richmahn · Oct 10, 2026 · Oct 10, 2026 · Oct 10, 2026
diff --git a/docs/evidence.md b/docs/evidence.md
@@ -463,6 +463,10 @@ Host: qa.door43.org, DCS `1.27.3+dcs.13-g23ba3c3ef9`. Date: 6 October 2026. Fixt
 `scripts/probe/qa-create-probe.mjs --project-type daughter --translation-type revision --audience literary` (the flags #28 added) ran `project.create.plan` with `flavor: { projectType: daughter, translationType: revision, audience: literary }` and `project.create.apply` through the Worker's own code against QA under `tc-admin-qa`: `POST /user/repos` 201 in 0.43 s, then one `POST /repos/tc-admin-qa/id_tcaf2014/contents` 201 in 1.1 s with `metadata.json` (2,142 bytes), `ingredients/license.md` (18,535), and `README.md` (239), author and committer `tc-admin-qa`. The committed file carries `type.flavorType.flavor = { name: textTranslation, projectType: daughter, translationType: revision, audience: literary, usfmVersion: "3.0" }`, and the contract test regenerates it byte for byte from those inputs. The health check answered 422 "no metadata found" at 0.1 s and 200 at 5.5 s with `overall_severity_level: info` and only `release_needed` (E28, E45), no warning, no error; the repository view read `metadata_type: sb`, `flavor: textTranslation`, subject Bible, `healthcheck_severity: info`, `ingredients: null` (no books, as E45), and the catalog entry `is_valid: true`, `is_healthy_without_warnings: true`.
 Host: qa.door43.org, DCS `1.27.3+dcs.13-g23ba3c3ef9`. Date: 6 October 2026. Fixtures: `fixtures/door43/qa.door43.org/2026-10-06/project-create/tc-admin-qa-flavor/`; `worker/test/contract/project-create.test.ts` holds the committed file to the writer and Door43's reading of it. Repository `tc-admin-qa/id_tcaf2014` is kept for inspection. Status: verified for these three values; that Door43 accepts every value the schema enumerates is inferred from its reading the file by the schema, as with the defaults (E45, E47), not observed value by value. Consequence: the wizard offers every enumerated value (Q4), and the `flavor` input of `project.create.plan` is built.
 
+### E81 — The release flow runs on a project on `main`, its branch read from the repository's `default_branch`
+`scripts/probe/qa-release-probe.mjs --owner tc-admin-qa-org` ran the whole release flow through the Worker's operation code with #170's change, as E54 did on `master`. `project.create.apply` created `tc-admin-qa-org/id_tcar0228` on `main`; the probe took its seed books from `bahtraku/Perjanjian-Baru-Pendau` at the branch that repository's own read names, and committed them to `main`. That read and the file reads are not recorded; Pendau's `default_branch` is `master` (E14's recording of the repository), and the probe stops when a read names none. `release.plan` took the branch from the repository's `default_branch`, `main`, with the head the catalog's `latest` stage named for it. Both release commits say "Prepared by tC Admin 0.1.0 from main at …" (`c9acaba290`, then `a7cf701557`). `v1.0.0` was created as a pre-release and promoted, `v1.1.0` released, and a `v1.1.1` preparation discarded; afterwards `GET /branches` lists `main` alone. No phase failed.
+Host: qa.door43.org, DCS `28.1.0+dcs.19-g41cde8ce33`. Date: 10 October 2026 (UTC). Method: the probe, every Door43 exchange recorded in `fixtures/door43/qa.door43.org/2026-10-10/release-flow/` with its README (the token and every email redacted). Repository `tc-admin-qa-org/id_tcar0228` is kept for inspection. Status: verified. Consequence: a project on `main` releases as one on `master` does (E54), and nothing in the release flow names a branch the repository did not answer.
+
 ### E80 — The seed script builds the standard QA projects on `main` and releases them from `main`
 With #167's change and the checks it added to `scripts/seed-qa.mjs`, the three standard projects built on 9 October on `master` (E74) were deleted on QA at Rich's word, and the script rebuilt them from nothing through the Worker's operation code. Each was created on `main`, every import committed to `<owner>/<repo>@main`, and each release plan was bound to `main`'s head as Door43 had it, which the script now checks and stops on otherwise.
