@cyanheads/ensembl-mcp-server 0.4.2 → 0.4.4

package/AGENTS.md

@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 # Developer Protocol
 
 **Server:** ensembl-mcp-server
-**Version:** 0.4.2
-**Framework:** [@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core) `^0.10.14`
-**Engines:** Bun ≥1.3.0, Node ≥24.0.0
-**MCP SDK:** `@modelcontextprotocol/sdk` ^1.29.0
-**Zod:** ^4.4.3
+**Version:** 0.4.4
+**Framework:** [@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core) `^0.13.6`
+**Engines:** Bun ≥1.4.0, Node ≥24.0.0
+**MCP SDK:** `@modelcontextprotocol/server` ^2.0.0
+**Zod:** ^4.6.5
 
 > **Read the framework docs first:** `node_modules/@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core/CLAUDE.md` contains the full API reference — builders, Context, error codes, exports, patterns. This file covers server-specific conventions only.
 
@@ -36,8 +36,9 @@ Tailor suggestions to what's actually missing or stale — don't recite the full
 - **Logic throws, framework catches.** Tool/resource handlers are pure — throw on failure, no `try/catch`. Plain `Error` is fine; the framework catches, classifies, and formats. Use error factories (`notFound()`, `validationError()`, etc.) when the error code matters.
 - **Use `ctx.log`** for request-scoped logging. No `console` calls.
 - **Use `ctx.state`** for tenant-scoped storage. Never access persistence directly.
-- **Check `ctx.elicit` / `ctx.sample`** for presence before calling.
+- **Need input the caller didn't supply?** `return ctx.requestInput(...)` and read `ctx.inputs` when the handler is re-entered. Never `await` for user input mid-handler.
 - **Secrets in env vars only** — never hardcoded.
+- **Cut noise.** Add only what earns its place: no speculative generality, no guards for states the framework already prevents (Zod-validated params, classified errors), no abstraction until a third caller proves it, no option nothing sets.
 - **Close the loop on issues.** When implementing work tracked by a GitHub issue, comment on the issue with what landed and close it. Do both — a comment without a close leaves stale issues open; a close without a comment leaves no record of what shipped. The comment is for future readers — state the concrete changes, not the conversation that produced them.
 
 ---
@@ -135,9 +136,27 @@ export function getServerConfig() {
 
 `parseEnvConfig` maps Zod schema paths → env var names so errors name the variable (`ENSEMBL_BASE_URL`) not the path (`baseUrl`). Throws `ConfigurationError`, which the framework prints as a clean startup banner.
 
-### Server instructions
+### Server identity and instructions
 
-`createApp({ instructions })` — optional server-level orientation, sent to clients on every `initialize` as session-level context. Use it for deployment guidance (connection aliases, regional notes, scope hints) instead of repeating the same context across tool descriptions. Client adoption is uneven, but there's no downside when set.
+The canonical `createApp()` identity for this project is `name: 'ensembl-mcp-server'` plus `title: 'ensembl-mcp-server'`. Keep both bare and hyphenated; npm and install surfaces retain the published `@cyanheads/ensembl-mcp-server` identity. Package metadata supplies the description and website, so don't duplicate those fields in `createApp()`.
+
+`instructions` is optional server-level orientation, sent on every `initialize` as session-level context. Use it for deployment guidance (connection aliases, regional notes, scope hints) instead of repeating the same context across tool descriptions. Client adoption is uneven, but there's no downside when set.
+
+### Session posture and shutdown
+
+Two more `createApp()` options shape how the server runs rather than how it presents itself:
+
+```ts
+await createApp({
+  sessionMode: 'stateless',          // or { default: 'stateful', require: 'stateful' }
+  setup(core) { initEnsemblService(core.config, core.storage); },
+  async teardown() { await releaseResources(); },
+});
+```
+
+`sessionMode` declares the HTTP session posture in `src/` instead of leaving it to a deployment's `MCP_SESSION_MODE`, which still wins whenever it carries a meaningful value (an empty string and an unsubstituted `${…}` placeholder read as unset and fall through to the option). This server declares `stateless`: no tool asks the caller for input mid-handler via `ctx.requestInput`, so there is nothing a 2025-era HTTP client would be unable to answer. Add `require: 'stateful'` if that ever changes — startup then fails with a `ConfigurationError` rather than serving a mode in which the prompt can never be answered. Stdio is never refused.
+
+`teardown(core)` is the `setup()` counterpart — release a watcher, socket, or non-`unref()`'d timer there. It runs after the transport stops and before the logger closes, on every shutdown path, and a signal-triggered shutdown then exits the process explicitly (0, or 1 if a step never settles within the framework's 10 s ceiling). `EnsemblService` holds no such handle, so this server declares no `teardown`.
 
 ---
 
@@ -147,14 +166,15 @@ Handlers receive a unified `ctx` object. Key properties:
 
 | Property | Description |
 |:---------|:------------|
-| `ctx.log` | Request-scoped logger — `.debug()`, `.info()`, `.notice()`, `.warning()`, `.error()`. Auto-correlates requestId, traceId, tenantId. |
-| `ctx.state` | Tenant-scoped KV — `.get(key)`, `.set(key, value, { ttl? })`, `.delete(key)`, `.list(prefix, { cursor, limit })`. Accepts any serializable value. |
-| `ctx.elicit` | Ask user for structured input. **Check for presence first:** `if (ctx.elicit) { ... }` |
-| `ctx.sample` | Request LLM completion from the client. **Check for presence first:** `if (ctx.sample) { ... }` |
+| `ctx.log` | Request-scoped logger — `.debug()`, `.info()`, `.notice()`, `.warning()`, `.error()`. Auto-correlates requestId, traceId, tenantId. Dual-sink: Pino **and** `notifications/message` to the client, so treat it as client-visible. |
+| `ctx.state` | Tenant-scoped KV — `.get(key)`, `.set(key, value, { ttl? })`, `.delete(key)`, `.getMany(keys)`, `.list(prefix, { cursor, limit })`. Accepts any serializable value. |
+| `ctx.requestInput` | Suspend and ask the caller for more input — `return ctx.requestInput({ inputRequests: { key: inputRequired.elicit({ message, requestedSchema }) } })`. Never returns; the handler is re-entered with the answers. Always present. |
+| `ctx.inputs` | Reader over a retried request's responses — `.accepted(key, schema)`, `.view(key)`, `.state()`, `.dropped`. Empty on the first round. |
+| `ctx.enrich` | Success-path agent context (empty-result notices, query echo, pagination totals) — `ctx.enrich(...)` or `.notice()` / `.total()` / `.echo()` / `.truncated()`. Reaches `structuredContent` and `content[]`; lands only when the definition declares an `enrichment` block (no-op otherwise). |
+| `ctx.content` | Non-text content blocks — `.image(data, mimeType)`, `.audio(data, mimeType)`, or `ctx.content(block)` for a raw block. Prepended to `content[]` after `format()`; never enters `structuredContent`. |
 | `ctx.signal` | `AbortSignal` for cancellation. |
-| `ctx.progress` | Task progress (present when `task: true`) — `.setTotal(n)`, `.increment()`, `.update(message)`. |
 | `ctx.requestId` | Unique request ID. |
-| `ctx.tenantId` | Tenant ID from JWT or `'default'` for stdio. |
+| `ctx.tenantId` | Tenant ID from JWT; `'default'` for stdio or HTTP with auth off. |
 
 ---
 
@@ -162,7 +182,7 @@ Handlers receive a unified `ctx` object. Key properties:
 
 Handlers throw — the framework catches, classifies, and formats.
 
