diff --git a/.env.sample b/.env.sample
index b8c1b80f..b288c04c 100755
--- a/.env.sample
+++ b/.env.sample
@@ -62,6 +62,8 @@ App_Url =
 NHANCE_LOGO = 
 helpdeskURL = 
 TOKENTIMEOUT = 
+# Grace seconds after token_time_out epoch before reset-token-timeout cron clears it (default 180 = 3 min)
+TOKEN_TIMEOUT_RESET_BUFFER_SECONDS = 180
 POST_ENROLLMENT_APP_LINK = 
 GDRIVE_ROOT_FOLDER_ID =
 RFQ_PARENT_FOLDER_ID  =
diff --git a/app/Commands/RateLimitBlocksReconcile.php b/app/Commands/RateLimitBlocksReconcile.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..afb33ce1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Commands/RateLimitBlocksReconcile.php
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace App\Commands;
+
+use App\Libraries\RateLimiterService;
+use CodeIgniter\CLI\BaseCommand;
+use CodeIgniter\CLI\CLI;
+use Config\Database;
+use Config\RateLimiter as RateLimiterConfig;
+
+/**
+ * Align rate_limit_blocks with timed cache TTL: purge stale cache keys and delete DB rows.
+ *
+ * Schedule (example every 10 minutes):
+ *   *\/10 * * * * cd /path/to/project && php spark rate-limit:reconcile-blocks
+ */
+class RateLimitBlocksReconcile extends BaseCommand
+{
+    protected $group       = 'Rate limit';
+
+    protected $name        = 'rate-limit:reconcile-blocks';
+
+    protected $description = 'For active rows whose block TTL has passed: purge cache keys, then delete the DB row.';
+
+    protected $usage       = 'rate-limit:reconcile-blocks [--dry-run]';
+
+    /** @var array<string, string> */
+    protected $options = [
+        '--dry-run' => 'Show which rows would be purged without deleting cache or DB.',
+    ];
+
+    public function run(array $params)
+    {
+        $dryRun = CLI::getOption('dry-run') !== null;
+
+        $db = Database::connect();
+
+        if (! $db->tableExists('rate_limit_blocks')) {
+            CLI::write('Table rate_limit_blocks does not exist. Nothing to do.', 'yellow');
+
+            return;
+        }
+
+        /** @var RateLimiterConfig $rl */
+        $rl      = config('RateLimiter');
+        $limiter = new RateLimiterService();
+
+        $rows = $db->table('rate_limit_blocks')
+            ->where('status', 'active')
+            ->get()
+            ->getResultArray();
+
+        $count = 0;
+
+        foreach ($rows as $row) {
+            $duration = $this->blockSecondsForRow($row, $rl);
+            if ($duration <= 0) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            $blockedAt = strtotime((string) $row['blocked_at']);
+            if ($blockedAt === false) {
+                CLI::write('Skipping id ' . $row['id'] . ': invalid blocked_at.', 'red');
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            if (time() < $blockedAt + $duration) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            $id        = (int) $row['id'];
+            $cacheId   = (string) $row['cache_identifier'];
+            $blockType = (string) $row['block_type'];
+
+            CLI::write(
+                ($dryRun ? '[dry-run] Would reconcile ' : 'Reconciling ')
+                . "{$blockType} id={$id} level={$row['block_level']} display=" . $row['display_identifier'],
+                'cyan'
+            );
+
+            if (! $dryRun) {
+                if ($blockType === 'ip') {
+                    $limiter->purgeIpBlockCaches($cacheId);
+                } elseif ($blockType === 'user') {
+                    $limiter->purgeUserBlockCaches($cacheId);
+                }
+
+                $db->table('rate_limit_blocks')->delete(['id' => $id], 1);
+            }
+
+            $count++;
+        }
+
+        CLI::write(
+            $dryRun
+                ? "Dry run complete. {$count} row(s) would be purged and deleted."
+                : "Done. Reconciled {$count} expired row(s).",
+            'yellow'
+        );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param array<string, mixed> $row
+     */
+    protected function blockSecondsForRow(array $row, RateLimiterConfig $cfg): int
+    {
+        $blockCfg = ($row['block_type'] ?? '') === 'ip' ? $cfg->ipBlock : $cfg->userBlock;
+        $level    = (string) ($row['block_level'] ?? '');
+
+        return match ($level) {
+            'soft'   => (int) $blockCfg['soft_duration'],
+            'medium' => (int) $blockCfg['medium_duration'],
+            'hard'   => (int) $blockCfg['hard_duration'],
+            default  => 0,
+        };
+    }
+}
diff --git a/app/Config/Acl.php b/app/Config/Acl.php
index 54c64819..ce46852c 100644
--- a/app/Config/Acl.php
+++ b/app/Config/Acl.php
@@ -276,6 +276,12 @@ class Acl
             'teams' => []
         ],
 
+        // ===================== RATE LIMIT ADMIN =====================
+        '#^/security/rate-limits#' => [
+            'roles' => [ADMIN_ROLE_ID],
+            'teams' => []
+        ],
+
         // ===================== INTERNAL TEST =====================
         '#^/test#' => [
             'roles' => [ADMIN_ROLE_ID, HEAD_ROLE_ID],
diff --git a/app/Config/Routes.php b/app/Config/Routes.php
index 6dbc418a..55fa525f 100755
--- a/app/Config/Routes.php
+++ b/app/Config/Routes.php
@@ -564,14 +564,13 @@ $routes->cli('cli/send_mail_cli', 'MasterController::testGmailAPIViaCLI');
 $routes->cli('cli/sendZeptoMail', 'MasterController::testZeptoSMTP');
 $routes->cli('cli/check_bounce_mail_cli', 'MasterController::testCheckBounceMails');
 $routes->cli('cli/app_check_list', 'MasterController::appCheckList');
-$routes->cli('cli/reset-token-timeout', 'RestAuthenticationController::resetTokenTimeOut');
-$routes->cli('cli/reset-token-timeout/(:num)', 'RestAuthenticationController::resetTokenTimeOut/$1');
 $routes->cli('cli/new_gdrive_token', 'GoogleDriveController::generateNewGoogleDriveAccessToken');
 $routes->cli('cli/list-sheet-folder-files', 'GoogleSheetController::listFolderSheetFilesCli');
 $routes->cli('cli/list-sheet-folder-files/(:any)', 'GoogleSheetController::listFolderSheetFilesCli/$1');
 $routes->cli('cli/check_env', 'MasterController::checkEnv');
 
 //crone job
+$routes->cli('cli/reset-token-timeout', 'RestAuthenticationController::resetTokenTimeOut');
 $routes->cli('cli/enrollOpendAndClose', 'DashboardController::updatePolicyEnrollmentStatus');
 $routes->cli("cli/sendCroneRemainderMail", "DashboardController::sendCroneRemainderMail");
 $routes->cli('cli/update-emp-policy-status', 'ClientController::updateEmpAndPolicyStatus');
@@ -819,6 +818,7 @@ $routes->group("/ticket", ["filter" => "authMVC"], function ($routes) {
    $routes->get("getMoreInfo","TicketController::getMoreInfo");
    $routes->post('upload_url',"TicketController::upload_url");
    $routes->post('getUrlDataByTicketId',"TicketController::getUrlDataByTicketId");
+   $routes->post('manualMergeClaimFiles', 'TicketController::manualMergeClaimFiles');
    $routes->post('uploadClaimFilesToTPA', 'TicketController::uploadClaimFilesToTPA');
    $routes->get('remove_url',"TicketController::remove_url");
    $routes->get('fetchVehiclePolicy/(:any)','TicketController::fetchVehiclePolicy/$1');
@@ -1114,6 +1114,12 @@ $routes->group('sales', function($routes) {
     $routes->get('searchClients', 'SalesController::searchClients');
 });
 
+$routes->group('security/rate-limits', ['filter' => 'authMVC'], function ($routes) {
+    $routes->get('/', 'RateLimitAdminController::index');
+    $routes->post('unblock-ip', 'RateLimitAdminController::unblockIp');
+    $routes->post('unblock-user', 'RateLimitAdminController::unblockUser');
+});
+
 // Expence Module Route Group
 $routes->group('expense', ["filter" => "authMVC", 'namespace' => 'App\Controllers'], static function($routes) {
     $routes->get('/', 'ExpenseController::index');
@@ -1123,7 +1129,6 @@ $routes->group('expense', ["filter" => "authMVC", 'namespace' => 'App\Controller
     $routes->get('client-policies', 'ExpenseController::clientPolicies');
 });
 
-
-
-
+ $routes->get('docs',             'Docs\DocsController::index');
+ $routes->get('docs/(:segment)',  'Docs\DocsController::page/$1');
 
diff --git a/app/Controllers/Docs/DocsController.php b/app/Controllers/Docs/DocsController.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ee117868
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Controllers/Docs/DocsController.php
@@ -0,0 +1,583 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace App\Controllers\Docs;
+
+use App\Controllers\BaseController;
+use CodeIgniter\Exceptions\PageNotFoundException;
+
+/**
+ * DocsController
+ * app/Controllers/Docs/DocsController.php
+ *
+ * Handles all developer documentation pages.
+ * Each page only needs to define its own content — layout partials are assembled here.
+ *
+ * Route setup (app/Config/Routes.php):
+ *   $routes->get('docs',             'Docs\DocsController::index');
+ *   $routes->get('docs/(:segment)',  'Docs\DocsController::page/$1');
+ */
+class DocsController extends BaseController
+{
+    // ─── APP-LEVEL DEFAULTS ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    // Change these once here; they propagate to every page automatically.
+
+    protected string $appName    = 'Nhance PAM';
+    protected string $appVersion = 'v1.1.0';
+
+    // ─── SIDEBAR NAV ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    // Add / remove pages here. 'id' must match the key used in page configs below.
+
+    protected array $nav = [
+        [
+            'label' => 'Getting Started',
+            'items' => [
+                ['id' => 'introduction',      'label' => 'Introduction',        'url' => 'docs/introduction'],
+                ['id' => 'installation',      'label' => 'Installation',        'url' => 'docs/installation'],
+                ['id' => 'configuration',     'label' => 'Configuration',       'url' => 'docs/configuration'],
+                ['id' => 'env-setup',         'label' => 'Environment Setup',   'url' => 'docs/env-setup'],
+            ],
+        ],
+        [
+            'label' => 'Architecture',
+            'items' => [
+                ['id' => 'project-structure', 'label' => 'Project Structure',   'url' => 'docs/project-structure'],
+                ['id' => 'routing',           'label' => 'Routing',             'url' => 'docs/routing'],
+                ['id' => 'controllers',       'label' => 'Controllers',         'url' => 'docs/controllers'],
+                ['id' => 'models',            'label' => 'Models',              'url' => 'docs/models'],
+                ['id' => 'services',          'label' => 'Services',            'url' => 'docs/services'],
+                ['id' => 'helpers',           'label' => 'Helpers',             'url' => 'docs/helpers'],
+            ],
+        ],
+        [
+            'label' => 'Features',
+            'items' => [
+                ['id' => 'authentication',    'label' => 'Authentication',      'url' => 'docs/authentication'],
+                ['id' => 'acl',               'label' => 'ACL / Access Control','url' => 'docs/acl'],
+                ['id' => 'input-security',    'label' => 'Input Security Guard','url' => 'docs/input-security'],
+                ['id' => 'file-uploads',      'label' => 'File Upload Guard',   'url' => 'docs/file-uploads'],
+                ['id' => 'background-jobs',   'label' => 'Background Jobs',     'url' => 'docs/background-jobs'],
+                ['id' => 'visit-onboard',     'label' => 'Visit onboard',       'url' => 'docs/visit-onboard'],
+                ['id' => 'visit-offboard',    'label' => 'Visit offboard',      'url' => 'docs/visit-offboard'],
+                ['id' => 'notifications',     'label' => 'Email / Notifications', 'url' => 'docs/notifications'],
+                ['id' => 'api-rate-limiter',  'label' => 'API Rate Limiter',      'url' => 'docs/api-rate-limiter'],
+                ['id' => 'tpa-recon',         'label' => 'TPA Recon',             'url' => 'docs/tpa-recon'],
+                ['id' => 'eb-rack-rate-config', 'label' => 'EB rack rate config', 'url' => 'docs/eb-rack-rate-config'],
+                ['id' => 'eb-rack-rate-calculation', 'label' => 'EB rack rate calculation', 'url' => 'docs/eb-rack-rate-calculation'],
+            ],
+        ],
+        [
+            'label' => 'API Reference',
+            'items' => [
+                ['id' => 'endpoints',         'label' => 'Endpoints',           'url' => 'docs/endpoints'],
+                ['id' => 'request-response',  'label' => 'Request / Response',  'url' => 'docs/request-response'],
+                ['id' => 'error-codes',       'label' => 'Error Codes',         'url' => 'docs/error-codes'],
+            ],
+        ],
+        [
+            'label' => 'DevOps',
+            'items' => [
+                ['id' => 'deployment',        'label' => 'Deployment',          'url' => 'docs/deployment'],
+                ['id' => 'cicd',              'label' => 'CI/CD Pipeline',      'url' => 'docs/cicd'],
+                ['id' => 's3-cloudfront',     'label' => 'S3 & CloudFront',     'url' => 'docs/s3-cloudfront'],
+            ],
+        ],
+        [
+            'label' => 'Reference',
+            'items' => [
+                ['id' => 'changelog',         'label' => 'Changelog',           'url' => 'docs/changelog'],
+                ['id' => 'contributing',      'label' => 'Contributing',        'url' => 'docs/contributing'],
+            ],
+        ],
+    ];
+
+    // ─── PAGE REGISTRY ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+    // One entry per docs page.
+    // 'view'  — path inside app/Views/ (without .php)
+    // Other keys are passed straight to the partials — add/remove as needed.
+
+    protected array $pages = [
+
+        'introduction' => [
+            'view'         => 'docs/introduction',
+            'title'        => 'Introduction',
+            'breadcrumb'   => 'Getting Started',
+            'last_updated' => 'May 2025',
+            'author'       => 'Core Team',
+            'read_time'    => '3 min read',
+            'toc'          => [
+                ['label' => 'What is MyApp?',  'href' => '#what-is-myapp'],
+                ['label' => 'Tech stack',      'href' => '#tech-stack'],
+                ['label' => 'Conventions',     'href' => '#conventions'],
+            ],
+            'prev'         => null,
+            'next'         => ['label' => 'Installation', 'url' => 'docs/installation'],
+        ],
+
+        'installation' => [
+            'view'         => 'docs/installation',
+            'title'        => 'Installation',
+            'breadcrumb'   => 'Getting Started',
+            'last_updated' => 'May 2025',
+            'author'       => 'Core Team',
+            'read_time'    => '5 min read',
+            'toc'          => [
+                ['label' => 'Requirements',   'href' => '#requirements'],
+                ['label' => 'Steps',          'href' => '#steps'],
+                ['label' => 'Clone repo',     'href' => '#clone',      'level' => 'h3'],
+                ['label' => 'Run migrations', 'href' => '#migrate',    'level' => 'h3'],
+                ['label' => 'Configuration',  'href' => '#configuration'],
+                ['label' => 'Sample flowchart', 'href' => '#sample-flowchart'],
+            ],
+            'prev'         => ['label' => 'Introduction',  'url' => 'docs/introduction'],
+            'next'         => ['label' => 'Configuration', 'url' => 'docs/configuration'],
+        ],
+
+        'configuration' => [
+            'view'         => 'docs/configuration',
+            'title'        => 'Configuration',
+            'breadcrumb'   => 'Getting Started',
+            'last_updated' => 'May 2025',
+            'author'       => 'Core Team',
+            'read_time'    => '4 min read',
+            'toc'          => [
+                ['label' => 'Environment file',  'href' => '#env-file'],
+                ['label' => 'Database',          'href' => '#database'],
+                ['label' => 'Mail',              'href' => '#mail'],
+                ['label' => 'File storage',      'href' => '#storage'],
+            ],
+            'prev'         => ['label' => 'Installation',     'url' => 'docs/installation'],
+            'next'         => ['label' => 'Environment Setup','url' => 'docs/env-setup'],
+        ],
+
+        'acl' => [
+            'view'         => 'docs/acl',
+            'title'        => 'ACL / Access Control',
+            'breadcrumb'   => 'Features',
+            'last_updated' => 'May 2026',
+            'author'       => 'Core Team',
+            'read_time'    => '9 min read',
+            'toc'          => [
+                ['label' => 'Overview',             'href' => '#overview'],
+                ['label' => 'Where it is wired',    'href' => '#where-it-is-wired'],
+                ['label' => 'Rule format',          'href' => '#rule-format'],
+                ['label' => 'Matching behavior',    'href' => '#matching-behavior'],
+                ['label' => 'Auth context',         'href' => '#auth-context'],
+                ['label' => 'Allow and deny flow',  'href' => '#allow-and-deny-flow'],
+                ['label' => 'Developer steps',      'href' => '#developer-steps'],
+                ['label' => 'Examples',             'href' => '#examples'],
+                ['label' => 'Do and don’t',         'href' => '#do-and-dont'],
+                ['label' => 'Common pitfalls',      'href' => '#common-pitfalls'],
+            ],
+            'prev'         => null,
+            'next'         => ['label' => 'Input Security Guard', 'url' => 'docs/input-security'],
+        ],
+
+        'input-security' => [
+            'view'         => 'docs/input-security',
+            'title'        => 'Input Security Guard',
+            'breadcrumb'   => 'Features',
+            'last_updated' => 'May 2026',
+            'author'       => 'Core Team',
+            'read_time'    => '8 min read',
+            'toc'          => [
+                ['label' => 'Overview',             'href' => '#overview'],
+                ['label' => 'Where it runs',        'href' => '#where-it-runs'],
+                ['label' => 'What it checks',       'href' => '#what-it-checks'],
+                ['label' => 'Canonicalization',     'href' => '#canonicalization'],
+                ['label' => 'Block behavior',       'href' => '#block-behavior'],
+                ['label' => 'Filter exceptions',    'href' => '#filter-exceptions'],
+                ['label' => 'Developer steps',      'href' => '#developer-steps'],
+                ['label' => 'Common pitfalls',      'href' => '#common-pitfalls'],
+            ],
+            'prev'         => ['label' => 'ACL / Access Control', 'url' => 'docs/acl'],
+            'next'         => ['label' => 'File Upload Guard', 'url' => 'docs/file-uploads'],
+        ],
+
+        'file-uploads' => [
+            'view'         => 'docs/file-uploads',
+            'title'        => 'File Upload Guard',
+            'breadcrumb'   => 'Features',
+            'last_updated' => 'May 2026',
+            'author'       => 'Core Team',
+            'read_time'    => '8 min read',
+            'toc'          => [
+                ['label' => 'Overview',             'href' => '#overview'],
+                ['label' => 'When it runs',         'href' => '#when-it-runs'],
+                ['label' => 'Allowed file types',   'href' => '#allowed-file-types'],
+                ['label' => 'Blocked extensions',   'href' => '#blocked-extensions'],
+                ['label' => 'Validation flow',      'href' => '#validation-flow'],
+                ['label' => 'Magic bytes check',    'href' => '#magic-bytes-check'],
+                ['label' => 'Route coverage',       'href' => '#route-coverage'],
+                ['label' => 'Blocked response',     'href' => '#blocked-response'],
+                ['label' => 'Operational notes',    'href' => '#operational-notes'],
+            ],
+            'prev'         => ['label' => 'Input Security Guard', 'url' => 'docs/input-security'],
+            'next'         => ['label' => 'Background Jobs',  'url' => 'docs/background-jobs'],
+        ],
+
+        'background-jobs' => [
+            'view'         => 'docs/background-jobs',
+            'title'        => 'Background Jobs',
+            'breadcrumb'   => 'Features',
+            'last_updated' => 'May 2026',
+            'author'       => 'Core Team',
+            'read_time'    => '8 min read',
+            'toc'          => [
+                ['label' => 'Overview',            'href' => '#overview'],
+                ['label' => 'Queueing jobs',       'href' => '#queueing-jobs'],
+                ['label' => 'Worker lifecycle',    'href' => '#worker-lifecycle'],
+                ['label' => 'Handler registry',    'href' => '#handler-registry'],
+                ['label' => 'Sample handlers',     'href' => '#sample-handlers'],
+                ['label' => 'Status lifecycle',    'href' => '#status-lifecycle'],
+                ['label' => 'Failure behavior',    'href' => '#failure-behavior'],
+                ['label' => 'Running via CLI',     'href' => '#running-via-cli'],
+                ['label' => 'Live runner script',  'href' => '#live-runner-script'],
+                ['label' => 'Systemd service',     'href' => '#systemd-service'],
+                ['label' => 'Permissions setup',   'href' => '#permissions-setup'],
+                ['label' => 'Checking status',     'href' => '#checking-status'],
+                ['label' => 'Adding a new handler','href' => '#adding-a-new-handler'],
+            ],
+            'prev'         => ['label' => 'File Upload Guard','url' => 'docs/file-uploads'],
+            'next'         => ['label' => 'Visit onboard',    'url' => 'docs/visit-onboard'],
+        ],
+
+        'visit-onboard' => [
+            'view'         => 'docs/visit-onboard',
+            'title'        => 'Visit onboard',
+            'breadcrumb'   => 'Features',
+            'last_updated' => 'May 2026',
+            'author'       => 'Core Team',
+            'read_time'    => '8 min read',
+            'toc'          => [
+                ['label' => 'Overview',          'href' => '#overview'],
+                ['label' => 'Prerequisites',     'href' => '#prerequisites'],
+                ['label' => 'Entry points',      'href' => '#entry-points'],
+                ['label' => 'Eligibility rules', 'href' => '#eligibility-rules'],
+                ['label' => 'Async flow',        'href' => '#async-flow'],
+                ['label' => 'Family payload',    'href' => '#family-payload'],
+                ['label' => 'API integration',   'href' => '#api-integration'],
+                ['label' => 'Response examples', 'href' => '#response-examples'],
+                ['label' => 'Database updates',  'href' => '#database-updates'],
+                ['label' => 'Failure behavior',  'href' => '#failure-behavior'],
+                ['label' => 'Developer steps',   'href' => '#developer-steps'],
+                ['label' => 'Common pitfalls',   'href' => '#common-pitfalls'],
+            ],
+            'prev'         => ['label' => 'Background Jobs',  'url' => 'docs/background-jobs'],
+            'next'         => ['label' => 'Visit offboard',   'url' => 'docs/visit-offboard'],
+        ],
+
+        'visit-offboard' => [
+            'view'         => 'docs/visit-offboard',
+            'title'        => 'Visit offboard',
+            'breadcrumb'   => 'Features',
+            'last_updated' => 'May 2026',
+            'author'       => 'Core Team',
+            'read_time'    => '6 min read',
+            'toc'          => [
+                ['label' => 'Overview',           'href' => '#overview'],
+                ['label' => 'When it is queued',  'href' => '#when-it-is-queued'],
+                ['label' => 'visitOffBoard()',    'href' => '#visit-off-board-api'],
+                ['label' => 'updateVisitoffboardStatus()', 'href' => '#update-status'],
+                ['label' => 'Manual test route',  'href' => '#manual-test-route'],
+                ['label' => 'Developer steps',    'href' => '#developer-steps'],
+                ['label' => 'Common pitfalls',    'href' => '#common-pitfalls'],
+            ],
+            'prev'         => ['label' => 'Visit onboard',    'url' => 'docs/visit-onboard'],
+            'next'         => ['label' => 'Deployment',     'url' => 'docs/deployment'],
+        ],
+
+        'deployment' => [
+            'view'         => 'docs/deployment',
+            'title'        => 'Deployment',
+            'breadcrumb'   => 'DevOps',
+            'last_updated' => 'May 2026',
+            'author'       => 'Core Team',
+            'read_time'    => '8 min read',
+            'toc'          => [
+                ['label' => 'Overview',              'href' => '#overview'],
+                ['label' => 'Dev cPanel flow',       'href' => '#dev-cpanel-flow', 'tag' => 'DEV'],
+                ['label' => 'cPanel deploy scripts', 'href' => '#cpanel-deploy-scripts', 'tag' => 'DEV'],
+                ['label' => 'Branch promotion flow', 'href' => '#branch-promotion-flow', 'tag' => 'UAT/LIVE'],
+                ['label' => 'Auto merge script',     'href' => '#auto-merge-script', 'tag' => 'UAT/LIVE'],
+                ['label' => 'Script usage',          'href' => '#script-usage', 'tag' => 'UAT/LIVE'],
+                ['label' => 'Log output',            'href' => '#log-output', 'tag' => 'UAT/LIVE'],
+                ['label' => 'Operational notes',     'href' => '#operational-notes', 'tag' => 'UAT/LIVE'],
+                ['label' => 'Code move scripts',     'href' => '#code-move-scripts', 'tag' => 'UAT/LIVE'],
+                ['label' => 'Manual fallback',       'href' => '#manual-fallback', 'tag' => 'DEV'],
+            ],
+            'prev'         => ['label' => 'Visit offboard',   'url' => 'docs/visit-offboard'],
+            'next'         => ['label' => 'CI/CD Pipeline',   'url' => 'docs/cicd'],
+        ],
+
+        'cicd' => [
+            'view'         => 'docs/cicd',
+            'title'        => 'CI/CD Pipeline',
+            'breadcrumb'   => 'DevOps',
+            'last_updated' => 'May 2026',
+            'author'       => 'Core Team',
+            'read_time'    => '4 min read',
+            'toc'          => [
+                ['label' => 'Overview',           'href' => '#overview'],
+                ['label' => 'Dev pipeline',       'href' => '#dev-pipeline', 'tag' => 'DEV'],
+                ['label' => 'UAT and live flow',  'href' => '#uat-live-flow', 'tag' => 'UAT/LIVE'],
+                ['label' => 'Related docs',       'href' => '#related-docs'],
+            ],
+            'prev'         => ['label' => 'Deployment',       'url' => 'docs/deployment'],
+            'next'         => ['label' => 'S3 & CloudFront',  'url' => 'docs/s3-cloudfront'],
+        ],
+
+        's3-cloudfront' => [
+            'view'         => 'docs/s3-cloudfront',
+            'title'        => 'S3 & CloudFront',
+            'breadcrumb'   => 'DevOps',
+            'last_updated' => 'May 2026',
+            'author'       => 'Core Team',
+            'read_time'    => '7 min read',
+            'toc'          => [
+                ['label' => 'Overview',               'href' => '#overview'],
+                ['label' => 'Prerequisites',          'href' => '#prerequisites'],
+                ['label' => 'Selection flow',         'href' => '#selection-flow'],
+                ['label' => 'Deployment steps',       'href' => '#deployment-steps'],
+                ['label' => 'Invalidation polling',   'href' => '#invalidation-polling'],
+                ['label' => 'Operational notes',      'href' => '#operational-notes'],
+                ['label' => 'Full script',            'href' => '#full-script'],
+            ],
+            'prev'         => ['label' => 'CI/CD Pipeline',   'url' => 'docs/cicd'],
+            'next'         => ['label' => 'Changelog',        'url' => 'docs/changelog'],
+        ],
+
+        'api-rate-limiter' => [
+            'view'         => 'docs/api-rate-limiter',
+            'title'        => 'API Rate Limiter',
+            'breadcrumb'   => 'Features',
+            'last_updated' => 'May 2026',
+            'author'       => 'Core Team',
+            'read_time'    => '10 min read',
+            'toc'          => [
+                ['label' => 'Overview',              'href' => '#overview'],
+                ['label' => 'Core service',          'href' => '#core-service'],
+                ['label' => 'Auth API filter',       'href' => '#auth-api-filter'],
+                ['label' => 'JWT API filter',        'href' => '#jwt-api-filter'],
+                ['label' => 'Configuration',         'href' => '#configuration'],
+                ['label' => 'Change block counts and durations', 'href' => '#change-block-count-duration'],
+                ['label' => 'Manual unblock samples', 'href' => '#manual-unblock-samples'],
+                ['label' => 'Cache TTL and auto-release', 'href' => '#cache-ttl-auto-release'],
+                ['label' => 'DB reconciliation (cron)', 'href' => '#db-reconciliation-cron'],
+                ['label' => 'HTTP responses',        'href' => '#http-responses'],
+                ['label' => 'Wiring routes',         'href' => '#wiring-routes'],
+                ['label' => 'Blocked list URL',      'href' => '#blocked-list-url'],
+                ['label' => 'Smoke test command',    'href' => '#smoke-test-command'],
+                ['label' => 'Operational notes',   'href' => '#operational-notes'],
+            ],
+            'prev'         => ['label' => 'Email / Notifications', 'url' => 'docs/notifications'],
+            'next'         => ['label' => 'TPA Recon',              'url' => 'docs/tpa-recon'],
+        ],
+
+        'tpa-recon' => [
+            'view'         => 'docs/tpa-recon',
+            'title'        => 'TPA Recon',
+            'breadcrumb'   => 'Features',
+            'last_updated' => 'May 2026',
+            'author'       => 'Core Team',
+            'read_time'    => '18 min read',
+            'toc'          => [
+                ['label' => 'What this is',              'href' => '#what-this-is'],
+                ['label' => 'Glossary',                  'href' => '#glossary'],
+                ['label' => 'Key files and routes',      'href' => '#key-files-routes'],
+                ['label' => 'End-to-end flow',           'href' => '#end-to-end-flow'],
+                ['label' => 'Variation report',          'href' => '#variation-report'],
+                ['label' => 'Classifying rec_type',      'href' => '#classifying-rec-type'],
+                ['label' => 'Linking ref column',        'href' => '#linking-ref-column'],
+                ['label' => 'Proceed next step',         'href' => '#proceed-next-step'],
+                ['label' => 'Not in Nhance → inception', 'href' => '#not-in-nhance-inception'],
+                ['label' => 'Need to review → DB sync', 'href' => '#need-to-review-sync'],
+                ['label' => 'Deletion initialization', 'href' => '#deletion-initialization'],
+                ['label' => 'Background jobs chain',     'href' => '#background-jobs-chain'],
+                ['label' => 'New developer checklist',   'href' => '#new-developer-checklist'],
+            ],
+            'prev'         => ['label' => 'API Rate Limiter', 'url' => 'docs/api-rate-limiter'],
+            'next'         => ['label' => 'EB rack rate config', 'url' => 'docs/eb-rack-rate-config'],
+        ],
+
+        'eb-rack-rate-config' => [
+            'view'         => 'docs/eb-rack-rate-config',
+            'title'        => 'EB rack rate config',
+            'breadcrumb'   => 'Features',
+            'last_updated' => 'May 2026',
+            'author'       => 'Core Team',
+            'read_time'    => '20 min read',
+            'toc'          => [
+                ['label' => 'Purpose',                      'href' => '#purpose'],
+                ['label' => 'Premium calculation (all)',   'href' => '#premium-calculation-modes'],
+                ['label' => 'Applicable family members',    'href' => '#applicable-family-members'],
+                ['label' => 'Member radios (Yes / No / …)',   'href' => '#applicable-members-radio-meanings'],
+                ['label' => 'Rack matching vs family',        'href' => '#applicable-members-matching'],
+                ['label' => 'Rack vs family flowchart',         'href' => '#rack-rate-family-matching-flowchart'],
+                ['label' => 'How to configure a rack rate', 'href' => '#how-to-configure-rack-rate'],
+                ['label' => 'Where it appears in the UI', 'href' => '#ui-entry'],
+                ['label' => 'Load grid data (backend)',   'href' => '#getpolicy-grid-data'],
+                ['label' => 'Save rack rate (backend)',   'href' => '#create-premium'],
+                ['label' => 'Frontend flow',              'href' => '#frontend-flow'],
+                ['label' => 'Grid IDs and storage',       'href' => '#grid-ids-storage'],
+                ['label' => 'Grid types (1–13)',          'href' => '#grid-types-1-13'],
+                ['label' => 'Excel paste path',           'href' => '#excel-paste'],
+                ['label' => 'Related routes',             'href' => '#related-routes'],
+            ],
+            'prev'         => ['label' => 'TPA Recon', 'url' => 'docs/tpa-recon'],
+            'next'         => ['label' => 'EB rack rate calculation', 'url' => 'docs/eb-rack-rate-calculation'],
+        ],
+
+        'eb-rack-rate-calculation' => [
+            'view'         => 'docs/eb-rack-rate-calculation',
+            'title'        => 'EB rack rate calculation',
+            'breadcrumb'   => 'Features',
+            'last_updated' => 'May 2026',
+            'author'       => 'Core Team',
+            'read_time'    => '18 min read',
+            'toc'          => [
+                ['label' => 'Scope and entry point',           'href' => '#scope'],
+                ['label' => 'Data loaded before premium',       'href' => '#inputs'],
+                ['label' => 'Excel row shape (numeric columns)', 'href' => '#excel-columns'],
+                ['label' => 'Flow: employeesOnboardPreprocess', 'href' => '#flow-preprocess'],
+                ['label' => 'Flow: calculate_premium_new',      'href' => '#flow-calculate-premium'],
+                ['label' => 'group_slab_rates_basedon_name',    'href' => '#flow-group-slabs'],
+                ['label' => 'get_familiy_composition',          'href' => '#flow-family-composition'],
+                ['label' => 'compare_incoming…_slab',           'href' => '#flow-compare-slab'],
+                ['label' => 'get_applicable_familiy_members',   'href' => '#flow-applicable-members'],
+                ['label' => 'Per-member transform and gate',    'href' => '#flow-per-member'],
+                ['label' => 'premium_calculation_manager',      'href' => '#flow-premium-manager'],
+                ['label' => 'Dependent addition extras',        'href' => '#dependent-addition'],
+                ['label' => 'Failure: zero successful families', 'href' => '#failure-modes'],
+                ['label' => 'Related',                          'href' => '#related'],
+            ],
+            'prev'         => ['label' => 'EB rack rate config', 'url' => 'docs/eb-rack-rate-config'],
+            'next'         => ['label' => 'Endpoints', 'url' => 'docs/endpoints'],
+        ],
+
+        // ── Add more pages here following the same pattern ──────────────────
+    ];
+
+
+    // =========================================================================
+    //  PUBLIC ROUTES
+    // =========================================================================
+
+    /**
+     * GET /docs  →  redirect to first page (introduction)
+     */
+    public function index(): \CodeIgniter\HTTP\RedirectResponse
+    {
+        return redirect()->to(base_url('docs/introduction'));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * GET /docs/(:segment)
+     *
+     * Looks up the slug in $pages, assembles layout partials, and returns HTML.
+     * The individual view only contains its own content — no layout boilerplate.
+     */
+    public function page(string $slug): string
+    {
+        // 1. Resolve page config
+        $config = $this->getPageConfig($slug);
+
+        // 2. Render the inner content view (must exist)
+        $content = $this->renderContentView($config['view'], $config);
+
+        // 3. Assemble full layout and return
+        return $this->renderDocPage($config, $content);
+    }
+
+
+    // =========================================================================
+    //  CORE LAYOUT ASSEMBLER
+    // =========================================================================
+
+    /**
+     * Wraps any content string with the full docs layout (header, sidebar,
+     * main open/close, footer) and returns the complete HTML page.
+     *
+     * @param array  $config  Page config entry from $this->pages
+     * @param string $content Rendered HTML from the content-only view
+     */
+    protected function renderDocPage(array $config, string $content): string
+    {
+        $sharedLayout = [
+            'app_name'    => $this->appName,
+            'app_version' => $this->appVersion,
+            'nav'         => $this->nav,          // sidebar needs the full nav
+        ];
+
+        $header = view('docs/partials/docs_header', array_merge($sharedLayout, [
+            'doc_title' => $config['title'],
+        ]));
+
+        $sidebar = view('docs/partials/docs_sidebar', array_merge($sharedLayout, [
+            'active_page' => $config['id'],
+        ]));
+
+        $mainOpen = view('docs/partials/docs_main_open', [
+            'doc_title'    => $config['title'],
+            'breadcrumb'   => $config['breadcrumb']   ?? '',
+            'last_updated' => $config['last_updated']  ?? '',
+            'author'       => $config['author']        ?? '',
+            'read_time'    => $config['read_time']      ?? '',
+            'toc'          => $config['toc']            ?? [],
+        ]);
+
+        $mainClose = view('docs/partials/docs_main_close', [
+            'toc'        => $config['toc']              ?? [],
+            'prev_label' => $config['prev']['label']    ?? '',
+            'prev_url'   => $config['prev']['url']      ?? '',
+            'next_label' => $config['next']['label']    ?? '',
+            'next_url'   => $config['next']['url']      ?? '',
+        ]);
+
+        $footer = view('docs/partials/docs_footer', [
+            'app_name' => $this->appName,
+        ]);
+
+        return $header . $sidebar . $mainOpen . $content . $mainClose . $footer;
+    }
+
+
+    // =========================================================================
+    //  HELPERS
+    // =========================================================================
+
+    /**
+     * Resolve a URL slug to its page config array.
+     * Injects 'id' (the slug) so partials can use it without repeating it.
+     *
+     * @throws PageNotFoundException
+     */
+    protected function getPageConfig(string $slug): array
+    {
+        if (! array_key_exists($slug, $this->pages)) {
+            throw new PageNotFoundException("Docs page not found: {$slug}");
+        }
+
+        return array_merge($this->pages[$slug], ['id' => $slug]);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Render the content-only view file.
+     * Passes the full config as view data so the content view
+     * can access $title, $toc, etc. if needed.
+     *
+     * @throws PageNotFoundException  if the view file does not exist on disk
+     */
+    protected function renderContentView(string $viewPath, array $data = []): string
+    {
+        $fullPath = APPPATH . 'Views/' . $viewPath . '.php';
+
+        if (! file_exists($fullPath)) {
+            throw new PageNotFoundException("Docs view file not found: {$viewPath}.php");
+        }
+
+        // Remove 'view' key so it doesn't shadow anything inside the view
+        unset($data['view']);
+
+        return view($viewPath, $data);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/app/Controllers/EmployeeController.php b/app/Controllers/EmployeeController.php
index dda0402e..05873250 100755
--- a/app/Controllers/EmployeeController.php
+++ b/app/Controllers/EmployeeController.php
@@ -4518,9 +4518,9 @@ class EmployeeController extends AdminController
                 // $generationResult = $this->generateCorrectionUploadFromNeedToReview((int) $file_id, $file);
 
                 //once correction file uploaded success fully update ref id b/w employeetable and tpaapi data 
-                $generationResult = $this->updateEmployeeDataFromTpa([$file_id]);
+                $generationResult = $this->updateEmployeeDataFromTpa(['batch_file_id' => (int) $file_id]);
 
-                if (!$generationResult['status']) {
+                if (empty($generationResult['success'])) {
                     return $this->respond(
                         [
                             'status'  => false,
diff --git a/app/Controllers/FhplApiController.php b/app/Controllers/FhplApiController.php
index 866f19f6..cbaf1115 100644
--- a/app/Controllers/FhplApiController.php
+++ b/app/Controllers/FhplApiController.php
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ class FhplApiController extends BaseController
                 foreach ($allMembers as $m) {
 
                     if (
-                        strtolower(trim($policy['name'])) === strtolower(trim($m['EMPLOYEE_NAME'] ?? '')) &&
+                        strtolower(trim($policy['name'])) === strtolower(trim($m['BENEFICIARY_NAME'] ?? '')) &&
                         ($policy['emp_code'] ?? '') == ($m['EMPLOYEE_ID'] ?? '') &&
                         strtolower($policy['relationship']) === strtolower($m['RELATION'] ?? '')
                     ) {
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ class FhplApiController extends BaseController
                         
 
                         $sql = "UPDATE employee_polices SET tpa_id = ?  WHERE id = ?";
-                        $this->db->query($sql, [$m['TPA_TPADetailID'], $policy['emp_policy_id']]);
+                        $this->db->query($sql, [$m['MEMBERSHIP_NO'], $policy['emp_policy_id']]);
 
                         // for e-card send
                         if(strtolower(trim($policy['relationship'])) == 'self'){
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ class FhplApiController extends BaseController
  
                         if ($this->db->affectedRows() > 0) {
                            $updated++;
-                           log_message('error', "FHPL - TPA ID Pull Updated tpa_id={$m['TPA_TPADetailID']} for emp_policy_id={$policy['emp_policy_id']} policy={$policyNo}");
+                           log_message('error', "FHPL - TPA ID Pull Updated tpa_id={$m['MEMBERSHIP_NO']} for emp_policy_id={$policy['emp_policy_id']} policy={$policyNo}");
                         } else {
                            log_message('error', "FHPL - TPA ID Pull No update (already set or not matched) for emp_policy_id={$policy['emp_policy_id']} policy={$policyNo}");
                         }
@@ -1063,7 +1063,7 @@ class FhplApiController extends BaseController
                 'file_id'    => $file_id, // ← pass from controller
                 'emp_code'  => trim($row['EMPLOYEE_ID'] ?? ''),
 
-                'name'      => trim($row['EMPLOYEE_NAME'] ?? ''),
+                'name'      => trim($row['BENEFICIARY_NAME'] ?? ''),
                 'dob'       => !empty($row['DATE_OF_BIRTH'] ?? null) ? date('Y-m-d', strtotime(str_replace('/', '-', $row['DATE_OF_BIRTH']))) : null,
 
                 'relation'  => trim(strtolower($row['RELATION'] ?? '')),
diff --git a/app/Controllers/RateLimitAdminController.php b/app/Controllers/RateLimitAdminController.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..99ad59ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Controllers/RateLimitAdminController.php
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace App\Controllers;
+
+use App\Libraries\RateLimiterService;
+
+class RateLimitAdminController extends BaseController
+{
+    protected RateLimiterService $limiter;
+
+    public function __construct()
+    {
+        $this->limiter = new RateLimiterService();
+    }
+
+    public function index(): void
+    {
+        $tab = $this->request->getGet('tab');
+        if (! in_array($tab, ['ip', 'user'], true)) {
+            $tab = 'ip';
+        }
+
+        $data = [
+            'title'        => 'Rate Limit Blocks',
+            'activeTab'    => $tab,
+            'blockedIps'   => $this->limiter->listBlockedIps(),
+            'blockedUsers' => $this->limiter->listBlockedUsers(),
+        ];
+
+        $this->loadLayout('admin/rate_limit_blocks', $data);
+    }
+
+    public function unblockIp(): \CodeIgniter\HTTP\RedirectResponse
+    {
+        $fingerprint = trim((string) $this->request->getPost('cache_identifier'));
+        $reason      = trim((string) $this->request->getPost('reason'));
+        $actorId     = (int) (session()->get('userid') ?? 0);
+
+        if ($fingerprint === '') {
+            return redirect()->back()->with('error', 'Missing IP block identifier.');
+        }
+
+        $this->limiter->unblockIpByAdmin($fingerprint, $reason !== '' ? $reason : null, $actorId ?: null);
+
+        return redirect()->to(base_url('security/rate-limits?tab=ip'))
+            ->with('success', 'Blocked IP entry unblocked successfully.');
+    }
+
+    public function unblockUser(): \CodeIgniter\HTTP\RedirectResponse
+    {
+        $identity = trim((string) $this->request->getPost('display_identifier'));
+        $reason   = trim((string) $this->request->getPost('reason'));
+        $actorId  = (int) (session()->get('userid') ?? 0);
+
+        if ($identity === '') {
+            return redirect()->back()->with('error', 'Missing user identity.');
+        }
+
+        $this->limiter->unblockUserByAdmin($identity, $reason !== '' ? $reason : null, $actorId ?: null);
+
+        return redirect()->to(base_url('security/rate-limits?tab=user'))
+            ->with('success', 'Blocked user entry unblocked successfully.');
+    }
+}
+
diff --git a/app/Controllers/RestAuthenticationController.php b/app/Controllers/RestAuthenticationController.php
index 5ef73c7b..15014b49 100755
--- a/app/Controllers/RestAuthenticationController.php
+++ b/app/Controllers/RestAuthenticationController.php
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ class RestAuthenticationController extends AdminController
 {   
     use ResponseTrait;
 
+    /** Default grace period after token_time_out epoch before cron clears it (seconds). */
+    private const RESET_TOKEN_TIMEOUT_BUFFER_SECONDS_DEFAULT = 180;
+
     protected $myLogger;
     protected $employeeModel;
     protected $authHistoryModel;
@@ -2377,52 +2380,70 @@ class RestAuthenticationController extends AdminController
         ], 200);
     }
 
-    public function resetTokenTimeOut($bufferSeconds = null)
+    /**
+     * Cron: clear expired token_time_out on active employees (epoch expiry + buffer).
+     *
+     * Buffer default: 3 minutes. Override in .env: TOKEN_TIMEOUT_RESET_BUFFER_SECONDS
+     *
+     * php public/index.php cli/reset-token-timeout
+     */
+    public function resetTokenTimeOut()
     {
-        if (!is_cli()) {
+        if (! is_cli()) {
             return $this->respond([
                 'status'  => false,
-                'message' => 'This endpoint is CLI only.'
+                'message' => 'This endpoint is CLI only.',
             ], 403);
         }
 
-        $envBuffer = (int) (getenv('TOKEN_TIMEOUT_RESET_BUFFER_SECONDS') ?: 300);
-        $buffer = is_numeric($bufferSeconds) ? (int) $bufferSeconds : $envBuffer;
+        $buffer = (int) (getenv('TOKEN_TIMEOUT_RESET_BUFFER_SECONDS')
+            ?: self::RESET_TOKEN_TIMEOUT_BUFFER_SECONDS_DEFAULT);
         if ($buffer < 0) {
-            $buffer = 0;
+            $buffer = self::RESET_TOKEN_TIMEOUT_BUFFER_SECONDS_DEFAULT;
         }
 
-        $cutoffEpoch = time() - $buffer;
-        $db = db_connect();
+        $cutoffEpoch              = time() - $buffer;
+        $resetTokenTimeoutCronRan = date('Y-m-d H:i:s');
 
-        $db->table('level_contacts')
+        $rows = $this->employeeModel
+            ->select('id')
             ->where('token_time_out IS NOT NULL', null, false)
+            ->where('is_active', 1)
+            ->where('emp_status', 'active')
             ->where('token_time_out <=', $cutoffEpoch)
-            ->set(['token_time_out' => null])
-            ->update();
-        $levelContactsUpdated = $db->affectedRows();
+            ->findAll();
 
-        $db->table('employees')
-            ->where('token_time_out IS NOT NULL', null, false)
-            ->where('token_time_out <=', $cutoffEpoch)
-            ->set(['token_time_out' => null])
-            ->update();
-        $employeesUpdated = $db->affectedRows();
+        $employeeIds = array_map(static fn (array $row): int => (int) $row['id'], $rows);
+
+        if ($employeeIds !== []) {
+            $this->employeeModel
+                ->whereIn('id', $employeeIds)
+                ->set(['token_time_out' => null])
+                ->update();
+        }
+
+        $logPayload = $employeeIds !== []
+            ? json_encode([
+                'employee_ids'                      => $employeeIds,
+                'reset_token_timeout_cron_ran_at' => $resetTokenTimeoutCronRan,
+            ])
+            : json_encode(['reset_token_timeout_cron_ran_at' => $resetTokenTimeoutCronRan]);
+
+        $this->myLogger->logme('error', 'reset-token-timeout cron: ' . $logPayload);
 