 - `tc-admin-qa-org/id_seedtb`: Matthew and Mark imported from `bahtraku/id_tb1` at `1974`, released in full as `v1.0.0` from `main` at `5d828149`; the release commit's parent is that commit. John imported, then released as the pre-release `v1.1.0` from `main` at `19e925ad` on `v1.0.0`; its release commit's parent is `v1.0.0`'s commit, as a later release starts from the previous release tag (ADR 0010). Health `healthy` at both releases and `success` on `main` after.

diff --git a/docs/traceability.md b/docs/traceability.md
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ Keep this file current: an issue's Traceability section and its row here say the
 | [#30](https://github.com/unfoldingWord-box3/tc-admin-app/issues/30) Create repository and first commit | §6 | 0004, 0011 | A2, A3, W4, W5, X1 | E21, E26, E27, E28, E43, E45, E48, Q3, Q4, Q10, Q28, Q29 | `project.create.apply` | door43/writes, operations | S1 |
 | [#31](https://github.com/unfoldingWord-box3/tc-admin-app/issues/31) Setup incomplete | §6; §11 `setup_incomplete` | — | W4, X1, X2, A2 | E19, E45, E63, Q29 | `project.create.retry` | operations, door43/writes, model/git-blob, web | — |
 | [#167](https://github.com/unfoldingWord/tc-admin-app/issues/167) Create projects with the default branch main | §6 | 0008 | W1, W5 | E21, E27, E45, E79, E80 | `project.create.plan`, `project.create.apply` | model/burrito, door43/writes, operations, scripts/probe, scripts/seed-qa | S1 |
-| [#170](https://github.com/unfoldingWord/tc-admin-app/issues/170) Take a repository's default branch only from its default_branch | §6, §10 | 0008 | H3, R5 | E14, E79 | `release.plan`, `release.prepare`, `release.create`, `preparation.read`, `source.search`, `project.create.apply`, `project.create.retry` | door43/catalog, door43/writes, scripts | — |
+| [#170](https://github.com/unfoldingWord/tc-admin-app/issues/170) Take a repository's default branch only from its default_branch | §6, §10 | 0008 | H3, R5 | E14, E79, E81 | `release.plan`, `release.prepare`, `release.create`, `preparation.read`, `source.search`, `project.create.apply`, `project.create.retry` | door43/catalog, door43/writes, scripts | — |
 
 ### EPIC: Selective release ([#41](https://github.com/unfoldingWord-box3/tc-admin-app/issues/41))
 

diff --git a/fixtures/door43/qa.door43.org/2026-10-10/release-flow/README.md b/fixtures/door43/qa.door43.org/2026-10-10/release-flow/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# Door43 fixtures, qa.door43.org, 10 October 2026: the release flow on a project on main
+
+`tc-admin-qa-org/` was recorded by `node --env-file=.env scripts/probe/qa-release-probe.mjs --owner tc-admin-qa-org`, which runs the Worker's own operation code (bundled with esbuild) against QA with `TEST_TOKEN` standing in for the session's token, as on 7 October 2026 (E54). The code is #170's: a repository's default branch is the `default_branch` Door43 answers for it, and the catalog's `latest` stage gives its head only when it names that branch. DCS `28.1.0+dcs.19-g41cde8ce33`. Every Door43 request in the run is one numbered file in the usual request and response wrapper, the token and every email redacted. These reductions are made, and no others:
+
+- Request bodies: the bodies of the three content writes the operations made (`10`, `49`, `71`) are replaced by their length.
+- Response contents: a file the contents endpoint answered as more than 4,000 characters of base64 is replaced by its length: the license in `10`, and MAT and MRK in `49`. The smaller files stay inline: `metadata.json` and `README.md` in `10`, `metadata.json` in `49`.
