diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index a585a43..cc9f986 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
     <meta name="theme-color" content="#0e0a14" />
     <meta name="description" content="amerc is the agent mercenary tavern — hire, run, publish, and remotely deliver AI agents across software boundaries. No infrastructure, just skills." />
-    <meta name="version" content="0.38.0-npc" />
+    <meta name="version" content="0.39.0-docs" />
     <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.svg" type="image/svg+xml" />
     <!-- Open Graph / social share -->
     <meta property="og:type" content="website" />
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 643d487..6007410 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "amerc-site",
-  "version": "0.38.0-npc",
+  "version": "0.39.0-docs",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/server/amerc-api.mjs b/server/amerc-api.mjs
index 2276925..84eebdd 100644
--- a/server/amerc-api.mjs
+++ b/server/amerc-api.mjs
@@ -285,11 +285,11 @@ const server = http.createServer(async (req, res) => {
     const needAuth = () => send(res, 401, { ok: false, error: 'login or api key required' });
 
     // DOCUMENTS
-    if (path === '/docs' && method === 'GET') { if (!id) return needAuth(); return send(res, 200, { ok: true, docs: db.prepare('SELECT id,title,folder,updated_by,created_at,updated_at FROM documents ORDER BY folder,title').all() }); }
+    if (path === '/docs' && method === 'GET') { return send(res, 200, { ok: true, docs: db.prepare('SELECT id,title,folder,updated_by,created_at,updated_at FROM documents ORDER BY folder,title').all() }); }
     if (path === '/docs' && method === 'POST') { if (!id) return needAuth(); const b = await readBody(req) || {}; const now = Date.now();
       const info = db.prepare('INSERT INTO documents(title,folder,body,updated_by,created_at,updated_at) VALUES(?,?,?,?,?,?)').run(b.title || 'Untitled', b.folder || '', b.body || '', who(id), now, now);
       return send(res, 200, { ok: true, id: Number(info.lastInsertRowid) }); }
-    if ((m = path.match(/^\/docs\/(\d+)$/)) && method === 'GET') { if (!id) return needAuth(); const d = db.prepare('SELECT * FROM documents WHERE id=?').get(Number(m[1])); return d ? send(res, 200, { ok: true, doc: d }) : send(res, 404, { ok: false, error: 'not found' }); }
+    if ((m = path.match(/^\/docs\/(\d+)$/)) && method === 'GET') { const d = db.prepare('SELECT * FROM documents WHERE id=?').get(Number(m[1])); return d ? send(res, 200, { ok: true, doc: d }) : send(res, 404, { ok: false, error: 'not found' }); }
     if ((m = path.match(/^\/docs\/(\d+)$/)) && method === 'PATCH') { if (!id) return needAuth(); const d = db.prepare('SELECT * FROM documents WHERE id=?').get(Number(m[1])); if (!d) return send(res, 404, { ok: false, error: 'not found' }); const b = await readBody(req) || {};
       db.prepare('UPDATE documents SET title=?,folder=?,body=?,updated_by=?,updated_at=? WHERE id=?').run(b.title ?? d.title, b.folder ?? d.folder, b.body ?? d.body, who(id), Date.now(), d.id); return send(res, 200, { ok: true }); }
     if ((m = path.match(/^\/docs\/(\d+)$/)) && method === 'DELETE') { if (id?.kind !== 'user') return send(res, 403, { ok: false, error: 'human login required to delete' }); db.prepare('DELETE FROM documents WHERE id=?').run(Number(m[1])); return send(res, 200, { ok: true }); }
diff --git a/src/ConsoleShell.jsx b/src/ConsoleShell.jsx
index 2ae93be..48dffba 100644
--- a/src/ConsoleShell.jsx
+++ b/src/ConsoleShell.jsx
@@ -42,11 +42,11 @@ function ConsoleLogin({ auth }) {
   );
 }
 
