diff --git a/cmd/bdrive/web.go b/cmd/bdrive/web.go
index b80ba20..bf20215 100644
--- a/cmd/bdrive/web.go
+++ b/cmd/bdrive/web.go
@@ -57,6 +57,13 @@ type webConfig struct {
 		Driver string `json:"driver,omitempty"` // file (default) | sqlite | postgres
 		DSN    string `json:"dsn,omitempty"`    // sqlite file path, or a Postgres/Supabase URL
 	} `json:"database,omitempty"`
+	// Reads tunes read telemetry (the heat API): aggregate view counts per
+	// file, split human/agent/share. On by default in hub mode; counts only,
+	// no reader identities in any API.
+	Reads *struct {
+		Enabled       *bool `json:"enabled,omitempty"`        // default true
+		RetentionDays int   `json:"retention_days,omitempty"` // default 400; older days fold into all-time
+	} `json:"reads,omitempty"`
 }
 
 func loadWebConfig(path string) (webConfig, error) {
@@ -340,6 +347,26 @@ credentials); otherwise it is relayed through this server.`,
 					return fmt.Errorf("open share registry: %w", err)
 				}
 				srv.Shares = shares
+				readsOn, retention := true, 0
+				if cfg.Reads != nil {
+					if cfg.Reads.Enabled != nil {
+						readsOn = *cfg.Reads.Enabled
+					}
+					retention = cfg.Reads.RetentionDays
+				}
+				if readsOn {
+					var reads *webapp.ReadLedger
+					if meta != nil {
+						reads, err = webapp.NewReadLedger(meta.Reads(), retention)
+					} else {
+						reads, err = webapp.OpenReadLedger(filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(projectsDB), "reads.json"), retention)
+					}
+					if err != nil {
+						return fmt.Errorf("open read ledger: %w", err)
+					}
+					defer reads.Close()
+					srv.Reads = reads
+				}
 				if meta != nil {
 					display += " (db: " + cfg.Database.Driver + ")"
 				} else {
diff --git a/docs/design/read-heatmap.md b/docs/design/read-heatmap.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9a0788a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/design/read-heatmap.md
@@ -0,0 +1,237 @@
+# Read heatmap — design
+
+Status: proposed (2026-07-11) · Owner: snow · Prior art: session-linked notes (shipped), history API
+
+## Problem
+
+BearDrive knows everything about *writes* (journals: who, when, which session)
+and nothing about *reads*. Admins curating a shared knowledge folder can't see
+which files the team actually consumes, so they can't tell a load-bearing
+document from dead weight. The killer view is the **read×write matrix**:
+heavily-read + long-unwritten is the danger zone (stale knowledge people still
+rely on); unread + unwritten is archive material.
+
+Two properties make this more than Confluence-style view counts:
+
+1. **Write provenance is already perfect** (journals), so read data alone
+   completes the matrix — competitors have reads but weak write history.
+2. **Agent reads are attributable.** The agent hooks + session notes shipped in
+   PR #12 mean we can distinguish *human* reads from *agent* reads — the agent
+   hot-path is effectively the team's context window, and nobody else can see it.
+
+## Non-goals
+
+- **`/store/*` sync traffic is never a read.** Devices replicating a volume is
+  replication, not consumption. Only deliberate consumption counts.
+- No per-user browsing profiles in any API response. Aggregate counts only.
+- No general web analytics (referrers, dwell time, scroll depth).
+- Volume mode (`DirSource`, auth-free viewer) is out of scope — like history,
+  this is a hub feature.
+
+## What counts as a read
+
+| Source | Kind | Actor (internal only) | Where recorded |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| Viewer `GET file` / `render` / `download` | `human` | account email | `serveBlob`, `handleRender` |
+| Share link hit `GET /s/<token>` | `share` | share token | `handleShared` |
+| Agent tool read (Read / read_file / …) | `agent` | device id | reported by client, phase 3 |
+| History version view (`/blob`) | — not counted | | spelunking ≠ consumption |
+| `/store/*` | — never | | replication |
+
+Details:
+
+- **Record before the ETag check.** A 304 render is still a person reading the
+  file; skipping it would undercount exactly the hottest (most-cached) pages.
+- **Debounce to visits, not requests.** An in-memory `(project, path, actor)`
+  seen-map with a 10-minute window collapses reload storms and the
+  render-then-raw double fetch into one read. The map is pruned on the flush
+  tick. Embedded assets fetched during a markdown render do count as reads of
+  those assets ("this diagram is viewed a lot" is signal, not noise).
+
+## Data model
+
+One new MetaStore repo. Rows are daily aggregation buckets, not events — the
+ledger never stores an event log, so there is nothing sensitive to leak and
+nothing that grows per-request.
+
+```go
+// ReadStat is one aggregation bucket: reads of one path by one actor on one
+// day. Day=="" is the all-time fold (see retention). Actor is an opaque
+// internal id (account email / device id / share token) used only to count
+// distinct readers; it never appears in an API response.
+type ReadStat struct {
+    Project string    `json:"project"`
+    Path    string    `json:"path"`
+    Day     string    `json:"day"`  // "2026-07-11" UTC, or "" for all-time
+    Kind    string    `json:"kind"` // human | agent | share
+    Actor   string    `json:"actor"`
+    Count   int64     `json:"count"`
+    Last    time.Time `json:"last"`
+}
+
+// ReadRepo persists read buckets. Unlike the other repos this one is batch-
+// oriented: reads are telemetry and flushes carry many dirty buckets at once —
+// one file rewrite / one SQL transaction per flush, not per bucket.
+type ReadRepo interface {
+    Load() ([]ReadStat, error)
+    PutBatch(stats []ReadStat) error              // upsert by (project,path,day,kind,actor)
+    DeleteBatch(keys []ReadStatKey) error         // used by retention fold
+}
+```
+
+- `MetaStore` gains `Reads() ReadRepo`; file backend adds `reads.json`
+  (same load-all / rewrite-atomically discipline, 0o755 dir mode — no secrets),
+  SQL backend adds one table with PK `(project, path, day, kind, actor)` and
+  the usual idempotent `CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS` migration.
+- `db_conformance_test.go` gets ReadRepo cases like every other repo.
+
+### Cardinality & retention
+
+Worst realistic case (1k files × 30 actors × 400 days, every actor reading
+every file daily) is implausible; actual rows ≈ files-actually-read × active
+actors × active days. Retention keeps it bounded regardless:
+
+- Config `reads.retention_days` (default **400** — enough for a year-over-year
+  view). On the daily compaction pass (at load + once per day on the flush
+  loop), buckets older than the horizon are **folded into the all-time row**
+  `(project, path, "", kind, actor)` and deleted. All-time totals survive
+  forever; per-day resolution ages out.
+
+## Server plumbing
+
+New `ReadLedger` service (`webapp/reads.go`), same shape as `DeviceRegistry`:
