────────────────────────────
+				array(
+					'id'          => 'prautoblogger_reasoning_enabled',
+					'label'       => __( 'Enable Reasoning', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'type'        => 'toggle',
+					'section'     => 'prautoblogger_models',
+					'default'     => '0',
+					'description' => __( 'Send reasoning instructions to models that support it (e.g. Grok, DeepSeek-R1). Reasoning tokens are billed as output tokens — expect higher costs per call. Models that don\'t support reasoning will ignore this.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				),
+				array(
+					'id'          => 'prautoblogger_reasoning_effort',
+					'label'       => __( 'Reasoning Effort', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'type'        => 'select',
+					'section'     => 'prautoblogger_models',
+					'default'     => 'medium',
+					'options'     => array(
+						'xhigh'   => __( 'Extra High — maximum depth, highest cost', 'prautoblogger' ),
+						'high'    => __( 'High — thorough reasoning', 'prautoblogger' ),
+						'medium'  => __( 'Medium — balanced (recommended)', 'prautoblogger' ),
+						'low'     => __( 'Low — light reasoning, lower cost', 'prautoblogger' ),
+						'minimal' => __( 'Minimal — barely any reasoning', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					),
+					'description' => __( 'How much effort the model spends reasoning before answering. Higher effort = more reasoning tokens = higher cost. Only applies when reasoning is enabled above.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				),
+
+				// ── Board Settings ─────────────────────────────────────────
+				array(
+					'id'          => 'prautoblogger_board_poll_interval',
+					'label'       => __( 'Board Poll Interval (seconds)', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'type'        => 'number',
+					'section'     => 'prautoblogger_schedule',
+					'default'     => 5,
+					'min'         => 3,
+					'max'         => 60,
+					'description' => __( 'How often the kanban board polls for status updates (seconds). Minimum 3s. Doubles automatically when no article is actively generating.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				),
+				array(
+					'id'          => 'prautoblogger_board_published_window_days',
+					'label'       => __( 'Published Column Window (days)', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'type'        => 'number',
+					'section'     => 'prautoblogger_schedule',
+					'default'     => 7,
+					'min'         => 1,
+					'max'         => 90,
+					'description' => __( 'How many days back the Published column shows articles. Increase to see older published articles on the board.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				),
+
+				// ── Schedule & Budget ───────────────────────────────────────
+				array(
+					'id'      => 'prautoblogger_daily_article_target',
+					'label'   => __( 'Articles per Day', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'type'    => 'number',
+					'section' => 'prautoblogger_schedule',
+					'default' => 1,
+					'min'     => 1,
+					'max'     => 10,
+				),
+				array(
+					'id'          => 'prautoblogger_schedule_time',
+					'label'       => __( 'Generation Time', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'type'        => 'time',
+					'section'     => 'prautoblogger_schedule',
+					'default'     => '03:00',
+					'description' => sprintf(
+						/* translators: %s: site timezone string, e.g. "Asia/Singapore". */
+						esc_html__( "Daily generation runs at this time in your site's configured timezone (Settings → General → Timezone). Current site timezone: %s.", 'prautoblogger' ),
+						esc_html( function_exists( 'wp_timezone_string' ) ? wp_timezone_string() : 'UTC' )
+					),
+				),
+				array(
+					'id'          => 'prautoblogger_monthly_budget_usd',
+					'label'       => __( 'Monthly Budget (USD)', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'type'        => 'number',
+					'section'     => 'prautoblogger_schedule',
+					'default'     => 50,
+					'min'         => 0,
+					'step'        => '0.01',
+					'description' => __( 'Hard stop when reached. 0 = unlimited.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				),
+
+				// ── Publishing ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+				array(
+					'id'          => 'prautoblogger_auto_publish',
+					'label'       => __( 'Auto-Publish', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'type'        => 'toggle',
+					'section'     => 'prautoblogger_publishing',
+					'default'     => '0',
+					'description' => __( 'Automatically publish editor-approved posts. When off, all posts go to the Review Queue as drafts.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				),
+				array(
+					'id'          => 'prautoblogger_default_author',
+					'label'       => __( 'Default Author', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'type'        => 'author_select',
+					'section'     => 'prautoblogger_publishing',
+					'default'     => 0,
+					'description' => __( 'WordPress user assigned as author of generated posts.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				),
+				array(
+					'id'          => 'prautoblogger_default_category',
+					'label'       => __( 'Default Category', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'type'        => 'category_select',
+					'section'     => 'prautoblogger_publishing',
+					'default'     => 0,
+					'description' => __( 'Fallback category for generated posts.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				),
+				array(
+					'id'          => 'prautoblogger_log_level',
+					'label'       => __( 'Log Level', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'type'        => 'select',
+					'section'     => 'prautoblogger_publishing',
+					'default'     => 'info',
+					'options'     => array(
+						'error'   => __( 'Error — only failures', 'prautoblogger' ),
+						'warning' => __( 'Warning — errors + warnings', 'prautoblogger' ),
+						'info'    => __( 'Info — key events (recommended)', 'prautoblogger' ),
+						'debug'   => __( 'Debug — everything (verbose)', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					),
+					'description' => __( 'Controls detail level in the Activity Log.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				),
+
+				// ── Analytics ───────────────────────────────────────────────
+				array(
+					'id'          => 'prautoblogger_ga4_property_id',
+					'label'       => __( 'GA4 Property ID', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'type'        => 'text',
+					'section'     => 'prautoblogger_analytics',
+					'description' => __( 'Your GA4 Property ID — digits only, e.g. 123456789 (the code adds the "properties/" prefix internally). Find it in GA4 → Admin → Property details. Leave blank to skip GA4.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				),
+				array(
+					'id'          => 'prautoblogger_ga4_credentials_json',
+					'label'       => __( 'Service Account JSON', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'type'        => 'password',
+					'section'     => 'prautoblogger_analytics',
+					'description' => __( 'Paste the full JSON key file for a service account with Analytics read access.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				),
+
+				// ── Display ────────────────────────────────────────────────
+				array(
+					'id'          => 'prautoblogger_article_font_family',
+					'label'       => __( 'Article Font', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'type'        => 'select',
+					'section'     => 'prautoblogger_display',
+					'default'     => 'default',
+					'options'     => PRAutoBlogger_Article_Typography::get_font_choices(),
+					'description' => __( 'Font family used for generated article body text. Serif fonts improve long-form readability.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				),
+				array(
+					'id'          => 'prautoblogger_article_font_size',
+					'label'       => __( 'Article Font Size (px)', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'type'        => 'number',
+					'section'     => 'prautoblogger_display',
+					'default'     => 0,
+					'min'         => 0,
+					'max'         => 32,
+					'description' => __( 'Base font size for article body text. 0 uses the theme default (13px). Recommended: 16–18px for comfortable reading.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				),
+				array(
+					'id'          => 'prautoblogger_table_borders',
+					'label'       => __( 'Table Borders', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					'type'        => 'toggle',
+					'section'     => 'prautoblogger_display',
+					'default'     => '1',
+					'description' => __( 'Add visible borders, padding, and alternating row colors to tables in generated articles.', 'prautoblogger' ),
 				),
 			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_monthly_budget_usd',
-				'label'       => __( 'Monthly Budget (USD)', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'number',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_schedule',
-				'default'     => 50,
-				'min'         => 0,
-				'step'        => '0.01',
-				'description' => __( 'Hard stop when reached. 0 = unlimited.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_request_json_retention_days',
-				'label'       => __( 'Audit Payload Retention (days)', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'number',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_schedule',
-				'default'     => PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_REQUEST_JSON_RETENTION_DAYS,
-				'min'         => 0,
-				'step'        => '1',
-				'description' => __( 'Heavy audit payloads (request_json on the generation log, stage output snapshots) are emptied after this many days by the daily cleanup cron. Cost/token rows are kept forever. 0 = keep payloads forever.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_per_run_cost_ceiling_usd',
-				'label'       => __( 'Per-Run Cost Ceiling (USD)', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'number',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_schedule',
-				'default'     => PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_RUN_CEILING_USD,
-				'min'         => 0,
-				'step'        => '0.01',
-				'description' => __( 'Hard per-run stop: every API call reserves its worst-case cost against this ceiling before dispatch; a breach halts the run and routes it to the Review Queue. Snapshotted at run start. 0 = disabled.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-
-			// ── Publishing ──────────────────────────────────────────────
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_auto_publish',
-				'label'       => __( 'Auto-Publish', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'toggle',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_publishing',
-				'default'     => '0',
-				'description' => __( 'Automatically publish editor-approved posts. When off, all posts go to the Review Queue as drafts.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_default_author',
-				'label'       => __( 'Default Author', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'author_select',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_publishing',
-				'default'     => 0,
-				'description' => __( 'WordPress user assigned as author of generated posts.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_default_category',
-				'label'       => __( 'Default Category', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'category_select',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_publishing',
-				'default'     => 0,
-				'description' => __( 'Fallback category for generated posts.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_log_level',
-				'label'       => __( 'Log Level', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'select',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_publishing',
-				'default'     => 'info',
-				'options'     => array(
-					'error'   => __( 'Error — only failures', 'prautoblogger' ),
-					'warning' => __( 'Warning — errors + warnings', 'prautoblogger' ),
-					'info'    => __( 'Info — key events (recommended)', 'prautoblogger' ),
-					'debug'   => __( 'Debug — everything (verbose)', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				),
-				'description' => __( 'Controls detail level in the Activity Log.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-
-			// ── Analytics ───────────────────────────────────────────────
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_ga4_property_id',
-				'label'       => __( 'GA4 Property ID', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'text',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_analytics',
-				'description' => __( 'Your GA4 Property ID — digits only, e.g. 123456789 (the code adds the "properties/" prefix internally). Find it in GA4 → Admin → Property details. Leave blank to skip GA4.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_ga4_credentials_json',
-				'label'       => __( 'Service Account JSON', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'password',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_analytics',
-				'description' => __( 'Paste the full JSON key file for a service account with Analytics read access.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-
-			// ── Display ────────────────────────────────────────────────
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_article_font_family',
-				'label'       => __( 'Article Font', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'select',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_display',
-				'default'     => 'default',
-				'options'     => PRAutoBlogger_Article_Typography::get_font_choices(),
-				'description' => __( 'Font family used for generated article body text. Serif fonts improve long-form readability.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_article_font_size',
-				'label'       => __( 'Article Font Size (px)', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'number',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_display',
-				'default'     => 0,
-				'min'         => 0,
-				'max'         => 32,
-				'description' => __( 'Base font size for article body text. 0 uses the theme default (13px). Recommended: 16–18px for comfortable reading.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_table_borders',
-				'label'       => __( 'Table Borders', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'toggle',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_display',
-				'default'     => '1',
-				'description' => __( 'Add visible borders, padding, and alternating row colors to tables in generated articles.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-
-			// ── Images ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_image_enabled',
-				'label'       => __( 'Enable Image Generation', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'toggle',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
-				'default'     => '0',
-				'description' => __( 'Generate images for each published article.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_image_b_enabled',
-				'label'       => __( 'Generate Second Image (B)', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'toggle',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
-				'default'     => '1',
-				'description' => __( 'Generate a second image from source data for A/B testing. Disabling saves one image generation + one LLM prompt rewrite per article.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_image_model',
-				'label'       => __( 'Image Model', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'model_select',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
-				'default'     => PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_IMAGE_MODEL,
-				'capability'  => 'image_generation',
-				'description' => __( 'Pick an image model. The provider (Runware or OpenRouter) is derived from the model registry on save, so mismatched pairs are no longer possible.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'badge'       => __( 'Quality', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_runware_api_key',
-				'label'       => __( 'Runware API Key', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'password',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
-				'description' => __( 'Required when using a Runware FLUX model. Get your key at runware.ai/signup.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'icon'        => '🔑',
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_image_style_template',
-				'label'       => __( 'Style Template', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'textarea',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
-				'default'     => PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_IMAGE_STYLE_TEMPLATE,
-				'description' => __( 'The full image prompt template. Must contain exactly one {{ topic_summary }} token, which is filled with a 1-2 sentence topic/mechanism summary per article. The rest is brand-locked editorial style. Replaces the old Style Suffix (now deprecated). Changing mid-run causes visible style drift.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_image_prompt_instructions',
-				'label'       => __( 'Image Prompt Instructions', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'textarea',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
-				'default'     => PRAutoBlogger_Image_Prompt_Builder::REWRITER_SYSTEM_PROMPT,
-				'description' => __( 'System prompt given to the rewriter LLM that turns each article into a SCENE (a 1-2 sentence editorial topic/mechanism summary, substituted into the Style Template) plus a CAPTION (HTML text shown below the image). Changing this reshapes the look of all future images. Leave blank to use the default.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_image_nsfw_retry',
-				'label'       => __( 'Retry NSFW-Blocked Images', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'toggle',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
-				'default'     => '1',
-				'description' => __( 'When the provider rejects an image prompt as NSFW, retry once with a generic fallback scene built from the article title. Disable to fail fast if the filter gets trigger-happy.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_image_compose_enabled',
-				'label'       => __( 'Compose Branded Variants', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'toggle',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
-				'default'     => '1',
-				'description' => __( 'Render branded social variants (teal band, logo, baked caption) from each generated image via the local deterministic composer. Auto-degrades to plain resizing or pass-through if the server lacks an image library — publishing is never blocked.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_image_compose_variants',
-				'label'       => __( 'Composed Variant Set', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'text',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
-				'default'     => 'og,square',
-				'description' => __( 'Comma-separated variants to render for Image A. Supported: og (1200×630 social share), square (1080×1080 card). Unknown values are ignored.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_image_featured_mark_enabled',
-				'label'       => __( 'Featured Image Corner Mark', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'toggle',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
-				'default'     => '1',
-				'description' => __( 'Overlay a small semi-transparent Peptide Repo mark in the bottom-right corner of featured images, so scraped or re-shared images carry attribution.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
-			array(
-				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_runware_model_catalog',
-				'label'       => __( 'Runware Model Catalog', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'type'        => 'runware_catalog_sync',
-				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
-				'description' => __( 'Live model catalog sync status and on-demand refresh.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			),
+			PRAutoBlogger_Settings_Fields_Images::get_fields()
 		);
 	}
 }

includes/admin/class-settings-fields-images.php

@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Image settings fields for PRAutoBlogger.
+ *
+ * Declarative field definitions for the Images section of the settings page.
+ * Extracted from PRAutoBlogger_Settings_Fields_Extended for 300-line compliance.
+ *
+ * What: Returns the images-section field array consumed by the settings registry.
+ * Who triggers: PRAutoBlogger_Settings_Fields_Extended::get_fields() via merge.
+ * Dependencies: PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_IMAGE_MODEL, PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_IMAGE_STYLE_TEMPLATE,
+ *               PRAutoBlogger_Image_Prompt_Builder, PRAutoBlogger_Image_Model_Registry.
+ *
+ * @see admin/class-settings-fields-extended.php -- Merges these fields in get_fields().
+ * @see admin/class-admin-page.php               -- Renders the fields.
+ * @see CONVENTIONS.md                           -- "How To: Add a New Admin Setting".
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Settings_Fields_Images {
+
+	/**
+	 * Get image generation settings fields.
+	 *
+	 * @return array<int, array<string, mixed>>
+	 */
+	public static function get_fields(): array {
+		return array(
+
+			// ── Images ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
+			array(
+				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_image_enabled',
+				'label'       => __( 'Enable Image Generation', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'type'        => 'toggle',
+				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
+				'default'     => '0',
+				'description' => __( 'Generate images for each published article.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			),
+			array(
+				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_image_b_enabled',
+				'label'       => __( 'Generate Second Image (B)', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'type'        => 'toggle',
+				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
+				'default'     => '1',
+				'description' => __( 'Generate a second image from source data for A/B testing. Disabling saves one image generation + one LLM prompt rewrite per article.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			),
+			array(
+				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_image_model',
+				'label'       => __( 'Image Model', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'type'        => 'model_select',
+				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
+				'default'     => PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_IMAGE_MODEL,
+				'capability'  => 'image_generation',
+				'description' => __( 'Pick an image model. The provider (Runware or OpenRouter) is derived from the model registry on save, so mismatched pairs are no longer possible.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'badge'       => __( 'Quality', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			),
+			array(
+				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_runware_api_key',
+				'label'       => __( 'Runware API Key', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'type'        => 'password',
+				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
+				'description' => __( 'Required when using a Runware FLUX model. Get your key at runware.ai/signup.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'icon'        => '🔑',
+			),
+			array(
+				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_image_style_template',
+				'label'       => __( 'Style Template', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'type'        => 'textarea',
+				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
+				'default'     => PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_IMAGE_STYLE_TEMPLATE,
+				'description' => __( 'The full image prompt template. Must contain exactly one {{ topic_summary }} token, which is filled with a 1-2 sentence topic/mechanism summary per article. The rest is brand-locked editorial style. Replaces the old Style Suffix (now deprecated). Changing mid-run causes visible style drift.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			),
+			array(
+				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_image_prompt_instructions',
+				'label'       => __( 'Image Prompt Instructions', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'type'        => 'textarea',
+				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
+				'default'     => PRAutoBlogger_Image_Prompt_Builder::REWRITER_SYSTEM_PROMPT,
+				'description' => __( 'System prompt given to the rewriter LLM that turns each article into a SCENE (a 1-2 sentence editorial topic/mechanism summary, substituted into the Style Template) plus a CAPTION (HTML text shown below the image). Changing this reshapes the look of all future images. Leave blank to use the default.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			),
+			array(
+				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_image_nsfw_retry',
+				'label'       => __( 'Retry NSFW-Blocked Images', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'type'        => 'toggle',
+				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
+				'default'     => '1',
+				'description' => __( 'When the provider rejects an image prompt as NSFW, retry once with a generic fallback scene built from the article title. Disable to fail fast if the filter gets trigger-happy.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			),
+			array(
+				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_image_compose_enabled',
+				'label'       => __( 'Compose Branded Variants', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'type'        => 'toggle',
+				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
+				'default'     => '1',
+				'description' => __( 'Render branded social variants (teal band, logo, baked caption) from each generated image via the local deterministic composer. Auto-degrades to plain resizing or pass-through if the server lacks an image library — publishing is never blocked.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			),
+			array(
+				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_image_compose_variants',
+				'label'       => __( 'Composed Variant Set', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'type'        => 'text',
+				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
+				'default'     => 'og,square',
+				'description' => __( 'Comma-separated variants to render for Image A. Supported: og (1200×630 social share), square (1080×1080 card). Unknown values are ignored.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			),
+			array(
+				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_image_featured_mark_enabled',
+				'label'       => __( 'Featured Image Corner Mark', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'type'        => 'toggle',
+				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
+				'default'     => '1',
+				'description' => __( 'Overlay a small semi-transparent Peptide Repo mark in the bottom-right corner of featured images, so scraped or re-shared images carry attribution.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			),
+			array(
+				'id'          => 'prautoblogger_runware_model_catalog',
+				'label'       => __( 'Runware Model Catalog', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'type'        => 'runware_catalog_sync',
+				'section'     => 'prautoblogger_images',
+				'description' => __( 'Live model catalog sync status and on-demand refresh.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			),
+		);
+	}
+}

includes/admin/class-settings-sanitizer.php

@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Settings field sanitizer for PRAutoBlogger.
+ *
+ * Centralises all option sanitization logic: encryption for API keys, JSON
+ * encoding for multi-value fields, numeric coercion, image-model registry
+ * validation. Extracted from PRAutoBlogger_Admin_Page for 300-line compliance.
+ *
+ * What: Static utility called by register_setting() sanitize_callback.
+ * Who triggers: WordPress Settings API on option save; PRAutoBlogger_Admin_Page::sanitize_field().
+ * Dependencies: PRAutoBlogger_Encryption, PRAutoBlogger_Image_Model_Registry,
+ *               PRAutoBlogger_Image_Template_Filler.
+ *
+ * @see admin/class-admin-page.php            -- Registers settings and delegates here.
+ * @see admin/class-image-model-registry.php  -- Validates image model slug on save.
+ * @see CONVENTIONS.md                        -- "How To: Add a New Admin Setting".
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Settings_Sanitizer {
+
+	/**
+	 * Sanitize a settings field value.
+	 *
+	 * @param mixed $value The submitted value.
+	 * @return mixed Sanitized value.
+	 */
+	public static function sanitize_field( $value ) {
+		$option_name = '';
+		$filter      = current_filter();
+		if ( 0 === strpos( $filter, 'sanitize_option_' ) ) {
+			$option_name = substr( $filter, strlen( 'sanitize_option_' ) );
+		}
+
+		$encrypted = array( 'prautoblogger_openrouter_api_key', 'prautoblogger_ga4_credentials_json', 'prautoblogger_runware_api_key' );
+		if ( in_array( $option_name, $encrypted, true ) ) {
+			// Empty value means password field wasn't touched — keep existing.
+			if ( '' === $value ) {
+				return get_option( $option_name, '' );
+			}
+
+			// Already encrypted (has "enc:" prefix) — return as-is.
+			// This is the primary defence against double-encryption:
+			// PRAutoBlogger_Encryption::encrypt() also checks for this prefix,
+			// so even if this callback is called multiple times, the value
+			// is encrypted exactly once and never re-encrypted.
+			if ( PRAutoBlogger_Encryption::is_encrypted( $value ) ) {
+				return $value;
+			}
+
+			// New plaintext value — encrypt it (adds "enc:" prefix).
+			return PRAutoBlogger_Encryption::encrypt( sanitize_text_field( $value ) );
+		}
+
+		$json_fields = array( 'prautoblogger_target_subreddits', 'prautoblogger_topic_exclusions', 'prautoblogger_enabled_sources' );
+		if ( in_array( $option_name, $json_fields, true ) ) {
+			// PHP array from checkboxes — sanitize each item and re-encode.
+			if ( is_array( $value ) ) {
+				return wp_json_encode( array_values( array_map( 'sanitize_text_field', $value ) ) );
+			}
+
+			$trimmed = trim( (string) $value );
+
+			// Already JSON-encoded array — decode, sanitize each item, re-encode.
+			// This prevents sanitize_text_field() from mangling the JSON string,
+			// which caused json_decode() on read to return null → empty subreddits.
+			if ( '[' === substr( $trimmed, 0, 1 ) ) {
+				$decoded = json_decode( $trimmed, true );
+				if ( is_array( $decoded ) ) {
+					return wp_json_encode( array_values( array_map( 'sanitize_text_field', $decoded ) ) );
+				}
+			}
+
+			// Comma-separated plain text — split, sanitize, encode as JSON array.
+			$items = array_filter( array_map( 'trim', explode( ',', $trimmed ) ) );
+			return wp_json_encode( array_values( array_map( 'sanitize_text_field', $items ) ) );
+		}
+
+		$numeric = array( 'prautoblogger_daily_article_target', 'prautoblogger_monthly_budget_usd', 'prautoblogger_min_word_count', 'prautoblogger_max_word_count', 'prautoblogger_default_author', 'prautoblogger_default_category', 'prautoblogger_pullpush_cache_ttl', 'prautoblogger_reddit_posts_per_subreddit', 'prautoblogger_board_poll_interval', 'prautoblogger_board_published_window_days', 'prautoblogger_board_column_limit', 'prautoblogger_ideas_per_page' );
+		if ( in_array( $option_name, $numeric, true ) ) {
+			return is_numeric( $value ) ? $value : 0;
+		}
+		if ( 'prautoblogger_image_model' === $option_name ) {
+			return self::sanitize_image_model( (string) $value );
+		}
+		if ( 'prautoblogger_image_style_template' === $option_name ) {
+			// Multi-line template: validation + textarea-safe sanitisation
+			// (incl. the single-token check, brief A5) lives in the filler.
+			return PRAutoBlogger_Image_Template_Filler::sanitize_for_save( (string) $value );
+		}
+		return sanitize_text_field( (string) $value );
+	}
+
+	/** Validate model id against the registry and persist the derived provider. */
+	private static function sanitize_image_model( string $value ): string {
+		$candidate = sanitize_text_field( $value );
+		$provider  = PRAutoBlogger_Image_Model_Registry::provider_for( $candidate );
+		if ( '' !== $provider ) {
+			update_option( 'prautoblogger_image_provider', $provider );
+			return $candidate;
+		}
+		add_settings_error( 'prautoblogger_image_model', 'prautoblogger_image_model_unknown', sprintf( esc_html__( 'Image model "%s" is not in the registry. Keeping the previous selection.', 'prautoblogger' ), esc_html( $candidate ) ) );
+		return (string) get_option( 'prautoblogger_image_model', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_IMAGE_MODEL );
+	}
+}

includes/admin/class-wp-cli-commands.php

@@ -8,6 +8,14 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
  */
 class PRAutoBlogger_WP_CLI_Commands {
 
+	/**
+	 * Max generate-tick iterations for the --sync loop (covers daily_article_target = 1
+	 * with ample headroom; prevents infinite loops if the queue never drains).
+	 *
+	 * @var int
+	 */
+	private const SYNC_MAX_TICKS = 20;
+
 	/**
 	 * Register WP-CLI commands.
 	 *
@@ -18,7 +26,22 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_WP_CLI_Commands {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		// Command: wp prautoblogger opik:eval
+		\WP_CLI::add_command(
+			'prautoblogger generate',
+			array( self::class, 'generate_command' ),
+			array(
+				'shortdesc' => 'Queue (or synchronously run) a new article generation run',
+				'synopsis'  => array(
+					array(
+						'type'        => 'flag',
+						'name'        => 'sync',
+						'description' => 'Run the full pipeline synchronously in this process (VPS orchestrator mode). Blocks until complete.',
+						'optional'    => true,
+					),
+				),
+			)
+		);
+
 		\WP_CLI::add_command(
 			'prautoblogger opik:eval',
 			array( self::class, 'opik_eval_command' ),
@@ -43,6 +66,148 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_WP_CLI_Commands {
 		);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Queue or synchronously run a new article generation run.
+	 *
+	 * Without --sync: routes through kick_off() (same as the board "New Article"
+	 * button). Returns immediately; all pipeline work happens in cron.
+	 *
+	 * With --sync: runs the pipeline synchronously in this SSH/CLI process.
+	 *   1. Acquires the generation lock (skips if a live run is in progress).
+	 *   2. Calls on_orchestrate_tick() to collect/score ideas in-process.
+	 *   3. Loops calling on_generate_tick() until the queue is empty or the run
+	 *      reaches a terminal state, up to SYNC_MAX_TICKS iterations.
+	 *   4. Emits a JSON summary line on stdout and exits 0 (success) or 1 (error).
+	 *
+	 * The --sync path suppresses wp-cron reschedule inside on_generate_tick() so
+	 * the external loop cannot race with a background cron tick.
+	 *
+	 * ## OPTIONS
+	 *
+	 * [--sync]
+	 * : Run synchronously (VPS orchestrator mode).
+	 *
+	 * ## EXAMPLES
+	 *
+	 *     wp prautoblogger generate
+	 *     wp prautoblogger generate --sync
+	 *
+	 * @param array $args       Positional args (unused).
+	 * @param array $assoc_args Associative args: sync.
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function generate_command( array $args, array $assoc_args ): void {
+		if ( isset( $assoc_args['sync'] ) ) {
+			self::run_sync();
+			return;
+		}
+
+		PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Runner::kick_off();
+		\WP_CLI::success( 'Generation queued on chained-cron checkpoints. Check the board or Activity Log for progress.' );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Run the full pipeline synchronously in this process (--sync mode).
+	 *
+	 * Called only from generate_command(); never from wp-cron or AJAX paths.
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	private static function run_sync(): void {
+		// Honour ignore_user_abort so a dropped SSH session does not kill us.
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.PHP.NoSilencedErrors.Discouraged
+		@ignore_user_abort( true );
+
+		// Check for a live (non-expired) lock. Generation_Lock::acquire() already
+		// cleans expired locks on its DELETE pass, so if acquire() returns false
+		// there is a genuinely live concurrent run — skip cleanly.
+		if ( ! PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::is_locked() ) {
+			// Lock is not held; proceed. acquire() is called inside on_orchestrate_tick().
+		} else {
+			$acquired_at = PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::get_acquired_at();
+			$age         = null !== $acquired_at ? ( time() - $acquired_at ) : HOUR_IN_SECONDS;
+			if ( $age < HOUR_IN_SECONDS ) {
+				\WP_CLI::log(
+					json_encode(
+						array(
+							'status' => 'skipped',
+							'reason' => 'run_in_progress',
+							'lock_age_s' => $age,
+						)
+					)
+				);
+				exit( 0 );
+			}
+			// Expired lock — on_orchestrate_tick()'s acquire() will clean it.
+		}
+
+		// Enable sync-mode: on_generate_tick() will skip the wp-cron reschedule.
+		PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Runner::set_sync_mode( true );
+
+		\WP_CLI::log( 'PRAB-SYNC: starting orchestrate tick' );
+		PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Runner::on_orchestrate_tick();
+
+		// If the orchestrate tick failed to acquire the lock or found no ideas,
+		// the RUN_ID option will be absent. Detect and exit cleanly.
+		$run_id = (string) get_option( 'prautoblogger_checkpoint_run_id', '' );
+		if ( '' === $run_id ) {
+			$queue = get_option( 'prautoblogger_article_queue' );
+			if ( ! is_array( $queue ) || empty( $queue['ideas'] ) ) {
+				\WP_CLI::log(
+					json_encode(
+						array(
+							'status' => 'done',
+							'generated' => 0,
+							'reason' => 'no_ideas_or_lock_failed',
+						)
+					)
+				);
+				exit( 0 );
+			}
+		}
+
+		// Tick loop: drive generate ticks synchronously.
+		$ticks = 0;
+		while ( $ticks < self::SYNC_MAX_TICKS ) {
+			$queue = get_option( 'prautoblogger_article_queue' );
+			if ( ! is_array( $queue ) || empty( $queue['ideas'] ) ) {
+				break; // Queue drained or finalized.
+			}
+			++$ticks;
+			\WP_CLI::log( sprintf( 'PRAB-SYNC: generate tick %d (ideas remaining: %d)', $ticks, count( $queue['ideas'] ) ) );
+			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Runner::on_generate_tick();
+		}
+
+		PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Runner::set_sync_mode( false );
+
+		if ( $ticks >= self::SYNC_MAX_TICKS ) {
+			\WP_CLI::warning( 'PRAB-SYNC: hit max-tick guard (' . self::SYNC_MAX_TICKS . '). Queue may not be fully drained.' );
+		}
+
+		// Read final status transient for summary.
+		$status = get_transient( 'prautoblogger_generation_status' );
+		$result = is_array( $status ) ? $status : array();
+
+		$summary = array(
+			'status'     => 'done',
+			'generated'  => (int) ( $result['generated'] ?? 0 ),
+			'published'  => (int) ( $result['published'] ?? 0 ),
+			'rejected'   => (int) ( $result['rejected'] ?? 0 ),
+			'cost_usd'   => round( (float) ( $result['cost'] ?? 0.0 ), 4 ),
+			'ticks'      => $ticks,
+		);
+
+		\WP_CLI::log( json_encode( $summary ) );
+
+		if ( 'error' === ( $result['status'] ?? '' ) ) {
+			\WP_CLI::error( 'PRAB-SYNC: generation completed with error: ' . ( $result['message'] ?? 'unknown' ), false );
+			exit( 1 );
+		}
+
+		\WP_CLI::success( 'PRAB-SYNC: generation complete.' );
+		exit( 0 );
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Run eval on the frozen dataset.
 	 *

includes/class-activator.php

@@ -80,7 +80,10 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Activator {
 			'prautoblogger_table_borders'        => '1',
 			'prautoblogger_schedule_time'        => '03:00',
 			'prautoblogger_log_level'            => 'info',
-			'prautoblogger_image_nsfw_retry'     => '1',
+			'prautoblogger_image_nsfw_retry'       => '1',
+			// M4 (v0.21.0): board column card limit + ideas page size -- settings-backed.
+			'prautoblogger_board_column_limit'     => PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_BOARD_COLUMN_LIMIT,
+			'prautoblogger_ideas_per_page'         => PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_IDEAS_PER_PAGE,
 		);
 
 		foreach ( $defaults as $key => $value ) {

includes/class-db-migrations.php

@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * One-time and version-gated DB/option migrations for PRAutoBlogger.
+ *
+ * Extracted from PRAutoBlogger (class-prautoblogger.php) in v0.19.2 so the
+ * main orchestrator stays under the 300-line cap. All migration logic lives
+ * here; the orchestrator holds thin proxy methods for backward compat.
+ *
+ * Each migration is idempotent: guarded by a stored option flag so it never
+ * runs more than once per site.
+ *
+ * Triggered by: PRAutoBlogger::on_check_db_version() (admin_init)
+ *               PRAutoBlogger::on_check_db_version_for_cron() (init, cron-only).
+ * Dependencies: PRAutoBlogger_Activator, PRAutoBlogger_Image_Model_Registry,
+ *               PRAutoBlogger_Encryption, PRAutoBlogger_Migrate_Remove_Cloudflare_V0100.
+ *
+ * @see class-prautoblogger.php   -- Orchestrator; holds proxy methods.
+ * @see class-activator.php       -- Schema install / activate logic called here.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md           -- DB version history and migration discipline.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_DB_Migrations {
+
+	/**
+	 * Run all pending migrations.
+	 *
+	 * Called on `admin_init` (and on `init` for cron contexts). Idempotent.
+	 *
+	 * Side effects: may update database schema and wp_options rows.
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function run(): void {
+		$stored_version = get_option( 'prautoblogger_db_version', '0' );
+		if ( version_compare( $stored_version, PRAUTOBLOGGER_DB_VERSION, '<' ) ) {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Activator::activate();
+		}
+
+		// One-time migration: switch to Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite for cost/speed.
+		if ( ! get_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_gemini_flash_lite' ) ) {
+			update_option( 'prautoblogger_analysis_model', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_ANALYSIS_MODEL );
+			update_option( 'prautoblogger_writing_model', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_WRITING_MODEL );
+			update_option( 'prautoblogger_editor_model', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_EDITOR_MODEL );
+			update_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_gemini_flash_lite', '1' );
+		}
+
+		// One-time migration (v0.8.0): the admin no longer has an independent
+		// Image Provider dropdown; provider is derived from the image model on
+		// save. Auto-heal any existing site where the saved provider doesn't
+		// match the saved model's provider. Runs once.
+		if ( ! get_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_image_provider_v080' ) ) {
+			$saved_model = (string) get_option( 'prautoblogger_image_model', '' );
+			$provider    = PRAutoBlogger_Image_Model_Registry::provider_for( $saved_model );
+			if ( '' !== $provider ) {
+				update_option( 'prautoblogger_image_provider', $provider );
+			}
+			update_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_image_provider_v080', '1' );
+		}
+
+		// One-time migration (v0.8.2): reschedule the daily-generation cron in
+		// the site's configured timezone. Pre-v0.8.2 activator interpreted the
+		// admin "Generation Time" input as UTC; after v0.8.2 it honours the
+		// site timezone. Clears the stale UTC-scheduled event and re-queues
+		// using the timezone-aware helper. See class-activator.php.
+		PRAutoBlogger_Activator::reschedule_daily_in_site_timezone_v082();
+
+		// One-time migration (v3): switch to single-panel newspaper comic style.
+		if ( ! get_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_style_suffix_v3' ) ) {
+			$known_old_prefixes = array(
+				'Style: a screengrab from a 1995',       // v1: infomercial.
+				'Style: premium scientific lifestyle',    // v2: photography.
+			);
+			$current            = get_option( 'prautoblogger_image_style_suffix', '' );
+			$is_old             = ( '' === $current );
+			foreach ( $known_old_prefixes as $prefix ) {
+				if ( false !== strpos( $current, $prefix ) ) {
+					$is_old = true;
+					break;
+				}
+			}
+			if ( $is_old ) {
+				update_option( 'prautoblogger_image_style_suffix', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_IMAGE_STYLE_SUFFIX );
+			}
+			update_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_style_suffix_v3', '1' );
+		}
+
+		// One-time migration (v4): remove caption-in-image instruction from style suffix.
+		if ( ! get_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_style_suffix_v4' ) ) {
+			$current = get_option( 'prautoblogger_image_style_suffix', '' );
+			if ( false !== strpos( $current, 'caption text in a clean sans-serif font below the panel' ) ) {
+				update_option( 'prautoblogger_image_style_suffix', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_IMAGE_STYLE_SUFFIX );
+			}
+			update_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_style_suffix_v4', '1' );
+		}
+
+		// One-time migration (v0.16.0): editorial pivot -- comic Style Suffix
+		// replaced by editorial Style Template. Old value mirrored to a
+		// deprecated-keyed option for one version cycle.
+		if ( ! get_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_style_template_v0160' ) ) {
+			$old_suffix = get_option( 'prautoblogger_image_style_suffix', '' );
+			if ( '' !== $old_suffix && false === get_option( 'prautoblogger_image_style_suffix_deprecated', false ) ) {
+				update_option( 'prautoblogger_image_style_suffix_deprecated', $old_suffix );
+			}
+			if ( '' === (string) get_option( 'prautoblogger_image_style_template', '' ) ) {
+				update_option( 'prautoblogger_image_style_template', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_IMAGE_STYLE_TEMPLATE );
+			}
+			update_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_style_template_v0160', '1' );
+		}
+
+		// v0.9.0 -- Runware as default image model. v0.10.0 -- remove CF Workers AI.
+		PRAutoBlogger_Activator::migrate_default_image_v090();
+		PRAutoBlogger_Migrate_Remove_Cloudflare_V0100::run();
+
+		// One-time migration: re-wrap existing encrypted values with "enc:" prefix.
+		if ( ! get_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_enc_prefix' ) ) {
+			$enc_options = array( 'prautoblogger_openrouter_api_key', 'prautoblogger_ga4_credentials_json', 'prautoblogger_runware_api_key' );
+			foreach ( $enc_options as $opt ) {
+				$val = get_option( $opt, '' );
+				if ( '' !== $val && ! PRAutoBlogger_Encryption::is_encrypted( $val ) ) {
+					delete_option( $opt );
+				}
+			}
+			update_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_enc_prefix', '1' );
+		}
+
+		// v0.22.1 self-heal: restore low-stakes maintenance cron events that were
+		// lost when the WP-Cron schedule vanished after the 06-15 deploy cycle.
+		// NOTE: wp-cron reliability on this Hostinger host is suspect (background
+		// PHP processes are killed at ~10 min). These low-stakes events (metrics,
+		// reaper, Runware sync) are acceptable on wp-cron; daily GENERATION is NOT
+		// re-registered here — the VPS systemd timer owns generation scheduling.
+		// The prautoblogger_migrated_schedule_tz_v082 guard is intentionally NOT
+		// re-used here; this migration targets the missing events themselves.
+		if ( ! get_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_maintenance_crons_v0221' ) ) {
+			// Re-register maintenance crons only — daily_generation deliberately excluded.
+			// Activator::schedule_cron() uses wp_next_scheduled() guards so it is
+			// idempotent and will not overwrite events that are already present.
+			if ( ! wp_next_scheduled( 'prautoblogger_reap_orphan_research_rows' ) ) {
+				$tomorrow_reap = strtotime( 'tomorrow 03:15' );
+				if ( false !== $tomorrow_reap ) {
+					wp_schedule_event( (int) $tomorrow_reap, 'daily', 'prautoblogger_reap_orphan_research_rows' );
+				}
+			}
+			if ( ! wp_next_scheduled( 'prautoblogger_collect_metrics' ) ) {
+				wp_schedule_event( time() + HOUR_IN_SECONDS, 'prautoblogger_six_hours', 'prautoblogger_collect_metrics' );
+			}
+			if ( ! wp_next_scheduled( 'prautoblogger_sync_runware_models' ) ) {
+				wp_schedule_event( time() + HOUR_IN_SECONDS, 'daily', 'prautoblogger_sync_runware_models' );
+			}
+			update_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_maintenance_crons_v0221', '1' );
+		}
+	}
+}

includes/class-executor.php

@@ -4,25 +4,26 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
 /**
  * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
  *
- * Cron/AJAX handlers for content generation, metrics collection, model registry.
+ * Cron handlers for content generation and metrics collection.
  *
+ * What: Daily generation, manual generation, queued-article processing,
+ *       and metrics collection cron handlers. AJAX generation handlers
+ *       live in PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Status_Poller (v0.18.3 split).
  * Triggered by: PRAutoBlogger hook registration.
  * Dependencies: Pipeline_Runner, Metrics_Collector, Generation_Lock, Logger.
  *
- * @see class-prautoblogger.php       — Hook wiring.
- * @see core/class-pipeline-runner.php — Actual generation pipeline.
- * @see class-generation-lock.php      — DB mutex.
+ * @see class-generation-status-poller.php — "Generate Now" AJAX + status poll.
+ * @see class-prautoblogger.php            — Hook wiring.
+ * @see core/class-pipeline-runner.php     — Actual generation pipeline.
+ * @see class-generation-lock.php          — DB mutex.
  */
 class PRAutoBlogger_Executor {
 