-**Recommended: typed error contract.** Declare `errors: [{ reason, code, when, recovery, retryable? }]` on `tool()` / `resource()` to receive `ctx.fail(reason, …)` typed against the reason union. TypeScript catches typos at compile time, `data.reason` is auto-populated for observability, linter enforces conformance against the handler body. `recovery` is required descriptive metadata for the agent's next move (≥ 5 words, lint-validated); for the wire `data.recovery.hint` (mirrored into `content[]` text), pass explicitly at the throw site when dynamic context matters: `ctx.fail('reason', msg, { recovery: { hint: '...' } })`. Baseline codes (`InternalError`, `ServiceUnavailable`, `Timeout`, `ValidationError`, `SerializationError`) bubble freely and don't need declaring.
+**Recommended: typed error contract.** Declare `errors: [{ reason, code, when, recovery, retryable?, severity?, thrownBy? }]` on `tool()` / `resource()` to receive `ctx.fail(reason, …)` typed against the reason union. TypeScript catches typos at compile time, `data.reason` is auto-populated for observability, linter enforces conformance against the handler body. `recovery` is required (≥ 5 words, lint-validated) — the single source of truth for the agent's next move. Pass `ctx.recoveryFor('reason')` as the throw's data to put it on the wire (`data.recovery.hint`, mirrored into `content[]` text unless the message already contains it verbatim); override with an explicit `{ recovery: { hint: '...' } }` when dynamic runtime context matters. Forwarding it is lint-enforced per throw site (`error-contract-recovery-unforwarded`). Mark an entry the service layer throws with `thrownBy: 'service'` so `error-contract-unthrown` skips it — lint-only metadata, nothing at runtime reads it. Baseline codes (`InternalError`, `ServiceUnavailable`, `Timeout`, `ValidationError`, `SerializationError`, `RequestCancelled`) bubble freely and don't need declaring.
 
 ```ts
 import { JsonRpcErrorCode } from '@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core/errors';
@@ -174,7 +194,7 @@ errors: [
 ],
 async handler(input, ctx) {
   const item = await db.find(input.id);
-  if (!item) throw ctx.fail('no_match', `No item ${input.id}`);
+  if (!item) throw ctx.fail('no_match', `No item ${input.id}`, ctx.recoveryFor('no_match'));
   return item;
 }
 ```
@@ -245,9 +265,9 @@ src/
 
 ## Skills
 
-Skills are modular instructions in `skills/` at the project root. Read them directly when a task matches — e.g., `skills/add-tool/SKILL.md` when adding a tool.
+Skills are modular instructions in `framework-skills/` at the project root. Read them directly when a task matches — e.g., `framework-skills/add-tool/SKILL.md` when adding a tool. `bun run list-skills` prints the full registry. The directory is deliberately not `skills/`: Claude Code and Codex auto-load a plugin's root `skills/`, so a server that ships `.claude-plugin/` or `.codex-plugin/` would hand these development skills to every agent that installs it. Keep `skills/` free for skills meant for those agents.
 
-**Agent skill directory:** Copy skills into the directory your agent discovers (Claude Code: `.claude/skills/`, others: equivalent). Skills then load as context without referencing `skills/` paths. After framework updates, run the `maintenance` skill — Phase B re-syncs the agent directory.
+**Agent skill directory:** Copy skills into the directory your agent discovers (Claude Code: `.claude/skills/`, others: equivalent). Skills then load as context without referencing `framework-skills/` paths. After framework updates, run the `maintenance` skill — Phase B re-syncs the agent directory.
 
 Available skills:
 
@@ -265,27 +285,29 @@ Available skills:
 | `tool-defs-analysis` | Read-only audit of MCP definition language across the surface — voice, leaks, defaults, recovery hints, output descriptions |
 | `security-pass` | Audit server for MCP-flavored security gaps: output injection, scope blast radius, input sinks, tenant isolation |
 | `code-simplifier` | Post-session cleanup against `git diff` — modernize syntax, consolidate duplication, align with the codebase |
-| `devcheck` | Lint, format, typecheck, audit |
 | `polish-docs-meta` | Finalize docs, README, metadata, and agent protocol for shipping |
-| `git-wrapup` | Land working-tree changes as a versioned commit + annotated tag — version bump, changelog, verify, tag. Local only. |
-| `release-and-publish` | Push + npm + MCP Registry + GH Release + Docker. Picks up from `git-wrapup` |
+| `git-wrapup` | Land working-tree changes as a commit stack — version bump, changelog, verify, commit by concern, release commit on top. No tag, no push to main; opens the release PR when the project declares release PR mode |
+| `release-pr-review` | Review pass on an open release PR — simplifier + correctness review, fixes as ordinary commits on top of the stack, PR body kept in sync. Release PR mode only |
+| `release-and-publish` | Fast-forward merge (release PR mode) + tag + push + npm + MCP Registry + GH Release + Docker. Picks up from `git-wrapup` |
 | `maintenance` | Investigate changelogs, adopt upstream changes, sync skills to agent dirs |
 | `orchestrations` | Chain task skills into a gated multi-phase pipeline — build-out, QA-fix, update-ship — when you can spawn sub-agents |
 | `report-issue-framework` | File a bug or feature request against `@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core` via `gh` CLI |
 | `report-issue-local` | File a bug or feature request against this server's own repo via `gh` CLI |
+| `techniques` | Catalog of response/data-shaping techniques — overflow handling, payload shaping, retrieval patterns |
 | `api-auth` | Auth modes, scopes, JWT/OAuth |
 | `api-canvas` | DataCanvas: register tabular data, run SQL, export, plus the `spillover()` helper for big result sets — Tier 3 opt-in |
 | `api-config` | AppConfig, parseConfig, env vars |
-| `api-context` | Context interface, logger, state, progress |
+| `api-context` | Context interface, RequestContext, logger, state, multi-round-trip input |
 | `api-errors` | McpError, JsonRpcErrorCode, error patterns |
 | `api-linter` | Definition linter rule catalog — invoked by `bun run lint:mcp` and `devcheck` |
+| `api-mirror` | MirrorService: persistent self-refreshing local mirror (embedded SQLite + FTS5) of a bulk upstream dataset — Tier 3 opt-in |
 | `api-services` | LLM, Speech, Graph services |
 | `api-testing` | createMockContext, test patterns |
 | `api-utils` | Formatting, parsing, security, pagination, scheduling, telemetry helpers |
 | `api-telemetry` | OTel catalog: spans, metrics, completion logs, env config, cardinality rules |
 | `api-workers` | Cloudflare Workers runtime |
 
-**Chaining skills into pipelines.** When the user wants a multi-phase effort — build this server out, QA-and-fix the surface, update-and-ship — *and you can spawn sub-agents*, `skills/orchestrations/SKILL.md` sequences the task skills above into a gated pipeline with verification at each step. Read it to drive the run. Optional: skip it if you can't orchestrate sub-agents, and ignore it entirely if you were *spawned* as one — you've already been scoped to a single phase.
+**Chaining skills into pipelines.** When the user wants a multi-phase effort — build this server out, QA-and-fix the surface, update-and-ship — *and you can spawn sub-agents*, `framework-skills/orchestrations/SKILL.md` sequences the task skills above into a gated pipeline with verification at each step. Read it to drive the run. Optional: skip it if you can't orchestrate sub-agents, and ignore it entirely if you were *spawned* as one — you've already been scoped to a single phase.
 
