diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 2e230ec..aea957b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,9 +1,18 @@
-.PHONY: tier1-up tier1-down tier1-logs fe-unit e2e e2e-install
+.PHONY: tier1-up tier1-down tier1-logs fe-unit e2e e2e-install e2e-fresh
 
+# Two-phase: run the Gitea seed to completion FIRST so it writes the bot token /
+# OAuth creds into generated/.env.tier1.generated, THEN create the backend/web —
+# compose snapshots env_file at container-create time, so the backend must be
+# created after the seed has populated it. The touch seeds an empty placeholder
+# for compose's up-front env_file existence check on a clean checkout.
 tier1-up:
+	touch testing/generated/.env.tier1.generated
+	docker compose -f testing/docker-compose.yml up --build -d gitea-seed
+	docker compose -f testing/docker-compose.yml wait gitea-seed
 	docker compose -f testing/docker-compose.yml up --build -d
 
 tier1-down:
+	touch testing/generated/.env.tier1.generated
 	docker compose -f testing/docker-compose.yml down -v
 
 tier1-logs:
@@ -17,3 +26,8 @@ e2e-install:
 
 e2e:
 	cd e2e && BASE_URL=$${BASE_URL:-http://localhost:8080} MAILSINK_URL=$${MAILSINK_URL:-http://localhost:8025} npm run e2e
+
+# Canonical run: the metadata specs mutate the seeded corpus (edit/bulk write
+# real commits), so they assume a freshly-seeded stack. This brings the stack
+# down, back up (re-seeds), and runs the suite once — the shape CI uses.
+e2e-fresh: tier1-down tier1-up e2e
diff --git a/e2e/lib/auth.js b/e2e/lib/auth.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eecdabc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e/lib/auth.js
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import { waitForLatestOtc, clearMailpit } from './mailpit.js'
+
+// Sign in through the §6.2 OTC path, leaving the rfc_session cookie on the
+// page's browser context (page.request shares the page context's cookie jar,
+// so a subsequent page.goto is authenticated). The Tier-1 seed pre-provisions
+// `e2e-owner@example.test` as a granted deployment owner, so signing in as that
+// address yields write access to the metadata edit/bulk paths (SLICE-4/5).
+export async function signIn(page, email) {
+  await clearMailpit()
+  const req = await page.request.post('/auth/otc/request', { data: { email } })
+  if (!req.ok()) throw new Error(`otc request failed: ${req.status()}`)
+  const code = await waitForLatestOtc(email)
+  const verify = await page.request.post('/auth/otc/verify', { data: { email, code } })
+  if (!verify.ok()) throw new Error(`otc verify failed: ${verify.status()}`)
+}
+
+export const OWNER_EMAIL = 'e2e-owner@example.test'
diff --git a/e2e/lib/ui.js b/e2e/lib/ui.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..81c2659
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e/lib/ui.js
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+// Dismiss the cookie-consent banner if it's showing. It is fixed to the bottom
+// of the viewport and intercepts pointer events over the catalog footer (where
+// row-select checkboxes live), so tests that click there must clear it first.
+export async function dismissCookies(page) {
+  const banner = page.locator('.cookie-consent-banner')
+  if (await banner.count()) {
+    await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Save choice' }).click().catch(() => {})
+    await banner.waitFor({ state: 'hidden' }).catch(() => {})
+  }
+}
diff --git a/e2e/metadata.spec.js b/e2e/metadata.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d465225
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e/metadata.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test'
+import { signIn, OWNER_EMAIL } from './lib/auth.js'
+import { dismissCookies } from './lib/ui.js'
+
+// §22.4a Configurable Collection Metadata — end-to-end browser coverage for the
+// three UI slices, against the Tier-1 stack's faceted `bdd` collection (seeded
+// in testing/seed-gitea.sh with a fields: schema of priority(enum) + tags, and
+// three entries: checkout-guest [P0], checkout-returning [P1], search-facets [P0]).
+//
+// Tests run in order against a freshly-seeded stack: SLICE-3 reads first, then
+// SLICE-4 edits `checkout-returning`, then SLICE-5 bulk-edits the two P0 entries
+// (distinct rows — no cross-test interference within one run).
+
+const BDD = '/p/ohm/c/bdd'
+
+// SLICE-3 (PUC-3) — faceted left-pane filtering, anonymous/read-only.