 	/** @var PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Model_Registry|null Lazy-loaded singleton. */
 	private ?PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Model_Registry $model_registry = null;
 
-	/** Transient key for background generation status. */
-	private const STATUS_TRANSIENT = 'prautoblogger_generation_status';
-
-	/** How long to keep the result available for polling (seconds). */
-	private const STATUS_TTL = 600;
+	/** @var PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Status_Poller|null Lazy-loaded poller. */
+	private ?PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Status_Poller $poller = null;
 
 	/**
 	 * Handle the daily generation cron event.
@@ -58,20 +59,6 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Executor {
 		}
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Mark this process's run failed after a fatal pipeline error
-	 * (no-op outside a run; a governor-halted run stays halted — final
-	 * states are sticky).
-	 *
-	 * @return void
-	 */
-	private function mark_current_run_failed(): void {
-		$run_id = PRAutoBlogger_Run_Context::current_run_id();
-		if ( null !== $run_id ) {
-			PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::mark_status( $run_id, 'failed' );
-		}
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Handle the metrics collection cron event.
 	 * Side effects: API calls to GA4, database writes to ab_content_scores.
@@ -89,144 +76,30 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Executor {
 
 	/**
 	 * AJAX handler: kick off manual generation as a background cron job.
-	 *
-	 * Returns immediately so the browser never hits Hostinger's 120-second
-	 * connection timeout. The frontend polls on_ajax_generation_status()
-	 * every few seconds to get progress and final results.
+	 * Delegates to PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Status_Poller.
 	 *
 	 * Side effects: schedules a WP-Cron event, writes a status transient.
 	 */
 	public function on_ajax_generate_now(): void {
-		check_ajax_referer( 'prautoblogger_generate_now', 'nonce' );
-
-		if ( ! current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) {
-			wp_send_json_error( array( 'message' => __( 'Insufficient permissions.', 'prautoblogger' ) ), 403 );
-			return;
-		}
-
-		$force = isset( $_POST['force'] ) && '1' === $_POST['force'];
-		if ( $force ) {
-			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::release();
-			delete_transient( self::STATUS_TRANSIENT );
-		}
-
-		// Check if a run is already in progress.
-		$current = get_transient( self::STATUS_TRANSIENT );
-		if ( is_array( $current ) && 'running' === ( $current['status'] ?? '' ) ) {
-			wp_send_json_success(
-				array(
-					'background' => true,
-					'message'    => __( 'Generation already in progress.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				)
-			);
-			return;
-		}
-
-		// Write initial "running" status for the frontend to poll.
-		set_transient(
-			self::STATUS_TRANSIENT,
-			array(
-				'status'       => 'running',
-				'stage'        => __( 'Starting generation...', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'started'      => time(),
-				'last_updated' => time(),
-			),
-			self::STATUS_TTL
-		);
-
-		// Schedule immediate one-shot cron event. WordPress will fire this
-		// on the next page load (or via wp-cron.php) in a separate PHP process
-		// that is not subject to the 120-second connection timeout.
-		if ( ! wp_next_scheduled( 'prautoblogger_manual_generation' ) ) {
-			wp_schedule_single_event( time(), 'prautoblogger_manual_generation' );
-		}
-
-		// Spawn the cron immediately via a non-blocking loopback request
-		// so we don't depend on the next visitor to trigger it.
-		spawn_cron();
-
-		// Direct non-blocking loopback to wp-cron.php — ensures the event
-		// fires even if DISABLE_WP_CRON is true or spawn_cron() no-ops.
-		wp_remote_post(
-			site_url( 'wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron=' . sprintf( '%.22F', microtime( true ) ) ),
-			array(
-				'timeout'   => 0.01,
-				'blocking'  => false,
-				'sslverify' => false,
-			)
-		);
-
-		wp_send_json_success(
-			array(
-				'background' => true,
-				'message'    => __( 'Generation started in background. Polling for status...', 'prautoblogger' ),
-			)
-		);
+		$this->poller()->on_ajax_generate_now();
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Cron handler: runs pipeline orchestration + first article.
+	 * Cron handler: kick off the chained-cron orchestration tick (v0.21.0, M4).
 	 *
-	 * If the pipeline queues additional articles (2..N), they will fire as
-	 * chained cron events — each in its own PHP process. The lock is released
-	 * by the pipeline when the last article completes, not here.
+	 * Delegates to Generation_Checkpoint_Runner::on_orchestrate_tick() which
+	 * runs Tick 1 (collect -> analyze -> score), then schedules Tick 2..N for
+	 * article generation. This replaces the former monolithic pipeline run and
+	 * retires the SSH-only `do_action("prautoblogger_manual_generation")` workaround
+	 * (see ARCHITECTURE.md ss25).
+	 *
+	 * Lock acquisition and status transient writes are fully owned by the
+	 * checkpoint runner; this method is a thin routing wrapper.
+	 *
+	 * @return void
 	 */
 	public function on_manual_generation(): void {
-		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.PHP.NoSilencedErrors.Discouraged
-		@ignore_user_abort( true );
-		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.PHP.NoSilencedErrors.Discouraged
-		@set_time_limit( 300 );
-
-		if ( ! PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::acquire() ) {
-			set_transient(
-				self::STATUS_TRANSIENT,
-				array(
-					'status'  => 'error',
-					'message' => __( 'Could not acquire generation lock. Another run may be in progress.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				),
-				self::STATUS_TTL
-			);
-			return;
-		}
-
-		try {
-			$this->update_generation_stage( __( 'Collecting sources from Reddit...', 'prautoblogger' ) );
-
-			$runner  = ( new PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Runner() )->set_skip_dedup( true );
-			$results = $runner->run();
-
-			// If no articles were queued (target=1 or 0 ideas), finalize here.
-			// When articles ARE queued, the pipeline handles status + lock release.
-			if ( ! get_option( 'prautoblogger_article_queue' ) ) {
-				set_transient(
-					self::STATUS_TRANSIENT,
-					array(
-						'status'    => 'complete',
-						'generated' => $results['generated'],
-						'published' => $results['published'],
-						'rejected'  => $results['rejected'],
-						'cost'      => $results['cost'],
-					),
-					self::STATUS_TTL
-				);
-				PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::release();
-			}
-		} catch ( \Throwable $e ) {
-			PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->error(
-				sprintf( 'Manual generation %s: %s', get_class( $e ), $e->getMessage() ),
-				'pipeline'
-			);
-			set_transient(
-				self::STATUS_TRANSIENT,
-				array(
-					'status'  => 'error',
-					'message' => $e->getMessage(),
-				),
-				self::STATUS_TTL
-			);
-			$this->mark_current_run_failed();
-			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::release();
-		}
+		PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Runner::on_orchestrate_tick();
 	}
 
 	/** Cron handler: process next queued article. Chained by Pipeline_Runner. */
@@ -247,89 +120,44 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Executor {
 			delete_option( 'prautoblogger_article_queue' );
 			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::release();
 			set_transient(
-				self::STATUS_TRANSIENT,
+				PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Status_Poller::STATUS_TRANSIENT,
 				array(
 					'status'  => 'error',
 					'message' => $e->getMessage(),
 				),
-				self::STATUS_TTL
+				PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Status_Poller::STATUS_TTL
 			);
 		}
 	}
 
-	/** AJAX: return generation status for frontend polling. Recovers orphaned runs. */
+	/** AJAX: return generation status for frontend polling. Delegates to poller. */
 	public function on_ajax_generation_status(): void {
-		check_ajax_referer( 'prautoblogger_generate_now', 'nonce' );
-		if ( ! current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) {
-			wp_send_json_error( array( 'message' => __( 'Insufficient permissions.', 'prautoblogger' ) ), 403 );
-			return;
-		}
-
-		$status = get_transient( self::STATUS_TRANSIENT );
-		if ( ! is_array( $status ) ) {
-			wp_send_json_success( array( 'status' => 'idle' ) );
-			return;
-		}
-
-		if ( 'running' === $status['status'] ) {
-			$elapsed = time() - ( $status['started'] ?? 0 );
-
-			// Absolute timeout — give up after 10 minutes.
-			if ( $elapsed > self::STATUS_TTL ) {
-				$this->abort_orphaned_run( __( 'Generation timed out. Check the Activity Log.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
-				return;
-			}
-
-			// After 90s, check if a queued job died and needs re-scheduling.
-			if ( $elapsed > 90 && get_option( 'prautoblogger_article_queue' ) ) {
-				if ( ! wp_next_scheduled( PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Runner::CRON_ACTION ) ) {
-					wp_schedule_single_event( time(), PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Runner::CRON_ACTION );
-					spawn_cron();
-				}
-			}
-
-			// Stall = 5 min since last stage update (not since start).
-			$last_activity = $status['last_updated'] ?? $status['started'] ?? 0;
-			$idle_seconds  = time() - $last_activity;
-			if ( $idle_seconds > 300 ) {
-				$this->abort_orphaned_run( __( 'Generation stalled. Check Activity Log.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
-				return;
-			}
-		}
-
-		wp_send_json_success( $status );
-	}
-
-	/** Clean up an orphaned generation run and report error. */
-	private function abort_orphaned_run( string $message ): void {
-		// v0.18.0: the dead run renders as failed/"incomplete" in audit
-		// queries instead of silently lingering as 'running'.
-		$queue = get_option( 'prautoblogger_article_queue' );
-		if ( is_array( $queue ) && ! empty( $queue['run_id'] ) ) {
-			PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::mark_status( (string) $queue['run_id'], 'failed' );
-		}
-		delete_transient( self::STATUS_TRANSIENT );
-		delete_option( 'prautoblogger_article_queue' );
-		PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::release();
-		wp_send_json_success(
-			array(
-				'status'  => 'error',
-				'message' => $message,
-			)
-		);
+		$this->poller()->on_ajax_generation_status();
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Helper: update the generation stage for frontend polling.
+	 * Lazy-load the generation status poller.
 	 *
-	 * @param string $stage Human-readable stage description.
+	 * @return PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Status_Poller
 	 */
-	private function update_generation_stage( string $stage ): void {
-		$current = get_transient( self::STATUS_TRANSIENT );
-		if ( is_array( $current ) ) {
-			$current['stage']        = $stage;
-			$current['last_updated'] = time();
-			set_transient( self::STATUS_TRANSIENT, $current, self::STATUS_TTL );
+	private function poller(): PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Status_Poller {
+		if ( null === $this->poller ) {
+			$this->poller = new PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Status_Poller();
+		}
+		return $this->poller;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Mark this process's run failed after a fatal pipeline error
+	 * (no-op outside a run; a governor-halted run stays halted — final
+	 * states are sticky).
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	private function mark_current_run_failed(): void {
+		$run_id = PRAutoBlogger_Run_Context::current_run_id();
+		if ( null !== $run_id ) {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::mark_status( $run_id, 'failed' );
 		}
 	}
 

includes/class-generation-lock.php

@@ -76,6 +76,29 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock {
 		return null !== $row;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Get the Unix timestamp when the lock was acquired, or null if not held.
+	 *
+	 * Returns null when the lock is not set. The timestamp is the value written
+	 * by acquire() — used by the status poller to detect infrastructure-timeout
+	 * runs (lock held longer than STATUS_TTL → background PHP process died).
+	 *
+	 * @return int|null Unix timestamp, or null when the lock is absent.
+	 */
+	public static function get_acquired_at(): ?int {
+		global $wpdb;
+
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching
+		$row = $wpdb->get_var(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"SELECT option_value FROM {$wpdb->options} WHERE option_name = %s LIMIT 1",
+				self::LOCK_NAME
+			)
+		);
+
+		return null !== $row ? (int) $row : null;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Release the generation mutex.
 	 *

includes/class-generation-status-poller.php

@@ -0,0 +1,260 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * AJAX handlers for "Generate Now" + status polling.
+ *
+ * What: Two AJAX endpoints: kick-off (fire-and-forget cron spawn) and the
+ *       status poll that drives the admin UI spinner. Extracted from
+ *       PRAutoBlogger_Executor in v0.18.3 to keep each file under 300 lines.
+ *
+ * R2/R3 resilience (v0.18.3):
+ *   - R2(a): on_ajax_generate_now() renews the transient with the
+ *     full STATUS_TTL on every stage update via update_generation_stage().
+ *   - R2(b): on_ajax_generation_status() detects lock-held-but-transient-gone
+ *     when the lock has been held > STATUS_TTL seconds (Hostinger background-
+ *     process death); marks the stuck run failed + surfaces a human-readable
+ *     "infrastructure timeout" message for the Activity Log.
+ *   - R3: on_ajax_generation_status() returns status:running (with
+ *     started_at) when the transient is absent but the lock IS held and
+ *     within TTL — so the button reflects reality during long runs rather
+ *     than silently resetting to idle.
+ *
+ * Who calls it: PRAutoBlogger hook registration (wp_ajax_prautoblogger_*).
+ * Dependencies: PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock, PRAutoBlogger_Run_State,
+ *               PRAutoBlogger_Run_Context, PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Runner,
+ *               PRAutoBlogger_Logger.
+ *
+ * @see class-executor.php         — Cron handlers (daily, manual, queued).
+ * @see class-generation-lock.php  — DB mutex (acquire/release/timestamps).
+ * @see core/class-pipeline-status.php — Transient broadcast helpers.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md #21        — Run lifecycle and reaper design.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Status_Poller {
+
+	/** Transient key for background generation status (shared with Pipeline_Status). */
+	public const STATUS_TRANSIENT = 'prautoblogger_generation_status';
+
+	/**
+	 * How long (seconds) to keep the status transient readable.
+	 * Renewed on every stage transition so a long run doesn't expire it early.
+	 */
+	public const STATUS_TTL = 600;
+
+	/**
+	 * AJAX handler: kick off manual generation as a background cron job.
+	 *
+	 * Returns immediately so the browser never hits Hostinger's connection
+	 * timeout. The frontend polls on_ajax_generation_status() every few
+	 * seconds for progress and final results.
+	 *
+	 * Side effects: schedules a WP-Cron event, writes a status transient.
+	 */
+	public function on_ajax_generate_now(): void {
+		check_ajax_referer( 'prautoblogger_generate_now', 'nonce' );
+
+		if ( ! current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) {
+			wp_send_json_error( array( 'message' => __( 'Insufficient permissions.', 'prautoblogger' ) ), 403 );
+			return;
+		}
+
+		$force = isset( $_POST['force'] ) && '1' === $_POST['force'];
+		if ( $force ) {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::release();
+			delete_transient( self::STATUS_TRANSIENT );
+		}
+
+		// Check if a run is already in progress.
+		$current = get_transient( self::STATUS_TRANSIENT );
+		if ( is_array( $current ) && 'running' === ( $current['status'] ?? '' ) ) {
+			wp_send_json_success(
+				array(
+					'background' => true,
+					'message'    => __( 'Generation already in progress.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				)
+			);
+			return;
+		}
+
+		// Write initial "running" status for the frontend to poll.
+		set_transient(
+			self::STATUS_TRANSIENT,
+			array(
+				'status'       => 'running',
+				'stage'        => __( 'Starting generation...', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'started'      => time(),
+				'last_updated' => time(),
+			),
+			self::STATUS_TTL
+		);
+
+		// Schedule immediate one-shot cron event. WordPress will fire this
+		// on the next page load (or via wp-cron.php) in a separate PHP process
+		// not subject to the connection timeout.
+		if ( ! wp_next_scheduled( 'prautoblogger_manual_generation' ) ) {
+			wp_schedule_single_event( time(), 'prautoblogger_manual_generation' );
+		}
+
+		// Spawn the cron immediately via a non-blocking loopback request
+		// so we don't depend on the next visitor to trigger it.
+		spawn_cron();
+
+		// Direct non-blocking loopback to wp-cron.php — ensures the event
+		// fires even if DISABLE_WP_CRON is true or spawn_cron() no-ops.
+		wp_remote_post(
+			site_url( 'wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron=' . sprintf( '%.22F', microtime( true ) ) ),
+			array(
+				'timeout'   => 0.01,
+				'blocking'  => false,
+				'sslverify' => false,
+			)
+		);
+
+		wp_send_json_success(
+			array(
+				'background' => true,
+				'message'    => __( 'Generation started in background. Polling for status...', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			)
+		);
+	}
+
+	/** AJAX: return generation status for frontend polling. Recovers orphaned runs. */
+	public function on_ajax_generation_status(): void {
+		check_ajax_referer( 'prautoblogger_generate_now', 'nonce' );
+		if ( ! current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) {
+			wp_send_json_error( array( 'message' => __( 'Insufficient permissions.', 'prautoblogger' ) ), 403 );
+			return;
+		}
+
+		$status = get_transient( self::STATUS_TRANSIENT );
+
+		// R2(b) + R3: transient is gone — check the lock before returning idle.
+		if ( ! is_array( $status ) ) {
+			$this->handle_missing_transient();
+			return;
+		}
+
+		if ( 'running' === $status['status'] ) {
+			$elapsed = time() - ( $status['started'] ?? 0 );
+
+			// Absolute timeout — give up after STATUS_TTL.
+			if ( $elapsed > self::STATUS_TTL ) {
+				$this->abort_orphaned_run( __( 'Generation timed out. Check the Activity Log.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+				return;
+			}
+
+			// After 90s, check if a queued job died and needs re-scheduling.
+			if ( $elapsed > 90 && get_option( 'prautoblogger_article_queue' ) ) {
+				if ( ! wp_next_scheduled( PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Runner::CRON_ACTION ) ) {
+					wp_schedule_single_event( time(), PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Runner::CRON_ACTION );
+					spawn_cron();
+				}
+			}
+
+			// Stall = 5 min since last stage update (not since start).
+			$last_activity = $status['last_updated'] ?? $status['started'] ?? 0;
+			$idle_seconds  = time() - $last_activity;
+			if ( $idle_seconds > 300 ) {
+				$this->abort_orphaned_run( __( 'Generation stalled. Check Activity Log.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+				return;
+			}
+		}
+
+		wp_send_json_success( $status );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Handle the case where the status transient is absent.
+	 *
+	 * R3: if lock is HELD and within TTL → return status:running so the
+	 *     button reflects reality during long background runs.
+	 * R2(b): if lock is held but has been held > STATUS_TTL → the background
+	 *     PHP process died without releasing it; mark the run failed and
+	 *     surface "infrastructure timeout" to the UI.
+	 *
+	 * @return void Sends JSON and exits.
+	 */
+	private function handle_missing_transient(): void {
+		$acquired_at = PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::get_acquired_at();
+
+		if ( null === $acquired_at ) {
+			// Lock not held — genuinely idle.
+			wp_send_json_success( array( 'status' => 'idle' ) );
+			return;
+		}
+
+		$lock_age = time() - $acquired_at;
+
+		if ( $lock_age > self::STATUS_TTL ) {
+			// Lock held longer than STATUS_TTL: background process died.
+			// R2(b): mark the stuck run failed + surface a clear error.
+			PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->warning(
+				sprintf(
+					'Status transient absent and lock held for %ds (> %ds TTL) — background process died; marking run failed.',
+					$lock_age,
+					self::STATUS_TTL
+				),
+				'pipeline'
+			);
+			$this->abort_orphaned_run(
+				__( 'Generation failed — infrastructure timeout. Check Activity Log for details.', 'prautoblogger' )
+			);
+			return;
+		}
+
+		// R3: lock is fresh (within TTL) but transient is gone — long run in
+		// progress (pipeline broadcast hasn't fired yet, or transient was
+		// evicted by object-cache pressure). Return running so the button
+		// does not silently reset to idle.
+		wp_send_json_success(
+			array(
+				'status'       => 'running',
+				'stage'        => __( 'Generation in progress (background). Check Activity Log for details.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'started'      => $acquired_at,
+				'last_updated' => $acquired_at,
+			)
+		);
+	}
+
+	/** Clean up an orphaned generation run and report error. */
+	private function abort_orphaned_run( string $message ): void {
+		// Mark the stuck run as failed in the audit ledger.
+		$queue = get_option( 'prautoblogger_article_queue' );
+		if ( is_array( $queue ) && ! empty( $queue['run_id'] ) ) {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::mark_status( (string) $queue['run_id'], 'failed' );
+		}
+		// Also attempt to close the current active run from Run_Context.
+		$run_id = PRAutoBlogger_Run_Context::current_run_id();
+		if ( null !== $run_id ) {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::mark_status( $run_id, 'failed' );
+		}
+		delete_transient( self::STATUS_TRANSIENT );
+		delete_option( 'prautoblogger_article_queue' );
+		PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::release();
+		wp_send_json_success(
+			array(
+				'status'  => 'error',
+				'message' => $message,
+			)
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Update the generation stage text for frontend polling.
+	 * Renews the transient TTL at every call so a long run doesn't expire it.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $stage Human-readable stage description.
+	 */
+	public function update_generation_stage( string $stage ): void {
+		$current = get_transient( self::STATUS_TRANSIENT );
+		if ( is_array( $current ) ) {
+			$current['stage']        = $stage;
+			$current['last_updated'] = time();
+			// R2(a): renew the TTL on every stage update so the transient
+			// outlives any single LLM call (STATUS_TTL from last activity).
+			set_transient( self::STATUS_TRANSIENT, $current, self::STATUS_TTL );
+		}
+	}
+}

includes/class-pipeline-schema-installer.php

@@ -4,12 +4,14 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
 /**
  * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
  *
- * Creates / updates the Pipeline v2 substrate tables via `dbDelta` (db 1.2.0).
+ * Creates / updates the Pipeline v2 substrate tables via `dbDelta` (db 1.3.0).
  *
- * What: Owns the five v0.18.0 substrate tables — the versioned prompt
+ * What: Owns the six pipeline substrate tables — the versioned prompt
  *       registry (`prompts`), the audit child tables (`run_sources`,
  *       `run_decisions`), and the run ledger / state machine tables
- *       (`runs`, `run_stages`). Kept separate from the original
+ *       (`runs`, `run_stages`), and the immutable stage-input version
+ *       store (`stage_inputs`, v0.20.0 / db 1.3.0 — edit + re-run forks
+ *       and idea seeds). Kept separate from the original
  *       PRAutoBlogger_Schema_Installer so both classes stay under the
  *       300-line cap and the v1.1.0 schema remains byte-stable.
  * Who triggers it: PRAutoBlogger_Activator::activate() — on activation and
@@ -33,7 +35,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Schema_Installer {
 	 * plugin's forward-only schema policy. Safe to re-run on every
 	 * version mismatch.
 	 *
-	 * Side effects: up to five CREATE TABLE / ALTER TABLE statements.
+	 * Side effects: up to six CREATE TABLE / ALTER TABLE statements.
 	 *
 	 * @return void
 	 */
@@ -91,6 +93,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Schema_Installer {
 			verdict VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
 			rationale TEXT DEFAULT NULL,
 			citation_score FLOAT DEFAULT NULL,
+			human_modified TINYINT(1) NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
 			created_at DATETIME NOT NULL,
 			PRIMARY KEY (id),
 			KEY run_id (run_id)
@@ -112,7 +115,8 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Schema_Installer {
 			updated_at DATETIME NOT NULL,
 			finished_at DATETIME DEFAULT NULL,
 			PRIMARY KEY (run_id),
-			KEY status (status)
+			KEY status (status),
+			KEY started_at (started_at)
 		) {$charset_collate};";
 
 		// Per-run per-stage state rows. The idempotency key is
@@ -130,6 +134,8 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Schema_Installer {
 			attempt SMALLINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL DEFAULT 1,
 			cost_usd DECIMAL(10,6) NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
 			meta_json LONGTEXT DEFAULT NULL,
+			human_modified TINYINT(1) NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
+			stale TINYINT(1) NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
 			started_at DATETIME NOT NULL,
 			updated_at DATETIME NOT NULL,
 			finished_at DATETIME DEFAULT NULL,
@@ -138,10 +144,37 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Schema_Installer {
 			KEY status_updated (status, updated_at)
 		) {$charset_collate};";
 
+		// Immutable stage-input version store (v0.20.0 / db 1.3.0, M3
+		// edit + re-run). Rows are INSERT-only: a human edit creates the
+		// next (scope, version) row -- the original input (the
+		// generation_log.request_json of the executed call) is never
+		// overwritten (CPO guardrail 1). source='seed' rows persist the
+		// Article_Idea payload at worker start so re-run-from-here can
+		// reconstruct the exact idea (item_key hash stability); 'human'
+		// rows are edit forks. Human fork bodies are retention-pruned
+		// like all heavy payloads; seed rows (~1KB) are structural and
+		// kept for the life of the run.
+		$sql_stage_inputs = "CREATE TABLE {$prefix}stage_inputs (
+			id BIGINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
+			run_id VARCHAR(36) NOT NULL,
+			stage VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+			agent_role VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+			item_key VARCHAR(64) NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+			version INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL DEFAULT 1,
+			source VARCHAR(20) NOT NULL DEFAULT 'human',
+			request_json LONGTEXT DEFAULT NULL,
+			author VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+			created_at DATETIME NOT NULL,
+			PRIMARY KEY (id),
+			UNIQUE KEY scope_version (run_id, stage, agent_role, item_key, version),
+			KEY run_id (run_id)
+		) {$charset_collate};";
+
 		dbDelta( $sql_prompts );
 		dbDelta( $sql_run_sources );
 		dbDelta( $sql_run_decisions );
 		dbDelta( $sql_runs );
 		dbDelta( $sql_run_stages );
+		dbDelta( $sql_stage_inputs );
 	}
 }

includes/class-prautoblogger.php

@@ -6,20 +6,12 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
  *
  * Main orchestrator for the PRAutoBlogger plugin.
  *
- * Registers all WordPress hooks (actions and filters) and wires up dependencies.
- * This is the ONLY place hooks are registered — individual classes contain only
- * business logic, not hook registration.
+ * Registers all WordPress hooks and wires up dependencies.
+ * DB/option migrations extracted to PRAutoBlogger_DB_Migrations (v0.19.2).
  *
- * Triggered by: prautoblogger() singleton in prautoblogger.php, called on `plugins_loaded`.
- * Dependencies: All other plugin classes (loaded via autoloader), PRAutoBlogger_Executor.
- *
- * @see prautoblogger.php                     — Plugin bootstrap that instantiates this class.
- * @see class-executor.php                    — Cron/AJAX handlers for generation, model registry.
- * @see class-ajax-handlers.php               — Non-generation AJAX endpoints (images, models, test).
- * @see class-generation-lock.php             — DB mutex for single-writer generation.
- * @see core/class-pipeline-runner.php         — Executes the generation pipeline.
- * @see ARCHITECTURE.md                        — Data flow diagram showing how classes interact.
- * @see CONVENTIONS.md                         — Hook naming conventions.
+ * @see prautoblogger.php             -- Plugin bootstrap.
+ * @see class-db-migrations.php       -- One-time DB/option migrations.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md               -- Data flow diagram.
  */
 class PRAutoBlogger {
 
@@ -28,14 +20,12 @@ class PRAutoBlogger {
 	/** @var PRAutoBlogger_Executor Handles generation cron/AJAX, model registry. */
 	private PRAutoBlogger_Executor $executor;
 
-	/** @var PRAutoBlogger_Ajax_Handlers Handles non-generation AJAX (images, models, test). */
+	/** @var PRAutoBlogger_Ajax_Handlers Handles non-generation AJAX. */
 	private PRAutoBlogger_Ajax_Handlers $ajax_handlers;
 
 	/**
 	 * Register all hooks and initialize the plugin.
 	 * Called once on `plugins_loaded`. Idempotent.
-	 *
-	 * Side effects: registers WordPress actions and filters.
 	 */
 	public function run(): void {
 		if ( $this->initialized ) {
@@ -46,9 +36,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger {
 		$this->ajax_handlers = new PRAutoBlogger_Ajax_Handlers( $this->executor->get_model_registry() );
 
 		add_action( 'admin_init', array( $this, 'on_check_db_version' ) );
-		// v0.18.0: cron requests must also self-heal the schema — after a
-		// deploy, scheduled generation can run before any admin page load,
-		// and new-column inserts would silently fail on the old schema.
+		// v0.18.0: cron requests must also self-heal the schema.
 		add_action( 'init', array( $this, 'on_check_db_version_for_cron' ) );
 		add_filter( 'cron_schedules', array( $this, 'filter_add_cron_schedules' ) );
 
@@ -65,13 +53,30 @@ class PRAutoBlogger {
 		do_action( 'prautoblogger_loaded' );
 	}
 
-	/** Register admin-only hooks (settings, notices, metabox, dashboard widget). */
+	/**
+	 * Register admin-only hooks (settings, notices, metabox, board, dossier, widget).
+	 *
+	 * Menu-ordering rule (v0.19.1): parent menu must register at priority 10 before
+	 * any submenu (priority 11+). WordPress resolves the submenu hookname via
+	 * get_plugin_page_hookname() at add_submenu_page() time; if the parent slot in
+	 * $admin_page_hooks is unset, WP falls back to admin_page_* -> 404 at request
+	 * time. See ARCHITECTURE.md §Board for the full trace.
+	 */
 	private function register_admin_hooks(): void {
 		$admin_page = new PRAutoBlogger_Admin_Page();
-		add_action( 'admin_menu', array( $admin_page, 'on_register_menu' ) );
+		add_action( 'admin_menu', array( $admin_page, 'on_register_menu' ), 10 );
 		add_action( 'admin_init', array( $admin_page, 'on_register_settings' ) );
 		add_action( 'admin_enqueue_scripts', array( $admin_page, 'on_enqueue_assets' ) );
 
+		$board_page = new PRAutoBlogger_Board_Page();
+		add_action( 'admin_menu', array( $board_page, 'on_register_menu' ), 11 );
+		add_action( 'admin_enqueue_scripts', array( $board_page, 'on_enqueue_assets' ) );
+
+		// Dossier: link-accessed hidden submenu, priority 12 (after board).
+		$dossier_page = new PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Page();
+		add_action( 'admin_menu', array( $dossier_page, 'on_register_menu' ), 12 );
+		add_action( 'admin_enqueue_scripts', array( $dossier_page, 'on_enqueue_assets' ) );
+
 		add_action( 'admin_notices', array( new PRAutoBlogger_Admin_Notices(), 'on_display_notices' ) );
 		add_action( 'add_meta_boxes', array( new PRAutoBlogger_Post_Metabox(), 'on_register_metabox' ) );
 		add_action( 'admin_menu', array( new PRAutoBlogger_Metrics_Page(), 'on_register_menu' ) );
@@ -86,7 +91,6 @@ class PRAutoBlogger {
 
 		( new PRAutoBlogger_Post_List_Columns() )->register();
 
-		// Block false update notifications — our slug collides with another plugin.
 		add_filter( 'site_transient_update_plugins', array( $this, 'filter_block_false_updates' ) );
 	}
 
@@ -106,13 +110,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger {
 	private function register_cron_hooks(): void {
 		add_action( 'prautoblogger_daily_generation', array( $this->executor, 'on_daily_generation' ) );
 		add_action( 'prautoblogger_collect_metrics', array( $this->executor, 'on_collect_metrics' ) );
-
-		// Manual "Generate Now" runs as a one-shot cron event to avoid
-		// Hostinger's 120-second web-server connection timeout.
 		add_action( 'prautoblogger_manual_generation', array( $this->executor, 'on_manual_generation' ) );
-
-		// Chained article generation — each queued article fires as its own
-		// cron event so it gets a fresh PHP process and execution time budget.
 		add_action(
 			PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Runner::CRON_ACTION,
 			array( $this->executor, 'on_process_article_queue' )
@@ -120,59 +118,48 @@ class PRAutoBlogger {
 
 		$registry = $this->executor->get_model_registry();
 		add_action( 'prautoblogger_refresh_model_registry', array( $registry, 'refresh' ) );
-		// v0.15.0: daily Runware model catalog sync to keep the live model list fresh.
 		add_action( 'prautoblogger_sync_runware_models', array( new PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Model_Catalog(), 'sync' ) );
 
-		// Opik observability: async trace/span dispatch.
 		add_action(
 			'prautoblogger_opik_dispatch',
 			static function (): void {
 				if ( ! defined( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_OPIK_API_KEY' ) || empty( PRAUTOBLOGGER_OPIK_API_KEY ) ) {
 					return;
 				}
-				$client = new PRAutoBlogger_Opik_Client(
+				$client     = new PRAutoBlogger_Opik_Client(
 					PRAUTOBLOGGER_OPIK_API_KEY,
 					PRAUTOBLOGGER_OPIK_WORKSPACE,
 					PRAUTOBLOGGER_OPIK_URL_OVERRIDE
 				);
-				$queue = new PRAutoBlogger_Opik_Span_Queue();
-				$dispatcher = new PRAutoBlogger_Opik_Dispatcher( $client, $queue );
+				$dispatcher = new PRAutoBlogger_Opik_Dispatcher( $client, new PRAutoBlogger_Opik_Span_Queue() );
 				$dispatcher->dispatch();
 				update_option( 'prautoblogger_opik_last_dispatch', time() );
 			}
 		);
 
-		// Opik settings registration.
 		if ( is_admin() ) {
 			new PRAutoBlogger_Opik_Settings();
 		}
 
-		// Single-idea generation from the Ideas browser page.
+		// v0.20.0 (M3): operator re-run jobs — chained-cron, never synchronous.
+		$rerun_executor = new PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Executor();
+		add_action( PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Executor::REPLAY_ACTION, array( $rerun_executor, 'on_replay_job' ), 10, 5 );
+		add_action( PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Executor::REBUILD_ACTION, array( $rerun_executor, 'on_rebuild_job' ), 10, 4 );
+
+		// v0.21.0 (M4): chained-cron checkpoint ticks for new article generation.
+		add_action( PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Runner::ORCHESTRATE_ACTION, array( 'PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Runner', 'on_orchestrate_tick' ) );
+		add_action( PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Runner::GENERATE_ACTION, array( 'PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Runner', 'on_generate_tick' ) );
+
 		add_action( 'prautoblogger_generate_from_idea', array( 'PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser', 'on_cron_generate_from_idea' ) );
-
-		// v0.8.1: daily reaper for orphan `llm_research` rows (when a
-		// pipeline dies before amortize_research_costs runs).
 		add_action( 'prautoblogger_reap_orphan_research_rows', array( 'PRAutoBlogger_Research_Reaper', 'on_cron' ) );
-
-		// v0.18.0: stuck-run sweep + audit-payload retention rides the SAME
-		// existing daily cron (no new schedule). See class-run-reaper.php.
 		add_action( 'prautoblogger_reap_orphan_research_rows', array( 'PRAutoBlogger_Run_Reaper', 'on_cron' ) );
 
-		// v0.8.1: WP-CLI manual trigger for the reaper. Only registers when
-		// WP-CLI is present; no-op in normal HTTP requests.
 		if ( defined( 'WP_CLI' ) && WP_CLI ) {
 			\WP_CLI::add_command(
 				'prautoblogger reap-research',
 				static function (): void {
 					$stats = PRAutoBlogger_Research_Reaper::reap();
-					\WP_CLI::success(
-						sprintf(
-							'Reaped %d, deleted %d (stale), skipped %d.',
-							(int) $stats['reaped'],
-							(int) $stats['deleted'],
-							(int) $stats['skipped']
-						)
-					);
+					\WP_CLI::success( sprintf( 'Reaped %d, deleted %d, skipped %d.', (int) $stats['reaped'], (int) $stats['deleted'], (int) $stats['skipped'] ) );
 				}
 			);
 		}
@@ -180,11 +167,9 @@ class PRAutoBlogger {
 
 	/** Register AJAX handlers for admin actions. */
 	private function register_ajax_hooks(): void {
-		// Generation AJAX (start + status polling) stays on executor.
 		add_action( 'wp_ajax_prautoblogger_generate_now', array( $this->executor, 'on_ajax_generate_now' ) );
 		add_action( 'wp_ajax_prautoblogger_generation_status', array( $this->executor, 'on_ajax_generation_status' ) );
 
-		// Non-generation AJAX (images, models, test) on dedicated handler.
 		add_action( 'wp_ajax_prautoblogger_generate_image', array( $this->ajax_handlers, 'on_ajax_generate_image' ) );
 		add_action( 'wp_ajax_prautoblogger_test_connection', array( $this->ajax_handlers, 'on_ajax_test_connection' ) );
 		add_action( 'wp_ajax_prautoblogger_get_models', array( $this->ajax_handlers, 'on_ajax_get_models' ) );
@@ -196,6 +181,14 @@ class PRAutoBlogger {
 		add_action( 'wp_ajax_prautoblogger_reject_post', array( $review_queue, 'on_ajax_reject_post' ) );
 
 		add_action( 'wp_ajax_prautoblogger_clear_logs', array( new PRAutoBlogger_Log_Viewer(), 'on_ajax_clear_logs' ) );
+		add_action( 'wp_ajax_' . PRAutoBlogger_Board_Page::AJAX_ACTION, array( new PRAutoBlogger_Board_Page(), 'on_ajax_board_status' ) );
+
+		// v0.20.0 (M3): dossier edit + re-run endpoints (validate + queue only).
+		$dossier_actions = new PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Actions();
+		add_action( 'wp_ajax_prautoblogger_dossier_save_input', array( $dossier_actions, 'on_save_input' ) );
+		add_action( 'wp_ajax_prautoblogger_dossier_rerun_stage', array( $dossier_actions, 'on_rerun_stage' ) );
+		add_action( 'wp_ajax_prautoblogger_dossier_rerun_from', array( $dossier_actions, 'on_rerun_from' ) );
+		add_action( 'wp_ajax_prautoblogger_dossier_stage_status', array( $dossier_actions, 'on_stage_status' ) );
 
