docs: add agent codebase guide

docs/README.md

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+# RedditBot documentation
+
+This directory is the starting point for agents and maintainers. It explains the system at the level needed to make safe changes; source code, tests, database migrations, and the generated API reference remain authoritative.
+
+## Read this first
+
+RedditBot is a stateful, multi-account outreach and conversation application. It discovers eligible Reddit posts, prepares AI-generated openers, sends them through Reddit's Matrix chat service, follows replies under bounded policies, records outcomes, and exposes an authenticated operator dashboard and agent API.
+
+The most important operational fact is that local and production configuration may be live-capable. Installing dependencies, building, and testing are safe. Starting the backend, invoking control endpoints, importing sessions, sending messages, or deploying may affect real Reddit accounts and requires explicit authorization.
+
+## Documentation map
+
+| Document | Use it when |
+| --- | --- |
+| [Product goals and safety](product-and-safety.md) | You need the purpose, product boundaries, eligibility policy, or definition of success. |
+| [Architecture](architecture.md) | You need the system shape, process lifecycle, dependency boundaries, or repository map. |
+| [Runtime flows](data-flow.md) | You are changing discovery, screening, candidate delivery, replies, chat sync, media, or realtime updates. |
+| [Service map](services.md) | You need to find the module that owns a responsibility or identify extension seams. |
+| [Data model](database.md) | You are changing persistence, migrations, account scoping, idempotency, or analytics. |
+| [Configuration](configuration.md) | You are adding a setting, changing precedence, or diagnosing startup validation. |
+| [API](api.md) | You are using or changing HTTP/MCP operations. This file is generated. |
+| [Frontend](frontend.md) | You are changing the React dashboard, shared contracts, queries, routes, or SSE behavior. |
+| [Development and testing](development.md) | You are setting up locally, implementing a change, or choosing verification commands. |
+| [Deployment and operations](deployment.md) | You are diagnosing or performing Docker/Dokploy work, backups, recovery, or live verification. |
+
+## Fast orientation by task
+
+- Candidate selection or outreach: read product-and-safety, data-flow, services, and database.
+- Conversation automation: read product-and-safety, data-flow, and the conversation state/claim sections in database.
+- Dashboard/API work: read frontend, api, and architecture.
+- Authentication or account work: read architecture, configuration, database, and deployment.
+- Production incident: read deployment first, then the flow and service that own the failing state.
+- Schema or config change: read database/configuration and update both transport contracts and tests where applicable.
+
+## Sources of truth
+
+Use this order when facts conflict:
+
+1. Observable behavior and focused tests.
+2. Shared Zod transport contracts in `packages/api-contracts/src/`.
+3. Runtime Zod configuration in `src/config/index.ts` and migrations in `src/database/client.ts`.
+4. Owning implementation under `src/` or `apps/dashboard/src/`.
+5. Generated `docs/api.md` and live `/api/openapi.json`.
+6. Narrative documentation in this directory.
+
+Documentation should explain why boundaries exist and where behavior lives. Avoid copying entire schemas, hard-coded production identifiers, current counts, or secrets into prose.
+
+## Keeping documentation current
+
+Every code change must include the documentation changes needed to keep this map accurate. In particular:
+
+- Add or remove links here when documents change.
+- Update architecture and service ownership when dependencies move.
+- Update runtime flows when ordering, eligibility, retries, or idempotency changes.
+- Update configuration and data model documents with schema changes.
+- Run `npm run docs:api` after modifying `src/web/api-catalog.ts`.
+- Keep historical plans out of current-state documents; use Git history for retired designs.
+
+See the repository-level [`agents.md`](../agents.md) for the mandatory agent workflow.