# Phase 1: Foundation - Context

**Gathered:** 2026-01-28
**Status:** Ready for planning

<domain>
## Phase Boundary

Basic Telegram ↔ n8n communication working. Set up Telegram bot via BotFather, create n8n workflow with Telegram trigger, verify message round-trip with echo, and implement user ID authentication. This phase delivers REQ-01 (send/receive messages) and REQ-09 (user ID auth).

</domain>

<decisions>
## Implementation Decisions

### Bot personality & responses
- Tone: Claude's discretion — pick what feels natural for each response
- Formatting: Use Telegram formatting (bold for names, code blocks for logs, etc.)
- Emojis: Claude's discretion — use where they add clarity
- Error messages: Include technical details ("Couldn't start Plex: container already running")

### Authentication behavior
- Unauthorized users: Silent ignore — no response, bot appears offline to strangers
- User ID config: Environment variable in n8n — easy to change without editing workflow
- Logging: Optional for troubleshooting, but default to silent ignore

### Message handling
- Command style: Both slash commands (/status) AND natural language ("how's plex?") work
- Unknown messages: Claude's discretion on how to handle misunderstandings
- No /help command — keep it minimal, figure it out from conversation
- Echo test: Include metadata — "Got: [message]" + timestamp to confirm processing

### Claude's Discretion
- Exact tone and personality of responses
- Emoji usage (use where helpful)
- How to handle misunderstood messages

</decisions>

<specifics>
## Specific Ideas

- Echo test should include timestamp to prove the message was processed, not just reflected
- Bot should feel like messaging a knowledgeable friend, not a rigid command interface

</specifics>

<deferred>
## Deferred Ideas

None — discussion stayed within phase scope

</deferred>

---

*Phase: 01-foundation*
*Context gathered: 2026-01-28*