 		$ideas = new PRAutoBlogger_Ideas_Browser();
 		add_action( 'wp_ajax_prautoblogger_generate_from_idea', array( $ideas, 'on_ajax_generate_from_idea' ) );
@@ -203,121 +196,16 @@ class PRAutoBlogger {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Check if database needs migration after plugin update.
-	 * Compares stored DB version with PRAUTOBLOGGER_DB_VERSION; re-runs activation if different.
-	 *
-	 * Side effects: may update database schema and db_version option.
+	 * Check if database needs migration. Delegates to PRAutoBlogger_DB_Migrations::run().
+	 * Hooked on `admin_init`.
 	 */
 	public function on_check_db_version(): void {
-		$stored_version = get_option( 'prautoblogger_db_version', '0' );
-		if ( version_compare( $stored_version, PRAUTOBLOGGER_DB_VERSION, '<' ) ) {
-			PRAutoBlogger_Activator::activate();
-		}
-
-		// One-time migration: switch to Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite for cost/speed.
-		if ( ! get_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_gemini_flash_lite' ) ) {
-			update_option( 'prautoblogger_analysis_model', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_ANALYSIS_MODEL );
-			update_option( 'prautoblogger_writing_model', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_WRITING_MODEL );
-			update_option( 'prautoblogger_editor_model', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_EDITOR_MODEL );
-			update_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_gemini_flash_lite', '1' );
-		}
-
-		// One-time migration (v0.8.0): the admin no longer has an independent
-		// Image Provider dropdown; provider is derived from the image model on
-		// save. Auto-heal any existing site where the saved provider doesn't
-		// match the saved model's provider (the root cause of posts 650/657
-		// silently missing their featured image on 2026-04-20). Runs once.
-		if ( ! get_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_image_provider_v080' ) ) {
-			$saved_model = (string) get_option( 'prautoblogger_image_model', '' );
-			$provider    = PRAutoBlogger_Image_Model_Registry::provider_for( $saved_model );
-			if ( '' !== $provider ) {
-				update_option( 'prautoblogger_image_provider', $provider );
-			}
-			update_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_image_provider_v080', '1' );
-		}
-
-		// One-time migration (v0.8.2): reschedule the daily-generation cron in
-		// the site's configured timezone. Pre-v0.8.2 activator interpreted the
-		// admin "Generation Time" input as UTC; after v0.8.2 it honours the
-		// site timezone. Clears the stale UTC-scheduled event and re-queues
-		// using the timezone-aware helper. See class-activator.php.
-		PRAutoBlogger_Activator::reschedule_daily_in_site_timezone_v082();
-
-		// One-time migration (v3): switch to single-panel newspaper comic style.
-		// Replaces both the old infomercial pastiche and the short-lived premium
-		// photography style. Force-update unless the user has a truly custom value.
-		if ( ! get_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_style_suffix_v3' ) ) {
-			$known_old_prefixes = array(
-				'Style: a screengrab from a 1995',       // v1: infomercial.
-				'Style: premium scientific lifestyle',    // v2: photography.
-			);
-			$current            = get_option( 'prautoblogger_image_style_suffix', '' );
-			$is_old             = ( '' === $current );
-			foreach ( $known_old_prefixes as $prefix ) {
-				if ( false !== strpos( $current, $prefix ) ) {
-					$is_old = true;
-					break;
-				}
-			}
-			if ( $is_old ) {
-				update_option( 'prautoblogger_image_style_suffix', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_IMAGE_STYLE_SUFFIX );
-			}
-			update_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_style_suffix_v3', '1' );
-		}
-		// One-time migration (v4): remove caption-in-image instruction from style suffix.
-		// Captions are now inserted as HTML below the image, not baked into the image.
-		if ( ! get_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_style_suffix_v4' ) ) {
-			$current = get_option( 'prautoblogger_image_style_suffix', '' );
-			// Detect v3 style suffix (contains "caption text" instruction).
-			if ( false !== strpos( $current, 'caption text in a clean sans-serif font below the panel' ) ) {
-				update_option( 'prautoblogger_image_style_suffix', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_IMAGE_STYLE_SUFFIX );
-			}
-			update_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_style_suffix_v4', '1' );
-		}
-
-		// One-time migration (v0.16.0): editorial pivot. The comic Style Suffix
-		// is replaced by the editorial Style Template. Mirror the old suffix
-		// value into a deprecated-keyed option for one version cycle (so a
-		// customised value is recoverable / auditable) and seed the new
-		// template with its editorial default. The old option is intentionally
-		// NOT deleted this cycle. See docs/proposals/2026-05-29-image-pipeline-in-plugin-brief.md §8 Commit 1.
-		if ( ! get_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_style_template_v0160' ) ) {
-			$old_suffix = get_option( 'prautoblogger_image_style_suffix', '' );
-			if ( '' !== $old_suffix && false === get_option( 'prautoblogger_image_style_suffix_deprecated', false ) ) {
-				update_option( 'prautoblogger_image_style_suffix_deprecated', $old_suffix );
-			}
-			// Only seed the new template if the admin has not already set one.
-			if ( '' === (string) get_option( 'prautoblogger_image_style_template', '' ) ) {
-				update_option( 'prautoblogger_image_style_template', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_IMAGE_STYLE_TEMPLATE );
-			}
-			update_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_style_template_v0160', '1' );
-		}
-
-		// v0.9.0 — Runware as default image model. v0.10.0 — remove CF Workers AI.
-		PRAutoBlogger_Activator::migrate_default_image_v090();
-		PRAutoBlogger_Migrate_Remove_Cloudflare_V0100::run();
-
-		// One-time migration: re-wrap existing encrypted values with "enc:" prefix.
-		if ( ! get_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_enc_prefix' ) ) {
-			$enc_options = array( 'prautoblogger_openrouter_api_key', 'prautoblogger_ga4_credentials_json', 'prautoblogger_runware_api_key' );
-			foreach ( $enc_options as $opt ) {
-				$val = get_option( $opt, '' );
-				if ( '' !== $val && ! PRAutoBlogger_Encryption::is_encrypted( $val ) ) {
-					delete_option( $opt );
-				}
-			}
-			update_option( 'prautoblogger_migrated_enc_prefix', '1' );
-		}
+		PRAutoBlogger_DB_Migrations::run();
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Run the db-version check on cron requests (admin_init never fires
-	 * there). Gated to wp_doing_cron() so normal frontend requests pay
-	 * nothing beyond one autoloaded option read.
-	 *
-	 * Side effects: may run the same migrations as on_check_db_version().
-	 *
-	 * @return void
+	 * Run DB migrations during cron requests (hooked on `init`).
+	 * Only fires when wp_doing_cron() is true.
 	 */
 	public function on_check_db_version_for_cron(): void {
 		if ( function_exists( 'wp_doing_cron' ) && wp_doing_cron() ) {
@@ -328,7 +216,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger {
 	/**
 	 * Add custom cron schedules (six-hourly for metrics collection).
 	 *
-	 * @param array<string, array{interval: int, display: string}> $schedules Existing schedules.
+	 * @param array<string, array{interval: int, display: string}> $schedules Existing.
 	 * @return array<string, array{interval: int, display: string}>
 	 */
 	public function filter_add_cron_schedules( array $schedules ): array {
@@ -346,7 +234,6 @@ class PRAutoBlogger {
 
 	/**
 	 * Block false update notifications from wordpress.org.
-	 * Our plugin slug may collide with a different plugin in the directory.
 	 *
 	 * @param object $transient The update_plugins transient data.
 	 * @return object Modified transient.
@@ -363,7 +250,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger {
 		return $this->executor;
 	}
 
-	// ── Backward-compatible proxies ──
+	// -- Backward-compatible proxies --
 
 	/** @see PRAutoBlogger_Executor::on_daily_generation() */
 	public function on_daily_generation(): void {

includes/class-schema-installer.php

@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Schema_Installer {
 			metadata_json LONGTEXT DEFAULT NULL,
 			PRIMARY KEY (id),
 			KEY type_relevance (analysis_type, relevance_score),
-			KEY analyzed_at (analyzed_at)
+			KEY analyzed_at (analyzed_at),
+			KEY analyzed_type (analyzed_at, analysis_type)
 		) {$charset_collate};";
 
 		// Generation log — every API call with cost tracking. `run_id`
@@ -100,7 +101,9 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Schema_Installer {
 			KEY post_id (post_id),
 			KEY run_id (run_id),
 			KEY created_at (created_at),
-			KEY stage (stage)
+			KEY stage (stage),
+			KEY run_id_post_id (run_id, post_id),
+			KEY created_status (created_at, response_status)
 		) {$charset_collate};";
 
 		// Content scores — post performance metrics for self-improvement.

includes/core/class-analysis-prompts.php

@@ -76,9 +76,9 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Analysis_Prompts {
 		global $wpdb;
 		$scores_table = $wpdb->prefix . 'prautoblogger_content_scores';
 
-		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
 		$top_posts = $wpdb->get_results(
-			"SELECT cs.post_id, cs.composite_score, p.post_title  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
+			"SELECT cs.post_id, cs.composite_score, p.post_title
 			FROM {$scores_table} cs
 			JOIN {$wpdb->posts} p ON p.ID = cs.post_id
 			WHERE cs.composite_score > 0

includes/core/class-article-worker.php

@@ -58,6 +58,13 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Article_Worker {
 		$run_id = (string) ( $this->cost_tracker->get_run_id() ?? '' );
 		$item   = PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::item_key_for_idea( $idea );
 
+		// v0.20.0: persist the EXACT idea payload once per item so
+		// re-run-from-here can reconstruct it (rebuilding from post
+		// fields would risk an item_key hash mismatch -> duplicate post).
+		if ( '' !== $run_id ) {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Input_Store::save_seed( $run_id, $item, (string) wp_json_encode( $idea->to_array() ) );
+		}
+
 		$result = array(
 			'generated' => 0,
 			'published' => 0,
@@ -103,7 +110,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Article_Worker {
 			$review = $this->review_with_state( $editor, $content, $idea, $run_id, $item );
 
 			PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Status::broadcast( __( 'Saving and publishing…', 'prautoblogger' ) );
-			PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::start( $run_id, 'publish', '', $item );
+			PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::start( $run_id, 'publish', (string) PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map::default_agent_role( 'publish' ), $item );
 			$this->publish_or_draft(
 				$content,
 				$idea,
@@ -174,7 +181,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Article_Worker {
 					return new PRAutoBlogger_Editorial_Review( $data );
 				}
 			}
-			PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::start( $run_id, 'review', '', $item );
+			PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::start( $run_id, 'review', (string) PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map::default_agent_role( 'review' ), $item );
 		}
 
 		$review = $editor->review( $content, $idea );

includes/core/class-audit-writer.php

@@ -125,6 +125,37 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Audit_Writer {
 		}
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Flag the run_decisions rows of given stages as human-modified
+	 * (v0.20.0 / CPO guardrail 2). Used in two cases: the decision rows of
+	 * a stage whose edited input enters execution, and decisions recorded
+	 * during a re-run-from-here window on an item that carries a human
+	 * edit (derived-from-edited-content). Self-healing no-op when the
+	 * column/table is missing.
+	 *
+	 * @param string        $run_id Run UUID.
+	 * @param array<string> $stages Stage names to flag.
+	 * @param string|null   $since  Optional MySQL datetime — only flag rows created at/after it.
+	 * @return int Rows flagged.
+	 */
+	public static function flag_decisions_human_modified( string $run_id, array $stages, ?string $since = null ): int {
+		if ( '' === $run_id || empty( $stages ) || ! self::is_available() ) {
+			return 0;
+		}
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table        = $wpdb->prefix . 'prautoblogger_run_decisions';
+		$placeholders = implode( ',', array_fill( 0, count( $stages ), '%s' ) );
+		$sql          = "UPDATE {$table} SET human_modified = 1 WHERE run_id = %s AND stage IN ({$placeholders})";
+		$params       = array_merge( array( $run_id ), array_values( $stages ) );
+		if ( null !== $since ) {
+			$sql     .= ' AND created_at >= %s';
+			$params[] = $since;
+		}
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.NotPrepared -- $placeholders is a fixed %s list.
+		$updated = $wpdb->query( $wpdb->prepare( $sql, $params ) );
+		return is_numeric( $updated ) ? (int) $updated : 0;
+	}
+
 	/** Reset per-request caches (tests). */
 	public static function flush_cache(): void {
 		self::$tables_ok = null;

includes/core/class-chief-editor.php

@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Chief_Editor {
 				'temperature'     => 0.3,
 				'max_tokens'      => 5000,
 				'response_format' => array( 'type' => 'json_object' ),
+				'stage'           => 'review',
 			)
 		);
 

includes/core/class-content-analyzer.php

@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Content_Analyzer {
 				'temperature'     => 0.5,
 				'max_tokens'      => 8000,
 				'response_format' => array( 'type' => 'json_object' ),
+				'stage'           => 'analysis',
 			)
 		);
 

includes/core/class-content-generator.php

@@ -194,9 +194,15 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Content_Generator {
 				);
 				return $cached;
 			}
-			PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::start( $this->run_id, $stage, '', $this->item_key );
+			PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::start( $this->run_id, $stage, (string) PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map::default_agent_role( $stage ), $this->item_key );
 		}
 
+		// v0.18.1: stage metadata for the provider's empty-completion
+		// guard — warning logs and failed-attempt audit rows carry the
+		// real stage + registry key (never sent upstream).
+		$options['stage']      = $stage;
+		$options['prompt_key'] = $prompt_key;
+
 		$ctx = PRAutoBlogger_Opik_Trace_Context::current();
 
 		$span_id = $ctx->start_span(
@@ -223,6 +229,21 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Content_Generator {
 			$options
 		);
 
+		// v0.18.1 writer-path guard (belt over the provider seam, which
+		// already throws for OpenRouter): no empty article may ever leave
+		// a writing stage — it would flow to the editor, be rejected as
+		// "draft text is missing", and land as an empty draft post.
+		if ( '' === trim( (string) $response['content'] ) ) {
+			throw new \RuntimeException(
+				sprintf(
+					/* translators: 1: writing stage name, 2: model identifier. */
+					__( 'Writing stage "%1$s" produced empty content (model %2$s) — failing the stage instead of passing an empty article downstream.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					$stage,
+					(string) $response['model']
+				)
+			);
+		}
+
 		$ctx->end_span(
 			$span_id,
 			array(

includes/core/class-cost-reporter.php

@@ -36,8 +36,9 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Reporter {
 		$first_of_month = gmdate( 'Y-m-01 00:00:00' );
 
 		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
 		$result = $wpdb->get_var(
-			$wpdb->prepare(  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
+			$wpdb->prepare(
 				"SELECT COALESCE(SUM(estimated_cost), 0) FROM {$table} WHERE created_at >= %s AND response_status = 'success'",
 				$first_of_month
 			)
@@ -64,9 +65,10 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Reporter {
 		$start_date = gmdate( 'Y-m-d', time() - ( $days * DAY_IN_SECONDS ) );
 
 		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
 		$results = $wpdb->get_results(
 			$wpdb->prepare(
-				"SELECT DATE(created_at) as day, SUM(estimated_cost) as total_cost  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
+				"SELECT DATE(created_at) as day, SUM(estimated_cost) as total_cost
 				FROM {$table}
 				WHERE created_at >= %s AND response_status = 'success'
 				GROUP BY DATE(created_at)
@@ -101,12 +103,13 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Reporter {
 		$table = $wpdb->prefix . 'prautoblogger_generation_log';
 
 		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
 		$results = $wpdb->get_results(
 			$wpdb->prepare(
 				"SELECT stage,
 					SUM(estimated_cost) as total_cost,
 					SUM(prompt_tokens + completion_tokens) as total_tokens,
-					COUNT(*) as call_count  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
+					COUNT(*) as call_count
 				FROM {$table}
 				WHERE created_at BETWEEN %s AND %s AND response_status = 'success'
 				GROUP BY stage",
@@ -140,6 +143,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Reporter {
 		}
 		return ( $this->get_monthly_spend() / $budget ) * 100.0;
 	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Get average input/output token counts for given stages over a time period.
 	 *

includes/core/class-cost-tracker.php

@@ -69,7 +69,9 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Tracker {
 	/**
 	 * Log an API call with its token usage and estimated cost.
 	 *
-	 * Side effects: database insert into prab_generation_log.
+	 * Side effects: database insert into prab_generation_log. Consumes the
+	 * Request_Recorder stash (v0.20.0 / B1) into the row's request_json so
+	 * every chat call's input is persisted (retention-pruned after R days).
 	 *
 	 * @param int|null    $post_id           WordPress post ID (null during generation, set later).
 	 * @param string      $stage             Pipeline stage (see PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map).
@@ -117,6 +119,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Tracker {
 				'estimated_cost'    => $cost,
 				'response_status'   => $response_status,
 				'error_message'     => $error_message,
+				'request_json'      => PRAutoBlogger_Request_Recorder::consume(),
 				'agent_role'        => $agent_role ?? PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map::default_agent_role( $stage ),
 				'prompt_version'    => $this->resolve_prompt_version( $stage, $prompt_key ),
 				'created_at'        => current_time( 'mysql' ),

includes/core/class-generation-checkpoint-helpers.php

@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Private helpers for PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Runner (v0.21.0, M4).
+ *
+ * Extracted to keep class-generation-checkpoint-runner.php under the 300-line
+ * cap (CONVENTIONS §1). Contains the three internal-only static methods:
+ *   finalize()       — write final transient, mark run done, release lock.
+ *   cleanup_queue()  — delete queue + run-id options on abort paths.
+ *   fire_cron_now()  — non-blocking loopback to fire cron events immediately.
+ *
+ * Only PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Runner should call this class.
+ *
+ * @see core/class-generation-checkpoint-runner.php — Caller / orchestrator.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md ss25                        — Checkpoint design.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Helpers {
+
+	/** Option key for the checkpoint queue (mirrors Runner constant). */
+	private const QUEUE_KEY = 'prautoblogger_article_queue';
+
+	/** Option key for the in-progress run UUID (mirrors Runner constant). */
+	private const RUN_ID_KEY = 'prautoblogger_checkpoint_run_id';
+
+	/**
+	 * Finalize a completed run: write final transient, mark run done, release lock.
+	 *
+	 * @param array  $results Generation counters (generated/published/rejected/cost).
+	 * @param string $run_id  Run UUID (read from option if blank).
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function finalize( array $results, string $run_id = '' ): void {
+		if ( '' === $run_id ) {
+			$run_id = (string) get_option( self::RUN_ID_KEY, '' );
+		}
+		if ( '' !== $run_id ) {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::mark_status( $run_id, 'done' );
+		}
+		PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Status::write_final( $results );
+		PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Status::log_summary( $results );
+		PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::release();
+		delete_option( self::RUN_ID_KEY );
+	}
+
+	/** Remove the persistent queue and run-id option on abort paths. */
+	public static function cleanup_queue(): void {
+		delete_option( self::QUEUE_KEY );
+		delete_option( self::RUN_ID_KEY );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Non-blocking loopback to fire cron events immediately.
+	 * Mirrors Pipeline_Runner::schedule_next() exactly.
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function fire_cron_now(): void {
+		spawn_cron();
+		wp_remote_post(
+			site_url( 'wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron=' . sprintf( '%.22F', microtime( true ) ) ),
+			array(
+				'timeout'   => 0.01,
+				'blocking'  => false,
+				'sslverify' => false,
+			)
+		);
+	}
+}

includes/core/class-generation-checkpoint-runner.php

@@ -0,0 +1,295 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Chained-cron checkpoint runner for in-admin manual article generation (v0.21.0, M4).
+ *
+ * What: Replaces the monolithic on_manual_generation() path with a two-tick
+ *       checkpoint machine so Hostinger's background-PHP-process kill cannot
+ *       abort a mid-pipeline run:
+ *         Tick 1 (ORCHESTRATE): collect sources -> analyze patterns -> score ideas ->
+ *                                persist idea queue to option -> schedule Tick 2.
+ *         Tick 2..N (GENERATE): pop one idea from queue -> Article_Worker ->
+ *                                update transient -> schedule next tick or finalize.
+ *
+ * Why separate from Rerun_Executor: Rerun_Executor targets existing run_stages
+ * rows (replay/rebuild). This class creates a brand-new run from scratch.
+ *
+ * SSH retirement (v0.21.0): the former `wp eval 'do_action("prautoblogger_manual_generation")'`
+ * workaround fired on_manual_generation() synchronously in one PHP process --
+ * bypassing the nonce and running the full pipeline without checkpoints.
+ * That path is retired: Executor::on_manual_generation() now delegates here,
+ * and `wp prautoblogger generate` queues via kick_off() (see ARCHITECTURE.md ss25).
+ *
+ * Cost governor: Run_State::ceiling_setting() is applied per-run; a halted run
+ * aborts all remaining ticks (same guarantee as Pipeline_Runner's queued-article path).
+ *
+ * Who triggers it: PRAutoBlogger_Executor::on_manual_generation() (cron),
+ *                  PRAutoBlogger_WP_CLI_Commands (wp prautoblogger generate).
+ * Dependencies: Pipeline_Runner (orchestration), Run_State (run ledger),
+ *               Pipeline_Status (transient), Generation_Lock, Cost_Tracker, Logger.
+ *
+ * @see includes/class-executor.php                       -- Cron/AJAX entry points.
+ * @see core/class-pipeline-runner.php                    -- Orchestration + article worker.
+ * @see core/class-run-state.php                          -- Per-run ledger (cost governor).
+ * @see core/class-pipeline-status.php                    -- Transient broadcast helpers.
+ * @see core/class-generation-checkpoint-helpers.php      -- finalize/cleanup/fire helpers.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md ss25                              -- Checkpoint generation path design.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Runner {
+
+	/** Option key for the checkpoint queue (shared with Pipeline_Runner article queue). */
+	private const QUEUE_KEY = 'prautoblogger_article_queue';
+
+	/** Option key for the in-progress run UUID (generation tick). */
+	private const RUN_ID_KEY = 'prautoblogger_checkpoint_run_id';
+
+	/** WP-Cron action for the orchestration tick. */
+	public const ORCHESTRATE_ACTION = 'prautoblogger_gen_orchestrate';
+
+	/** WP-Cron action for each article-generation tick. */
+	public const GENERATE_ACTION = 'prautoblogger_gen_tick';
+
+	/**
+	 * When true, on_generate_tick() skips wp-cron rescheduling so the VPS
+	 * orchestrator's external loop is the sole driver. Set via set_sync_mode().
+	 * Never true on the wp-cron path; reset to false after the sync run.
+	 *
+	 * @var bool
+	 */
+	private static bool $sync_mode = false;
+
+	/**
+	 * Enable or disable synchronous-driver mode.
+	 * Called by WP_CLI_Commands::run_sync() before and after the tick loop.
+	 *
+	 * @param bool $enabled True to suppress internal cron reschedule.
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function set_sync_mode( bool $enabled ): void {
+		self::$sync_mode = $enabled;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Schedule the orchestration tick and write the initial status transient.
+	 * Called by on_ajax_generate_now() (via Executor) and by the WP-CLI command.
+	 * Returns immediately -- ALL pipeline work happens in cron.
+	 *
+	 * Side effects: cron scheduling, transient write.
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function kick_off(): void {
+		if ( wp_next_scheduled( self::ORCHESTRATE_ACTION ) ) {
+			return; // Idempotent: already queued.
+		}
+		wp_schedule_single_event( time(), self::ORCHESTRATE_ACTION );
+		PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Status::write_initial();
+		PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Helpers::fire_cron_now();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Cron Tick 1: collect -> analyze -> score. Persists ideas, creates run row,
+	 * schedules Tick 2 for the first article, then returns.
+	 *
+	 * Side effects: source/analysis DB writes, run row insert, option write,
+	 * status transient update, cron scheduling.
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function on_orchestrate_tick(): void {
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.PHP.NoSilencedErrors.Discouraged
+		@ignore_user_abort( true );
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.PHP.NoSilencedErrors.Discouraged
+		@set_time_limit( 300 );
+
+		if ( ! PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::acquire() ) {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Status::write_error(
+				__( 'Could not acquire generation lock. Another run may be in progress.', 'prautoblogger' )
+			);
+			return;
+		}
+
+		$run_id = wp_generate_uuid4();
+		update_option( self::RUN_ID_KEY, $run_id, false );
+		PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::ensure_run( $run_id );
+
+		$cost_tracker = new PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Tracker();
+		$cost_tracker->set_run_id( $run_id );
+
+		try {
+			if ( $cost_tracker->is_budget_exceeded() ) {
+				PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::mark_status( $run_id, 'failed' );
+				PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Status::write_error(
+					__( 'Monthly API budget exceeded. Generation halted.', 'prautoblogger' )
+				);
+				PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::release();
+				return;
+			}
+
+			PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Status::broadcast( __( 'Collecting sources…', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+			$runner = ( new PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Runner() )->set_skip_dedup( true );
+			$ideas  = $runner->orchestrate_only( $cost_tracker );
+
+			if ( empty( $ideas ) ) {
+				PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::mark_status( $run_id, 'done' );
+				PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Status::write_final(
+					array(
+						'generated' => 0,
+						'published' => 0,
+						'rejected' => 0,
+						'cost' => 0.0,
+					)
+				);
+				PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::release();
+				delete_option( self::RUN_ID_KEY );
+				return;
+			}
+
+			$serialized = array_map(
+				static fn( PRAutoBlogger_Article_Idea $i ) => $i->to_array(),
+				$ideas
+			);
+			update_option(
+				self::QUEUE_KEY,
+				array(
+					'run_id'  => $run_id,
+					'ideas'   => $serialized,
+					'results' => array(
+						'generated' => 0,
+						'published' => 0,
+						'rejected' => 0,
+						'cost' => 0.0,
+					),
+				),
+				false
+			);
+
+			PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Status::broadcast(
+				sprintf(
+					/* translators: %d: number of ideas found */
+					__( 'Found %d idea(s) — starting generation…', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					count( $ideas )
+				)
+			);
+
+			// In sync mode the VPS tick loop is the external driver; skip
+			// wp-cron reschedule to prevent a competing background tick.
+			// on_generate_tick() has the same guard for subsequent reschedules.
+			if ( ! self::$sync_mode ) {
+				if ( ! wp_next_scheduled( self::GENERATE_ACTION ) ) {
+					wp_schedule_single_event( time(), self::GENERATE_ACTION );
+				}
+				PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Helpers::fire_cron_now();
+			}
+		} catch ( \Throwable $e ) {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->error(
+				sprintf( 'Orchestrate tick %s: %s', get_class( $e ), $e->getMessage() ),
+				'pipeline'
+			);
+			PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::mark_status( $run_id, 'failed' );
+			PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Status::write_error( $e->getMessage() );
+			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::release();
+			delete_option( self::RUN_ID_KEY );
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Cron Tick 2..N: generate one article, persist totals, reschedule or finalize.
+	 *
+	 * Side effects: LLM API calls, DB writes, post creation, transient updates,
+	 * cron scheduling.
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function on_generate_tick(): void {
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.PHP.NoSilencedErrors.Discouraged
+		@ignore_user_abort( true );
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.PHP.NoSilencedErrors.Discouraged
+		@set_time_limit( 300 );
+
+		$queue = get_option( self::QUEUE_KEY );
+		if ( ! is_array( $queue ) || empty( $queue['ideas'] ) ) {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Helpers::finalize(
+				array(
+					'generated' => 0,
+					'published' => 0,
+					'rejected' => 0,
+					'cost' => 0.0,
+				)
+			);
+			return;
+		}
+
+		$run_id     = (string) ( $queue['run_id'] ?? '' );
+		$run_status = PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::get_status( $run_id );
+		if ( in_array( $run_status, array( 'halted', 'failed' ), true ) ) {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->warning(
+				sprintf( 'Generate tick: run %s is %s -- aborting.', $run_id, $run_status ),
+				'pipeline'
+			);
+			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Helpers::cleanup_queue();
+			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::release();
+			return;
+		}
+
+		$idea_data    = array_shift( $queue['ideas'] );
+		$idea         = new PRAutoBlogger_Article_Idea( $idea_data );
+		$cost_tracker = new PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Tracker();
+		$cost_tracker->set_run_id( $run_id );
+
+		if ( $cost_tracker->is_budget_exceeded() ) {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::mark_status( $run_id, 'failed' );
+			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Helpers::cleanup_queue();
+			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::release();
+			PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Status::write_error(
+				__( 'Monthly API budget exceeded. Generation halted.', 'prautoblogger' )
+			);
+			return;
+		}
+
+		// Persist consumed queue BEFORE generating (prevents orphan-recovery duplication).
+		if ( ! empty( $queue['ideas'] ) ) {
+			update_option( self::QUEUE_KEY, $queue, false );
+		} else {
+			delete_option( self::QUEUE_KEY );
+		}
+
+		try {
+			$worker = new PRAutoBlogger_Article_Worker( $cost_tracker );
+			$result = $worker->generate( $idea );
+
+			$queue['results']['generated'] += $result['generated'];
+			$queue['results']['published'] += $result['published'];
+			$queue['results']['rejected']  += $result['rejected'];
+			$queue['results']['cost']      += $result['cost'];
+
+			if ( ! empty( $queue['ideas'] ) ) {
+				update_option( self::QUEUE_KEY, $queue, false );
+				PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Status::update_queue_progress( $queue );
+				// In sync mode the VPS tick loop is the external driver; skip
+				// wp-cron reschedule to prevent a competing background tick.
+				if ( ! self::$sync_mode ) {
+					if ( ! wp_next_scheduled( self::GENERATE_ACTION ) ) {
+						wp_schedule_single_event( time(), self::GENERATE_ACTION );
+					}
+					PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Helpers::fire_cron_now();
+				}
+			} else {
+				PRAutoBlogger_Post_Assembler::amortize_research_costs( $run_id );
+				PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Helpers::finalize( $queue['results'], $run_id );
+			}
+		} catch ( \Throwable $e ) {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->error(
+				sprintf( 'Generate tick %s for run %s: %s', get_class( $e ), $run_id, $e->getMessage() ),
+				'pipeline'
+			);
+			PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::mark_status( $run_id, 'failed' );
+			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Checkpoint_Helpers::cleanup_queue();
+			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::release();
+			PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Status::write_error( $e->getMessage() );
+		}
+	}
+}

includes/core/class-idea-scorer.php

@@ -11,9 +11,10 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
  * API is unavailable.
  *
  * Triggered by: PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Runner (step 3).
- * Dependencies: Semantic_Dedup, WP_Query.
+ * Dependencies: Semantic_Dedup, Keyword_Extractor, WP_Query.
  *
- * @see core/class-semantic-dedup.php    — Embedding + keyword dedup engine.
+ * @see core/class-semantic-dedup.php      — Embedding + keyword dedup engine.
+ * @see core/class-keyword-extractor.php  — Keyword tokeniser (fallback dedup).
  * @see core/class-content-analyzer.php  — Produces the analysis results we consume.
  * @see core/class-content-generator.php — Consumes the ranked ideas we produce.
  * @see ARCHITECTURE.md                  — Data flow step 3.
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Idea_Scorer {
 
 			if ( ! $this->skip_dedup ) {
 				$topic          = $result->get_topic();
-				$topic_keywords = $this->extract_meaningful_keywords( $topic );
+				$topic_keywords = PRAutoBlogger_Keyword_Extractor::extract( $topic );
 
 				if ( $dedup->is_batch_duplicate( $topic, $topic_keywords, $accepted_keyword_sets ) ) {
 					++$deduped_count;
@@ -165,133 +166,6 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Idea_Scorer {
 		return false;
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Extract meaningful keywords from a text string (for fallback dedup).
-	 *
-	 * @param string $text Input text.
-	 * @return string[] Unique lowercase keywords.
-	 */
-	private function extract_meaningful_keywords( string $text ): array {
-		static $stopwords = array(
-			'a',
-			'an',
-			'the',
-			'and',
-			'or',
-			'but',
-			'is',
-			'are',
-			'was',
-			'were',
-			'in',
-			'on',
-			'at',
-			'to',
-			'for',
-			'of',
-			'with',
-			'by',
-			'from',
-			'as',
-			'it',
-			'its',
-			'this',
-			'that',
-			'your',
-			'you',
-			'how',
-			'what',
-			'when',
-			'why',
-			'where',
-			'which',
-			'who',
-			'do',
-			'does',
-			'did',
-			'not',
-			'no',
-			'can',
-			'will',
-			'should',
-			'could',
-			'would',
-			'may',
-			'might',
-			'have',
-			'has',
-			'had',
-			'be',
-			'been',
-			'being',
-			'about',
-			'into',
-			'through',
-			'during',
-			'before',
-			'after',
-			'above',
-			'below',
-			'between',
-			'same',
-			'up',
-			'down',
-			'out',
-			'off',
-			'over',
-			'under',
-			'again',
-			'then',
-			'here',
-			'there',
-			'all',
-			'each',
-			'every',
-			'both',
-			'few',
-			'more',
-			'most',
-			'other',
-			'some',
-			'such',
-			'than',
-			'too',
-			'very',
-			'just',
-			'also',
-			'only',
-			'own',
-			'so',
-			'if',
-			'while',
-			'because',
-			'until',
-			'vs',
-			'versus',
-			'guide',
-			'complete',
-			'ultimate',
-			'best',
-			'top',
-			'new',
-			'first',
-			'need',
-			'know',
-			'everything',
-		);
-
-		$text  = strtolower( $text );
-		$words = preg_split( '/[^a-z0-9-]+/', $text, -1, PREG_SPLIT_NO_EMPTY );
-		$words = array_filter(
-			$words,
-			static function ( string $w ) use ( $stopwords ): bool {
-				return strlen( $w ) >= 2 && ! in_array( $w, $stopwords, true );
-			}
-		);
-
-		return array_values( array_unique( $words ) );
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Map analysis type to a reader-friendly article type.
 	 *

includes/core/class-image-composer-layout.php

@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Image_Composer_Layout {
 	 * plugin; sizes are px. Values were tuned against rendered samples (see
 	 * PR #thread 2026-06-image-composer assets).
 	 *
+	 * Note: 'caption_margin_right' (og) and 'caption_side_padding' (square) were removed
+	 * in v0.19.4 — the Imagick renderer enforces right-edge geometry via caption_chars_per_line
+	 * and centered x positioning respectively, so those keys had no consumer.
+	 *
 	 * @return array<string, array<string, mixed>> Keyed by role: featured, og, square.
 	 */
 	public static function defaults(): array {
@@ -60,7 +64,6 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Image_Composer_Layout {
 				'caption_size'          => 32,
 				'caption_color'         => '#FFFFFF',
 				'caption_gap'           => 24,
-				'caption_margin_right'  => 40,
 				'caption_max_lines'     => 2,
 				'caption_chars_per_line' => 52,
 				'caption_line_height'   => 1.3,
@@ -79,7 +82,6 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Image_Composer_Layout {
 				'caption_color'         => self::COLOR_INK,
 				'caption_max_lines'     => 3,
 				'caption_chars_per_line' => 36,
-				'caption_side_padding'  => 64,
 				'caption_line_height'   => 1.3,
 			),
 		);

includes/core/class-image-prompt-builder.php

@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ PROMPT;
 				array(
 					'temperature' => 0.7,
 					'max_tokens'  => self::REWRITER_MAX_TOKENS,
+					'stage'       => 'image_prompt_rewrite',
 				)
 			);
 

includes/core/class-keyword-extractor.php

@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Shared keyword-extraction utility for the scoring and dedup pipeline.
+ *
+ * Extracts meaningful lowercase tokens from free text by stripping stop-words.
+ * Used by both PRAutoBlogger_Idea_Scorer and PRAutoBlogger_Semantic_Dedup as the
+ * fallback path when embedding similarity is unavailable.
+ *
+ * What: Static utility; no state.
+ * Who triggers: PRAutoBlogger_Idea_Scorer, PRAutoBlogger_Semantic_Dedup.
+ * Dependencies: none.
+ *
+ * @see core/class-idea-scorer.php    -- Primary consumer (scoring pipeline).
+ * @see core/class-semantic-dedup.php -- Secondary consumer (embedding fallback).
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Keyword_Extractor {
+
+	/**
+	 * Common English stop-words filtered out before keyword matching.
+	 *
+	 * @var string[]
+	 */
+	private const STOPWORDS = array(
+		'a',
+		'an',
+		'the',
+		'and',
+		'or',
+		'but',
+		'is',
+		'are',
+		'was',
+		'were',
+		'in',
+		'on',
+		'at',
+		'to',
+		'for',
+		'of',
+		'with',
+		'by',
+		'from',
+		'as',
+		'it',
+		'its',
+		'this',
+		'that',
+		'your',
+		'you',
+		'how',
+		'what',
+		'when',
+		'why',
+		'where',
+		'which',
+		'who',
+		'do',
+		'does',
+		'did',
+		'not',
+		'no',
+		'can',
+		'will',
+		'should',
+		'could',
+		'would',
+		'may',
+		'might',
+		'have',
+		'has',
+		'had',
+		'be',
+		'been',
+		'being',
+		'about',
+		'into',
+		'through',
+		'during',
+		'before',
+		'after',
+		'above',
+		'below',
+		'between',
+		'same',
+		'up',
+		'down',
+		'out',
+		'off',
+		'over',
+		'under',
+		'again',
+		'then',
+		'here',
+		'there',
+		'all',
+		'each',
+		'every',
+		'both',
+		'few',
+		'more',
+		'most',
+		'other',
+		'some',
+		'such',
+		'than',
+		'too',
+		'very',
+		'just',
+		'also',
+		'only',
+		'own',
+		'so',
+		'if',
+		'while',
+		'because',
+		'until',
+		'vs',
+		'versus',
+		'guide',
+		'complete',
+		'ultimate',
+		'best',
+		'top',
+		'new',
+		'first',
+		'need',
+		'know',
+		'everything',
+	);
+
+	/**
+	 * Extract meaningful keywords from text.
+	 *
+	 * Lowercases input, splits on non-alphanumeric characters, filters
+	 * stop-words and single-character tokens, and de-duplicates.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $text Input text.
+	 * @return string[] Unique lowercase keyword tokens.
+	 */
+	public static function extract( string $text ): array {
+		$text  = strtolower( $text );
+		$words = preg_split( '/[^a-z0-9-]+/', $text, -1, PREG_SPLIT_NO_EMPTY );
+		$words = array_filter(
+			$words,
+			static function ( string $w ): bool {
+				return strlen( $w ) >= 2 && ! in_array( $w, self::STOPWORDS, true );
+			}
+		);
+
+		return array_values( array_unique( $words ) );
+	}
+}

includes/core/class-pipeline-runner.php

@@ -168,6 +168,19 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Runner {
 		}
 	}
 
+
+	/**
+	 * Public wrapper for orchestrate(): collect -> analyze -> score.
+	 * Used by Generation_Checkpoint_Runner (Tick 1) so orchestration and
+	 * article generation happen in separate cron ticks.
+	 *
+	 * @param PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Tracker $cost_tracker
+	 * @return PRAutoBlogger_Article_Idea[]
+	 */
+	public function orchestrate_only( PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Tracker $cost_tracker ): array {
+		return $this->orchestrate( $cost_tracker );
+	}
+
 	// ── Private helpers ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 	/**
@@ -185,14 +198,14 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Runner {
 		$source_labels = is_array( $enabled ) ? implode( ', ', $enabled ) : 'reddit';
 		/* translators: %s is a comma-separated list of enabled source names, e.g. "reddit, llm_research". */
 		PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Status::broadcast( sprintf( __( 'Collecting sources from %s…', 'prautoblogger' ), $source_labels ) );
-		PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::start( $run_id, 'research' );
+		PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::start( $run_id, 'research', (string) PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map::default_agent_role( 'research' ) );
 		( new PRAutoBlogger_Source_Collector() )
 			->set_cost_tracker( $cost_tracker )
 			->collect_from_all_sources();
 		PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::done( $run_id, 'research' );
 
