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+# Phase 3: Operator Experience - Context
+
+**Gathered:** 2026-03-24
+**Status:** Ready for planning
+
+<domain>
+## Phase Boundary
+
+Operators can connect messaging channels (Slack via OAuth, WhatsApp via guided setup), onboard through a guided wizard, manage subscriptions via Stripe (per-agent monthly pricing with 14-day trial), provide their own LLM API keys, and view agent cost/usage metrics — all through the existing portal UI. Phase 3 builds on the portal foundation from Phase 1 (tenant CRUD, Agent Designer, Auth.js v5).
+
+</domain>
+
+<decisions>
+## Implementation Decisions
+
+### Channel Connection Wizard
+- Slack connection via standard OAuth2 "Add to Slack" flow — operator clicks button, authorizes, tokens stored automatically
+- WhatsApp connection: Claude's discretion (guided manual setup or embedded signup — whichever is practical for v1)
+- After connecting a channel, the wizard MUST include a "send test message" step — required, not optional
+- Test message verifies end-to-end connectivity before the agent goes live
+
+### Onboarding Flow
+- Onboarding sequence: Connect Channel → Configure Agent → Send Test Message
+- Agent goes live automatically after the test message succeeds — no separate "Go Live" button
+- Stepper UI / progress indicator: Claude's discretion
+- Onboarding target: complete in under 15 minutes (from roadmap success criteria)
+
+### Billing & Pricing
+- Pricing model: per-agent monthly (e.g., $49/agent/month) — matches the "hire an employee" metaphor
+- 14-day free trial with full access, credit card required upfront
+- Subscription management via Stripe: subscribe, upgrade (add agents), downgrade (remove agents), cancel
+- Enforcement on non-payment: Claude's discretion (agent deactivation recommended — clean, not punitive)
+- LLM-03 resolved: BYO API keys IS in v1 scope (Phase 3)
+- BYO key management: Claude's discretion (settings page vs per-agent — settings page simpler for v1)
+
+### Cost Dashboard
+- Metrics displayed: token usage per agent, cost breakdown by LLM provider, message volume per agent/channel, budget alerts
+- Budget alerts: visual indicator when approaching or exceeding per-agent budget limits (from AGNT-07)
+- Time range selector: Claude's discretion
+- Dashboard lives in the portal as a dedicated section
+
+### Claude's Discretion
+- WhatsApp connection method (guided manual vs embedded signup)
+- Stepper UI for onboarding (yes/no, visual style)
+- Non-payment enforcement behavior
+- BYO key scope (tenant-level settings page vs per-agent)
+- Cost dashboard time range options
+- Dashboard chart library (recharts, nivo, etc.)
+- Stripe webhook event handling strategy (idempotency, retry)
+
+</decisions>
+
+<specifics>
+## Specific Ideas
+
+- The "per-agent monthly" pricing reinforces the "hire an employee" brand — operators think in terms of headcount, not API calls
+- The 14-day trial should feel generous — full access to everything, no artificial limits
+- Channel connection should feel like the easiest part — one click for Slack, guided steps for WhatsApp
+- Cost dashboard should answer "how much is this employee costing me?" at a glance — like a payroll view
+
+</specifics>
+
+<code_context>
+## Existing Code Insights
+
+### Reusable Assets
+- `packages/portal/` — Full Next.js 16 portal with Auth.js v5, tenant CRUD, Agent Designer
+- `packages/portal/lib/auth.ts` — Auth.js v5 Credentials provider with JWT strategy
+- `packages/portal/lib/api.ts` — API client for FastAPI backend
+- `packages/portal/lib/queries.ts` — TanStack Query hooks for tenant/agent CRUD
+- `packages/portal/components/agent-designer.tsx` — Agent Designer form with all fields
+- `packages/shared/shared/api/portal.py` — FastAPI portal router (11 endpoints)
+- `packages/shared/shared/models/tenant.py` — Tenant and Agent SQLAlchemy models
+- `packages/shared/shared/models/audit.py` — AuditEvent model (source for cost/usage data)
+- `packages/orchestrator/orchestrator/audit/logger.py` — Audit logger (logs LLM calls, tool invocations)
+- `packages/shared/shared/config.py` — Centralized settings
+
+### Established Patterns
+- Portal pages: App Router with `(dashboard)` route group, TanStack Query for data fetching
+- API endpoints: FastAPI router in `shared/api/portal.py`
+- Auth: Auth.js v5 JWT with Credentials provider
+- Forms: react-hook-form + zod + standardSchemaResolver
+- Components: shadcn/ui
+- Proxy: `proxy.ts` (Next.js 16 pattern, not middleware.ts)
+
+### Integration Points
+- Portal needs new pages: channel wizard, onboarding flow, billing management, cost dashboard
+- FastAPI needs new endpoints: channel connection (OAuth callback), Stripe webhooks, usage aggregation
+- Agent model needs: `is_active` field for subscription enforcement
+- Tenant model needs: `stripe_customer_id`, `subscription_status`, `trial_ends_at` fields
+- New DB table or extension for BYO encrypted API keys
+
+</code_context>
+
+<deferred>
+## Deferred Ideas
+
+None — discussion stayed within phase scope
+
+</deferred>
+
+---
+
+*Phase: 03-operator-experience*
+*Context gathered: 2026-03-24*