         $result = [
-            'status' => true,
-            'message' => 'Token timeout reset completed.',
-            'buffer_seconds' => $buffer,
-            'cutoff_epoch' => $cutoffEpoch,
-            'updated' => [
-                'level_contacts' => $levelContactsUpdated,
-                'employees' => $employeesUpdated,
-                'total' => $levelContactsUpdated + $employeesUpdated,
+            'status'                          => true,
+            'message'                         => 'Token timeout reset completed.',
+            'buffer_seconds'                  => $buffer,
+            'cutoff_epoch'                    => $cutoffEpoch,
+            'reset_token_timeout_cron_ran_at' => $resetTokenTimeoutCronRan,
+            'updated'        => [
+                'employees'    => count($employeeIds),
+                'employee_ids' => $employeeIds,
             ],
         ];
 
         echo json_encode($result, JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES) . PHP_EOL;
-        return;
     }
 
 
diff --git a/app/Controllers/TicketController.php b/app/Controllers/TicketController.php
index bcfb183a..6addab9a 100644
--- a/app/Controllers/TicketController.php
+++ b/app/Controllers/TicketController.php
@@ -3721,9 +3721,78 @@ class TicketController extends BaseController
             ->where('is_active', 1)
         ->findAll();
 
+        helper('merge_pdf');
+        $mergeUi = merge_ticket_manual_merge_status((int) $ticket_id);
+
         return $this->response->setJSON([
-            'status' => true,
-            'data' => $urlData
+            'status'   => true,
+            'data'     => $urlData,
+            'merge_ui' => $mergeUi,
+        ]);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Manually merge claim PDF/image files for a ticket (Claim Files tab).
+     */
+    public function manualMergeClaimFiles()
+    {
+        $ticket_id = (int) $this->request->getPost('ticket_id');
+
+        if ($ticket_id <= 0) {
+            return $this->response->setStatusCode(400)->setJSON([
+                'status'  => false,
+                'message' => 'Ticket ID is required',
+            ]);
+        }
+
+        helper('merge_pdf');
+
+        $mergeUi = merge_ticket_manual_merge_status($ticket_id);
+        if (! $mergeUi['show_manual_merge'] && $mergeUi['mergeable_count'] < 1) {
+            return $this->response->setStatusCode(400)->setJSON([
+                'status'  => false,
+                'message' => 'No PDF or image files available on disk to merge.',
+            ]);
+        }
+
+        $ticket = $this->ticketMasterModel
+            ->select('id, ticket_type_id')
+            ->where('id', $ticket_id)
+            ->where('is_active', 1)
+            ->first();
+
+        if (! $ticket) {
+            return $this->response->setStatusCode(404)->setJSON([
+                'status'  => false,
+                'message' => 'Claim not found.',
+            ]);
+        }
+
+        try {
+            $result = merge_ticket_pdfs($ticket_id, [
+                'ticket_type' => (int) ($ticket['ticket_type_id'] ?? 1),
+                'created_by'  => function_exists('get_session_userid') ? get_session_userid() : null,
+            ]);
+        } catch (\Throwable $e) {
+            log_message('error', 'TicketController::manualMergeClaimFiles | ticket_id=' . $ticket_id . ' | ' . $e->getMessage());
+            return $this->response->setStatusCode(500)->setJSON([
+                'status'  => false,
+                'message' => 'Merge failed: ' . $e->getMessage(),
+            ]);
+        }
+
+        if (! ($result['status'] ?? false)) {
+            return $this->response->setJSON([
+                'status'  => false,
+                'message' => $result['message'] ?? 'Merge failed. Check logs for details.',
+                'data'    => $result,
+            ]);
+        }
+
+        return $this->response->setJSON([
+            'status'  => true,
+            'message' => $result['message'] ?? 'Documents merged successfully.',
+            'data'    => $result,
         ]);
     }
 
diff --git a/app/Database/rate_limit_blocks.sql b/app/Database/rate_limit_blocks.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d87d8964
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Database/rate_limit_blocks.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `rate_limit_blocks` (
+  `id` BIGINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
+  `block_type` ENUM('ip', 'user') NOT NULL,
+  `cache_identifier` VARCHAR(191) NOT NULL COMMENT 'fingerprint for ip, hashed identity for user',
+  `display_identifier` VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL COMMENT 'actual IP or email/mobile for admin display',
+  `block_level` ENUM('soft', 'medium', 'hard') NOT NULL,
+  `status` ENUM('active', 'unblocked') NOT NULL DEFAULT 'active',
+  `blocked_at` DATETIME NOT NULL,
+  `unblocked_at` DATETIME NULL DEFAULT NULL,
+  `unblocked_by` BIGINT NULL DEFAULT NULL,
+  `unblock_reason` VARCHAR(255) NULL DEFAULT NULL,
+  `meta_json` LONGTEXT NULL,
+  `created_at` DATETIME NOT NULL,
+  `updated_at` DATETIME NOT NULL,
+  PRIMARY KEY (`id`),
+  UNIQUE KEY `uniq_rate_limit_block` (`block_type`, `cache_identifier`),
+  KEY `idx_rate_limit_status` (`status`, `block_type`),
+  KEY `idx_rate_limit_level` (`block_level`)
+) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8mb4 COLLATE=utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
diff --git a/app/Filters/AuthApiRateLimitFilter.php b/app/Filters/AuthApiRateLimitFilter.php
index 74c2b4fb..210bd0bc 100644
--- a/app/Filters/AuthApiRateLimitFilter.php
+++ b/app/Filters/AuthApiRateLimitFilter.php
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class AuthApiRateLimitFilter implements FilterInterface
         // 1. IP-level check
         $ipResult = $this->limiter->checkIp($fingerprint, 'authApi');
         if ($ipResult) {
-            return $this->jsonResponse($ipResult);
+            return $this->jsonResponse($request, $ipResult);
         }
 
         // 2. User-level block check (identity may not be present yet on first hit)
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ class AuthApiRateLimitFilter implements FilterInterface
         if ($identity) {
             $userResult = $this->limiter->checkUser($identity);
             if ($userResult) {
-                return $this->jsonResponse($userResult);
+                return $this->jsonResponse($request, $userResult);
             }
         }
 
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ class AuthApiRateLimitFilter implements FilterInterface
     /**
      * Build and return a JSON response for blocked/throttled requests.
      */
-    protected function jsonResponse(array $result): ResponseInterface
+    protected function jsonResponse(RequestInterface $request, array $result): ResponseInterface
     {
         $response = service('response');
         $response->setStatusCode($result['status']);
diff --git a/app/Helpers/merge_pdf_helper.php b/app/Helpers/merge_pdf_helper.php
index a192e33e..c222289c 100644
--- a/app/Helpers/merge_pdf_helper.php
+++ b/app/Helpers/merge_pdf_helper.php
@@ -72,19 +72,22 @@ if (! function_exists('merge_ticket_pdfs')) {
             return $result;
         }
 
+        if (count($rows) ==1){
+            //set file_type for for that one file.
+            $claimFiles->where('id', $rows[0]['id'])->set(['file_type' => 4])->update();
+            $result['status']  = true;
+            $result['message'] = 'Only one PDF/image file to merge';
+            return $result;
+        }
+
         $uploadDir = rtrim(WRITEPATH, '/\\') . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR
                    . 'uploads' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR
                    . 'claim_files' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR;
 
         $sourceFiles = [];
         foreach ($rows as $row) {
-            $name = ! empty($row['url']) ? $row['url'] : ($row['file_name'] ?? '');
-            if (empty($name)) {
-                continue;
-            }
-            // url column may sometimes hold a full URL; we only care about the file basename on disk.
-            $full = $uploadDir . basename($name);
-            if (is_file($full) && is_readable($full)) {
+            $full = merge_ticket_pdf_resolve_disk_path($row, $uploadDir);
+            if ($full !== null) {
                 $mime = merge_ticket_pdf_resolve_mime($full, (string) ($row['mime_type'] ?? ''));
                 if (! in_array($mime, $opts['include_mime_types'], true)) {
                     log_message('error', "merge_ticket_pdfs | unsupported source mime {$mime} | claim_file_id={$row['id']} | path={$full}");
@@ -97,7 +100,8 @@ if (! function_exists('merge_ticket_pdfs')) {
                     'id'   => $row['id'] ?? null,
                 ];
             } else {
-                log_message('error', "merge_ticket_pdfs | missing file on disk | claim_file_id={$row['id']} | path={$full}");
+                $name = ! empty($row['url']) ? $row['url'] : ($row['file_name'] ?? '');
+                log_message('error', "merge_ticket_pdfs | missing file on disk | claim_file_id={$row['id']} | path=" . $uploadDir . basename((string) $name));
             }
         }
 
@@ -332,10 +336,50 @@ if (! function_exists('merge_ticket_pdf_resolve_mime')) {
             return 'image/png';
         }
 
+        if (in_array($detectedMime, ['application/octet-stream', 'binary/octet-stream'], true)) {
+            if ($ext === 'pdf') {
+                return 'application/pdf';
+            }
+            if (in_array($ext, ['jpg', 'jpeg'], true)) {
+                return 'image/jpeg';
+            }
+            if ($ext === 'png') {
+                return 'image/png';
+            }
+        }
+
         return $detectedMime ?: ($storedMime ?: 'application/octet-stream');
     }
 }
 
+if (! function_exists('merge_ticket_pdf_resolve_disk_path')) {
+    /**
+     * Resolve on-disk path for a claim_files row (url and/or file_name).
+     */
+    function merge_ticket_pdf_resolve_disk_path(array $row, string $uploadDir): ?string
+    {
+        $candidates = [];
+        if (! empty($row['url'])) {
+            $candidates[] = basename((string) $row['url']);
+        }
+        if (! empty($row['file_name'])) {
+            $candidates[] = basename((string) $row['file_name']);
+        }
+
+        foreach (array_unique($candidates) as $name) {
+            if ($name === '' || preg_match('#^https?://#i', $name)) {
+                continue;
+            }
+            $full = $uploadDir . $name;
+            if (is_file($full) && is_readable($full)) {
+                return $full;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return null;
+    }
+}
+
 if (! function_exists('merge_ticket_pdf_add_image_page')) {
     /**
      * Add an uploaded image as a single PDF page, preserving portrait/landscape
@@ -389,3 +433,86 @@ if (! function_exists('merge_ticket_pdf_add_image_page')) {
         return true;
     }
 }
+
+if (! function_exists('merge_ticket_manual_merge_status')) {
+    /**
+     * UI/status helper: whether manual merge should be offered on Claim Files tab.
+     *
+     * @return array{
+     *     has_merged_file: bool,
+     *     mergeable_count: int,
+     *     show_manual_merge: bool,
+     *     button_label: string
+     * }
+     */
+    function merge_ticket_manual_merge_status(int $ticket_master_id, array $opts = []): array
+    {
+        $opts += [
+            'include_file_types' => [1, 2],
+            'include_mime_types' => ['application/pdf', 'image/jpeg', 'image/png'],
+        ];
+
+        $status = [
+            'has_merged_file'   => false,
+            'mergeable_count'   => 0,
+            'show_manual_merge' => false,
+            'button_label'      => 'Merge documents',
+        ];
+
+        if ($ticket_master_id <= 0) {
+            return $status;
+        }
+
+        $claimFiles = new ClaimFilesModel();
+        $rows       = $claimFiles
+            ->where('ticket_id', $ticket_master_id)
+            ->where('is_active', 1)
+            ->whereIn('file_type', array_merge($opts['include_file_types'], [MERGED_CLAIM_FILE_TYPE]))
+            ->orderBy('id', 'ASC')
+            ->findAll();
+
+        $uploadDir = rtrim(WRITEPATH, '/\\') . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR
+                   . 'uploads' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR
+                   . 'claim_files' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR;
+
+        $mergeableCount = 0;
+        $sourceRowCount = 0;
+        foreach ($rows as $row) {
+            if ((int) ($row['file_type'] ?? 0) === MERGED_CLAIM_FILE_TYPE) {
+                $status['has_merged_file'] = true;
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            if (! in_array((int) ($row['file_type'] ?? 0), $opts['include_file_types'], true)) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            $sourceRowCount++;
+
+            $full = merge_ticket_pdf_resolve_disk_path($row, $uploadDir);
+            if ($full === null) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            $mime = merge_ticket_pdf_resolve_mime($full, (string) ($row['mime_type'] ?? ''));
+            if (in_array($mime, $opts['include_mime_types'], true)) {
+                $mergeableCount++;
+            }
+        }
+
+        $status['mergeable_count'] = $mergeableCount;
+
+        // Show manual merge when there is no merged file but user has uploaded docs in the list.
+        if (! $status['has_merged_file']) {
+            if ($mergeableCount >= 1 || $sourceRowCount >= 2) {
+                $status['show_manual_merge'] = true;
+                $status['button_label']      = 'Merge documents';
+            }
+        } elseif ($mergeableCount >= 2) {
+            $status['show_manual_merge'] = true;
+            $status['button_label']      = 'Re-merge documents';
+        }
+
+        return $status;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/app/Libraries/JobStatusService.php b/app/Libraries/JobStatusService.php
index 8c6f14a4..650c6a7d 100644
--- a/app/Libraries/JobStatusService.php
+++ b/app/Libraries/JobStatusService.php
@@ -31,16 +31,7 @@ class JobStatusService
                 return $this->buildResponse(false, $jobName, 'No job record found for given name.');
             }
 
-            return [
-                'success'  => true,
-                'job_name' => $jobName,
-                'status'   => $job['status'] ?? null,
-                'response' => $this->normalizeResponse($job['response'] ?? null),
-                'job_id'   => isset($job['id']) ? (int) $job['id'] : null,
-                'uuid'     => $job['uuid'] ?? null,
-                'run_time' => $this->normalizeRunTime($job['run_time'] ?? null),
-                'message'  => 'Job status fetched successfully.',
-            ];
+            return $this->formatJobResponse($job, 'Job status fetched successfully.');
         } catch (\Throwable $e) {
             log_message('error', 'JobStatusService failed for job "{job}": {message}', [
                 'job' => $jobName,
@@ -51,6 +42,74 @@ class JobStatusService
         }
     }
 
+    public function getJobStatusById(int $jobId): array
+    {
+        if ($jobId <= 0) {
+            return $this->buildResponse(false, '', 'Valid job id is required.');
+        }
+
+        try {
+            $job = $this->jobModel
+                ->where('id', $jobId)
+                ->first();
+
+            if (!$job) {
+                return $this->buildResponse(false, '', 'No job record found for given id.');
+            }
+
+            return $this->formatJobResponse($job, 'Job status fetched successfully.');
+        } catch (\Throwable $e) {
+            log_message('error', 'JobStatusService failed for job id "{id}": {message}', [
+                'id' => $jobId,
+                'message' => $e->getMessage(),
+            ]);
+
+            return $this->buildResponse(false, '', 'Unable to fetch job status right now.');
+        }
+    }
+
+    public function getJobStatusByUuid(string $uuid): array
+    {
+        $uuid = trim($uuid);
+
+        if ($uuid === '') {
+            return $this->buildResponse(false, '', 'Job uuid is required.');
+        }
+
+        try {
+            $job = $this->jobModel
+                ->where('uuid', $uuid)
+                ->first();
+
+            if (!$job) {
+                return $this->buildResponse(false, '', 'No job record found for given uuid.');
+            }
+
+            return $this->formatJobResponse($job, 'Job status fetched successfully.');
+        } catch (\Throwable $e) {
+            log_message('error', 'JobStatusService failed for job uuid "{uuid}": {message}', [
+                'uuid' => $uuid,
+                'message' => $e->getMessage(),
+            ]);
+
+            return $this->buildResponse(false, '', 'Unable to fetch job status right now.');
+        }
+    }
+
+    protected function formatJobResponse(array $job, string $message): array
+    {
+        return [
+            'success'  => true,
+            'job_name' => $job['name'] ?? '',
+            'status'   => $job['status'] ?? null,
+            'response' => $this->normalizeResponse($job['response'] ?? null),
+            'job_id'   => isset($job['id']) ? (int) $job['id'] : null,
+            'uuid'     => $job['uuid'] ?? null,
+            'run_time' => $this->normalizeRunTime($job['run_time'] ?? null),
+            'message'  => $message,
+        ];
+    }
+
     protected function normalizeResponse($rawResponse)
     {   
         // dd($rawResponse);
diff --git a/app/Libraries/RateLimiterService.php b/app/Libraries/RateLimiterService.php
index 90094907..0a951efe 100644
--- a/app/Libraries/RateLimiterService.php
+++ b/app/Libraries/RateLimiterService.php
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ namespace App\Libraries;
 
 use Config\RateLimiter as RateLimiterConfig;
 use CodeIgniter\Cache\CacheInterface;
+use CodeIgniter\Database\BaseConnection;
 
 /**
  * RateLimiterService
@@ -21,11 +22,14 @@ class RateLimiterService
 {
     protected RateLimiterConfig $config;
     protected CacheInterface $cache;
+    protected BaseConnection $db;
+    protected string $blockTable = 'rate_limit_blocks';
 
     public function __construct()
     {
         $this->config = config('RateLimiter');
         $this->cache  = \Config\Services::cache();
+        $this->db     = \Config\Database::connect();
     }
 
     // =========================================================================
@@ -117,18 +121,28 @@ class RateLimiterService
         // Duration 0 = store for 10 years (permanent until manual unblock)
         $ttl = $duration > 0 ? $duration : (10 * 365 * 24 * 3600);
         $this->cache->save($blockKey, $data, $ttl);
+        $this->upsertBlockRecord('ip', $fingerprint, (string) ($data['ip'] ?? $fingerprint), $level, $data);
     }
 
     /**
      * Manually unblock an IP. Clears block, violations, and counters.
      */
     public function unblockIp(string $fingerprint): void
+    {
+        $this->purgeIpBlockCaches($fingerprint);
+        $this->markBlockAsUnblocked('ip', $fingerprint);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Remove IP rate-limit cache entries (block, hits, violations, counter) without touching DB.
+     */
+    public function purgeIpBlockCaches(string $fingerprint): void
     {
         $keys = $this->config->cacheKeys;
-        $this->cache->delete($keys['ip_block']      . $fingerprint);
-        $this->cache->delete($keys['ip_violations'] . $fingerprint);
-        $this->cache->delete($keys['ip_count']      . $fingerprint);
-        $this->cache->delete($keys['ip_block_hits'] . $fingerprint);
+        $this->cache->delete($keys['ip_block']       . $fingerprint);
+        $this->cache->delete($keys['ip_violations']  . $fingerprint);
+        $this->cache->delete($keys['ip_count']       . $fingerprint);
+        $this->cache->delete($keys['ip_block_hits']  . $fingerprint);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -193,7 +207,8 @@ class RateLimiterService
     public function blockUser(string $identity, string $level = 'soft'): void
     {
         $cfg      = $this->config->userBlock;
-        $blockKey = $this->config->cacheKeys['user_block'] . $this->hashIdentity($identity);
+        $hashed   = $this->hashIdentity($identity);
+        $blockKey = $this->config->cacheKeys['user_block'] . $hashed;
 
         $duration = $this->blockDuration($cfg, $level);
         $ttl      = $duration > 0 ? $duration : (10 * 365 * 24 * 3600);
@@ -205,6 +220,7 @@ class RateLimiterService
         ];
 
         $this->cache->save($blockKey, $data, $ttl);
+        $this->upsertBlockRecord('user', $hashed, $identity, $level, $data);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -212,13 +228,78 @@ class RateLimiterService
      */
     public function unblockUser(string $identity): void
     {
-        $keys   = $this->config->cacheKeys;
-        $hashed = $this->hashIdentity($identity);
+        $this->purgeUserBlockCaches($this->hashIdentity($identity));
+        $this->markBlockAsUnblocked('user', $this->hashIdentity($identity));
+    }
 
-        $this->cache->delete($keys['user_block']      . $hashed);
-        $this->cache->delete($keys['user_violations'] . $hashed);
-        $this->cache->delete($keys['user_count']      . $hashed);
-        $this->cache->delete($keys['user_block_hits'] . $hashed);
+    /**
+     * Remove user rate-limit cache entries for a hashed identity without touching DB.
+     */
+    public function purgeUserBlockCaches(string $hashedIdentity): void
+    {
+        $keys = $this->config->cacheKeys;
+        $this->cache->delete($keys['user_block']       . $hashedIdentity);
+        $this->cache->delete($keys['user_violations']  . $hashedIdentity);
+        $this->cache->delete($keys['user_count']       . $hashedIdentity);
+        $this->cache->delete($keys['user_block_hits']  . $hashedIdentity);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * List active blocked IP records for admin views.
+     *
+     * @return array<int, array<string, mixed>>
+     */
+    public function listBlockedIps(int $limit = 200): array
+    {
+        if (! $this->hasBlockTable()) {
+            return [];
+        }
+
+        return $this->db->table($this->blockTable)
+            ->where('block_type', 'ip')
+            ->where('status', 'active')
+            ->orderBy('updated_at', 'DESC')
+            ->limit($limit)
+            ->get()
+            ->getResultArray();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * List active blocked user records for admin views.
+     *
+     * @return array<int, array<string, mixed>>
+     */
+    public function listBlockedUsers(int $limit = 200): array
+    {
+        if (! $this->hasBlockTable()) {
+            return [];
+        }
+
+        return $this->db->table($this->blockTable)
+            ->where('block_type', 'user')
+            ->where('status', 'active')
+            ->orderBy('updated_at', 'DESC')
+            ->limit($limit)
+            ->get()
+            ->getResultArray();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Admin helper for unblocking via UI.
+     */
+    public function unblockIpByAdmin(string $fingerprint, ?string $reason = null, ?int $actorId = null): void
+    {
+        $this->unblockIp($fingerprint);
+        $this->markBlockAsUnblocked('ip', $fingerprint, $reason, $actorId);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Admin helper for unblocking via UI.
+     */
+    public function unblockUserByAdmin(string $identity, ?string $reason = null, ?int $actorId = null): void
+    {
+        $this->unblockUser($identity);
+        $this->markBlockAsUnblocked('user', $this->hashIdentity($identity), $reason, $actorId);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -380,4 +461,91 @@ class RateLimiterService
     {
         return hash('sha256', strtolower(trim($identity)));
     }
+
+    protected function hasBlockTable(): bool
+    {
+        try {
+            return $this->db->tableExists($this->blockTable);
+        } catch (\Throwable $e) {
+            log_message('error', '[RateLimiter] Failed checking block table: ' . $e->getMessage());
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Keep an admin-readable block index in DB without affecting runtime decisions.
+     */
+    protected function upsertBlockRecord(
+        string $blockType,
+        string $cacheIdentifier,
+        string $displayIdentifier,
+        string $level,
+        array $meta = []
+    ): void {
+        if (! $this->hasBlockTable()) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        try {
+            $builder = $this->db->table($this->blockTable);
+            $now     = date('Y-m-d H:i:s');
+            $existing = $builder
+                ->select('id')
+                ->where('block_type', $blockType)
+                ->where('cache_identifier', $cacheIdentifier)
+                ->get()
+                ->getRowArray();
+
+            $payload = [
+                'display_identifier' => $displayIdentifier,
+                'block_level'        => $level,
+                'status'             => 'active',
+                'blocked_at'         => $now,
+                'unblocked_at'       => null,
+                'unblocked_by'       => null,
+                'unblock_reason'     => null,
+                'meta_json'          => ! empty($meta) ? json_encode($meta) : null,
+                'updated_at'         => $now,
+            ];
+
+            if ($existing) {
+                $builder->where('id', $existing['id'])->update($payload);
+                return;
+            }
+
+            $payload['block_type']       = $blockType;
+            $payload['cache_identifier'] = $cacheIdentifier;
+            $payload['created_at']       = $now;
+            $builder->insert($payload);
+        } catch (\Throwable $e) {
+            log_message('error', '[RateLimiter] Failed upserting block record: ' . $e->getMessage());
+        }
+    }
+
+    protected function markBlockAsUnblocked(
+        string $blockType,
+        string $cacheIdentifier,
+        ?string $reason = null,
+        ?int $actorId = null
+    ): void {
+        if (! $this->hasBlockTable()) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        try {
+            $now = date('Y-m-d H:i:s');
+            $this->db->table($this->blockTable)
+                ->where('block_type', $blockType)
+                ->where('cache_identifier', $cacheIdentifier)
+                ->update([
+                    'status'         => 'unblocked',
+                    'unblocked_at'   => $now,
+                    'unblocked_by'   => $actorId,
+                    'unblock_reason' => $reason,
+                    'updated_at'     => $now,
+                ]);
+        } catch (\Throwable $e) {
+            log_message('error', '[RateLimiter] Failed marking unblock state: ' . $e->getMessage());
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/app/Views/admin/rate_limit_blocks.php b/app/Views/admin/rate_limit_blocks.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c68ed729
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/admin/rate_limit_blocks.php
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+<div class="container-fluid py-4">
+    <div class="d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center mb-3">
+        <h4 class="mb-0">Rate Limit Blocks</h4>
+        <small class="text-muted">URL-only admin utility</small>
+    </div>
+
+    <?php if (session()->getFlashdata('success')): ?>
+        <div class="alert alert-success"><?= esc(session()->getFlashdata('success')) ?></div>
+    <?php endif; ?>
+    <?php if (session()->getFlashdata('error')): ?>
+        <div class="alert alert-danger"><?= esc(session()->getFlashdata('error')) ?></div>
+    <?php endif; ?>
+
+    <ul class="nav nav-tabs mb-3">
+        <li class="nav-item">
+            <a class="nav-link <?= $activeTab === 'ip' ? 'active' : '' ?>" href="<?= base_url('security/rate-limits?tab=ip') ?>">
+                Blocked IP List (<?= count($blockedIps) ?>)
+            </a>
+        </li>
+        <li class="nav-item">
+            <a class="nav-link <?= $activeTab === 'user' ? 'active' : '' ?>" href="<?= base_url('security/rate-limits?tab=user') ?>">
+                Blocked User List (<?= count($blockedUsers) ?>)
+            </a>
+        </li>
+    </ul>
+
+    <?php if ($activeTab === 'ip'): ?>
+        <div class="card">
+            <div class="card-body table-responsive">
+                <table class="table table-striped table-bordered align-middle mb-0">
+                    <thead>
+                        <tr>
+                            <th>IP</th>
+                            <th>Block Level</th>
+                            <th>Cache Identifier (Fingerprint)</th>
+                            <th>Blocked At</th>
+                            <th>Action</th>
+                        </tr>
+                    </thead>
+                    <tbody>
+                        <?php if (empty($blockedIps)): ?>
+                            <tr><td colspan="5" class="text-center text-muted">No active blocked IP records.</td></tr>
+                        <?php else: ?>
+                            <?php foreach ($blockedIps as $row): ?>
+                                <tr>
+                                    <td><?= esc($row['display_identifier'] ?? '-') ?></td>
+                                    <td><span class="badge bg-danger"><?= esc(strtoupper((string) ($row['block_level'] ?? '-'))) ?></span></td>
+                                    <td><small><?= esc($row['cache_identifier'] ?? '-') ?></small></td>
+                                    <td><?= esc((string) ($row['blocked_at'] ?? '-')) ?></td>
+                                    <td>
+                                        <form method="post" action="<?= base_url('security/rate-limits/unblock-ip') ?>" class="d-flex gap-2">
+                                            <input type="hidden" name="cache_identifier" value="<?= esc($row['cache_identifier'] ?? '') ?>">
+                                            <input type="text" name="reason" class="form-control form-control-sm" placeholder="Reason (optional)">
+                                            <button type="submit" class="btn btn-sm btn-success" onclick="return confirm('Unblock this IP entry?')">Unblock</button>
+                                        </form>
+                                    </td>
+                                </tr>
+                            <?php endforeach; ?>
+                        <?php endif; ?>
+                    </tbody>
+                </table>
+            </div>
+        </div>
+    <?php else: ?>
+        <div class="card">
+            <div class="card-body table-responsive">
+                <table class="table table-striped table-bordered align-middle mb-0">
+                    <thead>
+                        <tr>
+                            <th>User Identity</th>
+                            <th>Block Level</th>
+                            <th>Identity Hash Key</th>
+                            <th>Blocked At</th>
+                            <th>Action</th>
+                        </tr>
+                    </thead>
+                    <tbody>
+                        <?php if (empty($blockedUsers)): ?>
+                            <tr><td colspan="5" class="text-center text-muted">No active blocked user records.</td></tr>
+                        <?php else: ?>
+                            <?php foreach ($blockedUsers as $row): ?>
+                                <tr>
+                                    <td><?= esc($row['display_identifier'] ?? '-') ?></td>
+                                    <td><span class="badge bg-danger"><?= esc(strtoupper((string) ($row['block_level'] ?? '-'))) ?></span></td>
+                                    <td><small><?= esc($row['cache_identifier'] ?? '-') ?></small></td>
+                                    <td><?= esc((string) ($row['blocked_at'] ?? '-')) ?></td>
+                                    <td>
+                                        <form method="post" action="<?= base_url('security/rate-limits/unblock-user') ?>" class="d-flex gap-2">
+                                            <input type="hidden" name="display_identifier" value="<?= esc($row['display_identifier'] ?? '') ?>">
+                                            <input type="text" name="reason" class="form-control form-control-sm" placeholder="Reason (optional)">
+                                            <button type="submit" class="btn btn-sm btn-success" onclick="return confirm('Unblock this user entry?')">Unblock</button>
+                                        </form>
+                                    </td>
+                                </tr>
+                            <?php endforeach; ?>
+                        <?php endif; ?>
+                    </tbody>
+                </table>
+            </div>
+        </div>
+    <?php endif; ?>
+</div>
diff --git a/app/Views/claim_files_upload.php b/app/Views/claim_files_upload.php
index 6ea03e37..c444773d 100644
--- a/app/Views/claim_files_upload.php
+++ b/app/Views/claim_files_upload.php
@@ -103,6 +103,11 @@
                     <h4 class="mb-0" style="position: relative;">File List</h4>
                 </div>
                 <div class="col-md-6 text-md-right mt-2 mt-md-0">
+                    <button type="button" class="btn btn-warning waves-effect waves-light mr-2 d-none"
+                        id="btn_manual_merge_claim_files"
+                        title="Combine uploaded PDFs and images into one file">
+                        Merge documents
+                    </button>
                     <button type="button" class="btn btn-primary waves-effect waves-light"
                         id="btn_upload_claim_files_to_tpa">
                         Upload files to TPA
@@ -170,9 +175,18 @@
 
 <script>
     $(document).ready(function(){
-        let ticket_id = $('#ticket_master_id').val();
+        let ticket_id = getClaimFileListTicketId();
         $('#ticket_id_url').val(ticket_id);
-        let urlData = getUrlDataByTicketId(ticket_id);
+        if (ticket_id) {
+            getUrlDataByTicketId(ticket_id);
+        }
+    });
+
+    $(document).on('shown.bs.tab', 'a[href="#uploads-tab"], #uploads_tab', function () {
+        var ticket_id = getClaimFileListTicketId();
+        if (ticket_id) {
+            getUrlDataByTicketId(ticket_id);
+        }
     });
 
     function getClaimFileListTicketId() {
@@ -183,6 +197,88 @@
         return id;
     }
 
+    function resolveManualMergeUi(serverMergeUi, fileListData) {
+        if (serverMergeUi && serverMergeUi.show_manual_merge) {
+            return serverMergeUi;
+        }
+        if (!fileListData || !fileListData.length) {
+            return serverMergeUi || { show_manual_merge: false };
+        }
+        var hasMerged = fileListData.some(function (item) {
+            return item.file_type == 4 || item.file_type === '4';
+        });
+        var sourceCount = fileListData.filter(function (item) {
+            return item.file_type == 1 || item.file_type === '1'
+                || item.file_type == 2 || item.file_type === '2';
+        }).length;
+        if (!hasMerged && sourceCount >= 1) {
+            return {
+                show_manual_merge: true,
+                button_label: 'Merge documents',
+                mergeable_count: sourceCount
+            };
+        }
+        return serverMergeUi || { show_manual_merge: false };
+    }
+
+    function updateManualMergeButton(mergeUi, fileListData) {
+        var $btn = $('#btn_manual_merge_claim_files');
+        if (!$btn.length) {
+            return;
+        }
+        var resolved = resolveManualMergeUi(mergeUi, fileListData);
+        if (resolved && resolved.show_manual_merge) {
+            $btn.removeClass('d-none').css('display', 'inline-block');
+            $btn.text(resolved.button_label || 'Merge documents');
+            $btn.prop('disabled', false);
+        } else {
+            $btn.addClass('d-none').css('display', '');
+        }
+    }
+
+    $(document).on('click', '#btn_manual_merge_claim_files', function () {
+        var ticket_id = getClaimFileListTicketId();
+        if (!ticket_id) {
+            toastr.warning('Ticket ID is missing. Please reload the page.', 'Validation');
+            return;
+        }
+        var $btn = $(this);
+        $.ajax({
+            url: "<?= base_url('ticket/manualMergeClaimFiles') ?>",
+            type: "POST",
+            data: { ticket_id: ticket_id },
+            dataType: "json",
+            beforeSend: function () {
+                $btn.prop('disabled', true);
+                $('.loader').fadeIn();
+                $('.loader-mask').fadeIn();
+            },
+            success: function (res) {
+                if (res && res.status === true) {
+                    toastr.success(res.message || 'Documents merged successfully', 'Success');
+                    getUrlDataByTicketId(ticket_id);
+                } else {
+                    toastr.error((res && res.message) ? res.message : 'Failed to merge documents', 'Error');
+                }
+            },
+            error: function (xhr) {
+                var msg = 'Failed to merge documents';
+                try {
+                    var r = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
+                    if (r.message) {
+                        msg = r.message;
+                    }
+                } catch (e) {}
+                toastr.error(msg, 'Error');
+            },
+            complete: function () {
+                $btn.prop('disabled', false);
+                $('.loader').fadeOut();
+                $('.loader-mask').delay(350).fadeOut('slow');
+            }
+        });
+    });
+
     $(document).on('click', '#btn_upload_claim_files_to_tpa', function () {
         var ticket_id = getClaimFileListTicketId();
         if (!ticket_id) {
@@ -395,10 +491,13 @@
                 console.log('Form submitted response:', response);
 
                 if (response.status === true) {
+                    window._claimFilesMergeUi = response.merge_ui || null;
                     create_url_list(response.data);
+                    updateManualMergeButton(response.merge_ui, response.data);
                     addHTMLInput();
                     return ;
                 } else {
+                    updateManualMergeButton(null, []);
                     addHTMLInput();
                     console.warn("No Data");
                 }
@@ -555,6 +654,7 @@
         } else {
             $('#table_bd').html('<tr><td colspan="5">No Data Found</td></tr>');
         }
+        updateManualMergeButton(window._claimFilesMergeUi || null, data || []);
     }
 