+in-memory state over a repo, with write throttling.
+
+```go
+type ReadLedger struct {
+    repo ReadRepo
+    mu     sync.Mutex
+    byKey  map[readKey]ReadStat   // loaded at open, bumped in memory
+    dirty  map[readKey]struct{}   // flushed every 30s and on Close
+    seen   map[visitKey]time.Time // debounce window
+}
+func (l *ReadLedger) Record(project, path, kind, actor string)
+func (l *ReadLedger) Heat(project, prefix string, since time.Time) map[string]HeatEntry
+func (l *ReadLedger) Close() error // final flush
+```
+
+- `Server.Reads *ReadLedger` — nil means the feature is off (mirrors
+  `Devices`/`Shares`). `Record` on a nil ledger is a no-op, so call sites
+  stay unconditional.
+- **Recording sites**: `serveBlob` (covers `file` + `download`),
+  `handleRender`, and `handleShared`. The `proj()` resolver already knows the
+  project id; it stashes it in the request context so `recordRead(r, path,
+  kind)` can pick it up without changing every handler signature.
+- **Never on the failure path**: record only after the path resolved and
+  membership passed (`proj()` runs `projectAllowed` first — a 403 records
+  nothing).
+- Flush errors degrade silently (log once), same "never break the request"
+  posture as sync: telemetry must never 500 a page view.
+
+## API
+
+One endpoint, membership-gated like every per-project route:
+
+```
+GET /api/p/<id>/heat?prefix=<folder/>&days=30
+→ { "since": "2026-06-11", "entries": {
+      "wiki/onboarding.md": { "human": 42, "agent": 17, "share": 3,
+                              "readers": 6, "last_read": "2026-07-10T…" },
+      … } }
+```
+
+- `days=0` → all-time (daily buckets + the all-time fold).
+- `readers` = distinct human actors in the window. Actor identities never
+  leave the server; this is the only trace of them.
+- **No writes-join on the server**: the frontend already has per-path last
+  write time from `tree`, so the read×write matrix is a client-side join.
+  One source of truth for write recency, no new endpoint.
+- `/api/config` gains `"reads": {"enabled": true|false}` so the frontend knows
+  whether to fetch heat at all.
+
+## Frontend
+
+**Phase 1 — ambient heat (all members).**
+- Folder listing rows (`renderFolderListing`): a heat dot before the meta text,
+  intensity 0–4 on a log scale of 30-day reads (any-kind), plus `· 42 reads`
+  in `dl-meta`. Folders show the sum of their subtree.
+- File view meta line gains `· 42 reads/30d`.
+- One `heat?days=30` fetch per project, cached alongside the tree and
+  refreshed with it.
+
+**Phase 2 — Insights (admins + org owners).**
+- An "Insights" panel per project: SVG quadrant scatter, **x = days since last
+  write (log), y = reads in window (log)**, one point per file. Quadrants:
+  hot+fresh (healthy), **hot+stale (danger zone — fix these first)**,
+  cold+fresh (new, unproven), cold+stale (archive candidates).
+- Below it, the danger-zone list ranked by `reads × staleness`, each row
+  linking into the file with its history.
+- A human/agent toggle (or stacked dot colors) — "what do the agents live on"
+  is a different question from "what do people open".
+- Dependency-free vanilla JS/SVG like the rest of the frontend.
+
+## Agent reads (phase 3)
+
+Agents read files from the *local synced folder* — the hub never sees those
+reads. The hooks pipeline shipped for session notes closes the gap:
+
+1. **Hook**: each platform gets one more matcher — `Read` (Claude Code),
+   `read_file|read_many_files` (Gemini), `read_file` (Hermes); Codex reads are
+   mostly shell commands, so coverage there is best-effort. The hook runs
+   `bdrive read-log`, which reads the hook JSON on stdin, extracts
+   `tool_input.file_path`, and — iff the path is inside the mount and not
+   ignored — appends `{path, time}` to a spool (`reads.jsonl`, `O_APPEND`,
+   capped at ~10k lines) in the volume store. No network in the hook path.
+2. **Flush**: the sync cycle (daemon remote tick and one-shot `bdrive sync`)
+   drains the spool best-effort to `POST /api/p/<id>/reads` — a new
+   device-token-authenticated endpoint that records each entry as
+   `kind=agent, actor=<device id>`. Offline → the spool just waits; a failed
+   flush never fails the cycle. `remote/http.go` gains the client call as an
+   optional capability interface (the `PutSigner` pattern) so `file://`
+   test remotes simply don't report.
+3. Session attribution rides along free: the persisted session note is active
+   during the same turn, so the hub can tag agent read batches with the same
+   session id the writes carry (kept server-side; surfaced later if wanted).
+
+## Privacy & config
+
+```json
+"reads": { "enabled": true, "retention_days": 400 }
+```
+
+- Default **on** (aggregate-only data; a hub admin can disable it).
+- Exposed data is only ever: per-path counts by kind, distinct-reader count,
+  last-read time. Who-read-what is not queryable through any API, including
+  admin APIs — the actor column exists solely to make `readers` honest.
+- Heat is member-visible (it helps everyone find the good docs); the Insights
+  panel is admin/org-owner only, matching the saved intent.
+
+## Testing
+
+- **Unit** (`reads_test.go`): debounce window, retention fold (daily → all-time),
+  distinct-reader counting, nil-ledger no-ops, flush-on-close.
+- **Conformance**: ReadRepo ops across file/sqlite/postgres backends.
+- **Handler**: render/file/download/share record with the right kind; `/blob`
+  and `/store/*` do not; non-member 403 records nothing; `heat` respects
+  prefix + window; heat 404s in volume mode.
+- **Client** (phase 3): spool append from real hook JSON shapes (reuse the
+  fixtures from `agenthooks_test.go`), flush drains + survives offline,
+  cycle never fails on report errors.
+
+## Phasing
+
+1. **Ledger + heat** — ReadRepo (file/SQL), ReadLedger, recording sites,
+   `/heat`, config block, folder heat dots + file read counts. Ships alone;
+   human/share data starts accruing immediately.
+2. **Insights quadrant** — admin panel, danger-zone list. Pure frontend + the
+   existing endpoints.
+3. **Agent reads** — `bdrive read-log`, hook matchers, spool, `POST /reads`,
+   human/agent split in the UI. Depends on 1.
+
+Phase 1 is the prerequisite for everything and is deliberately boring: one
+repo, one service, three record calls, one endpoint, two UI touches.
+
+Phase 3 is the point of the feature, not tail work: human view counts are a
+commodity (every Confluence app has them); *agent* read visibility is the
+part nobody else can build. Phases are ordered by dependency, not value —
+ship 1 and 3 before polishing 2 if time is short.
diff --git a/internal/webapp/db.go b/internal/webapp/db.go
index bb2f2cc..fa75ca3 100644
--- a/internal/webapp/db.go
+++ b/internal/webapp/db.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ type MetaStore interface {
 	Orgs() OrgRepo
 	Shares() ShareRepo
 	Devices() DeviceRepo
+	Reads() ReadRepo
 	Close() error
 }
 