 When you complete a skill's checklist, check the boxes and add a completion timestamp at the end (e.g., `Completed: 2026-03-11`).
 
@@ -293,40 +315,46 @@ When you complete a skill's checklist, check the boxes and add a completion time
 
 ## Commands
 
-**Runtime:** Scripts use `tsx` — both `npm run <cmd>` and `bun run <cmd>` work. `bun` is slightly faster for script invocation but not required.
+**Runtime:** Scripts use Bun's native TypeScript execution — `bun run <cmd>` is the standard invocation. `npm run <cmd>` also works (npm delegates to bun).
 
 | Command | Purpose |
 |:--------|:--------|
-| `npm run build` | Compile TypeScript |
-| `npm run rebuild` | Clean + build |
-| `npm run clean` | Remove build artifacts |
-| `npm run devcheck` | Lint + format + typecheck + security + changelog sync |
-| `bun run audit:refresh` | Delete `bun.lock`, reinstall, and re-run `bun audit`. Use when `devcheck` flags a transitive advisory — Bun's `update` is sticky on transitive resolutions, so the advisory may be a stale-lockfile false positive. If it survives the refresh, it's real. |
-| `npm run tree` | Generate directory structure doc |
-| `npm run format` | Auto-fix formatting (safe fixes only) |
-| `npm run format:unsafe` | Also apply Biome's unsafe autofixes — review the diff; they can change behavior |
-| `npm test` | Run tests |
-| `npm run start:stdio` | Production mode (stdio) |
-| `npm run start:http` | Production mode (HTTP) |
-| `npm run changelog:build` | Regenerate `CHANGELOG.md` from `changelog/*.md` |
-| `npm run changelog:check` | Verify `CHANGELOG.md` is in sync (used by devcheck) |
-| `npm run bundle` | Build, pack, and clean a `.mcpb` for one-click Claude Desktop install |
+| `bun run build` | Compile TypeScript |
+| `bun run rebuild` | Clean + build |
+| `bun run clean` | Remove build artifacts |
+| `bun run devcheck` | Lint + format + typecheck + security + changelog sync |
+| `bun run audit:fix` | `bun audit fix` — upgrade vulnerable packages to the lowest safe version within existing ranges (`--dry-run` previews, `--latest` rewrites ranges). First response when `devcheck` flags a transitive advisory; then `bun update <name>`, then `bun dedupe` |
+| `bun run audit:refresh` | Delete `bun.lock` and reinstall. Last resort after `audit:fix`, `bun update <name>`, and `bun dedupe` — re-resolves every ranged dep (the framework pin included) and rewrites the lockfile |
+| `bun run lint:mcp` | Run the MCP definition linter standalone (rule catalog: `api-linter` skill) |
+| `bun run lint:packaging` | Packaging surface checks — `server.json`/`manifest.json` env-var parity (run by devcheck) |
+| `bun run list-skills` | Print the skill registry |
+| `bun run tree` | Generate directory structure doc |
+| `bun run format` | Auto-fix formatting (safe fixes only) |
+| `bun run format:unsafe` | Also apply Biome's unsafe autofixes — review the diff; they can change behavior |
+| `bun run test` | Run tests (Vitest — use `bun run test`, not `bun test`) |
+| `bun run start:stdio` | Production mode (stdio) |
+| `bun run start:http` | Production mode (HTTP) |
+| `bun run changelog:build` | Regenerate `CHANGELOG.md` from `changelog/*.md` |
+| `bun run changelog:check` | Verify `CHANGELOG.md` is in sync (used by devcheck) |
+| `bun run bundle` | Build, pack, and clean a `.mcpb` for one-click Claude Desktop install |
+
+**CI is one file.** `.github/workflows/codeql.yml` is the only GitHub Actions workflow: CodeQL is GitHub-owned end to end, and the file runs only while the repo's CodeQL *default setup* is turned off. Verification — `devcheck`, tests, the release gates — runs locally; don't add a workflow that re-runs it.
 
 ---
 
 ## Bundling
 
-`npm run bundle` produces a `.mcpb` extension bundle for one-click install in Claude Desktop. The pack step is followed by `scripts/clean-mcpb.ts`, which prunes dev dependencies (`mcpb clean`) and strips dependency-shipped agent docs (`node_modules/**` `skills/`, `.claude/`, `.agents/`, `SKILL.md`) that root-anchored `.mcpbignore` patterns cannot reach. MCPB is stdio-only — HTTP and Cloudflare Workers deployments are unaffected. Consumers who don't need it can delete `manifest.json` and `.mcpbignore`; `lint:packaging` skips cleanly.
+`bun run bundle` produces a `.mcpb` extension bundle for one-click install in Claude Desktop. The pack step is followed by `scripts/clean-mcpb.ts`, which prunes dev dependencies (`mcpb clean`) and strips two classes of `node_modules/**` content that root-anchored `.mcpbignore` patterns cannot reach: dependency-shipped agent docs (`framework-skills/`, `skills/`, `.claude/`, `.agents/`, `SKILL.md`) and platform-specific native bindings, which would otherwise lock the bundle to the platform it was packed on. A server using DataCanvas therefore ships a portable bundle without the DuckDB native — `@duckdb/node-api` is an optional peer loaded lazily, so canvas tools report an actionable install hint and every other tool works normally. MCPB is stdio-only — HTTP and Cloudflare Workers deployments are unaffected. Consumers who don't need it can delete `manifest.json` and `.mcpbignore`; `lint:packaging` skips cleanly.
 
-**Adding an env var requires both files:** `server.json` (registry discovery, `environmentVariables[]`) and `manifest.json` (bundle install UX, `mcp_config.env` + `user_config`). `lint:packaging` (run by `devcheck`) verifies the env var names match.
+**Adding an env var requires both files:** `server.json` (registry discovery, `environmentVariables[]`) and `manifest.json` (bundle install UX, `mcp_config.env` + `user_config`). `lint:packaging` (run by `devcheck`) verifies the env var names match, that every `user_config` option is wired into `mcp_config.env` as `"X": "${user_config.X}"` (the host substitutes nothing else — `"${X}"` reaches the server as that literal string), and that an optional string option carries `"default": ""`.
 