 		PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Status::broadcast( __( 'Analyzing topics and scoring…', 'prautoblogger' ) );
-		PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::start( $run_id, 'analysis' );
+		PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::start( $run_id, 'analysis', (string) PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map::default_agent_role( 'analysis' ) );
 		$llm      = new PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Provider();
 		$analyzer = new PRAutoBlogger_Content_Analyzer( $llm, $cost_tracker );
 		$analysis = $analyzer->analyze_recent_data( max( $target * 2, 6 ) );

includes/core/class-pipeline-status.php

@@ -103,4 +103,41 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Pipeline_Status {
 			'pipeline'
 		);
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Write an initial "running" status before the first tick fires.
+	 * Mirrors the shape on_ajax_generate_now() already writes so the poller
+	 * sees a consistent "running" state whether triggered from board or settings page.
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function write_initial(): void {
+		set_transient(
+			self::KEY,
+			array(
+				'status'       => 'running',
+				'stage'        => __( 'Starting generation…', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'started'      => time(),
+				'last_updated' => time(),
+			),
+			self::TTL
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Write a terminal "error" status.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $message Operator-facing error description.
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function write_error( string $message ): void {
+		set_transient(
+			self::KEY,
+			array(
+				'status'  => 'error',
+				'message' => $message,
+			),
+			self::TTL
+		);
+	}
 }

includes/core/class-post-assembler.php

@@ -91,7 +91,9 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Post_Assembler {
 	 * are generated. Its cost is logged with the run_id but no post_id. After all
 	 * articles finish, this method divides the research cost evenly and inserts
 	 * one 'llm_research' row per article so the cost breakdown popover includes
-	 * the amortized research overhead.
+	 * the amortized research overhead. The audit fields prompt_version and
+	 * agent_role are carried from the original research row (v0.19.4 fix;
+	 * prior builds left them NULL/empty — see phase-1 thread seq 49).
 	 *
 	 * Side effects: database SELECT, INSERT, DELETE on generation_log.
 	 *
@@ -108,8 +110,8 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Post_Assembler {
 		// Find the unlinked research cost row for this run.
 		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
 		$research_row = $wpdb->get_row(
-			$wpdb->prepare(
-				"SELECT id, estimated_cost, provider, model, prompt_tokens, completion_tokens  // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
+			$wpdb->prepare( // phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.InterpolatedNotPrepared
+				"SELECT id, estimated_cost, provider, model, prompt_tokens, completion_tokens, prompt_version, agent_role
 				FROM {$table}
 				WHERE run_id = %s AND stage = 'llm_research' AND post_id IS NULL
 				LIMIT 1",
@@ -158,6 +160,8 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Post_Assembler {
 					'estimated_cost'    => $amortized_cost,
 					'response_status'   => 'success',
 					'error_message'     => '',
+					'prompt_version'    => $research_row->prompt_version,
+					'agent_role'        => $research_row->agent_role ?? '',
 					'created_at'        => current_time( 'mysql' ),
 				)
 			);

includes/core/class-publisher.php

@@ -82,6 +82,23 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Publisher {
 		?string $run_id = null,
 		?PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Tracker $cost_tracker = null
 	): int {
+		// v0.18.1 belt-and-braces: never create a post whose content is
+		// empty once tags and whitespace are stripped — an empty "draft
+		// for human review" (2026-06-11 incident, post 921) reviews
+		// nothing and hides the underlying generation failure. The
+		// provider/writer guards make this unreachable on OpenRouter
+		// paths; this protects every other path into post creation.
+		if ( '' === trim( wp_strip_all_tags( $content ) ) ) {
+			throw new \RuntimeException(
+				sprintf(
+					/* translators: 1: intended post status, 2: article title. */
+					__( 'Refusing to create %1$s post "%2$s": generated content is empty.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					$post_status,
+					$idea->get_suggested_title()
+				)
+			);
+		}
+
 		// v0.18.0 idempotency: post creation is keyed by run + idea
 		// (check-before-insert) so a retried/resumed run cannot create a
 		// duplicate post. One run_id spans all N articles of a batch, so
@@ -90,11 +107,11 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Publisher {
 		if ( null !== $run_id && '' !== $run_id ) {
 			$existing_id = $this->find_existing_post( $run_id, $idea_hash );
 			if ( $existing_id > 0 ) {
-				PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->info(
-					sprintf( 'Post for run %s / idea %s already exists (ID=%d) — skipping duplicate insert.', $run_id, $idea_hash, $existing_id ),
-					'publisher'
-				);
-				return $existing_id;
+				// v0.20.0: a re-run's regenerated content must land on the
+				// existing UNPUBLISHED post (otherwise re-runs silently
+				// discard their output). Published posts stay frozen
+				// (CPO guardrail 5) — refresh skips them untouched.
+				return $this->refresh_unpublished_post( $existing_id, $content, $idea, $review );
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -140,6 +157,60 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Publisher {
 		return $post_id;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Refresh an existing post from re-run output — unpublished only.
+	 *
+	 * Idempotent-resume calls land here too (same content in = same
+	 * content out, so behavior is unchanged for plain resumes). The post
+	 * keeps its CURRENT status: a re-run never publishes an unpublished
+	 * post — publication stays an explicit Review Queue / WP editor
+	 * action. Published (and scheduled/private) posts are returned
+	 * untouched: the run is frozen (CPO guardrail 5).
+	 *
+	 * Side effects: wp_update_post + post meta updates (unpublished only).
+	 *
+	 * @param int                            $post_id Existing post ID.
+	 * @param string                         $content Regenerated HTML content.
+	 * @param PRAutoBlogger_Article_Idea     $idea    The idea.
+	 * @param PRAutoBlogger_Editorial_Review $review  The fresh review.
+	 * @return int The post ID.
+	 */
+	private function refresh_unpublished_post( int $post_id, string $content, PRAutoBlogger_Article_Idea $idea, PRAutoBlogger_Editorial_Review $review ): int {
+		$post = get_post( $post_id );
+		if ( PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Eligibility::post_frozen( $post ) ) {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->info(
+				sprintf( 'Post %d already exists and is published — frozen, skipping content refresh.', $post_id ),
+				'publisher'
+			);
+			return $post_id;
+		}
+
+		// Same sanitize chain as create_post().
+		$clean_content  = PRAutoBlogger_Post_Assembler::sanitize_llm_content( $content );
+		$linked_content = PRAutoBlogger_Peptide_Linker::inject_links( $clean_content );
+
+		wp_update_post(
+			array(
+				'ID'           => $post_id,
+				'post_title'   => sanitize_text_field( $idea->get_suggested_title() ),
+				'post_content' => wp_kses_post( $linked_content ),
+			)
+		);
+
+		update_post_meta( $post_id, '_prautoblogger_editor_verdict', $review->get_verdict() );
+		update_post_meta( $post_id, '_prautoblogger_editor_notes', $review->get_notes() );
+		update_post_meta( $post_id, '_prautoblogger_quality_score', $review->get_quality_score() );
+		update_post_meta( $post_id, '_prautoblogger_seo_score', $review->get_seo_score() );
+		update_post_meta( $post_id, '_prautoblogger_generated_at', gmdate( 'c' ) );
+
+		PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->info(
+			sprintf( 'Post %d refreshed from re-run output (status preserved: %s).', $post_id, (string) ( $post->post_status ?? '' ) ),
+			'publisher'
+		);
+
+		return $post_id;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Build post_meta array for generation metadata.
 	 *

includes/core/class-request-recorder.php

@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Per-PHP-process stash for the most recent outgoing LLM request body.
+ *
+ * What: A process-scoped static slot recording the JSON request body the
+ *       OpenRouter provider is about to dispatch, so Cost_Tracker::
+ *       log_api_call() can persist it to `generation_log.request_json`
+ *       (v0.20.0 / B1) without threading the body through every call
+ *       site. Mirrors the Run_Context precedent (v0.18.0).
+ *
+ *       SECURITY GUARANTEE: only the request BODY is ever recorded.
+ *       Authorization headers are built separately
+ *       (Request_Builder::build_headers()) and can never reach this
+ *       class; build_body() copies only whitelisted option keys.
+ *
+ *       Consume-once semantics: consume() clears the slot, and record()
+ *       overwrites it at every dispatch — so a stale body from an
+ *       unlogged failed call can never attach to a later, unrelated
+ *       log row.
+ * Who triggers it: OpenRouter_Provider::send_chat_completion() (record,
+ *       pre-dispatch so error rows carry the request too);
+ *       Cost_Tracker::log_api_call() (consume).
+ * Dependencies: none.
+ *
+ * @see providers/class-open-router-provider.php — Records before dispatch.
+ * @see core/class-cost-tracker.php              — Consumes into the log row.
+ * @see core/class-run-context.php               — The pattern this mirrors.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md #24                      — Edit + re-run substrate (B1).
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Request_Recorder {
+
+	/** @var string|null JSON-encoded request body of the in-flight LLM call. */
+	private static ?string $request_json = null;
+
+	/**
+	 * Record the outgoing request body for the next log row.
+	 *
+	 * Overwrites any previous stash (one in-flight chat call per PHP
+	 * process). Bodies that fail JSON encoding are skipped silently —
+	 * the log row's request_json stays NULL, never blocking the call.
+	 *
+	 * @param array<string, mixed> $body Request body from Request_Builder::build_body().
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function record( array $body ): void {
+		$encoded            = wp_json_encode( $body );
+		self::$request_json = is_string( $encoded ) ? $encoded : null;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Return the stashed request body and clear the slot (consume-once).
+	 *
+	 * @return string|null JSON request body, or null when nothing is stashed.
+	 */
+	public static function consume(): ?string {
+		$json               = self::$request_json;
+		self::$request_json = null;
+		return $json;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Clear the stash (tests / defensive teardown).
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function clear(): void {
+		self::$request_json = null;
+	}
+}

includes/core/class-rerun-eligibility.php

@@ -0,0 +1,214 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Policy gates for edit + single-step re-run (v0.20.0, M3).
+ *
+ * What: Single source of truth for WHO may re-run WHAT:
+ *       - Published posts are frozen (CPO guardrail 5): publish/future/
+ *         private statuses lock the run; edits go through the WP editor.
+ *       - Runs that are actively executing (status pending/running or
+ *         the global generation lock held) cannot be re-run — "in
+ *         progress" in the CPO sense means in the WORKFLOW (unpublished),
+ *         not mid-execution.
+ *       - Editable stages (input fork + replay) are the item-scoped
+ *         writer chat stages of the CURRENT pipeline vocabulary:
+ *         outline/draft/polish (single-pass uses draft only). review's
+ *         input is fully derived from content (re-run it from here
+ *         instead); analysis/research are run-level idea-selection
+ *         stages; image stages are not chat-replayable (Phase 2b).
+ *       - The canonical per-item chain orders downstream computation
+ *         for stale-marking and rebuild sets.
+ * Who triggers it: Dossier_Actions (UI affordances + request validation),
+ *       Rerun_Executor (re-validation under the lock before mutating).
+ * Dependencies: get_post(), Run_State, Generation_Lock, Stage_Input_Store.
+ *
+ * @see admin/class-dossier-actions.php — AJAX validation.
+ * @see core/class-rerun-executor.php   — Cron-side re-validation.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md #24             — Edit + re-run design.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Eligibility {
+
+	/** Post statuses that freeze a run (CPO guardrail 5). */
+	public const FROZEN_STATUSES = array( 'publish', 'future', 'private' );
+
+	/** Stages whose input may be edited and replayed (chat writer stages). */
+	public const EDITABLE_STAGES = array( 'outline', 'draft', 'polish' );
+
+	/** Canonical per-item stage chain (current pipeline vocabulary). */
+	public const ITEM_STAGE_CHAIN = array( 'outline', 'draft', 'polish', 'review', 'publish' );
+
+	/**
+	 * Whether a stage's input may be edited + replayed.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $stage Stage name.
+	 * @return bool
+	 */
+	public static function is_editable_stage( string $stage ): bool {
+		return in_array( $stage, self::EDITABLE_STAGES, true );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Whether re-run-from-here may target this stage (any chain stage).
+	 *
+	 * @param string $stage Stage name.
+	 * @return bool
+	 */
+	public static function is_chain_stage( string $stage ): bool {
+		return in_array( $stage, self::ITEM_STAGE_CHAIN, true );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Stages strictly AFTER a stage in the canonical chain — the set that
+	 * goes stale when the stage is re-run. Stages absent from an item
+	 * (e.g. outline/polish on single-pass runs) simply match no rows.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $stage Stage name.
+	 * @return array<string> Downstream stage names ([] for non-chain stages).
+	 */
+	public static function downstream_of( string $stage ): array {
+		$idx = array_search( $stage, self::ITEM_STAGE_CHAIN, true );
+		if ( false === $idx ) {
+			return array();
+		}
+		return array_slice( self::ITEM_STAGE_CHAIN, $idx + 1 );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * The demotion set for re-run-from-here: the stage itself plus all
+	 * downstream chain stages.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $stage Stage name.
+	 * @return array<string>
+	 */
+	public static function rebuild_set( string $stage ): array {
+		$idx = array_search( $stage, self::ITEM_STAGE_CHAIN, true );
+		if ( false === $idx ) {
+			return array();
+		}
+		return array_slice( self::ITEM_STAGE_CHAIN, $idx );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Whether a post is frozen for pipeline re-runs (guardrail 5).
+	 *
+	 * @param WP_Post|null $post The post, or null when none exists yet.
+	 * @return bool
+	 */
+	public static function post_frozen( ?WP_Post $post ): bool {
+		return ( $post instanceof WP_Post )
+			&& in_array( (string) $post->post_status, self::FROZEN_STATUSES, true );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Full re-run eligibility check for a (run, post) pair.
+	 *
+	 * Returns ok=false with an operator-readable reason for: missing/
+	 * frozen post, missing run row, run actively executing, or the
+	 * global generation lock being held. Called from the AJAX layer for
+	 * UI affordances AND re-validated by the cron handler under the lock
+	 * (state can change between click and pickup).
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id  Run UUID.
+	 * @param int    $post_id Post ID (0 = run has no post yet).
+	 * @param bool   $require_idle_lock Whether a held generation lock blocks (true for actions).
+	 * @return array{ok: bool, reason: string} Verdict + reason ('' when ok).
+	 */
+	public static function check( string $run_id, int $post_id, bool $require_idle_lock = true ): array {
+		if ( '' === $run_id ) {
+			return self::no( __( 'This article has no recorded generation run.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+		}
+
+		$post = $post_id > 0 ? get_post( $post_id ) : null;
+		if ( self::post_frozen( $post ) ) {
+			return self::no( __( 'This article is published — its run is frozen. Edit the article in the WordPress editor instead.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+		}
+
+		$run = PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::get_run( $run_id );
+		if ( null === $run ) {
+			return self::no( __( 'No run ledger row exists for this article (pre-substrate run).', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+		}
+		if ( in_array( (string) $run['status'], array( 'pending', 'running' ), true ) ) {
+			return self::no( __( 'This run is currently executing. Wait for it to finish (or for the reaper to mark it failed).', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+		}
+
+		if ( $require_idle_lock && null !== PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::get_acquired_at() ) {
+			return self::no( __( 'Another generation is in progress (lock held). Try again when it completes.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+		}
+
+		return array(
+			'ok'     => true,
+			'reason' => '',
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Replay-specific check: base eligibility + editable stage + a saved
+	 * input fork whose body has not been retention-pruned.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id     Run UUID.
+	 * @param int    $post_id    Post ID.
+	 * @param string $stage      Stage name.
+	 * @param string $agent_role Stage row agent role.
+	 * @param string $item_key   Stage row item key.
+	 * @param bool   $require_idle_lock False when the caller already owns the lock (cron handler).
+	 * @return array{ok: bool, reason: string}
+	 */
+	public static function check_replay( string $run_id, int $post_id, string $stage, string $agent_role, string $item_key, bool $require_idle_lock = true ): array {
+		if ( ! self::is_editable_stage( $stage ) ) {
+			return self::no( __( 'This stage cannot be replayed with an edited input.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+		}
+		$base = self::check( $run_id, $post_id, $require_idle_lock );
+		if ( ! $base['ok'] ) {
+			return $base;
+		}
+		$fork = PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Input_Store::latest_fork( $run_id, $stage, $agent_role, $item_key );
+		if ( null === $fork ) {
+			return self::no( __( 'Save an edited input for this stage first — re-run executes your latest saved version.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+		}
+		if ( empty( $fork['request_json'] ) ) {
+			return self::no( __( 'The saved input for this stage was pruned by the retention cron and can no longer be replayed.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+		}
+		return $base;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Rebuild-specific check: base eligibility + chain stage + idea seed
+	 * available (runs started before v0.20.0 have no seed).
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id   Run UUID.
+	 * @param int    $post_id  Post ID.
+	 * @param string $stage    Target stage.
+	 * @param string $item_key Item key.
+	 * @param bool   $require_idle_lock False when the caller already owns the lock (cron handler).
+	 * @return array{ok: bool, reason: string}
+	 */
+	public static function check_rebuild( string $run_id, int $post_id, string $stage, string $item_key, bool $require_idle_lock = true ): array {
+		if ( ! self::is_chain_stage( $stage ) ) {
+			return self::no( __( 'Re-run from here is only available on article pipeline stages.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+		}
+		$base = self::check( $run_id, $post_id, $require_idle_lock );
+		if ( ! $base['ok'] ) {
+			return $base;
+		}
+		if ( null === PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Input_Store::get_seed( $run_id, $item_key ) ) {
+			return self::no( __( 'No idea seed is stored for this run (recorded from v0.20.0 onward) — the pipeline cannot rebuild it safely.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+		}
+		return $base;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Shorthand for a negative verdict.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $reason Operator-readable reason.
+	 * @return array{ok: bool, reason: string}
+	 */
+	private static function no( string $reason ): array {
+		return array(
+			'ok'     => false,
+			'reason' => $reason,
+		);
+	}
+}

includes/core/class-rerun-executor.php

@@ -0,0 +1,221 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Queues and executes operator re-runs as chained cron jobs (v0.20.0, M3).
+ *
+ * What: The chained-cron seam for the dossier's two re-run actions —
+ *       NEVER synchronous (CPO hard constraint): the AJAX layer only
+ *       schedules; ALL state mutations happen in the cron handler after
+ *       re-validating eligibility under the global generation lock.
+ *       - Replay job: single-stage re-run of the latest edited input
+ *         fork (Stage_Replay). Demotes the one stage row to running
+ *         (human_modified=1), stale-marks downstream, executes, restores
+ *         a terminal run status.
+ *       - Rebuild job ("re-run from here"): demotes the target + all
+ *         downstream chain stages to pending, then re-enters
+ *         Article_Worker with the idea reconstructed from the stored
+ *         seed — upstream done stages are reused (never re-charged),
+ *         demoted stages re-run with prompts rebuilt from CURRENT
+ *         upstream snapshots, and the publisher refreshes the
+ *         unpublished post.
+ *       Both jobs: monthly budget check, Run_State::reopen() (ceiling
+ *       re-snapshotted from the current setting — a deliberate new-spend
+ *       decision), M1 status transient for board/dossier pickup
+ *       visibility, lock released in finally. Failures restore/record a
+ *       terminal run status so the run-reaper's stuck-running sweep
+ *       stays meaningful.
+ * Who triggers it: Dossier_Actions (queue_*), WP-Cron (on_* handlers via
+ *       class-prautoblogger.php registration).
+ * Dependencies: Rerun_Job_Support (lock/budget/transient plumbing),
+ *               Run_State, Run_Stage_Rerun_State, Stage_Input_Store,
+ *               Stage_Replay, Article_Worker, Rerun_Eligibility.
+ *
+ * @see admin/class-dossier-actions.php — The AJAX layer (queues via Job_Support).
+ * @see core/class-rerun-job-support.php — Shared queue/lock/status plumbing.
+ * @see core/class-stage-replay.php     — The governed replay call.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md #24             — Edit + re-run design.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Executor {
+
+	/** Cron action for single-stage replay jobs. */
+	public const REPLAY_ACTION = 'prautoblogger_rerun_stage_replay';
+
+	/** Cron action for re-run-from-here rebuild jobs. */
+	public const REBUILD_ACTION = 'prautoblogger_rerun_from_stage';
+
+	/**
+	 * Cron handler: replay one stage from its latest edited input fork.
+	 *
+	 * Side effects: run_stages/runs mutations, one governed LLM call,
+	 * generation_log row, status transient, lock acquire/release.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id     Run UUID.
+	 * @param int    $post_id    Post the dossier acted on.
+	 * @param string $stage      Stage name.
+	 * @param string $agent_role Stage row agent role.
+	 * @param string $item_key   Stage row item key.
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public function on_replay_job( string $run_id, int $post_id, string $stage, string $agent_role, string $item_key ): void {
+		PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::harden_process();
+		if ( ! PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::acquire_lock_or_report() ) {
+			return;
+		}
+
+		$previous_status = null;
+		try {
+			// Re-validate under the lock — state may have changed between
+			// click and pickup (e.g. the post was published).
+			// require_idle_lock=false: THIS handler owns the lock.
+			$check = PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Eligibility::check_replay( $run_id, $post_id, $stage, $agent_role, $item_key, false );
+			if ( ! $check['ok'] ) {
+				PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::finish_error( $check['reason'] );
+				return;
+			}
+			if ( PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::monthly_budget_exceeded() ) {
+				PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::finish_error( __( 'Monthly API budget exceeded. Re-run not started.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+				return;
+			}
+
+			$fork = PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Input_Store::latest_fork( $run_id, $stage, $agent_role, $item_key );
+			$body = null !== $fork ? PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Replay::decode_body( (string) $fork['request_json'] ) : null;
+			if ( null === $body ) {
+				PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::finish_error( __( 'The saved input could not be decoded as a replayable request.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+				return;
+			}
+
+			$previous_status = PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::get_status( $run_id );
+			if ( ! PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::reopen( $run_id ) ) {
+				PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::finish_error( __( 'The run could not be reopened for new spend.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+				return;
+			}
+
+			if ( ! PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_Rerun_State::restart( $run_id, $stage, $agent_role, $item_key, true ) ) {
+				PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::restore_terminal( $run_id, $previous_status );
+				PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::finish_error( __( 'The stage row could not be demoted for replay (it may be executing).', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+				return;
+			}
+			// Guardrail 3: explicit, visible downstream invalidation.
+			PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_Rerun_State::mark_stale( $run_id, $item_key, PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Eligibility::downstream_of( $stage ) );
+
+			PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::broadcast(
+				sprintf(
+					/* translators: %s: stage display label. */
+					__( 'Re-running %s with the edited input…', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map::label( $stage )
+				)
+			);
+
+			$result = PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Replay::run( $run_id, $stage, $agent_role, $item_key, $body );
+
+			PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::mark_status( $run_id, 'done' );
+			PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::finish_complete( $result['cost'] );
+		} catch ( PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Ceiling_Exception $e ) {
+			// Governor already halted the run + recorded the overage.
+			PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::fail( $run_id, $stage, $agent_role, $item_key );
+			PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::finish_error( $e->getMessage() );
+		} catch ( \Throwable $e ) {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::fail( $run_id, $stage, $agent_role, $item_key );
+			PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::mark_status( $run_id, 'failed' );
+			PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->error(
+				sprintf( 'Stage replay %s for run %s/%s: %s', get_class( $e ), $run_id, $stage, $e->getMessage() ),
+				'rerun'
+			);
+			PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::finish_error( $e->getMessage() );
+		} finally {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::release();
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Cron handler: re-run from a stage — demote it + downstream, then
+	 * re-enter the worker so demoted stages rebuild from current
+	 * upstream snapshots.
+	 *
+	 * Side effects: run_stages/runs mutations, worker LLM calls
+	 * (governed), post refresh, status transient, lock acquire/release.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id   Run UUID.
+	 * @param int    $post_id  Post the dossier acted on.
+	 * @param string $stage    Target stage (start of the rebuild set).
+	 * @param string $item_key Item key.
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public function on_rebuild_job( string $run_id, int $post_id, string $stage, string $item_key ): void {
+		PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::harden_process();
+		if ( ! PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::acquire_lock_or_report() ) {
+			return;
+		}
+
+		try {
+			// require_idle_lock=false: THIS handler owns the lock.
+			$check = PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Eligibility::check_rebuild( $run_id, $post_id, $stage, $item_key, false );
+			if ( ! $check['ok'] ) {
+				PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::finish_error( $check['reason'] );
+				return;
+			}
+			if ( PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::monthly_budget_exceeded() ) {
+				PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::finish_error( __( 'Monthly API budget exceeded. Re-run not started.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+				return;
+			}
+
+			$idea_json = PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Input_Store::get_seed( $run_id, $item_key );
+			$idea_data = null !== $idea_json ? json_decode( $idea_json, true ) : null;
+			if ( ! is_array( $idea_data ) ) {
+				PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::finish_error( __( 'The stored idea seed could not be decoded.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+				return;
+			}
+			$idea = new PRAutoBlogger_Article_Idea( $idea_data );
+
+			$job_start = current_time( 'mysql' );
+			$demoted   = PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Eligibility::rebuild_set( $stage );
+
+			if ( ! PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::reopen( $run_id ) ) {
+				PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::finish_error( __( 'The run could not be reopened for new spend.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+				return;
+			}
+			PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_Rerun_State::demote_to_pending( $run_id, $item_key, $demoted );
+
+			PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::broadcast(
+				sprintf(
+					/* translators: %s: stage display label. */
+					__( 'Re-running the pipeline from %s…', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map::label( $stage )
+				)
+			);
+
+			$tracker = new PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Tracker();
+			$tracker->set_run_id( $run_id );
+			$result = ( new PRAutoBlogger_Article_Worker( $tracker ) )->generate( $idea );
+
+			// The worker traps its own failures (fail_open_for_item);
+			// publish-done is the success signal.
+			$succeeded = PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::is_done( $run_id, 'publish', '', $item_key );
+
+			// Decisions recorded while rebuilding a human-modified item
+			// derive from edited content — flag them (guardrail 2).
+			if ( PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_Rerun_State::item_has_human_modified( $run_id, $item_key ) ) {
+				PRAutoBlogger_Audit_Writer::flag_decisions_human_modified( $run_id, $demoted, $job_start );
+			}
+
+			PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::mark_status( $run_id, $succeeded ? 'done' : 'failed' );
+			if ( $succeeded ) {
+				PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::finish_complete( (float) $result['cost'] );
+			} else {
+				PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::finish_error( __( 'The re-run did not complete — check the Activity Log and the dossier stage states.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+			}
+		} catch ( \Throwable $e ) {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::mark_status( $run_id, 'failed' );
+			PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->error(
+				sprintf( 'Rebuild from %s %s for run %s: %s', $stage, get_class( $e ), $run_id, $e->getMessage() ),
+				'rerun'
+			);
+			PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support::finish_error( $e->getMessage() );
+		} finally {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::release();
+		}
+	}
+}

includes/core/class-rerun-job-support.php

@@ -0,0 +1,158 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Shared plumbing for re-run cron jobs (v0.20.0, M3).
+ *
+ * What: The queue/lock/budget/status-transient helpers both
+ *       Rerun_Executor handlers share — extracted so the executor stays
+ *       under the 300-line cap. The status transient writes use the M1
+ *       Generation_Status_Poller shape so the kanban board (and the
+ *       dossier's poll) show queued → pickup → result without any new
+ *       polling infrastructure; the poller's existing R2/R3 orphan
+ *       recovery covers a dead re-run process unchanged.
+ * Who triggers it: PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Executor (handlers) and
+ *       PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Actions (queue()).
+ * Dependencies: Generation_Lock, Generation_Status_Poller (constants),
+ *               Cost_Tracker, Run_State, Logger, WP-Cron.
+ *
+ * @see core/class-rerun-executor.php — The job handlers.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md #24           — Edit + re-run design.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Job_Support {
+
+	/**
+	 * Schedule a re-run job and fire the cron spawner (non-blocking).
+	 *
+	 * The uniq argument keeps wp_schedule_single_event()'s identical-
+	 * args dedup from swallowing a legitimate second click after a
+	 * failed attempt within the 10-minute window.
+	 *
+	 * Side effects: one single cron event, status transient write,
+	 * non-blocking loopback request.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $action         Cron action name.
+	 * @param array  $args           Handler args.
+	 * @param string $queued_message Operator-facing "queued" copy.
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function queue( string $action, array $args, string $queued_message ): void {
+		$args[] = (string) microtime( true ); // Uniqueness token.
+		wp_schedule_single_event( time(), $action, $args );
+
+		self::broadcast( $queued_message );
+
+		spawn_cron();
+		wp_remote_post(
+			site_url( 'wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron=' . sprintf( '%.22F', microtime( true ) ) ),
+			array(
+				'timeout'   => 0.01,
+				'blocking'  => false,
+				'sslverify' => false,
+			)
+		);
+	}
+
+	/** Raise process limits for a background LLM job (cron context). */
+	public static function harden_process(): void {
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.PHP.NoSilencedErrors.Discouraged
+		@ignore_user_abort( true );
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.PHP.NoSilencedErrors.Discouraged
+		@set_time_limit( 300 );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Acquire the global generation mutex or report the conflict.
+	 *
+	 * @return bool Whether the lock was acquired.
+	 */
+	public static function acquire_lock_or_report(): bool {
+		if ( PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Lock::acquire() ) {
+			return true;
+		}
+		self::finish_error( __( 'Could not acquire the generation lock — another run is in progress. Re-run again when it completes.', 'prautoblogger' ) );
+		return false;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Whether the monthly budget hard-stop blocks new spend.
+	 *
+	 * @return bool
+	 */
+	public static function monthly_budget_exceeded(): bool {
+		return ( new PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Tracker() )->is_budget_exceeded();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Restore a terminal run status after an aborted-but-reopened job.
+	 *
+	 * @param string      $run_id Run UUID.
+	 * @param string|null $status The pre-reopen status (done/failed/halted).
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function restore_terminal( string $run_id, ?string $status ): void {
+		if ( null !== $status && in_array( $status, array( 'done', 'failed', 'halted' ), true ) ) {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Run_State::mark_status( $run_id, $status );
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Update the live status transient (board + dossier polling).
+	 *
+	 * @param string $message Stage message.
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function broadcast( string $message ): void {
+		set_transient(
+			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Status_Poller::STATUS_TRANSIENT,
+			array(
+				'status'       => 'running',
+				'stage'        => $message,
+				'started'      => time(),
+				'last_updated' => time(),
+			),
+			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Status_Poller::STATUS_TTL
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Final transient: success (board-compatible shape).
+	 *
+	 * @param float $cost Job spend in USD.
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function finish_complete( float $cost ): void {
+		set_transient(
+			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Status_Poller::STATUS_TRANSIENT,
+			array(
+				'status'    => 'complete',
+				'generated' => 0,
+				'published' => 0,
+				'rejected'  => 0,
+				'cost'      => $cost,
+				'message'   => __( 'Re-run complete.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			),
+			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Status_Poller::STATUS_TTL
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Final transient: error (board-compatible shape) + log.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $message Operator-facing error.
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function finish_error( string $message ): void {
+		PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->warning( 'Re-run job: ' . $message, 'rerun' );
+		set_transient(
+			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Status_Poller::STATUS_TRANSIENT,
+			array(
+				'status'  => 'error',
+				'message' => $message,
+			),
+			PRAutoBlogger_Generation_Status_Poller::STATUS_TTL
+		);
+	}
+}

includes/core/class-run-reaper.php

@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
  *          ledger/state activity for 2× the expected run wall-clock are
  *          marked `failed` and their non-done stages reaped to `failed`;
  *          such runs render as "incomplete" via incomplete_runs().
- *       3. Retention — `request_json` on generation_log and stage output
+ *       3. Retention — `request_json` on generation_log, stage output
  *          payloads (`meta_json` on run_stages) are NULLed after R days;
+ *          payloads, and stage_inputs human-fork bodies (v0.20.0);
  *          R comes from the `prautoblogger_request_json_retention_days`
  *          SETTING (default constant 14; 0 = keep forever) — never a
  *          literal at the point of use.
@@ -132,7 +133,9 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Run_Reaper {
 		 * @param int $seconds Expected seconds (default 300).
 		 */
 		$expected = (int) apply_filters( 'prautoblogger_filter_stage_expected_seconds', self::EXPECTED_STAGE_SECONDS );
-		$cutoff   = gmdate( 'Y-m-d H:i:s', time() - ( 2 * $expected ) );
+		// Use wp_date() so the cutoff is expressed in the site's local timezone,
+		// matching the updated_at values written by current_time('mysql') (v0.22.1 TZ fix).
+		$cutoff   = wp_date( 'Y-m-d H:i:s', time() - ( 2 * $expected ) );
 		$now      = current_time( 'mysql' );
 
 		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
@@ -168,7 +171,8 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Run_Reaper {
 		 * @param int $seconds Expected seconds (default 1800).
 		 */
 		$expected = (int) apply_filters( 'prautoblogger_filter_expected_run_seconds', self::EXPECTED_RUN_SECONDS );
-		$cutoff   = gmdate( 'Y-m-d H:i:s', time() - ( 2 * $expected ) );
+		// Use wp_date() so the cutoff matches updated_at's local-timezone storage (v0.22.1 TZ fix).
+		$cutoff   = wp_date( 'Y-m-d H:i:s', time() - ( 2 * $expected ) );
 
 		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching
 		$stuck = $wpdb->get_col(
@@ -265,6 +269,11 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Run_Reaper {
 			$pruned += is_numeric( $result ) ? (int) $result : 0;
 		}
 
+		// v0.20.0: human edit-fork bodies ride the same retention (seed
+		// rows are kept — structural, ~1KB). A pruned fork can no longer
+		// be replayed; the dossier explains that state honestly.
+		$pruned += PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Input_Store::prune_human_bodies( $cutoff );
+
 		return $pruned;
 	}
 }

includes/core/class-run-stage-rerun-state.php

@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Operator-action state mutations for edit + re-run (v0.20.0, M3).
+ *
+ * What: The ONLY paths that may demote a 'done' run_stages row — and all
+ *       of them are deliberate operator actions dispatched from the
+ *       dossier (never reachable from pipeline resume code):
+ *       - restart(): done/failed/halted/pending → running for a single-
+ *         stage replay; bumps attempt, clears stale, sets human_modified
+ *         when the replay uses an edited input fork (CPO guardrail 2).
+ *       - mark_stale(): flags downstream 'done' stages as stale after an
+ *         upstream edit enters execution. Stale is a COLUMN, not a
+ *         status: the stage stays 'done', so resume-without-recharge
+ *         logic can never silently re-run it (CPO guardrail 3 holds by
+ *         construction). Only Run_Stage_Writes::done() clears it.
+ *       - demote_to_pending(): re-run-from-here demotion; the worker
+ *         re-entry then rebuilds those stages from current upstream
+ *         snapshots. Audit columns (attempt, human_modified) survive;
+ *         old meta_json survives until overwritten by the fresh done().
+ *       Every method no-ops when the run_stages table is missing.
+ * Who triggers it: PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Executor (cron handlers, after
+ *       re-validating eligibility under the generation lock).
+ * Dependencies: Run_Stage_State (probe/table), $wpdb.
+ *
+ * @see core/class-rerun-executor.php      — Sole caller.
+ * @see core/class-run-stage-writes.php    — Pipeline-path writes (done clears stale).
+ * @see core/class-rerun-eligibility.php   — Policy gates before any mutation.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md #24                — Edit + re-run design.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_Rerun_State {
+
+	/**
+	 * Demote one stage row to 'running' for an operator replay.
+	 *
+	 * Allowed from done/failed/halted/pending — never from 'running'
+	 * (a concurrently executing stage cannot be restarted). Bumps the
+	 * attempt counter, clears `stale` (the row is being refreshed) and
+	 * sets `human_modified` when the replay executes an edited fork.
+	 * `human_modified` is never cleared by any code path — it is sticky
+	 * audit state for the life of the run.
+	 *
+	 * Side effects: one UPDATE on run_stages.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id         Run UUID.
+	 * @param string $stage          Stage name.
+	 * @param string $agent_role     Agent role (resolved by the caller from the actual row).
+	 * @param string $item_key       Item key.
+	 * @param bool   $human_modified Whether an edited input fork drives this replay.
+	 * @return bool Whether a row was demoted.
+	 */
+	public static function restart( string $run_id, string $stage, string $agent_role, string $item_key, bool $human_modified ): bool {
+		if ( '' === $run_id || ! PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::is_available() ) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table = PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::table_name();
+		$now   = current_time( 'mysql' );
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+		$updated = $wpdb->query(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"UPDATE {$table}
+				SET status = 'running', attempt = attempt + 1, stale = 0,
+					human_modified = IF(%d = 1, 1, human_modified),
+					updated_at = %s, finished_at = NULL
+				WHERE run_id = %s AND stage = %s AND agent_role = %s AND item_key = %s
+					AND status IN ('done','failed','halted','pending')",
+				$human_modified ? 1 : 0,
+				$now,
+				$run_id,
+				$stage,
+				$agent_role,
+				$item_key
+			)
+		);
+		return 1 === (int) $updated;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Flag a set of 'done' stages as stale (explicit downstream
+	 * invalidation after an upstream edit/re-run — CPO guardrail 3).
+	 *
+	 * Nothing is demoted and nothing auto-re-runs: the rows stay 'done'
+	 * and visible; the operator triggers each subsequent stage (or
+	 * re-run-from-here) deliberately.
+	 *
+	 * @param string        $run_id   Run UUID.
+	 * @param string        $item_key Item key.
+	 * @param array<string> $stages   Stage names to flag.
+	 * @return int Rows flagged.
+	 */
+	public static function mark_stale( string $run_id, string $item_key, array $stages ): int {
+		if ( '' === $run_id || empty( $stages ) || ! PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::is_available() ) {
+			return 0;
+		}
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table        = PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::table_name();
+		$placeholders = implode( ',', array_fill( 0, count( $stages ), '%s' ) );
+		$params       = array_merge( array( current_time( 'mysql' ), $run_id, $item_key ), array_values( $stages ) );
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.NotPrepared -- $placeholders is a fixed %s list.
+		$updated = $wpdb->query(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"UPDATE {$table} SET stale = 1, updated_at = %s
+				WHERE run_id = %s AND item_key = %s AND status = 'done' AND stage IN ({$placeholders})",
+				$params
+			)
+		);
+		return is_numeric( $updated ) ? (int) $updated : 0;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Demote a set of stages to 'pending' for re-run-from-here.
+	 *
+	 * The pipeline's resume machinery treats pending stages as not-done
+	 * and re-executes them with prompts REBUILT from current upstream
+	 * snapshots — that is how an upstream edit propagates downstream.
+	 * Rows keep attempt/human_modified (audit) and their old meta_json
+	 * until the fresh completion overwrites it; `stale` stays 1 until
+	 * Run_Stage_Writes::done() clears it on fresh output. Never touches
+	 * a 'running' row.
+	 *
+	 * @param string        $run_id   Run UUID.
+	 * @param string        $item_key Item key.
+	 * @param array<string> $stages   Stage names to demote.
+	 * @return int Rows demoted.
+	 */
+	public static function demote_to_pending( string $run_id, string $item_key, array $stages ): int {
+		if ( '' === $run_id || empty( $stages ) || ! PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::is_available() ) {
+			return 0;
+		}
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table        = PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::table_name();
+		$placeholders = implode( ',', array_fill( 0, count( $stages ), '%s' ) );
+		$params       = array_merge( array( current_time( 'mysql' ), $run_id, $item_key ), array_values( $stages ) );
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.NotPrepared -- $placeholders is a fixed %s list.
+		$updated = $wpdb->query(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"UPDATE {$table} SET status = 'pending', stale = 1, updated_at = %s, finished_at = NULL
+				WHERE run_id = %s AND item_key = %s AND status != 'running' AND stage IN ({$placeholders})",
+				$params
+			)
+		);
+		return is_numeric( $updated ) ? (int) $updated : 0;
+	}
+	/**
+	 * Whether any stage row of this item carries the human_modified flag
+	 * (drives derived-decision flagging during rebuilds — guardrail 2).
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id   Run UUID.
+	 * @param string $item_key Item key.
+	 * @return bool
+	 */
+	public static function item_has_human_modified( string $run_id, string $item_key ): bool {
+		if ( '' === $run_id || ! PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::is_available() ) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table = PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::table_name();
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching
+		$found = $wpdb->get_var(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"SELECT 1 FROM {$table} WHERE run_id = %s AND item_key = %s AND human_modified = 1 LIMIT 1",
+				$run_id,
+				$item_key
+			)
+		);
+		return null !== $found;
+	}
+}

includes/core/class-run-stage-state.php

@@ -6,40 +6,41 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
  *
  * Per-run per-stage state machine over `wp_prautoblogger_run_stages`.
  *
- * What: One row per (run_id, stage, agent_role, item_key) holding
- *       pending|running|done|failed|halted plus the stage's output
- *       snapshot (meta_json). This is what makes resume idempotent on the
- *       chained-cron architecture: a `done` stage is NEVER re-run or
- *       re-charged — re-entry reuses its stored output; `done` is sticky
- *       (an upsert cannot demote it). agent_role is the Phase-2 fan-out
- *       dimension (quorum members; the quorum logic itself is Phase 2);
- *       item_key scopes article-level stages because one run_id spans all
- *       N articles of a batch run ('' for run-level stages). Self-healing:
- *       a missing table degrades every method to a no-op/false.
- * Who triggers it: Pipeline_Runner (run-level research/analysis),
- *       Article_Worker (per-article generate/review/publish),
- *       Content_Generator (per-LLM-stage outline/draft/polish),
- *       Run_Reaper (stuck-stage sweep + payload pruning).
- * Dependencies: WordPress $wpdb, wp_json_encode.
+ * One row per (run_id, stage, agent_role, item_key) holding
+ * pending|running|done|failed|halted plus the output snapshot (meta_json).
+ * Done stages are sticky and never re-charged on resume. Self-healing:
+ * a missing table degrades every method to a no-op/false.
  *
- * @see core/class-run-state.php   — Run-level lifecycle + ledger row.
- * @see core/class-run-reaper.php  — Sweeps stages stuck in 'running'.
- * @see ARCHITECTURE.md #21        — Idempotency-key design.
+ * v0.18.2: role is resolved from Stage_Display_Map when caller passes ''
+ * so start/done/is_done/get_output are always symmetric. Explicit non-empty
+ * roles (Phase-2 fan-out) are honoured as-is. get() falls back to role=''
+ * on miss for mid-run-upgrade compat with v0.18.1 rows.
+ *
+ * v0.20.0: write bodies extracted to PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_Writes (the
+ * M2 split pattern — this class was at the 300-line cap); the public API
+ * here is unchanged and delegates. Operator-action mutations (replay
+ * restart, stale marking, re-run demotion) live in
+ * PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_Rerun_State only.
+ *
+ * @see core/class-run-stage-writes.php      — Extracted write bodies.
+ * @see core/class-run-stage-rerun-state.php — M3 operator-action writes.
+ * @see core/class-run-state.php  — Run-level lifecycle + ledger row.
+ * @see core/class-run-reaper.php — Sweeps stages stuck in 'running'.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md #22 / #24 — Substrate + edit/re-run design.
  */
 class PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State {
 
