# zeph-channels Guide
CLI and chat-channel adapters live here.
- Start with crate-local checks: `cargo build -p zeph-channels`, `cargo nextest run -p zeph-channels`, `cargo clippy -p zeph-channels --all-targets -- -D warnings`.
- Keep changes isolated to channel adapters, rendering, and streaming behavior unless shared channel traits require coordinated edits.
- Secrets (Telegram bot token, webhook secrets) are resolved exclusively from the age vault at startup — never from env vars, config files, or hardcoded values.
- Validate formatting and rendering changes against existing markdown and channel tests.
- Outbound API calls in Telegram/Discord/Slack must go through the shared `common::http_retry::send_with_retry` helper (429 retry-with-backoff) rather than hand-rolled retry logic — see `discord/rest.rs`, `slack/api.rs`, `telegram_api_ext.rs` (#6100, #6113).
- If external behavior changes, update `crates/zeph-channels/README.md` and the relevant channel docs.