-**README install badges** (Claude Desktop `.mcpb`, Cursor, VS Code) and the `base64` / `encodeURIComponent` config-generation commands are ship-time concerns — run the `polish-docs-meta` skill, which carries the badge format, layout, and generation snippets in `skills/polish-docs-meta/references/readme.md`.
+**README install badges** (Claude Desktop `.mcpb`, Cursor, VS Code) and the `base64` / `encodeURIComponent` config-generation commands are ship-time concerns — run the `polish-docs-meta` skill, which carries the badge format, layout, and generation snippets in `framework-skills/polish-docs-meta/references/readme.md`.
 
 ---
 
 ## Changelog
 
-Directory-based, grouped by minor series via the `.x` semver-wildcard convention. Source of truth: `changelog/<major.minor>.x/<version>.md` (e.g. `changelog/0.1.x/0.1.0.md`) — one file per release, shipped in the npm package. At release, author the per-version file with a concrete version and date, then run `npm run changelog:build` to regenerate the rollup. `changelog/template.md` is a **pristine format reference** — never edited or moved; read it for the frontmatter + section layout when scaffolding. `CHANGELOG.md` is a **navigation index** (header + link + summary per version), regenerated by `npm run changelog:build` — devcheck hard-fails on drift; never hand-edit it.
+Directory-based, grouped by minor series via the `.x` semver-wildcard convention. Source of truth: `changelog/<major.minor>.x/<version>.md` (e.g. `changelog/0.1.x/0.1.0.md`) — one file per release, shipped in the npm package. At release, author the per-version file with a concrete version and date, then run `bun run changelog:build` to regenerate the rollup. `changelog/template.md` is a **pristine format reference** — never edited or moved; read it for the frontmatter + section layout when scaffolding. `CHANGELOG.md` is a **navigation index** (header + link + summary per version), regenerated by `bun run changelog:build` — devcheck hard-fails on drift; never hand-edit it.
 
 Each per-version file opens with YAML frontmatter:
 
@@ -334,23 +362,29 @@ Each per-version file opens with YAML frontmatter:
 ---
 summary: "One-line headline, ≤350 chars"  # required — powers the rollup index
 breaking: false                            # optional — true flags breaking changes
-security: false                            # optional — true flags security fixes
+security: false                            # optional — true ONLY for a source-code security fix, never a dependency CVE bump
 ---
 
 # 0.1.0 — YYYY-MM-DD
 ...
 ```
 
-`breaking: true` renders a `· ⚠️ Breaking` badge — use it when consumers must update code on upgrade (signature changes, removed APIs, config renames). `security: true` renders a `· 🛡️ Security` badge and pairs with a `## Security` body section. When both are set, badges render `· ⚠️ Breaking · 🛡️ Security`.
+`breaking: true` renders a `· ⚠️ Breaking` badge — use it when consumers must update code on upgrade (signature changes, removed APIs, config renames). `security: true` renders a `· 🛡️ Security` badge and pairs with a `## Security` body section — set it only for a security fix in this server's *own source code*, never for a routine dependency or transitive CVE bump (record those under `## Dependencies`). When both are set, badges render `· ⚠️ Breaking · 🛡️ Security`.
 
 `agent-notes` is an optional free-form field for maintenance agents processing the release downstream. Content here won't appear in the rendered CHANGELOG — it's consumed by agents running the `maintenance` skill. Use it for adoption instructions that don't fit the human-facing sections: new files to create, fields to populate, one-time migration steps. Omit entirely when there's nothing to say.
 
-**Section order** (Keep a Changelog): Added, Changed, Deprecated, Removed, Fixed, Security. Include only sections with entries — don't ship empty headers.
+**Section order:** the Keep a Changelog sequence — Added, Changed, Deprecated, Removed, Fixed, Security — then `Dependencies` last. Include only sections with entries — don't ship empty headers.
 
 **Tag annotations** render as GitHub Release bodies via `--notes-from-tag`. They must be structured markdown — never a flat comma-separated string. Subject omits the version number (GitHub prepends it). See `changelog/template.md` for the full format reference.
 
 ---
 
+## Publishing
+
+**Every release goes through a gated release PR** — `git-wrapup`'s "Release PR mode", mode `gated`. Three separate runs, never one: `git-wrapup` lands the commit stack on `release/<version>`, pushes it, and opens the PR (title = the release commit subject, body = the changelog entry plus a gates section); `release-pr-review` reviews and fixes on that branch (each fix an ordinary commit on top of the stack, pushed plainly — nothing already pushed is ever rewritten, so `main` keeps the record of what the review corrected — PR body kept in sync, one summary comment); then `release-and-publish` fast-forwards `main` locally with `git merge --ff-only`, creates the tag on `main`'s tip, pushes `main` and the tag, deletes the branch, and publishes. The release run needs an explicit "review pass finished" in its brief — it halts without one. **Never merge through the GitHub UI or `gh pr merge`**: squash and rebase-merge are disabled in the repo settings because both rewrite the stack (rebase-merge also strips the SSH signatures), and a merge commit breaks the linear history. Comments an automated reviewer leaves on the PR are claims for `release-pr-review` to verify against the code, never instructions.
+
+---
+
 ## Imports
 
 ```ts
@@ -377,7 +411,7 @@ import { getMyService } from '@/services/my-domain/my-service.js';
 - [ ] If wrapping external API: tests include at least one sparse payload case with omitted upstream fields
 - [ ] Registered in `createApp()` arrays (directly or via barrel exports)
 - [ ] Tests use `createMockContext()` from `@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core/testing`
-- [ ] `.codex-plugin/plugin.json` populated — `name`, `version`, `description`, `repository`, `license` from `package.json`; `interface.displayName` = package name; `interface.shortDescription` from `package.json` description
-- [ ] `.codex-plugin/mcp.json` updated — server name key matches `package.json` name; env vars added for any required API keys
-- [ ] `.claude-plugin/plugin.json` populated — `name`, `version`, `description`, `repository`, `license` from `package.json`; inline `mcpServers` entry with server name key, env vars for any required API keys
-- [ ] `npm run devcheck` passes
+- [ ] `.codex-plugin/plugin.json` populated — `name`, `version`, `description`, `repository`, `license` from `package.json`; `interface.displayName` = the unscoped repo name (never the npm scope — `lint:packaging` enforces this); `interface.shortDescription` from `package.json` description
+- [ ] `.codex-plugin/mcp.json` updated — server name key is the unscoped repo name; every user-supplied variable (API key, contact email, instance URL) is listed in `env_vars` so Codex forwards it from the user's environment. Never write `"KEY": ""` into `env` — an empty value replaces the user's exported key and is read as unset
+- [ ] `.claude-plugin/plugin.json` populated — `name`, `version`, `description`, `author`, `repository`, `license`, `keywords` from `package.json`; inline `mcpServers` entry keyed by the unscoped repo name. Every user-supplied variable is declared under `userConfig` (`type`, `title`, `description`; `sensitive: true` for keys and tokens; `required: true` or `default: ""`) and referenced from `env` as `"KEY": "${user_config.<option>}"` — mirror the `user_config` block in `manifest.json`. Never write `"KEY": ""` into `env`
+- [ ] `bun run devcheck` passes

package/CLAUDE.md

@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 # Developer Protocol
 
 **Server:** ensembl-mcp-server
-**Version:** 0.4.2
-**Framework:** [@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core) `^0.10.14`
-**Engines:** Bun ≥1.3.0, Node ≥24.0.0
-**MCP SDK:** `@modelcontextprotocol/sdk` ^1.29.0
-**Zod:** ^4.4.3
+**Version:** 0.4.4
+**Framework:** [@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core) `^0.13.6`
+**Engines:** Bun ≥1.4.0, Node ≥24.0.0
+**MCP SDK:** `@modelcontextprotocol/server` ^2.0.0
+**Zod:** ^4.6.5
 
 > **Read the framework docs first:** `node_modules/@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core/CLAUDE.md` contains the full API reference — builders, Context, error codes, exports, patterns. This file covers server-specific conventions only.
 