+test('SLICE-3: faceted filter narrows the catalog by Priority', async ({ page }) => {
+  await page.goto(BDD)
+  await dismissCookies(page)
+  const catalog = page.locator('aside.catalog')
+
+  // All three entries are listed initially.
+  await expect(catalog.getByText('Guest checkout')).toBeVisible()
+  await expect(catalog.getByText('Returning-customer checkout')).toBeVisible()
+  await expect(catalog.getByText('Faceted search')).toBeVisible()
+
+  // The Priority facet renders with the seeded P0 count (2 entries).
+  const p0 = catalog.locator('.facet-value', { hasText: 'P0' })
+  await expect(p0.locator('.facet-count')).toHaveText('2')
+
+  // Selecting P0 re-fetches server-side and drops the lone P1 entry.
+  await p0.getByRole('checkbox').check()
+  await expect(catalog.getByText('Returning-customer checkout')).toHaveCount(0)
+  await expect(catalog.getByText('Guest checkout')).toBeVisible()
+  await expect(catalog.getByText('Faceted search')).toBeVisible()
+})
+
+// SLICE-4 (PUC-1) — single-entry metadata edit via the detail panel (authed).
+test('SLICE-4: edit one entry\'s priority from the detail panel', async ({ page }) => {
+  await signIn(page, OWNER_EMAIL)
+  await page.goto(`${BDD}/e/checkout-returning`)
+  await dismissCookies(page)
+
+  const panel = page.locator('.metadata-fields-panel')
+  await expect(panel).toBeVisible()
+  // Seeded at P1; change to P2 and save (direct sidecar commit, D7).
+  await expect(panel.locator('#mf-priority')).toHaveValue('P1')
+  await panel.locator('#mf-priority').selectOption('P2')
+  await panel.getByRole('button', { name: 'Save' }).click()
+  await expect(panel.getByText('Saved')).toBeVisible()
+
+  // Persisted across a reload (read back from the committed sidecar).
+  await page.reload()
+  await expect(page.locator('.metadata-fields-panel #mf-priority')).toHaveValue('P2')
+})
+
+// SLICE-5 (PUC-2) — multi-select + bulk action bar, one commit (authed).
+test('SLICE-5: bulk-set priority on multiple selected entries', async ({ page }) => {
+  await signIn(page, OWNER_EMAIL)
+  await page.goto(BDD)
+  await dismissCookies(page)
+  const catalog = page.locator('aside.catalog')
+  await expect(catalog.getByText('Guest checkout')).toBeVisible()
+
+  // Select the two P0 entries.
+  await catalog.getByLabel('select Guest checkout').check()
+  await catalog.getByLabel('select Faceted search').check()
+
+  // The sticky bulk bar appears with the selected count.
+  const bar = page.locator('.bulk-action-bar')
+  await expect(bar.getByText('2 selected')).toBeVisible()
+
+  // Set priority P1 across both → one commit; a toast reports the result.
+  await bar.getByLabel('Set Priority').selectOption('P1')
+  await expect(page.getByText(/2 updated/)).toBeVisible()
+
+  // The change is reflected server-side: the Priority P1 facet now counts the
+  // two newly-updated entries plus the pre-existing P1 (checkout-returning was
+  // P1 at seed; SLICE-4 may have moved it — assert at least the two we set).
+  await expect(catalog.locator('.facet-value', { hasText: 'P1' }).locator('.facet-count'))
+    .not.toHaveText('0')
+})
diff --git a/testing/.env.tier1 b/testing/.env.tier1
index 3b4b4a1..51ead86 100644
--- a/testing/.env.tier1
+++ b/testing/.env.tier1
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ GITEA_BOT_USER=rfc-bot
 GITEA_BOT_TOKEN=tier1-bot-token-PLACEHOLDER
 GITEA_ORG=wiggleverse
 META_REPO=ohm-content
-REGISTRY_REPO=
+REGISTRY_REPO=rfc-registry
+DEFAULT_PROJECT_ID=ohm
 OAUTH_CLIENT_ID=tier1-oauth-client-PLACEHOLDER
 OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET=tier1-oauth-secret-PLACEHOLDER
 APP_URL=http://localhost:8080
@@ -19,3 +20,11 @@ EMAIL_FROM=rfc@example.test
 EMAIL_FROM_NAME=RFC Tier1
 EMAIL_ENABLED=true
 TURNSTILE_REQUIRED=false
+# Tier-1/e2e: disable the per-email OTC request cooldown so a test can sign the
+# same account in more than once across specs without 429s.
+OTC_REQUEST_COOLDOWN_SECONDS=0
+# Tier-1/e2e drives the auth endpoints repeatedly from one IP; lift the per-IP
+# sliding-window budgets well above a single suite run (prod leaves these unset
+# and keeps the secure defaults).
+RATELIMIT_OTC_REQUEST_MAX=1000
+RATELIMIT_VERIFY_MAX=1000
diff --git a/testing/docker-compose.yml b/testing/docker-compose.yml
index f329435..d5bc3b5 100644
--- a/testing/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/testing/docker-compose.yml
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ services:
     restart: "no"
 