-export default function ConsoleShell({ title, accent = '#27d8ff', current, requireRole, children }) {
+export default function ConsoleShell({ title, accent = '#27d8ff', current, requireRole, publicView, children }) {
   const auth = useAuth();
   if (!auth.ready) return <div className="cs-app"><div className="cs-loading">Loading…</div></div>;
-  if (!auth.user) return <div className="cs-app" style={{ '--accent': accent }}><ConsoleLogin auth={auth} /></div>;
-  if (requireRole && auth.user.role !== requireRole) return (
+  if (!auth.user && !publicView) return <div className="cs-app" style={{ '--accent': accent }}><ConsoleLogin auth={auth} /></div>;
+  if (requireRole && auth.user && auth.user.role !== requireRole) return (
     <div className="cs-app" style={{ '--accent': accent }}>
       <div className="cs-login-wrap"><div className="cs-login" style={{ textAlign: 'center' }}>
         <div className="cs-brand"><span className="cs-gem" />amerc</div>
@@ -65,8 +65,9 @@ export default function ConsoleShell({ title, accent = '#27d8ff', current, requi
           {APPS.map((a) => <a key={a.label} href={a.href} className={a.label.toLowerCase() === current ? 'on' : ''}>{a.label}</a>)}
         </nav>
         <div className="cs-user">
-          <span>{auth.user.handle}{auth.user.role === 'admin' ? ' · admin' : ''}</span>
-          <button type="button" onClick={() => auth.logout()}>Log out</button>
+          {auth.user
+            ? <><span>{auth.user.handle}{auth.user.role === 'admin' ? ' · admin' : ''}</span><button type="button" onClick={() => auth.logout()}>Log out</button></>
+            : <a className="cs-btn cs-primary" href="https://amerc.ai/#/signin">Log in to edit</a>}
         </div>
       </header>
       <main className="cs-main">{typeof children === 'function' ? children(auth) : children}</main>
diff --git a/src/DocsApp.jsx b/src/DocsApp.jsx
index 9e5d4f8..b438fa6 100644
--- a/src/DocsApp.jsx
+++ b/src/DocsApp.jsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { api } from './api.js';
 
 marked.setOptions({ breaks: true });
 
-function DocsWorkspace() {
+function DocsWorkspace({ canEdit }) {
   const [docs, setDocs] = useState([]);
   const [sel, setSel] = useState(null);
   const [doc, setDoc] = useState(null);
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ function DocsWorkspace() {
       <aside className="docs-side">
         <div className="docs-side-top">
           <input placeholder="search docs…" value={q} onChange={(e) => setQ(e.target.value)} />
-          <button className="cs-btn cs-primary" onClick={create}>+ New</button>
+          {canEdit && <button className="cs-btn cs-primary" onClick={create}>+ New</button>}
         </div>
         <div className="docs-tree">
           {Object.keys(folders).sort().map((f) => (
@@ -64,10 +64,10 @@ function DocsWorkspace() {
                 : <h2>{doc.title}</h2>}
               <div className="docs-actions">
                 {editing && <input className="docs-folder-input" placeholder="folder" value={draft.folder} onChange={(e) => setDraft({ ...draft, folder: e.target.value })} />}
-                {!editing && <button className="cs-btn" onClick={() => setEditing(true)}>Edit</button>}
+                {canEdit && !editing && <button className="cs-btn" onClick={() => setEditing(true)}>Edit</button>}
                 {editing && <button className="cs-btn cs-primary" onClick={save}>Save</button>}
                 {editing && <button className="cs-btn" onClick={() => { setEditing(false); setDraft({ title: doc.title, folder: doc.folder, body: doc.body }); }}>Cancel</button>}
-                <button className="cs-btn" onClick={del}>Delete</button>
+                {canEdit && <button className="cs-btn" onClick={del}>Delete</button>}
               </div>
             </div>
             <p className="docs-byline">updated by {doc.updated_by || '—'}</p>
@@ -82,5 +82,5 @@ function DocsWorkspace() {
 }
 
 export default function DocsApp() {
-  return <ConsoleShell title="docs" accent="#27d8ff" current="docs">{() => <DocsWorkspace />}</ConsoleShell>;
+  return <ConsoleShell title="docs" accent="#27d8ff" current="docs" publicView>{(auth) => <DocsWorkspace canEdit={!!auth.user} />}</ConsoleShell>;
 }
diff --git a/src/Scene2D.jsx b/src/Scene2D.jsx
index cad4280..b36a50c 100644
--- a/src/Scene2D.jsx
+++ b/src/Scene2D.jsx
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import Account from './Account.jsx';
 import TavernGame from './TavernGame.jsx';
 import { api } from './api.js';
 
-const RELEASE = '0.38.0-npc';
+const RELEASE = '0.39.0-docs';
 
 const NAV = [
   { id: 'home', label: 'Tavern' },
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ function PixelTopbar({ route, setRoute, auth }) {
       {NAV.map((item) => (
         <button key={item.id} className={`px-nav-btn${route === item.id ? ' active' : ''}`} onClick={() => go(item.id)} type="button">{item.label}</button>
       ))}
-      {loggedIn && <a className="px-nav-btn" href="https://docs.amerc.ai/">Docs</a>}
+      <a className="px-nav-btn" href="https://docs.amerc.ai/">Docs</a>
       {isAdmin && <a className="px-nav-btn" href="https://pm.amerc.ai/">PM</a>}
       {isAdmin && <button className={`px-nav-btn quartermaster${route === 'admin' ? ' active' : ''}`} onClick={() => go('admin')} type="button">Quartermaster</button>}
       {loggedIn