@@ -56,3 +57,13 @@ type DeviceRepo interface {
 	Load() ([]DeviceInfo, error)
 	Put(d DeviceInfo) error
 }
+
+// ReadRepo persists read-telemetry buckets (see ReadStat). Unlike the other
+// repos it is batch-oriented: reads are telemetry, and the ledger flushes many
+// dirty buckets at once — one file rewrite / one SQL transaction per flush,
+// not one write per bucket.
+type ReadRepo interface {
+	Load() ([]ReadStat, error)
+	PutBatch(stats []ReadStat) error // upsert by (project, path, day, kind, actor)
+	DeleteBatch(keys []ReadStatKey) error
+}
diff --git a/internal/webapp/db_conformance_test.go b/internal/webapp/db_conformance_test.go
index 75942b2..8b0548a 100644
--- a/internal/webapp/db_conformance_test.go
+++ b/internal/webapp/db_conformance_test.go
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ func metaBackends(t *testing.T) []metaBackend {
 					t.Fatalf("postgres reset: %v", err)
 				}
 				defer db.Close()
-				db.Exec(`DROP TABLE IF EXISTS accounts, tokens, auth_policy, projects, orgs, org_members, invites, shares, devices`)
+				db.Exec(`DROP TABLE IF EXISTS accounts, tokens, auth_policy, projects, orgs, org_members, invites, shares, devices, read_stats`)
 			},
 			open: func(t *testing.T) MetaStore {
 				s, err := OpenSQLStore("pgx", dsn)
@@ -176,6 +176,17 @@ func TestMetaStoreConformance(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 			devices.Observe(DeviceInfo{ID: "d1", Name: "laptop", OS: "mac", User: "dev@x.io", IP: "1.2.3.4"})
 
+			reads, err := NewReadLedger(st.Reads(), 0)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			reads.Record(p1.ID, "handbook.md", ReadKindHuman, "dev@x.io")
+			reads.Record(p1.ID, "handbook.md", ReadKindHuman, "boss@x.io")
+			reads.Record(p1.ID, "wiki/deep.md", ReadKindAgent, "d1")
+			if err := reads.Close(); err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+
 			if err := st.Close(); err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
@@ -236,6 +247,21 @@ func TestMetaStoreConformance(t *testing.T) {
 			if !ok || d.Name != "laptop" || d.IP != "1.2.3.4" {
 				t.Fatalf("device lost across reload: %+v", d)
 			}
+
+			reads2, err := NewReadLedger(st2.Reads(), 0)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			heat := reads2.Heat(p1.ID, "", time.Time{})
+			if e := heat["handbook.md"]; e.Human != 2 || e.Readers != 2 {
+				t.Fatalf("read buckets lost across reload: %+v", e)
+			}
+			if e := heat["wiki/deep.md"]; e.Agent != 1 || e.Readers != 0 {
+				t.Fatalf("agent read bucket lost across reload: %+v", e)
+			}
+			if sub := reads2.Heat(p1.ID, "wiki", time.Time{}); len(sub) != 1 {
+				t.Fatalf("prefix heat = %+v, want only wiki/deep.md", sub)
+			}
 		})
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/webapp/db_file.go b/internal/webapp/db_file.go
index 8e8e4b1..d2cae67 100644
--- a/internal/webapp/db_file.go
+++ b/internal/webapp/db_file.go
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ type fileMetaStore struct {
 	orgs     *fileOrgRepo
 	shares   *fileShareRepo
 	devices  *fileDeviceRepo
+	reads    *fileReadRepo
 }
 
 // OpenFileStore builds the file backend over dir, using the historical
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ func OpenFileStore(dir string) (MetaStore, error) {
 		orgs:     newFileOrgRepo(filepath.Join(dir, "orgs.json")),
 		shares:   newFileShareRepo(filepath.Join(dir, "shares.json")),
 		devices:  newFileDeviceRepo(filepath.Join(dir, "devices.json")),
+		reads:    newFileReadRepo(filepath.Join(dir, "reads.json")),
 	}, nil
 }
 
@@ -80,6 +82,7 @@ func (s *fileMetaStore) Projects() ProjectRepo { return s.projects }
 func (s *fileMetaStore) Orgs() OrgRepo         { return s.orgs }
 func (s *fileMetaStore) Shares() ShareRepo     { return s.shares }
 func (s *fileMetaStore) Devices() DeviceRepo   { return s.devices }
+func (s *fileMetaStore) Reads() ReadRepo       { return s.reads }
 func (s *fileMetaStore) Close() error          { return nil }
 
 // ---- accounts (auth.json: users + tokens + policy) ----
@@ -419,3 +422,72 @@ func (r *fileDeviceRepo) Put(d DeviceInfo) error {
 	r.byID[d.ID] = d
 	return r.write()
 }
+
+// ---- reads (reads.json) ----
+
+type fileReadRepo struct {
+	path  string
+	mu    sync.Mutex
+	byKey map[ReadStatKey]ReadStat
+}
+
+func newFileReadRepo(path string) *fileReadRepo {
+	return &fileReadRepo{path: path, byKey: map[ReadStatKey]ReadStat{}}
+}
+
+func (r *fileReadRepo) Load() ([]ReadStat, error) {
+	r.mu.Lock()
+	defer r.mu.Unlock()
+	var f struct {
+		Reads []ReadStat `json:"reads"`
+	}
+	if _, err := readJSONFile(r.path, &f); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	r.byKey = map[ReadStatKey]ReadStat{}
+	for _, st := range f.Reads {
+		r.byKey[st.key()] = st
+	}
+	return f.Reads, nil
+}
+
+func (r *fileReadRepo) write() error {
+	var f struct {
+		Reads []ReadStat `json:"reads"`
+	}
+	f.Reads = make([]ReadStat, 0, len(r.byKey))
+	for _, st := range r.byKey {
+		f.Reads = append(f.Reads, st)
+	}
+	sort.Slice(f.Reads, func(i, j int) bool {
+		a, b := f.Reads[i], f.Reads[j]
+		if a.Path != b.Path {
+			return a.Path < b.Path
+		}
+		return a.Day < b.Day
+	})
+	data, err := json.Marshal(f) // telemetry: compact beats pretty
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	// 0700 dir: buckets carry actor emails, like auth.json carries accounts.
+	return writeFileAtomic(r.path, append(data, '\n'), 0o700)
+}
+
+func (r *fileReadRepo) PutBatch(stats []ReadStat) error {
+	r.mu.Lock()
+	defer r.mu.Unlock()
+	for _, st := range stats {
+		r.byKey[st.key()] = st
+	}
+	return r.write()
+}
+
+func (r *fileReadRepo) DeleteBatch(keys []ReadStatKey) error {
+	r.mu.Lock()
+	defer r.mu.Unlock()
+	for _, k := range keys {
+		delete(r.byKey, k)
+	}
+	return r.write()
+}
diff --git a/internal/webapp/db_sql.go b/internal/webapp/db_sql.go
index ed4118a..100d64f 100644
--- a/internal/webapp/db_sql.go
+++ b/internal/webapp/db_sql.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ type sqlMetaStore struct {
 	orgs     *sqlOrgRepo
 	shares   *sqlShareRepo
 	devices  *sqlDeviceRepo
+	reads    *sqlReadRepo
 }
 
 // OpenSQLStore opens (and migrates) a SQL metadata store. driver is "sqlite"
@@ -66,6 +67,7 @@ func OpenSQLStore(driver, dsn string) (MetaStore, error) {
 	s.orgs = &sqlOrgRepo{s}
 	s.shares = &sqlShareRepo{s}
 	s.devices = &sqlDeviceRepo{s}
+	s.reads = &sqlReadRepo{s}
 	return s, nil
 }
 