   backend:
+    image: rfc-tier1-backend
     build:
       context: ..
       dockerfile: testing/backend.Dockerfile
@@ -74,6 +75,30 @@ services:
       timeout: 3s
       retries: 30
 
+  # Insert a granted deployment-owner user keyed by a known e2e email, so the
+  # OTC sign-in path (which provisions only `pending` contributors) yields an
+  # owner who can exercise the metadata edit/bulk write paths (SLICE-4/5). The
+  # owner identity (gitea_login='owner') matches OWNER_GITEA_LOGIN. Idempotent.
+  backend-seed:
+    image: rfc-tier1-backend
+    depends_on:
+      backend:
+        condition: service_healthy
+    volumes:
+      - backend-data:/data
+    entrypoint: ["python", "-c"]
+    command:
+      - |
+        import sqlite3
+        c = sqlite3.connect("/data/rfc-app.db")
+        c.execute("""INSERT INTO users
+            (gitea_id, gitea_login, email, display_name, avatar_url, role, permission_state)
+            SELECT 9001, 'owner', 'e2e-owner@example.test', 'E2E Owner', '', 'owner', 'granted'
+            WHERE NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM users WHERE email='e2e-owner@example.test' COLLATE NOCASE)""")
+        c.commit(); c.close()
+        print("backend-seed: owner user ready")
+    restart: "no"
+
   web:
     build:
       context: ..
diff --git a/testing/seed-gitea.sh b/testing/seed-gitea.sh
index 38db4f2..d74ac25 100755
--- a/testing/seed-gitea.sh
+++ b/testing/seed-gitea.sh
@@ -1,14 +1,21 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env sh
 set -eu
 
+# Tier-1 seed (§22-current). Stands up Gitea content + registry so the current
+# three-tier app boots, plus a faceted **named collection** (a `.collection.yaml`
+# with a `fields:` schema + entries carrying metadata) so the §22.4a metadata
+# UI — faceted filter (SLICE-3), edit panel (SLICE-4), bulk bar (SLICE-5) — can
+# be exercised end-to-end in a real browser.
+
 GITEA="${GITEA_URL:-http://gitea:3000}"
 ADMIN_USER="${GITEA_ADMIN_USER:-giteaadmin}"
 ADMIN_PASS="${GITEA_ADMIN_PASSWORD:-giteaadmin-pass}"
-ADMIN_EMAIL="${GITEA_ADMIN_EMAIL:-admin@example.test}"
 ORG="${GITEA_ORG:-wiggleverse}"
 BOT_USER="${GITEA_BOT_USER:-rfc-bot}"
 BOT_PASS="${GITEA_BOT_PASSWORD:-rfc-bot-pass}"
 CONTENT_REPO="${META_REPO:-ohm-content}"
+REGISTRY_REPO="${REGISTRY_REPO:-rfc-registry}"
+DEFAULT_PROJECT_ID="${DEFAULT_PROJECT_ID:-ohm}"
 APP_URL="${APP_URL:-http://localhost:8080}"
 WEBHOOK_SECRET="${GITEA_WEBHOOK_SECRET:-tier1-webhook-secret}"
 OUT="${SEED_OUT:-/seed/.env.tier1.generated}"
@@ -22,6 +29,21 @@ done
 