@@ -36,8 +36,9 @@ Tailor suggestions to what's actually missing or stale — don't recite the full
 - **Logic throws, framework catches.** Tool/resource handlers are pure — throw on failure, no `try/catch`. Plain `Error` is fine; the framework catches, classifies, and formats. Use error factories (`notFound()`, `validationError()`, etc.) when the error code matters.
 - **Use `ctx.log`** for request-scoped logging. No `console` calls.
 - **Use `ctx.state`** for tenant-scoped storage. Never access persistence directly.
-- **Check `ctx.elicit` / `ctx.sample`** for presence before calling.
+- **Need input the caller didn't supply?** `return ctx.requestInput(...)` and read `ctx.inputs` when the handler is re-entered. Never `await` for user input mid-handler.
 - **Secrets in env vars only** — never hardcoded.
+- **Cut noise.** Add only what earns its place: no speculative generality, no guards for states the framework already prevents (Zod-validated params, classified errors), no abstraction until a third caller proves it, no option nothing sets.
 - **Close the loop on issues.** When implementing work tracked by a GitHub issue, comment on the issue with what landed and close it. Do both — a comment without a close leaves stale issues open; a close without a comment leaves no record of what shipped. The comment is for future readers — state the concrete changes, not the conversation that produced them.
 
 ---
@@ -135,9 +136,27 @@ export function getServerConfig() {
 
 `parseEnvConfig` maps Zod schema paths → env var names so errors name the variable (`ENSEMBL_BASE_URL`) not the path (`baseUrl`). Throws `ConfigurationError`, which the framework prints as a clean startup banner.
 
-### Server instructions
+### Server identity and instructions
 
-`createApp({ instructions })` — optional server-level orientation, sent to clients on every `initialize` as session-level context. Use it for deployment guidance (connection aliases, regional notes, scope hints) instead of repeating the same context across tool descriptions. Client adoption is uneven, but there's no downside when set.
+The canonical `createApp()` identity for this project is `name: 'ensembl-mcp-server'` plus `title: 'ensembl-mcp-server'`. Keep both bare and hyphenated; npm and install surfaces retain the published `@cyanheads/ensembl-mcp-server` identity. Package metadata supplies the description and website, so don't duplicate those fields in `createApp()`.
+
+`instructions` is optional server-level orientation, sent on every `initialize` as session-level context. Use it for deployment guidance (connection aliases, regional notes, scope hints) instead of repeating the same context across tool descriptions. Client adoption is uneven, but there's no downside when set.
+
+### Session posture and shutdown
+
+Two more `createApp()` options shape how the server runs rather than how it presents itself:
+
+```ts
+await createApp({
+  sessionMode: 'stateless',          // or { default: 'stateful', require: 'stateful' }
+  setup(core) { initEnsemblService(core.config, core.storage); },
+  async teardown() { await releaseResources(); },
+});
+```
+
+`sessionMode` declares the HTTP session posture in `src/` instead of leaving it to a deployment's `MCP_SESSION_MODE`, which still wins whenever it carries a meaningful value (an empty string and an unsubstituted `${…}` placeholder read as unset and fall through to the option). This server declares `stateless`: no tool asks the caller for input mid-handler via `ctx.requestInput`, so there is nothing a 2025-era HTTP client would be unable to answer. Add `require: 'stateful'` if that ever changes — startup then fails with a `ConfigurationError` rather than serving a mode in which the prompt can never be answered. Stdio is never refused.
+
+`teardown(core)` is the `setup()` counterpart — release a watcher, socket, or non-`unref()`'d timer there. It runs after the transport stops and before the logger closes, on every shutdown path, and a signal-triggered shutdown then exits the process explicitly (0, or 1 if a step never settles within the framework's 10 s ceiling). `EnsemblService` holds no such handle, so this server declares no `teardown`.
 
 ---
 
@@ -147,14 +166,15 @@ Handlers receive a unified `ctx` object. Key properties:
 
 | Property | Description |
 |:---------|:------------|
-| `ctx.log` | Request-scoped logger — `.debug()`, `.info()`, `.notice()`, `.warning()`, `.error()`. Auto-correlates requestId, traceId, tenantId. |
-| `ctx.state` | Tenant-scoped KV — `.get(key)`, `.set(key, value, { ttl? })`, `.delete(key)`, `.list(prefix, { cursor, limit })`. Accepts any serializable value. |
-| `ctx.elicit` | Ask user for structured input. **Check for presence first:** `if (ctx.elicit) { ... }` |
-| `ctx.sample` | Request LLM completion from the client. **Check for presence first:** `if (ctx.sample) { ... }` |
+| `ctx.log` | Request-scoped logger — `.debug()`, `.info()`, `.notice()`, `.warning()`, `.error()`. Auto-correlates requestId, traceId, tenantId. Dual-sink: Pino **and** `notifications/message` to the client, so treat it as client-visible. |
+| `ctx.state` | Tenant-scoped KV — `.get(key)`, `.set(key, value, { ttl? })`, `.delete(key)`, `.getMany(keys)`, `.list(prefix, { cursor, limit })`. Accepts any serializable value. |
+| `ctx.requestInput` | Suspend and ask the caller for more input — `return ctx.requestInput({ inputRequests: { key: inputRequired.elicit({ message, requestedSchema }) } })`. Never returns; the handler is re-entered with the answers. Always present. |
+| `ctx.inputs` | Reader over a retried request's responses — `.accepted(key, schema)`, `.view(key)`, `.state()`, `.dropped`. Empty on the first round. |
+| `ctx.enrich` | Success-path agent context (empty-result notices, query echo, pagination totals) — `ctx.enrich(...)` or `.notice()` / `.total()` / `.echo()` / `.truncated()`. Reaches `structuredContent` and `content[]`; lands only when the definition declares an `enrichment` block (no-op otherwise). |
+| `ctx.content` | Non-text content blocks — `.image(data, mimeType)`, `.audio(data, mimeType)`, or `ctx.content(block)` for a raw block. Prepended to `content[]` after `format()`; never enters `structuredContent`. |
 | `ctx.signal` | `AbortSignal` for cancellation. |
-| `ctx.progress` | Task progress (present when `task: true`) — `.setTotal(n)`, `.increment()`, `.update(message)`. |
 | `ctx.requestId` | Unique request ID. |
-| `ctx.tenantId` | Tenant ID from JWT or `'default'` for stdio. |
+| `ctx.tenantId` | Tenant ID from JWT; `'default'` for stdio or HTTP with auth off. |
 
 ---
 
@@ -162,7 +182,7 @@ Handlers receive a unified `ctx` object. Key properties:
 
 Handlers throw — the framework catches, classifies, and formats.
 