     $(document).on('click', '.delete-url', function (e) {
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/README.md b/app/Views/docs/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8305067e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+# CI4 Dev Docs
+
+Docs pages live in `app/Views/docs/`.
+Shared layout partials live in `app/Views/docs/partials/`.
+
+## File list
+
+| File                   | Purpose                                                        |
+|------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
+| `docs_header.php`      | `<head>`, CSS tokens, top bar, opens `<div class="docs-layout">` |
+| `docs_sidebar.php`     | Left nav sidebar — edit the `$nav` array to add/remove pages  |
+| `docs_main_open.php`   | Opens `<main>`, renders breadcrumb, h1, meta row               |
+| `docs_main_close.php`  | Closes `</main>`, prev/next nav, right TOC, closes layout div  |
+| `docs_footer.php`      | Global footer bar, hljs init, closes `</body></html>`          |
+| `installation.php`     | **Sample content-only page** — copy this as the template for every new page |
+
+---
+
+## How to use
+
+With `DocsController`, each docs page should contain **content only**.
+Do not render `docs_header`, `docs_sidebar`, `docs_main_open`, `docs_main_close`,
+or `docs_footer` inside individual page views, because the controller already
+wraps the page with the full layout.
+
+Each docs page should look like this:
+
+```php
+<?php
+/**
+ * Content only.
+ * The controller injects the layout and page metadata.
+ */
+?>
+
+<p>...</p>
+<h2 id="section-one">Section One</h2>
+<p>...</p>
+```
+
+---
+
+## Adding a new page to the sidebar
+
+Open `app/Controllers/Docs/DocsController.php` and update:
+
+1. The `$nav` array to add a sidebar link.
+2. The `$pages` array to map the slug to its view and metadata.
+
+Example:
+
+```php
+['id' => 'my-new-page', 'label' => 'My New Page', 'url' => 'docs/my-new-page'],
+
+'my-new-page' => [
+    'view'         => 'docs/my-new-page',
+    'title'        => 'My New Page',
+    'breadcrumb'   => 'Getting Started',
+    'last_updated' => 'May 2026',
+    'author'       => 'Core Team',
+    'read_time'    => '3 min read',
+    'toc'          => [
+        ['label' => 'Section One', 'href' => '#section-one'],
+    ],
+    'prev'         => null,
+    'next'         => null,
+],
+```
+
+Then create `app/Views/docs/my-new-page.php` by copying `installation.php`
+and updating only the page content.
+
+---
+
+## Available content components
+
+All CSS is in `docs_header.php`. These classes are ready to use in any page:
+
+| Class / Element     | What it renders                        |
+|---------------------|----------------------------------------|
+| `<h2 id="...">` `<h3 id="...">` | Section headings (id required for TOC scroll) |
+| `.callout.info`     | Blue info box                          |
+| `.callout.warning`  | Amber warning box                      |
+| `.callout.danger`   | Red danger box                         |
+| `.callout.success`  | Green success box                      |
+| `<ol class="steps">` | Numbered step list with connector lines |
+| `<table>`           | Styled data / param / API tables       |
+| `.badge.get/post/put/delete` | HTTP method badges              |
+| `.badge.req` / `.badge.opt` | Required / Optional param badges |
+| `.param-name`       | Monospace blue param name in tables    |
+| `.code-header` + `<pre>` | Dark code block with filename header |
+
+---
+
+## Route setup (CI4)
+
+Add a catch-all route in `app/Config/Routes.php`:
+
+```php
+$routes->get('docs',          'Docs\DocsController::index');
+$routes->get('docs/(:segment)', 'Docs\DocsController::page/$1');
+```
+
+Then in `DocsController`, let the controller render the content view and wrap it:
+
+```php
+public function page(string $slug): string
+{
+    $config = $this->getPageConfig($slug);
+    $content = $this->renderContentView($config['view'], $config);
+
+    return $this->renderDocPage($config, $content);
+}
+```
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/acl.php b/app/Views/docs/acl.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..616883d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/acl.php
@@ -0,0 +1,480 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * ACL / Access Control - content only
+ * app/Views/docs/acl.php
+ *
+ * Based on app/Config/Acl.php and app/Filters/AclFilter.php
+ */
+?>
+
+<p>
+  Route-level access control is handled by <code>Config\Acl</code> plus the
+  global <code>AclFilter</code>. Developers should treat this as the single
+  source of truth for web ACL decisions: a normalized request path is matched
+  against ordered regex rules, then the user is allowed by public flag, role, or
+  team membership. Everything else is denied.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Core files</strong>
+    ACL rules live in <code>app/Config/Acl.php</code>. Enforcement lives in
+    <code>app/Filters/AclFilter.php</code>. Global activation is configured in
+    <code>app/Config/Filters.php</code>.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="overview">Overview</h2>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart TD
+    A[Incoming web request] --> B[ACL filter runs]
+    B --> C[Bypass CLI]
+    C --> D[Normalize request path]
+    D --> E[Load ordered ACL rules]
+    E --> F[Find first matching regex]
+    F --> G{Public route}
+    G -->|Yes| H[Allow]
+    G -->|No| I{Logged in}
+    I -->|No| J[401 JSON or logout redirect]
+    I -->|Yes| K[Read role and team context]
+    K --> L{Role allowed}
+    L -->|Yes| H
+    L -->|No| M{Team allowed}
+    M -->|Yes| H
+    M -->|No| N[403 deny]
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="where-it-is-wired">Where it is wired</h2>
+
+<p>
+  <code>AclFilter</code> is registered as an alias and applied in the global
+  <code>before</code> filter stack, with a route exception list.
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">'AclFilter' => AclFilter::class,
+
+'before' => [
+    'AclFilter' => ['except' => [
+        'login',
+        'logout',
+        'auth/*',
+        'oauth2callback',
+        'claim-form-download',
+        'claims-feedback-form',
+        'autobookstackLogin',
+        'employeeRest/*',
+        'processjob',
+        'getCommission',
+        'downloadEmployeeEcardZip',
+        'downloadClaimFile/*',
+        'api/v1/*'
+    ]],
+]</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  That means ACL is primarily enforcing browser/MVC routes. Several public,
+  webhook, CLI, and API-style paths are intentionally excluded from the global
+  filter and managed elsewhere.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="rule-format">Rule format</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Each ACL rule in <code>Config\Acl::$rules</code> uses a regex pattern as the
+  key and a rule definition array as the value.
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Key</th><th>Meaning</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>public</code></td>
+      <td>If truthy, the route is allowed without session, role, or team checks.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>roles</code></td>
+      <td>List of allowed role IDs, typically using constants like <code>ADMIN_ROLE_ID</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>teams</code></td>
+      <td>List of allowed team IDs, typically using constants like <code>CLAIMS_TEAM_ID</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">'#^/client#' => [
+    'roles' => [HEAD_ROLE_ID, ADMIN_ROLE_ID, MANAGER_ROLE_ID, ACCOUNT_MANAGER_ROLE_ID],
+    'teams' => []
+],
+
+'#^/claims-feedback-form#' => ['public' => true],</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  Regex patterns are matched against normalized paths such as
+  <code>/dashboard/view</code>, <code>/client/list</code>, or
+  <code>/ticket/view/123</code>.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="matching-behavior">Matching behavior</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Matching is ordered and strict:
+</p>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>The filter normalizes the path</strong>
+    <p>It removes the base application path and strips <code>/index.php</code> if present.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Rules are evaluated top to bottom</strong>
+    <p>The filter loops through <code>$rules</code> and stops on the first regex match.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>First match wins</strong>
+    <p>Later rules are ignored once an earlier pattern matches.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>No match means deny</strong>
+    <p>If nothing matches, the request is blocked immediately.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Order is critical</strong>
+    Place more specific patterns before broad prefixes. A broad rule like
+    <code>#^/client#</code> will swallow more specific client routes if it appears
+    earlier and already matches what you need.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+  The config also ends with a zero-trust fallback:
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">'#^/#' => [
+    'roles' => [ADMIN_ROLE_ID, HEAD_ROLE_ID],
+    'teams' => []
+],</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  That default rule makes unmatched routes deny by default unless explicitly
+  opened earlier.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  In practice, pattern matching works like this:
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Pattern</th><th>Matches</th><th>Does not match</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>#^/client#</code></td>
+      <td><code>/client</code>, <code>/client/list</code>, <code>/client/create</code></td>
+      <td><code>/api/client</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>#^/client/special-report#</code></td>
+      <td><code>/client/special-report</code>, <code>/client/special-report/view</code></td>
+      <td><code>/client/list</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>#^/download-#</code></td>
+      <td><code>/download-e-card/123</code>, <code>/download-kyc-docs/abc</code></td>
+      <td><code>/client/download</code></td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>How to think about it</strong>
+    The filter does not look at controller names or route groups. It only checks
+    the normalized request path string against the regex keys in
+    <code>Config\Acl::$rules</code>.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="auth-context">Auth context</h2>
+
+<p>
+  <code>AclFilter</code> relies on session helper functions for the current user
+  context:
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Helper</th><th>Expected result</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>check_session()</code></td>
+      <td>Returns <code>true</code> when the session contains <code>isLoggedIn === true</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>check_role()</code></td>
+      <td>Returns the current user's role ID from <code>get_session_userdata()-&gt;role</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>user_team()</code></td>
+      <td>Returns an array of current team IDs from the session key <code>user_team</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">$userRole  = check_role();
+$userTeams = user_team();</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  For developers, this means ACL correctness depends on login/session setup
+  putting the right role and team data into session.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="allow-and-deny-flow">Allow and deny flow</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The allow sequence is:
+</p>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>Public route check</strong>
+    <p>If the matched rule has <code>public</code>, access is allowed immediately.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Authentication check</strong>
+    <p>If the route is not public and the session is missing, the filter returns either a JSON 401 or a web logout/redirect flow.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Role-first authorization</strong>
+    <p>If the user's role ID is in <code>roles</code>, access is allowed.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Team fallback authorization</strong>
+    <p>If no role matched but any current team ID is in <code>teams</code>, access is allowed.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Deny otherwise</strong>
+    <p>The filter logs the block and returns a 403 response.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Request type</th><th>Deny behavior</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td>AJAX / API / <code>/employeeRest</code></td>
+      <td>JSON error response with status <code>401</code> or <code>403</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Normal web request</td>
+      <td>403 page rendered through <code>errors/403</code>, or logout redirect when session is missing.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<h2 id="developer-steps">Developer steps</h2>
+
+<p>
+  When adding or changing a route, use this exact checklist:
+</p>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>Decide whether the route should be public or protected</strong>
+    <p>If it should be accessible without login, add a <code>public</code> ACL rule or confirm that it is intentionally excluded from the global filter.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Choose the correct path pattern</strong>
+    <p>Write the regex against the normalized route path, not the full server URL and not a filesystem path.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Add the ACL rule in the right order</strong>
+    <p>Insert the new rule in <code>app/Config/Acl.php</code> before any broader pattern that would match first.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Prefer role rules first, team rules second</strong>
+    <p>If a route belongs to a business function, define the required role IDs and then optionally add team IDs for fallback access.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Check whether the route is excluded in <code>Filters.php</code></strong>
+    <p>If it is listed in the ACL exception list, your new ACL rule will never run until the exception is removed.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Test both success and failure paths</strong>
+    <p>Verify access with an allowed user, a disallowed user, and an unauthenticated request.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<p>
+  For a brand-new route, the safest developer workflow is:
+</p>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>Create or confirm the route path first</strong>
+    <p>Know the actual URL path that the browser will hit, for example <code>/reports/monthly</code>.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Write the narrowest ACL regex that covers exactly that area</strong>
+    <p>If only one route needs different access, do not start with a broad prefix rule.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Place the new rule above any broader parent rule</strong>
+    <p>A specific child path must appear before its parent path if they need different access.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Choose whether access is role-based, team-based, or public</strong>
+    <p>Prefer explicit <code>roles</code>. Use <code>teams</code> as fallback or business-group access where appropriate.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Check the global ACL exception list</strong>
+    <p>If the route is bypassed in <code>Filters.php</code>, adding a rule in <code>Acl.php</code> alone will not protect it.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Test the final path, not just the config</strong>
+    <p>Open the actual route in browser or hit it through the expected frontend flow with different user profiles.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Example 1: add a protected MVC section for a new module:
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">'#^/reports#' => [
+    'roles' => [HEAD_ROLE_ID, ADMIN_ROLE_ID, MANAGER_ROLE_ID],
+    'teams' => [FINANCE_TEAM_ID]
+],</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  Example 2: add a public callback route:
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">'#^/external-callback#' => ['public' => true],</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  Example 3: protect a narrow route before a broad one:
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">'#^/client/special-report#' => [
+    'roles' => [ADMIN_ROLE_ID],
+    'teams' => []
+],
+
+'#^/client#' => [
+    'roles' => [HEAD_ROLE_ID, ADMIN_ROLE_ID, MANAGER_ROLE_ID, ACCOUNT_MANAGER_ROLE_ID],
+    'teams' => []
+],</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  Example 4: add a new route safely without breaking an existing broad rule:
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">// New route to add: /master/export-audit
+
+'#^/master/export-audit#' => [
+    'roles' => [ADMIN_ROLE_ID, HEAD_ROLE_ID],
+    'teams' => []
+],
+
+'#^/master#' => [
+    'roles' => [HEAD_ROLE_ID, ADMIN_ROLE_ID, MANAGER_ROLE_ID, ACCOUNT_MANAGER_ROLE_ID],
+    'teams' => []
+],</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  The specific <code>/master/export-audit</code> rule must stay above the broader
+  <code>/master</code> rule, otherwise the broad rule will match first and the
+  special restriction will never apply.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="do-and-dont">Do and don’t</h2>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Do</th><th>Don’t</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Write rules against normalized URL paths like <code>/client/list</code>.</td>
+      <td>Do not write ACL rules against controller class names or filesystem paths.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Put specific patterns before broad patterns.</td>
+      <td>Do not place <code>#^/client#</code> above a more specific child route that needs different access.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Check <code>Filters.php</code> exceptions before assuming ACL applies.</td>
+      <td>Do not assume a new ACL rule is active if the route is globally excluded.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Use <code>public</code> only for routes that truly must bypass auth.</td>
+      <td>Do not mark internal routes public just to “make it work”.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Test with allowed, denied, and logged-out users.</td>
+      <td>Do not test only as admin and assume the ACL is correct.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Keep the fallback deny model intact.</td>
+      <td>Do not weaken the final catch-all rule unless you fully understand the impact.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<h2 id="common-pitfalls">Common pitfalls</h2>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Pitfall</th><th>Why it happens</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td>ACL rule added but never used</td>
+      <td>The route is still listed in the ACL filter <code>except</code> list.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Specific rule appears correct but never matches</td>
+      <td>A broader earlier regex already matched first.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Team access does not work</td>
+      <td><code>user_team()</code> must return an array of team IDs in session.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Unexpected 403 on web routes</td>
+      <td>No matching rule, wrong ordering, wrong regex, or missing role/team data in session.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Unexpected JSON 403/401</td>
+      <td>The request is AJAX or under an API-style prefix, so the filter returns JSON instead of a web page.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<div class="callout success">
+  <span>+</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Practical rule for developers</strong>
+    Whenever you add a new route, treat ACL as part of the feature definition.
+    Add or verify the route rule, confirm it is not bypassed by filter
+    exceptions, and test it with the real role/team combinations expected in
+    production.
+  </div>
+</div>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/api-rate-limiter.php b/app/Views/docs/api-rate-limiter.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2ce16adb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/api-rate-limiter.php
@@ -0,0 +1,520 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * API Rate Limiter — content only
+ * app/Views/docs/api-rate-limiter.php
+ *
+ * Based on app/Libraries/RateLimiterService.php,
+ * app/Filters/AuthApiRateLimitFilter.php, app/Filters/JwtApiFilter.php (class JwtApiRateLimitFilter).
+ */
+?>
+
+<p>
+  The API rate limiter combines a shared <code>RateLimiterService</code> with two route filters:
+  one for unauthenticated auth-style endpoints (email / mobile in the request body or query), and
+  one for JWT-protected APIs. Both enforce IP-level throttling and progressive blocks, and tie
+  additional counters to a resolved user identity when one is available.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="overview">Overview</h2>
+
+<p>
+  A client fingerprint is built with <code>generateFingerprint(exclude_ua: true)</code>, so the
+  IP-level bucket is keyed primarily by client IP (not the full user-agent string). The service
+  stores counters and block metadata in the application cache (<code>Config\Services::cache()</code>).
+</p>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart TD
+    A[Incoming request] --> B{Which filter}
+    B -->|Auth API routes| C[AuthApiRateLimitFilter]
+    B -->|JWT API routes| D[JwtApiRateLimitFilter]
+    C --> E[RateLimiterService]
+    D --> E
+    E --> F{IP allowed}
+    F -->|No| G[JSON error response]
+    F -->|Yes| H{User checks}
+    H -->|Blocked / throttled| G
+    H -->|Pass| I[Controller runs]
+    I --> J{Response status}
+    J -->|4xx except 429/403/451| K[Record IP + user failures]
+    J -->|Other| L[No extra recording]
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="core-service">Core service</h2>
+
+<p>
+  <code>App\Libraries\RateLimiterService</code> reads limits from <code>app/Config/RateLimiter.php</code>.
+  It separates <strong>IP behaviour</strong> (shared <code>$config->ipBlock</code>) from
+  <strong>user behaviour</strong> (shared <code>$config->userBlock</code> for block durations and
+  escalation), while per-route-type windows and limits use either <code>$jwtApi</code> or
+  <code>$authApi</code> depending on the string passed from the filter (<code>jwtApi</code> vs
+  <code>authApi</code>).
+</p>
+
+<h3>IP level</h3>
+<ul>
+  <li><code>checkIp($fingerprint, $routeType)</code> — if the IP is already blocked, returns a block payload and may escalate soft → medium → hard when additional requests hit while blocked.</li>
+  <li>Otherwise increments a sliding-window request counter; exceeding the limit increments an IP
+      violation counter. Enough violations apply a soft IP block; a single-window overrun without
+      reaching the block threshold returns a throttle message (HTTP 429) without yet blocking.</li>
+  <li><code>recordIpFailure($fingerprint)</code> — increments the same violation path (used from
+      filter <code>after()</code> on failed controller responses).</li>
+</ul>
+
+<h3>User level</h3>
+<ul>
+  <li>Identities are normalized for storage keys with <code>hash('sha256', strtolower(trim($identity)))</code>.</li>
+  <li><code>checkUser($identity)</code> — returns a block response if that identity is already blocked.</li>
+  <li><code>checkUserThrottle($identity, 'jwtApi')</code> — used on JWT routes: block check first, then
+      a per-user request counter in a time window (same violation → soft-block pattern as IP).</li>
+  <li><code>recordUserFailure($identity, $routeType)</code> — increments user violations when the
+      controller returns a failure; thresholds use the route-type config (<code>authApi</code> or
+      <code>jwtApi</code>).</li>
+  <li>Progressive blocks (soft, medium, hard) can escalate when the client keeps hitting endpoints
+      while already blocked; durations come from <code>userBlock</code> / <code>ipBlock</code> (zero
+      duration is treated as long-lived until manual unblock).</li>
+</ul>
+
+<p>
+  Manual operations exposed on the service include <code>blockIp</code>, <code>unblockIp</code>,
+  <code>blockUser</code>, and <code>unblockUser</code>, which clear the relevant cache keys for
+  counters, violations, and block records.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="auth-api-filter">Auth API filter</h2>
+
+<p>
+  <code>App\Filters\AuthApiRateLimitFilter</code> targets routes that do <strong>not</strong> rely on
+  JWT (for example mobile verification or OTP flows). Identity is resolved from POST fields first,
+  then GET: <code>email</code> (lower-cased) or <code>mobile_number</code> (trimmed).
+</p>
+
+<ul>
+  <li><strong>before:</strong> <code>checkIp($fingerprint, 'authApi')</code>, then if identity exists,
+      <code>checkUser($identity)</code> only (no per-user request throttle before the controller).</li>
+  <li><strong>after:</strong> On HTTP status ≥ 400, excluding 429, 403, and 451, records
+      <code>recordIpFailure</code> and <code>recordUserFailure($identity, 'authApi')</code> when identity
+      was stashed or can still be resolved — so failed logins or bad OTP attempts feed the violation
+      counters.</li>
+  <li>Throttle/block JSON responses run the global <code>Cors</code> filter’s <code>after()</code>
+      handler so CORS headers stay consistent on early exits.</li>
+</ul>
+
+<h2 id="jwt-api-filter">JWT API filter</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The class <code>JwtApiRateLimitFilter</code> lives in <code>app/Filters/JwtApiFilter.php</code>.
+  It resolves identity from <code>getEmailFromJWT()</code> or <code>getMobileFromJWT()</code> when those
+  helpers exist; invalid JWTs are caught and the request falls back to IP-only limiting.
+</p>
+
+<ul>
+  <li><strong>before:</strong> <code>checkIp($fingerprint, 'jwtApi')</code>, then
+      <code>checkUserThrottle($identity, 'jwtApi')</code> when identity is known.</li>
+  <li><strong>after:</strong> On controller failures (4xx except 429, 403, 451), records IP failure and
+      <code>recordUserFailure($identity, 'jwtApi')</code> for the JWT identity when available.</li>
+</ul>
+
+<h2 id="configuration">Configuration</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Defaults in <code>app/Config/RateLimiter.php</code> (adjust per environment as needed):
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Key</th><th>Meaning (current defaults)</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>jwtApi</code></td>
+      <td>60 requests per 60 seconds per user identity; 3 violations before a soft user block.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>authApi</code></td>
+      <td>10 requests per 180 seconds at the IP bucket for auth routes; 3 user violations (from failed
+          responses) before a soft user block.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>ipBlock</code></td>
+      <td>120 requests per 60 seconds per fingerprint; 5 violations before soft IP block; medium/hard
+          durations and triggers for escalation while blocked.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>userBlock</code> / <code>ipBlock</code> durations</td>
+      <td>Soft can be stored as long TTL when duration is 0; medium 2 hours; hard 24 hours (see config).</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>statusCodes</code></td>
+      <td>Throttle and soft blocks use 429; medium 403; hard 451.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<h3 id="change-block-count-duration">How to change block count and duration</h3>
+
+<p>
+  All tuning happens in <code>app/Config/RateLimiter.php</code>. No filter code changes are needed
+  for normal policy updates. Edit values, deploy, and clear cache if your backend keeps old keys.
+</p>
+
+<h4>What controls what</h4>
+<ul>
+  <li><code>jwtApi.limit</code> and <code>jwtApi.window</code>: per-user request throttle for JWT APIs.</li>
+  <li><code>authApi.limit</code> and <code>authApi.window</code>: auth-route request throttle window used by
+      IP checks in the auth filter flow.</li>
+  <li><code>jwtApi.violation_soft</code> / <code>authApi.violation_soft</code>: number of recorded violations
+      before applying a soft user block.</li>
+  <li><code>ipBlock.limit</code> and <code>ipBlock.window</code>: global per-fingerprint request throttle.</li>
+  <li><code>ipBlock.violation_soft</code>: over-limit events before soft IP block.</li>
+  <li><code>userBlock.soft_duration</code>, <code>medium_duration</code>, <code>hard_duration</code>:
+      user-block durations in seconds.</li>
+  <li><code>ipBlock.soft_duration</code>, <code>medium_duration</code>, <code>hard_duration</code>:
+      IP-block durations in seconds.</li>
+  <li><code>userBlock.medium_trigger</code> / <code>hard_trigger</code> and equivalent in
+      <code>ipBlock</code>: attempts while already blocked that escalate level.</li>
+</ul>
+
+<h4>Duration conversion quick reference</h4>
+<pre><code class="language-text">300   = 5 minutes
+900   = 15 minutes
+1800  = 30 minutes
+3600  = 1 hour
+7200  = 2 hours
+86400 = 24 hours
+0     = permanent-style block (manual unblock expected)</code></pre>
+
+<h4>Sample 1: Strict production policy</h4>
+<pre><code class="language-php">public array $jwtApi = [
+    'limit'          => 45,
+    'window'         => 60,
+    'violation_soft' => 2,
+];
+
+public array $authApi = [
+    'limit'          => 8,
+    'window'         => 180,
+    'violation_soft' => 2,
+];
+
+public array $userBlock = [
+    'soft_duration'   => 1800,   // 30 min
+    'medium_duration' => 7200,   // 2 hours
+    'hard_duration'   => 86400,  // 24 hours
+    'medium_trigger'  => 1,
+    'hard_trigger'    => 1,
+];
+
+public array $ipBlock = [
+    'limit'           => 100,
+    'window'          => 60,
+    'violation_soft'  => 4,
+    'soft_duration'   => 1800,
+    'medium_duration' => 7200,
+    'hard_duration'   => 86400,
+    'medium_trigger'  => 1,
+    'hard_trigger'    => 1,
+];</code></pre>
+
+<h4>Sample 2: Balanced default-like policy</h4>
+<pre><code class="language-php">public array $jwtApi = [
+    'limit'          => 60,
+    'window'         => 60,
+    'violation_soft' => 3,
+];
+
+public array $authApi = [
+    'limit'          => 10,
+    'window'         => 180,
+    'violation_soft' => 3,
+];
+
+public array $userBlock = [
+    'soft_duration'   => 900,    // 15 min
+    'medium_duration' => 3600,   // 1 hour
+    'hard_duration'   => 86400,  // 24 hours
+    'medium_trigger'  => 2,
+    'hard_trigger'    => 2,
+];</code></pre>
+
+<h4>Sample 3: Dev / QA friendly policy</h4>
+<pre><code class="language-php">public array $jwtApi = [
+    'limit'          => 200,
+    'window'         => 60,
+    'violation_soft' => 20,
+];
+
+public array $authApi = [
+    'limit'          => 40,
+    'window'         => 180,
+    'violation_soft' => 10,
+];
+
+public array $userBlock = [
+    'soft_duration'   => 60,     // 1 min
+    'medium_duration' => 300,    // 5 min
+    'hard_duration'   => 900,    // 15 min
+    'medium_trigger'  => 5,
+    'hard_trigger'    => 5,
+];
+
+public array $ipBlock = [
+    'limit'           => 300,
+    'window'          => 60,
+    'violation_soft'  => 30,
+    'soft_duration'   => 60,
+    'medium_duration' => 300,
+    'hard_duration'   => 900,
+    'medium_trigger'  => 5,
+    'hard_trigger'    => 5,
+];</code></pre>
+
+<h4>Change workflow (safe rollout)</h4>
+<ol>
+  <li>Copy current values from <code>RateLimiter.php</code> to your release notes for rollback.</li>
+  <li>Change one policy group at a time (for example JWT first, then auth).</li>
+  <li>Deploy and clear cache keys if required by your cache backend strategy.</li>
+  <li>Monitor 429/403/451 counts and support tickets for 24-48 hours.</li>
+  <li>Adjust <code>violation_soft</code> and durations gradually, not in large jumps.</li>
+</ol>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Important:</strong>
+    In this implementation, a duration of <code>0</code> is treated as long-lived and practically
+    permanent until manual unblock via <code>unblockIp()</code> or <code>unblockUser()</code>.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h3 id="manual-unblock-samples">Manual unblock samples</h3>
+
+<p>
+  Use <code>unblockUser()</code> and <code>unblockIp()</code> when support confirms a genuine user was
+  blocked by policy. Keep unblock actions auditable (who unblocked, why, and when).
+</p>
+
+<h4>Sample: controller/admin action</h4>
+<pre><code class="language-php">&lt;?php
+
+namespace App\Controllers\Admin;
+
+use App\Controllers\BaseController;
+use App\Libraries\RateLimiterService;
+
+class SecurityController extends BaseController
+{
+    public function unblockRateLimitedUser(): \CodeIgniter\HTTP\ResponseInterface
+    {
+        $identity = trim((string) $this->request->getPost('identity'));
+        if ($identity === '') {
+            return $this->response->setStatusCode(422)->setJSON([
+                'success' => false,
+                'message' => 'identity is required',
+            ]);
+        }
+
+        $limiter = new RateLimiterService();
+        $limiter->unblockUser($identity);
+
+        return $this->response->setJSON([
+            'success'  => true,
+            'identity' => $identity,
+            'message'  => 'User rate-limit state cleared',
+        ]);
+    }
+}</code></pre>
+
+<h4>Sample: CLI / one-off script logic</h4>
+<pre><code class="language-php">$limiter = new \App\Libraries\RateLimiterService();
+$identity = 'user@example.com';
+$fingerprint = 'known-fingerprint-key';
+
+$limiter->unblockUser($identity);
+$limiter->unblockIp($fingerprint);</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  If your support team only has an email/mobile, unblock user first. IP unblock should be done more
+  carefully because multiple users may share an IP (office NAT, VPN, mobile carrier).
+</p>
+
+<h4>Unblock SOP (short checklist)</h4>
+<ol>
+  <li><strong>Verify requester:</strong> confirm account identity (email/mobile/user ID) from ticket context.</li>
+  <li><strong>Check scope:</strong> determine whether block is user-level, IP-level, or both.</li>
+  <li><strong>Apply least-risk fix:</strong> run <code>unblockUser()</code> first; use <code>unblockIp()</code> only if still blocked and justified.</li>
+  <li><strong>Audit it:</strong> record ticket ID, operator, timestamp, action taken, and reason.</li>
+  <li><strong>Watch rebound:</strong> monitor logs/metrics for quick re-block; escalate if abuse pattern continues.</li>
+</ol>
+
+<h2 id="cache-ttl-auto-release">Cache TTL and auto-release</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Runtime enforcement of a block is whether the block payload exists in the application cache
+  (<code>RateLimiterService::blockIp()</code> / <code>blockUser()</code> call
+  <code>$this->cache->save(..., $ttl)</code>). When <code>$ttl</code> is a positive number of seconds
+  (medium and hard levels in <code>app/Config/RateLimiter.php</code>), the entry expires after that
+  period. The next <code>cache->get()</code> no longer returns block data, so the client is no longer
+  blocked for API checks (throttle and violation keys use their own TTLs).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  With the default <strong>file</strong> cache handler (<code>app/Config/Cache.php</code>),
+  CodeIgniter’s <code>FileHandler</code> treats an item as expired when
+  <code>now > stored_time + ttl</code>; on read it removes the file and returns empty, so behaviour
+  matches a timed release without a separate unlock job.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  When a level’s configured duration is <code>0</code> (for example soft blocks in the stock config),
+  the service stores a very long TTL (effectively manual unblock). Those rows are not “timed” blocks
+  in the operational sense.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="db-reconciliation-cron">DB reconciliation (cron)</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Active blocks are also upserted into the <code>rate_limit_blocks</code> table for admin visibility
+  (<code>/security/rate-limits</code>). Cache entries for medium/hard can disappear on TTL while the
+  database row stays <code>status = active</code> until something cleans it up. A scheduled job keeps
+  the index aligned with real enforcement and clears any leftover cache keys.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  Spark command (implementation: <code>app/Commands/RateLimitBlocksReconcile.php</code>):
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-bash">php spark rate-limit:reconcile-blocks --dry-run
+php spark rate-limit:reconcile-blocks</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  Behaviour summary:
+</p>
+
+<ul>
+  <li>Selects rows where <code>status = 'active'</code>.</li>
+  <li>Computes expiry as <code>blocked_at + duration(block_level)</code> using the same duration fields
+      as <code>RateLimiter</code> (<code>userBlock</code> vs <code>ipBlock</code> depending on
+      <code>block_type</code>). Rows whose duration is <code>&lt;= 0</code> are skipped so permanent-style
+      soft blocks are not removed by the job.</li>
+  <li>If the row is past that time: calls <code>RateLimiterService::purgeIpBlockCaches()</code> or
+      <code>purgeUserBlockCaches()</code> (same cache keys as manual unblock, without updating the DB
+      row first), then <strong>deletes</strong> the row from <code>rate_limit_blocks</code>.</li>
+  <li><code>--dry-run</code> prints what would be reconciled without changing cache or the database.</li>
+</ul>
+
+<p>
+  Example cron (every 10 minutes on Linux):
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-bash">*/10 * * * * cd /path/to/nhance &amp;&amp; php spark rate-limit:reconcile-blocks &gt;&gt; /path/to/logs/rate-limit-reconcile.log 2&gt;&amp;1</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  On Windows, use Task Scheduler with the same command, set “Start in” to the project directory, and a
+  10-minute trigger. Deleting reconciled rows removes them from the admin list; if you need a full audit
+  trail instead, consider changing the job to mark <code>unblocked</code> rather than delete (not the
+  current implementation).
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Config changes:</strong> expiry for reconciliation uses <strong>current</strong>
+    <code>RateLimiter</code> values, not the numbers that were in effect when the block was created.
+    If you shorten durations in config, old rows can become eligible sooner than the original policy.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="http-responses">HTTP responses</h2>
+
+<p>
+  When the service returns a structured result, filters respond with JSON of the form:
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-json">{
+  "success": false,
+  "error": {
+    "code": "RATE_LIMIT_THROTTLE",
+    "message": "Too many requests. Please slow down.",
+    "type": "ip"
+  }
+}</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  For progressive blocks, <code>code</code> uses <code>RATE_LIMIT_</code> plus the level
+  (<code>SOFT</code>, <code>MEDIUM</code>, <code>HARD</code>), and <code>type</code> is
+  <code>ip</code> or <code>user</code>. Messages for blocks are defined in
+  <code>RateLimiterService::blockedResponse()</code>.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="wiring-routes">Wiring routes</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Aliases in <code>app/Config/Filters.php</code>:
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">'AuthApiRateLimitFilter' => AuthApiRateLimitFilter::class,
+'JwtApiRateLimitFilter'  => JwtApiRateLimitFilter::class,</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  Attach them per route (or route group) with the <code>filter</code> option, for example:
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">$routes->post('api/auth/verify-otp', 'AuthController::verifyOtp', ['filter' => 'AuthApiRateLimitFilter']);
+$routes->get('api/profile', 'ProfileController::index', ['filter' => 'JwtApiRateLimitFilter']);</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  Ensure JWT helpers used by <code>JwtApiRateLimitFilter</code> match your authentication stack; the
+  filter comments note replacing helper names if your project uses different entry points.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="blocked-list-url">Blocked list URL</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Admin can view active blocked IP and blocked user entries at:
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-text">/security/rate-limits</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  This page has two tabs (IP and User), shows block level, and provides unblock action per row.
+  It is protected by ACL and restricted to <code>ADMIN_ROLE_ID</code> only.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  Direct actions on the same feature:
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-text">POST /security/rate-limits/unblock-ip
+POST /security/rate-limits/unblock-user</code></pre>
+
+<h2 id="smoke-test-command">Smoke test command</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The project includes a targeted smoke test for this service at
+  <code>tests/unit/RateLimiterServiceSmokeTest.php</code>. Run it with:
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-bash">php vendor/bin/phpunit --filter RateLimiterServiceSmokeTest</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  Expected result on success: <code>OK (3 tests, 77 assertions)</code> (assertion count can change as
+  tests evolve).
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="operational-notes">Operational notes</h2>
+
+<ul>
+  <li>Cache backend choice (Redis, file, etc.) affects how limits behave across multiple PHP workers;
+      use a shared store in production so limits are cluster-wide.</li>
+  <li>Timed medium/hard blocks clear from cache automatically when TTL elapses; see
+      <a href="#cache-ttl-auto-release">Cache TTL and auto-release</a>. Permanent-style blocks
+      (<code>0</code> second duration, stored as a long TTL) still require
+      <code>unblockIp</code> / <code>unblockUser</code> or admin unblock.</li>
+  <li>Run <a href="#db-reconciliation-cron">DB reconciliation (cron)</a> on a schedule if you want
+      <code>rate_limit_blocks</code> rows removed after timed blocks end, and stray cache files cleared.</li>
+  <li>Filters skip recording failures on 429, 403, and 451 so rate-limit and block responses are not
+      double-counted as application failures.</li>
+</ul>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/background-jobs.php b/app/Views/docs/background-jobs.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ed89576a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/background-jobs.php
@@ -0,0 +1,566 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Background Jobs - content only
+ * app/Views/docs/background-jobs.php
+ *
+ * This page documents the current queue implementation built around:
+ * - app/Controllers/Jobs.php
+ * - app/Controllers/JobWorker.php
+ * - app/Controllers/Jobs/*.php sample handlers
+ * - app/Models/JobModel.php
+ */
+?>
+
+<p>
+  Nhance uses a database-backed job queue for long-running or deferred work. A
+  producer adds a row into the <code>jobs</code> table through
+  <code>Jobs::addJob()</code>, and the CLI worker in
+  <code>JobWorker</code> picks up queued rows, executes the mapped handler, and
+  writes the final status and response back to the same record.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Current implementation</strong>
+    This page describes the queue exactly as it exists today, including the
+    handler registry in <code>JobWorker::$event_class_mapping</code> and the
+    helper methods already used by controllers like <code>EmployeeController</code>
+    and <code>LeadsController</code>.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="overview">Overview</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The queue flow is simple: enqueue, store, process, update. It is used for
+  tasks such as file validation, employee processing, claim import work, API
+  sync jobs, bulk mail, and batch e-card generation.
+</p>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart TD
+    A[Controller or service] --> B[Jobs::addJob]
+    B --> C[(jobs table)]
+    C --> D[php spark cli/processjobs]
+    D --> E[JobWorker::processJobs]
+    E --> F[JobWorker::processJob]
+    F --> G[event_class_mapping lookup]
+    G --> H[Handler method or function]
+    H --> I[Update status, run_time, response]
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="queueing-jobs">Queueing jobs</h2>
+
+<p>
+  New jobs are inserted through <code>Jobs::addJob(array $payload)</code>. The
+  method validates the input, generates a UUID, JSON-encodes the inner payload,
+  and stores the row with status <code>queued</code> unless a custom status is
+  provided.
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Key</th><th>Required</th><th>Description</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><span class="param-name">job_name</span></td>
+      <td><span class="badge req">required</span></td>
+      <td>Name used to look up the handler in <code>JobWorker::$event_class_mapping</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><span class="param-name">payload</span></td>
+      <td><span class="badge req">required</span></td>
+      <td>Array that will be JSON-encoded into the <code>jobs.payload</code> column.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><span class="param-name">status</span></td>
+      <td><span class="badge opt">optional</span></td>
+      <td>Defaults to <code>queued</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">$job = Jobs::addJob([
+    'job_name' => 'memberDataListExcelFileFormatValidation',
+    'payload'  => [
+        'lead_id' => $lead_id,
+        'age_validation' => true,
+    ],
+]);
+</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  The method returns an array with <code>id</code>, <code>uuid</code>, and
+  <code>job_name</code>. Real code paths already use this pattern, for example
+  after lead placement data is saved and then queued for validation.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="worker-lifecycle">Worker lifecycle</h2>
+
+<p>
+  <code>JobWorker</code> is the execution engine. It defines four statuses:
+  <code>queued</code>, <code>running</code>, <code>done</code>, and
+  <code>failed</code>.
+</p>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong><code>processJobs()</code> fetches all queued rows</strong>
+    <p>Jobs are selected from <code>jobs</code> ordered by <code>created_dt ASC</code>.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Each queued row is forwarded to <code>processJob()</code></strong>
+    <p>The worker can process the next queued row, or a specific <code>id</code> plus <code>uuid</code> pair.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Status changes to <code>running</code></strong>
+    <p>Once picked, the worker updates the row before invoking the handler.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>The handler receives the decoded payload</strong>
+    <p>The worker resolves the handler from the event map and passes the job payload into it.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>The row is finalized</strong>
+    <p>After execution, the worker stores the final status, runtime, and response JSON back into the same job row.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Selection and locking</strong>
+    The worker query uses <code>LIMIT 1 FOR UPDATE</code> when fetching a single
+    job. In practice, treat the queue as database-backed and process it from CLI
+    workers, not from normal web requests.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="handler-registry">Handler registry</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Every executable job must be registered in
+  <code>JobWorker::$event_class_mapping</code>. Each entry defines a handler
+  category and a target class or function.
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Type</th><th>Meaning</th><th>Example from code</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>CC</code></td>
+      <td>Controller class handler</td>
+      <td><code>App\Controllers\Jobs\SubJob</code>, <code>EmployeeServiceController</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>HC</code></td>
+      <td>Helper-style class handler</td>
+      <td><code>App\Helpers\HttpRequestHelper</code>, <code>App\Helpers\MailHelper</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>HF</code></td>
+      <td>Standalone function handler</td>
+      <td><code>fancy_date_time_format</code></td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<p>
+  Resolution order inside the worker is:
+</p>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>Look up the job name in the mapping</strong>
+    <p>If the name is missing, the worker throws an exception and marks the job failed.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Instantiate the mapped class for <code>CC</code> or <code>HC</code></strong>
+    <p>The mapped class must exist.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Choose the callable</strong>
+    <p>If a method matching the job name exists, it is used first; otherwise the worker falls back to <code>handle()</code>.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>For <code>HF</code>, call the mapped function directly</strong>
+    <p>The handler value itself is treated as the callable.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<h2 id="sample-handlers">Sample handlers</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The <code>app/Controllers/Jobs/</code> directory currently contains two simple
+  examples that show the expected pattern for small job classes:
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>File</th><th>Method</th><th>Behavior</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>app/Controllers/Jobs/AddJob.php</code></td>
+      <td><code>handle($payload)</code></td>
+      <td>Returns <code>$payload['a'] + $payload['b']</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>app/Controllers/Jobs/SubJob.php</code></td>
+      <td><code>handle($payload)</code></td>
+      <td>Logs through <code>mylogger</code> and returns <code>$payload['a'] - $payload['b']</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">namespace App\Controllers\Jobs;
+
+use App\Controllers\PublicController;
+
+class ExampleJob extends PublicController
+{
+    public function handle($payload)
+    {
+        return [
+            'ok' => true,
+            'received' => $payload,
+        ];
+    }
+}
+</code></pre>
+
+<h2 id="status-lifecycle">Status lifecycle</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The queue storage model is <code>app/Models/JobModel.php</code>, which maps to
+  the <code>jobs</code> table and allows these main fields:
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Column</th><th>Purpose</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr><td><code>id</code></td><td>Primary key returned after enqueue.</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>name</code></td><td>Logical job name used in the worker registry.</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>payload</code></td><td>JSON-encoded input payload.</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>response</code></td><td>JSON-encoded handler output or failure details.</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>status</code></td><td><code>queued</code>, <code>running</code>, <code>done</code>, or <code>failed</code>.</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>run_time</code></td><td>Measured execution time for the job.</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>uuid</code></td><td>Generated at enqueue time and used when fetching a specific row.</td></tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+stateDiagram-v2
+    [*] --> queued
+    queued --> running
+    running --> done
+    running --> failed
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="failure-behavior">Failure behavior</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Both worker-level failures and handler-level failures are caught and written
+  back into <code>jobs.response</code> as structured JSON. The stored data
+  includes the error message, file, line, trace, and whether the failure
+  happened in the task or the worker wrapper.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout danger">
+  <span>x</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Special file failure branch</strong>
+    When a failed job payload contains only a numeric <code>file_id</code>, the
+    worker also updates the related <code>files</code> row to
+    <code>status = failed</code> and writes a generic system error reason. This
+    is important for file-processing jobs that surface state back to the UI.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="running-via-cli">Running via CLI</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The worker is exposed through CLI routes in <code>app/Config/Routes.php</code>.
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Route</th><th>Target</th><th>Purpose</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>cli/processjob</code></td>
+      <td><code>JobWorker::processJob</code></td>
+      <td>Process one queued job.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>cli/processjobs</code></td>
+      <td><code>JobWorker::processJobs</code></td>
+      <td>Loop through all queued jobs in created order.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<pre><code class="language-bash">php spark cli/processjob
+php spark cli/processjobs</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  There is also a web route named <code>processjob</code>, but operationally this
+  queue should be treated as a CLI worker flow.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="live-runner-script">Live runner script</h2>
+
+<p>
+  For live environments where the worker should keep polling continuously, a
+  simple shell loop can call the queue worker across all required applications.
+  Use the root-level <code>phpqueue.sh</code> script and replace the placeholder
+  app paths with your deployment-specific values.
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-bash">#!/bin/bash
+
+PHP_BIN="${PHP_BIN:-/usr/bin/php}"
+
+# Dummy example paths for documentation.
+# Replace each one with the real public/index.php path in that environment.
+APP_INDEXES=(
+    "/var/www/example-suite/zenith-app/public/index.php"
+    "/var/www/example-suite/enrolment-app/public/index.php"
+    "/var/www/example-suite/partner-api/public/index.php"
+)
+
+while true; do
+    echo "Running job at $(date)"
+
+    for index_file in "${APP_INDEXES[@]}"; do
+        "${PHP_BIN}" "${index_file}" cli/processjob
+    done
+
