diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index c8c593f9..f658d0c5 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -4,7 +4,13 @@ This guide tells AI agents how to keep Bitvid aligned with the current product d
 
 ---
 
-## 1. Mission: URL‑First Playback with WebTorrent Fallback
+## 1. Release Channels: Main vs. Unstable
+
+* **Main** is the production track. Anything merged here must preserve today’s UX and magnet safety guarantees. Rollbacks should be painless: keep commits atomic, avoid destructive migrations, and leave feature flags in a known-good default (`false` unless product explicitly flips them).
+* **Unstable** is our experimentation lane. Gate risky behavior behind feature flags defined in `js/constants.js` and document the toggle/rollback plan in PR descriptions.
+* **Emergency response:** If a change regresses URL-first playback or breaks magnet parsing, revert immediately and annotate the AGENTS.md changelog with remediation tips so future agents do not repeat the mistake.
+
+## 2. Mission: URL‑First Playback with WebTorrent Fallback
 
 * **Goal:** Always deliver smooth playback while keeping hosting costs low.
 * **Primary transport:** A hosted video URL (MP4/WebM/HLS/DASH) that the `<video>` element can stream directly.
@@ -14,27 +20,28 @@ This guide tells AI agents how to keep Bitvid aligned with the current product d
 
 ---
 
-## 2. Magnet Handling — Do’s & Don’ts
+## 3. Magnet Handling — Do’s & Don’ts
 
-* **Use the helpers:** Always pass inbound values through `safeDecodeMagnet()` before playback, and use `normalizeAndAugmentMagnet()` (see `js/magnetUtils.js`) to append `ws=` or `xs=` hints.
-* **Do keep magnets raw:** Store and reuse the literal `magnet:?xt=urn:btih:...` string. Decode once, then feed that exact value to WebTorrent.
-* **Don’t call `new URL()` on magnets:** URL constructors/`URLSearchParams` percent‑encode the `xt` payload and can break legacy hashes. Manipulate magnets via the helper utilities or string concatenation.
-* **Do encourage HTTP hints:** `ws=` (web seed) should point to an HTTPS file root; `xs=` points to a `.torrent`. They help the fallback path warm up quickly.
-* **Don’t ship insecure trackers:** Stick to the WSS tracker list exported from `js/constants.js`. Avoid UDP or plaintext HTTP trackers in browser code.
+* **Use the helpers every time:** Always run inbound values through `safeDecodeMagnet()` before playback or normalization, and call `normalizeAndAugmentMagnet()` (see `js/magnetUtils.js`) to append `ws=` / `xs=` hints without mutating hashes.
+* **Keep magnets raw:** Persist the literal `magnet:?xt=urn:btih:...` string. Decode once, then feed that exact value to WebTorrent or storage. Never rely on re-encoding helpers that might alter casing.
+* **Never call `new URL()` on magnets:** URL constructors/`URLSearchParams` percent-encode the `xt` payload and corrupt legacy hashes. Manipulate magnets with the helper utilities or string functions that respect the raw hash.
+* **HTTP hints:** Encourage HTTPS `ws=` web seeds (file roots only) and HTTPS `xs=` pointers to `.torrent` files so fallback peers warm quickly.
+* **Tracker policy:** Browser code must ship WSS trackers only. Pull the canonical list from `js/constants.js`; do not add UDP or plaintext HTTP trackers.
 
 ---
 
-## 3. Upload Modal Troubleshooting
+## 4. Upload Modal Troubleshooting
 
 1. **Required fields:** Validation must ensure a title exists and that either a hosted URL or a magnet (or both) is supplied. Optional `ws` / `xs` inputs should be appended only when a magnet is present.
-2. **Magnet parsing errors:** When a user pastes encoded magnets, run `safeDecodeMagnet()` before normalizing. Show inline errors if decoding fails.
+2. **Magnet parsing errors:** When a user pastes encoded magnets, run `safeDecodeMagnet()` before normalizing. Show inline errors if decoding fails and confirm the raw `magnet:?xt=` string survives the round trip.
 3. **URL-first promise:** After submission, confirm the resulting feed item carries `data-play-url` and `data-play-magnet` attributes so playback utilities can attempt the URL first.
-4. **Mixed-content warnings:** If the page is served over HTTPS, reject `ws=` or `xs=` hints that begin with `http://` and show guidance to upgrade to HTTPS.
+4. **Mixed-content warnings:** If the page is served over HTTPS, reject `ws=` or `xs=` hints that begin with `http://` and show guidance to upgrade to HTTPS. Document the copy in README/UX strings so operators can align messaging.
 5. **Telemetry hooks:** Keep existing analytics/logging untouched unless instructed. If you add new modal states, annotate them clearly in code comments.
+6. **Modal regressions:** If validation or helper wiring breaks in Main, disable new feature flags and ship a revert PR immediately. Note the rollback steps in AGENTS.md for posterity.
 