-**Recommended: typed error contract.** Declare `errors: [{ reason, code, when, recovery, retryable? }]` on `tool()` / `resource()` to receive `ctx.fail(reason, …)` typed against the reason union. TypeScript catches typos at compile time, `data.reason` is auto-populated for observability, linter enforces conformance against the handler body. `recovery` is required descriptive metadata for the agent's next move (≥ 5 words, lint-validated); for the wire `data.recovery.hint` (mirrored into `content[]` text), pass explicitly at the throw site when dynamic context matters: `ctx.fail('reason', msg, { recovery: { hint: '...' } })`. Baseline codes (`InternalError`, `ServiceUnavailable`, `Timeout`, `ValidationError`, `SerializationError`) bubble freely and don't need declaring.
+**Recommended: typed error contract.** Declare `errors: [{ reason, code, when, recovery, retryable?, severity?, thrownBy? }]` on `tool()` / `resource()` to receive `ctx.fail(reason, …)` typed against the reason union. TypeScript catches typos at compile time, `data.reason` is auto-populated for observability, linter enforces conformance against the handler body. `recovery` is required (≥ 5 words, lint-validated) — the single source of truth for the agent's next move. Pass `ctx.recoveryFor('reason')` as the throw's data to put it on the wire (`data.recovery.hint`, mirrored into `content[]` text unless the message already contains it verbatim); override with an explicit `{ recovery: { hint: '...' } }` when dynamic runtime context matters. Forwarding it is lint-enforced per throw site (`error-contract-recovery-unforwarded`). Mark an entry the service layer throws with `thrownBy: 'service'` so `error-contract-unthrown` skips it — lint-only metadata, nothing at runtime reads it. Baseline codes (`InternalError`, `ServiceUnavailable`, `Timeout`, `ValidationError`, `SerializationError`, `RequestCancelled`) bubble freely and don't need declaring.
 
 ```ts
 import { JsonRpcErrorCode } from '@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core/errors';
@@ -174,7 +194,7 @@ errors: [
 ],
 async handler(input, ctx) {
   const item = await db.find(input.id);
-  if (!item) throw ctx.fail('no_match', `No item ${input.id}`);
+  if (!item) throw ctx.fail('no_match', `No item ${input.id}`, ctx.recoveryFor('no_match'));
   return item;
 }
 ```
@@ -245,9 +265,9 @@ src/
 
 ## Skills
 
-Skills are modular instructions in `skills/` at the project root. Read them directly when a task matches — e.g., `skills/add-tool/SKILL.md` when adding a tool.
+Skills are modular instructions in `framework-skills/` at the project root. Read them directly when a task matches — e.g., `framework-skills/add-tool/SKILL.md` when adding a tool. `bun run list-skills` prints the full registry. The directory is deliberately not `skills/`: Claude Code and Codex auto-load a plugin's root `skills/`, so a server that ships `.claude-plugin/` or `.codex-plugin/` would hand these development skills to every agent that installs it. Keep `skills/` free for skills meant for those agents.
 
-**Agent skill directory:** Copy skills into the directory your agent discovers (Claude Code: `.claude/skills/`, others: equivalent). Skills then load as context without referencing `skills/` paths. After framework updates, run the `maintenance` skill — Phase B re-syncs the agent directory.
+**Agent skill directory:** Copy skills into the directory your agent discovers (Claude Code: `.claude/skills/`, others: equivalent). Skills then load as context without referencing `framework-skills/` paths. After framework updates, run the `maintenance` skill — Phase B re-syncs the agent directory.
 
 Available skills:
 
@@ -265,27 +285,29 @@ Available skills:
 | `tool-defs-analysis` | Read-only audit of MCP definition language across the surface — voice, leaks, defaults, recovery hints, output descriptions |
 | `security-pass` | Audit server for MCP-flavored security gaps: output injection, scope blast radius, input sinks, tenant isolation |
 | `code-simplifier` | Post-session cleanup against `git diff` — modernize syntax, consolidate duplication, align with the codebase |
-| `devcheck` | Lint, format, typecheck, audit |
 | `polish-docs-meta` | Finalize docs, README, metadata, and agent protocol for shipping |
-| `git-wrapup` | Land working-tree changes as a versioned commit + annotated tag — version bump, changelog, verify, tag. Local only. |
-| `release-and-publish` | Push + npm + MCP Registry + GH Release + Docker. Picks up from `git-wrapup` |
+| `git-wrapup` | Land working-tree changes as a commit stack — version bump, changelog, verify, commit by concern, release commit on top. No tag, no push to main; opens the release PR when the project declares release PR mode |
+| `release-pr-review` | Review pass on an open release PR — simplifier + correctness review, fixes as ordinary commits on top of the stack, PR body kept in sync. Release PR mode only |
+| `release-and-publish` | Fast-forward merge (release PR mode) + tag + push + npm + MCP Registry + GH Release + Docker. Picks up from `git-wrapup` |
 | `maintenance` | Investigate changelogs, adopt upstream changes, sync skills to agent dirs |
 | `orchestrations` | Chain task skills into a gated multi-phase pipeline — build-out, QA-fix, update-ship — when you can spawn sub-agents |
 | `report-issue-framework` | File a bug or feature request against `@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core` via `gh` CLI |
 | `report-issue-local` | File a bug or feature request against this server's own repo via `gh` CLI |
+| `techniques` | Catalog of response/data-shaping techniques — overflow handling, payload shaping, retrieval patterns |
 | `api-auth` | Auth modes, scopes, JWT/OAuth |
 | `api-canvas` | DataCanvas: register tabular data, run SQL, export, plus the `spillover()` helper for big result sets — Tier 3 opt-in |
 | `api-config` | AppConfig, parseConfig, env vars |
-| `api-context` | Context interface, logger, state, progress |
+| `api-context` | Context interface, RequestContext, logger, state, multi-round-trip input |
 | `api-errors` | McpError, JsonRpcErrorCode, error patterns |
 | `api-linter` | Definition linter rule catalog — invoked by `bun run lint:mcp` and `devcheck` |
+| `api-mirror` | MirrorService: persistent self-refreshing local mirror (embedded SQLite + FTS5) of a bulk upstream dataset — Tier 3 opt-in |
 | `api-services` | LLM, Speech, Graph services |
 | `api-testing` | createMockContext, test patterns |
 | `api-utils` | Formatting, parsing, security, pagination, scheduling, telemetry helpers |
 | `api-telemetry` | OTel catalog: spans, metrics, completion logs, env config, cardinality rules |
 | `api-workers` | Cloudflare Workers runtime |
 
-**Chaining skills into pipelines.** When the user wants a multi-phase effort — build this server out, QA-and-fix the surface, update-and-ship — *and you can spawn sub-agents*, `skills/orchestrations/SKILL.md` sequences the task skills above into a gated pipeline with verification at each step. Read it to drive the run. Optional: skip it if you can't orchestrate sub-agents, and ignore it entirely if you were *spawned* as one — you've already been scoped to a single phase.
+**Chaining skills into pipelines.** When the user wants a multi-phase effort — build this server out, QA-and-fix the surface, update-and-ship — *and you can spawn sub-agents*, `framework-skills/orchestrations/SKILL.md` sequences the task skills above into a gated pipeline with verification at each step. Read it to drive the run. Optional: skip it if you can't orchestrate sub-agents, and ignore it entirely if you were *spawned* as one — you've already been scoped to a single phase.
 