+    sleep 1
+done</code></pre>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Dummy path</th><th>Description</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>/var/www/example-suite/zenith-app/public/index.php</code></td>
+      <td>Example public entry file for the first application queue target.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>/var/www/example-suite/enrolment-app/public/index.php</code></td>
+      <td>Example public entry file for the second application queue target.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>/var/www/example-suite/partner-api/public/index.php</code></td>
+      <td>Example public entry file for the third application queue target.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Production note</strong>
+    This script is an infinite loop, so it should be started under a process
+    manager such as <code>systemd</code>, <code>supervisord</code>, or another
+    service wrapper rather than being launched manually in a shell session.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="systemd-service">Systemd service</h2>
+
+<p>
+  For Ubuntu-style live deployments, keep a systemd unit file such as
+  <code>nhance_php_queue_server.service</code>. The repository now includes a
+  sanitized template with placeholder values.
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-ini">[Unit]
+Description=Nhance PHP Queue Server
+After=network.target
+
+[Service]
+Type=simple
+User=www-data
+Group=www-data
+WorkingDirectory=/var/www/example-suite/nhance-app
+ExecStart=/bin/bash /var/www/example-suite/nhance-app/phpqueue.sh
+Restart=always
+RestartSec=2
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target</code></pre>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Dummy value</th><th>Description</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>/var/www/example-suite/nhance-app</code></td>
+      <td>Example project root where <code>phpqueue.sh</code> is kept.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>www-data</code></td>
+      <td>Example service account; replace it with the real Linux user and group used by PHP on that server.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<p>
+  After replacing the placeholders, deploy and enable it with standard systemd
+  commands:
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-bash">sudo mv nhance_php_queue_server.service /etc/systemd/system/
+sudo systemctl daemon-reload
+sudo systemctl enable nhance_php_queue_server.service
+sudo systemctl start nhance_php_queue_server.service
+sudo systemctl restart nhance_php_queue_server.service</code></pre>
+
+<h2 id="permissions-setup">Permissions setup</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The queue runner script should live in the project root as
+  <code>phpqueue.sh</code>, and its ownership plus execute permission should be
+  set for the service user and group used by PHP in that environment.
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-bash">sudo chown &lt;service-user&gt;:&lt;service-group&gt; phpqueue.sh
+sudo chmod 750 phpqueue.sh</code></pre>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Why this matters</strong>
+    In live environments, the two crucial steps are:
+    using a managed system service for the queue loop, and ensuring the
+    root-level <code>phpqueue.sh</code> file has the correct owner, group, and
+    execute permission for that service account.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="checking-status">Checking status</h2>
+
+<p>
+  <code>app/Libraries/JobStatusService.php</code> now supports lookup by job
+  name, by job <code>id</code>, and by job <code>uuid</code>. All methods normalize the
+  decoded response and runtime before returning them.
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Method</th><th>Use when</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>getJobStatusByName(string $jobName)</code></td>
+      <td>You want the latest job row for a logical job name.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>getJobStatusById(int $jobId)</code></td>
+      <td>You know the numeric queue row id and want that exact job record.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>getJobStatusByUuid(string $uuid)</code></td>
+      <td>You want to track one exact job instance using the UUID returned at enqueue time.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">$service = new \App\Libraries\JobStatusService();
+$status = $service->getJobStatusByName('bulkGenerateEcardAndStoreinS3');
+</code></pre>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">$job = Jobs::addJob([
+    'job_name' => 'exampleJob',
+    'payload' => [
+        'file_id' => 123,
+    ],
+]);
+
+$service = new \App\Libraries\JobStatusService();
+$statusById = $service->getJobStatusById((int) $job['id']);
+$statusByUuid = $service->getJobStatusByUuid($job['uuid']);
+</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  The service returns <code>success</code>, <code>job_name</code>,
+  <code>status</code>, <code>response</code>, <code>job_id</code>,
+  <code>uuid</code>, <code>run_time</code>, and a message.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Which lookup should you use?</strong>
+    Use <code>job name</code> when you only care about the latest run for a given
+    handler. Use <code>job id</code> or <code>uuid</code> when the enqueue response
+    is available and you need to track one specific job instance across retries
+    or parallel runs.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="adding-a-new-handler">Adding a new handler</h2>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>Create the handler class or function</strong>
+    <p>For small custom jobs, <code>app/Controllers/Jobs/</code> is already used as a simple home for dedicated job handlers.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Register the job in <code>JobWorker::$event_class_mapping</code></strong>
+    <p>Pick the correct type: <code>CC</code>, <code>HC</code>, or <code>HF</code>.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Expose a callable method</strong>
+    <p>The worker first looks for a method matching the job name, then falls back to <code>handle()</code>.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Queue the job through <code>Jobs::addJob()</code></strong>
+    <p>Pass a stable job name and only the payload fields the handler actually needs.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Run the worker and inspect the job row</strong>
+    <p>Validate the final status, runtime, and response before integrating the job into larger workflows.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">// 1. Register in JobWorker::$event_class_mapping
+'exampleJob' => [
+    'type' => 'CC',
+    'handler' => 'App\Controllers\Jobs\ExampleJob',
+],
+
+// 2. Queue it
+Jobs::addJob([
+    'job_name' => 'exampleJob',
+    'payload' => [
+        'file_id' => 123,
+        'source' => 'manual-test',
+    ],
+]);
+</code></pre>
+
+<div class="callout success">
+  <span>+</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Practical rule</strong>
+    Keep payloads explicit and handler names stable. The job name is the contract
+    between producers and the worker registry, so renaming it has queue-wide
+    impact.
+  </div>
+</div>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/cicd.php b/app/Views/docs/cicd.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5f8257b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/cicd.php
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * CI/CD Pipeline - content only
+ * app/Views/docs/cicd.php
+ */
+?>
+
+<p>
+  The current CI/CD setup is split by environment. Dev uses webhook-driven
+  deployment and supporting asset publish scripts, while UAT and live use a
+  controlled branch-promotion plus server-side deployment flow.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="overview">Overview</h2>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart TD
+    A[Code pushed] --> B{Target environment}
+    B --> C[DEV flow]
+    B --> D[UAT/LIVE flow]
+    C --> E[Bitbucket webhook to cPanel]
+    E --> F[deploy.php]
+    F --> G[deploy.sh]
+    G --> H[Optional asset publish to S3 + CloudFront]
+    D --> I[auto_merge.py]
+    I --> J[Environment deployment scripts]
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="dev-pipeline">Dev pipeline</h2>
+
+<p>
+  In dev, deployment is handled by Bitbucket webhook integration with cPanel.
+  A custom PHP receiver triggers the deployment shell script, and the shell
+  script also sends a Cliq notification after the deployment result is known.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  For frontend or static asset publishing, the team also uses a separate
+  S3 + CloudFront batch workflow documented on the <code>S3 &amp; CloudFront</code>
+  page.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="uat-live-flow">UAT and live flow</h2>
+
+<p>
+  For UAT and live, branch movement is not push-triggered. The standard order is
+  <code>dev -> test -> uat -> live</code> through <code>auto_merge.py</code>,
+  followed by the relevant environment deployment shell scripts on the server.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Manual prerequisites still apply</strong>
+    DB changes, environment variable updates, and other environment-specific
+    release tasks must still be handled manually before the final deployment
+    scripts are executed.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="related-docs">Related docs</h2>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Page</th><th>What it covers</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><a href="<?= base_url('docs/deployment') ?>">Deployment</a></td>
+      <td>cPanel dev deployment, branch promotion, merge helper, and UAT/live code move steps.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><a href="<?= base_url('docs/s3-cloudfront') ?>">S3 &amp; CloudFront</a></td>
+      <td>Dev batch script for S3 upload and CloudFront invalidation.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/deployment.php b/app/Views/docs/deployment.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e7ca2967
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/deployment.php
@@ -0,0 +1,451 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Deployment - content only
+ * app/Views/docs/deployment.php
+ *
+ * DevOps deployment notes for branch promotion and release preparation.
+ */
+?>
+
+<p>
+  Deployment currently has two documented paths. For the dev environment, code
+  is deployed in cPanel using a Bitbucket webhook plus deploy scripts. For UAT
+  and live preparation, the release flow first promotes code across the
+  long-lived Git branches in order: <code>dev</code> → <code>test</code> →
+  <code>uat</code> → <code>live</code> using a server-side Python merge helper.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Server-side merge helper</strong>
+    The merge script is maintained on the deployment servers inside a
+    <code>repo_merge</code> folder under the server user's home directory. The
+    examples below use dummy paths only, so update them with the real values in
+    that environment.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="overview">Overview</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The deployment preparation flow has three main parts:
+</p>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>Dev environment auto deployment through cPanel</strong>
+    <p>A Bitbucket push triggers a webhook, which is received by a custom PHP script and forwarded to a deployment shell script. The same shell script also sends a Cliq channel notification after deployment.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Promote branches using the merge helper</strong>
+    <p>This ensures <code>test</code>, <code>uat</code>, and <code>live</code> receive the expected upstream code in order.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Run the environment deployment scripts</strong>
+    <p>Once branch promotion completes successfully, call the UAT or live deployment shell scripts from the deployment server.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<h2 id="dev-cpanel-flow">Dev cPanel flow</h2>
+
+<p>
+  In the dev environment, deployment is handled through cPanel rather than the
+  branch-promotion helper. The current flow is:
+</p>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart LR
+    A[Bitbucket push] --> B[Bitbucket webhook]
+    B --> C[deploy.php]
+    C --> D[deploy.sh]
+    D --> E[Application deployed]
+    D --> F[Cliq channel notification]
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+  The webhook request is received by a custom PHP entry point, which triggers a
+  deployment shell script. That same shell script also posts deployment status
+  into Cliq using the Cliq channel message API.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Dev-only deployment path</strong>
+    This cPanel webhook flow is specifically used for the dev environment. It is
+    separate from the branch promotion process documented below for UAT and live
+    preparation.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="cpanel-deploy-scripts">cPanel deploy scripts</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The cPanel deployment scripts are maintained under the cPanel web root in the
+  following locations:
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Path</th><th>Purpose</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>/public_html/cicd/bashscripts/deploy.php</code></td>
+      <td>Receives the Bitbucket webhook request and triggers the deployment shell script.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>/public_html/cicd/bashscripts/deploy.sh</code></td>
+      <td>Executes the deployment steps and sends the final Cliq notification from the same script.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<p>
+  Operationally, the dev environment follows this chain:
+</p>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>Push code to Bitbucket</strong>
+    <p>The push event becomes the trigger for the deployment automation.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Bitbucket sends the webhook request</strong>
+    <p>The webhook hits the custom PHP receiver hosted in cPanel.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong><code>deploy.php</code> validates and forwards the action</strong>
+    <p>This script acts as the receiver and handoff point into the shell deployment layer.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong><code>deploy.sh</code> performs deployment</strong>
+    <p>The shell script runs the actual deployment commands for the dev environment.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Cliq notification is sent</strong>
+    <p>The same shell script sends a channel update through the Cliq message API after deployment completes.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<h2 id="branch-promotion-flow">Branch promotion flow</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The merge script performs a sequential promotion chain:
+</p>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart LR
+    A[dev] --> B[test]
+    B --> C[uat]
+    C --> D[live]
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+  The script first refreshes <code>dev</code>, then merges:
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Step</th><th>Action</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr><td>1</td><td><code>git checkout dev</code> and <code>git pull origin dev</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td>2</td><td>Merge <code>dev</code> into <code>test</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td>3</td><td>Merge <code>test</code> into <code>uat</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td>4</td><td>Merge <code>uat</code> into <code>live</code></td></tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Important deployment gate</strong>
+    This branch promotion step should happen before live release execution. If
+    the script fails at any merge or push step, stop and resolve that issue
+    before continuing.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="auto-merge-script">Auto merge script</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The deployment servers keep a Python helper called
+  <code>auto_merge.py</code>. Below is the current script for documentation and
+  future reference.
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-python">import subprocess
+import sys
+import datetime
+import os
+
+# Function to execute shell commands in a specific directory
+def run_command(command, log_file, repo_path):
+    try:
+        result = subprocess.run(command, shell=True, check=True, capture_output=True, text=True, cwd=repo_path)
+        log_message = f"[SUCCESS] {command}\n{result.stdout.strip()}"
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+        log_message = f"[ERROR] {command}\n{e.stderr.strip() if e.stderr else e.stdout.strip()}"
+        print(log_message, file=sys.stderr)
+        log_file.write(log_message + "\n")
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    print(log_message)
+    log_file.write(log_message + "\n")
+
+# Main function to automate merging
+def auto_merge(repo_path, commit_message):
+    if not os.path.isdir(repo_path):
+        print(f"[ERROR] Invalid repository path: {repo_path}")
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    script_dir = os.getcwd()
+    timestamp = datetime.datetime.now().strftime("%Y-%m-%d_%H-%M-%S")
+    log_filename = os.path.join(script_dir, f"merge_log_{timestamp}.txt")
+
+    with open(log_filename, "w") as log_file:
+        log_file.write(f"=== Auto Merge Script Started at {timestamp} ===\n")
+
+        log_file.write("\n--- Pulling latest changes from dev ---\n")
+        run_command("git checkout dev", log_file, repo_path)
+        run_command("git pull origin dev", log_file, repo_path)
+
+        branches = [("dev", "test"), ("test", "uat"), ("uat", "live")]
+
+        for source, target in branches:
+            merge_msg = f"MERGE_{target.upper()}_{commit_message}"
+
+            log_file.write(f"\n--- Merging {source} -> {target} ---\n")
+
+            run_command(f"git checkout {target}", log_file, repo_path)
+            run_command(f"git pull origin {target}", log_file, repo_path)
+            run_command(f"git merge --no-ff {source} -m \"{merge_msg}\"", log_file, repo_path)
+            run_command(f"git push origin {target}", log_file, repo_path)
+
+        log_file.write("\n=== Auto Merge Completed Successfully ===\n")
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    if len(sys.argv) != 3:
+        print("Usage: python auto_merge.py &lt;REPO_PATH&gt; '&lt;COMMIT_MESSAGE_SUFFIX&gt;'")
+        print("Usage Example: python auto_merge.py './nhance' '&lt;COMMIT_MESSAGE_SUFFIX&gt;'")
+        print("Usage Example: python auto_merge.py './nhance-enrollment' '&lt;COMMIT_MESSAGE_SUFFIX&gt;'")
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    repo_path = sys.argv[1].strip()
+    commit_suffix = sys.argv[2].strip().upper()
+
+    auto_merge(repo_path, commit_suffix)
+</code></pre>
+
+<h2 id="script-usage">Script usage</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The script is typically run from the server-side <code>repo_merge</code>
+  directory. Use a dummy home path like the example below and replace it with
+  the real deployment user home directory.
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Dummy path</th><th>Description</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>/home/deploy-user/repo_merge</code></td>
+      <td>Example folder where <code>auto_merge.py</code> is stored on UAT or live.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>/home/deploy-user/nhance</code></td>
+      <td>Example repository checkout path passed as the first script argument.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>RELEASE_2026_05_12</code></td>
+      <td>Example commit message suffix appended into merge commit messages.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<pre><code class="language-bash">cd /home/deploy-user/repo_merge
+python3 auto_merge.py "/home/deploy-user/nhance" "RELEASE_2026_05_12"</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  Usage format:
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-bash">python3 auto_merge.py "&lt;REPO_PATH&gt;" "&lt;COMMIT_MESSAGE_SUFFIX&gt;"</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  The commit message suffix is converted to uppercase by the script. For each
+  merge step, the script generates messages like:
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-text">MERGE_TEST_RELEASE_2026_05_12
+MERGE_UAT_RELEASE_2026_05_12
+MERGE_LIVE_RELEASE_2026_05_12</code></pre>
+
+<h2 id="log-output">Log output</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Every run creates a timestamped log file in the directory where the script is
+  executed. The log captures both successful commands and the exact step that
+  failed.
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Behavior</th><th>Details</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Log filename</td>
+      <td><code>merge_log_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS.txt</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Success logging</td>
+      <td>Writes <code>[SUCCESS]</code> plus command output.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Error logging</td>
+      <td>Writes <code>[ERROR]</code>, prints to stderr, and exits immediately.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<h2 id="operational-notes">Operational notes</h2>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>Run the script from the deployment helper folder</strong>
+    <p>This keeps the generated merge log files in one predictable location.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Make sure the repo path is correct before starting</strong>
+    <p>The script exits immediately if the provided repository directory does not exist.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Do not continue deployment on merge failure</strong>
+    <p>If checkout, pull, merge, or push fails for any branch, stop and resolve the issue first.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Use a meaningful commit suffix</strong>
+    <p>Choose a release identifier that makes merge history easy to trace later.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<div class="callout success">
+  <span>+</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Recommended practice</strong>
+    Treat this script as the first gate in the deployment flow for UAT and live
+    releases. Once branch promotion completes successfully, continue with the
+    environment-specific deployment steps.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="code-move-scripts">Code move scripts</h2>
+
+<div class="callout danger">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Strict warning before running these steps</strong>
+    Before calling the UAT or live deployment shell scripts, any required
+    database changes and environment variable changes must be done manually.
+    Do not assume these scripts handle DB updates, migrations, secrets, or
+    environment-specific configuration automatically.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+  After the previous Python merge script completes successfully, the next step
+  is to run the environment-specific deployment shell scripts from the server.
+  These scripts are available only on the deployment servers and are not stored
+  in this repository.
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Script</th><th>Environment / Purpose</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>crm_deployment.sh</code></td>
+      <td>Live CRM code move script.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>enrolment_depoloyment.sh</code></td>
+      <td>Live enrolment code move script.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>uat_crm_deployment.sh</code></td>
+      <td>UAT CRM code move script.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>uat_enrolment_depoloyment.sh</code></td>
+      <td>UAT enrolment code move script.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<p>
+  The execution rule is simple:
+</p>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>Run <code>auto_merge.py</code> first</strong>
+    <p>This completes the required branch promotion chain before any server-side code move starts.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Choose the scripts based on target environment</strong>
+    <p>For UAT, call the <code>uat_*</code> scripts. For live, call the non-UAT deployment scripts.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Execute the relevant application scripts</strong>
+    <p>Run the CRM and enrolment deployment scripts that match the environment being released.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<pre><code class="language-bash"># UAT example
+python3 auto_merge.py "/home/deploy-user/nhance" "RELEASE_2026_05_12"
+./uat_crm_deployment.sh
+./uat_enrolment_depoloyment.sh
+
+# LIVE example
+python3 auto_merge.py "/home/deploy-user/nhance" "RELEASE_2026_05_12"
+./crm_deployment.sh
+./enrolment_depoloyment.sh</code></pre>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Server-only scripts</strong>
+    These deployment scripts exist only on the deployment servers. Keep this
+    documentation as the operational reference, but do not expect to find the
+    actual shell files inside this repository.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="manual-fallback">Manual fallback</h2>
+
+<p>
+  If the dev auto-deploy flow fails, manual deployment is still available through
+  cPanel Git Version Control. That manual apply option should be used as the
+  fallback path when the webhook receiver or deploy script does not complete
+  successfully.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Fallback path</strong>
+    Keep cPanel Git Version Control enabled for the repository so the team can
+    manually apply the latest revision whenever the automatic cPanel deployment
+    path fails.
+  </div>
+</div>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/docs_footer.php b/app/Views/docs/docs_footer.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1caca673
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/docs_footer.php
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Docs Footer Partial
+ * app/Views/docs/partials/docs_footer.php
+ *
+ * Closes the body/html tags and initialises highlight.js.
+ * Always the last partial on every docs page.
+ *
+ * Variables:
+ *   $app_name (string) — defaults to 'Nhance PAM'
+ */
+
+$app_name = $app_name ?? 'Nhance PAM';
+$year     = date('Y');
+?>
+
+<script>
+  document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function () {
+    // Syntax highlighting
+    if (window.hljs) hljs.highlightAll();
+
+    // Active TOC link on scroll
+    const tocLinks = document.querySelectorAll('.docs-toc a');
+    const headings = document.querySelectorAll('main h2, main h3');
+
+    if (tocLinks.length && headings.length) {
+      const observer = new IntersectionObserver(
+        (entries) => {
+          entries.forEach(entry => {
+            if (entry.isIntersecting) {
+              tocLinks.forEach(l => l.classList.remove('is-active-toc'));
+              const match = document.querySelector(
+                `.docs-toc a[href="#${entry.target.id}"]`
+              );
+              if (match) match.classList.add('is-active-toc');
+            }
+          });
+        },
+        { rootMargin: '0px 0px -70% 0px' }
+      );
+
+      headings.forEach(h => { if (h.id) observer.observe(h); });
+    }
+  });
+</script>
+
+<style>
+  .docs-toc a.is-active-toc { color: var(--accent); font-weight: 500; }
+
+  /* ─── GLOBAL FOOTER BAR ──────────────────── */
+  .docs-global-footer {
+    border-top : 1px solid var(--border);
+    padding    : 16px 24px;
+    font-size  : 12px;
+    color      : var(--muted);
+    display    : flex;
+    justify-content: space-between;
+    align-items: center;
+    margin-top : auto;
+  }
+
+  .docs-global-footer a {
+    color          : var(--muted);
+    text-decoration: none;
+  }
+
+  .docs-global-footer a:hover { color: var(--accent); }
+</style>
+
+<footer class="docs-global-footer">
+  <span>© <?= $year ?> <?= esc($app_name) ?>. Internal developer docs.</span>
+  <span>
+    Built with CodeIgniter 4 &nbsp;·&nbsp;
+    <a href="<?= base_url('docs/changelog') ?>">Changelog</a> &nbsp;·&nbsp;
+    <a href="<?= base_url('docs/contributing') ?>">Contributing</a>
+  </span>
+</footer>
+
+</body>
+</html>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/docs_header.php b/app/Views/docs/docs_header.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2b8a8e6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/docs_header.php
@@ -0,0 +1,288 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Docs Header Partial
+ * app/Views/docs/partials/docs_header.php
+ *
+ * Usage in any docs view:
+ *   <?= view('docs/partials/docs_header', ['doc_title' => 'Installation']) ?>
+ *
+ * Variables:
+ *   $doc_title   (string) — page title shown in <title> and breadcrumb
+ *   $app_name    (string) — defaults to 'Nhance PAM'
+ *   $app_version (string) — defaults to 'v1.1.0'
+ */
+
+$doc_title   = $doc_title   ?? 'Documentation';
+$app_name    = $app_name    ?? 'Nhance PAM';
+$app_version = $app_version ?? 'v1.1.0';
+$base        = base_url();
+?>
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html lang="en">
+<head>
+  <meta charset="UTF-8" />
+  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
+  <title><?= esc($doc_title) ?> — <?= esc($app_name) ?> Doc, <?= esc($app_version) ?></title>
+
+  <!-- Highlight.js (code syntax) -->
+  <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/highlight.js/11.9.0/styles/github-dark.min.css" />
+  <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/highlight.js/11.9.0/highlight.min.js"></script>
+
+  <!-- Google Fonts -->
+  <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com" />
+  <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=IBM+Plex+Mono:wght@400;500&family=IBM+Plex+Sans:wght@400;500;600&display=swap" rel="stylesheet" />
+
+  <style>
+    /* ─── RESET ──────────────────────────────── */
+    *, *::before, *::after { box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0; padding: 0; }
+
+    /* ─── TOKENS ─────────────────────────────── */
+    :root {
+      --sidebar-w : 260px;
+      --topbar-h  : 56px;
+      --bg        : #ffffff;
+      --bg2       : #f7f8fa;
+      --border    : #e2e5ea;
+      --text      : #1a1d23;
+      --muted     : #6b7280;
+      --accent    : #2563eb;
+      --accent-bg : #eff4ff;
+      --code-bg   : #f3f4f6;
+      --font      : 'IBM Plex Sans', system-ui, sans-serif;
+      --mono      : 'IBM Plex Mono', 'Fira Code', monospace;
+    }
+
+    /* ─── BASE ───────────────────────────────── */
+    body {
+      font-family : var(--font);
+      font-size   : 15px;
+      line-height : 1.7;
+      color       : var(--text);
+      background  : var(--bg);
+      display     : flex;
+      flex-direction: column;
+      min-height  : 100vh;
+    }
+
+    /* ─── TOP BAR ────────────────────────────── */
+    .docs-topbar {
+      position      : fixed;
+      top: 0; left: 0; right: 0;
+      z-index       : 200;
+      height        : var(--topbar-h);
+      background    : var(--bg);
+      border-bottom : 1px solid var(--border);
+      display       : flex;
+      align-items   : center;
+      justify-content: space-between;
+      padding       : 0 24px;
+    }
+
+    .docs-topbar__logo {
+      display        : flex;
+      align-items    : center;
+      gap            : 10px;
+      text-decoration: none;
+      color          : var(--text);
+      font-weight    : 600;
+      font-size      : 15px;
+      letter-spacing : -0.01em;
+    }
+
+    .docs-topbar__badge {
+      background    : var(--accent);
+      color         : #fff;
+      font-size     : 10px;
+      font-weight   : 600;
+      padding       : 2px 8px;
+      border-radius : 4px;
+      letter-spacing: 0.04em;
+      text-transform: uppercase;
+    }
+
+    .docs-topbar__right {
+      display    : flex;
+      align-items: center;
+      gap        : 16px;
+    }
+
+    .docs-topbar__version {
+      font-family  : var(--mono);
+      font-size    : 12px;
+      color        : var(--muted);
+      background   : var(--bg2);
+      border       : 1px solid var(--border);
+      border-radius: 20px;
+      padding      : 2px 10px;
+    }
+
+    .docs-topbar__search {
+      display      : flex;
+      align-items  : center;
+      gap          : 8px;
+      border       : 1px solid var(--border);
+      border-radius: 8px;
+      padding      : 5px 12px;
+      font-size    : 13px;
+      color        : var(--muted);
+      background   : var(--bg2);
+      cursor       : text;
+      min-width    : 200px;
+    }
+
+    .docs-topbar__search kbd {
+      font-family  : var(--mono);
+      font-size    : 11px;
+      background   : var(--bg);
+      border       : 1px solid var(--border);
+      border-radius: 4px;
+      padding      : 1px 5px;
+      margin-left  : auto;
+    }
+
+    /* ─── LAYOUT WRAPPER ─────────────────────── */
+    .docs-layout {
+      display   : flex;
+      margin-top: var(--topbar-h);
+      min-height: calc(100vh - var(--topbar-h));
+    }
+
+    /* ─── TYPOGRAPHY (shared across pages) ───── */
+    h1 { font-size: 28px; font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: -0.02em; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 8px; }
+    h2 { font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; margin: 40px 0 12px; letter-spacing: -0.015em; }
+    h3 { font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 28px 0 8px; }
+
+    p  { margin-bottom: 16px; color: #2d3340; }
+    a  { color: var(--accent); }
+
+    /* ─── CODE ───────────────────────────────── */
+    pre {
+      background   : #1e1e2e;
+      border-radius: 8px;
+      padding      : 18px 20px;
+      overflow-x   : auto;
+      margin       : 16px 0;
+    }
+    pre code {
+      font-family: var(--mono);
+      font-size  : 13px;
+      line-height: 1.65;
+      color      : #cdd6f4;
+      background : none;
+    }
+    code {
+      font-family  : var(--mono);
+      font-size    : 13px;
+      background   : var(--code-bg);
+      color        : #c7254e;
+      padding      : 2px 5px;
+      border-radius: 4px;
+    }
+    .code-header {
+      background   : #13131e;
+      border-radius: 8px 8px 0 0;
+      padding      : 8px 16px;
+      display      : flex;
+      align-items  : center;
+      justify-content: space-between;
+      margin-bottom: -8px;
+    }
+    .code-filename { font-family: var(--mono); font-size: 12px; color: #a6adc8; }
+    .code-lang     { font-size: 11px; color: #585b70; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.06em; }
+
+    /* ─── CALLOUTS ───────────────────────────── */
+    .callout {
+      border-radius: 8px;
+      padding      : 14px 16px;
+      margin       : 20px 0;
+      font-size    : 14px;
+      display      : flex;
+      gap          : 10px;
+      align-items  : flex-start;
+      border-left  : 3px solid;
+    }
+    .callout strong { display: block; margin-bottom: 2px; font-weight: 600; }
+    .callout.info    { background: #eff4ff; border-color: #2563eb; color: #1e40af; }
+    .callout.warning { background: #fffbeb; border-color: #f59e0b; color: #b45309; }
+    .callout.danger  { background: #fef2f2; border-color: #f87171; color: #b91c1c; }
+    .callout.success { background: #f0fdf4; border-color: #4ade80; color: #15803d; }
+
+    /* ─── TABLES ─────────────────────────────── */
+    table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 20px 0; font-size: 13.5px; }
+    th {
+      background    : var(--bg2);
+      font-weight   : 600;
+      font-size     : 12px;
+      text-transform: uppercase;
+      letter-spacing: 0.05em;
+      color         : var(--muted);
+      padding       : 10px 14px;
+      border        : 1px solid var(--border);
+      text-align    : left;
+    }
+    td { padding: 10px 14px; border: 1px solid var(--border); vertical-align: top; }
+    tr:hover td { background: var(--bg2); }
+
+    /* ─── BADGES ─────────────────────────────── */
+    .badge {
+      display      : inline-block;
+      font-size    : 11px;
+      font-weight  : 500;
+      padding      : 2px 8px;
+      border-radius: 4px;
+      font-family  : var(--mono);
+    }
+    .badge.get    { background: #dbeafe; color: #1d4ed8; }
+    .badge.post   { background: #dcfce7; color: #15803d; }
+    .badge.put    { background: #fef9c3; color: #92400e; }
+    .badge.delete { background: #fee2e2; color: #991b1b; }
+    .badge.req    { background: #fee2e2; color: #991b1b; font-size: 10px; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.05em; }
+    .badge.opt    { background: var(--bg2); color: var(--muted); font-size: 10px; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.05em; }
+
+    /* ─── PARAM NAME ─────────────────────────── */
+    .param-name { font-family: var(--mono); font-size: 12.5px; color: var(--accent); }
+
+    /* ─── STEP LIST ──────────────────────────── */
+    .steps { list-style: none; counter-reset: steps; margin: 20px 0; }
+    .steps li { counter-increment: steps; position: relative; padding: 0 0 28px 44px; }
+    .steps li::before {
+      content      : counter(steps);
+      position     : absolute; left: 0; top: 2px;
+      width: 28px; height: 28px; border-radius: 50%;
+      background   : var(--accent-bg); color: var(--accent);
+      font-size    : 12px; font-weight: 600;
+      display      : flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;
+    }
+    .steps li::after {
+      content : '';
+      position: absolute; left: 13px; top: 32px; bottom: 0;
+      width   : 1px; background: var(--border);
+    }
+    .steps li:last-child::after { display: none; }
+    .steps li strong { display: block; margin-bottom: 4px; }
+  </style>
+</head>
+<body>
+
+<!-- ═══════════════════════════════════════════
+     TOP BAR
+════════════════════════════════════════════ -->
+<header class="docs-topbar">
+  <a href="<?= $base ?>docs" class="docs-topbar__logo">
+    <span class="docs-topbar__badge">CI4</span>
+    <?= esc($app_name) ?> Doc, <?= esc($app_version) ?>
+  </a>
+
+  <div class="docs-topbar__right">
+    <div class="docs-topbar__search">
+      <svg width="14" height="14" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><circle cx="11" cy="11" r="8"/><path d="m21 21-4.35-4.35"/></svg>
+      Search docs
+      <kbd>⌘K</kbd>
+    </div>
+  </div>
+</header>
+
+<!-- ═══════════════════════════════════════════
+     LAYOUT WRAPPER  (sidebar + main go inside)
+════════════════════════════════════════════ -->
+<div class="docs-layout">
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/docs_main_close.php b/app/Views/docs/docs_main_close.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b4a33778
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/docs_main_close.php
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Docs Main Close Partial
+ * app/Views/docs/partials/docs_main_close.php
+ *
+ * Closes the main content area, renders prev/next nav,
+ * and renders the right-side TOC. Always pair with docs_main_open.php.
+ *
+ * Variables:
+ *   $prev_label (string) — label for previous page link
+ *   $prev_url   (string) — URL segment e.g. 'docs/introduction'
+ *   $next_label (string) — label for next page link
+ *   $next_url   (string) — URL segment
+ *   $toc        (array)  — same array passed to docs_main_open.php
+ *                          ['label', 'href', 'level'(optional h3)]
+ */
+
+$prev_label = $prev_label ?? '';
+$prev_url   = $prev_url   ?? '';
+$next_label = $next_label ?? '';
+$next_url   = $next_url   ?? '';
+$toc        = $toc        ?? [];
+?>
+
+  <!-- ── PAGE CONTENT ENDS ABOVE THIS LINE ── -->
+
+  <!-- Prev / Next navigation -->
+  <div class="docs-page-nav">
+    <div>
+      <?php if ($prev_label && $prev_url): ?>
+        <a href="<?= base_url($prev_url) ?>" class="docs-page-nav__link">
+          <span class="docs-page-nav__dir">← Previous</span>
+          <span class="docs-page-nav__title"><?= esc($prev_label) ?></span>
+        </a>
+      <?php endif; ?>
+    </div>
+    <div>
+      <?php if ($next_label && $next_url): ?>
+        <a href="<?= base_url($next_url) ?>" class="docs-page-nav__link docs-page-nav__link--right">
+          <span class="docs-page-nav__dir">Next →</span>
+          <span class="docs-page-nav__title"><?= esc($next_label) ?></span>
+        </a>
+      <?php endif; ?>
+    </div>
+  </div>
+
+</main><!-- /.docs-main -->
+
+<!-- ═══════════════════════════════════════════
+     RIGHT TOC
+════════════════════════════════════════════ -->
+<?php if (!empty($toc)): ?>
+<nav class="docs-toc" aria-label="On this page">
+  <div class="docs-toc__title">On this page</div>
+  <?php foreach ($toc as $item): ?>
+    <a
+      href="<?= esc($item['href']) ?>"
+      class="<?= (!empty($item['level']) && $item['level'] === 'h3') ? 'is-sub' : '' ?>"
+    >
+      <?= esc($item['label']) ?>
+    </a>
+  <?php endforeach; ?>
+</nav>
+<?php endif; ?>
+
+</div><!-- /.docs-layout -->
+
+<style>
+  /* ─── PREV / NEXT NAV ────────────────────── */
+  .docs-page-nav {
+    display        : flex;
+    justify-content: space-between;
+    gap            : 16px;
+    margin-top     : 56px;
+    padding-top    : 24px;
+    border-top     : 1px solid var(--border);
+  }
+
+  .docs-page-nav__link {
+    display        : flex;
+    flex-direction : column;
+    gap            : 4px;
+    text-decoration: none;
+    color          : var(--text);
+    padding        : 12px 16px;
+    border         : 1px solid var(--border);
+    border-radius  : 8px;
+    transition     : border-color 0.15s, background 0.15s;
+    min-width      : 160px;
+  }
+
+  .docs-page-nav__link:hover {
+    border-color: var(--accent);
+    background  : var(--accent-bg);
+  }
+
+  .docs-page-nav__link--right { text-align: right; }
+
+  .docs-page-nav__dir {
+    font-size : 12px;
+    color     : var(--muted);
+  }
+
+  .docs-page-nav__title {
+    font-size  : 14px;
+    font-weight: 500;
+    color      : var(--accent);
+  }
+</style>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/docs_main_open.php b/app/Views/docs/docs_main_open.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e964f522
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/docs_main_open.php
@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Docs Main Open Partial
+ * app/Views/docs/partials/docs_main_open.php
+ *
+ * Opens the main content + right TOC wrapper.
+ * Always pair with docs_main_close.php.
+ *
+ * Variables:
+ *   $doc_title    (string)        — page heading (h1)
+ *   $breadcrumb   (string)        — section label, e.g. 'Getting Started'
+ *   $last_updated (string)        — e.g. 'May 2025'
+ *   $author       (string)        — e.g. 'Core Team'
+ *   $read_time    (string)        — e.g. '5 min read'
+ *   $toc          (array)         — array of ['label', 'href', 'level'(optional)]
+ *                                   level: 'h3' indents it as a sub-item
+ */
+
+$doc_title    = $doc_title    ?? 'Page Title';
+$breadcrumb   = $breadcrumb   ?? '';
+$last_updated = $last_updated ?? '';
+$author       = $author       ?? '';
+$read_time    = $read_time    ?? '';
+$toc          = $toc          ?? [];
+?>
+
+<style>
+  /* ─── MAIN CONTENT ───────────────────────── */
+  .docs-main {
+    flex    : 1;
+    max-width: 760px;
+    padding : 48px 56px 80px;
+    min-width: 0;
+  }
+
+  .docs-main__breadcrumb {
+    font-size  : 12px;
+    color      : var(--muted);
+    margin-bottom: 12px;
+    display    : flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    gap        : 6px;
+  }
+
+  .docs-main__breadcrumb a {
+    color          : var(--muted);
+    text-decoration: none;
+  }
+
+  .docs-main__breadcrumb a:hover { color: var(--accent); }
+
+  .docs-main__meta {
+    font-size    : 13px;
+    color        : var(--muted);
+    margin-bottom: 32px;
+    border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border);
+    padding-bottom: 24px;
+    display      : flex;
+    flex-wrap    : wrap;
+    gap          : 16px;
+  }
+
+  /* ─── RIGHT TOC ──────────────────────────── */
+  .docs-toc {
+    width    : 200px;
+    min-width: 200px;
+    padding  : 56px 20px 0;
+    position : sticky;
+    top      : calc(var(--topbar-h) + 32px);
+    height   : fit-content;
+    align-self: flex-start;
+    flex-shrink: 0;
+  }
+
+  .docs-toc__title {
+    font-size     : 11px;
+    font-weight   : 600;
+    text-transform: uppercase;
+    letter-spacing: 0.07em;
+    color         : var(--muted);
+    margin-bottom : 10px;
+  }
+
+  .docs-toc a {
+    display        : block;
+    font-size      : 12.5px;
+    color          : var(--muted);
+    text-decoration: none;
+    padding        : 3px 0;
+    transition     : color 0.1s;
+  }
+
+  .docs-toc a:hover    { color: var(--accent); }
+  .docs-toc a.is-sub   { padding-left: 10px; font-size: 12px; }
+</style>
+
+<!-- ═══════════════════════════════════════════
+     CONTENT AREA + RIGHT TOC
+════════════════════════════════════════════ -->
+<main class="docs-main">
+
+  <!-- Breadcrumb -->
+  <?php if ($breadcrumb): ?>
+  <div class="docs-main__breadcrumb">
+    <a href="<?= base_url('docs') ?>">Docs</a>
+    <span>›</span>
+    <span><?= esc($breadcrumb) ?></span>
+    <?php if ($doc_title !== $breadcrumb): ?>
+      <span>›</span>
+      <span><?= esc($doc_title) ?></span>
+    <?php endif; ?>
+  </div>
+  <?php endif; ?>
+
+  <!-- Page title -->
+  <h1><?= esc($doc_title) ?></h1>
+
+  <!-- Meta row -->
+  <div class="docs-main__meta">
+    <?php if ($last_updated): ?><span>📅 Last updated: <?= esc($last_updated) ?></span><?php endif; ?>
+    <?php if ($author):       ?><span>✍️ <?= esc($author) ?></span><?php endif; ?>
+    <?php if ($read_time):    ?><span>⏱ <?= esc($read_time) ?></span><?php endif; ?>
+  </div>
+
+  <!-- ── PAGE CONTENT GOES BELOW THIS LINE ── -->
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/docs_sidebar.php b/app/Views/docs/docs_sidebar.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..99f60501
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/docs_sidebar.php
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Docs Sidebar Partial
+ * app/Views/docs/partials/docs_sidebar.php
+ *
+ * Usage:
+ *   <?= view('docs/partials/docs_sidebar', ['active_page' => 'installation']) ?>
+ *
+ * Variables:
+ *   $active_page (string) — slug matching the 'id' on each nav item below
+ *   $nav         (array)  — optional nav injected by DocsController
+ *
+ * To add a page: add an entry to the $nav array below.
+ * To add a section: add a new group with a 'label' key.
+ */
+
+$active_page = $active_page ?? '';
+
+$nav = $nav ?? [
+  [
+    'label' => 'Getting Started',
+    'items' => [
+      ['id' => 'introduction',    'label' => 'Introduction',       'url' => 'docs/introduction'],
+      ['id' => 'installation',    'label' => 'Installation',       'url' => 'docs/installation'],
+      ['id' => 'configuration',   'label' => 'Configuration',      'url' => 'docs/configuration'],
+      ['id' => 'env-setup',       'label' => 'Environment Setup',  'url' => 'docs/env-setup'],
+    ],
+  ],
+  [
+    'label' => 'Architecture',
+    'items' => [
+      ['id' => 'project-structure', 'label' => 'Project Structure', 'url' => 'docs/project-structure'],
+      ['id' => 'routing',           'label' => 'Routing',           'url' => 'docs/routing'],
+      ['id' => 'controllers',       'label' => 'Controllers',       'url' => 'docs/controllers'],
+      ['id' => 'models',            'label' => 'Models',            'url' => 'docs/models'],
+      ['id' => 'services',          'label' => 'Services',          'url' => 'docs/services'],
+      ['id' => 'helpers',           'label' => 'Helpers',           'url' => 'docs/helpers'],
+    ],
+  ],
+  [
+    'label' => 'Features',
+    'items' => [
+      ['id' => 'authentication',  'label' => 'Authentication',     'url' => 'docs/authentication'],
+      ['id' => 'acl',             'label' => 'ACL / Access Control', 'url' => 'docs/acl'],
+      ['id' => 'input-security',  'label' => 'Input Security Guard', 'url' => 'docs/input-security'],
+      ['id' => 'file-uploads',    'label' => 'File Upload Guard',  'url' => 'docs/file-uploads'],
+      ['id' => 'background-jobs', 'label' => 'Background Jobs',    'url' => 'docs/background-jobs'],
+      ['id' => 'visit-onboard',   'label' => 'Visit onboard',      'url' => 'docs/visit-onboard'],
+      ['id' => 'visit-offboard',  'label' => 'Visit offboard',     'url' => 'docs/visit-offboard'],
+      ['id' => 'notifications',   'label' => 'Email / Notifications', 'url' => 'docs/notifications'],
+    ],
+  ],
+  [
+    'label' => 'API Reference',
+    'items' => [
+      ['id' => 'endpoints',       'label' => 'Endpoints',          'url' => 'docs/endpoints'],
+      ['id' => 'request-response','label' => 'Request / Response', 'url' => 'docs/request-response'],
+      ['id' => 'error-codes',     'label' => 'Error Codes',        'url' => 'docs/error-codes'],
+    ],
+  ],
+  [
+    'label' => 'DevOps',
+    'items' => [
+      ['id' => 'deployment',      'label' => 'Deployment',         'url' => 'docs/deployment'],
+      ['id' => 'cicd',            'label' => 'CI/CD Pipeline',     'url' => 'docs/cicd'],
+      ['id' => 's3-cloudfront',   'label' => 'S3 & CloudFront',    'url' => 'docs/s3-cloudfront'],
+    ],
+  ],
+  [
+    'label' => 'Reference',
+    'items' => [
+      ['id' => 'changelog',       'label' => 'Changelog',          'url' => 'docs/changelog'],
+      ['id' => 'contributing',    'label' => 'Contributing',       'url' => 'docs/contributing'],
+    ],
+  ],
+];
+?>
+
+<!-- ═══════════════════════════════════════════
+     SIDEBAR
+════════════════════════════════════════════ -->
+<aside class="docs-sidebar">
+
+  <?php foreach ($nav as $section): ?>
+
+    <span class="docs-sidebar__label">
+      <?= esc($section['label']) ?>
+    </span>
+
+    <?php foreach ($section['items'] as $item):
+      $is_active = ($item['id'] === $active_page);
+    ?>
+      <a
+        href="<?= base_url($item['url']) ?>"
+        class="docs-sidebar__link <?= $is_active ? 'is-active' : '' ?>"
+      >
+        <span class="docs-sidebar__dot"></span>
+        <?= esc($item['label']) ?>
+      </a>
+    <?php endforeach; ?>
+
+  <?php endforeach; ?>
+
+</aside>
+
+<style>
+  /* ─── SIDEBAR ────────────────────────────── */
+  .docs-sidebar {
+    width      : var(--sidebar-w);
+    min-width  : var(--sidebar-w);
+    border-right: 1px solid var(--border);
+    padding    : 24px 0 48px;
+    position   : sticky;
+    top        : var(--topbar-h);
+    height     : calc(100vh - var(--topbar-h));
+    overflow-y : auto;
+    background : var(--bg);
+    flex-shrink: 0;
+  }
+
+  /* Thin scrollbar */
+  .docs-sidebar::-webkit-scrollbar        { width: 4px; }
+  .docs-sidebar::-webkit-scrollbar-track  { background: transparent; }
+  .docs-sidebar::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb  { background: var(--border); border-radius: 4px; }
+
+  .docs-sidebar__label {
+    display       : block;
+    font-size     : 11px;
+    font-weight   : 600;
+    letter-spacing: 0.07em;
+    text-transform: uppercase;
+    color         : var(--muted);
+    padding       : 0 20px 6px;
+    margin-top    : 20px;
+  }
+
+  /* Remove top margin from first label */
+  .docs-sidebar__label:first-child { margin-top: 0; }
+
+  .docs-sidebar__link {
+    display        : flex;
+    align-items    : center;
+    gap            : 8px;
+    padding        : 6px 20px;
+    font-size      : 13.5px;
+    color          : var(--text);
+    text-decoration: none;
+    border-left    : 2px solid transparent;
+    transition     : background 0.1s, color 0.1s;
+  }
+
+  .docs-sidebar__link:hover {
+    background: var(--bg2);
+    color     : var(--accent);
+  }
+
+  .docs-sidebar__link.is-active {
+    background  : var(--accent-bg);
+    color       : var(--accent);
+    font-weight : 500;
+    border-left-color: var(--accent);
+  }
+
+  .docs-sidebar__dot {
+    width        : 5px;
+    height       : 5px;
+    border-radius: 50%;
+    background   : var(--border);
+    flex-shrink  : 0;
+  }
+
+  .docs-sidebar__link.is-active .docs-sidebar__dot {
+    background: var(--accent);
+  }
+</style>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/eb-rack-rate-calculation.php b/app/Views/docs/eb-rack-rate-calculation.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b6b55318
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/eb-rack-rate-calculation.php
@@ -0,0 +1,922 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * EB rack rate calculation — content only
+ * app/Views/docs/eb-rack-rate-calculation.php
+ */
+?>
+
+<h2 id="scope">Scope and entry point</h2>
+
+<p>
+  This page documents how <strong>configured rack rates</strong> (policy premium slabs and grid metadata loaded from the DB)
+  are <strong>matched to each family</strong> and how <strong>premium, pro-rata, and GST</strong> are written onto each member row
+  during <strong>Excel-driven employee onboarding</strong>.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>In scope here:</strong> the branch of
+    <code>EmployeeServiceController::employeesOnboardPreprocess()</code> that runs when <code>$params['file_id']</code> is set
+    (physical workbook under <code>WRITEPATH/uploads/excel/</code>), and Excel actions
+    <strong>inception</strong>, <strong>missed_inception</strong>, <strong>addition</strong>, and <strong>dependent_addition</strong> only.
+    The enrollment-to-inception branch (<code>client_policy_id</code> without a file) is out of scope.
+    UI configuration of racks remains on
+    <a href="<?= base_url('docs/eb-rack-rate-config') ?>">EB rack rate config</a>.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+  Primary symbols:
+  <code>app/Controllers/EmployeeServiceController.php</code> → <code>employeesOnboardPreprocess()</code>;
+  <code>app/Helpers/excel_util_helper.php</code> → <code>calculate_premium_new()</code> and its callees;
+  <code>app/Helpers/excel_util_helper.php</code> → <code>premium_calculation_manager()</code> for grid-type-specific slab row matching.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="inputs">Data loaded before premium</h2>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Source</th><th>What it is</th><th>Used for</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>clientPolicyModel->getPolicyDetails()</code></td>
+      <td>Policy terms (start/end dates, insurer id, GST default, flags such as <code>is_addon</code>).</td>
+      <td>Pro-rata denominators, optional +1 day on coverage for additions, post-match premium_type rules.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>policiesModel->getPolicySlabRatesForEmpOnboard()</code></td>
+      <td>Array shaped as <code>['slab_rates' => [...rows...], 'grid_master' => ..., 'additional_slab_info' => ...]</code> from <code>PolicyPremium1Model</code> / <code>PolicyPremium2Model</code> plus joined <code>grid_master</code> per row.</td>