@@ -74,6 +76,7 @@ func (s *sqlMetaStore) Projects() ProjectRepo { return s.projects }
 func (s *sqlMetaStore) Orgs() OrgRepo         { return s.orgs }
 func (s *sqlMetaStore) Shares() ShareRepo     { return s.shares }
 func (s *sqlMetaStore) Devices() DeviceRepo   { return s.devices }
+func (s *sqlMetaStore) Reads() ReadRepo       { return s.reads }
 func (s *sqlMetaStore) Close() error          { return s.db.Close() }
 
 // q rebinds ?-placeholders to $1,$2,… for Postgres; SQLite keeps ?.
@@ -153,6 +156,11 @@ func (s *sqlMetaStore) migrate() error {
 		`CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS devices (
 			id TEXT PRIMARY KEY, name TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '', os TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
 			user_email TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '', ip TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '', last_seen TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '')`,
+		`CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS read_stats (
+			project TEXT NOT NULL, path TEXT NOT NULL, day TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+			kind TEXT NOT NULL, actor TEXT NOT NULL,
+			count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0, last TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
+			PRIMARY KEY (project, path, day, kind, actor))`,
 	}
 	for _, st := range stmts {
 		if _, err := s.db.Exec(st); err != nil {
@@ -462,3 +470,59 @@ func (r *sqlDeviceRepo) Put(d DeviceInfo) error {
 		ip=excluded.ip, last_seen=excluded.last_seen`,
 		d.ID, d.Name, d.OS, d.User, d.IP, tenc(d.LastSeen))
 }
+
+// ---- reads ----
+
+type sqlReadRepo struct{ s *sqlMetaStore }
+
+func (r *sqlReadRepo) Load() ([]ReadStat, error) {
+	rows, err := r.s.db.Query(`SELECT project, path, day, kind, actor, count, last FROM read_stats`)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	defer rows.Close()
+	var out []ReadStat
+	for rows.Next() {
+		var st ReadStat
+		var last string
+		if err := rows.Scan(&st.Project, &st.Path, &st.Day, &st.Kind, &st.Actor, &st.Count, &last); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		st.Last = tdec(last)
+		out = append(out, st)
+	}
+	return out, rows.Err()
+}
+
+func (r *sqlReadRepo) PutBatch(stats []ReadStat) error {
+	tx, err := r.s.db.Begin()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer tx.Rollback()
+	for _, st := range stats {
+		if _, err := tx.Exec(r.s.q(`INSERT INTO read_stats (project,path,day,kind,actor,count,last)
+			VALUES (?,?,?,?,?,?,?)
+			ON CONFLICT(project,path,day,kind,actor) DO UPDATE SET count=excluded.count, last=excluded.last`),
+			st.Project, st.Path, st.Day, st.Kind, st.Actor, st.Count, tenc(st.Last)); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return tx.Commit()
+}
+
+func (r *sqlReadRepo) DeleteBatch(keys []ReadStatKey) error {
+	tx, err := r.s.db.Begin()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer tx.Rollback()
+	for _, k := range keys {
+		if _, err := tx.Exec(r.s.q(`DELETE FROM read_stats
+			WHERE project = ? AND path = ? AND day = ? AND kind = ? AND actor = ?`),
+			k.Project, k.Path, k.Day, k.Kind, k.Actor); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return tx.Commit()
+}
diff --git a/internal/webapp/reads.go b/internal/webapp/reads.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d0b5d13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/webapp/reads.go
@@ -0,0 +1,411 @@
+package webapp
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"log"
+	"net/http"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// Read telemetry: who consumes what, aggregated. Together with the write
+// history the journals already carry, this completes the read×write matrix —
+// heavily-read + long-unwritten is the danger zone an admin should fix first
+// (see docs/design/read-heatmap.md).
+//
+// What counts as a read: viewer file/render/download hits (human), share-link
+// hits (share), and agent tool reads reported by syncing devices (agent).
+// /store/* sync traffic is replication, not reading, and is never counted;
+// history /blob views are spelunking, not consumption, and aren't either.
+//
+// Privacy: rows are daily aggregation buckets, never an event log. The actor
+// column (account email / device id / share token) exists only to count
+// distinct readers and never appears in an API response.
+
+// Read kinds.
+const (
+	ReadKindHuman = "human"
+	ReadKindAgent = "agent"
+	ReadKindShare = "share"
+)
+
+// ReadStat is one aggregation bucket: reads of one path by one actor on one
+// day. Day == "" is the all-time fold that survives retention.
+type ReadStat struct {
+	Project string    `json:"project"`
+	Path    string    `json:"path"`
+	Day     string    `json:"day"` // "2006-01-02" UTC, or "" for all-time
+	Kind    string    `json:"kind"`
+	Actor   string    `json:"actor"`
+	Count   int64     `json:"count"`
+	Last    time.Time `json:"last"`
+}
+
+// ReadStatKey identifies one bucket.
+type ReadStatKey struct {
+	Project, Path, Day, Kind, Actor string
+}
+
+func (s ReadStat) key() ReadStatKey {
+	return ReadStatKey{s.Project, s.Path, s.Day, s.Kind, s.Actor}
+}
+
+// HeatEntry is the per-path aggregate the heat API returns. Counts only —
+// never identities.
+type HeatEntry struct {
+	Human    int64     `json:"human,omitempty"`
+	Agent    int64     `json:"agent,omitempty"`
+	Share    int64     `json:"share,omitempty"`
+	Readers  int       `json:"readers,omitempty"` // distinct human readers
+	LastRead time.Time `json:"last_read,omitzero"`
+}
+
+const (
+	// readDebounce collapses request storms (reloads, render-then-raw double
+	// fetches) into visits: repeat reads of a path by the same actor within
+	// the window don't count again.
+	readDebounce = 10 * time.Minute
+	// readFlushEvery throttles persistence; dirty buckets ride in memory
+	// between flushes, so a crash loses at most this much telemetry.
+	readFlushEvery = 30 * time.Second
+	// DefaultReadRetentionDays is how long daily buckets keep per-day
+	// resolution before folding into the all-time row.
+	DefaultReadRetentionDays = 400
+)
+
+// ReadLedger is the in-memory read-telemetry service over a ReadRepo, in the
+// mold of DeviceRegistry: reads stay in memory, writes are throttled. There is
+// no background goroutine — flushes piggyback on Record calls, and telemetry
+// failures never surface to the request that triggered them.
+type ReadLedger struct {
+	repo      ReadRepo
+	retention time.Duration
+
+	mu         sync.Mutex
+	byKey      map[ReadStatKey]ReadStat
+	dirty      map[ReadStatKey]bool
+	pendingDel []ReadStatKey             // retention deletions awaiting a successful flush
+	seen       map[ReadStatKey]time.Time // debounce; Day field unused ("")
+	lastFlush  time.Time
+	warned     bool
+}
+
+// NewReadLedger loads the ledger and immediately folds buckets older than the
+// retention horizon into their all-time rows. retentionDays <= 0 means the
+// default.
+func NewReadLedger(repo ReadRepo, retentionDays int) (*ReadLedger, error) {
+	if retentionDays <= 0 {
+		retentionDays = DefaultReadRetentionDays
+	}
+	l := &ReadLedger{
+		repo:      repo,
+		retention: time.Duration(retentionDays) * 24 * time.Hour,
+		byKey:     map[ReadStatKey]ReadStat{},
+		dirty:     map[ReadStatKey]bool{},
+		seen:      map[ReadStatKey]time.Time{},
+		lastFlush: time.Now(),
+	}
+	stats, err := repo.Load()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	for _, st := range stats {
+		l.byKey[st.key()] = st
+	}
+	// Fold anything past the retention horizon right away. A failed persist
+	// is not a boot failure — the fold stays dirty and later flushes retry.
+	l.mu.Lock()
+	l.compactLocked()
+	if err := l.persistLocked(); err != nil {
+		log.Printf("beardrive: read telemetry compact failed (will retry): %v", err)
+	}
+	l.mu.Unlock()
+	return l, nil
+}
+
+// OpenReadLedger loads the file-backed ledger at path.
+func OpenReadLedger(path string, retentionDays int) (*ReadLedger, error) {
+	return NewReadLedger(newFileReadRepo(path), retentionDays)
+}
+
+// Record counts one read. Nil-safe and never fails: telemetry must not break
+// the page view (or sync cycle) that triggered it.
+func (l *ReadLedger) Record(project, path, kind, actor string) {
+	if l == nil || project == "" || path == "" {
+		return
+	}
+	now := time.Now().UTC()
+	l.mu.Lock()
+	defer l.mu.Unlock()
+	visit := ReadStatKey{Project: project, Path: path, Kind: kind, Actor: actor}
+	if t, ok := l.seen[visit]; ok && now.Sub(t) < readDebounce {
+		return
+	}
+	l.seen[visit] = now
+	key := visit
+	key.Day = now.Format("2006-01-02")
+	st := l.byKey[key]
+	st.Project, st.Path, st.Day, st.Kind, st.Actor = project, path, key.Day, kind, actor
+	st.Count++
+	st.Last = now
+	l.byKey[key] = st
+	l.dirty[key] = true