 	/** @var bool|null Per-request "run_stages table exists" probe result. */
 	private static ?bool $table_ok = null;
 
-	/** Fully-qualified run_stages table name. */
+	/** @return string Fully-qualified run_stages table name. */
 	public static function table_name(): string {
 		global $wpdb;
 		return $wpdb->prefix . 'prautoblogger_run_stages';
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Whether the run_stages table exists and is queryable. Cached per
-	 * request; never throws.
+	 * Whether the run_stages table exists and is queryable. Cached per request.
 	 *
 	 * @return bool
 	 */
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State {
 		}
 		global $wpdb;
 		if ( null === $wpdb ) {
-			return false; // Not cached: $wpdb may appear later in boot.
+			return false;
 		}
 		$table = self::table_name();
 		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching
@@ -59,18 +60,17 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Stable hash identifying one article idea within a run (post-creation
-	 * idempotency + stage item scoping both key off this).
+	 * Stable 16-hex hash for one article idea within a run.
 	 *
 	 * @param PRAutoBlogger_Article_Idea $idea The idea.
-	 * @return string 16-hex-char hash.
+	 * @return string
 	 */
 	public static function idea_hash( PRAutoBlogger_Article_Idea $idea ): string {
 		return substr( md5( $idea->get_suggested_title() . '|' . $idea->get_topic() ), 0, 16 );
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Stage item_key for an article idea ('' is reserved for run-level stages).
+	 * Stage item_key for an article idea ('' reserved for run-level stages).
 	 *
 	 * @param PRAutoBlogger_Article_Idea $idea The idea.
 	 * @return string e.g. 'idea:1a2b3c4d5e6f7a8b'.
@@ -80,135 +80,62 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Mark a stage as entered (running). Upsert: first entry inserts the
-	 * row; re-entry bumps `attempt` — but a `done` stage is sticky and is
-	 * neither demoted nor re-counted.
-	 *
-	 * Side effects: one INSERT … ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE.
+	 * Mark a stage as running. Sticky: done stages are never demoted.
+	 * Delegates to Run_Stage_Writes (v0.20.0 split — behavior unchanged).
 	 *
 	 * @param string $run_id     Run UUID.
 	 * @param string $stage      Stage name (see Stage_Display_Map).
-	 * @param string $agent_role Fan-out dimension ('' default in Phase 1).
+	 * @param string $agent_role Fan-out dimension ('' = resolve from stage map).
 	 * @param string $item_key   Article scope ('' for run-level stages).
-	 * @return void
 	 */
 	public static function start( string $run_id, string $stage, string $agent_role = '', string $item_key = '' ): void {
-		if ( '' === $run_id || ! self::is_available() ) {
-			return;
-		}
-		global $wpdb;
-		$table = self::table_name();
-		$now   = current_time( 'mysql' );
-		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
-		$wpdb->query(
-			$wpdb->prepare(
-				"INSERT INTO {$table}
-				(run_id, stage, agent_role, item_key, status, attempt, started_at, updated_at)
-				VALUES (%s, %s, %s, %s, 'running', 1, %s, %s)
-				ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE
-					attempt = IF(status = 'done', attempt, attempt + 1),
-					status = IF(status = 'done', 'done', 'running'),
-					updated_at = VALUES(updated_at)",
-				$run_id,
-				$stage,
-				$agent_role,
-				$item_key,
-				$now,
-				$now
-			)
-		);
+		PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_Writes::start( $run_id, $stage, $agent_role, $item_key );
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Mark a stage done, persisting its output for resume-without-recharge.
-	 *
-	 * Side effects: one INSERT … ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE.
+	 * Mark a stage done and persist its output for resume-without-recharge.
+	 * Delegates to Run_Stage_Writes (v0.20.0 split; fresh completion also
+	 * clears the `stale` flag there).
 	 *
 	 * @param string      $run_id     Run UUID.
 	 * @param string      $stage      Stage name.
-	 * @param string      $agent_role Fan-out dimension.
+	 * @param string      $agent_role Fan-out dimension ('' = resolve from stage map).
 	 * @param string      $item_key   Article scope.
-	 * @param string|null $output     Stage output to snapshot (pruned after R days).
-	 * @param float       $cost_usd   Cost attributed to the stage.
-	 * @return void
+	 * @param string|null $output     Stage output snapshot (pruned after R days).
+	 * @param float       $cost_usd   Cost attributed to this stage.
 	 */
 	public static function done( string $run_id, string $stage, string $agent_role = '', string $item_key = '', ?string $output = null, float $cost_usd = 0.0 ): void {
-		if ( '' === $run_id || ! self::is_available() ) {
-			return;
-		}
-		global $wpdb;
-		$table = self::table_name();
-		$now   = current_time( 'mysql' );
-		$meta  = null !== $output ? wp_json_encode( array( 'output' => $output ) ) : null;
-		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
-		$wpdb->query(
-			$wpdb->prepare(
-				"INSERT INTO {$table}
-				(run_id, stage, agent_role, item_key, status, attempt, cost_usd, meta_json, started_at, updated_at, finished_at)
-				VALUES (%s, %s, %s, %s, 'done', 1, %f, %s, %s, %s, %s)
-				ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE
-					status = 'done',
-					cost_usd = VALUES(cost_usd),
-					meta_json = VALUES(meta_json),
-					updated_at = VALUES(updated_at),
-					finished_at = VALUES(finished_at)",
-				$run_id,
-				$stage,
-				$agent_role,
-				$item_key,
-				$cost_usd,
-				$meta,
-				$now,
-				$now,
-				$now
-			)
-		);
+		PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_Writes::done( $run_id, $stage, $agent_role, $item_key, $output, $cost_usd );
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Mark a stage failed (does not demote a `done` stage).
+	 * Mark a stage failed (does not demote a done stage). Delegates to
+	 * Run_Stage_Writes (v0.20.0 split — behavior unchanged).
 	 *
 	 * @param string $run_id     Run UUID.
 	 * @param string $stage      Stage name.
-	 * @param string $agent_role Fan-out dimension.
+	 * @param string $agent_role Fan-out dimension ('' = resolve from stage map).
 	 * @param string $item_key   Article scope.
-	 * @return void
 	 */
 	public static function fail( string $run_id, string $stage, string $agent_role = '', string $item_key = '' ): void {
-		if ( '' === $run_id || ! self::is_available() ) {
-			return;
-		}
-		global $wpdb;
-		$table = self::table_name();
-		$now   = current_time( 'mysql' );
-		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
-		$wpdb->query(
-			$wpdb->prepare(
-				"UPDATE {$table} SET status = 'failed', updated_at = %s, finished_at = %s
-				WHERE run_id = %s AND stage = %s AND agent_role = %s AND item_key = %s AND status != 'done'",
-				$now,
-				$now,
-				$run_id,
-				$stage,
-				$agent_role,
-				$item_key
-			)
-		);
+		PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_Writes::fail( $run_id, $stage, $agent_role, $item_key );
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Fetch one stage row.
+	 * Fetch one stage row. Falls back to role='' on miss for mid-run-upgrade
+	 * compat with v0.18.1 rows (one extra indexed query, only on miss).
 	 *
 	 * @param string $run_id     Run UUID.
 	 * @param string $stage      Stage name.
-	 * @param string $agent_role Fan-out dimension.
+	 * @param string $agent_role Fan-out dimension ('' = resolve from stage map).
 	 * @param string $item_key   Article scope.
-	 * @return array<string, mixed>|null Row or null.
+	 * @return array<string, mixed>|null
 	 */
 	public static function get( string $run_id, string $stage, string $agent_role = '', string $item_key = '' ): ?array {
 		if ( '' === $run_id || ! self::is_available() ) {
 			return null;
 		}
+		$agent_role = PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_Writes::resolve_role( $stage, $agent_role );
 		global $wpdb;
 		$table = self::table_name();
 		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching
@@ -222,7 +149,25 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State {
 			),
 			ARRAY_A
 		);
-		return is_array( $row ) ? $row : null;
+		if ( is_array( $row ) ) {
+			return $row;
+		}
+		// v0.18.1 upgrade compat: rows started before this fix carry role=''.
+		// One extra indexed query, only on miss, only for known stages.
+		if ( '' !== $agent_role ) {
+			// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching
+			$legacy = $wpdb->get_row(
+				$wpdb->prepare(
+					"SELECT * FROM {$table} WHERE run_id = %s AND stage = %s AND agent_role = '' AND item_key = %s",
+					$run_id,
+					$stage,
+					$item_key
+				),
+				ARRAY_A
+			);
+			return is_array( $legacy ) ? $legacy : null;
+		}
+		return null;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -230,7 +175,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State {
 	 *
 	 * @param string $run_id     Run UUID.
 	 * @param string $stage      Stage name.
-	 * @param string $agent_role Fan-out dimension.
+	 * @param string $agent_role Fan-out dimension ('' = resolve from stage map).
 	 * @param string $item_key   Article scope.
 	 * @return bool
 	 */
@@ -244,7 +189,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State {
 	 *
 	 * @param string $run_id     Run UUID.
 	 * @param string $stage      Stage name.
-	 * @param string $agent_role Fan-out dimension.
+	 * @param string $agent_role Fan-out dimension ('' = resolve from stage map).
 	 * @param string $item_key   Article scope.
 	 * @return string|null
 	 */
@@ -258,32 +203,65 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Fail every still-open (pending/running) stage of one item — used by
-	 * the worker's catch-all so a crashed article leaves no stage stuck
-	 * in 'running' until the reaper. Done stages are untouched.
+	 * Fail every still-open stage of one item. Done stages are untouched.
+	 * Delegates to Run_Stage_Writes (v0.20.0 split — behavior unchanged).
 	 *
 	 * @param string $run_id   Run UUID.
 	 * @param string $item_key Stage item key ('' = run-level stages).
-	 * @return void
 	 */
 	public static function fail_open_for_item( string $run_id, string $item_key ): void {
+		PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_Writes::fail_open_for_item( $run_id, $item_key );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * All stage rows for one item of a run (plus run-level rows when
+	 * $include_run_level), ordered by id. Read API for the rerun engine
+	 * and the dossier's item-scoped assembly (v0.20.0).
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id            Run UUID.
+	 * @param string $item_key          Item key ('idea:<hash>').
+	 * @param bool   $include_run_level Include item_key='' rows too.
+	 * @return array<int, array<string, mixed>> Stage rows (ARRAY_A).
+	 */
+	public static function stages_for_item( string $run_id, string $item_key, bool $include_run_level = true ): array {
 		if ( '' === $run_id || ! self::is_available() ) {
-			return;
+			return array();
 		}
 		global $wpdb;
 		$table = self::table_name();
-		$now   = current_time( 'mysql' );
-		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
-		$wpdb->query(
+		$sql   = $include_run_level
+			? "SELECT * FROM {$table} WHERE run_id = %s AND item_key IN (%s, '') ORDER BY id ASC"
+			: "SELECT * FROM {$table} WHERE run_id = %s AND item_key = %s ORDER BY id ASC";
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching,WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.NotPrepared -- assembled from two fixed literals above.
+		$rows = $wpdb->get_results( $wpdb->prepare( $sql, $run_id, $item_key ), ARRAY_A );
+		return is_array( $rows ) ? $rows : array();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Which of the given runs carry at least one stale stage (batched --
+	 * feeds the Review Queue warning chips without N+1; CPO product AC:
+	 * a stale flag is present at publish). Self-healing: missing table
+	 * or column returns [].
+	 *
+	 * @param array<string> $run_ids Run UUIDs.
+	 * @return array<string> Subset of $run_ids having stale stages.
+	 */
+	public static function runs_with_stale_stages( array $run_ids ): array {
+		$run_ids = array_values( array_filter( array_map( 'strval', $run_ids ) ) );
+		if ( empty( $run_ids ) || ! self::is_available() ) {
+			return array();
+		}
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table        = self::table_name();
+		$placeholders = implode( ',', array_fill( 0, count( $run_ids ), '%s' ) );
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching,WordPress.DB.PreparedSQL.NotPrepared -- $placeholders is a fixed %s list.
+		$rows = $wpdb->get_col(
 			$wpdb->prepare(
-				"UPDATE {$table} SET status = 'failed', updated_at = %s, finished_at = %s
-				WHERE run_id = %s AND item_key = %s AND status IN ('pending','running')",
-				$now,
-				$now,
-				$run_id,
-				$item_key
+				"SELECT DISTINCT run_id FROM {$table} WHERE stale = 1 AND run_id IN ({$placeholders})",
+				$run_ids
 			)
 		);
+		return is_array( $rows ) ? array_map( 'strval', $rows ) : array();
 	}
 
 	/** Reset per-request caches (tests). */

includes/core/class-run-stage-writes.php

@@ -0,0 +1,222 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Pipeline-path write operations over `wp_prautoblogger_run_stages`.
+ *
+ * Extracted from PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State in v0.20.0 so that class
+ * stays under the 300-line cap (the M2 class-split pattern): start/done/
+ * fail/fail_open_for_item bodies moved here verbatim; Run_Stage_State
+ * keeps thin delegating proxies, so every existing call site is
+ * unchanged. One M3 behavior delta, isolated in done(): a freshly
+ * completed stage clears its `stale` flag (fresh output is never stale),
+ * with a self-healing legacy retry for half-migrated schemas that lack
+ * the v0.20.0 columns (same retry pattern as Cost_Tracker v0.18.0).
+ *
+ * Operator-action mutations (restart/mark_stale/demote) live in
+ * PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_Rerun_State, not here.
+ *
+ * Triggered by: PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State proxies (pipeline call sites).
+ * Dependencies: Run_Stage_State (table probe), Stage_Display_Map (role).
+ *
+ * @see core/class-run-stage-state.php       — Public API + read methods.
+ * @see core/class-run-stage-rerun-state.php — M3 operator-action writes.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md #22 / #24            — Substrate + edit/re-run design.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_Writes {
+
+	/**
+	 * Mark a stage as running. Sticky: done stages are never demoted.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id     Run UUID.
+	 * @param string $stage      Stage name (see Stage_Display_Map).
+	 * @param string $agent_role Fan-out dimension ('' = resolve from stage map).
+	 * @param string $item_key   Article scope ('' for run-level stages).
+	 */
+	public static function start( string $run_id, string $stage, string $agent_role = '', string $item_key = '' ): void {
+		if ( '' === $run_id || ! PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::is_available() ) {
+			return;
+		}
+		$agent_role = self::resolve_role( $stage, $agent_role );
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table = PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::table_name();
+		$now   = current_time( 'mysql' );
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+		$wpdb->query(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"INSERT INTO {$table}
+				(run_id, stage, agent_role, item_key, status, attempt, started_at, updated_at)
+				VALUES (%s, %s, %s, %s, 'running', 1, %s, %s)
+				ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE
+					attempt = IF(status = 'done', attempt, attempt + 1),
+					status = IF(status = 'done', 'done', 'running'),
+					updated_at = VALUES(updated_at)",
+				$run_id,
+				$stage,
+				$agent_role,
+				$item_key,
+				$now,
+				$now
+			)
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Mark a stage done and persist its output for resume-without-recharge.
+	 *
+	 * v0.20.0: a fresh completion clears the `stale` flag (and never
+	 * touches `human_modified` — that flag is sticky run audit). When the
+	 * site's schema predates the v0.20.0 columns (cron fired before the
+	 * admin_init migration pass), the write self-heals by retrying the
+	 * pre-v0.20.0 statement instead of losing the checkpoint.
+	 *
+	 * @param string      $run_id     Run UUID.
+	 * @param string      $stage      Stage name.
+	 * @param string      $agent_role Fan-out dimension ('' = resolve from stage map).
+	 * @param string      $item_key   Article scope.
+	 * @param string|null $output     Stage output snapshot (pruned after R days).
+	 * @param float       $cost_usd   Cost attributed to this stage.
+	 */
+	public static function done( string $run_id, string $stage, string $agent_role = '', string $item_key = '', ?string $output = null, float $cost_usd = 0.0 ): void {
+		if ( '' === $run_id || ! PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::is_available() ) {
+			return;
+		}
+		$agent_role = self::resolve_role( $stage, $agent_role );
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table = PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::table_name();
+		$now   = current_time( 'mysql' );
+		$meta  = null !== $output ? wp_json_encode( array( 'output' => $output ) ) : null;
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+		$result = $wpdb->query(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"INSERT INTO {$table}
+				(run_id, stage, agent_role, item_key, status, attempt, cost_usd, meta_json, stale, started_at, updated_at, finished_at)
+				VALUES (%s, %s, %s, %s, 'done', 1, %f, %s, 0, %s, %s, %s)
+				ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE
+					status = 'done',
+					cost_usd = VALUES(cost_usd),
+					meta_json = VALUES(meta_json),
+					stale = 0,
+					updated_at = VALUES(updated_at),
+					finished_at = VALUES(finished_at)",
+				$run_id,
+				$stage,
+				$agent_role,
+				$item_key,
+				$cost_usd,
+				$meta,
+				$now,
+				$now,
+				$now
+			)
+		);
+
+		// Self-healing on a half-migrated schema (no `stale` column yet):
+		// retry with the pre-v0.20.0 statement rather than losing the
+		// resume checkpoint. Same pattern as Cost_Tracker (v0.18.0).
+		if ( false === $result ) {
+			// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+			$wpdb->query(
+				$wpdb->prepare(
+					"INSERT INTO {$table}
+					(run_id, stage, agent_role, item_key, status, attempt, cost_usd, meta_json, started_at, updated_at, finished_at)
+					VALUES (%s, %s, %s, %s, 'done', 1, %f, %s, %s, %s, %s)
+					ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE
+						status = 'done',
+						cost_usd = VALUES(cost_usd),
+						meta_json = VALUES(meta_json),
+						updated_at = VALUES(updated_at),
+						finished_at = VALUES(finished_at)",
+					$run_id,
+					$stage,
+					$agent_role,
+					$item_key,
+					$cost_usd,
+					$meta,
+					$now,
+					$now,
+					$now
+				)
+			);
+		}
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Mark a stage failed (does not demote a done stage).
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id     Run UUID.
+	 * @param string $stage      Stage name.
+	 * @param string $agent_role Fan-out dimension ('' = resolve from stage map).
+	 * @param string $item_key   Article scope.
+	 */
+	public static function fail( string $run_id, string $stage, string $agent_role = '', string $item_key = '' ): void {
+		if ( '' === $run_id || ! PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::is_available() ) {
+			return;
+		}
+		$agent_role = self::resolve_role( $stage, $agent_role );
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table = PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::table_name();
+		$now   = current_time( 'mysql' );
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+		$wpdb->query(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"UPDATE {$table} SET status = 'failed', updated_at = %s, finished_at = %s
+				WHERE run_id = %s AND stage = %s AND agent_role = %s AND item_key = %s AND status != 'done'",
+				$now,
+				$now,
+				$run_id,
+				$stage,
+				$agent_role,
+				$item_key
+			)
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Fail every still-open stage of one item. Done stages are untouched.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id   Run UUID.
+	 * @param string $item_key Stage item key ('' = run-level stages).
+	 */
+	public static function fail_open_for_item( string $run_id, string $item_key ): void {
+		if ( '' === $run_id || ! PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::is_available() ) {
+			return;
+		}
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table = PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::table_name();
+		$now   = current_time( 'mysql' );
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+		$wpdb->query(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"UPDATE {$table} SET status = 'failed', updated_at = %s, finished_at = %s
+				WHERE run_id = %s AND item_key = %s AND status IN ('pending','running')",
+				$now,
+				$now,
+				$run_id,
+				$item_key
+			)
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Resolve the effective agent role for a stage.
+	 *
+	 * '' → derive from Stage_Display_Map (unknown stages map to '').
+	 * Non-empty → returned as-is (Phase-2 explicit fan-out role).
+	 *
+	 * Public in v0.20.0 (was private on Run_Stage_State) so the read API
+	 * and the rerun classes share one resolution source.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $stage      Stage name.
+	 * @param string $agent_role Caller-supplied role ('' = auto-resolve).
+	 * @return string Effective agent role.
+	 */
+	public static function resolve_role( string $stage, string $agent_role ): string {
+		if ( '' !== $agent_role ) {
+			return $agent_role;
+		}
+		return (string) PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map::default_agent_role( $stage );
+	}
+}

includes/core/class-run-state.php

@@ -252,6 +252,41 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Run_State {
 		return is_array( $rows ) ? $rows : array();
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Reopen a terminal run for operator-deliberate new spend (M3
+	 * re-runs). done/failed/halted -> running; finished_at cleared; the
+	 * cost ceiling is RE-SNAPSHOTTED from the current setting — the
+	 * deliberate re-run action adopts the operator's current per-run
+	 * policy (can lower as well as raise), exactly as a new run would.
+	 * Accumulated reserved/settled spend is kept: the governor treats
+	 * re-runs as new spend on the SAME run (CPO guardrail 4).
+	 *
+	 * The conditional UPDATE is the atomic gate: an actively executing
+	 * run (pending/running) can never be reopened.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id Run UUID.
+	 * @return bool Whether the run transitioned to running.
+	 */
+	public static function reopen( string $run_id ): bool {
+		if ( '' === $run_id || ! self::is_available() ) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table = self::table_name();
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+		$updated = $wpdb->query(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"UPDATE {$table}
+				SET status = 'running', ceiling_usd = %f, updated_at = %s, finished_at = NULL
+				WHERE run_id = %s AND status IN ('done','failed','halted')",
+				self::ceiling_setting(),
+				current_time( 'mysql' ),
+				$run_id
+			)
+		);
+		return 1 === (int) $updated;
+	}
+
 	/** Reset per-request caches (tests). */
 	public static function flush_cache(): void {
 		self::$table_ok = null;

includes/core/class-semantic-dedup.php

@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Semantic_Dedup {
 			return false;
 		}
 		foreach ( $this->recent_titles as $title ) {
-			$title_keywords = $this->extract_meaningful_keywords( $title );
+			$title_keywords = PRAutoBlogger_Keyword_Extractor::extract( $title );
 			$overlap        = count( array_intersect( $topic_keywords, $title_keywords ) );
 			if ( $overlap / count( $topic_keywords ) >= 0.6 ) {
 				return true;
@@ -241,131 +241,4 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Semantic_Dedup {
 		}
 		return $titles;
 	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Extract meaningful keywords from text (fallback dedup).
-	 *
-	 * @param string $text Input text.
-	 * @return string[] Unique lowercase keywords.
-	 */
-	private function extract_meaningful_keywords( string $text ): array {
-		static $stopwords = array(
-			'a',
-			'an',
-			'the',
-			'and',
-			'or',
-			'but',
-			'is',
-			'are',
-			'was',
-			'were',
-			'in',
-			'on',
-			'at',
-			'to',
-			'for',
-			'of',
-			'with',
-			'by',
-			'from',
-			'as',
-			'it',
-			'its',
-			'this',
-			'that',
-			'your',
-			'you',
-			'how',
-			'what',
-			'when',
-			'why',
-			'where',
-			'which',
-			'who',
-			'do',
-			'does',
-			'did',
-			'not',
-			'no',
-			'can',
-			'will',
-			'should',
-			'could',
-			'would',
-			'may',
-			'might',
-			'have',
-			'has',
-			'had',
-			'be',
-			'been',
-			'being',
-			'about',
-			'into',
-			'through',
-			'during',
-			'before',
-			'after',
-			'above',
-			'below',
-			'between',
-			'same',
-			'up',
-			'down',
-			'out',
-			'off',
-			'over',
-			'under',
-			'again',
-			'then',
-			'here',
-			'there',
-			'all',
-			'each',
-			'every',
-			'both',
-			'few',
-			'more',
-			'most',
-			'other',
-			'some',
-			'such',
-			'than',
-			'too',
-			'very',
-			'just',
-			'also',
-			'only',
-			'own',
-			'so',
-			'if',
-			'while',
-			'because',
-			'until',
-			'vs',
-			'versus',
-			'guide',
-			'complete',
-			'ultimate',
-			'best',
-			'top',
-			'new',
-			'first',
-			'need',
-			'know',
-			'everything',
-		);
-
-		$text  = strtolower( $text );
-		$words = preg_split( '/[^a-z0-9-]+/', $text, -1, PREG_SPLIT_NO_EMPTY );
-		$words = array_filter(
-			$words,
-			static function ( string $w ) use ( $stopwords ): bool {
-				return strlen( $w ) >= 2 && ! in_array( $w, $stopwords, true );
-			}
-		);
-
-		return array_values( array_unique( $words ) );
-	}
 }

includes/core/class-source-collector.php

@@ -76,8 +76,33 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Source_Collector {
 					'collector'
 				);
 			} catch ( \Throwable $e ) {
-				PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->error( sprintf( 'Collection %s from %s: %s', get_class( $e ), $source_type, $e->getMessage() ), 'collector' );
-				// Continue with other sources — one failure shouldn't stop everything.
+				// Structured failure meta: model slug, HTTP status (parsed from message),
+				// and first ~200 chars of the error body — enables post-incident diagnosis
+				// without needing to re-run the failing collection. Added v0.18.2.
+				$config_for_log = $this->get_config_for_source( $source_type );
+				$model_slug     = (string) ( $config_for_log['model'] ?? '' );
+				$err_msg        = $e->getMessage();
+				// Extract HTTP status from "OpenRouter API error (HTTP NNN): ..." pattern.
+				$http_status = 0;
+				if ( preg_match( '/HTTP (\d{3})/', $err_msg, $m ) ) {
+					$http_status = (int) $m[1];
+				}
+				PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->error(
+					sprintf(
+						'Collection %s from %s: %s',
+						get_class( $e ),
+						$source_type,
+						$e->getMessage()
+					),
+					'collector',
+					array(
+						'source'      => $source_type,
+						'model'       => $model_slug,
+						'http_status' => $http_status,
+						'error_body'  => mb_substr( $err_msg, 0, 200 ),
+					)
+				);
+				// Continue with other sources — one failure should not stop everything.
 			}
 		}
 

includes/core/class-stage-input-store.php

@@ -0,0 +1,269 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * INSERT-only store over `wp_prautoblogger_stage_inputs` (v0.20.0, M3).
+ *
+ * What: Immutable input-version rows for the edit + re-run feature.
+ *       Two row kinds, discriminated by `source`:
+ *       - 'human': an operator's edited request body for one stage. Each
+ *         save creates the NEXT version for the (run, stage, role, item)
+ *         scope — there is deliberately no UPDATE path in this class, so
+ *         originals (and earlier forks) can never be overwritten (CPO
+ *         guardrail 1; the executed original lives untouched in
+ *         generation_log.request_json).
+ *       - 'seed': the serialized Article_Idea persisted at worker start
+ *         (stage='', version=1). Re-run-from-here reconstructs the EXACT
+ *         idea from it — rebuilding the idea from post fields would risk
+ *         an item_key hash mismatch (post_title is sanitized at insert)
+ *         and a duplicate post.
+ *       Self-healing: every method no-ops (null/false/empty) when the
+ *       table is missing (half-migrated schema).
+ *       Retention: human fork bodies are NULLed by the run-reaper after
+ *       R days (same setting as all heavy payloads); seed rows are ~1KB
+ *       structural state and are kept.
+ * Who triggers it: Dossier_Actions (save fork), Rerun_Executor (read fork
+ *       / seed), Article_Worker (save seed), Run_Reaper (prune).
+ * Dependencies: WordPress $wpdb.
+ *
+ * @see admin/class-dossier-actions.php — Fork save endpoint.
+ * @see core/class-rerun-executor.php   — Fork/seed consumption.
+ * @see core/class-run-reaper.php       — Retention prune.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md #24             — Edit + re-run design.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Input_Store {
+
+	/** Source discriminator: operator edit fork. */
+	public const SOURCE_HUMAN = 'human';
+
+	/** Source discriminator: idea seed persisted at worker start. */
+	public const SOURCE_SEED = 'seed';
+
+	/** @var bool|null Per-request "stage_inputs table exists" probe result. */
+	private static ?bool $table_ok = null;
+
+	/** @return string Fully-qualified stage_inputs table name. */
+	public static function table_name(): string {
+		global $wpdb;
+		return $wpdb->prefix . 'prautoblogger_stage_inputs';
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Whether the stage_inputs table exists. Cached per request.
+	 *
+	 * @return bool
+	 */
+	public static function is_available(): bool {
+		if ( null !== self::$table_ok ) {
+			return self::$table_ok;
+		}
+		global $wpdb;
+		if ( null === $wpdb ) {
+			return false; // Not cached: $wpdb may appear later in boot.
+		}
+		$table = self::table_name();
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching
+		$found          = $wpdb->get_var( $wpdb->prepare( 'SHOW TABLES LIKE %s', $table ) );
+		self::$table_ok = ( $found === $table );
+		return self::$table_ok;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Save a human edit fork as the next version for its scope.
+	 *
+	 * INSERT-only by design. The version number is MAX(version)+1 for the
+	 * scope; a concurrent-save collision on the UNIQUE key is retried
+	 * once with a refreshed version.
+	 *
+	 * Side effects: one (rarely two) INSERTs into stage_inputs.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id       Run UUID.
+	 * @param string $stage        Stage name.
+	 * @param string $agent_role   Stage row's agent role.
+	 * @param string $item_key     Stage row's item key.
+	 * @param string $request_json Edited request body (full JSON, no headers).
+	 * @param string $author       WP user login of the editor.
+	 * @return int|null New version number, or null on failure/missing table.
+	 */
+	public static function save_fork( string $run_id, string $stage, string $agent_role, string $item_key, string $request_json, string $author ): ?int {
+		if ( '' === $run_id || '' === $stage || ! self::is_available() ) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		for ( $attempt = 0; $attempt < 2; $attempt++ ) {
+			$version  = self::next_version( $run_id, $stage, $agent_role, $item_key );
+			$inserted = self::insert_row( $run_id, $stage, $agent_role, $item_key, $version, self::SOURCE_HUMAN, $request_json, $author );
+			if ( $inserted ) {
+				return $version;
+			}
+		}
+		return null;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Latest human fork row for a scope, or null when none exist.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id     Run UUID.
+	 * @param string $stage      Stage name.
+	 * @param string $agent_role Agent role.
+	 * @param string $item_key   Item key.
+	 * @return array<string, mixed>|null Row incl. version/request_json/author/created_at.
+	 */
+	public static function latest_fork( string $run_id, string $stage, string $agent_role, string $item_key ): ?array {
+		if ( '' === $run_id || ! self::is_available() ) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table = self::table_name();
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching
+		$row = $wpdb->get_row(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"SELECT * FROM {$table}
+				WHERE run_id = %s AND stage = %s AND agent_role = %s AND item_key = %s AND source = %s
+				ORDER BY version DESC LIMIT 1",
+				$run_id,
+				$stage,
+				$agent_role,
+				$item_key,
+				self::SOURCE_HUMAN
+			),
+			ARRAY_A
+		);
+		return is_array( $row ) ? $row : null;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Persist the idea seed for one run item (INSERT-once; replays no-op).
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id    Run UUID.
+	 * @param string $item_key  Item key from Run_Stage_State::item_key_for_idea().
+	 * @param string $idea_json Serialized Article_Idea::to_array() payload.
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public static function save_seed( string $run_id, string $item_key, string $idea_json ): void {
+		if ( '' === $run_id || '' === $item_key || ! self::is_available() ) {
+			return;
+		}
+		if ( null !== self::get_seed( $run_id, $item_key ) ) {
+			return; // Seed already persisted (idempotent resume).
+		}
+		self::insert_row( $run_id, '', '', $item_key, 1, self::SOURCE_SEED, $idea_json, 'pipeline' );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * The idea seed JSON for one run item, or null when absent.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id   Run UUID.
+	 * @param string $item_key Item key.
+	 * @return string|null
+	 */
+	public static function get_seed( string $run_id, string $item_key ): ?string {
+		if ( '' === $run_id || ! self::is_available() ) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table = self::table_name();
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching
+		$json = $wpdb->get_var(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"SELECT request_json FROM {$table}
+				WHERE run_id = %s AND stage = '' AND item_key = %s AND source = %s LIMIT 1",
+				$run_id,
+				$item_key,
+				self::SOURCE_SEED
+			)
+		);
+		return ( is_string( $json ) && '' !== $json ) ? $json : null;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Retention: NULL human fork bodies older than the cutoff. Seed rows
+	 * are kept (structural, ~1KB). Version/author/flag metadata survives
+	 * as the permanent audit trail.
+	 *
+	 * @param string $cutoff MySQL datetime; rows created before it are pruned.
+	 * @return int Rows pruned.
+	 */
+	public static function prune_human_bodies( string $cutoff ): int {
+		if ( ! self::is_available() ) {
+			return 0;
+		}
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table = self::table_name();
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+		$result = $wpdb->query(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"UPDATE {$table} SET request_json = NULL
+				WHERE source = %s AND request_json IS NOT NULL AND created_at < %s",
+				self::SOURCE_HUMAN,
+				$cutoff
+			)
+		);
+		return is_numeric( $result ) ? (int) $result : 0;
+	}
+
+	/** Reset per-request caches (tests). */
+	public static function flush_cache(): void {
+		self::$table_ok = null;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Next version number for a scope (1 when none exist).
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id     Run UUID.
+	 * @param string $stage      Stage name.
+	 * @param string $agent_role Agent role.
+	 * @param string $item_key   Item key.
+	 * @return int
+	 */
+	private static function next_version( string $run_id, string $stage, string $agent_role, string $item_key ): int {
+		global $wpdb;
+		$table = self::table_name();
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery,WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.NoCaching
+		$max = $wpdb->get_var(
+			$wpdb->prepare(
+				"SELECT MAX(version) FROM {$table}
+				WHERE run_id = %s AND stage = %s AND agent_role = %s AND item_key = %s",
+				$run_id,
+				$stage,
+				$agent_role,
+				$item_key
+			)
+		);
+		return ( null !== $max ? (int) $max : 0 ) + 1;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Raw row INSERT (the only write path — INSERT-only by construction).
+	 *
+	 * @param string $run_id       Run UUID.
+	 * @param string $stage        Stage name ('' for seeds).
+	 * @param string $agent_role   Agent role.
+	 * @param string $item_key     Item key.
+	 * @param int    $version      Version number.
+	 * @param string $source       'human' or 'seed'.
+	 * @param string $request_json Payload JSON.
+	 * @param string $author       Author label.
+	 * @return bool Whether the row was inserted.
+	 */
+	private static function insert_row( string $run_id, string $stage, string $agent_role, string $item_key, int $version, string $source, string $request_json, string $author ): bool {
+		global $wpdb;
+		// phpcs:ignore WordPress.DB.DirectDatabaseQuery.DirectQuery
+		$inserted = $wpdb->insert(
+			self::table_name(),
+			array(
+				'run_id'       => $run_id,
+				'stage'        => $stage,
+				'agent_role'   => $agent_role,
+				'item_key'     => $item_key,
+				'version'      => $version,
+				'source'       => $source,
+				'request_json' => $request_json,
+				'author'       => $author,
+				'created_at'   => current_time( 'mysql' ),
+			)
+		);
+		return false !== $inserted;
+	}
+}

includes/core/class-stage-replay.php

@@ -0,0 +1,189 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Executes one stage replay from a saved input fork (v0.20.0, M3).
+ *
+ * What: Decodes an immutable stage_inputs fork body back into the
+ *       (messages, model, options) triple and sends it through the
+ *       normal provider seam — so the cost governor's reserve-before-
+ *       call (on the SAME run ledger row), the retry/backoff loop, the
+ *       empty-completion guard, and the B1 request recorder all apply
+ *       to replays exactly as to pipeline calls (CPO guardrail 4). The
+ *       fresh output lands in the stage's run_stages snapshot (the same
+ *       place downstream rebuilds read from) and a generation_log row
+ *       is written with the replayed request body.
+ *
+ *       options_from_body() is the exact inverse of Request_Builder::
+ *       build_body() + apply_reasoning_budget(): the v0.18.1 reasoning
+ *       headroom is subtracted back out (the builder re-adds it), and
+ *       reasoning is pinned explicitly — enabled:false when the original
+ *       body had none — so a later change to the global reasoning
+ *       setting can never alter the replay's shape.
+ * Who triggers it: PRAutoBlogger_Rerun_Executor::on_replay_job() only
+ *       (after eligibility re-validation, lock, reopen, restart and
+ *       stale-marking).
+ * Dependencies: OpenRouter_Provider, Cost_Tracker, Run_Stage_State,
+ *               Audit_Writer, Stage_Display_Map.
+ *
+ * @see core/class-rerun-executor.php                 — Orchestration around this.
+ * @see providers/class-open-router-request-builder.php — The forward transform.
+ * @see ARCHITECTURE.md #24                           — Edit + re-run design.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Replay {
+
+	/**
+	 * Reconstruct provider options from a stored request body.
+	 *
+	 * Inverse of build_body()/apply_reasoning_budget(): copies
+	 * temperature/response_format; recovers the caller's max_tokens by
+	 * subtracting the reasoning cap the builder added as headroom; pins
+	 * reasoning explicitly (the stored body is the contract — global
+	 * setting drift must not leak in). Adds the caller-metadata keys
+	 * (stage, prompt_key) used by the guard's logging — never sent
+	 * upstream.
+	 *
+	 * @param array<string, mixed> $body  Decoded request body.
+	 * @param string               $stage Stage being replayed.
+	 * @return array<string, mixed> Options for send_chat_completion().
+	 */
+	public static function options_from_body( array $body, string $stage ): array {
+		$options = array();
+		if ( isset( $body['temperature'] ) ) {
+			$options['temperature'] = $body['temperature'];
+		}
+		if ( isset( $body['response_format'] ) ) {
+			$options['response_format'] = $body['response_format'];
+		}
+
+		$reasoning_active = isset( $body['reasoning'] ) && false !== ( $body['reasoning']['enabled'] ?? true );
+		if ( $reasoning_active ) {
+			$options['reasoning'] = $body['reasoning'];
+			if ( isset( $body['max_tokens'] ) ) {
+				$cap = isset( $body['reasoning']['max_tokens'] ) ? (int) $body['reasoning']['max_tokens'] : 0;
+				// The builder raised max_tokens by the cap (completion
+				// headroom); hand back the caller-level value so the
+				// builder's re-application is not compounded.
+				$options['max_tokens'] = max( 1, (int) $body['max_tokens'] - $cap );
+			}
+		} else {
+			// Pin reasoning OFF (same per-call override shape the
+			// empty-completion retry uses) so a globally-enabled
+			// reasoning setting cannot reshape the replay.
+			$options['reasoning'] = array( 'enabled' => false );
+			if ( isset( $body['max_tokens'] ) ) {
+				$options['max_tokens'] = (int) $body['max_tokens'];
+			}
+		}
+
+		$options['stage']      = $stage;
+		$options['prompt_key'] = PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map::default_prompt_key( $stage );
+
+		return $options;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Decode + validate a fork body. Returns null when the JSON is not a
+	 * replayable chat body (model string + non-empty messages list of
+	 * role/content pairs).
+	 *
+	 * @param string $request_json Stored fork body.
+	 * @return array<string, mixed>|null Decoded body, or null when invalid.
+	 */
+	public static function decode_body( string $request_json ): ?array {
+		$body = json_decode( $request_json, true );
+		if ( ! is_array( $body ) || empty( $body['model'] ) || ! is_string( $body['model'] ) ) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		if ( empty( $body['messages'] ) || ! is_array( $body['messages'] ) ) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		foreach ( $body['messages'] as $message ) {
+			if ( ! is_array( $message ) || ! isset( $message['role'], $message['content'] )
+				|| ! is_string( $message['role'] ) || ! is_string( $message['content'] ) ) {
+				return null;
+			}
+		}
+		return $body;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Execute the replay call and persist its results.
+	 *
+	 * The caller (Rerun_Executor) has already: re-validated eligibility,
+	 * taken the generation lock, reopened the run, demoted the stage row
+	 * to running and stale-marked downstream. This method performs the
+	 * governed LLM call and the success-path writes.
+	 *
+	 * Side effects: one OpenRouter call (governor-reserved), run_stages
+	 * done-write, one generation_log row (with the replayed request via
+	 * the B1 recorder), run_decisions human_modified flags.
+	 *
+	 * @param string               $run_id     Run UUID.
+	 * @param string               $stage      Stage name.
+	 * @param string               $agent_role Stage row agent role.
+	 * @param string               $item_key   Stage row item key.
+	 * @param array<string, mixed> $body       Decoded fork body (from decode_body()).
+	 * @return array{content: string, cost: float, model: string} Replay result.
+	 *
+	 * @throws \RuntimeException                    On provider failure or empty output.
+	 * @throws PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Ceiling_Exception When the governor blocks the call.
+	 */
+	public static function run( string $run_id, string $stage, string $agent_role, string $item_key, array $body ): array {
+		$tracker = new PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Tracker();
+		// Joins this process to the run: Run_Context (governor guard),
+		// ledger row, prompt pins — replay spend reserves against the
+		// SAME per-run ceiling as the original calls (guardrail 4).
+		$tracker->set_run_id( $run_id );
+
+		$llm      = new PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Provider();
+		$options  = self::options_from_body( $body, $stage );
+		$response = $llm->send_chat_completion( $body['messages'], (string) $body['model'], $options );
+
+		// Same belt as the writer path: an empty replay output must fail
+		// the stage, never overwrite a good snapshot with nothing.
+		if ( '' === trim( (string) $response['content'] ) ) {
+			throw new \RuntimeException(
+				sprintf(
+					/* translators: 1: stage name, 2: model identifier. */
+					__( 'Replay of stage "%1$s" produced empty content (model %2$s) — failing the replay instead of storing an empty output.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					$stage,
+					(string) $response['model']
+				)
+			);
+		}
+
+		$cost = $llm->estimate_cost(
+			(string) $response['model'],
+			(int) $response['prompt_tokens'],
+			(int) $response['completion_tokens']
+		);
+
+		PRAutoBlogger_Run_Stage_State::done( $run_id, $stage, $agent_role, $item_key, (string) $response['content'], $cost );
+
+		$tracker->log_api_call(
+			null,
+			$stage,
+			$llm->get_provider_name(),
+			(string) $response['model'],
+			(int) $response['prompt_tokens'],
+			(int) $response['completion_tokens'],
+			'success',
+			'',
+			'' !== $agent_role ? $agent_role : null,
+			null
+		);
+
+		// Guardrail 2: decision rows for the replayed stage carry the
+		// human_modified flag (no-op when the stage has none).
+		PRAutoBlogger_Audit_Writer::flag_decisions_human_modified( $run_id, array( $stage ) );
+
+		return array(
+			'content' => (string) $response['content'],
+			'cost'    => $cost,
+			'model'   => (string) $response['model'],
+		);
+	}
+}