+- Archives: the Scripture Burrito zips in `19`, `44`, `45`, `66`, and `67` are recorded as `archive_bytes: null`, and the one in `57` as its size alone.
+- Seven exchanges carry no request headers: `11`, `12`, `33`, `34`, `35`, `57`, and `75`. The two writes onto `main`, `11` and `34`, keep only the URL, a note where the body was, the status, and the commit sha, so the branch each request named is not recorded. Their landing on `main` is witnessed by `12` and `35`, where the catalog's `latest` names `main` at those shas (`c9acaba290`, then `a7cf701557`).
+
+| Phase | Files | What happened |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| seed | `01`–`11`, `seed-receipt.json` | `project.create.plan` and `project.create.apply` created `tc-admin-qa-org/id_tcar0228` on `main` (#167); one `POST /contents` on `main` (`11`) added MAT and JHN from `bahtraku/Perjanjian-Baru-Pendau`, taken at the branch that repository's own read names (`master`, E14); that read and the file reads are not recorded |
+| first release | to `33`, `release-plan-1.json` to `release-promote-1.json` | both books `new` and included, `v1.0.0`; prepared "from main at c9acaba290"; created as a pre-release, then promoted |
+| second release | `34`–`57`, `release-plan-2.json` to `release-create-2.json` | one `POST /contents` on `main` revising MAT and adding MRK (`34`); released as `v1.1.0`, prepared "from main at a7cf701557" |
+| discard | `58`–`75`, `release-plan-3.json`, `release-prepare-3.json`, `preparation-discard-3.json` | `v1.1.1` prepared, then discarded: one `DELETE` of its branch (`74`, 204); `GET /branches` lists `main` only (`75`) |
+
+`summary.json` holds the per-phase results. The facts derived are E81 in `docs/evidence.md`.
diff --git a/fixtures/door43/qa.door43.org/2026-10-10/release-flow/tc-admin-qa-org/01-GET-user.json b/fixtures/door43/qa.door43.org/2026-10-10/release-flow/tc-admin-qa-org/01-GET-user.json
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+{
+  "request": {
+    "method": "GET",
+    "url": "https://qa.door43.org/api/v1/user",
+    "headers": {
+      "accept": "application/json",
+      "authorization": "token [redacted]"
+    }
+  },
+  "response": {
+    "status": 200,
+    "ms": 143,
+    "json": {
+      "id": 53535,
+      "login": "tc-admin-qa",
+      "type": "User",
+      "login_name": "",
+      "source_id": 0,
+      "full_name": "",
+      "email": "[redacted]",
+      "avatar_url": "https://qa.door43.org/avatar/24c57f97f6d61763c6943b3163fd56963d562817f0b1eacbe77c613c44c8c1de",
+      "html_url": "https://qa.door43.org/tc-admin-qa",
+      "language": "en-US",
+      "is_admin": false,
+      "last_login": "2026-10-10T02:20:31Z",
+      "created": "2026-09-22T15:34:43Z",
+      "restricted": false,
+      "active": true,
+      "prohibit_login": false,
+      "location": "",
+      "website": "",
+      "description": "",
+      "visibility": "public",
+      "followers_count": 0,
+      "following_count": 0,
+      "starred_repos_count": 0,
+      "repo_languages": [
+        "id"
+      ],
+      "repo_subjects": [
+        "Bible"
+      ],
+      "repo_metadata_types": [
+        "sb"
+      ],
+      "username": "tc-admin-qa"
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/fixtures/door43/qa.door43.org/2026-10-10/release-flow/tc-admin-qa-org/02-GET-user_teams.json b/fixtures/door43/qa.door43.org/2026-10-10/release-flow/tc-admin-qa-org/02-GET-user_teams.json
@@ -0,0 +1,254 @@
+{
+  "request": {
+    "method": "GET",
+    "url": "https://qa.door43.org/api/v1/user/teams?page=1&limit=50",
+    "headers": {
+      "accept": "application/json",
+      "authorization": "token [redacted]"
+    }
+  },
+  "response": {
+    "status": 200,
+    "ms": 119,
+    "json": [
+      {
+        "id": 451,
+        "name": "Owners",
+        "description": "",
+        "organization": {
+          "id": 53536,