+	if now.Sub(l.lastFlush) >= readFlushEvery {
+		l.flushLocked()
+	}
+}
+
+// Heat aggregates reads per path for one project. since bounds the window
+// (zero = all time, including retention folds); prefix "" means the whole
+// project, otherwise paths under "<prefix>/".
+func (l *ReadLedger) Heat(project, prefix string, since time.Time) map[string]HeatEntry {
+	if l == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	sinceDay := ""
+	if !since.IsZero() {
+		sinceDay = since.UTC().Format("2006-01-02")
+	}
+	prefix = strings.TrimSuffix(prefix, "/")
+	out := map[string]HeatEntry{}
+	humans := map[string]map[string]bool{} // path → distinct human actors
+	l.mu.Lock()
+	defer l.mu.Unlock()
+	for key, st := range l.byKey {
+		if key.Project != project {
+			continue
+		}
+		if prefix != "" && !strings.HasPrefix(key.Path, prefix+"/") {
+			continue
+		}
+		if key.Day == "" {
+			if sinceDay != "" {
+				continue // all-time fold is older than any windowed query
+			}
+		} else if key.Day < sinceDay {
+			continue
+		}
+		e := out[key.Path]
+		switch key.Kind {
+		case ReadKindHuman:
+			e.Human += st.Count
+			set := humans[key.Path]
+			if set == nil {
+				set = map[string]bool{}
+				humans[key.Path] = set
+			}
+			set[key.Actor] = true
+		case ReadKindAgent:
+			e.Agent += st.Count
+		case ReadKindShare:
+			e.Share += st.Count
+		}
+		if st.Last.After(e.LastRead) {
+			e.LastRead = st.Last
+		}
+		out[key.Path] = e
+	}
+	for p, set := range humans {
+		e := out[p]
+		e.Readers = len(set)
+		out[p] = e
+	}
+	return out
+}
+
+// Close flushes any pending buckets.
+func (l *ReadLedger) Close() error {
+	if l == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	l.mu.Lock()
+	defer l.mu.Unlock()
+	l.flushLocked()
+	if n := len(l.dirty); n > 0 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("read ledger: flush failed, %d buckets pending", n)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// flushLocked persists dirty buckets (and, once a day, retention folds),
+// pruning the debounce map along the way. Failures keep the buckets dirty for
+// the next attempt and log once — telemetry never breaks a request.
+func (l *ReadLedger) flushLocked() {
+	now := time.Now()
+	l.lastFlush = now
+	for k, t := range l.seen {
+		if now.Sub(t) >= readDebounce {
+			delete(l.seen, k)
+		}
+	}
+	l.compactLocked()
+	if err := l.persistLocked(); err != nil {
+		if !l.warned {
+			l.warned = true
+			log.Printf("beardrive: read telemetry flush failed (will retry): %v", err)
+		}
+	} else {
+		l.warned = false
+	}
+}
+
+// compactLocked folds daily buckets older than the retention horizon into
+// their all-time rows, queueing the daily rows for deletion. Callers hold mu.
+func (l *ReadLedger) compactLocked() {
+	horizon := time.Now().UTC().Add(-l.retention).Format("2006-01-02")
+	for key, st := range l.byKey {
+		if key.Day == "" || key.Day >= horizon {
+			continue
+		}
+		fold := key
+		fold.Day = ""
+		agg := l.byKey[fold]
+		agg.Project, agg.Path, agg.Kind, agg.Actor = st.Project, st.Path, st.Kind, st.Actor
+		agg.Day = ""
+		agg.Count += st.Count
+		if st.Last.After(agg.Last) {
+			agg.Last = st.Last
+		}
+		l.byKey[fold] = agg
+		l.dirty[fold] = true
+		delete(l.byKey, key)
+		delete(l.dirty, key)
+		l.pendingDel = append(l.pendingDel, key)
+	}
+}
+
+// persistLocked writes queued deletions and dirty buckets through the repo.
+// Callers hold mu. Both queues survive a failure so the next flush retries —
+// dropping a deletion would resurrect folded rows on the next load and
+// double-count them.
+func (l *ReadLedger) persistLocked() error {
+	if len(l.pendingDel) > 0 {
+		if err := l.repo.DeleteBatch(l.pendingDel); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		l.pendingDel = nil
+	}
+	if len(l.dirty) == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+	batch := make([]ReadStat, 0, len(l.dirty))
+	for key := range l.dirty {
+		batch = append(batch, l.byKey[key])
+	}
+	if err := l.repo.PutBatch(batch); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	l.dirty = map[ReadStatKey]bool{}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// ---- server integration ----
+
+// ctxProjectKey carries the resolved project id from the proj() route
+// resolver to handlers that record reads.
+type ctxProjectKey struct{}
+
+func withProjectID(r *http.Request, id string) *http.Request {
+	return r.WithContext(context.WithValue(r.Context(), ctxProjectKey{}, id))
+}
+
+func projectID(r *http.Request) string {
+	id, _ := r.Context().Value(ctxProjectKey{}).(string)
+	return id
+}
+
+// recordRead counts a human read of path for the request's project. No-op
+// outside hub mode (no project id) or when read tracking is off.
+func (s *Server) recordRead(r *http.Request, path string) {
+	if s.Reads == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	project := projectID(r)
+	if project == "" {
+		return
+	}
+	actor := s.requestUser(r).Email
+	if actor == "" {
+		actor = "anonymous"
+	}
+	s.Reads.Record(project, path, ReadKindHuman, actor)
+}
+
+// handleHeat serves per-path read aggregates: ?prefix= bounds to a folder,
+// ?days= bounds the window (default 30, 0 = all time). Counts only — actor
+// identities never leave the server.
+func (s *Server) handleHeat(v *volume, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	if s.Reads == nil {
+		http.Error(w, "read tracking is not enabled on this server", http.StatusNotFound)
+		return
+	}
+	_ = v
+	q := r.URL.Query()
+	days := 30
+	if raw := q.Get("days"); raw != "" {
+		var err error
+		if days, err = strconv.Atoi(raw); err != nil || days < 0 {
+			http.Error(w, "invalid days", http.StatusBadRequest)
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	var since time.Time
+	if days > 0 {
+		since = time.Now().UTC().AddDate(0, 0, -days)
+	}
+	entries := s.Reads.Heat(projectID(r), q.Get("prefix"), since)
+	out := map[string]any{"entries": entries}
+	if !since.IsZero() {
+		out["since"] = since.Format("2006-01-02")
+	}
+	writeJSON(w, out)
+}
+
+// handleReadReport ingests agent reads from a syncing device: the client's
+// read spool, drained best-effort at sync time. Requires a device identity —
+// the device id is the actor, so reads count as agent traffic.
+func (s *Server) handleReadReport(v *volume, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	if s.Reads == nil {
+		http.Error(w, "read tracking is not enabled on this server", http.StatusNotFound)
+		return
+	}
+	_ = v
+	device := r.Header.Get("X-Bdrive-Device")
+	if device == "" {
+		http.Error(w, "agent read reports need a device identity", http.StatusBadRequest)
+		return
+	}
+	var req struct {
+		Reads []struct {
+			Path string `json:"path"`
+			// Time is accepted for forward compatibility but buckets use
+			// server time: client clocks are unreliable and late flushes are
+			// telemetry noise, not data loss.
+			Time time.Time `json:"time,omitzero"`
+		} `json:"reads"`
+	}
+	if err := json.NewDecoder(io.LimitReader(r.Body, 1<<20)).Decode(&req); err != nil {
+		http.Error(w, "bad request: "+err.Error(), http.StatusBadRequest)
+		return
+	}
+	if len(req.Reads) > 4096 {
+		http.Error(w, "too many reads in one report", http.StatusBadRequest)
+		return
+	}
+	s.observeDevice(r)
+	project := projectID(r)
+	n := 0
+	for _, e := range req.Reads {
+		if e.Path == "" || strings.Contains(e.Path, "..") {
+			continue
+		}
+		s.Reads.Record(project, e.Path, ReadKindAgent, device)
+		n++
+	}
+	writeJSON(w, map[string]any{"accepted": n})
+}
diff --git a/internal/webapp/reads_test.go b/internal/webapp/reads_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed4d6b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/webapp/reads_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,236 @@
+package webapp
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// doHdr is do() with request headers (device identity on read reports).
+func doHdr(t *testing.T, h http.Handler, method, url string, body any, hdr map[string]string) *httptest.ResponseRecorder {
+	t.Helper()
+	data, err := json.Marshal(body)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(method, url, bytes.NewReader(data))
+	for k, v := range hdr {
+		req.Header.Set(k, v)
+	}
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	h.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+	return rec
+}
+
+func openTestLedger(t *testing.T, retentionDays int) (*ReadLedger, *fileReadRepo) {
+	t.Helper()
+	repo := newFileReadRepo(filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "reads.json"))
+	l, err := NewReadLedger(repo, retentionDays)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	return l, repo
+}
+
+func TestReadLedgerDebounce(t *testing.T) {
+	l, _ := openTestLedger(t, 0)
+	// A reload storm and the render-then-raw double fetch are one visit…
+	l.Record("p-1", "a.md", ReadKindHuman, "alice@x.io")