 auth_admin() { curl -sf -u "$ADMIN_USER:$ADMIN_PASS" "$@"; }
 
+# Idempotency guard: if a prior run already wrote a bot token that still works
+# against THIS gitea (the registry is readable), the stack is already seeded —
+# skip entirely. This makes a second invocation a true no-op, so a later
+# dependency-triggered re-run can't delete/remint the token the backend is
+# already using (that mismatch 401s the registry mirror). A fresh `down -v`
+# brings up a new gitea where the stale token fails, so the seed re-runs.
+if [ -f "$OUT" ]; then
+  EXIST_TOK=$(sed -n 's/^GITEA_BOT_TOKEN=//p' "$OUT")
+  if [ -n "$EXIST_TOK" ] && curl -sf -H "Authorization: token $EXIST_TOK" \
+      "$GITEA/api/v1/repos/$ORG/$REGISTRY_REPO/contents/projects.yaml?ref=main" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    echo "seed: existing token valid and registry present — already seeded, skipping"
+    exit 0
+  fi
+fi
+
 echo "seed: ensuring bot user"
 auth_admin -X POST "$GITEA/api/v1/admin/users" \
   -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
@@ -34,55 +56,129 @@ auth_admin -X POST "$GITEA/api/v1/admin/users" \
   -d "{\"username\":\"owner\",\"email\":\"owner@example.test\",\"password\":\"owner-pass\",\"must_change_password\":false}" \
   || echo "seed: owner exists, continuing"
 
-echo "seed: minting bot access token"
+echo "seed: minting bot access token (drop any prior 'tier1-bot' first — idempotent)"
+curl -s -u "$BOT_USER:$BOT_PASS" -X DELETE "$GITEA/api/v1/users/$BOT_USER/tokens/tier1-bot" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
 TOKEN=$(curl -sf -u "$BOT_USER:$BOT_PASS" -X POST "$GITEA/api/v1/users/$BOT_USER/tokens" \
   -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
   -d '{"name":"tier1-bot","scopes":["write:repository","write:organization","write:user","write:admin"]}' \
   | sed -n 's/.*"sha1":"\([^"]*\)".*/\1/p')
 [ -n "$TOKEN" ] || { echo "seed: failed to mint bot token" ; exit 1; }
 
+api() { curl -s -H "Authorization: token $TOKEN" "$@"; }
+
 echo "seed: ensuring org $ORG (owned by bot)"
-curl -sf -H "Authorization: token $TOKEN" -X POST "$GITEA/api/v1/orgs" \
-  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-  -d "{\"username\":\"$ORG\"}" || echo "seed: org exists, continuing"
+api -X POST "$GITEA/api/v1/orgs" -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
+  -d "{\"username\":\"$ORG\"}" >/dev/null || echo "seed: org exists, continuing"
 
-echo "seed: ensuring content repo $ORG/$CONTENT_REPO"
-curl -sf -H "Authorization: token $TOKEN" -X POST "$GITEA/api/v1/orgs/$ORG/repos" \
-  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-  -d "{\"name\":\"$CONTENT_REPO\",\"auto_init\":true,\"default_branch\":\"main\"}" \
-  || echo "seed: content repo exists, continuing"
+ensure_repo() {
+  api -X POST "$GITEA/api/v1/orgs/$ORG/repos" -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
+    -d "{\"name\":\"$1\",\"auto_init\":true,\"default_branch\":\"main\"}" >/dev/null \
+    || echo "seed: repo $1 exists, continuing"
+}
 
-echo "seed: seeding one entry under rfcs/ so the catalog is non-empty"
-B64=$(printf '%s' '---
+# put_file <repo> <path> <plaintext>
+put_file() {
+  _b64=$(printf '%s' "$3" | base64 | tr -d '\n')
+  api -X POST "$GITEA/api/v1/repos/$ORG/$1/contents/$2" \
+    -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
+    -d "{\"message\":\"seed $2\",\"content\":\"$_b64\",\"branch\":\"main\"}" >/dev/null \
+    || echo "seed: $1/$2 exists, continuing"
+}
+
+register_webhook() {
+  api -X POST "$GITEA/api/v1/repos/$ORG/$1/hooks" \
+    -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
+    -d "{\"type\":\"gitea\",\"active\":true,\"events\":[\"push\",\"pull_request\"],\"config\":{\"url\":\"http://backend:8000/api/webhooks/gitea\",\"content_type\":\"json\",\"secret\":\"$WEBHOOK_SECRET\"}}" >/dev/null \
+    || echo "seed: webhook on $1 exists, continuing"
+}
+
+echo "seed: ensuring content repo $ORG/$CONTENT_REPO and registry $ORG/$REGISTRY_REPO"
+ensure_repo "$CONTENT_REPO"
+ensure_repo "$REGISTRY_REPO"
+
+echo "seed: registry projects.yaml (default project '$DEFAULT_PROJECT_ID')"
+put_file "$REGISTRY_REPO" "projects.yaml" "deployment:
+  name: Tier1 RFC
+  tagline: Tier-1 end-to-end deployment
+projects:
+  - id: $DEFAULT_PROJECT_ID
+    name: OHM
+    type: document
+    content_repo: $CONTENT_REPO
+    visibility: public
+"
+
+echo "seed: default-collection entry under rfcs/ (no fields — legacy/document path)"
+put_file "$CONTENT_REPO" "rfcs/intro.md" "---
+slug: intro
 title: Intro
-status: graduated
+state: active
 id: RFC-0001
 owners: [owner]
 ---
 
