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+# Unified Dist Distribution Design
+
+## Goal
+
+Make first-time installation and later updates use the exact same extension directory structure so coworkers never need to learn different paths or loading rules.
+
+## Confirmed Direction
+
+- The only user-facing unpacked extension directory should be `dist/`.
+- First install and later update must produce the same directory name and shape.
+- Coworkers should always load the same directory in `chrome://extensions`.
+
+## Problem
+
+The current delivery flow has created multiple mental models:
+
+- sometimes coworkers are told to load `dist-release/`
+- sometimes the ZIP extracts to a differently named top-level folder
+- sometimes Git-based installation and ZIP-based installation do not look identical
+
+This is not user-friendly and increases support cost.
+
+## Scope
+
+This change standardizes the user-facing extension directory across:
+
+- local release builds
+- ZIP packaging
+- Git-based teammate installation
+- later update downloads
+- installation and update documentation
+
+This change does not alter:
+
+- extension runtime behavior
+- update-check logic itself
+- popup auth flow
+- COS manifest format
+
+## Distribution Rule
+
+There must be exactly one user-facing extension directory:
+
+- `dist/`
+
+This rule must hold in all paths:
+
+1. Git install
+   - teammate runs the release build
+   - resulting unpacked extension directory is `dist/`
+2. ZIP install
+   - teammate unzips the package
+   - resulting top-level extension directory is `dist/`
+3. ZIP update
+   - teammate downloads the newer ZIP
+   - unzip result is also `dist/`
+   - teammate replaces the previous `dist/`
+
+## Packaging Rule
+
+The release ZIP should unpack into a single top-level folder named `dist/`.
+
+Expected unpack result:
+
+- `dist/manifest.json`
+- `dist/background/`
+- `dist/content/`
+- `dist/popup/`
+- `dist/assets/`
+
+The ZIP must not unpack as:
+
+- a flat file list
+- `dist-release/`
+- `star-chart-search-enhancer-internal/`
+- any other user-facing top-level folder name
+
+## Build Rule
+
+Release builds should write the unpacked extension directly to `dist/`.
+
+There should not be a second extension build directory that teammates might mistake as the correct one.
+
+If internal scripts need a concept of “release build,” that should be represented by:
+
+- environment/config
+- release manifest values
+- packaging flow
+
+but not by exposing a second unpacked directory name to users.
+
+## Documentation Rule
+
+All teammate-facing docs must say the same thing:
+
+- first install: load `dist/`
+- later update: replace `dist/` and reload
+
+No user-facing doc should mention `dist-release/`.
+
+## CI / Release Rule
+
+Drone and local release scripts must publish only one ZIP layout:
+
+- unzip result is `dist/`
+
+The release flow must not generate a user ZIP whose folder layout differs from the Git-based install path.
+
+## Acceptance Criteria
+
+- `npm run build:release` writes the unpacked extension to `dist/`
+- release ZIP unpacks into a top-level `dist/` folder
+- first install and later update ZIPs unpack to the same structure
+- coworker docs consistently reference `dist/`
+- repository no longer contains a second tracked unpacked extension directory that conflicts with `dist/`
+
+## Out of Scope
+
+- changing extension features
+- changing the update notification UX
+- switching away from unpacked-extension installation
+- Chrome Web Store or enterprise force-install deployment