+	l.Record("p-1", "a.md", ReadKindHuman, "alice@x.io")
+	l.Record("p-1", "a.md", ReadKindHuman, "alice@x.io")
+	// …but a different actor, kind, or path counts on its own.
+	l.Record("p-1", "a.md", ReadKindHuman, "bob@x.io")
+	l.Record("p-1", "a.md", ReadKindAgent, "alice@x.io")
+	l.Record("p-1", "b.md", ReadKindHuman, "alice@x.io")
+	heat := l.Heat("p-1", "", time.Time{})
+	if e := heat["a.md"]; e.Human != 2 || e.Agent != 1 || e.Readers != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("a.md = %+v, want human 2, agent 1, readers 2", e)
+	}
+	if e := heat["b.md"]; e.Human != 1 || e.Readers != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("b.md = %+v", e)
+	}
+	if heat["a.md"].LastRead.IsZero() {
+		t.Fatal("last_read not set")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestReadLedgerWindow(t *testing.T) {
+	l, repo := openTestLedger(t, 0)
+	l.Record("p-1", "a.md", ReadKindHuman, "alice@x.io")
+	if err := l.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	// An old bucket inside retention: counted all-time, outside a 7-day window.
+	old := ReadStat{Project: "p-1", Path: "a.md", Day: "2026-01-01", Kind: ReadKindHuman,
+		Actor: "carol@x.io", Count: 5, Last: time.Date(2026, 1, 1, 12, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)}
+	if err := repo.PutBatch([]ReadStat{old}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	l2, err := NewReadLedger(repo, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if e := l2.Heat("p-1", "", time.Time{})["a.md"]; e.Human != 6 || e.Readers != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("all-time = %+v, want human 6, readers 2", e)
+	}
+	week := time.Now().UTC().AddDate(0, 0, -7)
+	if e := l2.Heat("p-1", "", week)["a.md"]; e.Human != 1 || e.Readers != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("windowed = %+v, want only today's read", e)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestReadLedgerRetentionFold(t *testing.T) {
+	repo := newFileReadRepo(filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "reads.json"))
+	seed := []ReadStat{
+		{Project: "p-1", Path: "a.md", Day: "2020-01-01", Kind: ReadKindHuman, Actor: "alice@x.io", Count: 3,
+			Last: time.Date(2020, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)},
+		{Project: "p-1", Path: "a.md", Day: "2020-01-02", Kind: ReadKindHuman, Actor: "alice@x.io", Count: 2,
+			Last: time.Date(2020, 1, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)},
+		{Project: "p-1", Path: "a.md", Day: time.Now().UTC().Format("2006-01-02"), Kind: ReadKindHuman,
+			Actor: "alice@x.io", Count: 1, Last: time.Now().UTC()},
+	}
+	if err := repo.PutBatch(seed); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	l, err := NewReadLedger(repo, 30)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	// All-time totals survive the fold; per-day resolution ages out.
+	if e := l.Heat("p-1", "", time.Time{})["a.md"]; e.Human != 6 || e.Readers != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("after fold = %+v, want human 6, readers 1", e)
+	}
+	if err := l.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	rows, err := repo.Load()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	var folds, dailies int
+	for _, st := range rows {
+		if st.Day == "" {
+			folds++
+			if st.Count != 5 {
+				t.Fatalf("fold count = %d, want 5", st.Count)
+			}
+		} else {
+			dailies++
+		}
+	}
+	if folds != 1 || dailies != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("rows after fold: %d folds, %d dailies; want 1 and 1 (%+v)", folds, dailies, rows)
+	}
+	// Reloading must not double-count: the fold replaced the old rows.
+	l2, err := NewReadLedger(repo, 30)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if e := l2.Heat("p-1", "", time.Time{})["a.md"]; e.Human != 6 {
+		t.Fatalf("after reload = %+v, want human still 6", e)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestReadLedgerNil(t *testing.T) {
+	var l *ReadLedger
+	l.Record("p-1", "a.md", ReadKindHuman, "x") // must not panic
+	if l.Heat("p-1", "", time.Time{}) != nil {
+		t.Fatal("nil ledger heat should be nil")
+	}
+	if err := l.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestHeatAPI drives the recording sites and the heat/report endpoints
+// through the real handler: renders and downloads count (debounced), the
+// store sync proxy and history blob views never count, and device-reported
+// agent reads land as agent traffic.
+func TestHeatAPI(t *testing.T) {
+	srv, p, root := newHub(t, false, nil)
+	f := newFakeRemoteAt(t, filepath.Join(root, p.ID))
+	f.putAs("dev1", "alice@x.io", "Alice", "wiki/plan.md", "# plan")
+	f.putAs("dev1", "alice@x.io", "Alice", "top.md", "top")
+	var err error
+	srv.Reads, err = OpenReadLedger(filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "reads.json"), 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	h := srv.Handler()
+	base := "/api/p/" + p.ID + "/"
+
+	// render + raw fetch of the same file = one visit (debounced)
+	for _, u := range []string{base + "render?path=wiki/plan.md", base + "file?path=wiki/plan.md"} {
+		if rec := do(t, h, "GET", u, nil); rec.Code != 200 {
+			t.Fatalf("GET %s: %d %s", u, rec.Code, rec.Body)
+		}
+	}
+	// store proxy traffic is replication, not reading
+	do(t, h, "GET", base+"store/list?prefix=journal/", nil)
+	do(t, h, "GET", base+"store/object?key=journal/dev1.jsonl", nil)
+
+	rec := do(t, h, "GET", base+"heat", nil)
+	if rec.Code != 200 {
+		t.Fatalf("heat: %d %s", rec.Code, rec.Body)
+	}
+	var out struct {
+		Entries map[string]HeatEntry `json:"entries"`
+		Since   string               `json:"since"`
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(rec.Body.Bytes(), &out); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if e := out.Entries["wiki/plan.md"]; e.Human != 1 || e.Readers != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("plan.md heat = %+v, want one human visit", e)
+	}
+	if len(out.Entries) != 1 || out.Since == "" {
+		t.Fatalf("heat = %+v; store traffic must not count", out)
+	}
+
+	// an agent device reports its local tool reads
+	report := map[string]any{
+		"reads": []map[string]string{{"path": "wiki/plan.md"}, {"path": "top.md"}, {"path": "../evil"}},
+	}
+	rec = doHdr(t, h, "POST", base+"reads", report, map[string]string{"X-Bdrive-Device": "dev1"})
+	if rec.Code != 200 {
+		t.Fatalf("report: %d %s", rec.Code, rec.Body)
+	}
+	var acc struct {
+		Accepted int `json:"accepted"`
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(rec.Body.Bytes(), &acc); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if acc.Accepted != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("accepted = %d, want 2 (traversal path dropped)", acc.Accepted)
+	}
+	// …and without a device identity the report is rejected
+	if rec := doHdr(t, h, "POST", base+"reads", report, nil); rec.Code != 400 {
+		t.Fatalf("device-less report: %d, want 400", rec.Code)
+	}
+
+	rec = do(t, h, "GET", base+"heat?prefix=wiki", nil)
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(rec.Body.Bytes(), &out); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if e := out.Entries["wiki/plan.md"]; e.Human != 1 || e.Agent != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("plan.md after report = %+v, want human 1 + agent 1", e)
+	}
+	if _, ok := out.Entries["top.md"]; ok {
+		t.Fatal("prefix filter leaked top.md")
+	}
+
+	if rec := do(t, h, "GET", base+"heat?days=x", nil); rec.Code != 400 {
+		t.Fatalf("bad days: %d, want 400", rec.Code)
+	}
+
+	// a hub without read tracking 404s cleanly
+	srv.Reads = nil
+	if rec := do(t, h, "GET", base+"heat", nil); rec.Code != 404 {
+		t.Fatalf("disabled heat: %d, want 404", rec.Code)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/webapp/server.go b/internal/webapp/server.go
index c9b316d..59c10a5 100644
--- a/internal/webapp/server.go
+++ b/internal/webapp/server.go
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@ type Server struct {
 	Devices *DeviceRegistry
 	// Shares, when set, enables public share links (/s/<token>).
 	Shares *ShareDB
+	// Reads, when set, aggregates read telemetry (viewer, share, and agent
+	// reads) for the heat API. Nil means read tracking is off.
+	Reads *ReadLedger
 	// Orgs, when set, walls projects off by organization membership.
 	Orgs *OrgDB
 	// Quota, when set, enforces plan limits (managed deployments). Nil
@@ -305,7 +308,9 @@ func (s *Server) Handler() http.Handler {
 				http.Error(w, "you are not a member of this project's organization", http.StatusForbidden)
 				return
 			}
-			h(v, w, r)
+			// Read recording (and anything else downstream) finds the project
+			// id in the context; membership has already passed at this point.
+			h(v, w, withProjectID(r, id))
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -348,6 +353,8 @@ func (s *Server) Handler() http.Handler {
 
