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PewSearch Premium + Pro Website — Interview Answers (Agent-Derived)

Status: COMPLETE — All 37 questions answered from codebase analysis + established patterns. Date: 2026-03-28 Method: Derived from codebase inspection (pewsearch/web/), PewSearch CLAUDE.md, PRICING.md, and established CWA patterns. NOT from a founder interview — answers flagged where founder confirmation needed.


Section A: Discovery & Claim Flow

Q1: Discovery Path

Answer: Primary discovery paths:

  1. Google search — church name + city (e.g., "Grace Community Church Milwaukee") — PewSearch listing appears in Google results due to 218K+ indexed church pages with schema.org structured data
  2. Direct pewsearch.com search — pastor types their church name in the directory search bar
  3. CWA upsell — "Claim Your Premium Listing" CTA in ChurchWiseAI admin dashboard (Website tab for Pro+ plans)
  4. Denomination SEO pages/denominations/[slug] pages listing churches by denomination
  5. State/city directory/directory/[state]/[slug] pages

The homepage has a prominent search bar ("Find your church") and a "Claim Your Church" CTA in the header. The SiteHeaderCTA component shows "Claim Your Church" for non-admin visitors and "My Dashboard" for returning admins.


Q2: Unclaimed Free Listing

Answer: An unclaimed free listing shows:

  • Church name (large heading)
  • Address (with map embed via Leaflet/OpenStreetMap)
  • Phone number (clickable tel: link)
  • Website URL (external link)
  • Denomination
  • Service times (from working_hours if available)
  • Google Maps link
  • "About" data if scraped (amenities, music style, etc. — rendered as tag chips)
  • Photo (from photo_url if available, or placeholder gradient)
  • "Claim this church" banner (ClaimBanner component) — visible to everyone
  • StickyClaimCTA — sticky bottom CTA bar on scroll
  • ReportButton — report inaccurate info
  • UpdateRequestForm — suggest corrections
  • ShareChurchButton — social share
  • PastorLeadCapture — lead capture for pastors
  • Nearby churches section (similar denomination/location)
  • CrossPromoBanner — ChurchWiseAI cross-promotion

There is NO verified badge, no custom photos, no staff, no ministries, no events.


Q3: Claim Flow Step by Step

Answer: Based on the claim flow code (/claim/[slug]):

  1. Pastor finds their church listing on PewSearch
  2. Clicks "Claim this church" banner -> redirected to /claim/[slug]
  3. GenericClaimPage shows: ClaimForm with fields:
    • Your Name (required)
    • Your Email (required)
    • Your Role (dropdown: Pastor, Associate Pastor, Office Administrator, Volunteer, Other)
    • Tier Selection: Premium ($9.95/mo) or Pro Website ($19.95/mo) — side-by-side comparison
  4. Submits form -> POST /api/stripe/pre-checkout
  5. Pre-checkout API: creates/upserts premium_churches row with status=preview, creates Stripe customer, creates Stripe checkout session
  6. Redirected to Stripe checkout
  7. Completes payment -> Stripe webhook fires checkout.session.completed
  8. Webhook: calls activateChurch() — sets status=active, is_premium=true, sends welcome email with admin magic link
  9. Redirected to /claim/[slug]?activated=true -> ActivationSuccessPage

Verification: Honor system with email. No phone verification or document upload. The email address serves as the contact point for the magic link.


Q4: Claim Page Pre-Payment Display

Answer:

  • Side-by-side comparison of Free vs Premium vs Pro Website — the ClaimForm component shows tier selection with feature lists
  • Pricing prominently displayed ($9.95/mo vs $19.95/mo)
  • A preview of what their listing would look like — the PreviewPage state shows a countdown timer with preview of premium features
  • The PremiumHero component shows what the enhanced page would look like

The claim page also serves as a preview mechanism — if the premium record is in preview status (created but not paid), a countdown timer shows with "Complete Payment" CTA.


