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+# Phase 8: Inline Keyboard Infrastructure - Context
+
+**Gathered:** 2026-02-03
+**Status:** Ready for planning
+
+<domain>
+## Phase Boundary
+
+Users interact with containers via tappable buttons instead of typing commands. This phase adds inline keyboard buttons to the existing Telegram bot, creating a visual interface for container control. The core functionality (start, stop, restart, update, logs) remains the same — this changes HOW users invoke it.
+
+</domain>
+
+<decisions>
+## Implementation Decisions
+
+### Button layout & grouping
+- Icons only for button labels (▶️ ⏹️ 🔄 ⬆️) — compact, mobile-friendly
+- Container list is paginated (not all at once)
+- Each container shows: name + status (e.g., "plex — Running")
+- Update available indicator: use Unraid's native update detection if accessible (research needed)
+
+### Container selection
+- Two entry points: `/status` command AND a persistent menu button ("Containers")
+- Tap container name → submenu with status details + action buttons
+- Direct access supported: `/status plex` jumps straight to that container's submenu
+- Submenu shows container status info (state, details) plus action buttons
+
+### Confirmation flow
+- Confirmation required for: Stop and Update only (not restart)
+- Edit same message with "Stop plex? Yes / No" — keeps chat clean
+- Timeout after 30 seconds — reverts to original buttons if no response
+
+### Progress feedback
+- Quick actions (start/stop/restart): show final result only
+- Updates and batch operations: show progress (simple status, not detailed steps)
+- Format: "Updating plex..." → "plex updated ✅"
+- After completion: show result + "Back to menu" button
+
+### Claude's Discretion
+- Button row arrangement (single row vs grouped)
+- Number of containers per page in list
+- "No" confirmation behavior (return to container buttons or list)
+- Error/failure handling approach
+
+</decisions>
+
+<specifics>
+## Specific Ideas
+
+- Navigation pattern: List → tap name → submenu (status details + actions) → tap action → execute
+- Persistent menu button provides always-available access without typing
+- Direct container access (`/status plex`) preserves power-user shortcuts
+
+</specifics>
+
+<deferred>
+## Deferred Ideas
+
+- Cached update status checking — only pursue if Unraid native detection isn't accessible
+- Detailed progress steps during updates — keep simple for now
+
+</deferred>
+
+---
+
+*Phase: 08-inline-keyboard-infrastructure*
+*Context gathered: 2026-02-03*