 	mux.HandleFunc("GET /api/p/{project}/history", proj(s.handleHistory))
 	mux.HandleFunc("GET /api/p/{project}/blob", proj(s.handleBlob))
+	mux.HandleFunc("GET /api/p/{project}/heat", proj(s.handleHeat))
+	mux.HandleFunc("POST /api/p/{project}/reads", proj(s.handleReadReport))
 	mux.HandleFunc("POST /api/p/{project}/shares", proj(s.handleShareCreate))
 	mux.HandleFunc("GET /api/p/{project}/shares", proj(s.handleShareList))
 	mux.HandleFunc("DELETE /api/shares/{token}", s.handleShareRevoke)
@@ -429,7 +436,8 @@ func (s *Server) handleConfig(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		"upload": map[string]any{
 			"enabled": s.Upload.Enabled,
 		},
-		"auth": auth,
+		"auth":  auth,
+		"reads": map[string]any{"enabled": s.Reads != nil},
 	}
 	if me.Email != "" {
 		out["me"] = map[string]string{"email": me.Email, "name": me.Name}
@@ -607,12 +615,15 @@ func lookup(v *volume, r *http.Request) (string, FileInfo, int, error) {
 	return p, fi, 0, nil
 }
 
-func serveBlob(v *volume, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, attach bool) {
+func (s *Server) serveBlob(v *volume, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, attach bool) {
 	p, fi, code, err := lookup(v, r)
 	if err != nil {
 		http.Error(w, err.Error(), code)
 		return
 	}
+	// Count the read before the ETag check: a 304 render is still a person
+	// reading the file, and skipping it would undercount the hottest pages.
+	s.recordRead(r, p)
 	etag := `"` + fi.Blob + `"`
 	if r.Header.Get("If-None-Match") == etag {
 		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNotModified)
@@ -634,11 +645,11 @@ func serveBlob(v *volume, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, attach bool) {
 }
 