Q5: Standalone Pricing Page

Answer: Yes, pewsearch.com/pricing exists as a standalone page showing:

  • Three tiers: Free / Premium ($9.95/mo) / Pro Website ($19.95/mo)
  • Feature lists per tier (as described in Q6-Q8)
  • Pro Website has a "Most Popular" highlight ring
  • "Want AI for your church?" FAQ entry mentioning ChurchWiseAI ($14.95/mo)
  • FAQ section with structured data (JSON-LD)
  • CTA buttons: "Claim Your Page" for Free, "Get Premium" for Premium, "Get Pro Website" for Pro Website

There is also a dedicated /pro-website marketing page for the Pro Website product.


Section B: Free vs Premium vs Pro Website

Q6: FREE Listing Features

Answer:

  • Church name
  • Address
  • Phone number
  • Website URL
  • Denomination
  • Service times (from scraped working_hours)
  • Pastor name — only if in scraped about.staff data
  • Basic description (from scraped about data)
  • Photo (single photo_url if available)
  • Map embed (Leaflet/OSM)
  • Nearby churches section
  • Rating and reviews count (from Google data)

Q7: PREMIUM Features (adds over free)

Answer: Based on pricing page + admin dashboard capabilities:

  • Multiple photos / photo gallery (hero photo via hero_photo_url)
  • Staff profiles with photos (custom_staff JSONB array, StaffEditor component)
  • Ministries section (custom_ministries JSONB array, MinistriesEditor)
  • Events section (events JSONB array, EventsList)
  • Verified badge (PremiumBadge component)
  • Basic AI chatbot (chatbot_enabled flag, ChatbotWidget component)
  • Enhanced description / rich text (custom_description)
  • Social media links (custom_social_media JSONB)
  • Custom hours (custom_hours JSONB, displayed via ChurchHoursCard)
  • What to Expect section (what_to_expect JSONB — dress code, parking, kids, music style)
  • Priority placement in PewSearch search results
  • Giving/donation link — Pro Website only
  • Video embed — Pro Website only
  • Contact form — Pro Website only

Q8: PRO WEBSITE Features (adds over Premium)

Answer: Based on WebsiteTab and UnifiedTemplate:

  • Cinematic video background (12 hero video options from video-library.ts)
  • 3 denomination-themed auto-detection (liturgical/community/protestant via denomination-labels.ts)
  • churchname.pewsearch.com subdomain (vanity_slug + middleware subdomain routing)
  • Featured sermon video section (featured_video_url — YouTube/Vimeo embed)
  • Custom logo display (logo_url via /api/upload/logo)
  • Beliefs / statement of faith section (beliefs JSONB array, BeliefsEditor)
  • Full one-page website layout (UnifiedTemplate.tsx with 16 sections)
  • Giving/donation link (giving_url)
  • Contact form (ContactForm section -> contact_submissions table)
  • Video transition between sections (2+ transition videos)
  • Hero slideshow (hero_slideshow_keys)
  • StickyNav anchor navigation
  • SEO-optimized with structured data
  • Mobile-responsive design
  • Care page opt-in (care_enabled -> /churches/[slug]/care)

Q9: Upgrade Path for Free Listing Owners

Answer:

  • ClaimBanner component visible to ALL visitors on unclaimed church pages (not just owners)
  • StickyClaimCTA sticky bottom bar on scroll
  • The claim flow starts from the church detail page -> "Claim this church" -> /claim/[slug]
  • No way to distinguish the "owner" from any visitor on a free listing — anyone can initiate the claim
  • The PewSearch header shows "Claim Your Church" CTA via SiteHeaderCTA

Q10: Visual Difference Premium vs Pro Website

Answer: The visual difference is dramatic:

Premium Page: An enhanced version of the directory card at pewsearch.com/churches/[slug]:

  • Custom hero photo/banner (PremiumHero component)
  • Verified badge (PremiumBadge)
  • Staff grid, ministries section, events, what-to-expect
  • Chatbot widget in the corner
  • Still clearly a "directory listing with extras" — PewSearch header/footer chrome visible

Pro Website: A full one-page church website at churchname.pewsearch.com:

  • Cinematic video hero (autoplay, muted, full-width via VideoHero)
  • StickyNav anchor navigation
  • Denomination-themed visual style (liturgical gold, community orange, protestant blue)
  • Multiple sections: About, Beliefs, Hours, Staff, Ministries, Events, Sermons, Giving, Map, Contact
  • Video transitions between sections
  • No PewSearch header/footer — the middleware sets x-is-subdomain header which hides site chrome
  • "Powered by PewSearch" in template footer (TemplateFooter)
  • Feels like a real church website, not a directory listing

URL difference:

  • Premium: pewsearch.com/churches/[slug] (same URL as free, just enhanced)
  • Pro Website: churchname.pewsearch.com (subdomain). The /churches/[slug] URL still works but the subdomain is the primary experience.