 When you complete a skill's checklist, check the boxes and add a completion timestamp at the end (e.g., `Completed: 2026-03-11`).
 
@@ -293,40 +315,46 @@ When you complete a skill's checklist, check the boxes and add a completion time
 
 ## Commands
 
-**Runtime:** Scripts use `tsx` — both `npm run <cmd>` and `bun run <cmd>` work. `bun` is slightly faster for script invocation but not required.
+**Runtime:** Scripts use Bun's native TypeScript execution — `bun run <cmd>` is the standard invocation. `npm run <cmd>` also works (npm delegates to bun).
 
 | Command | Purpose |
 |:--------|:--------|
-| `npm run build` | Compile TypeScript |
-| `npm run rebuild` | Clean + build |
-| `npm run clean` | Remove build artifacts |
-| `npm run devcheck` | Lint + format + typecheck + security + changelog sync |
-| `bun run audit:refresh` | Delete `bun.lock`, reinstall, and re-run `bun audit`. Use when `devcheck` flags a transitive advisory — Bun's `update` is sticky on transitive resolutions, so the advisory may be a stale-lockfile false positive. If it survives the refresh, it's real. |
-| `npm run tree` | Generate directory structure doc |
-| `npm run format` | Auto-fix formatting (safe fixes only) |
-| `npm run format:unsafe` | Also apply Biome's unsafe autofixes — review the diff; they can change behavior |
-| `npm test` | Run tests |
-| `npm run start:stdio` | Production mode (stdio) |
-| `npm run start:http` | Production mode (HTTP) |
-| `npm run changelog:build` | Regenerate `CHANGELOG.md` from `changelog/*.md` |
-| `npm run changelog:check` | Verify `CHANGELOG.md` is in sync (used by devcheck) |
-| `npm run bundle` | Build, pack, and clean a `.mcpb` for one-click Claude Desktop install |
+| `bun run build` | Compile TypeScript |
+| `bun run rebuild` | Clean + build |
+| `bun run clean` | Remove build artifacts |
+| `bun run devcheck` | Lint + format + typecheck + security + changelog sync |
+| `bun run audit:fix` | `bun audit fix` — upgrade vulnerable packages to the lowest safe version within existing ranges (`--dry-run` previews, `--latest` rewrites ranges). First response when `devcheck` flags a transitive advisory; then `bun update <name>`, then `bun dedupe` |
+| `bun run audit:refresh` | Delete `bun.lock` and reinstall. Last resort after `audit:fix`, `bun update <name>`, and `bun dedupe` — re-resolves every ranged dep (the framework pin included) and rewrites the lockfile |
+| `bun run lint:mcp` | Run the MCP definition linter standalone (rule catalog: `api-linter` skill) |
+| `bun run lint:packaging` | Packaging surface checks — `server.json`/`manifest.json` env-var parity (run by devcheck) |
+| `bun run list-skills` | Print the skill registry |
+| `bun run tree` | Generate directory structure doc |
+| `bun run format` | Auto-fix formatting (safe fixes only) |
+| `bun run format:unsafe` | Also apply Biome's unsafe autofixes — review the diff; they can change behavior |
+| `bun run test` | Run tests (Vitest — use `bun run test`, not `bun test`) |
+| `bun run start:stdio` | Production mode (stdio) |
+| `bun run start:http` | Production mode (HTTP) |
+| `bun run changelog:build` | Regenerate `CHANGELOG.md` from `changelog/*.md` |
+| `bun run changelog:check` | Verify `CHANGELOG.md` is in sync (used by devcheck) |
+| `bun run bundle` | Build, pack, and clean a `.mcpb` for one-click Claude Desktop install |
+
+**CI is one file.** `.github/workflows/codeql.yml` is the only GitHub Actions workflow: CodeQL is GitHub-owned end to end, and the file runs only while the repo's CodeQL *default setup* is turned off. Verification — `devcheck`, tests, the release gates — runs locally; don't add a workflow that re-runs it.
 
 ---
 
 ## Bundling
 
-`npm run bundle` produces a `.mcpb` extension bundle for one-click install in Claude Desktop. The pack step is followed by `scripts/clean-mcpb.ts`, which prunes dev dependencies (`mcpb clean`) and strips dependency-shipped agent docs (`node_modules/**` `skills/`, `.claude/`, `.agents/`, `SKILL.md`) that root-anchored `.mcpbignore` patterns cannot reach. MCPB is stdio-only — HTTP and Cloudflare Workers deployments are unaffected. Consumers who don't need it can delete `manifest.json` and `.mcpbignore`; `lint:packaging` skips cleanly.
+`bun run bundle` produces a `.mcpb` extension bundle for one-click install in Claude Desktop. The pack step is followed by `scripts/clean-mcpb.ts`, which prunes dev dependencies (`mcpb clean`) and strips two classes of `node_modules/**` content that root-anchored `.mcpbignore` patterns cannot reach: dependency-shipped agent docs (`framework-skills/`, `skills/`, `.claude/`, `.agents/`, `SKILL.md`) and platform-specific native bindings, which would otherwise lock the bundle to the platform it was packed on. A server using DataCanvas therefore ships a portable bundle without the DuckDB native — `@duckdb/node-api` is an optional peer loaded lazily, so canvas tools report an actionable install hint and every other tool works normally. MCPB is stdio-only — HTTP and Cloudflare Workers deployments are unaffected. Consumers who don't need it can delete `manifest.json` and `.mcpbignore`; `lint:packaging` skips cleanly.
 
-**Adding an env var requires both files:** `server.json` (registry discovery, `environmentVariables[]`) and `manifest.json` (bundle install UX, `mcp_config.env` + `user_config`). `lint:packaging` (run by `devcheck`) verifies the env var names match.
+**Adding an env var requires both files:** `server.json` (registry discovery, `environmentVariables[]`) and `manifest.json` (bundle install UX, `mcp_config.env` + `user_config`). `lint:packaging` (run by `devcheck`) verifies the env var names match, that every `user_config` option is wired into `mcp_config.env` as `"X": "${user_config.X}"` (the host substitutes nothing else — `"${X}"` reaches the server as that literal string), and that an optional string option carries `"default": ""`.
 