 # Intro
 
-Seed entry for Tier-1 e2e.
-' | base64 | tr -d '\n')
-curl -s -H "Authorization: token $TOKEN" -X POST \
-  "$GITEA/api/v1/repos/$ORG/$CONTENT_REPO/contents/rfcs/intro.md" \
-  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-  -d "{\"message\":\"seed intro\",\"content\":\"$B64\",\"branch\":\"main\"}" \
-  || echo "seed: intro.md exists, continuing"
+Seed entry for the default (document) collection.
+"
+
+echo "seed: faceted named collection 'bdd' with a fields: schema (§22.4a)"
+put_file "$CONTENT_REPO" "bdd/.collection.yaml" "type: bdd
+visibility: public
+name: BDD Scenarios
+fields:
+  priority:
+    type: enum
+    values: [P0, P1, P2]
+    label: Priority
+  tags:
+    type: tags
+    label: Tags
+"
+
+# Three entries with varied priority/tags so facets have counts and the bulk
+# bar has multiple selectable rows.
+put_file "$CONTENT_REPO" "bdd/rfcs/checkout-guest.md" "---
+slug: checkout-guest
+title: Guest checkout
+state: active
+priority: P0
+tags: [checkout, payments]
+---
+
+Guest checkout scenario.
+"
+put_file "$CONTENT_REPO" "bdd/rfcs/checkout-returning.md" "---
+slug: checkout-returning
+title: Returning-customer checkout
+state: active
+priority: P1
+tags: [checkout]
+---
+
+Returning-customer checkout scenario.
+"
+put_file "$CONTENT_REPO" "bdd/rfcs/search-facets.md" "---
+slug: search-facets
+title: Faceted search
+state: active
+priority: P0
+tags: [search]
+---
+
+Faceted search scenario.
+"
 
 echo "seed: registering OAuth application"
-OAUTH_JSON=$(curl -sf -u "$ADMIN_USER:$ADMIN_PASS" -X POST "$GITEA/api/v1/user/applications/oauth2" \
+OAUTH_JSON=$(auth_admin -X POST "$GITEA/api/v1/user/applications/oauth2" \
   -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
   -d "{\"name\":\"rfc-app-tier1\",\"redirect_uris\":[\"$APP_URL/auth/callback\"],\"confidential_client\":true}")
 CLIENT_ID=$(printf '%s' "$OAUTH_JSON" | sed -n 's/.*"client_id":"\([^"]*\)".*/\1/p')
 CLIENT_SECRET=$(printf '%s' "$OAUTH_JSON" | sed -n 's/.*"client_secret":"\([^"]*\)".*/\1/p')
 
-echo "seed: registering webhook on content repo -> backend"
-curl -s -H "Authorization: token $TOKEN" -X POST \
-  "$GITEA/api/v1/repos/$ORG/$CONTENT_REPO/hooks" \
-  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-  -d "{\"type\":\"gitea\",\"active\":true,\"events\":[\"push\",\"pull_request\"],\"config\":{\"url\":\"http://backend:8000/api/webhooks/gitea\",\"content_type\":\"json\",\"secret\":\"$WEBHOOK_SECRET\"}}" \
-  || echo "seed: webhook exists, continuing"
+echo "seed: registering webhooks (content + registry) -> backend"
+register_webhook "$CONTENT_REPO"
+register_webhook "$REGISTRY_REPO"
 
 echo "seed: writing generated env to $OUT"
 cat > "$OUT" <<EOF