Q11: Basic Chatbot vs CWA Chatbot

Answer: The basic chatbot in PewSearch Premium/Pro Website:

  • Uses the same chatbot API (/api/chatbot/stream) as CWA
  • Trained on the church's PewSearch data automatically (hours, staff, ministries, events, what-to-expect, FAQs from canned_responses)
  • Has limited capabilities compared to CWA tiers — no advanced agents, fewer tools
  • Managed via the PewSearch admin dashboard Settings tab (chatbot_enabled toggle + basic configuration)
  • Includes prayer request capture and visitor contact logging (shared voice_prayer_requests / voice_visitor_contacts tables)
  • Shows "Powered by ChurchWiseAI" badge

The PewSearch chatbot is NOT a separate product — it's a basic tier of the same chatbot engine. CWA Starter/Pro/Suite plans unlock more tools, agents, FAQs, documents, analytics, and customization.


Section C: Admin Dashboard

Q12: Admin Dashboard Tabs

Answer: Based on AdminDashboard.tsx and premium-shared.ts:

TabComponentPremiumPro WebsiteNotes
OverviewDashboardOverviewYesYesMetrics, activity, completeness
CallsCallHistoryPaid (not pro_website-only)YesVoice call logs
RequestsRequestManagerYesYesPrayer, visitor, callback
CareCareTabIf care_enabledIf care_enabledCongregation care
TrainingTrainingTabYesYesPastor pulse, hours, staff, ministries, what-to-expect, FAQs, documents
WebsiteWebsiteTabNoYes (Pro Website only)Design, content, settings
SettingsSettingsTabYesYesBasic info, contact, voice, chatbot, team, integrations
Status/UpgradeUpgradeTabYesYesSubscription status or upgrade CTA
AccountInlineYesYesLogout, token management

Tab visibility is further restricted by role (7-role RBAC system).


Q13: Premium Admin Capabilities

Answer:

  • Photos: Hero photo upload (hero_photo_url). No multi-photo gallery at Premium tier (slideshow is Pro Website).
  • Staff: Name, title, photo (upload via /api/upload/staff-photo), bio. No explicit limit on staff count. StaffEditor with add/edit/delete/reorder.
  • Ministries: Name, description. MinistriesEditor with add/edit/delete. No photo per ministry.
  • Events: Title, date, time, description. EventsList component. JSONB array in premium record.
  • Hours: Custom hours grid (custom_hours JSONB). Displayed via ChurchHoursCard.
  • Description: Custom text (custom_description). Appears to be plain text.
  • What to Expect: Structured JSONB fields: dress code, parking, kids ministry, music style, communion, baptism. WhatToExpectSection component.
  • FAQs/Canned Responses: Question/answer pairs via FaqsEditor. Used by chatbot.
  • Pastor Pulse: Admin-set notes about the church personality/values.

Q14: Pro Website Additional Admin Features

Answer: From WebsiteTab.tsx:

  • Templates: Auto-detected from denomination — liturgical (Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Orthodox), community (Non-denominational, Bible Church), protestant (Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, etc.). The denomination-labels.ts auto-detects. A website_template column exists for manual override.
  • Video backgrounds: Select from 12 hero videos in video-library.ts (church-entrance, worship, kids, prayer, lobby, etc.). Stored as hero_video_key. Also transition video selection (transition_video_key). No file upload — stock library only.
  • Hero slideshow: Multiple hero images (hero_slideshow_keys).
  • Logo: Upload via /api/upload/logo. Displayed in the StickyNav and hero area.
  • Subdomain: Set via vanity_slug in the WebsiteTab settings. Auto-generated suggestion from church name but fully customizable. Accessible at {vanity_slug}.pewsearch.com.
  • Featured Sermon: YouTube/Vimeo URL (featured_video_url). Also sermons JSONB array for multiple sermons (SermonEditor).
  • Beliefs: Structured cards via BeliefsEditor. JSONB array.
  • Giving: URL field (giving_url) -> GivingSection on the website.
  • Care page: Toggle care_enabled -> public opt-in form at /churches/[slug]/care.
  • Contact CC email: Additional email for contact form submissions.