includes/providers/class-image-aspect-ratio.php

@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Aspect-ratio snap utility for image generation providers.
+ *
+ * Converts pixel dimensions to the nearest supported W:H string for APIs
+ * that require an aspect-ratio parameter rather than raw pixel sizes.
+ *
+ * What: Static utility; no state.
+ * Who triggers: PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Image_Provider, PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Image_Batch,
+ *               PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Image_Batch.
+ * Dependencies: none.
+ *
+ * @see providers/class-open-router-image-provider.php -- generate_image() path.
+ * @see providers/class-open-router-image-batch.php    -- parallel batch path.
+ * @see providers/class-runware-image-batch.php        -- Runware parallel batch.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Image_Aspect_Ratio {
+
+	/**
+	 * Standard aspect ratios supported by OpenRouter / Runware image models.
+	 *
+	 * @var array<int, array{w: int, h: int, ratio: float}>
+	 */
+	private const STANDARD_ASPECTS = array(
+		array(
+			'w' => 1,
+			'h' => 1,
+			'ratio' => 1.0,
+		),
+		array(
+			'w' => 3,
+			'h' => 2,
+			'ratio' => 1.5,
+		),
+		array(
+			'w' => 2,
+			'h' => 3,
+			'ratio' => 0.6667,
+		),
+		array(
+			'w' => 4,
+			'h' => 3,
+			'ratio' => 1.3333,
+		),
+		array(
+			'w' => 3,
+			'h' => 4,
+			'ratio' => 0.75,
+		),
+		array(
+			'w' => 16,
+			'h' => 9,
+			'ratio' => 1.7778,
+		),
+		array(
+			'w' => 9,
+			'h' => 16,
+			'ratio' => 0.5625,
+		),
+	);
+
+	/**
+	 * Snap pixel dimensions to the nearest supported aspect ratio string.
+	 *
+	 * @param int $width  Width in pixels.
+	 * @param int $height Height in pixels (must be > 0 to avoid division by zero).
+	 * @return string Ratio string e.g. "16:9". Returns "1:1" when height is 0.
+	 */
+	public static function snap( int $width, int $height ): string {
+		$target = $height > 0 ? (float) $width / (float) $height : 1.0;
+		$best   = self::STANDARD_ASPECTS[0];
+		$best_d = abs( $target - $best['ratio'] );
+
+		foreach ( self::STANDARD_ASPECTS as $candidate ) {
+			$d = abs( $target - $candidate['ratio'] );
+			if ( $d < $best_d ) {
+				$best   = $candidate;
+				$best_d = $d;
+			}
+		}
+
+		return $best['w'] . ':' . $best['h'];
+	}
+}

includes/providers/class-llm-research-provider.php

@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_LLM_Research_Provider implements PRAutoBlogger_Source_Provid
 				'temperature'     => 0.7,
 				'max_tokens'      => 8000,
 				'response_format' => array( 'type' => 'json_object' ),
+				'stage'           => 'llm_research',
 			)
 		);
 

includes/providers/class-open-router-completion-guard.php

@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Empty-completion guard for OpenRouter chat responses (v0.18.1).
+ *
+ * What: Treats a chat completion whose visible content is empty/whitespace
+ *       as a FAILURE, never a success — per the LLM-call discipline:
+ *       schema-validate every output, retry/fall back, never silently
+ *       pass. The incident this prevents (2026-06-11, prod run acf24029,
+ *       draft post 921): a true reasoning model at a high reasoning effort
+ *       spent the entire max_tokens completion budget on thinking,
+ *       finished with finish_reason='length', and emitted zero visible
+ *       content — which flowed writer → editor (reject: "draft text is
+ *       missing") → an empty draft post in the Review Queue, with the
+ *       cost booked as 'success'.
+ *
+ *       Behavior on every parsed response:
+ *       - finish_reason='length' is warning-logged (model, stage, prompt/
+ *         completion/reasoning tokens) whether or not content survived.
+ *       - Empty content + (finish_reason='length' OR reasoning active on
+ *         the request) → ONE retry with reasoning disabled for that call
+ *         (per-call `reasoning` override), then fail the stage.
+ *       - Every failed/retried attempt lands in generation_log with its
+ *         REAL response_status ('error') and token burn, and — inside a
+ *         v0.18.0 run — a run_decisions row records the verdict.
+ * Who triggers it: PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Provider::send_chat_completion()
+ *       on every successfully parsed response.
+ * Dependencies: Logger, Cost_Tracker (failure rows), Run_Context (run
+ *       attribution), Audit_Writer (run_decisions verdicts).
+ *
+ * @see class-open-router-provider.php        — Integration point; supplies the retry callable.
+ * @see class-open-router-response-parser.php — Produces the parsed array assessed here.
+ * @see class-open-router-request-builder.php — Reasoning token cap (first line of defense).
+ * @see core/class-audit-writer.php           — run_decisions verdict rows.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Completion_Guard {
+
+	/** Verdict recorded when an empty attempt is retried with reasoning disabled. */
+	public const VERDICT_RETRY = 'retry_reasoning_disabled';
+
+	/** Verdict recorded when a call finally fails for empty content. */
+	public const VERDICT_FAIL = 'failed_empty_completion';
+
+	/**
+	 * Assess a parsed completion: pass it through, retry once, or fail loudly.
+	 *
+	 * @param array<string, mixed> $parsed           Parsed response from Response_Parser::parse_success().
+	 * @param array<string, mixed> $options          Original call options. Reads the caller-metadata keys
+	 *                                               'stage' / 'prompt_key' (audit attribution) and
+	 *                                               'empty_retry' (marks the retry attempt — never retried twice).
+	 * @param bool                 $reasoning_active Whether the dispatched request had reasoning enabled.
+	 * @param callable             $retry            Re-dispatches the call with the options it is given.
+	 *                                               Invoked at most once, with reasoning disabled.
+	 *
+	 * @return array<string, mixed> A completion whose visible content is non-empty.
+	 *
+	 * @throws \RuntimeException When content is empty and the retry budget is spent or a retry
+	 *                           cannot plausibly help.
+	 */
+	public function finalize( array $parsed, array $options, bool $reasoning_active, callable $retry ): array {
+		$stage         = (string) ( $options['stage'] ?? 'unknown' );
+		$finish_reason = (string) ( $parsed['finish_reason'] ?? 'unknown' );
+
+		if ( 'length' === $finish_reason ) {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->warning(
+				sprintf(
+					'Completion hit its max_tokens ceiling (finish_reason=length): model=%s, stage=%s, prompt_tokens=%d, completion_tokens=%d, reasoning_tokens=%d.',
+					(string) $parsed['model'],
+					$stage,
+					(int) $parsed['prompt_tokens'],
+					(int) $parsed['completion_tokens'],
+					(int) $parsed['reasoning_tokens']
+				),
+				'openrouter'
+			);
+		}
+
+		if ( '' !== trim( (string) ( $parsed['content'] ?? '' ) ) ) {
+			return $parsed; // Healthy completion — visible content present.
+		}
+
+		$already_retried = ! empty( $options['empty_retry'] );
+		// A reasoning-disabled retry can plausibly help when the budget was
+		// exhausted (length) or when reasoning was eating the budget.
+		$retry_can_help = 'length' === $finish_reason || $reasoning_active;
+
+		if ( $retry_can_help && ! $already_retried ) {
+			$note = sprintf(
+				'Empty completion (finish_reason=%s, completion_tokens=%d, reasoning_tokens=%d) — retrying once with reasoning disabled.',
+				$finish_reason,
+				(int) $parsed['completion_tokens'],
+				(int) $parsed['reasoning_tokens']
+			);
+			$this->record_attempt( $parsed, $options, $stage, self::VERDICT_RETRY, $note );
+			PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->warning(
+				sprintf( 'Stage %s: %s (model %s)', $stage, $note, (string) $parsed['model'] ),
+				'openrouter'
+			);
+
+			$retry_options                = $options;
+			$retry_options['reasoning']   = array( 'enabled' => false );
+			$retry_options['empty_retry'] = true;
+			return $retry( $retry_options );
+		}
+
+		$note = sprintf(
+			'Empty completion (finish_reason=%s, completion_tokens=%d, reasoning_tokens=%d)%s — failing the call.',
+			$finish_reason,
+			(int) $parsed['completion_tokens'],
+			(int) $parsed['reasoning_tokens'],
+			$already_retried ? ' after a reasoning-disabled retry' : ''
+		);
+		$this->record_attempt( $parsed, $options, $stage, self::VERDICT_FAIL, $note );
+
+		throw new \RuntimeException(
+			sprintf(
+				/* translators: 1: pipeline stage, 2: model identifier, 3: finish_reason value, 4: retry note. */
+				__( 'LLM call for stage "%1$s" returned empty content (model %2$s, finish_reason=%3$s)%4$s.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				$stage,
+				(string) $parsed['model'],
+				$finish_reason,
+				$already_retried ? __( ' after a reasoning-disabled retry', 'prautoblogger' ) : ''
+			)
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Book a failed/retried attempt: a generation_log row with the REAL
+	 * response_status and token burn (the empty call still cost money),
+	 * plus a run_decisions verdict for new-style runs. Both writes are
+	 * self-healing no-ops on a half-migrated schema; neither can throw.
+	 *
+	 * @param array<string, mixed> $parsed  Parsed response of the failed attempt.
+	 * @param array<string, mixed> $options Call options ('prompt_key' attribution).
+	 * @param string               $stage   Stage label for the log row.
+	 * @param string               $verdict VERDICT_RETRY or VERDICT_FAIL.
+	 * @param string               $note    Human-readable failure note.
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	private function record_attempt( array $parsed, array $options, string $stage, string $verdict, string $note ): void {
+		$run_id = PRAutoBlogger_Run_Context::current_run_id();
+
+		$tracker = new PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Tracker();
+		if ( null !== $run_id && '' !== $run_id ) {
+			// Attribute the row to the surrounding run. Idempotent: the
+			// run context, ledger row, and prompt pins already exist.
+			$tracker->set_run_id( $run_id );
+		}
+		$tracker->log_api_call(
+			null,
+			$stage,
+			'OpenRouter',
+			(string) $parsed['model'],
+			(int) $parsed['prompt_tokens'],
+			(int) $parsed['completion_tokens'],
+			'error',
+			$note,
+			null,
+			isset( $options['prompt_key'] ) ? (string) $options['prompt_key'] : null
+		);
+
+		// run_decisions verdict — no-op outside a run or pre-1.2.0 schema.
+		PRAutoBlogger_Audit_Writer::record_decision( (string) ( $run_id ?? '' ), $stage, $verdict, $note );
+	}
+}

includes/providers/class-open-router-image-batch.php

@@ -262,56 +262,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Image_Batch {
 	 * @return array<string, mixed>
 	 */
 	private function build_request_body( string $prompt, int $width, int $height, string $model ): array {
-		$target = $height > 0 ? (float) $width / (float) $height : 1.0;
-
-		// Snap to nearest standard aspect ratio.
-		$aspects = array(
-			array(
-				'w' => 1,
-				'h' => 1,
-				'r' => 1.0,
-			),
-			array(
-				'w' => 3,
-				'h' => 2,
-				'r' => 1.5,
-			),
-			array(
-				'w' => 2,
-				'h' => 3,
-				'r' => 0.6667,
-			),
-			array(
-				'w' => 4,
-				'h' => 3,
-				'r' => 1.3333,
-			),
-			array(
-				'w' => 3,
-				'h' => 4,
-				'r' => 0.75,
-			),
-			array(
-				'w' => 16,
-				'h' => 9,
-				'r' => 1.7778,
-			),
-			array(
-				'w' => 9,
-				'h' => 16,
-				'r' => 0.5625,
-			),
-		);
-		$best    = $aspects[0];
-		$best_d  = abs( $target - $best['r'] );
-		foreach ( $aspects as $c ) {
-			$d = abs( $target - $c['r'] );
-			if ( $d < $best_d ) {
-				$best   = $c;
-				$best_d = $d;
-			}
-		}
-		$aspect = $best['w'] . ':' . $best['h'];
+		$aspect = PRAutoBlogger_Image_Aspect_Ratio::snap( $width, $height );
 
 		return array(
 			'model'        => $model,

includes/providers/class-open-router-image-provider.php

@@ -233,51 +233,10 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Image_Provider implements PRAutoBlogger_Image_Pro
 		);
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Supported aspect ratios for OpenRouter image models.
-	 *
-	 * @var array<int, array{w: int, h: int, ratio: float}>
-	 */
-	private const STANDARD_ASPECTS = array(
-		array(
-			'w'     => 1,
-			'h'     => 1,
-			'ratio' => 1.0,
-		),
-		array(
-			'w'     => 3,
-			'h'     => 2,
-			'ratio' => 1.5,
-		),
-		array(
-			'w'     => 2,
-			'h'     => 3,
-			'ratio' => 0.6667,
-		),
-		array(
-			'w'     => 4,
-			'h'     => 3,
-			'ratio' => 1.3333,
-		),
-		array(
-			'w'     => 3,
-			'h'     => 4,
-			'ratio' => 0.75,
-		),
-		array(
-			'w'     => 16,
-			'h'     => 9,
-			'ratio' => 1.7778,
-		),
-		array(
-			'w'     => 9,
-			'h'     => 16,
-			'ratio' => 0.5625,
-		),
-	);
+
 
 	private function build_request_body( string $prompt, int $width, int $height, string $model ): array {
-		$aspect = $this->snap_aspect_ratio( $width, $height );
+		$aspect = PRAutoBlogger_Image_Aspect_Ratio::snap( $width, $height );
 
 		return array(
 			'model'        => $model,
@@ -296,29 +255,6 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Image_Provider implements PRAutoBlogger_Image_Pro
 		);
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Snap pixel dimensions to the nearest supported aspect ratio string.
-	 *
-	 * @param int $width  Width in pixels.
-	 * @param int $height Height in pixels.
-	 * @return string Aspect ratio string like "16:9".
-	 */
-	private function snap_aspect_ratio( int $width, int $height ): string {
-		$target = $height > 0 ? (float) $width / (float) $height : 1.0;
-		$best   = self::STANDARD_ASPECTS[0];
-		$best_d = abs( $target - $best['ratio'] );
-
-		foreach ( self::STANDARD_ASPECTS as $candidate ) {
-			$d = abs( $target - $candidate['ratio'] );
-			if ( $d < $best_d ) {
-				$best   = $candidate;
-				$best_d = $d;
-			}
-		}
-
-		return $best['w'] . ':' . $best['h'];
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Enforce the interface's dimension contract.
 	 *

includes/providers/class-open-router-provider.php

@@ -19,8 +19,9 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
  * @see class-open-router-config.php          — Config helpers (base URL, cache TTL).
  * @see class-open-router-pricing.php         — Pricing and model list lookups.
  * @see class-open-router-validator.php       — Credential validation (delegated).
- * @see class-open-router-request-builder.php — Request header building + cURL filter.
+ * @see class-open-router-request-builder.php — Request body/header building + cURL filter.
  * @see class-open-router-response-parser.php — Response parsing + error classification.
+ * @see class-open-router-completion-guard.php — Empty-completion guard + reasoning-off retry (v0.18.1).
  * @see class-cost-tracker.php                — Called after every request to log token usage.
  * @see ARCHITECTURE.md                       — Data flow diagram showing where this fits.
  */
@@ -40,8 +41,15 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Provider implements PRAutoBlogger_LLM_Provider_In
 	 *     temperature?: float,
 	 *     max_tokens?: int,
 	 *     response_format?: array{type: string},
-	 *     reasoning?: array{enabled: bool, effort?: string},
-	 * } $options Optional parameters. Pass 'reasoning' to override the global setting.
+	 *     reasoning?: array{enabled: bool, effort?: string, max_tokens?: int},
+	 *     stage?: string,
+	 *     prompt_key?: string,
+	 *     empty_retry?: bool,
+	 * } $options Optional parameters. Pass 'reasoning' to override the global
+	 *            setting. 'stage'/'prompt_key' are caller metadata for the
+	 *            empty-completion guard's logging + audit rows (never sent
+	 *            upstream); 'empty_retry' is set internally by the guard's
+	 *            single reasoning-disabled retry.
 	 *
 	 * @return array{
 	 *     content: string,
@@ -52,46 +60,46 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Provider implements PRAutoBlogger_LLM_Provider_In
 	 *     finish_reason: string,
 	 * }
 	 *
-	 * @throws \RuntimeException On API error after retries exhausted.
+	 * @throws \RuntimeException On API error after retries exhausted, or when the
+	 *                           completion's visible content is empty/whitespace
+	 *                           (v0.18.1 guard — after at most one reasoning-disabled retry).
 	 * @throws PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Ceiling_Exception When the per-run cost governor blocks
 	 *                                              the call (run already halted).
 	 */
 	public function send_chat_completion( array $messages, string $model, array $options = array() ): array {
+		$builder = new PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Request_Builder();
+
 		// Fetch + format-validate the key (moved to Request_Builder in
 		// v0.18.0 for the 300-line cap; behavior unchanged — throws the
 		// same messages on missing/corrupted keys).
-		$api_key = ( new PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Request_Builder() )->resolve_api_key();
+		$api_key = $builder->resolve_api_key();
 
-		$body = array(
-			'model'    => $model,
-			'messages' => $messages,
-		);
+		// Body assembly — incl. global/per-call reasoning and the v0.18.1
+		// reasoning token cap + completion headroom — lives in the builder.
+		$body = $builder->build_body( $messages, $model, $options );
 
-		if ( isset( $options['temperature'] ) ) {
-			$body['temperature'] = $options['temperature'];
-		}
-		if ( isset( $options['max_tokens'] ) ) {
-			$body['max_tokens'] = $options['max_tokens'];
-		}
-		if ( isset( $options['response_format'] ) ) {
-			$body['response_format'] = $options['response_format'];
-		}
+		// v0.20.0 (B1): stash the outgoing request body so the next
+		// log_api_call() persists it to generation_log.request_json.
+		// Only the BODY is recorded -- Authorization lives exclusively in
+		// build_headers()' return and can never reach the recorder.
+		// Recorded BEFORE dispatch so error/timeout rows carry it too.
+		PRAutoBlogger_Request_Recorder::record( $body );
 
-		// Reasoning mode: explicit caller override takes priority, then global setting.
-		if ( isset( $options['reasoning'] ) ) {
-			$body['reasoning'] = $options['reasoning'];
-		} elseif ( '1' === get_option( 'prautoblogger_reasoning_enabled', '0' ) ) {
-			$body['reasoning'] = array(
-				'enabled' => true,
-				'effort'  => get_option( 'prautoblogger_reasoning_effort', 'medium' ),
-			);
-		}
+		// Whether the outgoing request has reasoning enabled — drives the
+		// empty-completion retry decision after parse.
+		$reasoning_active = isset( $body['reasoning'] ) && false !== ( $body['reasoning']['enabled'] ?? true );
 
 		// v0.18.0 — per-run cost governor: reserve the worst-case estimate
 		// BEFORE any dispatch. Throws (and the run is already halted) when
 		// the reservation would breach the run ceiling; returns null when
 		// this process is not inside a governed run (historical behavior).
-		$reservation = PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Governor::open_chat_reservation( $model, $messages, $options );
+		// v0.18.1: the estimate uses the EFFECTIVE completion ceiling from
+		// the built body (incl. reasoning headroom), not the raw option.
+		$govern_options = $options;
+		if ( isset( $body['max_tokens'] ) ) {
+			$govern_options['max_tokens'] = $body['max_tokens'];
+		}
+		$reservation = PRAutoBlogger_Cost_Governor::open_chat_reservation( $model, $messages, $govern_options );
 
 		$last_error = '';
 
@@ -101,7 +109,6 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Provider implements PRAutoBlogger_LLM_Provider_In
 		$cache_ttl   = $config->get_cache_ttl_seconds();
 		$via_gateway = $config->is_via_gateway();
 
-		$builder          = new PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Request_Builder();
 		$request_headers  = $builder->build_headers( $api_key, $via_gateway, $cache_ttl );
 		$curl_auth_filter = $builder->register_curl_auth_filter( $request_headers, $base_host );
 
@@ -190,7 +197,21 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Provider implements PRAutoBlogger_LLM_Provider_In
 					$this->estimate_cost( $model, (int) $parsed['prompt_tokens'], (int) $parsed['completion_tokens'] )
 				);
 				$reservation = null;
-				return $parsed;
+
+				// v0.18.1 — empty-completion guard: empty visible content
+				// is a FAILURE, never a success. Warns on finish_reason=
+				// length, retries ONCE with reasoning disabled when that
+				// can plausibly help, books failed attempts with their
+				// real status, and otherwise throws. The recursive retry
+				// manages its own reservation and cURL filter.
+				return ( new PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Completion_Guard() )->finalize(
+					$parsed,
+					$options,
+					$reasoning_active,
+					function ( array $retry_options ) use ( $messages, $model ): array {
+						return $this->send_chat_completion( $messages, $model, $retry_options );
+					}
+				);
 			}
 
 			// All retries exhausted.

includes/providers/class-open-router-request-builder.php

@@ -18,6 +18,100 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
  */
 class PRAutoBlogger_OpenRouter_Request_Builder {
 
+	/**
+	 * Build the JSON request body for a chat-completion call.
+	 *
+	 * Centralizes option handling (v0.18.1, moved from the provider for
+	 * the 300-line cap): temperature, max_tokens, response_format, and
+	 * the reasoning block — an explicit caller override takes priority
+	 * over the global setting (that per-call override is how the
+	 * empty-completion retry disables reasoning for its second attempt).
+	 *
+	 * Caller-metadata keys ('stage', 'prompt_key', 'empty_retry') are
+	 * deliberately NOT copied into the HTTP body.
+	 *
+	 * @param array<int, array{role: string, content: string}> $messages Chat messages.
+	 * @param string                                           $model    Model identifier.
+	 * @param array<string, mixed>                             $options  Call options.
+	 *
+	 * @return array<string, mixed> Request body ready for wp_json_encode().
+	 */
+	public function build_body( array $messages, string $model, array $options ): array {
+		$body = array(
+			'model'    => $model,
+			'messages' => $messages,
+		);
+
+		if ( isset( $options['temperature'] ) ) {
+			$body['temperature'] = $options['temperature'];
+		}
+		if ( isset( $options['max_tokens'] ) ) {
+			$body['max_tokens'] = $options['max_tokens'];
+		}
+		if ( isset( $options['response_format'] ) ) {
+			$body['response_format'] = $options['response_format'];
+		}
+
+		// Reasoning mode: explicit caller override takes priority, then global setting.
+		if ( isset( $options['reasoning'] ) ) {
+			$body['reasoning'] = $options['reasoning'];
+		} elseif ( '1' === get_option( 'prautoblogger_reasoning_enabled', '0' ) ) {
+			$body['reasoning'] = array(
+				'enabled' => true,
+				'effort'  => get_option( 'prautoblogger_reasoning_effort', 'medium' ),
+			);
+		}
+
+		return $this->apply_reasoning_budget( $body );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Reasoning budget sanity (v0.18.1): cap thinking, protect content.
+	 *
+	 * When the outgoing request enables reasoning and carries a completion
+	 * ceiling, the thinking budget is capped via OpenRouter's
+	 * `reasoning.max_tokens` and the completion ceiling is raised by the
+	 * same amount — so no reasoning effort (incl. xhigh) can consume the
+	 * entire completion budget and emit an empty message (the 2026-06-11
+	 * empty-draft incident, prod run acf24029). The cap is SETTINGS-backed
+	 * (`prautoblogger_reasoning_max_tokens`, default
+	 * PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_REASONING_MAX_TOKENS, 0 = pure effort mode:
+	 * no cap, no headroom — the historical behavior). When the cap is
+	 * active it replaces `effort` — OpenRouter treats the two as
+	 * alternative budget controls and normalizes max_tokens per model.
+	 *
+	 * No-op when reasoning is absent/disabled on the request, when the
+	 * request has no completion ceiling, or when the cap setting is 0.
+	 *
+	 * @param array<string, mixed> $body Assembled request body.
+	 *
+	 * @return array<string, mixed> Body with the reasoning budget applied.
+	 */
+	private function apply_reasoning_budget( array $body ): array {
+		if ( ! isset( $body['reasoning'] ) || false === ( $body['reasoning']['enabled'] ?? true ) ) {
+			return $body;
+		}
+		if ( ! isset( $body['max_tokens'] ) ) {
+			return $body; // No completion ceiling to protect.
+		}
+
+		if ( ! isset( $body['reasoning']['max_tokens'] ) ) {
+			$cap = absint( get_option( 'prautoblogger_reasoning_max_tokens', PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_REASONING_MAX_TOKENS ) );
+			if ( $cap < 1 ) {
+				return $body; // Cap disabled — pure effort mode.
+			}
+			$body['reasoning']['max_tokens'] = $cap;
+			unset( $body['reasoning']['effort'] );
+		}
+
+		// Headroom: models that spend reasoning from the completion budget
+		// (e.g. deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash) must still have the caller's
+		// full max_tokens available for visible content.
+		$body['max_tokens'] = (int) $body['max_tokens'] + (int) $body['reasoning']['max_tokens'];
+
+		return $body;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Build request headers for OpenRouter API call.
 	 *

includes/providers/class-runware-catalog-fetcher.php

@@ -0,0 +1,214 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Runware modelSearch API fetcher — handles pagination and response normalization
+ * for the Runware model catalog sync.
+ *
+ * Extracted from PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Model_Catalog for the 300-line rule.
+ * Provides two public methods consumed by the catalog class:
+ *   - fetch_all_text_to_image(): paginates modelSearch and returns raw results.
+ *   - normalize_models(): converts raw results to Image_Model_Registry shape.
+ *
+ * API note (2026-06-12): Runware retired taskType:models. The replacement is
+ * taskType:modelSearch — requires auth+modelSearch tasks, returns paginated
+ * results with `air` identifiers and `capabilities[]`. Text-to-image filtering
+ * is client-side (no server-side capability filter is available). The catalog
+ * has 320k+ entries (mostly community checkpoints); we cap at PAGE_CAP pages
+ * of PAGE_SIZE results to bound request cost while covering curated t2i models.
+ *
+ * @see class-runware-model-catalog.php  — Caller; owns caching, cooldown, and fallback.
+ * @see class-image-model-registry.php  — Consumes the normalized model shape.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Catalog_Fetcher {
+
+	private const RUNWARE_API_URL  = 'https://api.runware.ai/v1';
+	private const HTTP_TIMEOUT_SEC = 30;
+
+	/**
+	 * Maximum pages to fetch per sync cycle.
+	 * 5 pages × 100 results = 500 models inspected.
+	 * Curated Runware-native text-to-image models number ~50 in the first 500.
+	 */
+	private const PAGE_CAP  = 5;
+	private const PAGE_SIZE = 100;
+
+	/**
+	 * Fetch all text-to-image model results via paginated modelSearch calls.
+	 *
+	 * Issues up to PAGE_CAP requests against the Runware /v1 endpoint, each
+	 * sending an auth task + a modelSearch task with offset/limit. Stops early
+	 * when all available results have been fetched. Returns the raw result
+	 * objects (unfiltered — normalize_models() applies the capability filter).
+	 *
+	 * @param string $api_key Decrypted Runware API key.
+	 * @return array<int, array<string, mixed>> Raw modelSearch result objects.
+	 * @throws \RuntimeException On HTTP error or malformed response for any page.
+	 */
+	public function fetch_all_text_to_image( string $api_key ): array {
+		$all_results   = array();
+		$offset        = 0;
+		$pages_fetched = 0;
+		$total         = PHP_INT_MAX; // Set after first page.
+
+		do {
+			$page = $this->fetch_page( $api_key, $offset, self::PAGE_SIZE );
+			if ( empty( $page['results'] ) ) {
+				break;
+			}
+
+			$all_results   = array_merge( $all_results, $page['results'] );
+			$total         = (int) $page['totalResults'];
+			$offset       += self::PAGE_SIZE;
+			++$pages_fetched;
+
+			if ( count( $all_results ) >= $total ) {
+				break;
+			}
+		} while ( $pages_fetched < self::PAGE_CAP );
+
+		if ( $pages_fetched >= self::PAGE_CAP && count( $all_results ) < $total ) {
+			PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->info(
+				sprintf(
+					'Runware catalog: reached page cap (%d pages, %d models fetched of %d total). '
+					. 'Increase PAGE_CAP if curated models are being missed.',
+					self::PAGE_CAP,
+					count( $all_results ),
+					$total
+				),
+				'runware-catalog'
+			);
+		}
+
+		return $all_results;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Normalize raw modelSearch result objects to the Image_Model_Registry shape.
+	 *
+	 * Filters to models with "io:text-to-image" in capabilities[].
+	 * Uses the `air` field as the model id (e.g. "runware:100@1").
+	 * Uses the `comment` field as the human-readable description.
+	 * cost_per_image is always null here — merged by the catalog class.
+	 *
+	 * @param array<int, array<string, mixed>> $raw_models Raw modelSearch results.
+	 * @return array<int, array<string, mixed>> Normalized models.
+	 */
+	public function normalize_models( array $raw_models ): array {
+		$normalized = array();
+
+		foreach ( $raw_models as $raw ) {
+			if ( ! is_array( $raw ) ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			$capabilities = is_array( $raw['capabilities'] ?? null ) ? $raw['capabilities'] : array();
+			if ( ! in_array( 'io:text-to-image', $capabilities, true ) ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			$air = (string) ( $raw['air'] ?? '' );
+			if ( '' === $air ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			$normalized[] = array(
+				'id'             => $air,
+				'name'           => (string) ( $raw['name'] ?? $air ),
+				'provider'       => 'runware',
+				'cost_per_image' => null,
+				'capabilities'   => array( 'image_generation' ),
+				'description'    => (string) ( $raw['comment'] ?? '' ),
+			);
+		}
+
+		return $normalized;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Fetch a single page of modelSearch results.
+	 *
+	 * Sends [authentication, modelSearch] task pair to /v1.
+	 * A fresh auth task is required per request per Runware's WebSocket-based
+	 * API contract (each HTTP POST is a stateless task array).
+	 *
+	 * @param string $api_key Decrypted Runware API key.
+	 * @param int    $offset  Pagination offset (0-based).
+	 * @param int    $limit   Page size.
+	 * @return array{results: array<int, array<string, mixed>>, totalResults: int}
+	 * @throws \RuntimeException On HTTP error or malformed response (non-200 exceptions
+	 *               include up to 200 chars of the response body for diagnosis).
+	 */
+	private function fetch_page( string $api_key, int $offset, int $limit ): array {
+		$payload = array(
+			array(
+				'taskType' => 'authentication',
+				'apiKey'   => $api_key,
+			),
+			array(
+				'taskType' => 'modelSearch',
+				'taskUUID' => wp_generate_uuid4(),
+				'offset'   => $offset,
+				'limit'    => $limit,
+			),
+		);
+
+		$response = wp_remote_post(
+			self::RUNWARE_API_URL,
+			array(
+				'timeout' => self::HTTP_TIMEOUT_SEC,
+				'headers' => array( 'Content-Type' => 'application/json' ),
+				'body'    => wp_json_encode( $payload ),
+			)
+		);
+
+		if ( is_wp_error( $response ) ) {
+			throw new \RuntimeException(
+				sprintf( 'Runware modelSearch unreachable: %s', $response->get_error_message() )
+			);
+		}
+
+		$status = (int) wp_remote_retrieve_response_code( $response );
+		if ( 200 !== $status ) {
+			$raw_body   = (string) wp_remote_retrieve_body( $response );
+			$body_excerpt = '' !== $raw_body ? ' — body: ' . substr( $raw_body, 0, 200 ) : '';
+			throw new \RuntimeException(
+				sprintf( 'Runware modelSearch returned HTTP %d%s', $status, $body_excerpt )
+			);
+		}
+
+		$raw     = (string) wp_remote_retrieve_body( $response );
+		$decoded = json_decode( $raw, true );
+
+		if ( ! is_array( $decoded ) ) {
+			throw new \RuntimeException( 'Runware modelSearch response is not valid JSON.' );
+		}
+
+		if ( isset( $decoded['errors'] ) && is_array( $decoded['errors'] ) && ! empty( $decoded['errors'] ) ) {
+			$first_msg = '';
+			if ( ! empty( $decoded['errors'][0]['message'] ) ) {
+				$first_msg = ': ' . (string) $decoded['errors'][0]['message'];
+			}
+			throw new \RuntimeException( 'Runware modelSearch API error' . $first_msg );
+		}
+
+		$data = $decoded['data'] ?? array();
+		if ( ! is_array( $data ) || empty( $data ) ) {
+			return array(
+				'results' => array(),
+				'totalResults' => 0,
+			);
+		}
+
+		$item    = $data[0];
+		$results = is_array( $item['results'] ?? null ) ? $item['results'] : array();
+		$total   = isset( $item['totalResults'] ) ? (int) $item['totalResults'] : 0;
+
+		return array(
+			'results' => $results,
+			'totalResults' => $total,
+		);
+	}
+}

includes/providers/class-runware-image-batch.php

@@ -2,19 +2,7 @@
 // phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
 declare(strict_types=1);
 
-// phpcs:disable WordPress.WP.AlternativeFunctions.curl_curl_init
-// phpcs:disable WordPress.WP.AlternativeFunctions.curl_curl_setopt
-// phpcs:disable WordPress.WP.AlternativeFunctions.curl_curl_close
-// phpcs:disable WordPress.WP.AlternativeFunctions.curl_curl_errno
-// phpcs:disable WordPress.WP.AlternativeFunctions.curl_curl_error
-// phpcs:disable WordPress.WP.AlternativeFunctions.curl_curl_getinfo
-// phpcs:disable WordPress.WP.AlternativeFunctions.curl_curl_multi_init
-// phpcs:disable WordPress.WP.AlternativeFunctions.curl_curl_multi_add_handle
-// phpcs:disable WordPress.WP.AlternativeFunctions.curl_curl_multi_exec
-// phpcs:disable WordPress.WP.AlternativeFunctions.curl_curl_multi_select
-// phpcs:disable WordPress.WP.AlternativeFunctions.curl_curl_multi_getcontent
-// phpcs:disable WordPress.WP.AlternativeFunctions.curl_curl_multi_remove_handle
-// phpcs:disable WordPress.WP.AlternativeFunctions.curl_curl_multi_close
+// phpcs:disable WordPress.WP.AlternativeFunctions -- curl_multi required for parallel image generation; no WP HTTP equivalent.
 