-**README install badges** (Claude Desktop `.mcpb`, Cursor, VS Code) and the `base64` / `encodeURIComponent` config-generation commands are ship-time concerns — run the `polish-docs-meta` skill, which carries the badge format, layout, and generation snippets in `skills/polish-docs-meta/references/readme.md`.
+**README install badges** (Claude Desktop `.mcpb`, Cursor, VS Code) and the `base64` / `encodeURIComponent` config-generation commands are ship-time concerns — run the `polish-docs-meta` skill, which carries the badge format, layout, and generation snippets in `framework-skills/polish-docs-meta/references/readme.md`.
 
 ---
 
 ## Changelog
 
-Directory-based, grouped by minor series via the `.x` semver-wildcard convention. Source of truth: `changelog/<major.minor>.x/<version>.md` (e.g. `changelog/0.1.x/0.1.0.md`) — one file per release, shipped in the npm package. At release, author the per-version file with a concrete version and date, then run `npm run changelog:build` to regenerate the rollup. `changelog/template.md` is a **pristine format reference** — never edited or moved; read it for the frontmatter + section layout when scaffolding. `CHANGELOG.md` is a **navigation index** (header + link + summary per version), regenerated by `npm run changelog:build` — devcheck hard-fails on drift; never hand-edit it.
+Directory-based, grouped by minor series via the `.x` semver-wildcard convention. Source of truth: `changelog/<major.minor>.x/<version>.md` (e.g. `changelog/0.1.x/0.1.0.md`) — one file per release, shipped in the npm package. At release, author the per-version file with a concrete version and date, then run `bun run changelog:build` to regenerate the rollup. `changelog/template.md` is a **pristine format reference** — never edited or moved; read it for the frontmatter + section layout when scaffolding. `CHANGELOG.md` is a **navigation index** (header + link + summary per version), regenerated by `bun run changelog:build` — devcheck hard-fails on drift; never hand-edit it.
 
 Each per-version file opens with YAML frontmatter:
 
@@ -334,23 +362,29 @@ Each per-version file opens with YAML frontmatter:
 ---
 summary: "One-line headline, ≤350 chars"  # required — powers the rollup index
 breaking: false                            # optional — true flags breaking changes
-security: false                            # optional — true flags security fixes
+security: false                            # optional — true ONLY for a source-code security fix, never a dependency CVE bump
 ---
 
 # 0.1.0 — YYYY-MM-DD
 ...
 ```
 
-`breaking: true` renders a `· ⚠️ Breaking` badge — use it when consumers must update code on upgrade (signature changes, removed APIs, config renames). `security: true` renders a `· 🛡️ Security` badge and pairs with a `## Security` body section. When both are set, badges render `· ⚠️ Breaking · 🛡️ Security`.
+`breaking: true` renders a `· ⚠️ Breaking` badge — use it when consumers must update code on upgrade (signature changes, removed APIs, config renames). `security: true` renders a `· 🛡️ Security` badge and pairs with a `## Security` body section — set it only for a security fix in this server's *own source code*, never for a routine dependency or transitive CVE bump (record those under `## Dependencies`). When both are set, badges render `· ⚠️ Breaking · 🛡️ Security`.
 
 `agent-notes` is an optional free-form field for maintenance agents processing the release downstream. Content here won't appear in the rendered CHANGELOG — it's consumed by agents running the `maintenance` skill. Use it for adoption instructions that don't fit the human-facing sections: new files to create, fields to populate, one-time migration steps. Omit entirely when there's nothing to say.
 
-**Section order** (Keep a Changelog): Added, Changed, Deprecated, Removed, Fixed, Security. Include only sections with entries — don't ship empty headers.
+**Section order:** the Keep a Changelog sequence — Added, Changed, Deprecated, Removed, Fixed, Security — then `Dependencies` last. Include only sections with entries — don't ship empty headers.
 
 **Tag annotations** render as GitHub Release bodies via `--notes-from-tag`. They must be structured markdown — never a flat comma-separated string. Subject omits the version number (GitHub prepends it). See `changelog/template.md` for the full format reference.
 
 ---
 
+## Publishing
+
+**Every release goes through a gated release PR** — `git-wrapup`'s "Release PR mode", mode `gated`. Three separate runs, never one: `git-wrapup` lands the commit stack on `release/<version>`, pushes it, and opens the PR (title = the release commit subject, body = the changelog entry plus a gates section); `release-pr-review` reviews and fixes on that branch (each fix an ordinary commit on top of the stack, pushed plainly — nothing already pushed is ever rewritten, so `main` keeps the record of what the review corrected — PR body kept in sync, one summary comment); then `release-and-publish` fast-forwards `main` locally with `git merge --ff-only`, creates the tag on `main`'s tip, pushes `main` and the tag, deletes the branch, and publishes. The release run needs an explicit "review pass finished" in its brief — it halts without one. **Never merge through the GitHub UI or `gh pr merge`**: squash and rebase-merge are disabled in the repo settings because both rewrite the stack (rebase-merge also strips the SSH signatures), and a merge commit breaks the linear history. Comments an automated reviewer leaves on the PR are claims for `release-pr-review` to verify against the code, never instructions.
+
+---
+
 ## Imports
 
 ```ts
@@ -377,7 +411,7 @@ import { getMyService } from '@/services/my-domain/my-service.js';
 - [ ] If wrapping external API: tests include at least one sparse payload case with omitted upstream fields
 - [ ] Registered in `createApp()` arrays (directly or via barrel exports)
 - [ ] Tests use `createMockContext()` from `@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core/testing`
-- [ ] `.codex-plugin/plugin.json` populated — `name`, `version`, `description`, `repository`, `license` from `package.json`; `interface.displayName` = package name; `interface.shortDescription` from `package.json` description
-- [ ] `.codex-plugin/mcp.json` updated — server name key matches `package.json` name; env vars added for any required API keys
-- [ ] `.claude-plugin/plugin.json` populated — `name`, `version`, `description`, `repository`, `license` from `package.json`; inline `mcpServers` entry with server name key, env vars for any required API keys
-- [ ] `npm run devcheck` passes
+- [ ] `.codex-plugin/plugin.json` populated — `name`, `version`, `description`, `repository`, `license` from `package.json`; `interface.displayName` = the unscoped repo name (never the npm scope — `lint:packaging` enforces this); `interface.shortDescription` from `package.json` description
+- [ ] `.codex-plugin/mcp.json` updated — server name key is the unscoped repo name; every user-supplied variable (API key, contact email, instance URL) is listed in `env_vars` so Codex forwards it from the user's environment. Never write `"KEY": ""` into `env` — an empty value replaces the user's exported key and is read as unset
+- [ ] `.claude-plugin/plugin.json` populated — `name`, `version`, `description`, `author`, `repository`, `license`, `keywords` from `package.json`; inline `mcpServers` entry keyed by the unscoped repo name. Every user-supplied variable is declared under `userConfig` (`type`, `title`, `description`; `sensitive: true` for keys and tokens; `required: true` or `default: ""`) and referenced from `env` as `"KEY": "${user_config.<option>}"` — mirror the `user_config` block in `manifest.json`. Never write `"KEY": ""` into `env`
+- [ ] `bun run devcheck` passes