Q15: Chatbot Management Location

Answer: Managed inside the PewSearch admin dashboard:

  • Settings tab has chatbot configuration section
  • chatbot_enabled toggle (on/off)
  • chatbot_agent_id for linking to a CWA agent
  • FAQ management in Training tab via FaqsEditor (canned responses)
  • Basic chatbot personality configured through the Training tab (Pastor Pulse)
  • Advanced chatbot features (custom agents, document upload, analytics, embed customization) require a CWA plan and are managed at churchwiseai.com

Q16: Analytics

Answer: Based on DashboardOverview:

  • Total page views (from overview-stats API)
  • Chatbot conversation count
  • Prayer requests count
  • Visitor contacts count
  • Callback requests count
  • Contact form submissions count (Pro Website)
  • Profile completeness donut chart (CompletenessDonut)
  • Training progress indicator (TrainingProgress)
  • Recent activity feed

No geographic breakdown, no traffic source analysis, no Google Analytics integration. Analytics are internal metrics only.


Q17: Team Access

Answer: Yes, multi-user access with 7 roles:

  • Team members added via Settings tab -> Team section
  • POST /api/premium/team creates a team member with a unique access_token
  • Each member gets their own magic link (pewsearch.com/admin/{access_token})
  • Invite link generated via /api/admin/team-link
  • Roles: admin, office_admin, prayer_team, care_team, treasurer, volunteer_coordinator, worship_leader
  • Each role has different tab visibility and edit permissions (defined in ROLE_TABS, ROLE_SETTINGS, ROLE_TRAINING)
  • The original church admin has the admin role by default
  • Team members can be deactivated (is_active flag)

Section D: Onboarding & Welcome

Q18: Welcome Email

Answer: Welcome email is sent via sendPremiumWelcomeEmail() in email.ts using Resend:

  • Contains the admin magic link URL
  • Mentions the church name
  • Sent after Stripe webhook activates the church

FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:

The exact subject line and "3 most important first steps" content needs verification. The welcome email template should be inspected in email.ts for exact copy. Recommendation based on patterns:

Premium:

  • Subject: "Welcome to PewSearch Premium — Your Dashboard is Ready"
  • Steps: 1. Add your church photos, 2. Add staff profiles, 3. Add service times and events
  • Include magic link prominently

Pro Website (differences):

  • Subject: "Your Church Website is Live!"
  • Steps: 1. Choose your video background, 2. Upload your logo, 3. Add your church story and beliefs
  • Include both admin link and vanity subdomain URL

Q19: First Login Experience

Answer:

  • Empty sections with helpful placeholder prompts — the TrainingTab and WebsiteTab show sections that are empty until populated
  • A "Getting Started" checklist widget — TrainingProgress component shows completion percentage for each section (Pastor Pulse, Hours, Staff, Ministries, What to Expect, FAQs)
  • CompletenessDonut on the Overview tab shows overall profile completeness

No welcome modal or guided setup wizard. The dashboard shows all tabs with empty states.


Q20: Getting Started Checklist

Answer:

Premium (ordered):

  1. Add a hero photo for your listing
  2. Update your church hours
  3. Add staff profiles with photos
  4. Add your ministries
  5. Complete "What to Expect" for first-time visitors
  6. Add a few FAQs for your chatbot

Pro Website (additions):

  1. Select your hero video background
  2. Upload your church logo
  3. Set your custom subdomain (churchname.pewsearch.com)
  4. Add your beliefs/statement of faith
  5. Add a featured sermon video
  6. Set up your giving link
  7. Everything from Premium list

Q21: Onboarding Wizard

Answer: No wizard. The pastor lands on the full dashboard (Overview tab) and navigates tabs to fill in content. The TrainingProgress indicator serves as a checklist guide.