 /**
  * Parallel image generation via curl_multi for Runware.

includes/providers/class-runware-image-provider.php

@@ -178,72 +178,15 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Image_Provider implements PRAutoBlogger_Image_Provid
 	/**
 	 * {@inheritDoc}
 	 *
-	 * Runware has no dedicated "validate key" endpoint, so we send a minimal
-	 * authentication task and look for `taskType=authentication` in the
-	 * response data with no accompanying errors.
+	 * Delegates to PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Validator (extracted for 300-line compliance).
+	 *
+	 * @see providers/class-runware-image-validator.php
 	 */
 	public function validate_credentials_detailed(): array {
-		try {
-			$api_key = $this->support->get_api_key();
-		} catch ( \RuntimeException $e ) {
-			return array(
-				'status'  => 'error',
-				'message' => $e->getMessage(),
-			);
-		}
-
-		$body = array(
-			array(
-				'taskType' => 'authentication',
-				'apiKey'   => $api_key,
-			),
-		);
-
-		$response = wp_remote_post(
-			PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Image_Support::API_URL,
-			array(
-				'timeout' => 15,
-				'headers' => array( 'Content-Type' => 'application/json' ),
-				'body'    => wp_json_encode( $body ),
-			)
-		);
-
-		if ( is_wp_error( $response ) ) {
-			return array(
-				'status'  => 'error',
-				'message' => __( 'Could not reach Runware API.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'debug'   => $response->get_error_message(),
-			);
-		}
-
-		$status = (int) wp_remote_retrieve_response_code( $response );
-		$raw    = (string) wp_remote_retrieve_body( $response );
-
-		if ( 200 !== $status ) {
-			return array(
-				'status'  => 'error',
-				'message' => sprintf( __( 'Runware returned HTTP %d.', 'prautoblogger' ), $status ),
-				'debug'   => substr( $raw, 0, 200 ),
-			);
-		}
-
-		$decoded = json_decode( $raw, true );
-		if ( is_array( $decoded ) && isset( $decoded['errors'] ) && ! empty( $decoded['errors'] ) ) {
-			$first = $decoded['errors'][0] ?? array();
-			$msg   = is_array( $first ) ? (string) ( $first['message'] ?? '' ) : (string) $first;
-			return array(
-				'status'  => 'error',
-				'message' => __( 'Runware rejected the API key.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-				'debug'   => substr( $msg, 0, 200 ),
-			);
-		}
-
-		return array(
-			'status'  => 'ok',
-			'message' => __( 'Runware API key valid.', 'prautoblogger' ),
-		);
+		return PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Validator::validate( $this->support );
 	}
 
+
 	/**
 	 * Build the JSON task-array body for a single imageInference request.
 	 *

includes/providers/class-runware-image-support.php

@@ -181,7 +181,8 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Image_Support {
 	 */
 	public function normalize_seed( ?int $seed ): int {
 		if ( null === $seed || $seed < 1 ) {
-			$derived = (int) ( ( microtime( true ) * 1000 ) % 2147483647 );
+			// Cast to int before modulo — float % int is deprecated in PHP 8 (v0.18.2).
+			$derived = (int) round( microtime( true ) * 1000 ) % 2147483647;
 			return $derived > 0 ? $derived : 1;
 		}
 		return $seed;

includes/providers/class-runware-image-validator.php

@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/**
+ * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
+ *
+ * Credential validator for the Runware image provider.
+ *
+ * Extracted from PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Image_Provider for 300-line compliance.
+ * Sends a minimal authentication task to Runware's API to confirm the key is valid.
+ *
+ * What: Static utility; no state.
+ * Who triggers: PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Image_Provider::validate_credentials_detailed().
+ * Dependencies: PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Image_Support (API_URL constant, get_api_key()).
+ *
+ * @see providers/class-runware-image-provider.php -- Sole caller.
+ * @see providers/class-runware-image-support.php  -- API key retrieval + URL.
+ */
+class PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Validator {
+
+	/**
+	 * {@inheritDoc}
+	 *
+	 * Runware has no dedicated "validate key" endpoint, so we send a minimal
+	 * authentication task and look for `taskType=authentication` in the
+	 * response data with no accompanying errors.
+	 */
+	public static function validate( PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Image_Support $support ): array {
+		try {
+			$api_key = $support->get_api_key();
+		} catch ( \RuntimeException $e ) {
+			return array(
+				'status'  => 'error',
+				'message' => $e->getMessage(),
+			);
+		}
+
+		$body = array(
+			array(
+				'taskType' => 'authentication',
+				'apiKey'   => $api_key,
+			),
+		);
+
+		$response = wp_remote_post(
+			PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Image_Support::API_URL,
+			array(
+				'timeout' => 15,
+				'headers' => array( 'Content-Type' => 'application/json' ),
+				'body'    => wp_json_encode( $body ),
+			)
+		);
+
+		if ( is_wp_error( $response ) ) {
+			return array(
+				'status'  => 'error',
+				'message' => __( 'Could not reach Runware API.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'debug'   => $response->get_error_message(),
+			);
+		}
+
+		$status = (int) wp_remote_retrieve_response_code( $response );
+		$raw    = (string) wp_remote_retrieve_body( $response );
+
+		if ( 200 !== $status ) {
+			return array(
+				'status'  => 'error',
+				'message' => sprintf( __( 'Runware returned HTTP %d.', 'prautoblogger' ), $status ),
+				'debug'   => substr( $raw, 0, 200 ),
+			);
+		}
+
+		$decoded = json_decode( $raw, true );
+		if ( is_array( $decoded ) && isset( $decoded['errors'] ) && ! empty( $decoded['errors'] ) ) {
+			$first = $decoded['errors'][0] ?? array();
+			$msg   = is_array( $first ) ? (string) ( $first['message'] ?? '' ) : (string) $first;
+			return array(
+				'status'  => 'error',
+				'message' => __( 'Runware rejected the API key.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'debug'   => substr( $msg, 0, 200 ),
+			);
+		}
+
+		return array(
+			'status'  => 'ok',
+			'message' => __( 'Runware API key valid.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+		);
+	}
+}

includes/providers/class-runware-model-catalog.php

@@ -4,18 +4,30 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
 /**
  * phpcs:ignore WordPress.Files.FileName.InvalidClassFileName -- class naming convention differs from WordPress standard
  *
- * Runware model catalog sync — fetches live model list via Runware's /v1 endpoint,
- * filters to text-to-image tasks, caches normalized results, and falls back to
- * hardcoded list on API failure.
+ * Runware model catalog sync — orchestrates periodic fetching, caching, failure
+ * cooldown, and fallback for the Runware model list.
  *
- * What: Syncs Runware's model catalog periodically (daily cron + on-demand AJAX),
- *       caches the results in WP options, and merges pricing data from the pricing
- *       class when Runware's API doesn't expose it.
+ * What: Syncs Runware's model catalog (daily cron + on-demand AJAX), caches
+ *       normalized results in WP options (v2 schema key — see below), merges
+ *       pricing, and enforces a per-failure cooldown to stop admin-page-load
+ *       cascades when the API is broken or the key is misconfigured.
  * Who triggers it: Daily cron (prautoblogger_sync_runware_models), AJAX "Sync now"
  *                  button in PRAdmin, and lazy-load via PRAutoBlogger_Image_Model_Registry.
- * Dependencies: PRAutoBlogger_Logger, PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Image_Pricing,
- *               PRAutoBlogger_Image_Model_Registry.
+ * Dependencies: PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Catalog_Fetcher, PRAutoBlogger_Logger,
+ *               PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Image_Pricing, PRAutoBlogger_Image_Model_Registry.
  *
+ * Cache schema note: option key is prautoblogger_runware_model_cache_v2 (bumped
+ * from v1) to cleanly invalidate cached rows that used the old taskType:models
+ * response shape (taskType/requiresImage fields). The v1 option is left in place
+ * and will be purged by the next WP options cleanup pass.
+ *
+ * Failure cooldown: prautoblogger_runware_catalog_last_failure_at records the
+ * last failure timestamp. is_in_failure_cooldown() checks it against
+ * prautoblogger_runware_catalog_failure_cooldown_seconds (default 3600s). This
+ * caps errors from admin page loads to ~24/day (24h / 1h cooldown) rather than
+ * 40+/day from every Settings/picker page load triggering a live sync.
+ *
+ * @see class-runware-catalog-fetcher.php      — Pagination + normalize (extracted for 300-line rule).
  * @see class-runware-image-pricing.php        — Authoritative pricing source & fallback models.
  * @see admin/class-image-model-registry.php   — Caller; merges Runware + OpenRouter lists.
  * @see class-prautoblogger.php                — Registers daily cron + AJAX hook.
@@ -23,20 +35,27 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
  */
 class PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Model_Catalog {
 
-	private const RUNWARE_API_URL = 'https://api.runware.ai/v1';
 	private const CACHE_TTL_SECONDS = 86400;
-	private const HTTP_TIMEOUT_SECONDS = 30;
 
 	/**
-	 * Fetch the Runware model catalog, normalize to the Image_Model_Registry
-	 * shape, and write to WP options cache. Returns true on success, false on
-	 * API failure or parse error.
+	 * Option key for the v2 normalized model cache (air-identifier schema).
+	 * Bumped from v1 (prautoblogger_runware_model_cache) to force re-sync.
+	 */
+	private const CACHE_OPTION      = 'prautoblogger_runware_model_cache_v2';
+	private const CACHE_TS_OPTION   = 'prautoblogger_runware_model_cache_updated_at';
+	private const FAILURE_TS_OPTION = 'prautoblogger_runware_catalog_last_failure_at';
+	private const COOLDOWN_SETTING  = 'prautoblogger_runware_catalog_failure_cooldown_seconds';
+	private const COOLDOWN_DEFAULT  = 3600;
+
+	/**
+	 * Fetch, normalize, merge pricing, and cache the Runware model catalog.
+	 * On success: writes cache + clears failure timestamp. Returns true.
+	 * On failure: writes failure timestamp for cooldown. Returns false.
 	 *
-	 * Side effects: makes HTTP request to Runware API, writes WP options.
 	 * Error handling: logs via PRAutoBlogger_Logger, never throws, always
-	 *                 returns bool to allow fallback to cached list.
+	 *                 returns bool to allow fallback to cached/hardcoded list.
 	 *
-	 * @return bool True on successful fetch and cache update; false on API or parse error.
+	 * @return bool True on successful fetch and cache update; false otherwise.
 	 */
 	public function sync(): bool {
 		try {
@@ -49,16 +68,19 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Model_Catalog {
 				return false;
 			}
 
-			$raw_models = $this->fetch_models_from_api( $api_key );
+			$fetcher    = new PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Catalog_Fetcher();
+			$raw_models = $fetcher->fetch_all_text_to_image( $api_key );
+
 			if ( empty( $raw_models ) ) {
 				PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->warning(
 					'Runware model catalog fetch returned empty list. Using cached/fallback models.',
 					'runware-catalog'
 				);
+				$this->record_failure();
 				return false;
 			}
 
-			$normalized = $this->normalize_models( $raw_models );
+			$normalized   = $fetcher->normalize_models( $raw_models );
 			$with_pricing = $this->merge_pricing( $normalized );
 
 			if ( empty( $with_pricing ) ) {
@@ -66,11 +88,13 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Model_Catalog {
 					'Runware model catalog normalization resulted in empty list. Using cached/fallback models.',
 					'runware-catalog'
 				);
+				$this->record_failure();
 				return false;
 			}
 
-			update_option( 'prautoblogger_runware_model_cache', $with_pricing, false );
-			update_option( 'prautoblogger_runware_model_cache_updated_at', time(), false );
+			update_option( self::CACHE_OPTION, $with_pricing, false );
+			update_option( self::CACHE_TS_OPTION, time(), false );
+			delete_option( self::FAILURE_TS_OPTION );
 
 			PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->info(
 				sprintf( 'Runware model catalog synced: %d models cached.', count( $with_pricing ) ),
@@ -82,38 +106,37 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Model_Catalog {
 				sprintf( 'Runware model catalog sync failed: %s (%s)', $e->getMessage(), get_class( $e ) ),
 				'runware-catalog'
 			);
+			$this->record_failure();
 			return false;
 		}
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Get the normalized model list, with smart caching logic:
-	 * - If cache is fresh (< 24h), return it.
-	 * - If cache is stale or absent, trigger a sync.
-	 * - If sync fails, return the last-known-good cache.
-	 * - If no cache exists, return the hardcoded fallback (never empty).
+	 * Return the normalized model list, using smart cache + fallback logic:
+	 * fresh cache → cached; stale + not in cooldown → sync; stale cache fallback;
+	 * no cache → hardcoded fallback (never empty).
 	 *
 	 * @return array<int, array<string, mixed>> Normalized model list.
 	 */
 	public function get_models(): array {
 		if ( ! $this->is_stale() ) {
-			$cached = get_option( 'prautoblogger_runware_model_cache', array() );
+			$cached = get_option( self::CACHE_OPTION, array() );
 			if ( is_array( $cached ) && ! empty( $cached ) ) {
 				return $cached;
 			}
 		}
 
-		if ( $this->sync() ) {
-			$cached = get_option( 'prautoblogger_runware_model_cache', array() );
+		if ( ! $this->is_in_failure_cooldown() && $this->sync() ) {
+			$cached = get_option( self::CACHE_OPTION, array() );
 			if ( is_array( $cached ) && ! empty( $cached ) ) {
 				return $cached;
 			}
 		}
 
-		$cached = get_option( 'prautoblogger_runware_model_cache', array() );
+		$cached = get_option( self::CACHE_OPTION, array() );
 		if ( is_array( $cached ) && ! empty( $cached ) ) {
 			PRAutoBlogger_Logger::instance()->info(
-				'Using stale Runware model cache (live sync failed).',
+				'Using stale Runware model cache (live sync failed or suppressed by cooldown).',
 				'runware-catalog'
 			);
 			return $cached;
@@ -131,12 +154,12 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Model_Catalog {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Get the Unix timestamp of the last successful sync, or null if never synced.
+	 * Unix timestamp of the last successful sync, or null if never synced.
 	 *
-	 * @return int|null Unix timestamp, or null if never synced.
+	 * @return int|null
 	 */
 	public function get_last_synced_at(): ?int {
-		$ts = get_option( 'prautoblogger_runware_model_cache_updated_at', null );
+		$ts = get_option( self::CACHE_TS_OPTION, null );
 		if ( null === $ts ) {
 			return null;
 		}
@@ -145,9 +168,23 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Model_Catalog {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Check if the cache is stale (older than 24h) or absent.
+	 * Unix timestamp of the last sync failure, or null if no failure on record.
 	 *
-	 * @return bool True if cache should be refreshed; false if still fresh.
+	 * @return int|null
+	 */
+	public function get_last_failure_at(): ?int {
+		$ts = get_option( self::FAILURE_TS_OPTION, null );
+		if ( null === $ts ) {
+			return null;
+		}
+		$ts = (int) $ts;
+		return $ts > 0 ? $ts : null;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Whether the cache is stale (older than 24h) or absent.
+	 *
+	 * @return bool True if a refresh is warranted; false if still fresh.
 	 */
 	public function is_stale(): bool {
 		$updated_at = $this->get_last_synced_at();
@@ -158,125 +195,53 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Model_Catalog {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Fetch the raw model list from Runware's /v1 endpoint via a models task.
+	 * Whether a sync attempt should be suppressed due to a recent failure.
 	 *
-	 * @param string $api_key Decrypted Runware API key.
-	 * @return array Raw model list (may be empty).
-	 * @throws \RuntimeException On HTTP error or malformed response.
+	 * The cooldown window is read from prautoblogger_runware_catalog_failure_cooldown_seconds
+	 * (default 3600s). This prevents admin-page-load cascades (40+ errors/day)
+	 * when the API endpoint or key is broken. A successful sync clears it.
+	 *
+	 * @return bool True if a sync should be suppressed; false if retry is permitted.
 	 */
-	private function fetch_models_from_api( string $api_key ): array {
-		$body = wp_json_encode(
-			array(
-				array(
-					'taskType' => 'models',
-					'apiKey'   => $api_key,
-				),
-			)
-		);
-
-		$response = wp_remote_post(
-			self::RUNWARE_API_URL,
-			array(
-				'timeout' => self::HTTP_TIMEOUT_SECONDS,
-				'headers' => array( 'Content-Type' => 'application/json' ),
-				'body'    => $body,
-			)
-		);
-
-		if ( is_wp_error( $response ) ) {
-			throw new \RuntimeException(
-				sprintf( 'Runware models endpoint unreachable: %s', $response->get_error_message() )
-			);
+	public function is_in_failure_cooldown(): bool {
+		$last_failure = $this->get_last_failure_at();
+		if ( null === $last_failure ) {
+			return false;
 		}
-
-		$status = (int) wp_remote_retrieve_response_code( $response );
-		if ( 200 !== $status ) {
-			$raw = wp_remote_retrieve_body( $response );
-			throw new \RuntimeException(
-				sprintf( 'Runware models endpoint returned HTTP %d', $status )
-			);
+		$cooldown = (int) get_option( self::COOLDOWN_SETTING, self::COOLDOWN_DEFAULT );
+		if ( $cooldown <= 0 ) {
+			$cooldown = self::COOLDOWN_DEFAULT;
 		}
-
-		$raw = (string) wp_remote_retrieve_body( $response );
-		$decoded = json_decode( $raw, true );
-
-		if ( ! is_array( $decoded ) ) {
-			throw new \RuntimeException( 'Runware models response is not valid JSON.' );
-		}
-
-		if ( isset( $decoded['errors'] ) && is_array( $decoded['errors'] ) && ! empty( $decoded['errors'] ) ) {
-			throw new \RuntimeException( 'Runware API returned an error.' );
-		}
-
-		$data = $decoded['data'] ?? array();
-		return is_array( $data ) ? $data : array();
+		return ( time() - $last_failure ) < $cooldown;
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Normalize raw Runware model objects to the PRAutoBlogger_Image_Model_Registry
-	 * shape: id, name, provider, cost_per_image, capabilities, description.
-	 *
-	 * Filters to taskType='imageInference' (text-to-image only), excluding
-	 * inpainting (imageInference + requiresImage=true), img2img, video, upscalers.
-	 *
-	 * @param array<int, array<string, mixed>> $raw_models Raw API response.
-	 * @return array<int, array<string, mixed>> Normalized models.
-	 */
-	private function normalize_models( array $raw_models ): array {
-		$normalized = array();
-
-		foreach ( $raw_models as $raw ) {
-			if ( ! is_array( $raw ) ) {
-				continue;
-			}
-
-			$task_type = $raw['taskType'] ?? '';
-			if ( 'imageInference' !== $task_type ) {
-				continue;
-			}
-
-			if ( isset( $raw['requiresImage'] ) && true === $raw['requiresImage'] ) {
-				continue;
-			}
-
-			$model_id = (string) ( $raw['id'] ?? '' );
-			if ( '' === $model_id ) {
-				continue;
-			}
-
-			$normalized[] = array(
-				'id'             => $model_id,
-				'name'           => (string) ( $raw['name'] ?? $model_id ),
-				'provider'       => 'runware',
-				'cost_per_image' => null,
-				'capabilities'   => array( 'image_generation' ),
-				'description'    => (string) ( $raw['description'] ?? '' ),
-			);
-		}
-
-		return $normalized;
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * Merge pricing data from PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Image_Pricing into the
-	 * normalized catalog. Models without pricing data get cost_per_image=null.
+	 * Merge pricing from PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Image_Pricing into normalized models.
+	 * Models without a pricing entry get cost_per_image=null.
 	 *
 	 * @param array<int, array<string, mixed>> $normalized Normalized models.
 	 * @return array<int, array<string, mixed>> Models with pricing merged.
 	 */
 	private function merge_pricing( array $normalized ): array {
 		$pricing_table = PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Image_Pricing::get_model_costs();
-
 		foreach ( $normalized as &$model ) {
 			$model_id = $model['id'] ?? '';
 			if ( isset( $pricing_table[ $model_id ] ) ) {
 				$model['cost_per_image'] = (float) $pricing_table[ $model_id ];
 			}
 		}
-
 		return $normalized;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Record the current time as the last sync failure timestamp.
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	private function record_failure(): void {
+		update_option( self::FAILURE_TS_OPTION, time(), false );
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Get the decrypted Runware API key from settings.
 	 *
@@ -287,12 +252,10 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Runware_Model_Catalog {
 		if ( '' === $stored ) {
 			return '';
 		}
-
 		if ( PRAutoBlogger_Encryption::is_encrypted( $stored ) ) {
 			$decrypted = PRAutoBlogger_Encryption::decrypt( $stored );
 			return '' === $decrypted ? '' : $decrypted;
 		}
-
 		return $stored;
 	}
 }

includes/services/opik/class-opik-eval-scorer.php

@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ class PRAutoBlogger_Opik_Eval_Scorer {
 				array(
 					'temperature' => 0.1,
 					'max_tokens'  => 200,
+					'stage'       => 'opik_eval_judge',
 				)
 			);
 

prautoblogger.php

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
  * Plugin Name:       PRAutoBlogger
  * Plugin URI:        https://peptiderepo.com/prautoblogger
  * Description:       Monitors social media for trending topics, generates SEO-friendly blog posts using AI, and publishes them on a daily schedule with full cost tracking and self-improvement metrics.
- * Version:           0.18.0
+ * Version:           0.22.1
  * Requires at least: 6.0
  * Requires PHP:      7.4
  * Author:            PeptideRepo
@@ -35,20 +35,26 @@ if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
 | Defined here so every file in the plugin can reference paths, versions,
 | and limits without magic strings.
 */
-define( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_VERSION', '0.18.0' );
-define( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_DB_VERSION', '1.2.0' );
+define( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_VERSION', '0.22.1' );
+define( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_DB_VERSION', '1.4.0' );
+define( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_RUN_CEILING_USD', 0.50 );
+define( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_REQUEST_JSON_RETENTION_DAYS', 14 );
+// Default max cards shown per board column and per ideas-browser page.
+// Settings-backed (prautoblogger_board_column_limit, prautoblogger_ideas_per_page).
+define( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_BOARD_COLUMN_LIMIT', 20 );
+define( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_IDEAS_PER_PAGE', 30 );
+// v0.18.1: ceiling on "thinking" tokens per reasoning-enabled LLM call. The
+// request's completion budget (max_tokens) is RAISED by this amount so
+// reasoning can never consume the visible-content budget and return an empty
+// message (the 2026-06-11 empty-draft incident). SETTINGS-backed
+// (prautoblogger_reasoning_max_tokens); 0 disables the cap (pure effort mode).
+define( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_REASONING_MAX_TOKENS', 2048 );
 define( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_FILE', __FILE__ );
 define( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_DIR', plugin_dir_path( __FILE__ ) );
 define( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_URL', plugin_dir_url( __FILE__ ) );
 define( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_BASENAME', plugin_basename( __FILE__ ) );
 // API and retry limits — named constants instead of magic numbers.
 define( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_MAX_RETRIES', 3 );
-// Pipeline v2 Phase 1 (v0.18.0) defaults. Both are SETTINGS-backed at every
-// read site (prautoblogger_per_run_cost_ceiling_usd /
-// prautoblogger_request_json_retention_days); these constants exist only as
-// the named get_option() fallbacks — never inline the literals.
-define( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_RUN_CEILING_USD', 0.50 );
-define( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_DEFAULT_REQUEST_JSON_RETENTION_DAYS', 14 );
 define( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_RETRY_BASE_DELAY_SECONDS', 2 );
 define( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_API_TIMEOUT_SECONDS', 180 );
 define( 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_CACHE_TTL_SECONDS', 3600 );
@@ -113,6 +119,7 @@ PRAutoBlogger_Autoloader::register();
 // The main orchestrator class is loaded explicitly because its CamelCase name
 // (PRAutoBlogger) doesn't map cleanly to a filename via the autoloader's
 // kebab-case convention (it would look for class-pr-auto-blogger.php).
+require_once PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_DIR . 'includes/class-db-migrations.php'; // Loaded explicitly: DB_Migrations -> class-d-b-migrations.php via autoloader
 require_once PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_DIR . 'includes/class-prautoblogger.php';
 /*
 |--------------------------------------------------------------------------

scripts/check-constants.php

@@ -0,0 +1,252 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * CI guard: every PRAUTOBLOGGER_* constant referenced in the shipped plugin PHP
+ * must be either (a) defined in prautoblogger.php, or (b) protected by a
+ * defined() guard at the reference site.
+ *
+ * Purpose: prevent the class of regression that caused the v0.19.0 admin-500
+ * incident — a constant deleted from prautoblogger.php while tests/bootstrap.php
+ * kept a fallback copy, masking the gap until prod boot.
+ *
+ * Usage (from repo root):
+ *   php scripts/check-constants.php [--verbose] [--self-test]
+ *
+ * Exit 0 = all clear. Exit 1 = unguarded undefined constants found. Exit 2 = --self-test failed.
+ *
+ * Include/exclude summary (relative to repo root):
+ *   Defined-set source  prautoblogger.php only
+ *   Scanned for refs    prautoblogger.php, includes/, templates/, uninstall.php
+ *   Excluded from refs  tests/ vendor/ .github/ .git/ node_modules/
+ *   Excluded from defs  everything except prautoblogger.php
+ *
+ * Guard window: a bare constant use is considered guarded if a defined() call
+ * for the same constant appears within GUARD_WINDOW lines above it in the same
+ * file (covers if/elseif blocks and multi-line && chains).
+ *
+ * @package PRAutoBlogger
+ */
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+// How many lines above the bare use to look for a defined() guard.
+const CONSTANTS_GUARD_WINDOW = 4; // 4 covers if/elseif blocks and multi-line && chains (wider risks false-positives).
+
+// Source of truth for define()d constants -- test-bootstrap fallbacks excluded.
+const CONSTANTS_BOOTSTRAP_FILE = 'prautoblogger.php';
+
+// Directories skipped when walking the shipped tree for references.
+const CONSTANTS_EXCLUDE_DIRS = array( 'tests', 'vendor', '.github', '.git', 'node_modules' );
+
+// Entry points for the reference scan (files and dirs relative to repo root).
+const CONSTANTS_SCAN_ROOTS = array(
+	'prautoblogger.php',
+	'uninstall.php',
+	'includes',
+	'templates',
+);
+
+$verbose   = in_array( '--verbose', $argv ?? array(), true );
+$self_test = in_array( '--self-test', $argv ?? array(), true );
+
+// -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// 1. Build the defined set from prautoblogger.php only.
+// -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+if ( ! file_exists( CONSTANTS_BOOTSTRAP_FILE ) ) {
+	fwrite( STDERR, "ERROR: bootstrap file not found -- run from repo root.\n" );
+	fwrite( STDERR, '  Expected: ' . CONSTANTS_BOOTSTRAP_FILE . "\n" );
+	exit( 1 );
+}
+
+$bootstrap_src = (string) file_get_contents( CONSTANTS_BOOTSTRAP_FILE );
+
+preg_match_all(
+	"/define\s*\(\s*'(PRAUTOBLOGGER_[A-Z0-9_]+)'/",
+	$bootstrap_src,
+	$def_matches
+);
+
+/** @var array<string, int> $defined_set constant name => 1 */
+$defined_set = array_flip( $def_matches[1] ?? array() );
+
+if ( $verbose ) {
+	echo 'Defined in ' . CONSTANTS_BOOTSTRAP_FILE . ' (' . count( $defined_set ) . "):\n";
+	foreach ( array_keys( $defined_set ) as $constant_name ) {
+		echo "  {$constant_name}\n";
+	}
+	echo "\n";
+}
+
+// -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// 2. Collect shipped PHP files to scan.
+// -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+/**
+ * Recursively collect *.php paths under a directory, skipping excluded dirs.
+ *
+ * @param string   $dir   Directory to walk.
+ * @param string[] $files Accumulator (modified by reference).
+ * @return void
+ */
+function constants_collect_php_files( string $dir, array &$files ): void {
+	$dir_iter = new DirectoryIterator( $dir );
+	foreach ( $dir_iter as $entry ) {
+		if ( $entry->isDot() ) {
+			continue;
+		}
+		$basename = $entry->getBasename();
+		if ( $entry->isDir() ) {
+			if ( ! in_array( $basename, CONSTANTS_EXCLUDE_DIRS, true ) ) {
+				constants_collect_php_files( $entry->getPathname(), $files );
+			}
+			continue;
+		}
+		if ( $entry->isFile() && $entry->getExtension() === 'php' ) {
+			$files[] = $entry->getPathname();
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+/** @var string[] $php_files */
+$php_files = array();
+
+foreach ( CONSTANTS_SCAN_ROOTS as $root ) {
+	if ( ! file_exists( $root ) ) {
+		// Template dir may not exist in very early checkouts -- skip silently.
+		continue;
+	}
+	if ( is_file( $root ) ) {
+		$php_files[] = $root;
+	} else {
+		constants_collect_php_files( $root, $php_files );
+	}
+}
+
+sort( $php_files );
+
+if ( $verbose ) {
+	echo 'Scanning ' . count( $php_files ) . " PHP files\n\n";
+}
+
+// -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// 3. Scan each file for bare PRAUTOBLOGGER_* references.
+// -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+/** @var array<int, array{string, int, string, string}> $errors */
+$errors = array();
+
+foreach ( $php_files as $php_path ) {
+	$raw = file_get_contents( $php_path );
+	if ( false === $raw ) {
+		fwrite( STDERR, "WARNING: cannot read {$php_path} -- skipping\n" );
+		continue;
+	}
+
+	$lines = explode( "\n", $raw );
+
+	foreach ( $lines as $idx => $raw_line ) {
+		// Fast pre-check: skip lines with no PRAUTOBLOGGER_ token.
+		if ( strpos( $raw_line, 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_' ) === false ) {
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		// Skip pure comment lines (docblock * lines, // comments, # lines).
+		$trimmed = ltrim( $raw_line );
+		if (
+			str_starts_with( $trimmed, '*' ) ||
+			str_starts_with( $trimmed, '//' ) ||
+			str_starts_with( $trimmed, '#' )
+		) {
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		// Extract all constant names from this line.
+		if ( ! preg_match_all( '/PRAUTOBLOGGER_[A-Z0-9_]+/', $raw_line, $match ) ) {
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		foreach ( $match[0] as $name ) {
+			// Skip if this line is itself a define() call for this name.
+			if ( preg_match( "/define\s*\(\s*'" . preg_quote( $name, '/' ) . "'/", $raw_line ) ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			// Skip if the constant is production-defined in prautoblogger.php.
+			if ( isset( $defined_set[ $name ] ) ) {
+				continue;
+			}
+
+			// Check for a defined() guard in the preceding GUARD_WINDOW lines
+			// (inclusive of the current line to catch same-line chained &&).
+			$window_start = max( 0, $idx - CONSTANTS_GUARD_WINDOW );
+			$guarded      = false;
+			for ( $w = $window_start; $w <= $idx; $w++ ) {
+				if ( preg_match( "/defined\s*\(\s*'" . preg_quote( $name, '/' ) . "'/", $lines[ $w ] ) ) {
+					$guarded = true;
+					break;
+				}
+			}
+
+			if ( ! $guarded ) {
+				$errors[] = array( $php_path, $idx + 1, $name, $raw_line );
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// 4. Report results.
+// -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+if ( array() !== $errors ) {
+	fwrite( STDERR, "\nFAIL -- Unguarded undefined PRAUTOBLOGGER_* constants:\n\n" );
+	foreach ( $errors as [ $php_path, $lineno, $name, $line_text ] ) {
+		fwrite( STDERR, "  {$php_path}:{$lineno}: {$name}\n" );
+		fwrite( STDERR, '    ' . trim( $line_text ) . "\n" );
+	}
+	fwrite( STDERR, "\nTo fix: add  define( '" . $errors[0][2] . "', ... )  to prautoblogger.php,\n" );
+	fwrite( STDERR, "or guard the reference with  if ( defined( '" . $errors[0][2] . "' ) ) { ... }\n\n" );
+	exit( 1 );
+}
+
+// -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// 5. Self-test mode: synthesize a missing constant and assert non-zero exit.
+// -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+if ( $self_test ) {
+	// Temporarily inject a fake reference that must NOT be in prautoblogger.php.
+	// The scan above will flag PRAUTOBLOGGER_SELFTEST_SENTINEL as unguarded.
+	// We verify this script would have exited non-zero in that scenario.
+	$sentinel      = 'PRAUTOBLOGGER_SELFTEST_SENTINEL';
+	$bootstrap_src = (string) file_get_contents( CONSTANTS_BOOTSTRAP_FILE );
+	if ( false !== strpos( $bootstrap_src, $sentinel ) ) {
+		fwrite( STDERR, "SELF-TEST FAIL: sentinel constant already defined in prautoblogger.php -- pick a unique name.\n" );
+		exit( 2 );
+	}
+
+	// If $errors is empty at this point, the real codebase is clean (good).
+	// Now simulate an unguarded reference by re-running the scan on a temp file.
+	$tmp_file = tempnam( sys_get_temp_dir(), 'prab_selftest_' ) . '.php';
+	file_put_contents( $tmp_file, "<?php\necho {$sentinel};\n" );
+	$tmp_errors = array();
+	$tmp_lines  = explode( "\n", (string) file_get_contents( $tmp_file ) );
+	foreach ( $tmp_lines as $idx => $raw_line ) {
+		if ( preg_match_all( '/PRAUTOBLOGGER_[A-Z0-9_]+/', $raw_line, $m ) ) {
+			foreach ( $m[0] as $n ) {
+				if ( ! isset( $defined_set[ $n ] ) ) {
+					$tmp_errors[] = $n;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	@unlink( $tmp_file );
+	if ( ! in_array( $sentinel, $tmp_errors, true ) ) {
+		fwrite( STDERR, "SELF-TEST FAIL: scanner did not detect unguarded sentinel constant.\n" );
+		exit( 2 );
+	}
+	echo "SELF-TEST OK -- scanner correctly detected the synthetic missing constant.\n";
+	exit( 0 );
+}
+
+echo "OK -- All PRAUTOBLOGGER_* constants are production-defined or defined()-guarded.\n";
+exit( 0 );

templates/admin/board-page.php

@@ -0,0 +1,169 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Kanban board template — primary landing screen for PRAutoBlogger.
+ *
+ * Renders the four-column board: Generating | In Review | Published | Failed.
+ * Cards are populated on first load by a synchronous PHP data call, then kept
+ * live by the board.js poller (AJAX, settings-backed interval).
+ *
+ * @see admin/class-board-page.php       — Renders this template.
+ * @see admin/class-board-data-provider.php — Supplies card data.
+ * @see assets/js/board.js               — Polling + DOM updates.
+ */
+
+if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
+	exit;
+}
+
+// Eager load on first render so the board is not blank on arrival.
+$provider = new PRAutoBlogger_Board_Data_Provider();
+$snapshot = $provider->get_board_snapshot();
+
+/**
+ * Render a single board card as HTML.
+ *
+ * @param array<string, mixed> $card       Card data from Board_Data_Provider.
+ * @param string               $column_key Column identifier (generating|in_review|published|failed).
+ * @return void
+ */
+function prab_render_board_card( array $card, string $column_key ): void {
+	$title     = ! empty( $card['title'] ) ? esc_html( $card['title'] ) : esc_html__( 'Untitled', 'prautoblogger' );
+	$cost      = isset( $card['cost_total'] ) ? '$' . esc_html( number_format( (float) $card['cost_total'], 4 ) ) : '';
+	$click_url = '';
+	$link_text = '';
+
+	if ( 'review' === ( $card['click_action'] ?? '' ) ) {
+		$click_url = esc_url( $card['review_url'] ?? '' );
+		$link_text = esc_html__( 'Review Queue', 'prautoblogger' );
+	} elseif ( 'edit' === ( $card['click_action'] ?? '' ) ) {
+		$click_url = esc_url( $card['edit_url'] ?? '' );
+		$link_text = esc_html__( 'Edit Post', 'prautoblogger' );
+	} elseif ( 'logs' === ( $card['click_action'] ?? '' ) ) {
+		$click_url = esc_url( $card['log_url'] ?? '' );
+		$link_text = esc_html__( 'View Log', 'prautoblogger' );
+	}
+
+	$is_generating = ( 'generating' === $column_key );
+	$card_class    = 'prab-board-card';
+	if ( $is_generating ) {
+		$card_class .= ' prab-board-card--generating';
+	}
+	?>
+	<div class="<?php echo esc_attr( $card_class ); ?>"
+		 data-run-id="<?php echo esc_attr( (string) ( $card['run_id'] ?? '' ) ); ?>"
+		 data-post-id="<?php echo esc_attr( (string) ( $card['post_id'] ?? 0 ) ); ?>">
+
+		<?php if ( $is_generating ) : ?>
+			<div class="prab-card-spinner" aria-label="<?php esc_attr_e( 'Generating in progress', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>"></div>
+		<?php endif; ?>
+
+		<div class="prab-card-title"><?php echo $title; // Already escaped above. ?></div>
+
+		<?php if ( ! empty( $cost ) ) : ?>
+			<div class="prab-card-meta">
+				<span class="prab-card-cost"><?php echo $cost; // Already escaped above. ?></span>
+			</div>
+		<?php endif; ?>
+
+		<?php if ( $is_generating && ! empty( $card['stage_current'] ) ) : ?>
+			<div class="prab-card-stage">
+				<?php
+				printf(
+					/* translators: %s: pipeline stage name */
+					esc_html__( 'Stage: %s', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					esc_html( ucfirst( (string) $card['stage_current'] ) )
+				);
+				?>
+			</div>
+		<?php endif; ?>
+
+		<?php if ( ! empty( $card['error_message'] ) ) : ?>
+			<div class="prab-card-error">
+				<?php echo esc_html( wp_trim_words( (string) $card['error_message'], 12, '…' ) ); ?>
+			</div>
+		<?php endif; ?>
+
+		<?php if ( ! empty( $click_url ) ) : ?>
+			<div class="prab-card-actions">
+				<a href="<?php echo $click_url; // Already escaped above. ?>" class="prab-card-link">
+					<?php echo $link_text; // Already escaped above. ?>
+				</a>
+			</div>
+		<?php endif; ?>
+	</div>
+	<?php
+}
+?>
+<div class="wrap prab-board-wrap">
+	<h1 class="prab-board-heading">
+		<?php esc_html_e( 'PRAutoBlogger', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>
+		<span class="prab-board-heading-sub"><?php esc_html_e( 'Article Board', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></span>
+		<?php if ( current_user_can( 'manage_options' ) ) : ?>
+		<button type="button"
+			id="prab-board-generate-now"
+			class="prab-board-generate-btn button button-primary"
+			aria-label="<?php esc_attr_e( 'Generate a new article now', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>">
+			<?php esc_html_e( 'New Article', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>
+		</button>
+		<?php endif; ?>
+	</h1>
+	<div id="prab-board-gen-status" class="prab-board-gen-status" aria-live="polite" style="display:none;"></div>
+
+	<div id="prab-board" class="prab-board" aria-live="polite" aria-label="<?php esc_attr_e( 'Article generation board', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>">
+
+		<?php
+		$columns = array(
+			'generating' => array(
+				'label'  => __( 'Generating', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'pill'   => 'prab-pill--generating',
+				'cards'  => $snapshot['generating'],
+			),
+			'in_review'  => array(
+				'label'  => __( 'In Review', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'pill'   => 'prab-pill--review',
+				'cards'  => $snapshot['in_review'],
+			),
+			'published'  => array(
+				'label'  => __( 'Published', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'pill'   => 'prab-pill--published',
+				'cards'  => $snapshot['published'],
+			),
+			'failed'     => array(
+				'label'  => __( 'Failed', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				'pill'   => 'prab-pill--failed',
+				'cards'  => $snapshot['failed'],
+			),
+		);
+		foreach ( $columns as $col_key => $col ) :
+			$count = count( $col['cards'] );
+			?>
+			<div class="prab-board-column" data-column="<?php echo esc_attr( $col_key ); ?>">
+				<div class="prab-col-header">
+					<span class="prab-col-title"><?php echo esc_html( $col['label'] ); ?></span>
+					<span class="prab-col-count prab-pill <?php echo esc_attr( $col['pill'] ); ?>"><?php echo esc_html( (string) $count ); ?></span>
+				</div>
+				<div class="prab-col-cards" data-column-cards="<?php echo esc_attr( $col_key ); ?>">
+					<?php if ( empty( $col['cards'] ) ) : ?>
+						<p class="prab-col-empty"><?php esc_html_e( 'Nothing here yet.', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></p>
+					<?php else : ?>
+						<?php foreach ( $col['cards'] as $card ) : ?>
+							<?php prab_render_board_card( $card, $col_key ); ?>
+						<?php endforeach; ?>
+					<?php endif; ?>
+				</div>
+			</div>
+		<?php endforeach; ?>
+
+	</div><!-- #prab-board -->
+
+	<p class="prab-board-footer">
+		<?php
+		$interval_secs = max( 3, (int) get_option( 'prautoblogger_board_poll_interval', 5 ) );
+		printf(
+			/* translators: %d: poll interval in seconds */
+			esc_html__( 'Board refreshes every %d seconds while an article is generating. Configure in Settings → Schedule & Budget.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			$interval_secs
+		);
+		?>
+	</p>
+</div><!-- .prab-board-wrap -->