+      <td>Every premium grid row (<code>rack_rate_name</code>, SI, age, grade, unit, <code>premium_type</code>, <code>additional_relationship</code> JSON, etc.).</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>clientBranchModel->getExisitingUnits()</code></td>
+      <td>List of valid unit names for the branch.</td>
+      <td>Default unit when Excel unit column is empty; unit matching inside slab loops.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Excel sheet</td>
+      <td>Rows parsed to a numeric-indexed array per member (see below).</td>
+      <td>Family composition, SI, DOB, dates, band, unit.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<h2 id="excel-columns">Excel row shape (numeric columns)</h2>
+
+<p>
+  After <code>rangeToArray</code>, each family member row is a 0-based array. The premium path relies heavily on these indices
+  inside helpers (e.g. <code>transform_excel_data_to_db</code>, <code>get_applicable_familiy_members</code>).
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Index</th><th>Typical meaning</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr><td><code>1</code></td><td>Employee code (family key).</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>2</code></td><td>Name.</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>3</code></td><td>DOB (age and age-band grids).</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>5</code></td><td>Relationship (Self, Spouse, …) — slugified for composition and applicability.</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>6</code></td><td>Basic cover SI.</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>7</code></td><td>Date of coverage.</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>9</code></td><td>Basic pay (GPA grid 1 basic-pay path).</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>10</code></td><td>Band / grade.</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>18</code></td><td>Unit name.</td></tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<p>
+  The <strong>first row in each grouped family array is treated as the self anchor</strong> inside <code>calculate_premium_new</code>:
+  SI (<code>[6]</code>), band (<code>[10]</code>), and a few other fields are copied from <code>$family_data[0]</code> onto every member before transform.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  A family may match <strong>more than one</strong> named rack. The code walks racks in the order returned by
+  <code>group_slab_rates_basedon_name</code>; each applicable rack overwrites <code>$family_data[i]['temp']</code> for the same indexes,
+  so the <strong>last matching rack in iteration order</strong> wins for <code>grid_name</code>, <code>grid_master</code>, and
+  <code>premium_type</code> on that row before per-member pricing runs.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="flow-preprocess">Flow: <code>employeesOnboardPreprocess</code> (Excel path)</h2>
+
+<p>
+  High-level orchestration: validate file, resolve column set from <code>$file['action']</code>, load policy + slabs + units,
+  group rows by employee code, optionally merge DB family for dependent addition, call <code>calculate_premium_new</code> per family,
+  then <code>employeesOnboardProcess</code> to persist. File status becomes <code>success</code> only if at least one family inserted;
+  otherwise a generic rack-configuration failure is recorded.
+</p>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper" id="flowchart-employees-onboard-preprocess">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart TD
+  A["employeesOnboardPreprocess file_id"] --> B{"file row exists"}
+  B -->|no| Z1["return file not found"]
+  B -->|yes| C{"physical xlsx exists"}
+  C -->|no| Z2["file status failed"]
+  C -->|yes| D["columns_to_check from file action"]
+  D --> E["getPolicyDetails"]
+  E --> F["load spreadsheet rangeToArray"]
+  F --> G["getPolicySlabRatesForEmpOnboard"]
+  G --> H["getExisitingUnits"]
+  H --> I["data_group_by_family from excel"]
+  I --> J{"dependent_addition"}
+  J -->|yes| K["merge DB family transform_db_data_to_excel"]
+  K --> L["self_rata_premium on dependents"]
+  J -->|no| M["for each family"]
+  L --> M
+  M --> N["calculate_premium_new"]
+  N --> O["employeesOnboardProcess"]
+  O --> P{"insert count gt 0"}
+  P -->|yes| Q["file status success"]
+  P -->|no| R["file failed rack slab hint"]
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="flow-calculate-premium">Flow: <code>calculate_premium_new</code></h2>
+
+<p>
+  Two conceptual phases: (1) <strong>rack selection</strong> — for each named rack, decide if the family matches the configured
+  relationship pattern and stamp <code>temp</code> metadata on applicable Excel rows; (2) <strong>per-member pricing</strong> —
+  normalize row, optionally call <code>premium_calculation_manager</code>, collect results. Dependent addition runs an extra
+  normalisation pass <code>validatet_family_floter_rata_premium</code>.
+</p>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper" id="flowchart-calculate-premium-new">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart TD
+
+    START([Start calculate_premium_new])
+
+    START --> INIT[Initialize Variables]
+
+    INIT --> GROUP_SLAB[Group slab details based on rack rate name]
+    GROUP_SLAB --> FAMILY_COMP[Construct incoming family composition & counts]
+
+    FAMILY_COMP --> LOOP_SLABS_START{{Loop Each Grouped Slab}}
+
+    %% =========================================================
+    %% SLAB APPLICABILITY SECTION
+    %% =========================================================
+
+    LOOP_SLABS_START --> COMPARE_SLAB[Compare incoming family composition with configured slab]
+
+    COMPARE_SLAB --> SLAB_APPLICABLE{Is Slab Applicable?}
+
+    SLAB_APPLICABLE -->|No| MARK_NOT_APPLICABLE[Mark slab as NOT applicable]
+    MARK_NOT_APPLICABLE --> NEXT_SLAB
+
+    SLAB_APPLICABLE -->|Yes| MARK_APPLICABLE[Mark slab as applicable]
+
+    MARK_APPLICABLE --> STORE_MEMBERS[Store applicable members]
+
+    STORE_MEMBERS --> GET_APPLICABLE_MEMBERS[Get applicable family members from overall family]
+
+    GET_APPLICABLE_MEMBERS --> INIT_SELF_FLAG[Initialize acting self flag = false]
+
+    INIT_SELF_FLAG --> LOOP_APPLICABLE_MEMBERS{{Loop Applicable Members}}
+
+    LOOP_APPLICABLE_MEMBERS --> CHECK_SELF{Is acting self already assigned?}
+
+    CHECK_SELF -->|No| CHECK_RELATIONSHIP{Relationship = Self ?}
+
+    CHECK_RELATIONSHIP -->|Yes| SET_ACTING_SELF_TRUE[Set acting self = true]
+    CHECK_RELATIONSHIP -->|No| SET_FIRST_AS_SELF[Set first applicable member as acting self]
+
+    SET_ACTING_SELF_TRUE --> UPDATE_SELF_FLAG
+    SET_FIRST_AS_SELF --> UPDATE_SELF_FLAG
+
+    UPDATE_SELF_FLAG[Set self flag assigned = true]
+        --> UPDATE_MEMBER_TEMP
+
+    CHECK_SELF -->|Yes| UPDATE_MEMBER_TEMP
+
+    UPDATE_MEMBER_TEMP[Update member temp data:
+    - max age
+    - max count
+    - grid name
+    - grid master
+    - acting self
+    - premium type]
+
+    UPDATE_MEMBER_TEMP --> MORE_APPLICABLE_MEMBERS{More applicable members?}
+
+    MORE_APPLICABLE_MEMBERS -->|Yes| LOOP_APPLICABLE_MEMBERS
+    MORE_APPLICABLE_MEMBERS -->|No| NEXT_SLAB
+
+    NEXT_SLAB --> MORE_SLABS{More slabs available?}
+
+    MORE_SLABS -->|Yes| LOOP_SLABS_START
+
+    %% =========================================================
+    %% FAMILY MEMBER PROCESSING SECTION
+    %% =========================================================
+
+    MORE_SLABS -->|No| LOOP_FAMILY_START{{Loop Each Family Member}}
+
+    LOOP_FAMILY_START --> SET_GRID_INFO[Set grid info into fileArr]
+
+    SET_GRID_INFO --> COPY_SELF_VALUES[Copy self values:
+    - SI
+    - Grade
+    - Unit
+    to current member]
+
+    COPY_SELF_VALUES --> CHECK_UNIT{Is Unit Empty?}
+
+    CHECK_UNIT -->|Yes| SET_DEFAULT_UNIT[Assign default existing unit]
+    CHECK_UNIT -->|No| TRANSFORM_MEMBER
+
+    SET_DEFAULT_UNIT --> TRANSFORM_MEMBER
+
+    TRANSFORM_MEMBER[Transform Excel row to DB structure]
+
+    TRANSFORM_MEMBER --> CHECK_ACTION{Action NOT in D/C/SI ?}
+
+    CHECK_ACTION -->|Yes| GENERATE_REL_CODE[Generate relationship code & emp type]
+    CHECK_ACTION -->|No| BUILD_CONDITIONS
+
+    GENERATE_REL_CODE --> BUILD_CONDITIONS
+
+    %% =========================================================
+    %% CONDITIONS SECTION
+    %% =========================================================
+
+    BUILD_CONDITIONS[Build Premium Calculation Conditions]
+
+    BUILD_CONDITIONS --> PRIMARY_GRID_CONDITION[
+    Build Primary Grid Type Condition
+    ]
+
+    PRIMARY_GRID_CONDITION --> FINAL_CONDITION{
+    Allow Premium Calculation?
+    }
+
+    FINAL_CONDITION -->|No| NEXT_MEMBER
+
+    FINAL_CONDITION -->|Yes| PREMIUM_MANAGER[Call Premium Calculation Manager]
+
+    PREMIUM_MANAGER --> STORE_RESULT[Append transformed member to result]
+
+    STORE_RESULT --> NEXT_MEMBER
+
+    NEXT_MEMBER --> MORE_MEMBERS{More family members?}
+
+    MORE_MEMBERS -->|Yes| LOOP_FAMILY_START
+
+    %% =========================================================
+    %% FINAL VALIDATION SECTION
+    %% =========================================================
+
+    MORE_MEMBERS -->|No| CHECK_DEPENDENT_ADDITION{
+    File Action = dependent_addition?
+    }
+
+    CHECK_DEPENDENT_ADDITION -->|Yes| VALIDATE_FLOATER[
+    Validate Family Floater Rata Premium
+    ]
+
+    CHECK_DEPENDENT_ADDITION -->|No| RETURN_RESULT
+
+    VALIDATE_FLOATER --> RETURN_RESULT
+
+    RETURN_RESULT([Return Result])
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="flow-group-slabs"><code>group_slab_rates_basedon_name</code></h2>
+
+<p>
+  Flattens the list returned from the model into a map keyed by <code>rack_rate_name</code>. Each bucket keeps
+  <code>['slab_rates' => [...], 'grid_master' => ...]</code> where <code>grid_master</code> comes from the row’s policy grid record
+  (<code>ui_type</code> becomes the numeric grid id used later in <code>premium_calculation_manager</code>).
+</p>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper" id="flowchart-group-slab-rates">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart LR
+  S["slab_rates rows"] --> L["iterate in DB order"]
+  L --> K{"rack_rate_name changed"}
+  K -->|yes| B["open new bucket"]
+  K -->|no| U["same bucket"]
+  B --> P["append row to slab_rates array"]
+  U --> P
+  P --> G["store grid_master from row"]
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    When maintaining this helper, inspect the implementation for <strong>duplicate pushes</strong> on the first row of a new rack name;
+    downstream code tolerates duplicate slab rows but it can confuse debugging of premium matches.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="flow-family-composition"><code>get_familiy_composition</code></h2>
+
+<p>
+  Builds a compact associative array of <strong>counts / presence flags</strong> from the <strong>incoming workbook family only</strong>
+  (already grouped to one employee). Keys align with the JSON used in rack configuration (<code>additional_relationship</code>), except
+  <code>either-parents-pil</code> and <code>elders_count</code> which are stripped before comparison.
+</p>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper" id="flowchart-family-composition">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart TD
+  A["single pass over family_data rows"] --> B["slugify column 5 per row"]
+  B --> C["bump self spouse childrens parents parents-in-law counters"]
+  C --> D["return family_composition map"]
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="flow-compare-slab"><code>compare_incoming_family_slab_with_configured_slab</code></h2>
+
+<p>
+  The first row of each rack’s <code>slab_rates</code> carries <code>additional_relationship</code> (JSON). After removing
+  <code>either-parents-pil</code> and <code>elders_count</code>, each remaining key is evaluated in sequence:
+</p>
+
+<ul>
+  <li>If the configured value is <code>'NA'</code>, that dimension is ignored (does not participate in match or applicable-member list).</li>
+  <li>Otherwise the incoming composition <strong>must</strong> contain the same key. If <code>incoming[key] == configured</code> <em>or</em> configured is <code>'any'</code>, the key contributes applicable relationship tokens (via an internal map: self, spouse, son/daughter, parents, in-laws).</li>
+  <li>On the first failed key, the rack is rejected (<code>is_applicable</code> false, applicable members cleared) and the loop stops.</li>
+  <li>If the decoded JSON is empty, the rack is not applicable.</li>
+</ul>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper" id="flowchart-compare-slab">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart TD
+  J["decode additional_relationship JSON"] --> U["strip either-parents-pil and elders_count"]
+  U --> E{"non-NA rules exist"}
+  E -->|no| F["rack not applicable"]
+  E -->|yes| K["sequential AND each non-NA key"]
+  K -->|incoming matches value or any| Y["rack applicable plus relationship tokens"]
+  K -->|missing key or mismatch| X["rack not applicable"]
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="flow-applicable-members"><code>get_applicable_familiy_members</code> and <code>acting_self</code></h2>
+
+<p>
+  Given the list of relationship strings that matched the rack (e.g. <code>self</code>, <code>spouse</code>, <code>son</code>), this helper returns:
+</p>
+
+<ul>
+  <li><code>index</code>: Excel row indexes whose slugified relationship is in that list.</li>
+  <li><code>max_age</code>: list of ages (years from DOB column <code>[3]</code> to “today” in <code>calculate_days_bw_dates</code>).</li>
+  <li><code>max_count</code>: count of those indexes (used by grids 10 and 11).</li>
+</ul>
+
+<p>
+  <code>calculate_premium_new</code> then walks <code>index</code> in order and sets <code>acting_self</code>: the <strong>first</strong> applicable member
+  receives <code>acting_self = true</code>; subsequent applicable members get <code>false</code>. Combined with relationship checks later in
+  <code>premium_calculation_manager</code>, this distinguishes who carries floater-style premium when <code>premium_type == 1</code>.
+</p>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper" id="flowchart-applicable-members">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart TD
+  A["applicable_members from compare"] --> B["scan family_data by index"]
+  B --> C{"relationship slug in list"}
+  C -->|yes| D["record index and age from DOB"]
+  C -->|no| B
+  D --> B
+  B -->|done| E["max_count equals number of indexes"]
+  E --> F["walk indexes in order first gets acting_self true remainder false"]
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="flow-per-member">Per-member transform and premium gate</h2>
+
+<p>
+  For each raw Excel row, <code>transform_excel_data_to_db</code> builds the associative structure expected by persistence and by
+  <code>premium_calculation_manager</code>, including <code>temp.grid_type</code> (rack name), <code>temp.grid_id</code> (grid master
+  <code>ui_type</code>), <code>temp.action</code> (single-letter code I, A, DA, MI, …), and nested <code>policy_details</code>.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  Premium is only calculated when any of the following holds (Excel onboarding path simplifies to the first two in practice):
+</p>
+
+<ul>
+  <li><code>isEmployeeSourceEnrollment</code>: <code>fileArr['id'] == null</code> (not used in the scoped Excel path).</li>
+  <li><code>isEmployeeSourceExcelFile</code>: <code>temp.source == 'excel'</code> — normal onboarding uploads.</li>
+  <li><code>primaryGridTypeCondition</code>: dependent addition + primary grid + premium_type single + relationship self + basic SI already set (additional-grid path; omitted from diagrams above for brevity).</li>
+</ul>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper" id="flowchart-per-member-gate">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart TD
+  T["transform_excel_data_to_db"] --> G{"need relationship_code"}
+  G -->|not deletion correction SI| R["generate_relationship_code"]
+  G -->|skip| C2["build conditions"]
+  R --> C2
+  C2 --> P{"excel upload or enrollment or DA primary single self path"}
+  P -->|yes| M["premium_calculation_manager"]
+  P -->|no| X["member not added to priced result"]
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="flow-premium-manager"><code>premium_calculation_manager</code> (grid types 1–13)</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Resolves <code>$emp_data['temp']['grid_name']</code> to the rack bucket, takes that rack’s <code>slab_rates</code> rows, and branches on
+  <code>temp.grid_id</code> (string <code>"1"</code> … <code>"13"</code>). Common outcomes for a match:
+</p>
+
+<ul>
+  <li>Set <code>policy_details.basic_cover_si</code>, <code>date_coverage</code>, <code>policy_end_date</code>, <code>days</code>.</li>
+  <li>Set annual <code>premium</code>, then <code>rata_premimum</code> via <code>calculate_pro_rata_premimum(premium, employee_days, policy_days)</code>.</li>
+  <li>Set <code>gst</code> from policy GST percent (default 18).</li>
+</ul>
+
+<p>
+  Special cases worth reading in source: GPA grid <strong>1</strong> also supports <code>si_or_bp == 2</code> auto SI from basic pay when no slab row matches;
+  grids <strong>10</strong> and <strong>11</strong> consume <code>temp.max_age</code> / <code>temp.max_count</code> from the rack-selection phase;
+  grids <strong>12</strong> and <strong>13</strong> match slugified relationship (child merges son/daughter).
+</p>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper" id="flowchart-premium-calculation-manager">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+
+flowchart TD
+
+    START([Start premium_calculation_manager])
+
+    START --> INIT[Initialize Logger, Slug Service, Grid Type, Slab Index]
+
+    INIT --> CHECK_GRID{Grid Name Available?}
+
+    CHECK_GRID -->|No| RETURN_FALSE[Return False]
+    CHECK_GRID -->|Yes| GET_SLAB_RATES[Get Current Slab Rates]
+
+    %% =====================================================
+    %% DRAFT / AUDIT HISTORY SECTION
+    %% =====================================================
+
+    GET_SLAB_RATES --> CHECK_EMP_DRAFT{
+    Employee Source = Enrollment
+    AND Emp Status = Draft
+    AND Policy Status = Draft ?
+    }
+
+    CHECK_EMP_DRAFT -->|Yes| FETCH_EMP_AUDIT[Fetch Original Employee Audit Data]
+    CHECK_EMP_DRAFT -->|No| CHECK_POLICY_DRAFT
+
+    FETCH_EMP_AUDIT --> CHECK_POLICY_DRAFT
+
+    CHECK_POLICY_DRAFT{
+    Fetch Original Policy Audit Data?
+    }
+
+    CHECK_POLICY_DRAFT -->|Yes| FETCH_POLICY_AUDIT[Fetch Original Policy Audit Records]
+    CHECK_POLICY_DRAFT -->|No| CHECK_ADDITION_ACTION
+
+    FETCH_POLICY_AUDIT --> CHECK_ADDITION_ACTION
+
+    %% =====================================================
+    %% ADDITION ACTION SECTION
+    %% =====================================================
+
+    CHECK_ADDITION_ACTION{
+    Action = DA or A ?
+    }
+
+    CHECK_ADDITION_ACTION -->|No| INIT_CALCULATION
+    CHECK_ADDITION_ACTION -->|Yes| FETCH_INSURER
+
+    FETCH_INSURER[Fetch Insurer Master]
+
+    FETCH_INSURER --> CHECK_ADD_DAY{
+    addition_add_day enabled?
+    }
+
+    CHECK_ADD_DAY -->|Yes| ADD_ONE_DAY[Add +1 day to coverage date]
+    CHECK_ADD_DAY -->|No| INIT_CALCULATION
+
+    ADD_ONE_DAY --> INIT_CALCULATION
+
+    %% =====================================================
+    %% MAIN CALCULATION SECTION
+    %% =====================================================
+
+    INIT_CALCULATION[Initialize:
+    - GST
+    - is_match_found = false]
+
+    INIT_CALCULATION --> SWITCH_GRID{{Switch Grid Type}}
+
+    %% =====================================================
+    %% GRID TYPE 1
+    %% =====================================================
+
+    SWITCH_GRID --> GRID1[Grid Type 1:
+    GPA - SI * Multiplier]
+
+    GRID1 --> GRID1_LOOP{{Loop Slab Rates}}
+
+    GRID1_LOOP --> GRID1_MATCH{
+    SI + Unit Match?
+    OR
+    Grade + SI + Unit Match?
+    }
+
+    GRID1_MATCH -->|Yes| COMMON_ASSIGNMENT_1
+    GRID1_MATCH -->|No| GRID1_NEXT
+
+    GRID1_NEXT --> MORE_GRID1{More Slabs?}
+
+    MORE_GRID1 -->|Yes| GRID1_LOOP
+
+    MORE_GRID1 -->|No| CHECK_AUTO_CALC
+
+    CHECK_AUTO_CALC{
+    SI/BP Type = Basic Pay?
+    }
+
+    CHECK_AUTO_CALC -->|No| END_GRID1
+
+    CHECK_AUTO_CALC -->|Yes| AUTO_CALC_SI
+
+    AUTO_CALC_SI[Auto Calculate:
+    - SI using Basic Pay
+    - Premium using Multiplier]
+
+    AUTO_CALC_SI --> COMMON_ASSIGNMENT_1
+
+    COMMON_ASSIGNMENT_1[
+    Assign:
+    - SI
+    - Coverage Dates
+    - Days
+    - Premium
+    - Rata Premium
+    - GST
+    Set Match Found = true
+    ]
+
+    COMMON_ASSIGNMENT_1 --> END_GRID1
+
+    END_GRID1 --> POST_SWITCH
+
+    %% =====================================================
+    %% GRID TYPE 2
+    %% =====================================================
+
+    SWITCH_GRID --> GRID2[Grid Type 2:
+    GPA Flat Rate]
+
+    GRID2 --> SIMPLE_SI_MATCH_2
+
+    SIMPLE_SI_MATCH_2{
+    SI + Unit Match?
+    }
+
+    SIMPLE_SI_MATCH_2 -->|Yes| COMMON_ASSIGNMENT_2
+    SIMPLE_SI_MATCH_2 -->|No| POST_SWITCH
+
+    COMMON_ASSIGNMENT_2[
+    Assign Premium Details
+    Set Match Found = true
+    ]
+
+    COMMON_ASSIGNMENT_2 --> POST_SWITCH
+
+    %% =====================================================
+    %% GRID TYPE 3
+    %% =====================================================
+
+    SWITCH_GRID --> GRID3[Grid Type 3:
+    GMC - SI]
+
+    GRID3 --> SIMPLE_SI_MATCH_3
+
+    SIMPLE_SI_MATCH_3{
+    SI + Unit Match?
+    }
+
+    SIMPLE_SI_MATCH_3 -->|Yes| COMMON_ASSIGNMENT_3
+    SIMPLE_SI_MATCH_3 -->|No| POST_SWITCH
+
+    COMMON_ASSIGNMENT_3[
+    Assign Premium Details
+    Set Match Found = true
+    ]
+
+    COMMON_ASSIGNMENT_3 --> POST_SWITCH
+
+    %% =====================================================
+    %% GRID TYPE 4 - 7
+    %% =====================================================
+
+    SWITCH_GRID --> GRID4TO7[Grid Types 4-7:
+    Age Based Calculation]
+
+    GRID4TO7 --> CALCULATE_AGE[Calculate Employee Age]
+
+    CALCULATE_AGE --> AGE_MATCH_LOOP{{Loop Slab Rates}}
+
+    AGE_MATCH_LOOP --> AGE_MATCH{
+    SI + Unit + Age Band Match?
+    }
+
+    AGE_MATCH -->|Yes| AGE_ASSIGNMENT
+    AGE_MATCH -->|No| AGE_NEXT
+
+    AGE_NEXT --> MORE_AGE_SLABS{More Slabs?}
+
+    MORE_AGE_SLABS -->|Yes| AGE_MATCH_LOOP
+    MORE_AGE_SLABS -->|No| POST_SWITCH
+
+    AGE_ASSIGNMENT[
+    Assign:
+    - Premium
+    - Age Band
+    - GST
+    - Rata Premium
+    Set Match Found = true
+    ]
+
+    AGE_ASSIGNMENT --> POST_SWITCH
+
+    %% =====================================================
+    %% GRID TYPE 8
+    %% =====================================================
+
+    SWITCH_GRID --> GRID8[Grid Type 8:
+    Grade/Band Based SI]
+
+    GRID8 --> GRID8_MATCH{
+    Grade + SI + Unit Match?
+    }
+
+    GRID8_MATCH -->|Yes| COMMON_ASSIGNMENT_8
+    GRID8_MATCH -->|No| POST_SWITCH
+
+    COMMON_ASSIGNMENT_8[
+    Assign Premium Details
+    Set Match Found = true
+    ]
+
+    COMMON_ASSIGNMENT_8 --> POST_SWITCH
+
+    %% =====================================================
+    %% GRID TYPE 9
+    %% =====================================================
+
+    SWITCH_GRID --> GRID9[Grid Type 9:
+    Flat Rate For All]
+
+    GRID9 --> GRID9_MATCH{
+    SI + Unit Match?
+    }
+
+    GRID9_MATCH -->|Yes| COMMON_ASSIGNMENT_9
+    GRID9_MATCH -->|No| POST_SWITCH
+
+    COMMON_ASSIGNMENT_9[
+    Assign Premium Details
+    Set Match Found = true
+    ]
+
+    COMMON_ASSIGNMENT_9 --> POST_SWITCH
+
+    %% =====================================================
+    %% GRID TYPE 10
+    %% =====================================================
+
+    SWITCH_GRID --> GRID10[Grid Type 10:
+    Max Dependent Age]
+
+    GRID10 --> GET_MAX_AGE[Get Maximum Family Age]
+
+    GET_MAX_AGE --> GRID10_MATCH{
+    SI + Unit + Max Age Match?
+    }
+
+    GRID10_MATCH -->|Yes| GRID10_ASSIGN
+    GRID10_MATCH -->|No| POST_SWITCH
+
+    GRID10_ASSIGN[
+    Assign:
+    - Premium
+    - Age Band
+    - GST
+    ]
+
+    GRID10_ASSIGN --> POST_SWITCH
+
+    %% =====================================================
+    %% GRID TYPE 11
+    %% =====================================================
+
+    SWITCH_GRID --> GRID11[Grid Type 11:
+    Max Family Count]
+
+    GRID11 --> GET_MAX_COUNT[Get Family Member Count]
+
+    GET_MAX_COUNT --> CALCULATE_FAMILY_SI[Calculate Family SI]
+
+    CALCULATE_FAMILY_SI --> LIMIT_MAX_SI[Apply Max SI Limit]
+
+    LIMIT_MAX_SI --> GET_PREMIUM_BY_SI[Fetch Premium using Family SI]
+
+    GET_PREMIUM_BY_SI --> GRID11_ASSIGN
+
+    GRID11_ASSIGN[
+    Assign Family Premium Details
+    ]
+
+    GRID11_ASSIGN --> POST_SWITCH
+
+    %% =====================================================
+    %% GRID TYPE 12
+    %% =====================================================
+
+    SWITCH_GRID --> GRID12[Grid Type 12:
+    Relationship Based]
+
+    GRID12 --> NORMALIZE_RELATIONSHIP[Normalize Relationship]
+
+    NORMALIZE_RELATIONSHIP --> GRID12_MATCH{
+    SI + Unit + Relationship Match?
+    }
+
+    GRID12_MATCH -->|Yes| GRID12_ASSIGN
+    GRID12_MATCH -->|No| POST_SWITCH
+
+    GRID12_ASSIGN[
+    Assign Premium Details
+    ]
+
+    GRID12_ASSIGN --> POST_SWITCH
+
+    %% =====================================================
+    %% GRID TYPE 13
+    %% =====================================================
+
+    SWITCH_GRID --> GRID13[Grid Type 13:
+    Relationship + Age]
+
+    GRID13 --> CALCULATE_REL_AGE[Calculate Age & Normalize Relationship]
+
+    CALCULATE_REL_AGE --> GRID13_MATCH{
+    SI + Unit + Relationship + Age Match?
+    }
+
+    GRID13_MATCH -->|Yes| GRID13_ASSIGN
+    GRID13_MATCH -->|No| POST_SWITCH
+
+    GRID13_ASSIGN[
+    Assign Premium + Age Band
+    ]
+
+    GRID13_ASSIGN --> POST_SWITCH
+
+    %% =====================================================
+    %% DEFAULT
+    %% =====================================================
+
+    SWITCH_GRID --> GRID_DEFAULT[Unknown Grid Type]
+
+    GRID_DEFAULT --> LOG_GRID_ERROR[Log Grid Type Error]
+
+    LOG_GRID_ERROR --> POST_SWITCH
+
+    %% =====================================================
+    %% POST PROCESSING
+    %% =====================================================
+
+    POST_SWITCH --> CHECK_FLOATER{
+    Match Found
+    AND Relationship != Self
+    AND Premium Type = 3
+    AND Addon != 3 ?
+    }
+
+    CHECK_FLOATER -->|Yes| RESET_DEPENDENT_SI[Set Dependent SI = 0]
+    CHECK_FLOATER -->|No| CHECK_MATCH_FOUND
+
+    RESET_DEPENDENT_SI --> CHECK_MATCH_FOUND
+
+    %% =====================================================
+    %% NO MATCH SECTION
+    %% =====================================================
+
+    CHECK_MATCH_FOUND{
+    Match Found?
+    }
+
+    CHECK_MATCH_FOUND -->|Yes| CHECK_DEPENDENT_DA
+
+    CHECK_MATCH_FOUND -->|No| HANDLE_NO_MATCH
+
+    HANDLE_NO_MATCH{
+    Premium Type = 1 ?
+    }
+
+    HANDLE_NO_MATCH -->|Yes| RESET_SELF_ONLY
+
+    HANDLE_NO_MATCH -->|No| LOG_SLAB_NOT_FOUND
+
+    RESET_SELF_ONLY[
+    Reset:
+    - SI
+    - Premium
+    - GST
+    - Rata Premium
+    ]
+
+    RESET_SELF_ONLY --> LOG_ERROR
+
+    LOG_SLAB_NOT_FOUND[
+    Log:
+    Slab Rate Not Found
+    ]
+
+    LOG_SLAB_NOT_FOUND --> LOG_ERROR
+
+    LOG_ERROR[Write Error Log]
+
+    LOG_ERROR --> CHECK_DEPENDENT_DA
+
+    %% =====================================================
+    %% DEPENDENT ADDITION LOGIC
+    %% =====================================================
+
+    CHECK_DEPENDENT_DA{
+    Dependent
+    AND Acting Self Empty
+    AND Premium Type = 1
+    AND Action = DA ?
+    }
+
+    CHECK_DEPENDENT_DA -->|Yes| HANDLE_DA_PREMIUM
+
+    CHECK_DEPENDENT_DA -->|No| CHECK_OTHER_ACTIONS
+
+    HANDLE_DA_PREMIUM[
+    Set:
+    - SI = 0
+    - Premium = 0
+
+    Recalculate Rata Premium Difference
+    ]
+
+    HANDLE_DA_PREMIUM --> RETURN_RESULT
+
+    CHECK_OTHER_ACTIONS{
+    Action = I/A/MI ?
+    }
+
+    CHECK_OTHER_ACTIONS -->|Yes| RESET_DEPENDENT_VALUES
+    CHECK_OTHER_ACTIONS -->|No| RETURN_RESULT
+
+    RESET_DEPENDENT_VALUES[
+    Reset:
+    - SI
+    - Premium
+    - GST
+    - Days
+    ]
+
+    RESET_DEPENDENT_VALUES --> RETURN_RESULT
+
+    RETURN_RESULT([Return Employee Data])
+
+
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="dependent-addition">Dependent addition extras</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Before <code>calculate_premium_new</code>, the controller loads active family members from the DB, maps them into the same Excel column layout,
+  merges them with new dependents, and re-groups so <strong>Self stays first</strong>. It copies the self member’s
+  <code>temp.rata_premimum</code> onto each non-self row as <code>self_rata_premium</code> for downstream floater math.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  After pricing, <code>validatet_family_floter_rata_premium</code> adjusts dependents when <code>premium_type == 1</code> so that only the
+  intended Excel dependents retain non-zero rata (see implementation for the two-pass rules and the <code>data_from == excel</code> filter).
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="failure-modes">Failure: zero successful families</h2>
+
+<p>
+  If every family iteration yields no successful insert from <code>employeesOnboardProcess</code>, the file is marked failed with a message
+  pointing operators at slab / rack configuration. That usually means no family produced priced rows that the persistence layer accepted,
+  which often traces back to rack mismatch, missing slab rows for SI/unit/age, or <code>premium_calculation_manager</code> returning
+  unmatched state for all members.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="related">Related</h2>
+
+<ul>
+  <li><a href="<?= base_url('docs/eb-rack-rate-config') ?>">EB rack rate config</a> — UI fields, <code>premium_type</code> semantics, grid catalogue.</li>
+  <li><code>app/Controllers/EmployeeServiceController.php</code> — <code>employeesOnboardPreprocess</code>, <code>employeesOnboardProcess</code>.</li>
+  <li><code>app/Helpers/excel_util_helper.php</code> — <code>calculate_premium_new</code>, <code>premium_calculation_manager</code>, composition/compare helpers.</li>
+  <li><code>app/Models/PolicesModel.php</code> — <code>getPolicySlabRatesForEmpOnboard()</code>.</li>
+</ul>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/eb-rack-rate-config.php b/app/Views/docs/eb-rack-rate-config.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cf86ad9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/eb-rack-rate-config.php
@@ -0,0 +1,463 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * EB rack rate config — content only
+ * app/Views/docs/eb-rack-rate-config.php
+ */
+?>
+
+<h2 id="purpose">Purpose</h2>
+
+<p>
+  <strong>EB rack rate config</strong> is how Nhance authors <strong>premium rack rates</strong> for a client policy:
+  rate tables (SI, age, grade, relationship, etc.) plus two <strong>policy-wide behaviours</strong> that apply to
+  <strong>every</strong> grid type (1–13): <a href="#premium-calculation-modes">Premium calculation</a> and
+  <a href="#applicable-family-members">Applicable family members</a>. GMC policies may also define multiple
+  named rack rates (Primary + additional tabs). Technical save/load paths reference
+  <code>ClientController</code>, <code>policy_grid.php</code>, and <code>policy_grid_excel.php</code>.
+  For the <strong>Excel employee onboarding</strong> pipeline that consumes this configuration and runs
+  <code>calculate_premium_new</code>, see
+  <a href="<?= base_url('docs/eb-rack-rate-calculation') ?>">EB rack rate calculation</a>.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="premium-calculation-modes">Premium calculation (all grid types)</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The modal exposes <strong>Premium calculation</strong> as three radios: <strong>Individual</strong>,
+  <strong>Family floater</strong>, and <strong>Family floater cum Individual</strong>. This choice is stored
+  with the rack (e.g. <code>premium_type</code> on premium rows where used) and interpreted <strong>when
+  premiums are calculated in downstream flows</strong> (enrollment, endorsements, etc.) — not re-derived from
+  the grid layout alone.
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Mode</th><th>Meaning (at calculation time)</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><strong>Individual</strong></td>
+      <td>
+        Sum insured is covered <strong>per individual</strong> family member, and <strong>premium is calculated
+        (and applied) per member</strong> according to the rack rules and member attributes.
+      </td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><strong>Family floater</strong></td>
+      <td>
+        Sum insured applies to the <strong>whole family</strong> as one floater cover. Premium is calculated for
+        the family unit, but the amount is <strong>stored / represented against the self member only</strong>
+        (single premium bucket for the floater).
+      </td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><strong>Family floater cum Individual</strong></td>
+      <td>
+        <strong>Combines both</strong> behaviours where the product rules require floater cover together with
+        individually rated members (exact split depends on policy / insurer rules in the calculation engine).
+      </td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    For developers: the rack modal captures the <strong>mode</strong> and the <strong>rate table</strong>; always
+    trace how <code>premium_type</code> (and policy terms) are read in the <strong>premium calculation</strong> path
+    you are debugging — not only in <code>createClientPolicyPremium</code>.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="applicable-family-members">Applicable family members (all grid types)</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The section <strong>“Choose applicable family members”</strong> is driven by what the <strong>policy
+  terms</strong> allow for that client policy (who can exist on the cover). The user then selects which of
+  those relationships are <strong>in scope for this specific rack rate</strong> (Self / Spouse / Children /
+  Parents / Parents in law) using the radio options below.
+</p>
+
+<h3 id="applicable-members-radio-meanings">Radio option meanings (per relationship row)</h3>
+
+<p>
+  Each relationship (Self, Spouse, Children, Parents, Parents in law) uses the same vocabulary of choices.
+  These define <strong>eligibility rules for this rack rate</strong>, not the member list itself.
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Choice</th><th>Meaning for this rack rate</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><strong>Yes</strong></td>
+      <td>That relationship <strong>must</strong> be present in the incoming family for this rack rate to apply.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><strong>No</strong></td>
+      <td>That relationship <strong>must not</strong> be present — if it is, this rack rate does not match.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><strong>Maybe</strong></td>
+      <td>If that relationship is <strong>available</strong> on the family, it is <strong>included in</strong> this rack rate’s match; if not present, the rack can still match without it.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><strong>NA</strong></td>
+      <td>Even if members of that relationship exist on the policy, they are <strong>not applicable</strong> to this rack rate (this rack never prices or targets them).</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><strong>Any</strong></td>
+      <td><strong>Any number</strong> of members with that same relationship is allowed for a match (no fixed count).</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><strong>1, 2, 3, 4, …</strong> (numeric)</td>
+      <td>An <strong>exact count</strong> of members with that relationship must be present for this rack rate to match (e.g. exactly two parents).</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<h3 id="applicable-members-matching">How rack rates are picked at premium time</h3>
+
+<p>
+  At calculation time (enrollment / endorsement / etc.), the engine compares the <strong>incoming family’s
+  members and relationships</strong> (who is on the cover and in what roles) against <strong>each configured rack
+  rate’s applicable members</strong> (the rules saved in <code>additional_relationship</code> for that tab’s rack).
+  Racks whose rules <strong>match</strong> the family pattern are candidates for premium.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  <strong>More than one rack rate can match</strong> the same family (e.g. a base employee rack and a separate
+  parents top-up). In those cases <strong>multiple rack rates may apply</strong> and <strong>premium is calculated
+  accordingly</strong> (combined according to product rules in the calculation path — not in the modal UI alone).
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  The diagram below is <strong>conceptual</strong>: the exact class or function name lives in your premium /
+  onboarding pipeline, but the decision order is what new developers should internalize.
+</p>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper" id="rack-rate-family-matching-flowchart">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart TD
+    Start([Start premium run]) --> Family["Incoming family snapshot:<br/>members, relationship, counts"]
+    Family --> Load["Load active rack config for policy<br/>policy_premium_1 / 2, is_active = 1<br/>each rack_rate_name + rules + grid rows"]
+    Load --> Compare["For each rack rate:<br/>compare family vs applicable members<br/>Yes / No / Maybe / NA / Any / count"]
+    Compare --> Matched["Build matched rack list<br/>0, 1, or many racks"]
+    Matched --> Calc["Premium engine:<br/>use premium_type + rate table per matched rack"]
+    Calc --> Multi{"Several racks matched?"}
+    Multi -->|Yes| Combine["Combine premium<br/>per product rules"]
+    Multi -->|No| Single["Single-rack premium"]
+    Combine --> Done([Allocate to members / floater])
+    Single --> Done
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<ul>
+  <li><strong>Why multiple tabs exist:</strong> A single policy may define <strong>several rack rates</strong> (GMC
+    Primary + “Add Rack Rate” tabs). Each tab encodes a different applicable-member pattern and/or rate table.</li>
+  <li><strong>Persisted as:</strong> On save, the selections are stored in <code>additional_relationship</code>
+    JSON on premium rows (keys such as <code>self</code>, <code>spouse</code>, <code>childrens</code>,
+    <code>parents</code>, <code>parents-in-law</code>). Grid ids <strong>1</strong> and <strong>2</strong> force a
+    simplified relation map in the controller (self-only path).</li>
+  <li><strong>Reload in UI:</strong> For GMC, <code>getpolicyGridData</code> returns <code>jsonArray</code> keyed by
+    <code>rack_rate_name</code> so the modal can restore checkbox state per tab.</li>
+</ul>
+
+<h2 id="how-to-configure-rack-rate">How to configure a rack rate (checklist)</h2>
+
+<ol>
+  <li><strong>Policy terms first.</strong> Ensure <code>client_policy.policy_terms</code> reflects allowed members,
+    family floater flags, SI ladders, etc. The rack UI inherits what is allowed.</li>
+  <li><strong>Open the Rack Rate modal</strong> (<code>.btnPolicyModel</code>) for the target <code>client_policy_id</code>.</li>
+  <li><strong>Set Premium calculation</strong> — pick Individual, Family floater, or Family floater cum Individual
+    per product rules (see <a href="#premium-calculation-modes">Premium calculation</a>).</li>
+  <li><strong>Set applicable family members</strong> for <em>this</em> rack rate tab — narrow from policy-allowed
+    members to who this table applies to (see <a href="#applicable-family-members">Applicable family members</a>).</li>
+  <li><strong>Choose Policy premium type</strong> — maps to <code>policy_grid_id</code> 1–13 from
+    <code>policy_grid_master</code> (see <a href="#grid-types-1-13">Grid types</a>).</li>
+  <li><strong>Fill the grid</strong> — manual rows, “+” rows, and/or <strong>Copy from excel</strong> using headers
+    from <code>policy_grid_excel.php</code>.</li>
+  <li><strong>Save</strong> — POST to <code>client/premimum/create</code>; confirm no validation errors (Parsley,
+    SI vs policy terms, duplicate family composition across tabs where enforced).</li>
+  <li><strong>Repeat for additional GMC tabs</strong> if the product uses more than one named rack rate.</li>
+</ol>
+
+<h2 id="ui-entry">Where it appears in the UI</h2>
+
+<ul>
+  <li><strong>View files:</strong> <code>app/Views/policy_grid.php</code> (modal shell, tabs, forms) and
+    <code>app/Views/policy_grid_excel.php</code> (Excel header maps, paste helpers, <code>copyHeaders</code> / <code>generateTable</code>).</li>
+  <li><strong>Open modal:</strong> A control with class <code>.btnPolicyModel</code> passes <code>data-id</code> (client policy id) and policy type context; the script loads grid definitions and any saved premiums (see AJAX below).</li>
+  <li><strong>GMC vs GPA in the modal:</strong> For GPA (<code>policy_type_string == 'GPA'</code> or policy type ids 6 / 7), “Add Rack Rate” and the primary tab chrome are hidden and the submit button label is “Submit”. For GMC, multiple rack-rate tabs are supported (<code>appendNewTab</code>, rename).</li>
+  <li><strong>Forms:</strong> Each tab uses a form whose id starts with <code>GridForm_</code> (primary <code>GridForm_</code>, additional tabs <code>GridForm_{tabId}</code>). Hidden fields carry <code>client_id</code>, <code>client_policy_id</code>, <code>rack_rate_name</code> (e.g. Primary), and the selected <code>policy_grid_id</code> from the “Policy Premium Type” dropdown.</li>
+</ul>
+
+<h2 id="getpolicy-grid-data">Load grid data — <code>ClientController::getpolicyGridData</code></h2>
+
+<p><strong>HTTP:</strong> <code>GET</code> <code>util/policy-premium</code> with query <code>client_policy_id</code> (see <code>app/Config/Routes.php</code> under the <code>/util</code> group). The front end calls <code>base_url("util/policy-premium")</code> with that query parameter.</p>
+
+<p><strong>What it does:</strong></p>
+<ol>
+  <li>Loads <code>client_policy</code> joined to <code>policy_type</code> and reads <code>policy_terms</code> JSON (family floater flags, <code>family_floaters</code>, etc.).</li>
+  <li>Resolves <code>terms_si_amount_array</code> via <code>getPolicyTerms($client_policy_id)</code> and branch units via <code>getBranchUnitsByBranchId</code>.</li>
+  <li>Counts active employees on the policy for UI gating (<code>hideShowSubmitButton</code>).</li>
+  <li>Derives a search token from policy type name / id: <strong>GMC</strong> (regex on type name, or type id 72) vs <strong>GPA</strong> (regex or type ids 6 / 7).</li>
+  <li>Fetches grid <strong>templates</strong> from <code>policy_grid_master</code> via <code>PolicyGridModel::like('policy_type', $search_term)</code> — these rows drive which “Policy Premium Type” options exist and what columns each grid id expects.</li>
+  <li><strong>GPA:</strong> Loads saved rows from <code>policy_premium_1</code> for this client + client_policy where <code>is_active = 1</code>.</li>
+  <li><strong>GMC:</strong> Loads saved rows from <code>policy_premium_2</code> for the same scope. Also builds <code>jsonArray</code>: grouped by <code>rack_rate_name</code>, each value is <code>json_decode(additional_relationship)</code> (family-composition flags used when re-rendering checkboxes).</li>
+  <li><strong>GMC family floater filter:</strong> If <code>family_floater == 0</code>, when existing data exists it keeps premiums whose <code>policy_grid_id</code> is in 3–9; if <code>family_floater == 1</code>, it prefers grid ids 10–11 when data exists. Empty data passes through unchanged.</li>
+</ol>
+
+<p><strong>Response shape (success):</strong> <code>data</code> (grid master rows), <code>premiumData</code> (JSON string of premium rows for the UI), <code>jsonArray</code>, <code>branch_units</code>, <code>family_floater</code>, <code>self</code>, <code>count</code>, <code>terms_si_amount_array</code>, <code>client_policy_id</code>. GPA and GMC branches return the same keys; non-GPA/GMC types still return grid templates but premium payload may be empty.</p>
+
+<h2 id="create-premium">Save rack rate — <code>ClientController::createClientPolicyPremium</code></h2>
+
+<p><strong>HTTP:</strong> <code>POST</code> <code>client/premimum/create</code> (spelling <code>premimum</code> matches routes). Body is multipart form data from the modal (<code>FormData</code> in JS).</p>
+
+<p><strong>What it does:</strong></p>
+<ol>
+  <li>Sanitizes POST via <code>sanitizeInputArrayAdvanced</code>; requires a valid <code>client_policy_id</code> and loads <code>client_policy</code> for <code>client_id</code> / branch.</li>
+  <li>Builds <code>additional_relationship</code> JSON from checkboxes: <code>self</code>, <code>spouse</code>, <code>childrens</code>, <code>parents</code>, <code>parents-in-law</code>. For grid ids <strong>1</strong> or <strong>2</strong> it forces a fixed relation map (self only).</li>
+  <li><strong>Deactivate old rows (soft replace):</strong> For <code>policy_grid_id</code> 1 or 2, sets <code>is_active = 0</code> on <strong>all</strong> <code>policy_premium_1</code> rows for that client policy. Otherwise sets <code>is_active = 0</code> on <code>policy_premium_2</code> rows matching the same <code>rack_rate_name</code> (so additional GMC tabs do not wipe other rack rates).</li>
+  <li><strong>Insert new active rows:</strong> One insert per SI/premium row (arrays in POST). Units default from branch if a slot is empty or <code>undefined</code>.</li>
+</ol>
+
+<p><strong>Branching by <code>policy_grid_id</code> (high level):</strong></p>
+<ul>
+  <li><strong>1 (GPA-style primary):</strong> Uses <code>si_or_bp</code>: <code>1</code> = sum insured + premium rows (<code>gpa_sum_si[]</code>, <code>gpa_sum_premium[]</code>, …); <code>2</code> = basic pay ladder; <code>3</code> = band/grade + SI + premium. Writes to <code>policy_premium_1</code>.</li>
+  <li><strong>2 or 9:</strong> Simple SI + premium columns (<code>gpa_si29[]</code>, <code>gpa_premium29[]</code>). Grid <strong>2</strong> uses <code>policy_premium_1</code>; grid <strong>9</strong> uses <code>policy_premium_2</code>.</li>
+  <li><strong>3–8, 10–13:</strong> Prefix <code>{id}_</code> on POST keys (e.g. <code>3_premium[]</code>, <code>3_si[]</code>, age from/to, grade, relationship, <code>max_si</code>). All go to <code>policy_premium_2</code>.</li>
+</ul>
+
+<p><strong>Success response:</strong> <code>status: true</code>, <code>rack_rate_json</code> — a small JSON map used by the UI to prevent duplicate family-floater combinations across tabs (<code>rarc_rate_json_array</code> in <code>policy_grid.php</code>).</p>
+
+<h2 id="frontend-flow">Frontend flow (<code>policy_grid.php</code>)</h2>
+
+<ol>
+  <li><strong>Open:</strong> Click <code>.btnPolicyModel</code> → GET <code>util/policy-premium?client_policy_id=…</code>.</li>
+  <li><strong>Populate dropdown:</strong> <code>appendGridData(res.data, …)</code> fills “Policy Premium Type” from grid master rows.</li>
+  <li><strong>Build inputs:</strong> Changing the dropdown calls <code>addGridHTML</code>, which injects large HTML templates for grid ids 1–13 (SI/basic/grade layouts, GMC age bands, etc.). Existing <code>premiumData</code> pre-fills values when editing.</li>
+  <li><strong>Family composition:</strong> <code>createCheckboxes</code> uses <code>res.self</code> / policy terms and, for GMC, saved <code>additional_relationship</code> from <code>jsonArray</code>.</li>
+  <li><strong>Submit:</strong> Delegated submit handler on <code>form[id^="GridForm_"]</code> — Parsley validation, duplicate SI checks against <code>terms_si_amount_array</code> (<code>checkPolicyTermsSI</code>), unit checks, then <code>POST client/premimum/create</code> with <code>FormData</code>. On success, appends <code>res.rack_rate_json</code> for duplicate-tab prevention; for grid 1 or 2 the modal may auto-close.</li>
+  <li><strong>Excel:</strong> “Copy from excel” toggles a textarea; <code>policy_grid_excel.php</code> defines per-grid header order and parsing to fill the grid.</li>
+</ol>
+
+<h2 id="grid-ids-storage">Grid IDs and database tables</h2>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Artifact</th><th>Role</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>policy_grid_master</code></td>
+      <td>Catalog of available premium grid layouts filtered by policy type (GPA vs GMC).</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>policy_premium_1</code></td>
+      <td>Stores GPA primary grid (id 1), GPA-style grid 2, and other rows where the controller routes to <code>PolicyPremium1Model</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>policy_premium_2</code></td>
+      <td>Stores most GMC grids (3+), grid 9, and additional rack rates distinguished by <code>rack_rate_name</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>client_policy.policy_terms</code></td>
+      <td>JSON: drives family floater behaviour in <code>getpolicyGridData</code> and which checkbox defaults appear.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<h2 id="grid-types-1-13">Grid types (1–13) — <code>policy_grid_master</code></h2>
+
+<p>
+  Every grid below uses the same two layers documented above:
+  <a href="#premium-calculation-modes">Premium calculation</a> and
+  <a href="#applicable-family-members">Applicable family members</a>.
+  The <strong>only</strong> difference between ids 1–13 is the <strong>shape of the rate table</strong> (which columns
+  appear and how POST fields are named). Downstream premium logic must combine <code>premium_type</code>,
+  <code>additional_relationship</code>, and these rows.
+</p>
+
+<h3 id="grid-4-vs-5-ui">UI pattern: grid 4 vs grid 5 (age vs age + SI per row)</h3>
+
+<p>
+  These two GMC layouts are easy to confuse; the modal layout differs as follows (reviewed UI):
+</p>
+
+<ul>
+  <li><strong>Grid 4 — Employees Age band:</strong> One <strong>Sum insured</strong> field applies to the whole table
+    block; each row is only <strong>From age</strong>, <strong>To age</strong>, and <strong>Premium</strong>. You are
+    building age bands under a single SI.</li>
+  <li><strong>Grid 5 — Employees Age + SI:</strong> Each row includes <strong>Sum insured</strong>,
+    <strong>From age</strong>, <strong>To age</strong>, and <strong>Premium</strong>. SI can change per row together
+    with the age band.</li>
+</ul>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr>
+      <th>Grid ID</th>
+      <th>Line</th>
+      <th>Master label</th>
+      <th>Rate table (what differs)</th>
+      <th>Persisted in</th>
+    </tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>1</code></td>
+      <td>GPA</td>
+      <td>Sum Insured (SI) * Multiplier</td>
+      <td>
+        GPA primary: sub-mode <code>si_or_bp</code> — <strong>1</strong> SI × multiplier rows, <strong>2</strong> basic pay ladder with multipliers,
+        <strong>3</strong> band/grade + SI + premium. Multiple unit/SI/premium lines. Controller forces <code>additional_relationship</code> to self-only for grids 1–2.
+        Same <a href="#premium-calculation-modes">premium calculation</a> radios apply when shown.
+      </td>
+      <td><code>policy_premium_1</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>2</code></td>
+      <td>GPA</td>
+      <td>Flat Rate for all SI</td>
+      <td>
+        Simple ladder: <code>gpa_unit29[]</code>, <code>gpa_si29[]</code>, <code>gpa_premium29[]</code> per row — no age/grade columns.
+      </td>
+      <td><code>policy_premium_1</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>3</code></td>
+      <td>GMC</td>
+      <td>SI</td>
+      <td>
+        Unit + SI + premium per row (no age/relationship in the standard template). Prefix <code>3_</code> on POST keys.
+      </td>
+      <td><code>policy_premium_2</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>4</code></td>
+      <td>GMC</td>
+      <td>Employees Age band</td>
+      <td>
+        <strong>One SI</strong> for the table; rows = age band + premium only (see <a href="#grid-4-vs-5-ui">Grid 4 vs 5</a>).
+        Backend still stores <code>si</code>, <code>age_from</code>, <code>age_to</code>, <code>premium</code> per insert; UI collects one SI context then many age rows.
+      </td>
+      <td><code>policy_premium_2</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>5</code></td>
+      <td>GMC</td>
+      <td>Employees Age + SI</td>
+      <td>
+        <strong>Each row</strong>: SI + from age + to age + premium (see <a href="#grid-4-vs-5-ui">Grid 4 vs 5</a>). Prefix <code>5_</code>.
+      </td>
+      <td><code>policy_premium_2</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>6</code></td>
+      <td>GMC</td>
+      <td>Employees + Dependent Age band</td>
+      <td>
+        Age-band table where dependents are in product scope (<code>policy_grid_master</code> dependent flags). Same POST pattern as other GMC age grids with prefix <code>6_</code>.
+      </td>
+      <td><code>policy_premium_2</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>7</code></td>
+      <td>GMC</td>
+      <td>Employees + Dependent Age + SI</td>
+      <td>
+        Dependent-aware age bands <strong>and</strong> SI on each row (prefix <code>7_</code>) for combined pricing dimensions.
+      </td>
+      <td><code>policy_premium_2</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>8</code></td>
+      <td>GMC</td>
+      <td>SI as per Grade or Band</td>
+      <td>
+        Adds <strong>grade/band</strong> per row with SI and premium (<code>8_grade[]</code>, etc.). For corporate grade–based insurer tables.
+      </td>
+      <td><code>policy_premium_2</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>9</code></td>
+      <td>GMC</td>
+      <td>Flat Rate for all</td>
+      <td>
+        Same row shape as grid <strong>2</strong> (<code>gpa_si29[]</code> / <code>gpa_premium29[]</code>) but saved to <code>policy_premium_2</code> for GMC.
+      </td>
+      <td><code>policy_premium_2</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>10</code></td>
+      <td>GMC</td>
+      <td>Maximum age of Dependents</td>
+      <td>
+        Floater-oriented table (age + SI + premium); <code>getpolicyGridData</code> prefers ids <strong>10–11</strong> when <code>family_floater = 1</code> and premium data exists. Prefix <code>10_</code>.
+      </td>
+      <td><code>policy_premium_2</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>11</code></td>
+      <td>GMC</td>
+      <td>Maximum count per Family</td>
+      <td>
+        Similar family/floater use case as 10; includes <strong>max SI</strong> column (<code>11_max_si[]</code>) for family-count / cap rules. Prefix <code>11_</code>.
+      </td>
+      <td><code>policy_premium_2</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>12</code></td>
+      <td>GMC</td>
+      <td>Employees + relationship</td>
+      <td>
+        Each row carries a <strong>relationship</strong> value plus SI/premium (and unit) so rates differ by member type. Prefix <code>12_</code>.
+      </td>
+      <td><code>policy_premium_2</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>13</code></td>
+      <td>GMC</td>
+      <td>Employees age + relationship age</td>
+      <td>