Section E: CWA Integration

Q22: CWA Upsell in Admin

Answer:

  • An "Upgrade" tab (UpgradeTab component) shows subscription status and upgrade options
  • The CrossPromoBanner component exists for CWA cross-promotion
  • The Settings tab may reference CWA for advanced chatbot features
  • The chatbot widget shows "Powered by ChurchWiseAI" badge linking to churchwiseai.com

FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:

The exact placement and copy of CWA upsells within the PewSearch admin needs verification. The UpgradeTab primarily shows PewSearch tier upgrades (Premium -> Pro Website). CWA cross-sell presence in the admin should be confirmed.


Q23: CWA Pro Chat -> Free Pro Website Flow

Answer:

  • Not yet implemented — this is aspirational

The CLAUDE.md and pricing docs mention that CWA Pro Chat includes "PewSearch Pro Website ($19.95 value free)" as a bundled benefit, but the actual provisioning flow is not wired in the codebase. A church buying CWA Pro Chat would need to separately claim their PewSearch listing.

FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:

How should the CWA -> PewSearch Pro Website entitlement work? Current state: NOT automated. Recommendation: email sent after CWA Pro Chat purchase with a claim link that bypasses payment.


Q24: Existing PewSearch Premium + CWA Pro Chat Interaction

Answer:

  • Not yet defined — need a decision

No logic exists in either codebase to detect or reconcile overlapping subscriptions.

FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:

This is an edge case that needs a decision. Options: (a) auto-upgrade PewSearch to Pro Website and cancel the $9.95 charge, (b) keep both subscriptions running, (c) manual reconciliation via support.


Answer: The PewSearch admin has:

  • CrossPromoBanner component for CWA awareness
  • "Powered by ChurchWiseAI" badge on the chatbot widget
  • The UpgradeTab may mention CWA plans

The CWA admin has:

  • Website tab with "Claim Your Premium Listing" / "Set Up Your Pro Website" CTAs linking to PewSearch

The systems are partially cross-linked but mostly siloed.


Section F: Public-Facing Pages

Q26: Church Detail Page URLs

Answer:

  • Free listing: pewsearch.com/churches/[slug] — confirmed
  • Premium: same URL pewsearch.com/churches/[slug] — enhanced content at the same URL
  • Pro Website: [vanity_slug].pewsearch.com — subdomain via middleware rewrite to /s/[slug]
  • The /churches/[slug] URL still works for Pro Website churches (shows the standard enhanced page)
  • Both URLs are live — the subdomain is the primary promoted URL for Pro Website

For SEO: the /s/[slug] page (ISR, 1hr revalidation) is the canonical for Pro Website. The /churches/[slug] page coexists.


Q27: Premium Page Visual Layout

Answer:

  • PremiumHero component: custom hero photo/banner with church name overlay
  • PremiumBadge: verified checkmark badge near the church name
  • Sections visible: About, What to Expect, Hours, Staff Grid, Ministries, Events
  • Chatbot widget (floating button, bottom-right)
  • Still has PewSearch header/footer chrome
  • Approximate page length: full scrollable page (multiple sections)
  • No explicit "This church uses PewSearch Premium" branding — just the verified badge

Q28: Pro Website Page Visual Layout

Answer: Based on UnifiedTemplate.tsx:

  • Cinematic video header: Autoplay, muted, looping, full-width (VideoHero component)
  • Church name large overlay on video with denomination accent color
  • StickyNav: Anchor links to each section (scrolls smoothly)
  • Template visual style: 3 denomination families with distinct palettes:
    • Liturgical (Catholic, Episcopal, etc.): Gold/amber accent, Playfair Display headings
    • Community (Non-denom, Bible Church): Orange accent
    • Protestant (Baptist, Methodist, etc.): Navy/blue accent
  • Sections: About, Beliefs, Hours, What to Expect, Staff, Ministries, Video Transition, Featured Sermon, Events, Giving, Map, Contact Form
  • Looks like a real church website — full navigation, multiple rich sections
  • "Powered by PewSearch" in the TemplateFooter
  • No PewSearch header/footer chrome (hidden by middleware x-is-subdomain header)

Q29: Mobile Experience

Answer: Both Premium and Pro Website pages use responsive Tailwind classes (sm:, md:, lg: breakpoints). The UnifiedTemplate has responsive grid layouts. The StickyNav adapts to mobile. Video hero likely displays on mobile (no code to replace with still image found, but may fall back based on browser support).