templates/admin/dossier-edit-panel.php

@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Partial: per-stage edit + replay panel (M3, v0.20.0).
+ *
+ * Rendered only for editable stages (writer chat stages with a
+ * persisted input). Included by dossier-stage-section.php; inherits its
+ * scope: $stage_name, $s_role, $section_id, $rerun (panel data),
+ * $dossier (spend/eligibility/post_id).
+ *
+ * UX contract (CPO guardrails): the copy states explicitly that saving
+ * forks a NEW version (original preserved), that re-running marks
+ * downstream stages stale, that execution is QUEUED (never implied
+ * synchronous), and what the run has already spent against its ceiling.
+ *
+ * Security: message contents via esc_textarea(); all attributes
+ * esc_attr(); spend numbers via number_format + esc_html.
+ */
+
+if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
+	exit;
+}
+
+$panel_prefill = is_array( $rerun['prefill'] ?? null ) ? $rerun['prefill'] : array(
+	'model'    => '',
+	'messages' => array(),
+);
+$panel_fork    = is_array( $rerun['fork'] ?? null ) ? $rerun['fork'] : null;
+$panel_spend   = is_array( $dossier['spend'] ?? null ) ? $dossier['spend'] : array(
+	'settled'  => 0.0,
+	'reserved' => 0.0,
+	'ceiling'  => 0.0,
+	'warn'     => false,
+);
+$held_usd      = (float) $panel_spend['settled'] + (float) $panel_spend['reserved'];
+?>
+<div class="prab-edit-panel" id="<?php echo $section_id; // Already escaped. ?>-edit" hidden
+	 data-stage="<?php echo esc_attr( $stage_name ); ?>"
+	 data-agent-role="<?php echo esc_attr( $s_role ); ?>">
+
+	<p class="prab-edit-copy">
+		<?php esc_html_e( 'You are editing a copy of this stage\'s input. Saving creates a new version — the original is preserved unchanged. Re-running this stage executes your latest saved version as a queued background job and marks all downstream stages stale; nothing downstream re-runs until you trigger it.', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>
+	</p>
+
+	<p class="prab-edit-spend<?php echo ! empty( $panel_spend['warn'] ) ? ' prab-edit-spend--warn' : ''; ?>">
+		<?php if ( (float) $panel_spend['ceiling'] > 0 ) : ?>
+			<?php
+			printf(
+				/* translators: 1: spent USD, 2: ceiling USD. */
+				esc_html__( 'Run spend so far: $%1$s of the $%2$s per-run ceiling. Re-runs are new spend on this run.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				esc_html( number_format( $held_usd, 4 ) ),
+				esc_html( number_format( (float) $panel_spend['ceiling'], 2 ) )
+			);
+			if ( ! empty( $panel_spend['warn'] ) ) {
+				echo ' ';
+				esc_html_e( 'Warning: this run is approaching its ceiling — the re-run may halt. Raise the per-run ceiling setting first if needed.', 'prautoblogger' );
+			}
+			?>
+		<?php else : ?>
+			<?php esc_html_e( 'No per-run cost ceiling is configured for this run (monthly budget still applies).', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>
+		<?php endif; ?>
+	</p>
+
+	<p class="prab-edit-model">
+		<?php
+		printf(
+			/* translators: %s: model identifier. */
+			esc_html__( 'Model (fixed for replay): %s', 'prautoblogger' ),
+			esc_html( (string) $panel_prefill['model'] )
+		);
+		?>
+	</p>
+
+	<?php foreach ( $panel_prefill['messages'] as $i => $panel_message ) : ?>
+		<div class="prab-edit-message">
+			<label class="prab-edit-role" for="<?php echo $section_id; // Already escaped. ?>-msg-<?php echo (int) $i; ?>">
+				<?php echo esc_html( ucfirst( (string) ( $panel_message['role'] ?? '' ) ) ); ?>
+			</label>
+			<textarea class="prab-edit-textarea large-text"
+					id="<?php echo $section_id; // Already escaped. ?>-msg-<?php echo (int) $i; ?>"
+					rows="<?php echo 'system' === ( $panel_message['role'] ?? '' ) ? 4 : 10; ?>"
+					data-role="<?php echo esc_attr( (string) ( $panel_message['role'] ?? '' ) ); ?>"><?php echo esc_textarea( (string) ( $panel_message['content'] ?? '' ) ); ?></textarea>
+		</div>
+	<?php endforeach; ?>
+
+	<div class="prab-edit-actions">
+		<button type="button" class="button button-primary prab-edit-save">
+			<?php esc_html_e( 'Save as new version', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>
+		</button>
+		<button type="button" class="button prab-edit-rerun" <?php disabled( null === $panel_fork ); ?>>
+			<?php esc_html_e( 'Re-run this stage (queued)', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>
+		</button>
+		<span class="prab-edit-forkinfo" data-forkinfo>
+			<?php
+			if ( null !== $panel_fork ) {
+				printf(
+					/* translators: 1: version number, 2: author login, 3: datetime. */
+					esc_html__( 'Latest saved version: v%1$d by %2$s at %3$s', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					(int) $panel_fork['version'],
+					esc_html( (string) $panel_fork['author'] ),
+					esc_html( (string) $panel_fork['created_at'] )
+				);
+			} else {
+				esc_html_e( 'No edited version saved yet.', 'prautoblogger' );
+			}
+			?>
+		</span>
+		<span class="prab-edit-feedback" aria-live="polite" data-feedback></span>
+	</div>
+</div>

templates/admin/dossier-log-stage-section.php

@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Partial: log-only stage section (M3/F3, v0.20.0).
+ *
+ * Renders stages that exist ONLY in generation_log — image_a/image_b,
+ * image_prompt_rewrite, llm_research, opik_eval_judge, ... — which the
+ * M2 dossier silently dropped because the image pipeline (and the
+ * research providers) never write run_stages rows (QA M2 F3). These
+ * sections show the call record (model, tokens, cost, status, raw
+ * trace) from their REAL data source; image stages additionally render
+ * the post's actual pipeline attachments ($dossier['images']).
+ *
+ * Variables injected by dossier-page.php:
+ *   $stage_name (string) -- stage key
+ *   $log_rows (array)    -- generation_log rows for this stage
+ *   $dossier (array)     -- page view model (images)
+ *
+ * Security: identical escaping discipline to dossier-stage-section.php.
+ */
+
+if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
+	exit;
+}
+
+$lo_label    = PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map::label( $stage_name );
+$lo_is_image = in_array( $stage_name, array( 'image_a', 'image_b' ), true );
+$lo_images   = $lo_is_image && ! empty( $dossier['images'] ) ? (array) $dossier['images'] : array();
+$lo_cost     = 0.0;
+$lo_status   = '';
+$lo_model    = '—';
+foreach ( $log_rows as $lo_row ) {
+	$lo_cost  += (float) ( $lo_row['estimated_cost'] ?? 0 );
+	$lo_status = (string) ( $lo_row['response_status'] ?? '' );
+	if ( ! empty( $lo_row['model'] ) ) {
+		$lo_model = (string) $lo_row['model'];
+	}
+}
+$lo_section_id = 'prab-logstage-' . esc_attr( $stage_name );
+?>
+<div class="prab-dossier-section prab-dossier-section--stage prab-dossier-section--log-only"
+	 data-stage="<?php echo esc_attr( $stage_name ); ?>"
+	 id="<?php echo $lo_section_id; // Already escaped. ?>">
+
+	<div class="prab-stage-header">
+		<h2 class="prab-section-title"><?php echo esc_html( $lo_label ); ?></h2>
+		<div class="prab-stage-header-meta">
+			<?php if ( '' !== $lo_status ) : ?>
+				<span class="prab-trace-status prab-trace-status--<?php echo esc_attr( $lo_status ); ?>">
+					<?php echo esc_html( $lo_status ); ?>
+				</span>
+			<?php endif; ?>
+			<?php if ( $lo_cost > 0 ) : ?>
+				<span class="prab-stage-cost">$<?php echo esc_html( number_format( $lo_cost, 5 ) ); ?></span>
+			<?php endif; ?>
+			<span class="prab-stage-model"><?php echo esc_html( $lo_model ); ?></span>
+		</div>
+	</div>
+
+	<?php if ( ! empty( $lo_images ) ) : ?>
+		<div class="prab-image-grid">
+			<?php foreach ( $lo_images as $lo_image ) : ?>
+				<figure class="prab-image-card<?php echo ! empty( $lo_image['is_featured'] ) ? ' prab-image-card--chosen' : ''; ?>">
+					<img src="<?php echo esc_url( (string) $lo_image['url'] ); ?>" alt="<?php echo esc_attr( (string) $lo_image['role'] ); ?>" loading="lazy" />
+					<figcaption>
+						<?php echo esc_html( ucfirst( (string) $lo_image['role'] ) ); ?>
+						<?php if ( ! empty( $lo_image['is_featured'] ) ) : ?>
+							<span class="prab-chip prab-chip--chosen"><?php esc_html_e( 'Chosen (featured)', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></span>
+						<?php endif; ?>
+					</figcaption>
+				</figure>
+			<?php endforeach; ?>
+		</div>
+	<?php elseif ( $lo_is_image ) : ?>
+		<p class="prab-output-absent"><?php esc_html_e( 'No pipeline attachments recorded for this article (images attach on publish).', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></p>
+	<?php endif; ?>
+
+	<div class="prab-stage-trace">
+		<button type="button" class="prab-trace-toggle button-link"
+				aria-expanded="false"
+				aria-controls="<?php echo $lo_section_id; // Already escaped. ?>-trace">
+			<?php esc_html_e( 'Show raw trace', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>
+		</button>
+		<div id="<?php echo $lo_section_id; // Already escaped. ?>-trace" class="prab-trace-detail" hidden>
+			<?php foreach ( $log_rows as $log_row ) : ?>
+				<div class="prab-trace-entry">
+					<div class="prab-trace-meta">
+						<span><?php echo esc_html( (string) ( $log_row['model'] ?? '—' ) ); ?></span>
+						<span>
+						<?php
+						printf(
+							/* translators: 1: prompt tokens, 2: completion tokens. */
+							esc_html__( '%1$d prompt + %2$d completion tokens', 'prautoblogger' ),
+							(int) ( $log_row['prompt_tokens'] ?? 0 ),
+							(int) ( $log_row['completion_tokens'] ?? 0 )
+						);
+						?>
+						</span>
+						<span>$<?php echo esc_html( number_format( (float) ( $log_row['estimated_cost'] ?? 0 ), 6 ) ); ?></span>
+						<span class="prab-trace-status prab-trace-status--<?php echo esc_attr( (string) ( $log_row['response_status'] ?? '' ) ); ?>">
+							<?php echo esc_html( (string) ( $log_row['response_status'] ?? '' ) ); ?>
+						</span>
+					</div>
+					<?php if ( ! empty( $log_row['request_json'] ) ) : ?>
+						<details class="prab-trace-request">
+							<summary><?php esc_html_e( 'Request payload', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></summary>
+							<?php // SECURITY: esc_html() treats model output as untrusted HTML. ?>
+							<pre class="prab-trace-pre"><?php echo esc_html( (string) $log_row['request_json'] ); ?></pre>
+						</details>
+					<?php endif; ?>
+					<?php if ( ! empty( $log_row['error_message'] ) ) : ?>
+						<p class="prab-trace-error"><?php echo esc_html( (string) $log_row['error_message'] ); ?></p>
+					<?php endif; ?>
+				</div>
+			<?php endforeach; ?>
+		</div>
+	</div>
+
+</div><!-- .prab-dossier-section--log-only -->

templates/admin/dossier-page.php

@@ -0,0 +1,243 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Article Dossier template (M2 — read-only).
+ *
+ * Design contract: Proposal C "Editorial Record" -- warm editorial,
+ * typographic hierarchy, verdict pills, receipt-style cost sidebar,
+ * per-stage I/O with expandable raw-trace toggle. Vanilla JS/CSS only.
+ *
+ * Variables injected by PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Page::render_page():
+ *   $post_id (int)     -- WordPress post ID
+ *   $dossier (array)   -- View model from PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Data_Assembler
+ *   $assembler (obj)   -- (not directly used here)
+ *
+ * @see admin/class-dossier-page.php          -- Renders this template.
+ * @see admin/class-dossier-data-assembler.php -- Builds $dossier.
+ * @see assets/css/dossier.css                 -- Styling.
+ * @see assets/js/dossier.js                   -- Raw-trace toggle.
+ */
+
+if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
+	exit;
+}
+
+$has_run   = ! empty( $dossier['has_run'] );
+$run       = $dossier['run'] ?? null;
+$stages    = $dossier['stages'] ?? array();
+$decisions = $dossier['decisions'] ?? array();
+$log_index = $dossier['gen_log_index'] ?? array();
+$verdict   = $dossier['verdict'] ?? '';
+$tier      = $dossier['tier'] ?? '';
+$run_id    = $dossier['run_id'] ?? '';
+
+$log_query = new PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Gen_Log_Query();
+$stage_totals = $log_query->aggregate_per_stage( $log_index );
+
+$total_cost = 0.0;
+foreach ( $stage_totals as $st ) {
+	$total_cost += $st['cost'];
+}
+
+$verdict_labels = array(
+	'approved'  => __( 'Approved', 'prautoblogger' ),
+	'revised'   => __( 'Revised', 'prautoblogger' ),
+	'rejected'  => __( 'Rejected', 'prautoblogger' ),
+	'halted'    => __( 'Halted', 'prautoblogger' ),
+	'pending'   => __( 'Pending', 'prautoblogger' ),
+);
+
+$back_url = admin_url( 'admin.php?page=prautoblogger-board' );
+?>
+<div class="wrap prab-dossier-wrap">
+
+	<?php // ── Back link ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ?>
+	<p class="prab-dossier-back">
+		<a href="<?php echo esc_url( $back_url ); ?>">
+			&larr; <?php esc_html_e( 'Back to Board', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>
+		</a>
+	</p>
+
+	<?php if ( ! $has_run ) : ?>
+		<?php // ── Graceful empty state (legacy post or invalid id) ───────────────── ?>
+	<div id="prab-dossier" class="prab-dossier prab-dossier--empty">
+		<div class="prab-dossier-empty-notice">
+			<h2><?php esc_html_e( 'No generation record', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></h2>
+			<?php if ( $post_id > 0 && ! empty( $dossier['post_title'] ) ) : ?>
+				<p>
+					<?php
+					printf(
+						/* translators: %s: article title */
+						esc_html__( 'The article "%s" was published before the generation substrate was introduced (v0.18.0). No dossier data is available.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+						esc_html( $dossier['post_title'] )
+					);
+					?>
+				</p>
+			<?php elseif ( $post_id <= 0 ) : ?>
+				<p><?php esc_html_e( 'No article was specified. Use a board card or post link to reach a dossier.', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></p>
+			<?php else : ?>
+				<p><?php esc_html_e( 'No run record was found for this article.', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></p>
+			<?php endif; ?>
+		</div>
+	</div>
+		<?php return; ?>
+	<?php endif; ?>
+
+	<?php // ── Full dossier ────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ?>
+	<div id="prab-dossier" class="prab-dossier">
+
+		<?php // ── Article header ──────────────────────────────────────────────── ?>
+		<div class="prab-dossier-header">
+			<div class="prab-dossier-header-main">
+				<h1 class="prab-dossier-title"><?php echo esc_html( $dossier['post_title'] ); ?></h1>
+				<div class="prab-dossier-header-meta">
+					<?php if ( '' !== $verdict ) : ?>
+						<span class="prab-verdict-pill prab-verdict-pill--<?php echo esc_attr( $verdict ); ?>">
+							<?php echo esc_html( $verdict_labels[ $verdict ] ?? ucfirst( $verdict ) ); ?>
+						</span>
+					<?php endif; ?>
+					<?php if ( '' !== $tier ) : ?>
+						<span class="prab-dossier-tier"><?php echo esc_html( ucfirst( $tier ) ); ?></span>
+					<?php endif; ?>
+					<span class="prab-dossier-status prab-dossier-status--<?php echo esc_attr( $dossier['post_status'] ?? '' ); ?>">
+						<?php echo esc_html( ucfirst( $dossier['post_status'] ?? '' ) ); ?>
+					</span>
+					<?php // M3: run-summary audit badges -- visible, never tooltip-buried (CPO guardrail 2). ?>
+					<span class="prab-chip prab-chip--human prab-chip--header" data-header-chip="human" <?php echo ! empty( $dossier['human_modified_any'] ) ? '' : 'hidden'; ?>>
+						<?php esc_html_e( 'Human-modified', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>
+					</span>
+					<span class="prab-chip prab-chip--stale prab-chip--header" data-header-chip="stale" <?php echo ! empty( $dossier['stale_any'] ) ? '' : 'hidden'; ?>>
+						<?php esc_html_e( 'Has stale stages', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>
+					</span>
+				</div>
+			</div>
+			<?php if ( $post_id > 0 ) : ?>
+				<div class="prab-dossier-header-actions">
+					<a href="<?php echo esc_url( get_edit_post_link( $post_id, 'raw' ) ?? '' ); ?>" class="button">
+						<?php esc_html_e( 'Edit Article', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>
+					</a>
+				</div>
+			<?php endif; ?>
+		</div>
+
+		<div class="prab-dossier-body">
+
+			<?php // ── Main column: stage sections ─────────────────────────────── ?>
+			<div class="prab-dossier-main">
+
+			<?php
+			$stage_order = array( 'analysis', 'llm_research', 'research', 'curate', 'outline', 'draft', 'polish', 'review', 'editorial', 'seo', 'publish', 'image_a', 'image_b' );
+			$rendered_stages = array();
+
+			// Render stages in canonical order first, then any extra rows.
+			foreach ( $stage_order as $stage_name ) {
+				foreach ( $stages as $role_key => $stage_row ) {
+					if ( ( $stage_row['stage'] ?? '' ) !== $stage_name ) {
+						continue;
+					}
+					$rendered_stages[] = $role_key;
+					$log_rows = $log_index[ $stage_name ] ?? array();
+					require PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_DIR . 'templates/admin/dossier-stage-section.php';
+				}
+			}
+			// Remaining unordered stages.
+			foreach ( $stages as $role_key => $stage_row ) {
+				if ( in_array( $role_key, $rendered_stages, true ) ) {
+					continue;
+				}
+				$stage_name = (string) ( $stage_row['stage'] ?? 'unknown' );
+				$log_rows   = $log_index[ $stage_name ] ?? array();
+				require PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_DIR . 'templates/admin/dossier-stage-section.php';
+			}
+
+			// M3/F3: stages that exist only in generation_log (images,
+			// llm_research, ...) render from their real data source.
+			foreach ( ( $dossier['log_only_stages'] ?? array() ) as $stage_name ) {
+				$log_rows = $log_index[ $stage_name ] ?? array();
+				if ( empty( $log_rows ) ) {
+					continue;
+				}
+				require PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_DIR . 'templates/admin/dossier-log-stage-section.php';
+			}
+
+			if ( empty( $stages ) ) :
+				?>
+				<div class="prab-dossier-no-stages">
+					<p><?php esc_html_e( 'Stage data is not yet available for this run.', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></p>
+				</div>
+			<?php endif; ?>
+
+			<?php // ── Editorial decisions section ─────────────────────────────── ?>
+			<?php if ( ! empty( $decisions ) ) : ?>
+				<div class="prab-dossier-section prab-dossier-section--decisions">
+					<h2 class="prab-section-title"><?php esc_html_e( 'Editorial Decisions', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></h2>
+					<?php foreach ( $decisions as $d_stage => $d ) : ?>
+						<div class="prab-decision-row">
+							<span class="prab-decision-stage"><?php echo esc_html( PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map::label( $d_stage ) ); ?></span>
+							<span class="prab-verdict-pill prab-verdict-pill--<?php echo esc_attr( (string) ( $d['verdict'] ?? '' ) ); ?>">
+								<?php echo esc_html( ucfirst( (string) ( $d['verdict'] ?? '' ) ) ); ?>
+							</span>
+							<?php if ( ! empty( $d['rationale'] ) ) : ?>
+								<p class="prab-decision-rationale"><?php echo esc_html( (string) $d['rationale'] ); ?></p>
+							<?php endif; ?>
+						</div>
+					<?php endforeach; ?>
+				</div>
+			<?php endif; ?>
+
+			</div><!-- .prab-dossier-main -->
+
+			<?php // ── Sidebar: metadata + cost receipt ───────────────────────── ?>
+			<div class="prab-dossier-sidebar">
+
+				<div class="prab-sidebar-card">
+					<h3 class="prab-sidebar-heading"><?php esc_html_e( 'Run Info', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></h3>
+					<?php if ( null !== $run ) : ?>
+						<dl class="prab-sidebar-dl">
+							<dt><?php esc_html_e( 'Status', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></dt>
+							<dd><span class="prab-run-status prab-run-status--<?php echo esc_attr( (string) ( $run['status'] ?? '' ) ); ?>"><?php echo esc_html( ucfirst( (string) ( $run['status'] ?? '' ) ) ); ?></span></dd>
+							<dt><?php esc_html_e( 'Started', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></dt>
+							<dd><?php echo esc_html( (string) ( $run['started_at'] ?? '—' ) ); ?></dd>
+							<?php if ( ! empty( $run['finished_at'] ) ) : ?>
+								<dt><?php esc_html_e( 'Finished', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></dt>
+								<dd><?php echo esc_html( (string) $run['finished_at'] ); ?></dd>
+							<?php endif; ?>
+							<dt><?php esc_html_e( 'Run ID', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></dt>
+							<dd class="prab-run-id"><?php echo esc_html( $run_id ); ?></dd>
+						</dl>
+					<?php endif; ?>
+				</div>
+
+				<?php require PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_DIR . 'templates/admin/dossier-sidebar-cards.php'; ?>
+
+				<div class="prab-sidebar-card prab-cost-receipt">
+					<h3 class="prab-sidebar-heading"><?php esc_html_e( 'Cost Receipt', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></h3>
+					<table class="prab-receipt-table">
+						<tbody>
+							<?php foreach ( $stage_totals as $st_name => $st ) : ?>
+								<?php
+								if ( $st['cost'] <= 0.0 && 0 === $st['calls'] ) :
+									continue;
+endif;
+								?>
+								<tr>
+									<td class="prab-receipt-stage"><?php echo esc_html( PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map::label( $st_name ) ); ?></td>
+									<td class="prab-receipt-cost">$<?php echo esc_html( number_format( $st['cost'], 5 ) ); ?></td>
+								</tr>
+							<?php endforeach; ?>
+						</tbody>
+						<tfoot>
+							<tr class="prab-receipt-total">
+								<td><?php esc_html_e( 'Total', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></td>
+								<td>$<?php echo esc_html( number_format( $total_cost, 5 ) ); ?></td>
+							</tr>
+						</tfoot>
+					</table>
+				</div>
+
+			</div><!-- .prab-dossier-sidebar -->
+
+		</div><!-- .prab-dossier-body -->
+
+	</div><!-- #prab-dossier -->
+
+</div><!-- .prab-dossier-wrap -->

templates/admin/dossier-sidebar-cards.php

@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Partial: M3 sidebar cards — run spend (guardrail 4 visibility) and
+ * the per-stage model/prompt-version consolidation (QA M2 F2).
+ *
+ * Included by dossier-page.php; inherits its scope: $dossier, $run,
+ * $log_index, $stages.
+ *
+ * Security: all db-sourced values esc_html(); numbers via number_format.
+ */
+
+if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
+	exit;
+}
+
+$sc_spend = is_array( $dossier['spend'] ?? null ) ? $dossier['spend'] : array(
+	'settled'  => 0.0,
+	'reserved' => 0.0,
+	'ceiling'  => 0.0,
+	'warn'     => false,
+);
+$sc_held  = (float) $sc_spend['settled'] + (float) $sc_spend['reserved'];
+?>
+<div class="prab-sidebar-card prab-run-spend<?php echo ! empty( $sc_spend['warn'] ) ? ' prab-run-spend--warn' : ''; ?>">
+	<h3 class="prab-sidebar-heading"><?php esc_html_e( 'Run Spend', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></h3>
+	<dl class="prab-sidebar-dl">
+		<dt><?php esc_html_e( 'Settled', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></dt>
+		<dd>$<?php echo esc_html( number_format( (float) $sc_spend['settled'], 4 ) ); ?></dd>
+		<?php if ( (float) $sc_spend['reserved'] > 0 ) : ?>
+			<dt><?php esc_html_e( 'Reserved', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></dt>
+			<dd>$<?php echo esc_html( number_format( (float) $sc_spend['reserved'], 4 ) ); ?></dd>
+		<?php endif; ?>
+		<dt><?php esc_html_e( 'Ceiling', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></dt>
+		<dd>
+			<?php if ( (float) $sc_spend['ceiling'] > 0 ) : ?>
+				$<?php echo esc_html( number_format( (float) $sc_spend['ceiling'], 2 ) ); ?>
+			<?php else : ?>
+				<?php esc_html_e( 'none configured', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>
+			<?php endif; ?>
+		</dd>
+	</dl>
+	<?php if ( ! empty( $sc_spend['warn'] ) ) : ?>
+		<p class="prab-spend-warning">
+			<?php
+			printf(
+				/* translators: 1: spent USD, 2: ceiling USD. */
+				esc_html__( 'This run has committed $%1$s of its $%2$s ceiling — further re-runs may halt.', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				esc_html( number_format( $sc_held, 4 ) ),
+				esc_html( number_format( (float) $sc_spend['ceiling'], 2 ) )
+			);
+			?>
+		</p>
+	<?php endif; ?>
+</div>
+
+<div class="prab-sidebar-card prab-models-card">
+	<h3 class="prab-sidebar-heading"><?php esc_html_e( 'Models & Prompts', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></h3>
+	<table class="prab-models-table">
+		<tbody>
+			<?php foreach ( $log_index as $sc_stage => $sc_rows ) : ?>
+				<?php
+				$sc_first = $sc_rows[0] ?? array();
+				$sc_model = ! empty( $sc_first['model'] ) ? (string) $sc_first['model'] : '—';
+				$sc_pv    = ! empty( $sc_first['prompt_version'] ) ? (string) $sc_first['prompt_version'] : '—';
+				$sc_role  = ! empty( $sc_first['agent_role'] ) ? (string) $sc_first['agent_role'] : '—';
+				?>
+				<tr>
+					<th scope="row"><?php echo esc_html( PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map::label( (string) $sc_stage ) ); ?></th>
+					<td>
+						<span class="prab-models-model"><?php echo esc_html( $sc_model ); ?></span>
+						<span class="prab-models-meta">
+							<?php
+							printf(
+								/* translators: 1: prompt version, 2: agent role. */
+								esc_html__( 'pv %1$s · %2$s', 'prautoblogger' ),
+								esc_html( $sc_pv ),
+								esc_html( $sc_role )
+							);
+							?>
+						</span>
+					</td>
+				</tr>
+			<?php endforeach; ?>
+		</tbody>
+	</table>
+</div>

templates/admin/dossier-stage-section.php

@@ -0,0 +1,173 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Partial: single stage section for the Article Dossier.
+ *
+ * Variables injected by dossier-page.php:
+ *   $stage_row (array)  -- run_stages row incl. display_output + ['rerun'] panel data (M3)
+ *   $stage_name (string) -- stage key
+ *   $log_rows (array)   -- generation_log rows for this stage
+ *   $dossier (array)    -- page view model (spend/eligibility/post_id)
+ *
+ * Security: all model output escaped via esc_html() or wp_kses_post().
+ * request_json escaped via esc_html() -- treat as untrusted HTML.
+ */
+
+if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
+	exit;
+}
+
+$s_label      = PRAutoBlogger_Stage_Display_Map::label( $stage_name );
+$s_status     = (string) ( $stage_row['status'] ?? '' );
+$s_output     = $stage_row['display_output'] ?? null;
+$s_cost       = (float) ( $stage_row['cost_usd'] ?? 0 );
+$s_role       = (string) ( $stage_row['agent_role'] ?? '' );
+$s_started    = (string) ( $stage_row['started_at'] ?? '' );
+$s_finished   = (string) ( $stage_row['finished_at'] ?? '' );
+$output_pruned = ( ! empty( $stage_row['status'] ) && 'done' === $stage_row['status'] && null === $s_output );
+
+// Determine prompt version from gen_log (first row for this stage).
+$first_log     = ! empty( $log_rows ) ? $log_rows[0] : null;
+$s_model       = ( null !== $first_log && ! empty( $first_log['model'] ) ) ? $first_log['model'] : '—';
+$s_pv          = ( null !== $first_log && ! empty( $first_log['prompt_version'] ) ) ? $first_log['prompt_version'] : '—';
+$has_raw_trace = ! empty( $log_rows );
+$section_id    = 'prab-stage-' . esc_attr( $stage_name ) . '-' . esc_attr( $s_role );
+$rerun         = is_array( $stage_row['rerun'] ?? null ) ? $stage_row['rerun'] : array();
+$is_stale      = ! empty( $rerun['stale'] );
+$is_human      = ! empty( $rerun['human_modified'] );
+$attempts      = (int) ( $rerun['attempt'] ?? 1 );
+?>
+<div class="prab-dossier-section prab-dossier-section--stage prab-stage-status--<?php echo esc_attr( $s_status ); ?><?php echo $is_stale ? ' prab-stage--stale' : ''; ?>"
+	 data-stage="<?php echo esc_attr( $stage_name ); ?>"
+	 data-agent-role="<?php echo esc_attr( $s_role ); ?>"
+	 id="<?php echo $section_id; // Already escaped. ?>">
+
+	<div class="prab-stage-header">
+		<h2 class="prab-section-title">
+			<?php echo esc_html( $s_label ); ?>
+			<?php if ( '' !== $s_role ) : ?>
+				<span class="prab-stage-role">(<?php echo esc_html( $s_role ); ?>)</span>
+			<?php endif; ?>
+		</h2>
+		<div class="prab-stage-header-meta">
+			<span class="prab-stage-status-pill prab-stage-status-pill--<?php echo esc_attr( $s_status ); ?>">
+				<?php echo esc_html( ucfirst( $s_status ) ); ?>
+			</span>
+			<?php // M3 audit chips -- visible, never tooltip-buried (CPO guardrails 2+3). ?>
+			<span class="prab-chip prab-chip--stale" data-chip="stale" <?php echo $is_stale ? '' : 'hidden'; ?>>
+				<?php esc_html_e( 'Stale — upstream changed', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>
+			</span>
+			<span class="prab-chip prab-chip--human" data-chip="human" <?php echo $is_human ? '' : 'hidden'; ?>>
+				<?php esc_html_e( 'Human-edited input', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>
+			</span>
+			<?php if ( $attempts > 1 ) : ?>
+				<span class="prab-chip prab-chip--attempt">
+					<?php
+					printf(
+						/* translators: %d: attempt count. */
+						esc_html__( 'Attempt %d', 'prautoblogger' ),
+						(int) $attempts
+					);
+					?>
+				</span>
+			<?php endif; ?>
+			<?php if ( $s_cost > 0 ) : ?>
+				<span class="prab-stage-cost">$<?php echo esc_html( number_format( $s_cost, 5 ) ); ?></span>
+			<?php endif; ?>
+			<span class="prab-stage-model"><?php echo esc_html( $s_model ); ?></span>
+			<?php if ( '—' !== $s_pv ) : ?>
+				<span class="prab-stage-pv">pv <?php echo esc_html( $s_pv ); ?></span>
+			<?php endif; ?>
+		</div>
+	</div>
+
+	<?php // ── Output ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ?>
+	<div class="prab-stage-output">
+		<?php if ( $output_pruned ) : ?>
+			<p class="prab-output-pruned">
+				<?php
+				$days = (int) get_option( 'prautoblogger_request_json_retention_days', 14 );
+				printf(
+					/* translators: %d: retention days */
+					esc_html__( 'Output retained for %d days — currently unavailable (pruned by retention cron).', 'prautoblogger' ),
+					$days
+				);
+				?>
+			</p>
+		<?php elseif ( null !== $s_output ) : ?>
+			<div class="prab-stage-output-rendered">
+				<?php echo wp_kses_post( $s_output ); ?>
+			</div>
+		<?php else : ?>
+			<p class="prab-output-absent"><?php esc_html_e( 'No output recorded for this stage.', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></p>
+		<?php endif; ?>
+	</div>
+
+	<?php // ── Raw trace toggle ─────────────────────────────────────────────── ?>
+	<?php if ( $has_raw_trace ) : ?>
+		<div class="prab-stage-trace">
+			<button type="button" class="prab-trace-toggle button-link"
+					aria-expanded="false"
+					aria-controls="<?php echo $section_id; ?>-trace">
+				<?php esc_html_e( 'Show raw trace', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>
+			</button>
+			<div id="<?php echo $section_id; ?>-trace" class="prab-trace-detail" hidden>
+				<?php foreach ( $log_rows as $log_row ) : ?>
+					<div class="prab-trace-entry">
+						<div class="prab-trace-meta">
+							<span><?php echo esc_html( (string) ( $log_row['model'] ?? '—' ) ); ?></span>
+							<span><?php printf( esc_html__( '%1$d prompt + %2$d completion tokens', 'prautoblogger' ), (int) ( $log_row['prompt_tokens'] ?? 0 ), (int) ( $log_row['completion_tokens'] ?? 0 ) ); ?></span>
+							<span>$<?php echo esc_html( number_format( (float) ( $log_row['estimated_cost'] ?? 0 ), 6 ) ); ?></span>
+							<span class="prab-trace-status prab-trace-status--<?php echo esc_attr( (string) ( $log_row['response_status'] ?? '' ) ); ?>">
+								<?php echo esc_html( (string) ( $log_row['response_status'] ?? '' ) ); ?>
+							</span>
+						</div>
+						<?php if ( ! empty( $log_row['request_json'] ) ) : ?>
+							<details class="prab-trace-request">
+								<summary><?php esc_html_e( 'Request payload', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></summary>
+								<?php // SECURITY: esc_html() treats model output as untrusted HTML. ?>
+								<pre class="prab-trace-pre"><?php echo esc_html( (string) $log_row['request_json'] ); ?></pre>
+							</details>
+						<?php endif; ?>
+						<?php if ( ! empty( $log_row['error_message'] ) ) : ?>
+							<p class="prab-trace-error"><?php echo esc_html( (string) $log_row['error_message'] ); ?></p>
+						<?php endif; ?>
+					</div>
+				<?php endforeach; ?>
+			</div>
+		</div>
+	<?php endif; ?>
+
+	<?php if ( '' !== $s_started ) : ?>
+		<div class="prab-stage-timestamps">
+			<span class="prab-ts"><?php echo esc_html( $s_started ); ?></span>
+			<?php if ( '' !== $s_finished ) : ?>
+				<span class="prab-ts-sep">→</span>
+				<span class="prab-ts"><?php echo esc_html( $s_finished ); ?></span>
+			<?php endif; ?>
+		</div>
+	<?php endif; ?>
+
+	<?php // ── M3: edit + re-run affordances (chained-cron; nothing is synchronous) ── ?>
+	<div class="prab-stage-rerun-footer">
+		<?php if ( ! empty( $rerun['editable'] ) ) : ?>
+			<button type="button" class="button prab-edit-toggle"
+					aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="<?php echo $section_id; // Already escaped. ?>-edit">
+				<?php esc_html_e( 'Edit input', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>
+			</button>
+		<?php elseif ( ! empty( $rerun['edit_reason'] ) ) : ?>
+			<span class="prab-edit-unavailable"><?php echo esc_html( (string) $rerun['edit_reason'] ); ?></span>
+		<?php endif; ?>
+		<?php if ( ! empty( $rerun['rerun_from'] ) ) : ?>
+			<button type="button" class="button prab-rerun-from<?php echo $is_stale ? ' prab-rerun-from--stale' : ''; ?>"
+					data-stage="<?php echo esc_attr( $stage_name ); ?>">
+				<?php esc_html_e( 'Re-run from here', 'prautoblogger' ); ?>
+			</button>
+		<?php endif; ?>
+	</div>
+	<?php
+	if ( ! empty( $rerun['editable'] ) ) {
+		require PRAUTOBLOGGER_PLUGIN_DIR . 'templates/admin/dossier-edit-panel.php';
+	}
+	?>
+
+</div><!-- .prab-dossier-section--stage -->

templates/admin/ideas-browser.php

@@ -72,10 +72,11 @@ $base_url = admin_url( 'admin.php?page=prautoblogger-ideas' );
 			<tbody>
 				<?php foreach ( $rows as $row ) : ?>
 					<?php
-					$meta       = json_decode( $row['metadata_json'] ?? '{}', true ) ?: [];
+					$decoded    = json_decode( $row['metadata_json'] ?? '{}', true );
+					$meta       = is_array( $decoded ) ? $decoded : array();
 					$suggested  = $meta['suggested_title'] ?? '';
-					$key_points = $meta['key_points'] ?? [];
-					$keywords   = $meta['target_keywords'] ?? [];
+					$key_points = $meta['key_points'] ?? array();
+					$keywords   = $meta['target_keywords'] ?? array();
 					$score_pct  = round( (float) $row['relevance_score'] * 100 );
 					$type_label = ucfirst( $row['analysis_type'] ?? 'unknown' );
 					$type_class = 'prab-type-' . sanitize_html_class( $row['analysis_type'] );
@@ -164,14 +165,18 @@ $base_url = admin_url( 'admin.php?page=prautoblogger-ideas' );
 		<?php if ( $total_pages > 1 ) : ?>
 			<div class="prautoblogger-pagination" style="margin-top: 12px;">
 				<?php
-				echo wp_kses_post( paginate_links( [
-					'base'      => add_query_arg( 'paged', '%#%' ),
-					'format'    => '',
-					'current'   => $paged,
-					'total'     => $total_pages,
-					'prev_text' => '&laquo;',
-					'next_text' => '&raquo;',
-				] ) );
+				echo wp_kses_post(
+					paginate_links(
+						array(
+							'base'      => add_query_arg( 'paged', '%#%' ),
+							'format'    => '',
+							'current'   => $paged,
+							'total'     => $total_pages,
+							'prev_text' => '&laquo;',
+							'next_text' => '&raquo;',
+						)
+					)
+				);
 				?>
 			</div>
 		<?php endif; ?>

templates/admin/log-viewer.php

@@ -18,13 +18,13 @@ if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
 }
 
 $base_url    = admin_url( 'admin.php?page=prautoblogger-logs' );
-$level_counts = [
+$level_counts = array(
 	'all'     => __( 'All', 'prautoblogger' ),
 	'error'   => __( 'Errors', 'prautoblogger' ),
 	'warning' => __( 'Warnings', 'prautoblogger' ),
 	'info'    => __( 'Info', 'prautoblogger' ),
 	'debug'   => __( 'Debug', 'prautoblogger' ),
-];
+);
 ?>
 <div class="wrap ab-wrap">
 	<div class="ab-header">
@@ -46,7 +46,20 @@ $level_counts = [
 	<div class="ab-log-filters">
 		<div class="ab-log-level-tabs">
 			<?php foreach ( $level_counts as $lv => $lv_label ) : ?>
-				<a href="<?php echo esc_url( add_query_arg( [ 'level' => $lv, 's' => $search, 'paged' => 1 ], $base_url ) ); ?>"
+				<a href="
+				<?php
+				echo esc_url(
+					add_query_arg(
+						array(
+							'level' => $lv,
+							's' => $search,
+							'paged' => 1,
+						),
+						$base_url
+					)
+				);
+				?>
+							"
 				   class="ab-log-level-tab <?php echo $level === $lv ? 'ab-log-level-active' : ''; ?>">
 					<?php echo esc_html( $lv_label ); ?>
 				</a>
@@ -119,14 +132,18 @@ $level_counts = [
 		<?php if ( $total_pages > 1 ) : ?>
 			<div class="ab-log-pagination">
 				<?php
-				echo wp_kses_post( paginate_links( [
-					'base'      => add_query_arg( 'paged', '%#%' ),
-					'format'    => '',
-					'current'   => $paged,
-					'total'     => $total_pages,
-					'prev_text' => '&laquo;',
-					'next_text' => '&raquo;',
-				] ) );
+				echo wp_kses_post(
+					paginate_links(
+						array(
+							'base'      => add_query_arg( 'paged', '%#%' ),
+							'format'    => '',
+							'current'   => $paged,
+							'total'     => $total_pages,
+							'prev_text' => '&laquo;',
+							'next_text' => '&raquo;',
+						)
+					)
+				);
 				?>
 			</div>
 		<?php endif; ?>

templates/admin/metabox-dossier-link.php

@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Post metabox template (slimmed, M2): "View generation dossier" link.
+ *
+ * The full generation record is available on the Article Dossier page.
+ * This metabox replaces the previous inline metadata display to avoid
+ * duplicating data that lives in the dossier.
+ *
+ * @see admin/class-post-metabox.php          -- Renders this template.
+ * @see admin/class-dossier-page.php           -- Dossier target page.
+ *
+ * @var WP_Post $post The current post.
+ */
+
+if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
+	exit;
+}
+
+$run_id = (string) get_post_meta( $post->ID, '_prautoblogger_run_id', true );
+$url    = PRAutoBlogger_Dossier_Page::url_for_post( $post->ID );
+?>
+<div class="prab-metabox-dossier">
+	<?php if ( '' !== $run_id ) : ?>
+		<p>
+			<a href="<?php echo esc_url( $url ); ?>" class="button button-secondary">
+				<?php esc_html_e( 'View generation dossier', 'prautoblogger' ); ?> &rarr;
+			</a>
+		</p>
+		<p class="description prab-run-id-label">
+			<?php
+			printf(
+				/* translators: %s: run UUID */
+				esc_html__( 'Run: %s', 'prautoblogger' ),
+				esc_html( $run_id )
+			);
+			?>
+		</p>
+	<?php else : ?>
+		<p class="description"><?php esc_html_e( 'No generation record — article was not created by PRAutoBlogger.', 'prautoblogger' ); ?></p>
+	<?php endif; ?>
+</div>