+        Full row: relationship + age from/to + SI + premium. Prefix <code>13_</code>.
+      </td>
+      <td><code>policy_premium_2</code></td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>POST naming for GMC grids 3–13:</strong> fields use the <code>{gridId}_</code> prefix, e.g.
+    <code>5_age_from[]</code>, <code>5_age_to[]</code>, <code>5_si[]</code>, <code>5_premium[]</code>, <code>5_unit[]</code>.
+    See <code>policy_grid_excel.php</code> → <code>excel_headers</code> for paste column order per id.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="excel-paste">Excel paste path</h2>
+
+<p>
+  <code>policy_grid_excel.php</code> defines <code>excel_headers</code> keyed by grid id (and nested keys for GPA grid 1 variants).
+  Users paste tab-separated data; helpers build a preview table and map columns into the same field names the manual grid uses.
+  Use this when bulk-entering many SI/premium lines instead of row-by-row “+” buttons.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="related-routes">Related routes and follow-ups</h2>
+
+<ul>
+  <li><code>POST client/premimum/edit</code> — <code>ClientController::editClientPolicyPremium</code> (edit path; not detailed on this page).</li>
+  <li><code>GET util/delete-additional-rack-rate/(:any)</code> — referenced elsewhere for removing extra GMC rack-rate tabs / data.</li>
+  <li><strong>Premium calculation at enrollment:</strong> Employee flows (e.g. onboarding) read slab / rack configuration through existing policy services — this page documents <strong>where rack rows are authored</strong>, not every consumer.</li>
+</ul>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Production caution:</strong> Saving grid <strong>1</strong> or <strong>2</strong> deactivates <strong>all</strong> rows in
+    <code>policy_premium_1</code> for the policy before insert. Other grids deactivate only rows sharing the same
+    <code>rack_rate_name</code> in <code>policy_premium_2</code>. Test on a copy of client policy data first.
+  </div>
+</div>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/file-uploads.php b/app/Views/docs/file-uploads.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..30eb7b69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/file-uploads.php
@@ -0,0 +1,312 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * File Upload Guard - content only
+ * app/Views/docs/file-uploads.php
+ *
+ * Documents the behavior of app/Filters/GlobalPostFileUploadGuard.php
+ */
+?>
+
+<p>
+  File uploads are protected by <code>GlobalPostFileUploadGuard</code>, a
+  request filter that validates uploaded files before controller code runs. Its
+  job is to reject dangerous uploads early using extension checks, MIME checks,
+  magic-byte inspection, filename validation, and size limits.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Where this logic lives</strong>
+    The implementation is in <code>app/Filters/GlobalPostFileUploadGuard.php</code>.
+    The filter is aliased in <code>app/Config/Filters.php</code> and is also
+    applied globally in the <code>before</code> filter chain.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="overview">Overview</h2>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart TD
+    A[POST request with files] --> B[Run upload guard filter]
+    B --> C[Walk uploaded inputs]
+    C --> D[Validate one file]
+    D --> E[Check filename and extension]
+    E --> F[Check file size]
+    F --> G[Detect real MIME]
+    G --> H[Resolve expected MIME]
+    H --> I[Check magic bytes]
+    I --> J[Verify strict MIME match]
+    J --> K[Allow request]
+    E --> X[Block upload]
+    F --> X
+    G --> X
+    H --> X
+    I --> X
+    J --> X
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="when-it-runs">When it runs</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The filter returns immediately unless all of the following are true:
+</p>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>The request method is <code>POST</code></strong>
+    <p>Non-POST requests are ignored by the guard.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>The request actually contains uploaded files</strong>
+    <p>If <code>$request-&gt;getFiles()</code> is empty, the filter exits without doing anything.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Each uploaded file is valid enough to inspect</strong>
+    <p>Oversized uploads that fail at the PHP upload layer are still blocked and logged with a specific reason.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<p>
+  The filter also recurses through nested file input arrays, so it protects both
+  single-file and multi-file form structures.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="allowed-file-types">Allowed file types</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The allowlist is defined through <code>$allowedMimeMap</code>. The filter
+  resolves an expected MIME from the client extension and rejects any extension
+  that does not map to an approved MIME.
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>MIME type</th><th>Allowed extensions</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr><td><code>image/jpeg</code></td><td><code>jpg</code>, <code>jpeg</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>image/png</code></td><td><code>png</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>image/gif</code></td><td><code>gif</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>image/webp</code></td><td><code>webp</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>application/pdf</code></td><td><code>pdf</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>application/msword</code></td><td><code>doc</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document</code></td><td><code>docx</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text</code></td><td><code>odt</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>text/rtf</code> / <code>application/rtf</code></td><td><code>rtf</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>application/vnd.ms-excel</code></td><td><code>xls</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet</code></td><td><code>xlsx</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.spreadsheet</code></td><td><code>ods</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>text/csv</code> / <code>application/csv</code></td><td><code>csv</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>text/plain</code></td><td><code>txt</code></td></tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Notable exclusions</strong>
+    SVG is explicitly removed. Archive formats such as <code>zip</code>,
+    <code>rar</code>, and <code>7z</code> are blocked. The filter also separates
+    <code>xlsx</code> from old Excel MIME handling and keeps <code>txt</code> and
+    <code>csv</code> distinct.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="blocked-extensions">Blocked extensions</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The guard maintains a large denylist in <code>$blockedExtensions</code> to
+  stop common executable, script, archive, config, and sensitive file types.
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Category</th><th>Examples</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr><td>PHP / server code</td><td><code>php</code>, <code>phtml</code>, <code>phar</code>, <code>jsp</code>, <code>asp</code>, <code>aspx</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td>Scripts</td><td><code>js</code>, <code>ts</code>, <code>jsx</code>, <code>tsx</code>, <code>sh</code>, <code>bash</code>, <code>ps1</code>, <code>bat</code>, <code>cmd</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td>Binaries</td><td><code>exe</code>, <code>dll</code>, <code>msi</code>, <code>apk</code>, <code>deb</code>, <code>rpm</code>, <code>bin</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td>Archives</td><td><code>zip</code>, <code>rar</code>, <code>7z</code>, <code>tar</code>, <code>gz</code>, <code>iso</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td>Config / secrets</td><td><code>env</code>, <code>ini</code>, <code>htaccess</code>, <code>htpasswd</code>, <code>key</code>, <code>pem</code>, <code>p12</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td>Database / logs</td><td><code>sql</code>, <code>db</code>, <code>sqlite</code>, <code>log</code>, <code>bak</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td>Markup / risky text</td><td><code>html</code>, <code>htm</code>, <code>xhtml</code>, <code>xml</code>, <code>svg</code></td></tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<p>
+  Multiple extensions are handled defensively. If a filename like
+  <code>invoice.php.pdf</code> or <code>report.jpg.js</code> contains any blocked
+  extension in its middle segments, the file is rejected.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="validation-flow">Validation flow</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Each uploaded file passes through this validation order:
+</p>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>Upload validity check</strong>
+    <p>If PHP reports an invalid upload and the error is a server/form size issue, the guard blocks immediately.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Filename safety check</strong>
+    <p>Rejects null bytes, path separators, and filenames longer than 255 characters.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Multiple-extension detection</strong>
+    <p>Rejects files that hide blocked extensions inside multi-part names.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Forbidden extension check</strong>
+    <p>Rejects uploads whose client extension is directly on the blocked list.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>File size limit</strong>
+    <p>The hard application limit is <code>25 MB</code>.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Real MIME detection</strong>
+    <p>Uses PHP <code>finfo(FILEINFO_MIME_TYPE)</code> on the temporary uploaded file.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Expected MIME resolution</strong>
+    <p>Maps the client extension to one expected MIME from the allowlist.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Magic byte validation</strong>
+    <p>Checks the actual file header against known signatures for supported formats.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Strict MIME match</strong>
+    <p>The detected MIME must match the expected MIME exactly; generic fallback MIME values are not accepted.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">if ($request->getMethod() !== 'post') {
+    return;
+}
+
+$files = $request->getFiles();
+if (empty($files)) {
+    return;
+}</code></pre>
+
+<h2 id="magic-bytes-check">Magic bytes check</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The guard performs deep header checks using <code>$magicBytes</code> for
+  several formats:
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Type</th><th>Signature rule</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr><td>JPEG</td><td><code>FF D8 FF</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td>PNG</td><td><code>89 50 4E 47 0D 0A 1A 0A</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td>GIF</td><td><code>GIF87a</code> or <code>GIF89a</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td>PDF</td><td><code>%PDF-</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td>DOC / XLS (legacy)</td><td><code>D0 CF 11 E0</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td>DOCX / XLSX / ODT / ODS</td><td><code>PK 03 04</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td>WebP</td><td>Special-case check for <code>RIFF....WEBP</code></td></tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<p>
+  There is also an <code>scanForEmbeddedCode()</code> method in the filter, but
+  its invocation is currently commented out. The active protection path today is
+  the filename, extension, MIME, and magic-byte validation sequence.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="route-coverage">Route coverage</h2>
+
+<p>
+  This guard is registered in two relevant places:
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Location</th><th>Effect</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>app/Config/Filters.php</code> global <code>before</code> filters</td>
+      <td>Applies the guard to incoming requests globally before controller execution.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>app/Config/Routes.php</code> <code>employeeRest</code> group</td>
+      <td>Also explicitly includes <code>GlobalPostFileUploadGuard</code> alongside rate-limit, app-signature, and JWT auth filters.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">$routes->group("employeeRest", ["filter" => ['GlobalPostFileUploadGuard', 'ratelimit', 'appSignature', 'authJWT']], function ($routes) {
+    // upload-related endpoints live here
+});</code></pre>
+
+<h2 id="blocked-response">Blocked response</h2>
+
+<p>
+  When the filter rejects a file, it logs a critical event and immediately sends
+  a JSON error response with HTTP <code>403</code>.
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Response field</th><th>Meaning</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr><td><code>status</code></td><td><code>error</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>message</code></td><td>Security-policy rejection message including the reason.</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>debug</code></td><td>Detailed rejection reason only when <code>ENVIRONMENT === 'development'</code>.</td></tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<pre><code class="language-json">{
+  "status": "error",
+  "message": "File upload rejected: Security policy violation. Reason: MIME-extension mismatch.",
+  "debug": "MIME-extension mismatch"
+}</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  The log entry includes the block reason, client IP, URI, input field, original
+  filename, MIME, extension, and size.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="operational-notes">Operational notes</h2>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>Controller code never sees blocked files</strong>
+    <p>The filter sends the response directly and exits, so later controller logic does not run for rejected uploads.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Client extension alone is never trusted</strong>
+    <p>The extension is only used to resolve the expected MIME; the real file MIME and header still have to match.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>25 MB is the app-level limit</strong>
+    <p>Server-side PHP upload limits can still reject larger files earlier, and the filter explicitly handles that error path.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>False positives are possible if MIME support differs by environment</strong>
+    <p>Because the check is strict, any environment mismatch in MIME detection can cause a block until the allowlist is updated deliberately.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<div class="callout success">
+  <span>+</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Practical takeaway</strong>
+    This is a defensive upload gate, not just a UI validator. If a new file type
+    must be accepted, update the allowlist, magic-byte rules, and operational
+    expectations together rather than changing only the frontend.
+  </div>
+</div>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/input-security.php b/app/Views/docs/input-security.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bfa27dbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/input-security.php
@@ -0,0 +1,315 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Input Security Guard - content only
+ * app/Views/docs/input-security.php
+ *
+ * Based on app/Filters/SecurityInputFilter.php
+ */
+?>
+
+<p>
+  <code>SecurityInputFilter</code> is the request-level input guard for
+  high-confidence XSS detection. It inspects GET and POST values before
+  controller logic runs, canonicalizes user input to reduce encoding bypasses,
+  and blocks the request when a known dangerous pattern is detected.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Good name in Features</strong>
+    This docs page is listed as <code>Input Security Guard</code> because the
+    filter is not only about sanitizing forms. It is a request gate that checks
+    user-controlled input before normal application logic continues.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="overview">Overview</h2>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart TD
+    A[Incoming request] --> B[Read GET and POST input]
+    B --> C{Any input present}
+    C -->|No| D[Allow request]
+    C -->|Yes| E[Canonicalize each value]
+    E --> F[Trim input]
+    F --> G[Check XSS patterns]
+    G --> H{Dangerous pattern found}
+    H -->|No| D
+    H -->|Yes| I[Log metadata and hash]
+    I --> J[Return 403 JSON]
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="where-it-runs">Where it runs</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The filter is globally registered in <code>app/Config/Filters.php</code> in
+  the <code>before</code> chain, which means it runs for normal incoming web
+  requests unless the route is explicitly excluded.
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">'SecurityInputFilter' => SecurityInputFilter::class,
+
+'before' => [
+    'SecurityInputFilter' => [
+        'except' => [
+            '/client/notification/create',
+            '/ticket/crud_mail_template/*',
+            'test_mail',
+            'leads/sendMail',
+            'ticket/reply'
+        ]
+    ],
+]</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  The filter only reads:
+</p>
+
+<ul>
+  <li><code>$request->getGet()</code></li>
+  <li><code>$request->getPost()</code></li>
+</ul>
+
+<p>
+  It does not inspect uploaded file contents. File uploads are handled by the
+  separate <code>GlobalPostFileUploadGuard</code> filter.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="what-it-checks">What it checks</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The filter uses a focused list of high-confidence XSS patterns to reduce false
+  positives while still blocking obvious injection attempts.
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Category</th><th>Examples from the filter</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Script tags</td>
+      <td><code>&lt;script</code>, <code>&lt;/script&gt;</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>JavaScript execution schemes</td>
+      <td><code>javascript:</code>, <code>vbscript:</code>, <code>data:text/html</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Inline event handlers</td>
+      <td><code>onclick=</code>, <code>onerror=</code>, <code>onload=</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Dangerous HTML tags</td>
+      <td><code>&lt;iframe</code>, <code>&lt;object</code>, <code>&lt;embed</code>, <code>&lt;applet</code>, <code>&lt;img</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>SVG / MathML vectors</td>
+      <td><code>&lt;svg</code>, <code>&lt;math</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Meta refresh payloads</td>
+      <td><code>&lt;meta http-equiv="refresh"</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Injected src/href handlers</td>
+      <td>HTML tags using <code>src=javascript:</code> or <code>href=data:</code></td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Detection, not rich sanitization</strong>
+    This filter is a blocker for clearly malicious input. It is not a full HTML
+    sanitizer for rich text fields. If a feature needs controlled HTML input,
+    design that path explicitly and make sure the route is handled appropriately.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="canonicalization">Canonicalization</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Before pattern matching, the filter canonicalizes each value:
+</p>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>URL decode</strong>
+    <p>Helps catch encoded payloads that would otherwise bypass naive matching.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>HTML entity decode</strong>
+    <p>Turns entity-encoded payloads into their real characters before detection.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Strip invisible control characters</strong>
+    <p>Removes null bytes and other control characters from the evaluation string.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Trim the final value</strong>
+    <p>Reduces noise before regex evaluation.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">private function canonicalize(string $value): string
+{
+    $value = urldecode($value);
+    $value = html_entity_decode($value, ENT_QUOTES | ENT_HTML5, 'UTF-8');
+
+    return preg_replace('/[\x00-\x1F\x7F]/u', '', $value);
+}</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  Array inputs are converted to JSON first, then canonicalized as a string.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="block-behavior">Block behavior</h2>
+
+<p>
+  When a pattern matches, the filter logs security metadata and immediately
+  returns a JSON <code>403</code> response:
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Logged field</th><th>Purpose</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr><td><code>ip</code></td><td>Source IP address</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>method</code></td><td>Request method</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>uri</code></td><td>Current request URL</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>field</code></td><td>Input field name</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>attack</code></td><td>Static marker <code>XSS_PATTERN</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>length</code></td><td>Canonicalized payload length</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>hash</code></td><td>SHA-256 hash of the canonicalized payload</td></tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<p>
+  The raw input value is not logged directly. The filter logs intent metadata and
+  a hash instead.
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-json">{
+  "status": 403,
+  "error": "Forbidden",
+  "message": "Malicious input detected"
+}</code></pre>
+
+<h2 id="filter-exceptions">Filter exceptions</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Some routes are explicitly excluded from the global security-input filter:
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Excluded route</th><th>Why developers should care</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>/client/notification/create</code></td>
+      <td>Global input blocking does not run here.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>/ticket/crud_mail_template/*</code></td>
+      <td>Template-editing paths often need richer content and should be handled deliberately.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>test_mail</code></td>
+      <td>Bypassed globally.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>leads/sendMail</code></td>
+      <td>Bypassed globally.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>ticket/reply</code></td>
+      <td>Bypassed globally.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<div class="callout danger">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Important developer rule</strong>
+    If you add a route to the exception list, you are taking responsibility for
+    validating and safely handling that input somewhere else in the request flow.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="developer-steps">Developer steps</h2>
+
+<p>
+  When building a new form, endpoint, or feature that accepts user input, follow
+  this checklist:
+</p>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>Assume GET and POST are inspected automatically</strong>
+    <p>If your route is not in the exception list, the filter already evaluates GET and POST fields before controller code runs.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Do not rely on this filter as your only validation</strong>
+    <p>Business validation, field-level validation, and output escaping are still required.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Be careful with HTML-capable inputs</strong>
+    <p>If a feature legitimately accepts formatted HTML, do not silently fight the filter. Design a safe path for that route and document why it needs special handling.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Only add filter exceptions deliberately</strong>
+    <p>If you exclude a route in <code>Filters.php</code>, add compensating server-side sanitization or allowlist logic in the receiving code.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Test encoded attack strings too</strong>
+    <p>Because the filter canonicalizes input, test URL-encoded and HTML-entity-encoded payloads in addition to plain strings.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Watch the logs when troubleshooting blocks</strong>
+    <p>The filter logs a structured critical event named <code>SECURITY_BLOCKED_REQUEST</code> with a payload hash and field name.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<h2 id="common-pitfalls">Common pitfalls</h2>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Pitfall</th><th>Why it happens</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td>A rich text feature keeps returning 403</td>
+      <td>The submitted markup matches one of the high-confidence XSS patterns, and the route is still under the global filter.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Input looks harmless in raw form but still gets blocked</td>
+      <td>The canonicalization step decoded the payload into a dangerous form before matching.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>A developer adds an exception without extra protection</td>
+      <td>The route bypasses the global blocker and now depends entirely on downstream validation.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Files are assumed to be covered here</td>
+      <td>Uploaded file contents are handled by the separate file-upload guard, not this filter.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<div class="callout success">
+  <span>+</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Practical takeaway</strong>
+    Treat <code>SecurityInputFilter</code> as the first request-level XSS tripwire.
+    Keep it on by default, make exceptions rarely, and document every exception
+    with the safer validation path that replaces it.
+  </div>
+</div>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/installation.php b/app/Views/docs/installation.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6014dda5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/installation.php
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Installation - content only
+ * app/Views/docs/installation.php
+ *
+ * The controller already renders the header, sidebar, main wrapper, TOC,
+ * prev/next navigation, and footer.
+ *
+ * Only keep page-specific content in this file.
+ */
+?>
+
+<p>
+  This guide walks you through setting up the project on a local development machine.
+  For production deployment, see the <a href="<?= base_url('docs/deployment') ?>">Deployment</a> page.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>ℹ️</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Before you begin</strong>
+    Make sure PHP 8.1+, Composer 2.x, and MySQL 5.7+ are installed on your machine.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<!-- REQUIREMENTS -->
+<h2 id="requirements">Requirements</h2>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Dependency</th><th>Version</th><th>Notes</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr><td><code>PHP</code></td><td>8.1+</td><td>Required by CI 4.4+</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>MySQL</code></td><td>5.7 / 8.0</td><td>Primary database</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>Composer</code></td><td>2.x</td><td>Dependency management</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>Node.js</code></td><td>18+ (optional)</td><td>Only needed for asset pipeline</td></tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<!-- STEPS -->
+<h2 id="steps">Steps</h2>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong id="clone">Clone the repository</strong>
+    <div class="code-header">
+      <span class="code-filename">terminal</span>
+      <span class="code-lang">bash</span>
+    </div>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">git clone https://github.com/your-org/myapp.git
+cd myapp</code></pre>
+  </li>
+
+  <li>
+    <strong>Install PHP dependencies</strong>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">composer install</code></pre>
+  </li>
+
+  <li>
+    <strong>Copy the environment file</strong>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">cp env .env</code></pre>
+    <p>Edit <code>.env</code> with your local database credentials and base URL.</p>
+  </li>
+
+  <li>
+    <strong id="migrate">Run migrations and seeders</strong>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">php spark migrate
+php spark db:seed MainSeeder</code></pre>
+  </li>
+
+  <li>
+    <strong>Start the dev server</strong>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">php spark serve</code></pre>
+    <p>App will be available at <code>http://localhost:8080</code>.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>⚠️</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Use 127.0.0.1, not localhost</strong>
+    MySQL on some setups resolves <code>localhost</code> to a socket path instead of TCP.
+    Use <code>127.0.0.1</code> in <code>.env</code> to avoid connection errors.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<!-- CONFIGURATION -->
+<h2 id="configuration">Configuration</h2>
+
+<p>Key variables to configure in <code>.env</code>:</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Variable</th><th>Default</th><th>Description</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td>
+        <span class="param-name">CI_ENVIRONMENT</span>
+        <span class="badge req">required</span>
+      </td>
+      <td><code>production</code></td>
+      <td>Set to <code>development</code> locally to enable error display.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>
+        <span class="param-name">database.default.hostname</span>
+        <span class="badge req">required</span>
+      </td>
+      <td>—</td>
+      <td>MySQL hostname. Use <code>127.0.0.1</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>
+        <span class="param-name">app.baseURL</span>
+        <span class="badge req">required</span>
+      </td>
+      <td>—</td>
+      <td>Full URL with trailing slash. e.g. <code>http://localhost:8080/</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>
+        <span class="param-name">JWT_SECRET</span>
+        <span class="badge opt">optional</span>
+      </td>
+      <td>—</td>
+      <td>Only needed if JWT API auth is enabled.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<div class="callout danger">
+  <span>🚫</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Never commit <code>.env</code></strong>
+    The file is in <code>.gitignore</code>. Use your CI/CD secrets manager for production values.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<!-- SAMPLE FLOWCHART -->
+<h2 id="sample-flowchart">Sample flowchart</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Use Mermaid blocks when a setup, request path, or job pipeline is easier to explain
+  visually. Any docs page can now render a diagram by adding a
+  <code>&lt;div class="mermaid"&gt;</code> block like the example below.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout success">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Reusable in other docs pages</strong>
+    Copy this section structure into any docs view and replace the diagram text with
+    your own flow.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart TD
+    A[Clone repository] --> B[Install Composer dependencies]
+    B --> C[Copy env to .env]
+    C --> D[Update database and app settings]
+    D --> E[Run migrations and seeders]
+    E --> F[Start local server]
+    F --> G[Open docs or app in browser]
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<pre><code class="language-html">&lt;div class="mermaid"&gt;
+flowchart TD
+    A[Start] --&gt; B[Process]
+    B --&gt; C[Done]
+&lt;/div&gt;</code></pre>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/installation_content.php b/app/Views/docs/installation_content.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bf0b6e9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/installation_content.php
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Installation — content only
+ * app/Views/docs/installation.php
+ *
+ * ⚠️  NO layout partials here. The controller wraps this automatically.
+ * Just write your h2, p, pre, table, callout blocks.
+ *
+ * Available $data variables injected by the controller:
+ *   $title, $breadcrumb, $toc, $last_updated, $author, $read_time, $prev, $next
+ */
+?>
+
+<p>
+  This guide walks you through setting up the project on a local development machine.
+  For production deployment, see the <a href="<?= base_url('docs/deployment') ?>">Deployment</a> page.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>ℹ️</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Before you begin</strong>
+    Make sure PHP 8.1+, Composer 2.x, and MySQL 5.7+ are installed on your machine.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<!-- REQUIREMENTS -->
+<h2 id="requirements">Requirements</h2>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Dependency</th><th>Version</th><th>Notes</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr><td><code>PHP</code></td><td>8.1+</td><td>Required by CI 4.4+</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>MySQL</code></td><td>5.7 / 8.0</td><td>Primary database</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>Composer</code></td><td>2.x</td><td>Dependency management</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>Node.js</code></td><td>18+ (optional)</td><td>Only for asset pipeline</td></tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<!-- STEPS -->
+<h2 id="steps">Steps</h2>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong id="clone">Clone the repository</strong>
+    <div class="code-header">
+      <span class="code-filename">terminal</span>
+      <span class="code-lang">bash</span>
+    </div>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">git clone https://github.com/your-org/myapp.git
+cd myapp</code></pre>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Install PHP dependencies</strong>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">composer install</code></pre>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Copy the environment file</strong>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">cp env .env</code></pre>
+    <p>Edit <code>.env</code> with your local database credentials and base URL.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong id="migrate">Run migrations and seeders</strong>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">php spark migrate
+php spark db:seed MainSeeder</code></pre>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Start the dev server</strong>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">php spark serve</code></pre>
+    <p>App will be available at <code>http://localhost:8080</code>.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>⚠️</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Use 127.0.0.1, not localhost</strong>
+    MySQL on some setups resolves <code>localhost</code> to a socket path instead of TCP.
+    Use <code>127.0.0.1</code> in <code>.env</code> to avoid connection errors.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<!-- CONFIGURATION -->
+<h2 id="configuration">Configuration</h2>
+
+<p>Key variables to configure in <code>.env</code>:</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Variable</th><th>Default</th><th>Description</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><span class="param-name">CI_ENVIRONMENT</span> <span class="badge req">required</span></td>
+      <td><code>production</code></td>
+      <td>Set to <code>development</code> locally for detailed error display.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><span class="param-name">database.default.hostname</span> <span class="badge req">required</span></td>
+      <td>—</td>
+      <td>MySQL hostname. Use <code>127.0.0.1</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><span class="param-name">app.baseURL</span> <span class="badge req">required</span></td>
+      <td>—</td>
+      <td>Full URL with trailing slash. e.g. <code>http://localhost:8080/</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><span class="param-name">JWT_SECRET</span> <span class="badge opt">optional</span></td>
+      <td>—</td>
+      <td>Only needed if JWT API auth is enabled.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<div class="callout danger">
+  <span>🚫</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Never commit <code>.env</code></strong>
+    The file is in <code>.gitignore</code>. Use your CI/CD secrets manager for production values.
+  </div>
+</div>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/partials/README.md b/app/Views/docs/partials/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8305067e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/partials/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+# CI4 Dev Docs
+
+Docs pages live in `app/Views/docs/`.
+Shared layout partials live in `app/Views/docs/partials/`.
+
+## File list
+
+| File                   | Purpose                                                        |
+|------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
+| `docs_header.php`      | `<head>`, CSS tokens, top bar, opens `<div class="docs-layout">` |
+| `docs_sidebar.php`     | Left nav sidebar — edit the `$nav` array to add/remove pages  |
+| `docs_main_open.php`   | Opens `<main>`, renders breadcrumb, h1, meta row               |
+| `docs_main_close.php`  | Closes `</main>`, prev/next nav, right TOC, closes layout div  |
+| `docs_footer.php`      | Global footer bar, hljs init, closes `</body></html>`          |
+| `installation.php`     | **Sample content-only page** — copy this as the template for every new page |
+
+---
+
+## How to use
+
+With `DocsController`, each docs page should contain **content only**.
+Do not render `docs_header`, `docs_sidebar`, `docs_main_open`, `docs_main_close`,
+or `docs_footer` inside individual page views, because the controller already
+wraps the page with the full layout.
+
+Each docs page should look like this:
+
+```php
+<?php
+/**
+ * Content only.
+ * The controller injects the layout and page metadata.
+ */
+?>
+
+<p>...</p>
+<h2 id="section-one">Section One</h2>
+<p>...</p>
+```
+
+---
+
+## Adding a new page to the sidebar
+
+Open `app/Controllers/Docs/DocsController.php` and update:
+
+1. The `$nav` array to add a sidebar link.
+2. The `$pages` array to map the slug to its view and metadata.
+
+Example:
+
+```php
+['id' => 'my-new-page', 'label' => 'My New Page', 'url' => 'docs/my-new-page'],
+
+'my-new-page' => [
+    'view'         => 'docs/my-new-page',
+    'title'        => 'My New Page',
+    'breadcrumb'   => 'Getting Started',
+    'last_updated' => 'May 2026',
+    'author'       => 'Core Team',
+    'read_time'    => '3 min read',
+    'toc'          => [
+        ['label' => 'Section One', 'href' => '#section-one'],
+    ],
+    'prev'         => null,
+    'next'         => null,
+],
+```
+
+Then create `app/Views/docs/my-new-page.php` by copying `installation.php`
+and updating only the page content.
+
+---
+
+## Available content components
+
+All CSS is in `docs_header.php`. These classes are ready to use in any page:
+
+| Class / Element     | What it renders                        |
+|---------------------|----------------------------------------|
+| `<h2 id="...">` `<h3 id="...">` | Section headings (id required for TOC scroll) |
+| `.callout.info`     | Blue info box                          |
+| `.callout.warning`  | Amber warning box                      |
+| `.callout.danger`   | Red danger box                         |
+| `.callout.success`  | Green success box                      |
+| `<ol class="steps">` | Numbered step list with connector lines |
+| `<table>`           | Styled data / param / API tables       |
+| `.badge.get/post/put/delete` | HTTP method badges              |
+| `.badge.req` / `.badge.opt` | Required / Optional param badges |
+| `.param-name`       | Monospace blue param name in tables    |
+| `.code-header` + `<pre>` | Dark code block with filename header |
+
+---
+
+## Route setup (CI4)
+
+Add a catch-all route in `app/Config/Routes.php`:
+
+```php
+$routes->get('docs',          'Docs\DocsController::index');
+$routes->get('docs/(:segment)', 'Docs\DocsController::page/$1');
+```
+
+Then in `DocsController`, let the controller render the content view and wrap it:
+
+```php
+public function page(string $slug): string
+{
+    $config = $this->getPageConfig($slug);
+    $content = $this->renderContentView($config['view'], $config);
+
+    return $this->renderDocPage($config, $content);
+}
+```
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/partials/docs_footer.php b/app/Views/docs/partials/docs_footer.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5a1a96af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/partials/docs_footer.php
@@ -0,0 +1,542 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Docs Footer Partial
+ * app/Views/docs/partials/docs_footer.php
+ *
+ * Closes the body/html tags and initialises shared client-side helpers.
+ * Always the last partial on every docs page.
+ *
+ * Variables:
+ *   $app_name (string) — defaults to 'Nhance PAM'
+ */
+
+$app_name = $app_name ?? 'Nhance PAM';
+$year     = date('Y');
+?>
+
+<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/mermaid@11/dist/mermaid.min.js"></script>
+
+<div id="mermaid-modal" class="mermaid-modal" hidden aria-hidden="true">
+  <button type="button" class="mermaid-modal__backdrop" aria-label="Close enlarged diagram"></button>
+  <div class="mermaid-modal__panel" role="dialog" aria-modal="true" aria-labelledby="mermaid-modal-title">
+    <div class="mermaid-modal__header">
+      <span id="mermaid-modal-title" class="mermaid-modal__title">Diagram</span>
+      <div class="mermaid-modal__actions">
+        <div class="mermaid-modal__zoom" aria-label="Zoom controls">
+          <button type="button" class="mermaid-modal__zoom-btn" data-zoom="out" aria-label="Zoom out">−</button>
+          <span class="mermaid-modal__zoom-label" aria-live="polite">100%</span>
+          <button type="button" class="mermaid-modal__zoom-btn" data-zoom="in" aria-label="Zoom in">+</button>
+          <button type="button" class="mermaid-modal__zoom-btn mermaid-modal__zoom-btn--text" data-zoom="reset" aria-label="Reset zoom and pan">Reset</button>
+        </div>
+        <button type="button" class="mermaid-modal__close" aria-label="Close enlarged diagram">
+          <svg width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" aria-hidden="true">
+            <path d="M18 6 6 18M6 6l12 12"/>
+          </svg>
+        </button>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+    <p class="mermaid-modal__help">
+      <strong>Tips:</strong>
+      Drag to pan · Scroll or double-click to zoom in ·
+      <kbd>Ctrl</kbd>+double-click to zoom out ·
+      Use +/−/Reset or <kbd>+</kbd> <kbd>−</kbd> <kbd>0</kbd> to reset · <kbd>Esc</kbd> to close
+    </p>
+    <div class="mermaid-modal__viewport" aria-label="Diagram viewer">
+      <div class="mermaid-modal__stage"></div>
+    </div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<script>
+  document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function () {
+    // Syntax highlighting
+    if (window.hljs) hljs.highlightAll();
+
+    // Mermaid diagrams + enlarge controls
+    if (window.mermaid && document.querySelector('.mermaid')) {
+      mermaid.initialize({
+        startOnLoad: false,
+        theme: 'neutral',
+        securityLevel: 'loose'
+      });
+      mermaid.run({ querySelector: '.mermaid' }).then(initMermaidEnlarge).catch(initMermaidEnlarge);
+    }
+
+    function initMermaidEnlarge() {
+      const modal         = document.getElementById('mermaid-modal');
+      const modalTitle    = document.getElementById('mermaid-modal-title');
+      const modalViewport = modal && modal.querySelector('.mermaid-modal__viewport');
+      const modalStage    = modal && modal.querySelector('.mermaid-modal__stage');
+      const zoomLabel     = modal && modal.querySelector('.mermaid-modal__zoom-label');
+      if (!modal || !modalViewport || !modalStage) return;
+
+      const MIN_SCALE   = 0.25;
+      const MAX_SCALE   = 4;
+      const ZOOM_FACTOR = 1.15;
+      const expandIcon  = '<svg width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" aria-hidden="true"><path d="M15 3h6v6M9 21H3v-6M21 3l-7 7M3 21l7-7"/></svg>';
+
+      let view = { scale: 1, x: 0, y: 0 };
+      let drag = null;
+
+      function applyView() {
+        modalStage.style.transform = 'translate(' + view.x + 'px, ' + view.y + 'px) scale(' + view.scale + ')';
+        if (zoomLabel) zoomLabel.textContent = Math.round(view.scale * 100) + '%';
+      }
+
+      function resetView() {
+        view = { scale: 1, x: 0, y: 0 };
+        applyView();
+      }
+
+      function centerDiagram() {
+        const svg = modalStage.querySelector('svg');
+        if (!svg) return;
+        const vpRect = modalViewport.getBoundingClientRect();
+        const svgRect = svg.getBoundingClientRect();
+        view.x = Math.max(24, (vpRect.width - svgRect.width) / 2);
+        view.y = Math.max(24, (vpRect.height - svgRect.height) / 2);
+        applyView();
+      }
+
+      function zoomAt(factor, originX, originY) {
+        const vpRect = modalViewport.getBoundingClientRect();
+        const ox = (originX !== undefined) ? originX : vpRect.width / 2;
+        const oy = (originY !== undefined) ? originY : vpRect.height / 2;
+        const newScale = Math.min(MAX_SCALE, Math.max(MIN_SCALE, view.scale * factor));
+        if (newScale === view.scale) return;
+        view.x = ox - (ox - view.x) * (newScale / view.scale);
+        view.y = oy - (oy - view.y) * (newScale / view.scale);
+        view.scale = newScale;
+        applyView();
+      }
+
+      document.querySelectorAll('.mermaid-wrapper').forEach(function (wrapper) {
+        if (wrapper.querySelector('.mermaid-enlarge-btn')) return;
+
+        const btn = document.createElement('button');
+        btn.type = 'button';
+        btn.className = 'mermaid-enlarge-btn';
+        btn.setAttribute('aria-label', 'View enlarged diagram');
+        btn.innerHTML = expandIcon;
+        btn.addEventListener('click', function () {
+          openMermaidModal(wrapper);
+        });
+        wrapper.appendChild(btn);
+      });
+
+      function getDiagramTitle(wrapper) {
+        if (wrapper.id) {
+          return wrapper.id.replace(/-/g, ' ').replace(/\b\w/g, function (c) { return c.toUpperCase(); });
+        }
+        var el = wrapper.previousElementSibling;
+        while (el) {
+          if (el.matches && el.matches('h2, h3')) return el.textContent.trim();
+          el = el.previousElementSibling;
+        }
+        return 'Diagram';
+      }
+
+      function openMermaidModal(wrapper) {
+        const svg = wrapper.querySelector('.mermaid svg');
+        if (!svg) return;
+
+        modalTitle.textContent = getDiagramTitle(wrapper);
+        modalStage.innerHTML = '';
+        modalStage.appendChild(svg.cloneNode(true));
+        resetView();
+
+        modal.hidden = false;
+        modal.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'false');
+        document.body.classList.add('mermaid-modal-open');
+        requestAnimationFrame(centerDiagram);
+        modal.querySelector('.mermaid-modal__close').focus();
+      }
+
+      function closeMermaidModal() {
+        modal.hidden = true;
+        modal.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'true');
+        modalStage.innerHTML = '';
+        drag = null;
+        modalViewport.classList.remove('is-dragging');
+        resetView();
+        document.body.classList.remove('mermaid-modal-open');
+      }
+
+      if (!modal.dataset.mermaidViewerReady) {
+        modal.dataset.mermaidViewerReady = '1';
+
+        modal.querySelector('.mermaid-modal__backdrop').addEventListener('click', closeMermaidModal);
+        modal.querySelector('.mermaid-modal__close').addEventListener('click', closeMermaidModal);
+
+        modal.addEventListener('click', function (e) {
+          const zoomBtn = e.target.closest('[data-zoom]');
+          if (!zoomBtn || modal.hidden) return;
+          const action = zoomBtn.getAttribute('data-zoom');
+          if (action === 'in') zoomAt(ZOOM_FACTOR);
+          else if (action === 'out') zoomAt(1 / ZOOM_FACTOR);
+          else if (action === 'reset') resetView();
+        });
+
+        modalViewport.addEventListener('wheel', function (e) {
+          if (modal.hidden) return;
+          e.preventDefault();
+          const rect = modalViewport.getBoundingClientRect();
+          const factor = e.deltaY < 0 ? ZOOM_FACTOR : 1 / ZOOM_FACTOR;
+          zoomAt(factor, e.clientX - rect.left, e.clientY - rect.top);
+        }, { passive: false });
+
+        modalViewport.addEventListener('dblclick', function (e) {
+          if (modal.hidden) return;
+          e.preventDefault();
+          const rect = modalViewport.getBoundingClientRect();
+          const factor = e.ctrlKey ? (1 / ZOOM_FACTOR) : ZOOM_FACTOR;
+          zoomAt(factor, e.clientX - rect.left, e.clientY - rect.top);
+        });
+
+        modalViewport.addEventListener('pointerdown', function (e) {
+          if (modal.hidden || e.button !== 0) return;
+          drag = {
+            pointerId: e.pointerId,
+            startX: e.clientX,
+            startY: e.clientY,
+            origX: view.x,
+            origY: view.y
+          };
+          modalViewport.setPointerCapture(e.pointerId);
+          modalViewport.classList.add('is-dragging');
+        });
+
+        modalViewport.addEventListener('pointermove', function (e) {
+          if (!drag || drag.pointerId !== e.pointerId) return;
+          view.x = drag.origX + (e.clientX - drag.startX);
+          view.y = drag.origY + (e.clientY - drag.startY);
+          applyView();
+        });
+
+        function endDrag(e) {
+          if (!drag || drag.pointerId !== e.pointerId) return;
+          drag = null;
+          modalViewport.classList.remove('is-dragging');
+          try { modalViewport.releasePointerCapture(e.pointerId); } catch (err) { /* ignore */ }
+        }
+
+        modalViewport.addEventListener('pointerup', endDrag);
+        modalViewport.addEventListener('pointercancel', endDrag);
+
+        document.addEventListener('keydown', function (e) {
+          if (modal.hidden) return;
+          if (e.key === 'Escape') {
+            closeMermaidModal();
+            return;
+          }
+          if (e.target.closest('input, textarea, select')) return;
+          if (e.key === '+' || e.key === '=') {
+            e.preventDefault();
+            zoomAt(ZOOM_FACTOR);
+          } else if (e.key === '-') {
+            e.preventDefault();
+            zoomAt(1 / ZOOM_FACTOR);
+          } else if (e.key === '0') {
+            e.preventDefault();
+            resetView();
+          }
+        });
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Active TOC link on scroll
+    const tocLinks = document.querySelectorAll('.docs-toc a');
+    const headings = document.querySelectorAll('main h2, main h3');
+
+    if (tocLinks.length && headings.length) {
+      const observer = new IntersectionObserver(
+        (entries) => {
+          entries.forEach(entry => {
+            if (entry.isIntersecting) {
+              tocLinks.forEach(l => l.classList.remove('is-active-toc'));
+              const match = document.querySelector(
+                `.docs-toc a[href="#${entry.target.id}"]`
+              );
+              if (match) match.classList.add('is-active-toc');
+            }
+          });
+        },
+        { rootMargin: '0px 0px -70% 0px' }
+      );
+
+      headings.forEach(h => { if (h.id) observer.observe(h); });
+    }
+  });
+</script>
+
+<style>
+  .docs-toc a.is-active-toc { color: var(--accent); font-weight: 500; }
+
+  .mermaid-wrapper {
+    position: relative;
+    margin: 20px 0 24px;
+    padding: 16px;
+    padding-top: 44px;
+    border: 1px solid var(--border);
+    border-radius: 12px;
+    background: var(--bg2);
+    overflow-x: auto;
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-enlarge-btn {
+    position: absolute;
+    top: 10px;
+    right: 10px;
+    z-index: 2;
+    display: flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    justify-content: center;
+    width: 32px;
+    height: 32px;
+    padding: 0;
+    border: 1px solid var(--border);
+    border-radius: 8px;
+    background: var(--bg);
+    color: var(--muted);
+    cursor: pointer;
+    transition: color 0.15s, border-color 0.15s, background 0.15s;
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-enlarge-btn:hover {
+    color: var(--accent);
+    border-color: var(--accent);
+    background: var(--accent-bg);
+  }
+
+  .mermaid {
+    min-width: 520px;
+    text-align: center;
+  }
+
+  .mermaid svg {
+    max-width: 100%;
+    height: auto;
+  }
+
+  body.mermaid-modal-open {
+    overflow: hidden;
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal {
+    position: fixed;
+    inset: 0;
+    z-index: 1000;
+    display: flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    justify-content: center;
+    padding: 24px;
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal[hidden] {
+    display: none;
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal__backdrop {
+    position: absolute;
+    inset: 0;
+    border: 0;
+    background: rgba(15, 23, 42, 0.55);
+    cursor: pointer;
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal__panel {
+    position: relative;
+    z-index: 1;
+    display: flex;
+    flex-direction: column;
+    width: min(96vw, 1400px);
+    height: min(92vh, 900px);
+    max-height: 92vh;
+    background: var(--bg);
+    border: 1px solid var(--border);
+    border-radius: 12px;
+    box-shadow: 0 24px 48px rgba(15, 23, 42, 0.2);
+    overflow: hidden;
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal__header {
+    display: flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    justify-content: space-between;
+    gap: 16px;
+    padding: 14px 18px;
+    border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border);
+    background: var(--bg2);
+    flex-shrink: 0;
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal__title {
+    font-size: 14px;
+    font-weight: 600;
+    color: var(--text);
+    min-width: 0;
+    overflow: hidden;
+    text-overflow: ellipsis;
+    white-space: nowrap;
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal__actions {
+    display: flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    gap: 10px;