+          "name": "tc-admin-qa-org",
+          "full_name": "",
+          "email": "",
+          "avatar_url": "https://qa.door43.org/avatars/88aa03889f005577f41f98bd8e2e04ed",
+          "description": "",
+          "website": "",
+          "location": "",
+          "visibility": "public",
+          "repo_admin_change_team_access": true,
+          "username": "tc-admin-qa-org",
+          "repo_languages": [
+            "en",
+            "fr",
+            "id",
+            "ums",
+            "xdy-x-dayaklau"
+          ],
+          "repo_subjects": [
+            "Bible",
+            "Open Bible Stories"
+          ],
+          "repo_metadata_types": [
+            "sb"
+          ]
+        },
+        "includes_all_repositories": true,
+        "permission": "owner",
+        "units": [
+          "repo.pulls",
+          "repo.releases",
+          "repo.wiki",
+          "repo.ext_wiki",
+          "repo.actions",
+          "repo.ext_issues",
+          "repo.projects",
+          "repo.packages",
+          "repo.code",
+          "repo.issues"
+        ],
+        "units_map": {
+          "repo.code": "owner",
+          "repo.pulls": "owner",
+          "repo.projects": "owner",
+          "repo.actions": "owner",
+          "repo.issues": "owner",
+          "repo.releases": "owner",
+          "repo.wiki": "owner",
+          "repo.ext_wiki": "read",
+          "repo.ext_issues": "read",
+          "repo.packages": "owner"
+        },
+        "can_create_org_repo": true,
+        "visibility": "limited"
+      },
+      {
+        "id": 387,
+        "name": "Owners",
+        "description": "",
+        "organization": {
+          "id": 53071,
+          "name": "BurritoTruck",
+          "full_name": "",
+          "email": "",
+          "avatar_url": "https://qa.door43.org/avatars/baa3f3dd155d0143c14944166924e5b4ebb673581ebe54a9e3140a42b2a9dec8",
+          "description": "",
+          "website": "",
+          "location": "",
+          "visibility": "public",
+          "repo_admin_change_team_access": true,
+          "username": "BurritoTruck",
+          "repo_languages": [
+            "ar",
+            "en",
+            "es",
+            "fr",
+            "grc",
+            "hi",
+            "id",
+            "my",
+            "pt",
+            "ru"
+          ],
+          "repo_subjects": [
+            "Aligned Bible",
+            "Bible",
+            "Juxtalinear",
+            "TSV Translation Notes",
+            "TSV Translation Questions",
+            "Unknown"
+          ],
+          "repo_metadata_types": [
+            "sb"
+          ]
+        },
+        "includes_all_repositories": true,
+        "permission": "owner",
+        "units": [
+          "repo.packages",
+          "repo.code",
+          "repo.issues",
+          "repo.pulls",
+          "repo.wiki",
+          "repo.ext_wiki",
+          "repo.actions",
+          "repo.releases",
+          "repo.ext_issues",
+          "repo.projects"
+        ],
+        "units_map": {
+          "repo.code": "owner",
+          "repo.pulls": "owner",
+          "repo.releases": "owner",
+          "repo.wiki": "owner",
+          "repo.ext_wiki": "read",
+          "repo.issues": "owner",
+          "repo.ext_issues": "read",
+          "repo.projects": "owner",
+          "repo.packages": "owner",
+          "repo.actions": "owner"
+        },
+        "can_create_org_repo": true,
+        "visibility": "limited"
+      },
+      {
+        "id": 340,
+        "name": "Translators",
+        "description": "",
+        "organization": {
+          "id": 52799,
+          "name": "bahtraku",
+          "full_name": "Yayasan BahtraKu",
+          "email": "",
+          "avatar_url": "https://qa.door43.org/avatars/521e3eefbce89f0f66e62793e1badcc0",
+          "description": "",
+          "website": "https://bahtraku.org/",