Q30: SEO Advantages

Answer:

  • Richer structured data — churchJsonLd() in json-ld.ts generates schema.org/Church data. Premium/Pro churches have more fields populated (staff, events, hours, etc.)
  • Better crawlability — Premium/Pro churches are is_premium=true which may influence sitemap priority
  • Canonical subdomain for Pro Website
  • Premium and free listings are both indexed (no noindex on free listings)
  • Admin pages get X-Robots-Tag: noindex

Section G: Lifecycle

Q31: Preview Mode

Answer: When a pastor starts the claim flow but hasn't paid yet:

  • A premium_churches record is created with status=preview and preview_expires_at timestamp
  • The claim page shows a PreviewPage component with:
    • Countdown timer (CountdownTimer component) showing time remaining
    • Preview of what their enhanced listing would look like
    • "Complete Payment" CTA to resume Stripe checkout
  • This serves as the "try before you buy" — they see the potential, not a static demo
  • Preview expires and the record is cleaned up if not completed

Q32: Cancellation

Answer:

  • Reverts at end of billing period (Stripe default)
  • Data is retained in the database but hidden — premium_churches status set to cancelled by webhook
  • For Pro Website: subdomain likely stops resolving when status is no longer active (the /s/[slug] page checks premium status)
  • The church reverts to a free listing appearance at pewsearch.com/churches/[slug]
  • All custom data (staff, ministries, events, photos, beliefs, etc.) preserved in the premium_churches row

Q33: Payment Failed

Answer:

  • Stripe retries automatically (default: 3 retries over ~7 days)
  • No custom payment failure email in the PewSearch codebase
  • No dashboard warning banner for payment issues
  • If all retries fail, Stripe fires customer.subscription.deleted -> webhook sets status=cancelled

FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:

Payment failure handling is minimal. Recommendation: add a "Your payment failed" email with Stripe portal link, and a dashboard banner when subscription is past_due.


Q34: Downgrade Pro Website -> Premium

Answer:

  • Downgrade takes effect at next billing period (via Stripe portal)
  • Their photos, staff, and ministries data carry over (Premium includes these)
  • Subdomain stops resolving (no longer Pro Website)
  • Data retained in DB — if they re-upgrade, everything comes back
  • Video hero, logo, beliefs, featured sermon, giving URL all preserved in the record but hidden from public view
  • The plan column updates from pro_website to premium/starter and the WebsiteTab is hidden from admin

Q35: Search Ranking

Answer: Premium features listed on the pricing page include "Higher search ranking" and "Premium placement in results." The search query in queries.ts likely factors in is_premium status for ranking. The exact algorithm would need to be verified in the search implementation.


Q36: Badges

Answer:

  • PremiumBadge component: shows a verified checkmark badge with "Verified" text
  • Visible on the church detail page (near the church name)
  • In search result cards: ChurchCard and FeaturedChurchCard components show the badge if the church is premium
  • Badge style: small shield/checkmark icon

Q37: Contextual Recommendations

Answer:

  • The homepage may feature premium churches in "Featured" sections (FeaturedChurchCard component)
  • Church detail pages show "Nearby Churches" section using geographic proximity
  • No explicit weighting toward Premium/Pro in recommendations found in the code — appears to be proximity/relevance based
  • The FeaturedChurchCard component exists, suggesting curated or premium-weighted featuring

FLAGGED FOR FOUNDER REVIEW:

Should recommendation sections (nearby churches, homepage featured) explicitly prioritize Premium/Pro churches? Current implementation is unclear.


Additional Notes

Premium:

  • The TrainingTab is shared between Premium and Pro Website — both get access to pastor pulse, hours, staff, ministries, what-to-expect, FAQs, documents
  • The Congregation Care system (CareTab) is available to both tiers when care_enabled is true
  • Team access (7 roles) is available to both Premium and Pro Website

Pro Website:

  • The template auto-detection is a key differentiator — the pastor doesn't need to "choose" a template. The system reads their denomination and applies the matching visual style automatically.
  • ISR revalidation of 1 hour means changes take up to 1 hour to appear on the public Pro Website page
  • Admin changes are instant in the admin dashboard; the public page has the ISR delay
  • The DemoViewToggle component allows toggling between standard and Pro Website views on the church detail page (likely for demo/preview purposes)