+    flex-shrink: 0;
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal__zoom {
+    display: flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    gap: 6px;
+    padding: 2px;
+    border: 1px solid var(--border);
+    border-radius: 8px;
+    background: var(--bg);
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal__zoom-btn {
+    display: flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    justify-content: center;
+    min-width: 32px;
+    height: 32px;
+    padding: 0 8px;
+    border: 0;
+    border-radius: 6px;
+    background: transparent;
+    color: var(--text);
+    font-size: 18px;
+    line-height: 1;
+    cursor: pointer;
+    transition: background 0.15s, color 0.15s;
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal__zoom-btn--text {
+    font-size: 12px;
+    font-weight: 500;
+    padding: 0 10px;
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal__zoom-btn:hover {
+    background: var(--accent-bg);
+    color: var(--accent);
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal__zoom-label {
+    min-width: 44px;
+    font-family: var(--mono);
+    font-size: 12px;
+    color: var(--muted);
+    text-align: center;
+    user-select: none;
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal__close {
+    display: flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    justify-content: center;
+    width: 32px;
+    height: 32px;
+    padding: 0;
+    border: 1px solid var(--border);
+    border-radius: 8px;
+    background: var(--bg);
+    color: var(--muted);
+    cursor: pointer;
+    transition: color 0.15s, border-color 0.15s;
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal__close:hover {
+    color: var(--accent);
+    border-color: var(--accent);
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal__help {
+    flex-shrink: 0;
+    margin: 0;
+    padding: 8px 18px;
+    font-size: 12px;
+    line-height: 1.55;
+    color: var(--muted);
+    background: var(--bg2);
+    border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border);
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal__help strong {
+    color: var(--text);
+    font-weight: 600;
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal__help kbd {
+    font-family: var(--mono);
+    font-size: 11px;
+    background: var(--bg);
+    border: 1px solid var(--border);
+    border-radius: 4px;
+    padding: 1px 5px;
+    color: var(--text);
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal__viewport {
+    flex: 1;
+    min-height: 0;
+    overflow: hidden;
+    background: var(--bg);
+    cursor: grab;
+    touch-action: none;
+    user-select: none;
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal__viewport.is-dragging {
+    cursor: grabbing;
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal__stage {
+    display: inline-block;
+    transform-origin: 0 0;
+    will-change: transform;
+    padding: 24px;
+  }
+
+  .mermaid-modal__stage svg {
+    display: block;
+    max-width: none !important;
+    width: auto;
+    height: auto;
+    pointer-events: none;
+  }
+
+  /* ─── GLOBAL FOOTER BAR ──────────────────── */
+  .docs-global-footer {
+    border-top : 1px solid var(--border);
+    padding    : 16px 24px;
+    font-size  : 12px;
+    color      : var(--muted);
+    display    : flex;
+    justify-content: space-between;
+    align-items: center;
+    margin-top : auto;
+  }
+
+  .docs-global-footer a {
+    color          : var(--muted);
+    text-decoration: none;
+  }
+
+  .docs-global-footer a:hover { color: var(--accent); }
+</style>
+
+<footer class="docs-global-footer">
+  <span>© <?= $year ?> <?= esc($app_name) ?>. Internal developer docs.</span>
+  <span>
+    Built with CodeIgniter 4 &nbsp;·&nbsp;
+    <a href="<?= base_url('docs/changelog') ?>">Changelog</a> &nbsp;·&nbsp;
+    <a href="<?= base_url('docs/contributing') ?>">Contributing</a>
+  </span>
+</footer>
+
+</body>
+</html>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/partials/docs_header.php b/app/Views/docs/partials/docs_header.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2b8a8e6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/partials/docs_header.php
@@ -0,0 +1,288 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Docs Header Partial
+ * app/Views/docs/partials/docs_header.php
+ *
+ * Usage in any docs view:
+ *   <?= view('docs/partials/docs_header', ['doc_title' => 'Installation']) ?>
+ *
+ * Variables:
+ *   $doc_title   (string) — page title shown in <title> and breadcrumb
+ *   $app_name    (string) — defaults to 'Nhance PAM'
+ *   $app_version (string) — defaults to 'v1.1.0'
+ */
+
+$doc_title   = $doc_title   ?? 'Documentation';
+$app_name    = $app_name    ?? 'Nhance PAM';
+$app_version = $app_version ?? 'v1.1.0';
+$base        = base_url();
+?>
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html lang="en">
+<head>
+  <meta charset="UTF-8" />
+  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
+  <title><?= esc($doc_title) ?> — <?= esc($app_name) ?> Doc, <?= esc($app_version) ?></title>
+
+  <!-- Highlight.js (code syntax) -->
+  <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/highlight.js/11.9.0/styles/github-dark.min.css" />
+  <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/highlight.js/11.9.0/highlight.min.js"></script>
+
+  <!-- Google Fonts -->
+  <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com" />
+  <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=IBM+Plex+Mono:wght@400;500&family=IBM+Plex+Sans:wght@400;500;600&display=swap" rel="stylesheet" />
+
+  <style>
+    /* ─── RESET ──────────────────────────────── */
+    *, *::before, *::after { box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0; padding: 0; }
+
+    /* ─── TOKENS ─────────────────────────────── */
+    :root {
+      --sidebar-w : 260px;
+      --topbar-h  : 56px;
+      --bg        : #ffffff;
+      --bg2       : #f7f8fa;
+      --border    : #e2e5ea;
+      --text      : #1a1d23;
+      --muted     : #6b7280;
+      --accent    : #2563eb;
+      --accent-bg : #eff4ff;
+      --code-bg   : #f3f4f6;
+      --font      : 'IBM Plex Sans', system-ui, sans-serif;
+      --mono      : 'IBM Plex Mono', 'Fira Code', monospace;
+    }
+
+    /* ─── BASE ───────────────────────────────── */
+    body {
+      font-family : var(--font);
+      font-size   : 15px;
+      line-height : 1.7;
+      color       : var(--text);
+      background  : var(--bg);
+      display     : flex;
+      flex-direction: column;
+      min-height  : 100vh;
+    }
+
+    /* ─── TOP BAR ────────────────────────────── */
+    .docs-topbar {
+      position      : fixed;
+      top: 0; left: 0; right: 0;
+      z-index       : 200;
+      height        : var(--topbar-h);
+      background    : var(--bg);
+      border-bottom : 1px solid var(--border);
+      display       : flex;
+      align-items   : center;
+      justify-content: space-between;
+      padding       : 0 24px;
+    }
+
+    .docs-topbar__logo {
+      display        : flex;
+      align-items    : center;
+      gap            : 10px;
+      text-decoration: none;
+      color          : var(--text);
+      font-weight    : 600;
+      font-size      : 15px;
+      letter-spacing : -0.01em;
+    }
+
+    .docs-topbar__badge {
+      background    : var(--accent);
+      color         : #fff;
+      font-size     : 10px;
+      font-weight   : 600;
+      padding       : 2px 8px;
+      border-radius : 4px;
+      letter-spacing: 0.04em;
+      text-transform: uppercase;
+    }
+
+    .docs-topbar__right {
+      display    : flex;
+      align-items: center;
+      gap        : 16px;
+    }
+
+    .docs-topbar__version {
+      font-family  : var(--mono);
+      font-size    : 12px;
+      color        : var(--muted);
+      background   : var(--bg2);
+      border       : 1px solid var(--border);
+      border-radius: 20px;
+      padding      : 2px 10px;
+    }
+
+    .docs-topbar__search {
+      display      : flex;
+      align-items  : center;
+      gap          : 8px;
+      border       : 1px solid var(--border);
+      border-radius: 8px;
+      padding      : 5px 12px;
+      font-size    : 13px;
+      color        : var(--muted);
+      background   : var(--bg2);
+      cursor       : text;
+      min-width    : 200px;
+    }
+
+    .docs-topbar__search kbd {
+      font-family  : var(--mono);
+      font-size    : 11px;
+      background   : var(--bg);
+      border       : 1px solid var(--border);
+      border-radius: 4px;
+      padding      : 1px 5px;
+      margin-left  : auto;
+    }
+
+    /* ─── LAYOUT WRAPPER ─────────────────────── */
+    .docs-layout {
+      display   : flex;
+      margin-top: var(--topbar-h);
+      min-height: calc(100vh - var(--topbar-h));
+    }
+
+    /* ─── TYPOGRAPHY (shared across pages) ───── */
+    h1 { font-size: 28px; font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: -0.02em; line-height: 1.3; margin-bottom: 8px; }
+    h2 { font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; margin: 40px 0 12px; letter-spacing: -0.015em; }
+    h3 { font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 28px 0 8px; }
+
+    p  { margin-bottom: 16px; color: #2d3340; }
+    a  { color: var(--accent); }
+
+    /* ─── CODE ───────────────────────────────── */
+    pre {
+      background   : #1e1e2e;
+      border-radius: 8px;
+      padding      : 18px 20px;
+      overflow-x   : auto;
+      margin       : 16px 0;
+    }
+    pre code {
+      font-family: var(--mono);
+      font-size  : 13px;
+      line-height: 1.65;
+      color      : #cdd6f4;
+      background : none;
+    }
+    code {
+      font-family  : var(--mono);
+      font-size    : 13px;
+      background   : var(--code-bg);
+      color        : #c7254e;
+      padding      : 2px 5px;
+      border-radius: 4px;
+    }
+    .code-header {
+      background   : #13131e;
+      border-radius: 8px 8px 0 0;
+      padding      : 8px 16px;
+      display      : flex;
+      align-items  : center;
+      justify-content: space-between;
+      margin-bottom: -8px;
+    }
+    .code-filename { font-family: var(--mono); font-size: 12px; color: #a6adc8; }
+    .code-lang     { font-size: 11px; color: #585b70; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.06em; }
+
+    /* ─── CALLOUTS ───────────────────────────── */
+    .callout {
+      border-radius: 8px;
+      padding      : 14px 16px;
+      margin       : 20px 0;
+      font-size    : 14px;
+      display      : flex;
+      gap          : 10px;
+      align-items  : flex-start;
+      border-left  : 3px solid;
+    }
+    .callout strong { display: block; margin-bottom: 2px; font-weight: 600; }
+    .callout.info    { background: #eff4ff; border-color: #2563eb; color: #1e40af; }
+    .callout.warning { background: #fffbeb; border-color: #f59e0b; color: #b45309; }
+    .callout.danger  { background: #fef2f2; border-color: #f87171; color: #b91c1c; }
+    .callout.success { background: #f0fdf4; border-color: #4ade80; color: #15803d; }
+
+    /* ─── TABLES ─────────────────────────────── */
+    table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 20px 0; font-size: 13.5px; }
+    th {
+      background    : var(--bg2);
+      font-weight   : 600;
+      font-size     : 12px;
+      text-transform: uppercase;
+      letter-spacing: 0.05em;
+      color         : var(--muted);
+      padding       : 10px 14px;
+      border        : 1px solid var(--border);
+      text-align    : left;
+    }
+    td { padding: 10px 14px; border: 1px solid var(--border); vertical-align: top; }
+    tr:hover td { background: var(--bg2); }
+
+    /* ─── BADGES ─────────────────────────────── */
+    .badge {
+      display      : inline-block;
+      font-size    : 11px;
+      font-weight  : 500;
+      padding      : 2px 8px;
+      border-radius: 4px;
+      font-family  : var(--mono);
+    }
+    .badge.get    { background: #dbeafe; color: #1d4ed8; }
+    .badge.post   { background: #dcfce7; color: #15803d; }
+    .badge.put    { background: #fef9c3; color: #92400e; }
+    .badge.delete { background: #fee2e2; color: #991b1b; }
+    .badge.req    { background: #fee2e2; color: #991b1b; font-size: 10px; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.05em; }
+    .badge.opt    { background: var(--bg2); color: var(--muted); font-size: 10px; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.05em; }
+
+    /* ─── PARAM NAME ─────────────────────────── */
+    .param-name { font-family: var(--mono); font-size: 12.5px; color: var(--accent); }
+
+    /* ─── STEP LIST ──────────────────────────── */
+    .steps { list-style: none; counter-reset: steps; margin: 20px 0; }
+    .steps li { counter-increment: steps; position: relative; padding: 0 0 28px 44px; }
+    .steps li::before {
+      content      : counter(steps);
+      position     : absolute; left: 0; top: 2px;
+      width: 28px; height: 28px; border-radius: 50%;
+      background   : var(--accent-bg); color: var(--accent);
+      font-size    : 12px; font-weight: 600;
+      display      : flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;
+    }
+    .steps li::after {
+      content : '';
+      position: absolute; left: 13px; top: 32px; bottom: 0;
+      width   : 1px; background: var(--border);
+    }
+    .steps li:last-child::after { display: none; }
+    .steps li strong { display: block; margin-bottom: 4px; }
+  </style>
+</head>
+<body>
+
+<!-- ═══════════════════════════════════════════
+     TOP BAR
+════════════════════════════════════════════ -->
+<header class="docs-topbar">
+  <a href="<?= $base ?>docs" class="docs-topbar__logo">
+    <span class="docs-topbar__badge">CI4</span>
+    <?= esc($app_name) ?> Doc, <?= esc($app_version) ?>
+  </a>
+
+  <div class="docs-topbar__right">
+    <div class="docs-topbar__search">
+      <svg width="14" height="14" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><circle cx="11" cy="11" r="8"/><path d="m21 21-4.35-4.35"/></svg>
+      Search docs
+      <kbd>⌘K</kbd>
+    </div>
+  </div>
+</header>
+
+<!-- ═══════════════════════════════════════════
+     LAYOUT WRAPPER  (sidebar + main go inside)
+════════════════════════════════════════════ -->
+<div class="docs-layout">
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/partials/docs_main_close.php b/app/Views/docs/partials/docs_main_close.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..afc4fb93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/partials/docs_main_close.php
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Docs Main Close Partial
+ * app/Views/docs/partials/docs_main_close.php
+ *
+ * Closes the main content area, renders prev/next nav,
+ * and renders the right-side TOC. Always pair with docs_main_open.php.
+ *
+ * Variables:
+ *   $prev_label (string) — label for previous page link
+ *   $prev_url   (string) — URL segment e.g. 'docs/introduction'
+ *   $next_label (string) — label for next page link
+ *   $next_url   (string) — URL segment
+ *   $toc        (array)  — same array passed to docs_main_open.php
+ *                          ['label', 'href', 'level'(optional h3), 'tag'(optional)]
+ */
+
+$prev_label = $prev_label ?? '';
+$prev_url   = $prev_url   ?? '';
+$next_label = $next_label ?? '';
+$next_url   = $next_url   ?? '';
+$toc        = $toc        ?? [];
+?>
+
+  <!-- ── PAGE CONTENT ENDS ABOVE THIS LINE ── -->
+
+  <!-- Prev / Next navigation -->
+  <div class="docs-page-nav">
+    <div>
+      <?php if ($prev_label && $prev_url): ?>
+        <a href="<?= base_url($prev_url) ?>" class="docs-page-nav__link">
+          <span class="docs-page-nav__dir">← Previous</span>
+          <span class="docs-page-nav__title"><?= esc($prev_label) ?></span>
+        </a>
+      <?php endif; ?>
+    </div>
+    <div>
+      <?php if ($next_label && $next_url): ?>
+        <a href="<?= base_url($next_url) ?>" class="docs-page-nav__link docs-page-nav__link--right">
+          <span class="docs-page-nav__dir">Next →</span>
+          <span class="docs-page-nav__title"><?= esc($next_label) ?></span>
+        </a>
+      <?php endif; ?>
+    </div>
+  </div>
+
+</main><!-- /.docs-main -->
+
+<!-- ═══════════════════════════════════════════
+     RIGHT TOC
+════════════════════════════════════════════ -->
+<?php if (!empty($toc)): ?>
+<nav class="docs-toc" aria-label="On this page">
+  <div class="docs-toc__title">On this page</div>
+  <?php foreach ($toc as $item): ?>
+    <a
+      href="<?= esc($item['href']) ?>"
+      class="<?= (!empty($item['level']) && $item['level'] === 'h3') ? 'is-sub' : '' ?>"
+    >
+      <span><?= esc($item['label']) ?></span>
+      <?php if (!empty($item['tag'])): ?>
+        <span class="docs-toc__tag"><?= esc($item['tag']) ?></span>
+      <?php endif; ?>
+    </a>
+  <?php endforeach; ?>
+</nav>
+<?php endif; ?>
+
+</div><!-- /.docs-layout -->
+
+<style>
+  /* ─── PREV / NEXT NAV ────────────────────── */
+  .docs-page-nav {
+    display        : flex;
+    justify-content: space-between;
+    gap            : 16px;
+    margin-top     : 56px;
+    padding-top    : 24px;
+    border-top     : 1px solid var(--border);
+  }
+
+  .docs-page-nav__link {
+    display        : flex;
+    flex-direction : column;
+    gap            : 4px;
+    text-decoration: none;
+    color          : var(--text);
+    padding        : 12px 16px;
+    border         : 1px solid var(--border);
+    border-radius  : 8px;
+    transition     : border-color 0.15s, background 0.15s;
+    min-width      : 160px;
+  }
+
+  .docs-page-nav__link:hover {
+    border-color: var(--accent);
+    background  : var(--accent-bg);
+  }
+
+  .docs-page-nav__link--right { text-align: right; }
+
+  .docs-page-nav__dir {
+    font-size : 12px;
+    color     : var(--muted);
+  }
+
+  .docs-page-nav__title {
+    font-size  : 14px;
+    font-weight: 500;
+    color      : var(--accent);
+  }
+</style>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/partials/docs_main_open.php b/app/Views/docs/partials/docs_main_open.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8e53fffe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/partials/docs_main_open.php
@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Docs Main Open Partial
+ * app/Views/docs/partials/docs_main_open.php
+ *
+ * Opens the main content + right TOC wrapper.
+ * Always pair with docs_main_close.php.
+ *
+ * Variables:
+ *   $doc_title    (string)        — page heading (h1)
+ *   $breadcrumb   (string)        — section label, e.g. 'Getting Started'
+ *   $last_updated (string)        — e.g. 'May 2025'
+ *   $author       (string)        — e.g. 'Core Team'
+ *   $read_time    (string)        — e.g. '5 min read'
+ *   $toc          (array)         — array of ['label', 'href', 'level'(optional), 'tag'(optional)]
+ *                                   level: 'h3' indents it as a sub-item
+ */
+
+$doc_title    = $doc_title    ?? 'Page Title';
+$breadcrumb   = $breadcrumb   ?? '';
+$last_updated = $last_updated ?? '';
+$author       = $author       ?? '';
+$read_time    = $read_time    ?? '';
+$toc          = $toc          ?? [];
+?>
+
+<style>
+  /* ─── MAIN CONTENT ───────────────────────── */
+  .docs-main {
+    flex    : 1;
+    max-width: 760px;
+    padding : 48px 56px 80px;
+    min-width: 0;
+  }
+
+  .docs-main__breadcrumb {
+    font-size  : 12px;
+    color      : var(--muted);
+    margin-bottom: 12px;
+    display    : flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    gap        : 6px;
+  }
+
+  .docs-main__breadcrumb a {
+    color          : var(--muted);
+    text-decoration: none;
+  }
+
+  .docs-main__breadcrumb a:hover { color: var(--accent); }
+
+  .docs-main__meta {
+    font-size    : 13px;
+    color        : var(--muted);
+    margin-bottom: 32px;
+    border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border);
+    padding-bottom: 24px;
+    display      : flex;
+    flex-wrap    : wrap;
+    gap          : 16px;
+  }
+
+  /* ─── RIGHT TOC ──────────────────────────── */
+  .docs-toc {
+    width    : 200px;
+    min-width: 200px;
+    padding  : 56px 20px 0;
+    position : sticky;
+    top      : calc(var(--topbar-h) + 32px);
+    height   : fit-content;
+    align-self: flex-start;
+    flex-shrink: 0;
+  }
+
+  .docs-toc__title {
+    font-size     : 11px;
+    font-weight   : 600;
+    text-transform: uppercase;
+    letter-spacing: 0.07em;
+    color         : var(--muted);
+    margin-bottom : 10px;
+  }
+
+  .docs-toc a {
+    display        : flex;
+    align-items    : center;
+    justify-content: space-between;
+    gap            : 8px;
+    font-size      : 12.5px;
+    color          : var(--muted);
+    text-decoration: none;
+    padding        : 3px 0;
+    transition     : color 0.1s;
+  }
+
+  .docs-toc a:hover    { color: var(--accent); }
+  .docs-toc a.is-sub   { padding-left: 10px; font-size: 12px; }
+
+  .docs-toc__tag {
+    flex-shrink    : 0;
+    font-size      : 10px;
+    line-height    : 1;
+    font-weight    : 600;
+    letter-spacing : 0.04em;
+    text-transform : uppercase;
+    color          : var(--muted);
+    background     : var(--bg2);
+    border         : 1px solid var(--border);
+    border-radius  : 999px;
+    padding        : 3px 6px;
+  }
+</style>
+
+<!-- ═══════════════════════════════════════════
+     CONTENT AREA + RIGHT TOC
+════════════════════════════════════════════ -->
+<main class="docs-main">
+
+  <!-- Breadcrumb -->
+  <?php if ($breadcrumb): ?>
+  <div class="docs-main__breadcrumb">
+    <a href="<?= base_url('docs') ?>">Docs</a>
+    <span>›</span>
+    <span><?= esc($breadcrumb) ?></span>
+    <?php if ($doc_title !== $breadcrumb): ?>
+      <span>›</span>
+      <span><?= esc($doc_title) ?></span>
+    <?php endif; ?>
+  </div>
+  <?php endif; ?>
+
+  <!-- Page title -->
+  <h1><?= esc($doc_title) ?></h1>
+
+  <!-- Meta row -->
+  <div class="docs-main__meta">
+    <?php if ($last_updated): ?><span>📅 Last updated: <?= esc($last_updated) ?></span><?php endif; ?>
+    <?php if ($author):       ?><span>✍️ <?= esc($author) ?></span><?php endif; ?>
+    <?php if ($read_time):    ?><span>⏱ <?= esc($read_time) ?></span><?php endif; ?>
+  </div>
+
+  <!-- ── PAGE CONTENT GOES BELOW THIS LINE ── -->
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/partials/docs_sidebar.php b/app/Views/docs/partials/docs_sidebar.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..99f60501
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/partials/docs_sidebar.php
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Docs Sidebar Partial
+ * app/Views/docs/partials/docs_sidebar.php
+ *
+ * Usage:
+ *   <?= view('docs/partials/docs_sidebar', ['active_page' => 'installation']) ?>
+ *
+ * Variables:
+ *   $active_page (string) — slug matching the 'id' on each nav item below
+ *   $nav         (array)  — optional nav injected by DocsController
+ *
+ * To add a page: add an entry to the $nav array below.
+ * To add a section: add a new group with a 'label' key.
+ */
+
+$active_page = $active_page ?? '';
+
+$nav = $nav ?? [
+  [
+    'label' => 'Getting Started',
+    'items' => [
+      ['id' => 'introduction',    'label' => 'Introduction',       'url' => 'docs/introduction'],
+      ['id' => 'installation',    'label' => 'Installation',       'url' => 'docs/installation'],
+      ['id' => 'configuration',   'label' => 'Configuration',      'url' => 'docs/configuration'],
+      ['id' => 'env-setup',       'label' => 'Environment Setup',  'url' => 'docs/env-setup'],
+    ],
+  ],
+  [
+    'label' => 'Architecture',
+    'items' => [
+      ['id' => 'project-structure', 'label' => 'Project Structure', 'url' => 'docs/project-structure'],
+      ['id' => 'routing',           'label' => 'Routing',           'url' => 'docs/routing'],
+      ['id' => 'controllers',       'label' => 'Controllers',       'url' => 'docs/controllers'],
+      ['id' => 'models',            'label' => 'Models',            'url' => 'docs/models'],
+      ['id' => 'services',          'label' => 'Services',          'url' => 'docs/services'],
+      ['id' => 'helpers',           'label' => 'Helpers',           'url' => 'docs/helpers'],
+    ],
+  ],
+  [
+    'label' => 'Features',
+    'items' => [
+      ['id' => 'authentication',  'label' => 'Authentication',     'url' => 'docs/authentication'],
+      ['id' => 'acl',             'label' => 'ACL / Access Control', 'url' => 'docs/acl'],
+      ['id' => 'input-security',  'label' => 'Input Security Guard', 'url' => 'docs/input-security'],
+      ['id' => 'file-uploads',    'label' => 'File Upload Guard',  'url' => 'docs/file-uploads'],
+      ['id' => 'background-jobs', 'label' => 'Background Jobs',    'url' => 'docs/background-jobs'],
+      ['id' => 'visit-onboard',   'label' => 'Visit onboard',      'url' => 'docs/visit-onboard'],
+      ['id' => 'visit-offboard',  'label' => 'Visit offboard',     'url' => 'docs/visit-offboard'],
+      ['id' => 'notifications',   'label' => 'Email / Notifications', 'url' => 'docs/notifications'],
+    ],
+  ],
+  [
+    'label' => 'API Reference',
+    'items' => [
+      ['id' => 'endpoints',       'label' => 'Endpoints',          'url' => 'docs/endpoints'],
+      ['id' => 'request-response','label' => 'Request / Response', 'url' => 'docs/request-response'],
+      ['id' => 'error-codes',     'label' => 'Error Codes',        'url' => 'docs/error-codes'],
+    ],
+  ],
+  [
+    'label' => 'DevOps',
+    'items' => [
+      ['id' => 'deployment',      'label' => 'Deployment',         'url' => 'docs/deployment'],
+      ['id' => 'cicd',            'label' => 'CI/CD Pipeline',     'url' => 'docs/cicd'],
+      ['id' => 's3-cloudfront',   'label' => 'S3 & CloudFront',    'url' => 'docs/s3-cloudfront'],
+    ],
+  ],
+  [
+    'label' => 'Reference',
+    'items' => [
+      ['id' => 'changelog',       'label' => 'Changelog',          'url' => 'docs/changelog'],
+      ['id' => 'contributing',    'label' => 'Contributing',       'url' => 'docs/contributing'],
+    ],
+  ],
+];
+?>
+
+<!-- ═══════════════════════════════════════════
+     SIDEBAR
+════════════════════════════════════════════ -->
+<aside class="docs-sidebar">
+
+  <?php foreach ($nav as $section): ?>
+
+    <span class="docs-sidebar__label">
+      <?= esc($section['label']) ?>
+    </span>
+
+    <?php foreach ($section['items'] as $item):
+      $is_active = ($item['id'] === $active_page);
+    ?>
+      <a
+        href="<?= base_url($item['url']) ?>"
+        class="docs-sidebar__link <?= $is_active ? 'is-active' : '' ?>"
+      >
+        <span class="docs-sidebar__dot"></span>
+        <?= esc($item['label']) ?>
+      </a>
+    <?php endforeach; ?>
+
+  <?php endforeach; ?>
+
+</aside>
+
+<style>
+  /* ─── SIDEBAR ────────────────────────────── */
+  .docs-sidebar {
+    width      : var(--sidebar-w);
+    min-width  : var(--sidebar-w);
+    border-right: 1px solid var(--border);
+    padding    : 24px 0 48px;
+    position   : sticky;
+    top        : var(--topbar-h);
+    height     : calc(100vh - var(--topbar-h));
+    overflow-y : auto;
+    background : var(--bg);
+    flex-shrink: 0;
+  }
+
+  /* Thin scrollbar */
+  .docs-sidebar::-webkit-scrollbar        { width: 4px; }
+  .docs-sidebar::-webkit-scrollbar-track  { background: transparent; }
+  .docs-sidebar::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb  { background: var(--border); border-radius: 4px; }
+
+  .docs-sidebar__label {
+    display       : block;
+    font-size     : 11px;
+    font-weight   : 600;
+    letter-spacing: 0.07em;
+    text-transform: uppercase;
+    color         : var(--muted);
+    padding       : 0 20px 6px;
+    margin-top    : 20px;
+  }
+
+  /* Remove top margin from first label */
+  .docs-sidebar__label:first-child { margin-top: 0; }
+
+  .docs-sidebar__link {
+    display        : flex;
+    align-items    : center;
+    gap            : 8px;
+    padding        : 6px 20px;
+    font-size      : 13.5px;
+    color          : var(--text);
+    text-decoration: none;
+    border-left    : 2px solid transparent;
+    transition     : background 0.1s, color 0.1s;
+  }
+
+  .docs-sidebar__link:hover {
+    background: var(--bg2);
+    color     : var(--accent);
+  }
+
+  .docs-sidebar__link.is-active {
+    background  : var(--accent-bg);
+    color       : var(--accent);
+    font-weight : 500;
+    border-left-color: var(--accent);
+  }
+
+  .docs-sidebar__dot {
+    width        : 5px;
+    height       : 5px;
+    border-radius: 50%;
+    background   : var(--border);
+    flex-shrink  : 0;
+  }
+
+  .docs-sidebar__link.is-active .docs-sidebar__dot {
+    background: var(--accent);
+  }
+</style>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/partials/installation.php b/app/Views/docs/partials/installation.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..38f43807
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/partials/installation.php
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Sample docs content
+ * app/Views/docs/partials/installation.php
+ *
+ * Copy only the page content structure from this file when creating a new page.
+ * The controller renders the shared layout automatically.
+ */
+?>
+
+<p>
+  This guide walks you through setting up the project on a local development machine.
+  For production deployment, see the <a href="<?= base_url('docs/deployment') ?>">Deployment</a> page.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>ℹ️</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Before you begin</strong>
+    Make sure PHP 8.1+, Composer 2.x, and MySQL 5.7+ are installed on your machine.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<!-- REQUIREMENTS -->
+<h2 id="requirements">Requirements</h2>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Dependency</th><th>Version</th><th>Notes</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr><td><code>PHP</code></td><td>8.1+</td><td>Required by CI 4.4+</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>MySQL</code></td><td>5.7 / 8.0</td><td>Primary database</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>Composer</code></td><td>2.x</td><td>Dependency management</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>Node.js</code></td><td>18+ (optional)</td><td>Only needed for asset pipeline</td></tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<!-- STEPS -->
+<h2 id="steps">Steps</h2>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong id="clone">Clone the repository</strong>
+    <div class="code-header">
+      <span class="code-filename">terminal</span>
+      <span class="code-lang">bash</span>
+    </div>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">git clone https://github.com/your-org/myapp.git
+cd myapp</code></pre>
+  </li>
+
+  <li>
+    <strong>Install PHP dependencies</strong>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">composer install</code></pre>
+  </li>
+
+  <li>
+    <strong>Copy the environment file</strong>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">cp env .env</code></pre>
+    <p>Edit <code>.env</code> with your local database credentials and base URL.</p>
+  </li>
+
+  <li>
+    <strong id="migrate">Run migrations and seeders</strong>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">php spark migrate
+php spark db:seed MainSeeder</code></pre>
+  </li>
+
+  <li>
+    <strong>Start the dev server</strong>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">php spark serve</code></pre>
+    <p>App will be available at <code>http://localhost:8080</code>.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>⚠️</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Use 127.0.0.1, not localhost</strong>
+    MySQL on some setups resolves <code>localhost</code> to a socket path instead of TCP.
+    Use <code>127.0.0.1</code> in <code>.env</code> to avoid connection errors.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<!-- CONFIGURATION -->
+<h2 id="configuration">Configuration</h2>
+
+<p>Key variables to configure in <code>.env</code>:</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Variable</th><th>Default</th><th>Description</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td>
+        <span class="param-name">CI_ENVIRONMENT</span>
+        <span class="badge req">required</span>
+      </td>
+      <td><code>production</code></td>
+      <td>Set to <code>development</code> locally to enable error display.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>
+        <span class="param-name">database.default.hostname</span>
+        <span class="badge req">required</span>
+      </td>
+      <td>—</td>
+      <td>MySQL hostname. Use <code>127.0.0.1</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>
+        <span class="param-name">app.baseURL</span>
+        <span class="badge req">required</span>
+      </td>
+      <td>—</td>
+      <td>Full URL with trailing slash. e.g. <code>http://localhost:8080/</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>
+        <span class="param-name">JWT_SECRET</span>
+        <span class="badge opt">optional</span>
+      </td>
+      <td>—</td>
+      <td>Only needed if JWT API auth is enabled.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<div class="callout danger">
+  <span>🚫</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Never commit <code>.env</code></strong>
+    The file is in <code>.gitignore</code>. Use your CI/CD secrets manager for production values.
+  </div>
+</div>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/partials/installation_content.php b/app/Views/docs/partials/installation_content.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bf0b6e9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/partials/installation_content.php
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Installation — content only
+ * app/Views/docs/installation.php
+ *
+ * ⚠️  NO layout partials here. The controller wraps this automatically.
+ * Just write your h2, p, pre, table, callout blocks.
+ *
+ * Available $data variables injected by the controller:
+ *   $title, $breadcrumb, $toc, $last_updated, $author, $read_time, $prev, $next
+ */
+?>
+
+<p>
+  This guide walks you through setting up the project on a local development machine.
+  For production deployment, see the <a href="<?= base_url('docs/deployment') ?>">Deployment</a> page.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>ℹ️</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Before you begin</strong>
+    Make sure PHP 8.1+, Composer 2.x, and MySQL 5.7+ are installed on your machine.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<!-- REQUIREMENTS -->
+<h2 id="requirements">Requirements</h2>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Dependency</th><th>Version</th><th>Notes</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr><td><code>PHP</code></td><td>8.1+</td><td>Required by CI 4.4+</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>MySQL</code></td><td>5.7 / 8.0</td><td>Primary database</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>Composer</code></td><td>2.x</td><td>Dependency management</td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>Node.js</code></td><td>18+ (optional)</td><td>Only for asset pipeline</td></tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<!-- STEPS -->
+<h2 id="steps">Steps</h2>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong id="clone">Clone the repository</strong>
+    <div class="code-header">
+      <span class="code-filename">terminal</span>
+      <span class="code-lang">bash</span>
+    </div>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">git clone https://github.com/your-org/myapp.git
+cd myapp</code></pre>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Install PHP dependencies</strong>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">composer install</code></pre>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Copy the environment file</strong>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">cp env .env</code></pre>
+    <p>Edit <code>.env</code> with your local database credentials and base URL.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong id="migrate">Run migrations and seeders</strong>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">php spark migrate
+php spark db:seed MainSeeder</code></pre>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Start the dev server</strong>
+    <pre><code class="language-bash">php spark serve</code></pre>
+    <p>App will be available at <code>http://localhost:8080</code>.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>⚠️</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Use 127.0.0.1, not localhost</strong>
+    MySQL on some setups resolves <code>localhost</code> to a socket path instead of TCP.
+    Use <code>127.0.0.1</code> in <code>.env</code> to avoid connection errors.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<!-- CONFIGURATION -->
+<h2 id="configuration">Configuration</h2>
+
+<p>Key variables to configure in <code>.env</code>:</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Variable</th><th>Default</th><th>Description</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><span class="param-name">CI_ENVIRONMENT</span> <span class="badge req">required</span></td>
+      <td><code>production</code></td>
+      <td>Set to <code>development</code> locally for detailed error display.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><span class="param-name">database.default.hostname</span> <span class="badge req">required</span></td>
+      <td>—</td>
+      <td>MySQL hostname. Use <code>127.0.0.1</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><span class="param-name">app.baseURL</span> <span class="badge req">required</span></td>
+      <td>—</td>
+      <td>Full URL with trailing slash. e.g. <code>http://localhost:8080/</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><span class="param-name">JWT_SECRET</span> <span class="badge opt">optional</span></td>
+      <td>—</td>
+      <td>Only needed if JWT API auth is enabled.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<div class="callout danger">
+  <span>🚫</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Never commit <code>.env</code></strong>
+    The file is in <code>.gitignore</code>. Use your CI/CD secrets manager for production values.
+  </div>
+</div>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/s3-cloudfront.php b/app/Views/docs/s3-cloudfront.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bb34d073
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/s3-cloudfront.php
@@ -0,0 +1,524 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * S3 & CloudFront - content only
+ * app/Views/docs/s3-cloudfront.php
+ */
+?>
+
+<p>
+  This page documents the current dev-side asset deployment script that uploads
+  files to an S3 bucket and then invalidates a selected CloudFront distribution.
+  The script is interactive and is intended for operator-driven publishing rather
+  than unattended release automation.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Dev-focused workflow</strong>
+    The process below is documented from the Windows batch script currently used
+    for S3 upload plus CloudFront invalidation in the dev workflow.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="overview">Overview</h2>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart TD
+    A[Start batch script] --> B[List S3 buckets]
+    B --> C[Select bucket]
+    C --> D[List CloudFront distributions]
+    D --> E[Select distribution]
+    E --> F[Confirm selection]
+    F --> G[Delete existing S3 files]
+    G --> H[Sync new files]
+    H --> I[Create CloudFront invalidation]
+    I --> J[Wait 45 seconds]
+    J --> K[Poll invalidation status]
+    K --> L[Finish when Completed]
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="prerequisites">Prerequisites</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Before running the script, the local machine must already be able to execute
+  AWS CLI commands successfully.
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Requirement</th><th>Purpose</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>aws s3 ls</code></td>
+      <td>Lists available buckets for the operator to choose from.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>aws cloudfront list-distributions</code></td>
+      <td>Lists distributions so the operator can choose the target invalidation.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>AWS credentials already configured</td>
+      <td>The script assumes AWS CLI authentication is already working.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Correct working directory</td>
+      <td><code>aws s3 sync . ...</code> uploads from the current folder, so the script must be run from the directory containing the files to publish.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<h2 id="selection-flow">Selection flow</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The script begins with two interactive selections:
+</p>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>Select the target S3 bucket</strong>
+    <p>It runs <code>aws s3 ls</code>, numbers the available buckets, and stores the selected bucket as <code>S3_BUCKET</code>.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Select the target CloudFront distribution</strong>
+    <p>It runs <code>aws cloudfront list-distributions</code> and shows the distribution ID, domain name, and comment for each available entry.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Confirm before deploy</strong>
+    <p>The operator can proceed, re-choose the bucket/distribution pair, or exit before any destructive operation starts.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<p>
+  The current UI-side mapping used for bucket to CloudFront pairing is:
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>S3 bucket</th><th>CloudFront distribution ID</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>uat-benefits-app-bucket</code></td>
+      <td><code>EUBZ8CDSV9KZZ</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>uat-hr-app-bucket</code></td>
+      <td><code>E9TNPRI9ITM1M</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>benefits-app-bucket</code></td>
+      <td><code>E1MKRK4U5MZ3BD</code></td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>live-hr-app-bucket</code></td>
+      <td><code>E3TE01DPKHTD8B</code></td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<p>
+  These pairs are aligned with the bucket-to-distribution mapping currently used
+  in <code>app/Views/fedeploy.php</code>.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Interactive by design</strong>
+    This script is not written as a fixed one-click pipeline. It deliberately
+    pauses for operator selection and confirmation before deployment begins.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="deployment-steps">Deployment steps</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Once confirmed, the script executes five sequential steps:
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Step</th><th>What it does</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>1/5</code></td>
+      <td>Deletes the existing contents of the selected S3 bucket with <code>aws s3 rm --recursive</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>2/5</code></td>
+      <td>Syncs the current directory into the bucket with <code>aws s3 sync</code>, excluding <code>*.bat</code> and <code>*.bat.*</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>3/5</code></td>
+      <td>Creates a CloudFront invalidation for <code>/*</code> and captures the invalidation ID.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>4/5</code></td>
+      <td>Waits 45 seconds before the first status check.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>5/5</code></td>
+      <td>Polls invalidation status until it becomes <code>Completed</code> or retries are exhausted.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<pre><code class="language-batch">aws s3 rm "%S3_BUCKET%" --recursive
+aws s3 sync . "%S3_BUCKET%" --exclude "*.bat" --exclude "*.bat.*"
+aws cloudfront create-invalidation --distribution-id %DIST_ID% --paths "/*"</code></pre>
+
+<div class="callout danger">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Bucket cleanup is destructive</strong>
+    The script removes existing files from the selected S3 bucket before syncing
+    the new content. Confirm the selected bucket carefully before proceeding.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="invalidation-polling">Invalidation polling</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The script includes explicit status handling for CloudFront invalidation:
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Setting</th><th>Value</th><th>Purpose</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>WAIT_SECONDS</code></td>
+      <td><code>45</code></td>
+      <td>Initial wait before the first invalidation status check.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>MAX_STATUS_RETRIES</code></td>
+      <td><code>20</code></td>
+      <td>Upper bound for repeated status polling attempts.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Retry delay</td>
+      <td><code>15</code> seconds</td>
+      <td>Pause between repeated invalidation status checks.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<p>
+  If AWS returns an error or the status is empty, the script retries until the
+  maximum retry count is reached. If the returned status becomes
+  <code>Completed</code>, the deployment is treated as successful.
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-text">Completed
+InProgress
+</code></pre>
+
+<h2 id="operational-notes">Operational notes</h2>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>Run from the correct publish directory</strong>
+    <p>The script syncs the current directory, so it should be started only from the folder whose contents should go to S3.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Verify the chosen bucket and distribution before confirming</strong>
+    <p>The confirmation step exists to prevent publishing to the wrong S3 bucket or invalidating the wrong distribution.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Keep batch files out of the published output</strong>
+    <p>The script explicitly excludes batch files during sync so deployment helpers are not uploaded into the target bucket.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Watch for invalidation completion</strong>
+    <p>The script does not finish immediately after creating the invalidation; it waits and polls until the status is complete or retries are exhausted.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<div class="callout success">
+  <span>+</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Practical use</strong>
+    Use this workflow when dev static assets or frontend build output must be
+    refreshed in S3 and then propagated through CloudFront without waiting for
+    normal cache expiry.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="full-script">Full script</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Full reference copy of the current Windows batch script:
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-batch">@echo off
+setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
+
+REM ==============================
+REM CONFIGURATION
+REM ==============================
+set WAIT_SECONDS=45
+set MAX_STATUS_RETRIES=20
+
+REM ==============================
+REM SELECT S3 BUCKET
+REM ==============================
+:SELECT_BUCKET
+cls
+echo =========================================
+echo    AVAILABLE S3 BUCKETS
+echo =========================================
+echo.
+
+set count=0
+for /f "tokens=3 delims= " %%a in ('aws s3 ls') do (
+    set /a count+=1
+    set bucket[!count!]=%%a
+    echo !count!. %%a
+)
+
+if %count%==0 (
+    echo [ERROR] No S3 buckets found.
+    pause
+    exit /b 1
+)
+
+echo.
+set /p bucketChoice=Select bucket number:
+
+if not defined bucket[%bucketChoice%] (
+    echo [ERROR] Invalid selection.
+    ping -n 3 127.0.0.1 >nul
+    goto SELECT_BUCKET
+)
+
+set S3_BUCKET=s3://!bucket[%bucketChoice%]!
+
+REM ==============================
+REM SELECT CLOUDFRONT DISTRIBUTION
+REM ==============================
+:SELECT_CF
+cls
+echo =========================================
+echo    AVAILABLE CLOUDFRONT DISTRIBUTIONS
+echo =========================================
+echo.
+
+set cfcount=0
+for /f "tokens=1,2,3 delims=  " %%a in ('aws cloudfront list-distributions --query "DistributionList.Items[*].[Id,DomainName,Comment]" --output text') do (
+    set /a cfcount+=1
+    set cfid[!cfcount!]=%%a
+    echo !cfcount!. ID: %%a
+    echo     Domain: %%b
+    echo     Desc  : %%c
+    echo.
+)
+
+if %cfcount%==0 (
+    echo [ERROR] No CloudFront distributions found.
+    pause
+    exit /b 1
+)
+
+set /p cfChoice=Select CloudFront number:
+
+if not defined cfid[%cfChoice%] (
+    echo [ERROR] Invalid selection.
+    ping -n 3 127.0.0.1 >nul
+    goto SELECT_CF
+)
+
+set DIST_ID=!cfid[%cfChoice%]!
+
+REM ==============================
+REM CONFIRM SELECTION
+REM ==============================
+:CONFIRM
+cls
+echo =========================================
+echo    CONFIRM YOUR SELECTION
+echo =========================================
+echo.
+echo   S3 Bucket  : %S3_BUCKET%
+echo   CloudFront : %DIST_ID%
+echo.
+echo   1. Proceed
+echo   2. Re-choose
+echo   3. Exit
+echo.
+
+set /p confirmChoice=Enter choice:
+
+if "%confirmChoice%"=="1" goto DEPLOY
+if "%confirmChoice%"=="2" goto SELECT_BUCKET
+if "%confirmChoice%"=="3" exit /b 0
+
+goto CONFIRM
+
+
+REM ==============================
+REM DEPLOYMENT FLOW
+REM ==============================
+:DEPLOY
+cls
+echo =========================================
+echo    DEPLOYMENT STARTED
+echo =========================================
+echo.
+
+REM --------------------------------------------------
+REM STEP 1: REMOVE EXISTING S3 FILES
+REM --------------------------------------------------
+echo [1/5] Removing existing files from %S3_BUCKET%...
+aws s3 rm "%S3_BUCKET%" --recursive
+if %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
+    echo [ERROR] S3 DELETE FAILED. Aborting.
+    exit /b 1
+)
+echo [OK] S3 cleanup completed.
+echo.
+
+REM --------------------------------------------------
+REM STEP 2: SYNC NEW FILES
+REM FIX B1+B2: Quoted S3_BUCKET, exclude .bat files from sync
+REM --------------------------------------------------
+echo [2/5] Uploading new files to %S3_BUCKET%...
+aws s3 sync . "%S3_BUCKET%" --exclude "*.bat" --exclude "*.bat.*"
+if %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
+    echo [ERROR] S3 SYNC FAILED. Aborting.
+    exit /b 1
+)
+echo [OK] S3 sync completed.
+echo.
+
+REM --------------------------------------------------
+REM STEP 3: CREATE CLOUDFRONT INVALIDATION
+REM FIX B3: Pre-clear variable before reading temp file
+REM FIX B4: Use for /f to read temp file -- strips \r automatically
+REM --------------------------------------------------
+echo [3/5] Creating CloudFront invalidation...
+
+set INVALIDATION_ID=
+aws cloudfront create-invalidation --distribution-id %DIST_ID% --paths "/*" --query "Invalidation.Id" --output text > "%TEMP%\cf_inv_id.txt" 2>"%TEMP%\cf_inv_err.txt"
+
+if %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
+    echo [ERROR] CloudFront invalidation creation failed.
+    echo --- AWS Error Output ---
+    type "%TEMP%\cf_inv_err.txt"
+    del "%TEMP%\cf_inv_id.txt"  >nul 2>&1
+    del "%TEMP%\cf_inv_err.txt" >nul 2>&1
+    exit /b 1
+)
+
+REM for /f auto-strips \r\n giving a clean value -- fixes the critical \r bug
+for /f "usebackq delims=" %%i in ("%TEMP%\cf_inv_id.txt") do set INVALIDATION_ID=%%i
+del "%TEMP%\cf_inv_id.txt"  >nul 2>&1
+del "%TEMP%\cf_inv_err.txt" >nul 2>&1
+
+if "%INVALIDATION_ID%"=="" (
+    echo [ERROR] Invalidation ID was empty after creation. Aborting.
+    exit /b 1
+)
+
+echo [OK] Invalidation created.
+echo       Invalidation ID : %INVALIDATION_ID%
+echo       Distribution ID : %DIST_ID%
+echo.
+
+REM --------------------------------------------------
+REM STEP 4: WAIT 45 SECONDS
+REM --------------------------------------------------
+set /a PING_COUNT=%WAIT_SECONDS%+1
+echo [4/5] Waiting %WAIT_SECONDS% seconds before polling...
+ping -n %PING_COUNT% 127.0.0.1 >nul
+echo [OK] Wait complete.
+echo.
+
+REM --------------------------------------------------
+REM STEP 5: POLL INVALIDATION STATUS
+REM FIX B5: for /f strips \r so STATUS matches "Completed" correctly
+REM FIX B6: Retry counter prevents infinite loop on AWS errors
+REM --------------------------------------------------
+set retryCount=0
+
+:CHECK_STATUS
+cls
+echo =========================================
+echo    Checking CloudFront Invalidation Status
+echo =========================================
+echo.
+echo   Invalidation ID : %INVALIDATION_ID%
+echo   Distribution ID : %DIST_ID%
+echo.
+
+set STATUS=
+aws cloudfront get-invalidation --distribution-id %DIST_ID% --id %INVALIDATION_ID% --query "Invalidation.Status" --output text > "%TEMP%\cf_status.txt" 2>"%TEMP%\cf_status_err.txt"
+
+if %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 (
+    echo [WARN] AWS call failed. Error output:
+    type "%TEMP%\cf_status_err.txt"
+    del "%TEMP%\cf_status.txt"     >nul 2>&1
+    del "%TEMP%\cf_status_err.txt" >nul 2>&1
+    set /a retryCount+=1
+    if !retryCount! GEQ %MAX_STATUS_RETRIES% (
+        echo [ERROR] Max retries ^(%MAX_STATUS_RETRIES%^) reached. Deployment status unknown.
+        exit /b 1
+    )
+    echo Retrying in 15 seconds... [Attempt !retryCount!/%MAX_STATUS_RETRIES%]
+    ping -n 16 127.0.0.1 >nul
+    goto CHECK_STATUS
+)
+
+for /f "usebackq delims=" %%s in ("%TEMP%\cf_status.txt") do set STATUS=%%s
+del "%TEMP%\cf_status.txt"     >nul 2>&1
+del "%TEMP%\cf_status_err.txt" >nul 2>&1
+
+if "%STATUS%"=="" (
+    set /a retryCount+=1
+    echo [WARN] Empty status received.
+    if !retryCount! GEQ %MAX_STATUS_RETRIES% (
+        echo [ERROR] Max retries ^(%MAX_STATUS_RETRIES%^) reached. Aborting.
+        exit /b 1
+    )
+    echo Retrying in 15 seconds... [Attempt !retryCount!/%MAX_STATUS_RETRIES%]
+    ping -n 16 127.0.0.1 >nul
+    goto CHECK_STATUS
+)
+
+echo   Current Status  : %STATUS%
+echo.
+
+if /I "%STATUS%"=="Completed" (
+    echo =========================================
+    echo    INVALIDATION COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY
+    echo =========================================
+    goto END_SCRIPT
+)
+
+set /a retryCount+=1
+if !retryCount! GEQ %MAX_STATUS_RETRIES% (
+    echo [ERROR] Max retries ^(%MAX_STATUS_RETRIES%^) reached. Last status: %STATUS%
+    exit /b 1
+)
+
+echo [INFO] Still "%STATUS%". Checking again in 15 seconds... [Attempt !retryCount!/%MAX_STATUS_RETRIES%]
+ping -n 16 127.0.0.1 >nul
+goto CHECK_STATUS
+
+REM ==============================
+REM DONE
+REM ==============================
+:END_SCRIPT
+echo.
+echo =========================================
+echo    DEPLOYMENT FINISHED SUCCESSFULLY
+echo =========================================
+echo.
+pause
+exit /b 0</code></pre>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/tpa-recon.php b/app/Views/docs/tpa-recon.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f5273124
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/tpa-recon.php
@@ -0,0 +1,308 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * TPA Recon — content only
+ * app/Views/docs/tpa-recon.php
+ *
+ * Mirrors EmployeeController + EmployeePolicyModel + EmployeeServiceController behaviour.
