the-collective-hub/docs/03-feature-roadmap.md

Feature Roadmap

How to Read This

Each phase builds on the previous one. Phases are ordered by dependency, not by importance.

The rule: Phase 1 must be complete and working before starting Phase 2. Later phases can be reordered based on need.

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Phase 1: Foundation Minimum Viable Product

Goal: A working SvelteKit app that resolves a site by SITE_SLUG, shows a public homepage, lets the owner log in and edit settings, and supports image uploads with CDN storage.

Deliverables

• SvelteKit project initialized with TypeScript
• Drizzle ORM configured, connected to Postgres
• Core database tables created: sites, users, memberships, siteSettings, assets
• Better Auth integrated with Discord OAuth provider
• Site resolver: reads SITE_SLUG, loads site + settings from DB, attaches to locals
• Public homepage renders with site name and basic content
• Login page: "Login with Discord" button
• Owner bootstrap: OWNER_DISCORD_ID env var creates owner membership on first login
• Super admin bootstrap: SUPER_ADMIN_DISCORD_IDS env var grants cross-site access
• Admin auth guard: /admin/* routes redirect unauthenticated users to login
• Basic admin dashboard page (placeholder with site name)
• Admin settings page: edit site name and tagline (saved to siteSettings JSON)
• CDN storage integration (Bunny CDN or S3-compatible)
• Image upload endpoint with webp conversion and optimization
• File validation: accepted types, max size
• Asset records created in database on upload
• Asset library page in admin: browse, search, copy CDN URL
• Migration automation: primary deployment runs migrations on startup; others skip via RUN_MIGRATIONS env var

What's NOT in Phase 1

• No branding customization (logo, colors) — Phase 2
• No homepage content editing beyond name/tagline — Phase 2
• No events, nav links, social links — Phase 2 / Phase 4
• No role management UI — Phase 5
• No super admin dashboard UI — Phase 5

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Phase 2: Branding & Customization

Goal: Site owners can customize the look and feel of their site. The public site reflects branding settings. Asset upload is already available from Phase 1.

Deliverables

• Admin branding page: select logo, background image, favicon from asset library
• Admin theme page: preset selector (dark/light/custom), accent color, background color, text color
• CSS custom properties generated from theme settings
• Admin homepage editor: hero title, subtitle, about text, CTA button text/link
• Public site renders all branding and homepage settings
• Admin nav links manager: add, edit, reorder, delete header/footer links
• Admin social links manager: add, edit, reorder, delete social platform links
• Public site renders nav links and social links
• Layout preset support (single configurable layout for V1)

What's NOT in Phase 2

• Multiple layout options (just one flexible layout)
• Custom CSS fields
• Per-page theming
• Theme marketplace or sharing

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Phase 3: Events & Schedule

Goal: Sites can display upcoming events. Admins can manage events through the admin panel.

Deliverables

• Events table created (if not already)
• Admin events manager: create, edit, delete, publish/unpublish events
• Event fields: title, description, type, start time, end time, timezone, location, external link, image
• Public homepage: "Next Event" card (shows the next upcoming published event)
• Public homepage: "Upcoming Events" list/schedule section
• Event detail page (optional — can be a modal or external link for V1)
• Timezone display handling (show event time in visitor's local time via JS)

What's NOT in Phase 3

• Recurring/repeating events
• Calendar feed (iCal/RSS)
• Event reminders or notifications
• Attendee RSVPs
• Integration with Discord events

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Phase 4: Super Admin Dashboard

Goal: David (system maintainer) can manage all sites from a central dashboard.

Deliverables

• Super admin auth: SUPER_ADMIN_DISCORD_IDS env var bypasses site-scoped membership checks
• Super admin dashboard: list all sites with status, quick links
• Create new site flow: insert site row, generate setup instructions
• View any site's settings, events, assets (read-only cross-site access)
• Feature flag management across sites
• Site deactivation/reactivation

What's NOT in Phase 4

• Full site provisioning automation (still manual Coolify setup)
• Usage analytics or billing
• Impersonation (login as site owner)

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Phase 5: Admin Improvements

Goal: Better admin experience, role management, and operational tooling.

Deliverables

• Role management: owner can add/remove admins and editors
• Admin list page showing all team members with roles
• Preview mode: admins can preview unpublished changes
• Improved admin dashboard with quick stats
• Site cloning helper (manual or scripted) for creating new sites
• Feature flags via settings JSON or env vars
• Audit-like log of who changed what (basic)
• Enhanced super admin dashboard: cross-site search, bulk operations

What's NOT in Phase 5

• Full audit trail with rollback
• Granular permission system
• Multi-owner support per site

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Phase 6: Future (Optional, Not Planned in Detail)

These are ideas for later. Do not build any of these until Phases 1-5 are solid.

• Community features: reviews, comments, discussion posts
• Discord integration: server widget, event sync, role sync
• Calendar feeds: iCal export, Google Calendar integration
• AI tools: content suggestions, event descriptions, semantic search (pgvector)
• Advanced theming: multiple layout presets, custom CSS per site
• Analytics: page views, event clicks, simple dashboard
• Email notifications: event reminders, new content alerts
• Single-deployment model: switch from multi-Coolify-deployment to one deployment resolving sites by domain
• Public API: read-only API for events and site info

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Phase Dependency Diagram

flowchart TD
    P1[Phase 1: Foundation + Assets] --> P2[Phase 2: Branding & Customization]
    P1 --> P3[Phase 3: Events & Schedule]
    P2 --> P3
    P1 --> P4[Phase 4: Super Admin Dashboard]
    P3 --> P5[Phase 5: Admin Improvements]
    P4 --> P5
    P5 --> P6[Phase 6: Future Features]

Note: Phase 1 now includes CDN + asset upload (previously Phase 3). Phase 4 (Super Admin Dashboard) can start as soon as Phase 1 is done — it's independent of branding and events. Phase 5 enhances both regular admin and super admin experiences.