+          "location": "",
+          "visibility": "public",
+          "repo_admin_change_team_access": true,
+          "username": "bahtraku",
+          "repo_languages": [
+            "adn",
+            "aqm",
+            "bjn",
+            "bkr-x-kalahien",
+            "bkr-x-pajuepat",
+            "btm",
+            "dun",
+            "iba-x-salako",
+            "id",
+            "kdy",
+            "knx-x-bajare",
+            "kod",
+            "kps-x-kaigar",
+            "kvb",
+            "lbx",
+            "lio",
+            "lmy",
+            "lra",
+            "lur",
+            "mhy-x-benualima",
+            "mvd",
+            "ors-x-oranglau",
+            "orz-x-rarankwa",
+            "pku",
+            "ret",
+            "saw",
+            "set-x-csentani",
+            "skv",
+            "sob",
+            "swr",
+            "tdt",
+            "tnm",
+            "tnm-x-yokari",
+            "tpf",
+            "ums",
+            "wew-x-loli",
+            "wnk",
+            "xdy-x-tamuan",
+            "xem-x-hibun",
+            "zlm-x-akit"
+          ],
+          "repo_subjects": [
+            "Aligned Bible",
+            "Bible",
+            "Open Bible Stories",
+            "TSV OBS Study Notes",
+            "TSV OBS Study Questions",
+            "TSV OBS Translation Notes",
+            "TSV OBS Translation Questions",
+            "TSV OBS Translation Words Links",
+            "TSV Study Notes",
+            "TSV Study Questions",
+            "TSV Translation Notes",
+            "TSV Translation Questions",
+            "TSV Translation Words Links",
+            "Translation Academy",
+            "Translation Words"
+          ],
+          "repo_metadata_types": [
+            "rc",
+            "sb"
+          ]
+        },
+        "includes_all_repositories": true,
+        "permission": "admin",
+        "units": [
+          "repo.ext_wiki",
+          "repo.actions",
+          "repo.code",
+          "repo.issues",
+          "repo.wiki",
+          "repo.ext_issues",
+          "repo.projects",
+          "repo.packages",
+          "repo.pulls",
+          "repo.releases"
+        ],
+        "units_map": {
+          "repo.actions": "none",
+          "repo.pulls": "admin",
+          "repo.wiki": "admin",
+          "repo.packages": "none",
+          "repo.code": "admin",
+          "repo.issues": "admin",
+          "repo.releases": "admin",
+          "repo.ext_wiki": "read",
+          "repo.ext_issues": "read",
+          "repo.projects": "admin"
+        },
+        "can_create_org_repo": false,
+        "visibility": "private"
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+}
diff --git a/fixtures/door43/qa.door43.org/2026-10-10/release-flow/tc-admin-qa-org/03-GET-user_teams.json b/fixtures/door43/qa.door43.org/2026-10-10/release-flow/tc-admin-qa-org/03-GET-user_teams.json
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{
+  "request": {
+    "method": "GET",
+    "url": "https://qa.door43.org/api/v1/user/teams?page=2&limit=50",
+    "headers": {
+      "accept": "application/json",
+      "authorization": "token [redacted]"
+    }
+  },
+  "response": {
+    "status": 200,
+    "ms": 109,
+    "json": []
+  }
+}
diff --git a/...org/2026-10-10/release-flow/tc-admin-qa-org/04-GET-repos_tc-admin-qa-org_id_tcar0228.json b/...org/2026-10-10/release-flow/tc-admin-qa-org/04-GET-repos_tc-admin-qa-org_id_tcar0228.json
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+{
+  "request": {
+    "method": "GET",
+    "url": "https://qa.door43.org/api/v1/repos/tc-admin-qa-org/id_tcar0228",
+    "headers": {
+      "accept": "application/json",
+      "authorization": "token [redacted]"
+    }
+  },
+  "response": {
+    "status": 404,
+    "ms": 112,
+    "json": {
+      "message": "not found",
+      "url": "https://qa.door43.org/api/swagger"
+    }
+  }
+}