 ---
 
-## 4. Manual QA Checklist
+## 5. Manual QA Checklist
 
 Run this script before shipping notable UI changes, especially around upload/playback flows. Automate when possible, but manual verification is required for releases.
 
@@ -57,7 +64,7 @@ Document the run in PR descriptions so QA can cross-reference results.
 
 ---
 
-## 5. Additional Notes for Agents
+## 6. Additional Notes for Agents
 
 * **Nostr interoperability:** Keep kind `30078` events as the source of truth and optionally mirror to kind `1063` so external clients see the hosted URL.
 * **Probing:** Lightweight `HEAD`/`GET` requests should back `probeUrl()` so dead URLs can be hidden or flagged without blocking the UI.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 88b09ccb..33647842 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -26,16 +26,25 @@
 1. **Visit the Site**: Navigate to the live instance of **bitvid** (e.g., `[https://bitvid.network](https://bitvid.network)`).
 2. **Login with Nostr**:
    - Use a compatible Nostr browser extension or manually input your public key.
-3. **Upload Videos**:
-   - Provide a title plus a hosted URL (recommended) and optionally a magnet link. Bitvid plays the URL first and falls back to WebTorrent.
-   - Toggle "Private" for encrypted listings.
-4. **Stream Videos**:
-   - The player attempts the hosted URL first and uses WebTorrent as a fallback when a magnet is available.
 
-#### P2P Hints
+### Post a video
 
-- Append `ws=` parameters to magnets to expose HTTPS web seeds that help the fallback warm up quickly.
-- Append `xs=` parameters when you have an HTTPS `.torrent` URL so WebTorrent can bootstrap without waiting on peer discovery.
+The upload modal enforces **Title + (URL or Magnet)**. Hosted URLs are strongly recommended so the player can start instantly, and you may also add a magnet for resilience.
+
+- **Title**: Required. Matches the in-app validation copy.
+- **Hosted URL (recommended)**: Supply an HTTPS MP4/WebM/HLS/DASH asset. This is the primary playback path.
+- **Magnet (optional but encouraged)**: Paste the literal `magnet:?xt=urn:btih:...` string. The form decodes it with `safeDecodeMagnet()` to prevent hash corruption. Never wrap magnets in `new URL()`—store them raw or decode then pass directly to the helpers.
+- **Web seeds (`ws=`)**: HTTPS only. Point to a file root (e.g., `https://cdn.example.com/video/`). Mixed-content (`http://`) hints are rejected just like the modal message explains.
+- **Additional sources (`xs=`)**: Recommend adding an HTTPS `.torrent` link so WebTorrent peers can bootstrap faster.
+- **Trackers**: Bitvid’s browser client only connects to WSS trackers shipped in `js/constants.js`. Do not add UDP or plaintext HTTP trackers to published magnets.
+- **Private toggle**: Encrypts the listing for invited viewers.
+
+### How playback works
+
+1. **URL-first**: `playVideoWithFallback({ url, magnet })` attempts the hosted URL immediately. Healthy URLs deliver the full experience without touching P2P resources.
+2. **WebTorrent fallback**: If the URL probe fails or returns an error status, Bitvid falls back to WebTorrent using the raw magnet. The helpers append HTTPS `ws=`/`xs=` hints so peers seed quickly.
+3. **Safety checks**: Magnets are decoded with `safeDecodeMagnet()` and normalized via `normalizeAndAugmentMagnet()` before reaching WebTorrent. Trackers remain WSS-only to satisfy browser constraints.
+4. **Operator playbook**: If a deployment causes playback regressions, flip the relevant feature flags back to their default values in `js/constants.js` and redeploy. Capture the rollback steps in AGENTS.md and the PR description so the Main channel stays stable.
 
 ---