+ */
+?>
+
+<h2 id="what-this-is">What this is</h2>
+
+<p>
+  <strong>TPA Recon</strong> (reconciliation) compares <strong>Nhance</strong> enrolment data with a
+  <strong>TPA API dump</strong> stored in <code>tpa_api_data</code> for a given batch file. HR can see
+  who exists only in Nhance, only in the TPA file, or in both with field differences, then take actions:
+  inception upload for missing members, direct DB updates for mismatches, and a deletion pipeline when
+  the TPA marks rows for deletion.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  The flow is intentionally split across <code>EmployeeController</code> (report, proceed, heavy logic),
+  <code>EmployeePolicyModel::getTPADataVariationReport</code> (SQL slices), and
+  <code>EmployeeServiceController</code> (Excel pipelines and queued follow-up jobs). Read this page top
+  to bottom once; use the checklist at the end when you touch production data.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="glossary">Glossary</h2>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Term</th><th>Meaning here</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>batch_files.id</code> (often called <code>file_id</code> in code)</td>
+      <td>The batch row for the TPA import / variation context. <code>tpa_api_data.file_id</code> points at the same id.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>tpa_api_data</code></td>
+      <td>One row per TPA member line for that file: <code>emp_code</code>, <code>name</code>, <code>dob</code>, <code>gender</code>, <code>relation</code>, optional <code>ref</code> (FK to <code>employee_polices.id</code>), <code>rec_type</code>, <code>action_flag_status</code> (e.g. <code>D</code> for deletion intent), <code>is_active</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>rec_type</code></td>
+      <td>Snapshot classification on <code>tpa_api_data</code>: <code>matched</code>, <code>need_to_review</code>, or <code>not_in_nhance</code>. Used to speed up repeat UI loads after the first full compute.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>ref</code></td>
+      <td>When set, links a TPA row to <code>employee_polices.id</code> after strict matching in <code>reconTpaApiDataWithEmployeepolicies</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Not in TPA</td>
+      <td>Nhance has an active policy member for the client/policy, but no TPA row with that <code>emp_code</code> in the dump.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Not in Nhance</td>
+      <td>TPA has an <code>emp_code</code> not present in the Nhance “master” list for that client/policy (see model method with <code>$all = true</code>).</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Need to review / mismatch</td>
+      <td>Same <code>emp_code</code> and same relation line can be paired, but name, DOB, or gender differ; or relation-level pairing failed and TPA rows for that code need manual attention.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<h2 id="key-files-routes">Key files and routes</h2>
+
+<ul>
+  <li><strong>Controller:</strong> <code>app/Controllers/EmployeeController.php</code>
+    <ul>
+      <li><code>getTPADataVariationReport($file_id, $type)</code></li>
+      <li><code>proceedTPADataVariationNextStep($file_id)</code></li>
+      <li><code>generateEmployeeUploadFromNotInNhance(...)</code> (protected)</li>
+      <li><code>initializeDeletionProcessForTpaApiData($file_id)</code> — expects <code>['file_id' =&gt; batch_file_id]</code></li>
+      <li>Helpers: <code>reconcileDbWithTpa</code>, <code>reconTpaApiDataWithEmployeepolicies</code>, <code>updateEmployeeDataFromTpa</code>, <code>exportVariationReportExcel</code></li>
+    </ul>
+  </li>
+  <li><strong>Model slice:</strong> <code>app/Models/EmployeePolicyModel.php</code> → <code>getTPADataVariationReport($client_id, $client_policy_id, $file_id, $emp_codes = [], $all = false)</code></li>
+  <li><strong>Excel / jobs:</strong> <code>app/Controllers/EmployeeServiceController.php</code> (inception, correction, disembark; queues jobs listed below)</li>
+  <li><strong>Job routing:</strong> <code>app/Controllers/JobWorker.php</code> maps job names to <code>EmployeeController</code> handlers</li>
+  <li><strong>Routes</strong> (employee group in <code>app/Config/Routes.php</code>):
+    <ul>
+      <li><code>GET employee/getTPADataVariationReport/(:num)</code> — default second segment resolves to download-style behaviour</li>
+      <li><code>GET employee/getTPADataVariationReportView/(:num)</code> — same action with <code>view</code> type (JSON for UI)</li>
+      <li><code>GET employee/proceedTPADataVariationNextStep/(:num)</code> — query string <code>?tab=...</code> (see Proceed section)</li>
+    </ul>
+  </li>
+  <li><strong>UI:</strong> <code>app/Views/batch_list.php</code> — download / view variation report links call the routes above</li>
+</ul>
+
+<h2 id="end-to-end-flow">End-to-end flow</h2>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart TB
+  A[TPA rows in tpa_api_data] --> B[getTPADataVariationReport]
+  B --> C{rec_type snapshot exists?}
+  C -->|no| D[Compute and persist rec_type]
+  C -->|yes| E[Load from rec_type]
+  D --> F[reconTpaApiDataWithEmployeepolicies]
+  F --> G[Report UI / Excel]
+  E --> G
+  B --> H[not_in_tpa from SQL]
+  G --> I[proceedTPADataVariationNextStep]
+  I -->|not_in_nhance| J[Inception Excel + files]
+  I -->|need_to_review| K[updateEmployeeDataFromTpa]
+  J --> L[Excel pipelines]
+  K --> L
+  L --> M[Queued jobs: sync + recon + deletion init]
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+  “Proceed” runs immediate actions; ref sync and deletion initialization also run as <strong>queued jobs</strong>
+  after inception or correction Excel workflows complete in <code>EmployeeServiceController</code>.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="variation-report">Variation report — <code>getTPADataVariationReport</code></h2>
+
+<p><strong>Inputs:</strong> <code>$file_id</code> (batch file id), <code>$type</code>:</p>
+<ul>
+  <li><code>view</code> — JSON API response with structured <code>data</code> (or empty array if nothing).</li>
+  <li><code>download</code> — streams Excel via <code>exportVariationReportExcel</code> (three sheets).</li>
+</ul>
+
+<p>
+  The controller loads <code>batch_files</code> for <code>client_id</code>, <code>client_policy_id</code>, then decides
+  <strong>compute</strong> vs <strong>cached</strong> mode:
+</p>
+<ul>
+  <li><strong>Compute</strong> if there is no existing <code>rec_type</code> snapshot on active <code>tpa_api_data</code> for this file (non-empty <code>rec_type</code> on any row).</li>
+  <li><strong>Cached</strong> if a snapshot already exists — avoids rewriting <code>rec_type</code> on every page load.</li>
+</ul>
+
+<p>
+  <strong>Compute path — high level:</strong>
+</p>
+<ol>
+  <li>Load all active <code>tpa_api_data</code> for <code>file_id</code>; index by <code>emp_code</code>.</li>
+  <li>Initialize every TPA row id to <code>rec_type = matched</code> as a default.</li>
+  <li>Load Nhance rows from <code>EmployeePolicyModel::getTPADataVariationReport($client_id, $client_policy_id, $file_id)</code> (default branch: members with <code>tpa_id</code> null — the “not yet linked / review” slice).</li>
+  <li>For each Nhance row, run <code>reconcileDbWithTpa</code> (see next section). Update <code>rec_type</code> on the matched TPA id(s) accordingly.</li>
+  <li>Load master <code>emp_code</code> list with <code>getTPADataVariationReport(..., [], true)</code>. Any TPA row whose code is not in that list → <code>not_in_nhance</code>.</li>
+  <li><code>updateBatch</code> all <code>rec_type</code> values in a transaction.</li>
+  <li>Call <code>reconTpaApiDataWithEmployeepolicies(['file_id' =&gt; $file_id])</code> to populate <code>ref</code> where possible.</li>
+</ol>
+
+<p>
+  <strong>Cached path:</strong> Reads <code>not_in_nhance</code> and <code>need_to_review</code> rows from <code>tpa_api_data</code> by <code>rec_type</code>,
+  then rebuilds <code>mismatch_data</code> for the UI without re-running the full reconciliation loop.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  <strong><code>not_in_tpa</code> (always “live”):</strong> Built from TPA emp_codes for the file and
+  <code>getTPADataVariationReport(..., $tpa_emp_codes)</code> — Nhance members whose <code>emp_code</code> is not in the TPA set.
+  This list is <strong>not</strong> driven from the <code>rec_type</code> snapshot by design.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+  The response also includes counts and button flags for the “Not in Nhance” proceed action (inception vs
+  deletion tallies based on empty <code>ref</code> and <code>action_flag_status === 'D'</code>).
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="classifying-rec-type">Classifying <code>rec_type</code> — <code>reconcileDbWithTpa</code></h2>
+
+<p>
+  Given one Nhance row (<code>$db</code>) and all TPA rows for the same <code>emp_code</code> (<code>$tpaRows</code>), the controller walks TPA rows in order:
+</p>
+<ul>
+  <li><strong>Relation gate:</strong> <code>strtolower($db['relationship']) === strtolower($tpa['relation'])</code>. If it does not match, that TPA row is skipped.</li>
+  <li><strong>First passing row wins.</strong> Compare <code>name</code>, <code>dob</code>, <code>gender</code> (case-insensitive for gender).</li>
+  <li>Return <code>status = matched</code> with <code>tpa_record</code> and <code>not_matching</code> as the list of differing field names (may be empty = perfect match).</li>
+  <li>If no TPA row passes the relation gate → <code>status = no_match</code>.</li>
+</ul>
+
+<p>
+  The report layer uses that result to set <code>rec_type</code> on TPA ids: perfect match → <code>matched</code>;
+  matched with diffs → <code>need_to_review</code>; no relation-level match → mark candidate TPA rows for that
+  <code>emp_code</code> as <code>need_to_review</code>.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="linking-ref-column">Linking <code>ref</code> — <code>reconTpaApiDataWithEmployeepolicies</code></h2>
+
+<p>
+  Parameter shape: <code>['file_id' =&gt; $batchFileId]</code> (same id as the TPA batch).
+</p>
+<ul>
+  <li>Loads active <code>tpa_api_data</code> for the file. Rows that already have a non-empty <code>ref</code> are skipped.</li>
+  <li>Builds Nhance candidates: active <code>employee_polices</code> joined to <code>employees</code> for the same <code>client_id</code> / <code>client_policy_id</code>, keyed by <code>emp_code</code>.</li>
+  <li>For each TPA row still needing <code>ref</code>, finds a candidate where <strong>all</strong> match exactly after normalization:
+    name, relationship vs relation, dob, gender.</li>
+  <li>Batch-updates <code>tpa_api_data.ref</code> to the chosen <code>employee_policies.id</code> inside a transaction.</li>
+</ul>
+
+<p>
+  This is stricter than <code>reconcileDbWithTpa</code> (which only compares three fields after relation match)
+  because it must pick a single policy row to link.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="proceed-next-step">Proceed next step — <code>proceedTPADataVariationNextStep</code></h2>
+
+<p><strong>Route:</strong> <code>GET employee/proceedTPADataVariationNextStep/{file_id}?tab=...</code></p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th><code>tab</code></th><th>Behaviour</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>not_in_nhance</code></td>
+      <td>Calls <code>generateEmployeeUploadFromNotInNhance</code>. On success, an inception-style file exists in <code>files</code> and format validation has run. Follow-up ref/deletion jobs are not invoked inline here (see background jobs).</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>need_to_review</code></td>
+      <td>Calls <code>updateEmployeeDataFromTpa(['batch_file_id' =&gt; (int) $file_id])</code>. This applies TPA-sourced values onto <code>employees</code> for reconciled mismatches (no correction Excel in this path). The handler checks <code>$generationResult['success']</code> (not <code>status</code>).</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>other / missing</td>
+      <td>Still logs “proceed” and returns a generic success message.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Fix applied:</strong> The <code>need_to_review</code> branch previously passed the wrong parameter shape
+    to <code>updateEmployeeDataFromTpa</code> and read a non-existent <code>status</code> key. It now passes
+    <code>batch_file_id</code> and honours <code>success</code>, matching how queued jobs and QA utilities call the same method.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="not-in-nhance-inception">Not in Nhance → inception file — <code>generateEmployeeUploadFromNotInNhance</code></h2>
+
+<p><strong>Purpose:</strong> Turn TPA-only members into an <strong>Employee Upload with Events</strong> Excel so the normal onboarding pipeline can create them in Nhance.</p>
+
+<ol>
+  <li>Validate <code>client_id</code>, <code>client_policy_id</code>, <code>client_branch_id</code> on the batch file.</li>
+  <li>Master codes = <code>getTPADataVariationReport(..., [], true)</code> → <code>emp_code</code> list.</li>
+  <li>Select active <code>tpa_api_data</code> for this <code>file_id</code> whose <code>emp_code</code> is <strong>not</strong> in the master list.</li>
+  <li>Build headers from <code>EmployeeServiceController::getInceptionExcelColumns()</code>; map each TPA row (relation synonyms, <code>change_event</code> = <code>addition</code>, dates as <code>d-M-Y</code>, etc.).</li>
+  <li>Save XLSX under <code>WRITEPATH/uploads/excel/</code>, insert <code>files</code> row (<code>action = addition</code>, <code>status = inprogress</code>).</li>
+  <li>Run <code>excelFileFormatValidation</code> with <code>['file_id' =&gt; newFileId, 'batch_file_id' =&gt; batchFileId]</code>.</li>
+</ol>
+
+<h2 id="need-to-review-sync">Need to review → DB sync — <code>updateEmployeeDataFromTpa</code></h2>
+
+<p>
+  Expects <code>['batch_file_id' =&gt; int]</code>. Loads the same Nhance slice as the report, loads TPA rows per
+  <code>emp_code</code>, reuses <code>reconcileDbWithTpa</code>. When status is <code>matched</code> and <code>not_matching</code> is non-empty,
+  writes allowed fields on <code>employees</code> (name, dob, gender, relationship from TPA relation, corporate email when present).
+  Returns <code>success</code>, <code>message</code>, and counts in <code>data</code>.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="deletion-initialization">Deletion initialization — <code>initializeDeletionProcessForTpaApiData</code></h2>
+
+<p>
+  Parameter: <code>['file_id' =&gt; $batchFileId]</code> (same batch / TPA file id).
+</p>
+
+<p><strong>Business logic (as implemented):</strong></p>
+<ol>
+  <li>Resolve the batch file; require client, policy, and branch.</li>
+  <li>From <code>tpa_api_data</code>, select distinct non-empty <code>ref</code> values where <code>file_id</code> matches, rows are active, and <code>action_flag_status = 'D'</code> (deletion intent from TPA).</li>
+  <li>Those <code>ref</code> values are <code>employee_polices.id</code> values already linked to TPA.</li>
+  <li>Load <strong>active Nhance members</strong> in the same client/policy scope whose <code>employee_polices.id</code> is <strong>in that set</strong> (<code>whereIn</code> on policy id). These are the rows that will appear on the generated deletion sheet.</li>
+  <li>Build a deletion-format <code>.xls</code>, create a <code>files</code> row with <code>action = deletion</code>, run <code>EmployeeServiceController::employeeDisembark</code> to create endorsements from the sheet.</li>
+  <li>Build a separate import-format workbook from export helpers, create a <code>batch_files</code> row, run <code>EmpDataServiceController::importDeletionValidation</code> for the batch import path.</li>
+</ol>
+
+<p>
+  A commented <code>rec_type = matched</code> filter exists in the query; it is intentionally not applied — do not assume
+  <code>rec_type</code> gates deletion eligibility unless you change the code deliberately.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="background-jobs-chain">Background jobs chain</h2>
+
+<p>
+  After a successful <strong>inception-style</strong> onboarding from grouped family data
+  (<code>employeesOnboardProcess</code> path in <code>EmployeeServiceController</code>) when <code>batch_file_id</code> is present in params,
+  three jobs are enqueued in order:
+</p>
+<ol>
+  <li><code>updateEmployeeDataFromTpa</code> — payload includes <code>file_id</code> (newly created processing file where applicable) and <code>batch_file_id</code></li>
+  <li><code>reconTpaApiDataWithEmployeepolicies</code> — payload <code>['file_id' =&gt; batch_file_id]</code></li>
+  <li><code>initializeDeletionProcessForTpaApiData</code> — payload <code>['file_id' =&gt; batch_file_id]</code></li>
+</ol>
+
+<p>
+  A similar trio is queued after <code>employeesCorrectionProcess</code> when <code>batch_file_id</code> is passed. This is how
+  ref linking and deletion initialization catch up <strong>after</strong> Excel-driven workflows finish, even when the
+  “Proceed” controller path does not call them inline.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="new-developer-checklist">New developer checklist</h2>
+
+<ol>
+  <li>Identify the <strong>batch file id</strong> you are debugging; confirm matching rows exist in <code>tpa_api_data</code> with the same <code>file_id</code>.</li>
+  <li>Open <strong>Variation report</strong> in view mode first — inspect <code>not_in_tpa</code>, <code>not_in_nhance</code>, <code>mismatch_data</code> separately.</li>
+  <li>If <code>rec_type</code> looks stale, remember the controller only recomputes when no snapshot exists unless you clear or adjust <code>rec_type</code> in DB (there is no public “job” route in production docs).</li>
+  <li>When changing matching rules, update <strong>both</strong> <code>reconcileDbWithTpa</code> and <code>reconTpaApiDataWithEmployeepolicies</code> if they must stay aligned, or document intentional differences.</li>
+  <li>Before testing deletion flows on real clients, trace <code>action_flag_status</code> and <code>ref</code> on TPA rows — deletion candidates are rows explicitly flagged <code>D</code> with a populated <code>ref</code>.</li>
+  <li>Watch <code>myLogger</code> entries prefixed with <code>TPA</code> / <code>TPA RECON</code> for operational breadcrumbs.</li>
+</ol>
+
+<p>
+  For QA-only utilities (guarded in production), see internal notes such as
+  <code>public/dev_logs/2026-04-03.md</code> for <code>updateEmployeeDataFromTpa</code> and related routes.
+</p>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/visit-offboard.php b/app/Views/docs/visit-offboard.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..148978fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/visit-offboard.php
@@ -0,0 +1,249 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Visit offboard - content only
+ * app/Views/docs/visit-offboard.php
+ *
+ * Based on:
+ * - app/Controllers/EmployeeController.php (visitOffBoard, updateVisitoffboardStatus)
+ * - app/Controllers/EmpDataServiceController.php (deletion / endorsement job enqueue)
+ * - app/Controllers/JobWorker.php
+ * - app/Config/Routes.php, app/Config/Acl.php
+ */
+?>
+
+<p>
+  Visit offboard removes members from the Visit wellness side after they are
+  deleted or exited in Nhance. A background job calls the Visit delete-policy
+  API; on HTTP <code>200</code> and a JSON body where <code>message</code> is
+  <code>success</code>, Nhance appends <code>_DEL</code> to
+  <code>employee_polices.wellness_onboard</code> for the affected rows.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Core files</strong>
+    API and DB update logic live in
+    <code>app/Controllers/EmployeeController.php</code>
+    (<code>visitOffBoard()</code>, <code>updateVisitoffboardStatus()</code>).
+  The insurer deletion flow <code>importDeletionUpdateEndorsementID()</code>
+  enqueues the job from
+  <code>app/Controllers/EmpDataServiceController.php</code>. The worker maps
+    the job name in <code>app/Controllers/JobWorker.php</code>.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="overview">Overview</h2>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart TD
+    A[Deletion batch completes for insurer file] --> B[Jobs::addJob visitOffBoard]
+    B --> C[JobWorker runs EmployeeController::visitOffBoard]
+    C --> D[POST delete-policy-with-dependents]
+    D --> E{HTTP 200 and JSON message success}
+    E -->|Yes| F[updateVisitoffboardStatus]
+    F --> G[CONCAT wellness_onboard with _DEL]
+    E -->|No| H[Log failure, no DB marker]
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="when-it-is-queued">When it is queued</h2>
+
+<p>
+  After <code>importDeletionUpdateEndorsementID()</code> applies policy and
+  endorsement updates from the deletion Excel, when
+  <code>$file['insurer_or_tpa'] == 'insurer'</code>, the controller enqueues
+  <code>visitOffBoard</code> alongside cash-deposit and BDS jobs. The payload
+  carries the list of <code>employee_polices.id</code> values processed in that
+  batch, the client policy number, and a fixed source string.
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">$r = Jobs::addJob(['job_name' => 'visitOffBoard', 'payload' => [
+    'memberIds'    => $employee_policy_table_primaryKey ?? [],
+    'policyNumber' => $policy_name['policy_no'] ?? null,
+    'source'       => 'NHANCE',
+]]);</code></pre>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Payload key</th><th>Meaning</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>memberIds</code></td>
+      <td>Array of <code>employee_polices.id</code> primary keys collected from the deletion Excel flow (<code>emp_policy_primarykey</code> per row).</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>policyNumber</code></td>
+      <td>Policy number from <code>getPolicyNameUsingClientPolicyId()</code> for the batch client policy.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>source</code></td>
+      <td>Always <code>NHANCE</code> in the enqueue; <code>visitOffBoard()</code> also forces <code>source</code> to <code>NHANCE</code> before the HTTP call.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">'visitOffBoard' => [
+    'type'    => 'CC',
+    'handler' => 'App\Controllers\EmployeeController',
+],</code></pre>
+
+<h2 id="visit-off-board-api">visitOffBoard()</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The handler builds the Visit URL from environment configuration, appends the
+  path <code>delete-policy-with-dependents</code>, and POSTs JSON with
+  <code>memberIds</code>, <code>policyNumber</code>, and <code>source</code>.
+  Authorization uses a <code>JWT</code> prefix (this differs from the Visit
+  onboard upload path, which uses Basic auth in
+  <code>sendFamiliesToWellnessApi()</code>).
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">$apiUrl   = env('WELLNESS_ONBOARD_ENDPOINT_URL') . 'delete-policy-with-dependents';
+$apiToken = env('WELLNESS_ONBOARD_AUTHORIZATION');
+
+$response = $client->request('POST', '', [
+    'headers' => [
+        'Authorization' => 'JWT ' . $apiToken,
+        'Content-Type'  => 'application/json',
+        'Accept'        => 'application/json',
+    ],
+    'json' => [
+        'memberIds'    => $params['memberIds'] ?? [],
+        'policyNumber' => $params['policyNumber'] ?? '',
+        'source'       => $params['source'] ?? '',
+    ],
+    'http_errors' => false,
+]);</code></pre>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Outcome</th><th>Behavior</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td>HTTP status <code>200</code></td>
+      <td>Decodes JSON, calls <code>updateVisitoffboardStatus()</code> with <code>memberIds</code> and <code>api_result</code>, returns that array shape to the worker.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Other HTTP status</td>
+      <td>Logs failure; returns a structured error array; DB is not updated here.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Network or client exception</td>
+      <td>Logs exception; returns error array with <code>error</code> message.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<h2 id="update-status">updateVisitoffboardStatus()</h2>
+
+<p>
+  This method is only invoked from <code>visitOffBoard()</code> after a
+  <code>200</code> response. It validates the payload, requires
+  <code>$data['api_result']['message'] === 'success'</code>, then updates all
+  listed employee policy rows in one statement.
+</p>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>Validate structure</strong>
+    <p>Empty or non-array input logs and returns <code>false</code>.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Require API result</strong>
+    <p>Missing <code>api_result</code> logs and returns <code>false</code>.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Require success message</strong>
+    <p>If <code>message</code> is not exactly <code>success</code>, logs and returns <code>false</code> (no DB update).</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Optional warning for missingMemberIds</strong>
+    <p>If the API returns <code>missingMemberIds</code>, it is logged but processing continues.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Append offboard marker</strong>
+    <p>Runs <code>whereIn('id', $memberIds)</code> and sets <code>wellness_onboard</code> to <code>CONCAT(wellness_onboard, '_DEL')</code> so existing reference ids stay traceable.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">$this->employeePolicyModel
+    ->whereIn('id', $memberIds)
+    ->set('wellness_onboard', "CONCAT(wellness_onboard, '_DEL')", false)
+    ->update();</code></pre>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>HTTP 200 alone is not enough</strong>
+    The DB update runs only when the decoded body has
+    <code>message === 'success'</code>. A 200 with a failed business payload will
+    not append <code>_DEL</code>.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="manual-test-route">Manual test route</h2>
+
+<p>
+  <code>visitOffBoardCheck()</code> is a thin admin helper that builds a hardcoded
+  sample <code>$params</code> array and prints <code>visitOffBoard($params)</code>.
+  It is not part of the production deletion pipeline; use it only for targeted
+  debugging in non-production environments.
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">$routes->get('/visitOffBoardCheck', 'EmployeeController::visitOffBoardCheck');</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  ACL restricts this path to admin role in <code>app/Config/Acl.php</code>
+  (<code>#^/visitOffBoardCheck#</code>).
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="developer-steps">Developer steps</h2>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>Keep payload keys aligned with the Visit API contract</strong>
+    <p>The job must supply <code>memberIds</code>, <code>policyNumber</code>, and <code>source</code> in the shape the delete endpoint expects.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Confirm environment variables</strong>
+    <p><code>WELLNESS_ONBOARD_ENDPOINT_URL</code> must include the correct base (trailing slash behavior matters when concatenating <code>delete-policy-with-dependents</code>). <code>WELLNESS_ONBOARD_AUTHORIZATION</code> must be the token value expected after <code>JWT </code>.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Do not call <code>updateVisitoffboardStatus()</code> directly for partial failures</strong>
+    <p>It trusts <code>api_result['message']</code>; wire new callers through <code>visitOffBoard()</code> or replicate its guards.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Queue dependency</strong>
+    <p>As with other jobs, the worker must be running; otherwise the offboard job stays queued after deletion processing.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<h2 id="common-pitfalls">Common pitfalls</h2>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Pitfall</th><th>Why it happens</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>wellness_onboard</code> never gets <code>_DEL</code></td>
+      <td>HTTP not 200, or JSON <code>message</code> is not <code>success</code>, or <code>memberIds</code> empty / wrong type.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Visit receives wrong identifiers</td>
+      <td><code>memberIds</code> must match what the delete API expects (same identifiers family as onboard where applicable).</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Auth works for onboard but not offboard</td>
+      <td>Offboard uses <code>JWT</code> header construction; onboard upload uses <code>Basic</code> in a different helper.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Job never enqueues</td>
+      <td>The enqueue block runs only when <code>insurer_or_tpa == 'insurer'</code> on that deletion file path.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
diff --git a/app/Views/docs/visit-onboard.php b/app/Views/docs/visit-onboard.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..70757d39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/Views/docs/visit-onboard.php
@@ -0,0 +1,550 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Visit onboard - content only
+ * app/Views/docs/visit-onboard.php
+ *
+ * Based on:
+ * - app/Controllers/EmployeeController.php
+ * - app/Controllers/JobWorker.php
+ * - app/Config/Routes.php
+ * - app/Views/employee_upload.php
+ */
+?>
+
+<p>
+  Visit onboard is the Visit wellness onboarding flow used for eligible members
+  under a selected client policy. The browser first checks how many members are
+  still pending, then starts a background job that pages through
+  <code>employee_polices</code> rows, groups each family by
+  <code>emp_code</code>, sends one payload per family to the external Visit
+  API, and stores the returned <code>referenceId</code> back into
+  <code>employee_polices.wellness_onboard</code>.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Core files</strong>
+    The status check, queue trigger, payload builder, API call, and DB update
+    logic all live in <code>app/Controllers/EmployeeController.php</code>. The
+    queue worker entry is registered in <code>app/Controllers/JobWorker.php</code>.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="overview">Overview</h2>
+
+<div class="mermaid-wrapper">
+  <div class="mermaid">
+flowchart TD
+    A[User selects policy] --> B[checkWellnessOnboardStatus]
+    B --> C{Pending members > 0}
+    C -->|No| D[Hide onboard action]
+    C -->|Yes| E[Show Visit onboard action]
+    E --> F[initiateWellnessOnboard]
+    F --> G[Jobs::addJob]
+    G --> H[JobWorker executes initiateWellnessOnboardJob]
+    H --> I[Fetch one page of employee policy rows]
+    I --> J[Group rows by emp_code]
+    J --> K[Build family payload]
+    K --> L[POST to Visit API]
+    L --> M[Store referenceId in wellness_onboard]
+    M --> N{Page was full}
+    N -->|Yes| O[Queue next page job]
+    N -->|No| P[Batch complete]
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="prerequisites">Prerequisites</h2>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>A valid Visit plan ID must be mapped to the client policy in the policy edit page before using Visit onboard.</strong>
+    Without a proper wellness plan mapping, the current eligibility query will
+    not pick that policy for onboarding and the flow will not start as expected.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+  Before testing or using this feature, confirm that the selected client policy
+  has a valid <code>wellness_plan_id</code> configured in the policy edit screen.
+  This mapping is one of the core prerequisites checked by the current query.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="entry-points">Entry points</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The current implementation is split across two browser-facing routes and one
+  queued job handler:
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Entry point</th><th>Current responsibility</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>GET checkWellnessOnboardStatus/{client_policy_id}</code></td>
+      <td>Counts eligible member rows and returns the number in <code>response.data</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>GET initiateWellnessOnboard/{client_policy_id}</code></td>
+      <td>Queues the background job and immediately returns <code>Process started</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>initiateWellnessOnboardJob($arr)</code></td>
+      <td>Processes one page, sends family payloads to the Visit API, persists results, and queues the next page if needed.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">$routes->get("checkWellnessOnboardStatus/(:any)", "EmployeeController::checkWellnessOnboardStatus/$1");
+$routes->get("initiateWellnessOnboard/(:any)", "EmployeeController::initiateWellnessOnboard/$1");
+
+'initiateWellnessOnboardJob' => [
+    'type' => 'CC',
+    'handler' => 'App\Controllers\EmployeeController',
+],</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  On the admin page, <code>app/Views/employee_upload.php</code> calls the count
+  endpoint when a policy is selected, shows the CTA only when the count is
+  greater than zero, and asks for user confirmation before calling the initiate
+  endpoint.
+</p>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Current trigger style</strong>
+    The existing implementation starts work from a browser GET route and then
+    hands off the heavy work to the queue. If you change the route method or
+    path, update <code>Routes.php</code>, the frontend AJAX calls, and any ACL
+    expectations together.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="eligibility-rules">Eligibility rules</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Both <code>checkWellnessOnboardStatus()</code> and
+  <code>initiateWellnessOnboardJob()</code> use nearly the same base query. A
+  member is considered eligible only when all of these conditions are true:
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Condition</th><th>Meaning in current code</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>employee_polices.client_policy_id = {selected id}</code></td>
+      <td>The job is always scoped to one chosen client policy.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>employee_polices.is_active = 1</code></td>
+      <td>Only active employee policy rows are considered.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>employee_polices.status = 'active'</code></td>
+      <td>Inactive policy-members are excluded.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>employee_polices.wellness_onboard = '0'</code></td>
+      <td>Already onboarded rows are skipped because this column later stores the Visit <code>referenceId</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>employees.emp_status = 'active'</code> and <code>employees.is_active = 1</code></td>
+      <td>Only active employees/dependants are sent.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>cp.wellness_plan_id</code> is present</td>
+      <td>The selected policy must have a wellness plan configured.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>cp.wellness_vendor_id</code> is null, empty, or <code>0</code></td>
+      <td>This is how the current code filters policies for this flow today.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>cp.policy_status = 1</code> and <code>cp.is_active = 1</code></td>
+      <td>The client policy itself must be active.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<p>
+  The status endpoint returns a count of matching member rows, not a count of
+  grouped families. That is why the button text says employees, while the job
+  later sends one API payload per family group.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="async-flow">Async flow</h2>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>Check the pending count</strong>
+    <p><code>checkWellnessOnboardStatus($client_policy_id)</code> runs the eligibility query and returns <code>count($data)</code>.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Queue the first job</strong>
+    <p><code>initiateWellnessOnboard($client_policy_id)</code> inserts a job with the name <code>initiateWellnessOnboardJob</code> and payload <code>['client_policy_id' =&gt; ...]</code>.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Worker resolves the handler</strong>
+    <p><code>JobWorker::$event_class_mapping</code> maps that job name back to <code>EmployeeController</code>.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Process one page of rows</strong>
+    <p>The job defaults to <code>page = 1</code>, <code>per_page = 50</code>, and calculates the SQL offset from those values.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Group the current page by family</strong>
+    <p>Rows are grouped by <code>emp_code</code> before building API payloads.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Send to Visit and persist the response</strong>
+    <p>The job posts each family payload, then stores the returned <code>referenceId</code> into all member rows for that family.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Queue the next page only when needed</strong>
+    <p>If the current query returns exactly <code>per_page</code> rows, the job assumes more data may exist and queues <code>page + 1</code>.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">Jobs::addJob([
+    'job_name' => 'initiateWellnessOnboardJob',
+    'payload'  => [
+        'client_policy_id' => $client_policy_id,
+        'page'             => $page + 1,
+        'per_page'         => $perPage,
+    ]
+]);</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  The legacy method <code>initiateWellnessOnboardJobOLD()</code> still exists in
+  the controller, but the active queue mapping points to the current
+  <code>initiateWellnessOnboardJob()</code> implementation.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="family-payload">Family payload</h2>
+
+<p>
+  The job builds one outbound payload per <code>emp_code</code>. The first row in
+  the family is used as the policy-level reference, and every family member
+  becomes one entry in <code>memberDetails</code>.
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Outbound field</th><th>Source in current code</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr><td><code>policyDetails.policyNumber</code></td><td><code>cp.policy_no</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>policyDetails.employeeId</code></td><td><code>emp_code</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>policyDetails.policyName</code></td><td>Hardcoded <code>GMC</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>policyDetails.policyStartDate</code></td><td><code>cp.policy_start_date</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>policyDetails.policyEndDate</code></td><td><code>cp.policy_end_date</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>policyDetails.plan</code></td><td><code>cp.wellness_plan_id</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>policyDetails.source</code></td><td>Hardcoded <code>NHANCE</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>policyDetails.employer</code></td><td><code>clients.short_name</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>memberDetails[].memberId</code></td><td><code>employee_polices.id</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>memberDetails[].relationshipName</code></td><td>Mapped by <code>mapRelationship()</code></td></tr>
+    <tr><td><code>memberDetails[].gender</code></td><td><code>M =&gt; Male</code>, otherwise <code>Female</code></td></tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">[
+    'policyDetails' => [
+        'policyNumber'    => $primary['policy_no'],
+        'employeeId'      => $empCode,
+        'policyName'      => 'GMC',
+        'policyStartDate' => $primary['cp_policy_start_date'],
+        'policyEndDate'   => $primary['policy_end_date'],
+        'plan'            => $primary['wellness_plan_id'],
+        'source'          => 'NHANCE',
+        'employer'        => $primary['short_name'],
+        'employeeCode'    => $empCode,
+    ],
+    'memberDetails' => [
+        [
+            'memberId'         => $row['id'],
+            'name'             => $row['name'],
+            'phone'            => $row['mobile'],
+            'email'            => $row['email_corporate'],
+            'relationshipName' => $this->mapRelationship($row['relationship'], $row['gender']),
+            'gender'           => $row['gender'] == 'M' ? 'Male' : 'Female',
+            'dob'              => $row['dob'],
+        ],
+    ],
+]</code></pre>
+
+<div class="callout warning">
+  <span>!</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Important mapping rule</strong>
+    <code>mapRelationship()</code> throws an exception for
+    <code>spouse</code> when gender is missing. If spouse data is incomplete, the
+    job can fail before the API call is made.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="api-integration">API integration</h2>
+
+<p>
+  <code>sendFamiliesToWellnessApi()</code> uses the CI4 cURL service and reads
+  its runtime configuration from environment values:
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Env key</th><th>Usage</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>WELLNESS_ONBOARD_ENDPOINT_URL</code></td>
+      <td>Target URL for the Visit onboarding POST request.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>WELLNESS_ONBOARD_AUTHORIZATION</code></td>
+      <td>Basic auth token value appended to the <code>Authorization</code> header.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<p>
+  Each family is posted as JSON with <code>http_errors = false</code> and a
+  <code>30</code> second timeout. The helper stores the raw API result back onto
+  the in-memory family array under <code>apiResponse</code> so the next step can
+  decide whether to persist anything.
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">$response = $client->post($endpointUrl, [
+    'headers' => [
+        'Content-Type'  => 'application/json',
+        'Authorization' => 'Basic ' . getenv('WELLNESS_ONBOARD_AUTHORIZATION'),
+    ],
+    'body'        => json_encode($family),
+    'http_errors' => false,
+    'timeout'     => 30,
+]);</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  If the HTTP client throws, the exception is captured into
+  <code>apiResponse['error']</code> with a synthetic <code>statusCode</code> of
+  <code>0</code>.
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="response-examples">Response examples</h2>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Sample data only</strong>
+    The JSON below uses placeholder IDs, names, phones, and emails so no live
+    user data appears in documentation. Production responses follow the same
+    shape with real values.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<p>
+  <strong>Visit success response</strong> (HTTP 2xx with a body the job can
+  decode). <code>updateWellnessOnboardResponseToDB()</code> reads
+  <code>referenceId</code> from the decoded JSON and writes it to
+  <code>employee_polices.wellness_onboard</code> for each
+  <code>policyDetails[].memberId</code> (employee policy row id).
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-json">{
+  "message": "success",
+  "body": "The policy details are posted successfully",
+  "policyDetails": [
+    {
+      "memberId": "100001",
+      "name": "Primary Member Example",
+      "phone": "9000000001",
+      "email": "primary.member@example.com",
+      "relationshipName": "husband",
+      "gender": "Male",
+      "dob": "1962-11-25"
+    },
+    {
+      "memberId": "100002",
+      "name": "Dependent Member Example",
+      "phone": "9000000001",
+      "email": "dependent.member@example.com",
+      "relationshipName": "son",
+      "gender": "Male",
+      "dob": "1996-02-13"
+    }
+  ],
+  "referenceId": "00000000000000000000-NHANCE-1700000000123"
+}</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  <strong>Visit failure responses</strong> (same endpoint; when validation or
+  business rules fail, the body typically looks like one of these). In these
+  cases the current persistence step skips updating rows because there is no
+  <code>referenceId</code>.
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-json">{
+  "message": "failed",
+  "errorMessage": "Invalid name"
+}</code></pre>
+
+<pre><code class="language-json">{
+  "message": "failed",
+  "errorMessage": "Invalid mobileno"
+}</code></pre>
+
+<pre><code class="language-json">{
+  "message": "failed",
+  "errorMessage": "invalid [\"null\",\"string\"]: 100010"
+}</code></pre>
+
+<p>
+  The last shape is a schema-style rejection: the bracketed part describes the
+  expected type(s), and the trailing id is the member identifier the API could
+  not accept (shown here as a placeholder id, not production data).
+</p>
+
+<h2 id="database-updates">Database updates</h2>
+
+<p>
+  Successful persistence is done by
+  <code>updateWellnessOnboardResponseToDB()</code>. The method expects the Visit
+  API response to contain a <code>referenceId</code>. That value becomes the new
+  <code>wellness_onboard</code> value for every member in the family.
+</p>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Before</th><th>After successful onboard</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td><code>employee_polices.wellness_onboard = '0'</code></td>
+      <td><code>employee_polices.wellness_onboard = {referenceId}</code></td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<p>
+  The code collects all row updates for the page and writes them in one
+  <code>updateBatch(..., 'id')</code> call, using each
+  <code>memberDetails[].memberId</code> as the primary key.
+</p>
+
+<pre><code class="language-php">$allUpdates[] = [
+    'id'               => $memberPk,
+    'wellness_onboard' => $referenceId,
+];
+
+$this->employeePolicyModel->updateBatch($allUpdates, 'id');</code></pre>
+
+<h2 id="failure-behavior">Failure behavior</h2>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Condition</th><th>Current behavior</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Missing <code>client_policy_id</code> in job payload</td>
+      <td>Logs an error and returns <code>true</code> so the worker can continue.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>No rows found for a page</td>
+      <td>Logs batch completion and stops queue recursion.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Row missing <code>emp_code</code></td>
+      <td>Skips that row and logs a warning.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>HTTP status <code>400</code>, <code>500</code>, or missing response data</td>
+      <td>Logs the API error and does not update <code>wellness_onboard</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Missing <code>referenceId</code> in API response</td>
+      <td>Logs the issue and skips DB persistence for that family.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Queue context return value</td>
+      <td>The job returns <code>true</code> instead of using <code>$this->respond()</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
+
+<div class="callout info">
+  <span>i</span>
+  <div>
+    <strong>Current logging style</strong>
+    The implementation uses multiple <code>log_message('error', ...)</code>
+    calls for progress tracing, not only for failures. Keep that in mind while
+    reading logs during QA or production support.
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<h2 id="developer-steps">Developer steps</h2>
+
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>
+    <strong>Keep the browser trigger and route definitions in sync</strong>
+    <p>If you rename the route or change the method, update both <code>Routes.php</code> and the AJAX calls in <code>employee_upload.php</code>.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Do not move the heavy loop back into the web request</strong>
+    <p><code>initiateWellnessOnboard()</code> should remain a thin queue trigger. The batching work belongs in the job handler.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Preserve family grouping assumptions</strong>
+    <p><code>emp_code</code> is the family key. If source data changes, make sure all related members still group together correctly.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Validate required member data before rollout</strong>
+    <p>Fields such as <code>emp_code</code>, <code>relationship</code>, <code>gender</code>, <code>dob</code>, <code>mobile</code>, and <code>email_corporate</code> affect payload quality.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Keep the queue mapping intact</strong>
+    <p>If you rename <code>initiateWellnessOnboardJob</code>, update the corresponding entry in <code>JobWorker::$event_class_mapping</code>.</p>
+  </li>
+  <li>
+    <strong>Verify runtime configuration before testing</strong>
+    <p>The queue worker must be running, and both wellness environment variables must be present before QA can validate the end-to-end flow.</p>
+  </li>
+</ol>
+
+<h2 id="common-pitfalls">Common pitfalls</h2>
+
+<table>
+  <thead>
+    <tr><th>Pitfall</th><th>Why it happens</th></tr>
+  </thead>
+  <tbody>
+    <tr>
+      <td>The Visit onboard button never appears</td>
+      <td>The status endpoint returned <code>0</code> because the selected policy failed one of the eligibility filters.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>User sees <code>Process started</code> but no records change</td>
+      <td>The initial request only queues the job; no worker means no real processing.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Only some members get updated</td>
+      <td>Families with API errors, missing <code>referenceId</code>, or missing <code>emp_code</code> are skipped during persistence.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Spouse records fail unexpectedly</td>
+      <td><code>mapRelationship()</code> requires gender to translate spouse into <code>husband</code> or <code>wife</code>.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Count shown in UI does not equal number of API calls</td>
+      <td>The UI count is member-row based, but outbound requests are family-group based.</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+      <td>Pagination changes create odd onboarding batches</td>
+      <td>The job paginates raw rows first and groups families afterward, so careless query changes can alter how families are chunked.</td>
+    </tr>
+  </tbody>
+</table>
diff --git a/nhance_php_queue_server.service b/nhance_php_queue_server.service
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..92ee37fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nhance_php_queue_server.service
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=Nhance PHP Queue Server
+After=network.target
+
+[Service]
+Type=simple
+User=www-data
+Group=www-data
+WorkingDirectory=/var/www/example-suite/nhance-app
+ExecStart=/bin/bash /var/www/example-suite/nhance-app/phpqueue.sh
+Restart=always
+RestartSec=2
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
diff --git a/tests/unit/RateLimiterServiceSmokeTest.php b/tests/unit/RateLimiterServiceSmokeTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e1ea9944
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/RateLimiterServiceSmokeTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+<?php
+
+use App\Libraries\RateLimiterService;
+use CodeIgniter\Test\CIUnitTestCase;
+
+/**
+ * @internal
+ */
+final class RateLimiterServiceSmokeTest extends CIUnitTestCase
+{
+    private RateLimiterService $service;
+
+    protected function setUp(): void
+    {
+        parent::setUp();
+
+        helper('utility');
+        $this->service = new RateLimiterService();
+    }
+
+    public function testIpBlockEscalationAndUnblockFlow(): void
+    {
+        $cfg         = config('RateLimiter');
+        $fingerprint = 'smoke-ip-' . uniqid('', true);
+
+        // Initially no IP block.
+        $this->assertNull($this->service->getIpBlock($fingerprint));
+
+        // Record enough failures to trigger soft block.
+        $result = null;
+        for ($i = 0; $i < $cfg->ipBlock['violation_soft']; $i++) {
+            $result = $this->service->recordIpFailure($fingerprint);
+        }
+
+        $this->assertIsArray($result);
+        $this->assertSame('soft', $result['level']);
+
+        // Hitting again while blocked should eventually escalate to hard.
+        $this->service->checkIp($fingerprint, 'jwtApi'); // return soft, escalate to medium
+        $this->service->checkIp($fingerprint, 'jwtApi'); // return medium, escalate to hard
+        $blocked = $this->service->checkIp($fingerprint, 'jwtApi'); // return hard
+
+        $this->assertIsArray($blocked);
+        $this->assertSame('hard', $blocked['level']);
+
+        $this->service->unblockIp($fingerprint);
+        $this->assertNull($this->service->getIpBlock($fingerprint));
+    }
+
+    public function testUserFailureFlowAndManualUnblock(): void
+    {
+        $cfg      = config('RateLimiter');
+        $identity = 'smoke-user-' . uniqid('', true) . '@example.com';
+
+        $this->assertNull($this->service->getUserBlock($identity));
+
+        $result = null;
+        for ($i = 0; $i < $cfg->authApi['violation_soft']; $i++) {
+            $result = $this->service->recordUserFailure($identity, 'authApi');
+        }
+
+        $this->assertIsArray($result);
+        $this->assertSame('soft', $result['level']);
+
+        // Re-hits while blocked escalate from soft -> medium -> hard.
+        $this->service->checkUser($identity); // return soft, escalate to medium
+        $this->service->checkUser($identity); // return medium, escalate to hard
+        $blocked = $this->service->checkUser($identity); // return hard
+
+        $this->assertIsArray($blocked);
+        $this->assertSame('hard', $blocked['level']);
+
+        $this->service->unblockUser($identity);
+        $this->assertNull($this->service->getUserBlock($identity));
+    }
+
+    public function testJwtUserThrottleToSoftBlock(): void
+    {
+        $cfg      = config('RateLimiter');
+        $identity = 'smoke-throttle-' . uniqid('', true) . '@example.com';
+
+        // First "limit" requests should pass.
+        for ($i = 0; $i < $cfg->jwtApi['limit']; $i++) {
+            $this->assertNull($this->service->checkUserThrottle($identity, 'jwtApi'));
+        }
+
+        // Over-limit attempts should return throttle first, then soft block after enough violations.
+        $throttle = $this->service->checkUserThrottle($identity, 'jwtApi');
+        $this->assertIsArray($throttle);
+        $this->assertSame('throttle', $throttle['level']);
+
+        $blocked = null;
+        for ($i = 0; $i < $cfg->jwtApi['violation_soft']; $i++) {
+            $blocked = $this->service->checkUserThrottle($identity, 'jwtApi');
+        }
+
+        $this->assertIsArray($blocked);
+        $this->assertContains($blocked['level'], ['soft', 'medium', 'hard']);
+
+        $this->service->unblockUser($identity);
+        $this->assertNull($this->service->getUserBlock($identity));
+    }
+}
+