 func (s *Server) handleFile(v *volume, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-	serveBlob(v, w, r, false)
+	s.serveBlob(v, w, r, false)
 }
 
 func (s *Server) handleDownload(v *volume, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-	serveBlob(v, w, r, true)
+	s.serveBlob(v, w, r, true)
 }
 
 func (s *Server) handleRender(v *volume, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
@@ -647,6 +658,7 @@ func (s *Server) handleRender(v *volume, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request)
 		http.Error(w, err.Error(), code)
 		return
 	}
+	s.recordRead(r, p)
 	rc, err := v.source.Open(r.Context(), p, fi)
 	if err != nil {
 		http.Error(w, fmt.Sprintf("fetch content: %v", err), http.StatusBadGateway)
diff --git a/internal/webapp/shares.go b/internal/webapp/shares.go
index 2d76959..c7b44ea 100644
--- a/internal/webapp/shares.go
+++ b/internal/webapp/shares.go
@@ -243,6 +243,9 @@ func (s *Server) handleShared(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		http.Error(w, "the shared file no longer exists", http.StatusNotFound)
 		return
 	}
+	// A share hit is external consumption. Actor is token+IP: one audience
+	// member reloading is debounced to a visit, distinct visitors still count.
+	s.Reads.Record(sh.Project, sh.Path, ReadKindShare, sh.Token+"/"+clientIP(r))
 
 	// Sandbox everything under /s/: shared content executes in an opaque
 	// origin (scripts allowed — charts in reports — but no cookies, no
diff --git a/internal/webapp/static/app.js b/internal/webapp/static/app.js
index 58c9797..8b9dbaf 100644
--- a/internal/webapp/static/app.js
+++ b/internal/webapp/static/app.js
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ let currentProject = null; // hub mode: the selected project
 let apiBase = "/api/";      // volume-scoped endpoint prefix
 let orgs = [];             // hub mode: the orgs this account belongs to
 let joinedOrgId = null;    // org just joined via an invite this page-load
+let heatMap = null;        // hub: path → 30-day read counts, from the heat API
+let heatAt = 0;            // when heatMap was last fetched (ms)
 
 const fileURL = (p) => apiBase + "file?path=" + encodeURIComponent(p);
 
@@ -148,6 +150,8 @@ function selectProject(p, path) {
   currentProject = p;
   expanded = new Set();   // fresh collapse state for the new project's tree
   treeFirstLoad = true;
+  heatMap = null;         // the old project's heat means nothing here
+  heatAt = 0;
   apiBase = "/api/p/" + p.id + "/";
   $("vault-name").textContent = p.name;
   document.title = p.name + " — BearDrive";
@@ -694,6 +698,60 @@ async function refreshTree() {
   if (currentPath && dirIndex.has(currentPath) && $("content").querySelector(".dirlist")) {
     renderFolderListing(currentPath);
   }
+  refreshHeat();
+}
+
+/* ---- read heat ----
+   30-day read counts per path from the heat API (hub only). Counts only —
+   the server never says who read what. Fetched lazily alongside the tree. */
+async function refreshHeat(force) {
+  if (!(serverConfig.mode === "hub" && currentProject)) return;
+  if (!(serverConfig.reads && serverConfig.reads.enabled)) return;
+  if (!force && Date.now() - heatAt < 60000) return;
+  heatAt = Date.now(); // set before the fetch so failures don't hammer
+  let out;
+  try {
+    out = await getJSON(apiBase + "heat?days=30");
+  } catch { return; } // keep the last good heat
+  heatMap = out.entries || {};
+  if (currentPath && dirIndex.has(currentPath) && $("content").querySelector(".dirlist")) {
+    renderFolderListing(currentPath);
+  }
+}
+
+/* Heat for one listing entry: a file's own bucket, or the subtree sum for a
+   folder. Null when there is nothing to show. */
+function heatFor(path, isDir) {
+  if (!heatMap) return null;
+  if (!isDir) return heatMap[path] || null;
+  const agg = { human: 0, agent: 0, share: 0 };
+  for (const [p, e] of Object.entries(heatMap)) {
+    if (!p.startsWith(path + "/")) continue;
+    agg.human += e.human || 0;
+    agg.agent += e.agent || 0;
+    agg.share += e.share || 0;
+  }
+  return agg.human || agg.agent || agg.share ? agg : null;
+}
+
+function heatTotal(e) { return (e.human || 0) + (e.agent || 0) + (e.share || 0); }
+
+function heatText(e) {
+  const total = heatTotal(e);
+  if (!total) return "";
+  let s = total + (total === 1 ? " read" : " reads");
+  if (e.agent) s += " (" + e.agent + " agent)";
+  return s;
+}
+
+/* Dot intensity 1–4, log-ish steps: 1–2, 3–9, 10–29, 30+ reads. */
+function heatLevel(e) {
+  const total = heatTotal(e);
+  if (!total) return 0;
+  if (total < 3) return 1;
+  if (total < 10) return 2;
+  if (total < 30) return 3;
+  return 4;
 }
 
 function renderChildren(children) {
@@ -865,6 +923,8 @@ function renderFolderListing(p) {
   const counts = [];
   if (dirs) counts.push(dirs + (dirs === 1 ? " folder" : " folders"));
   if (files) counts.push(files + (files === 1 ? " file" : " files"));
+  const folderHeat = heatFor(p, true);
+  if (folderHeat) counts.push(heatText(folderHeat) + " in 30 days");
   el(wrap, "p", "dl-sub", counts.join(" · ") || "Empty folder");
   if (!kids.length) {
     el(wrap, "div", "dl-empty", "Nothing in this folder yet.");
@@ -888,6 +948,12 @@ function renderFolderListing(p) {
       meta = [c.size ? humanSize(c.size) : "", c.time ? new Date(c.time).toLocaleDateString() : ""]
         .filter(Boolean).join(" · ");
     }
+    const he = heatFor(c.path, !!c.dir);
+    if (he) {
+      const dot = el(row, "span", "heatdot lvl" + heatLevel(he));
+      dot.title = heatText(he) + " in 30 days";
+      meta = heatText(he) + (meta ? " · " + meta : "");
+    }
     el(row, "span", "dl-meta", meta);
     row.onclick = () => openPath(c.path);
     row.onkeydown = (e) => { if (e.key === "Enter" || e.key === " ") { e.preventDefault(); row.click(); } };
@@ -964,6 +1030,8 @@ function showMeta(doc) {
   const parts = [];
   if (doc.author) parts.push(doc.author + (doc.device ? " on " + doc.device : ""));
   if (doc.time) parts.push(new Date(doc.time).toLocaleString());
+  const he = heatMap && heatMap[doc.path];
+  if (he && heatTotal(he)) parts.push(heatText(he) + " / 30d");
   $("meta").textContent = parts.join(" · ");
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/webapp/static/style.css b/internal/webapp/static/style.css
index 5e7eee5..c0f5d94 100644
--- a/internal/webapp/static/style.css
+++ b/internal/webapp/static/style.css
@@ -269,6 +269,12 @@ button, input, a.btn { font-family: inherit; }
 .dl-row:hover .ticon { color: var(--text-faint); }
 .dl-name { flex: 1; min-width: 0; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; font-size: 13.5px; color: var(--text); }
 .dl-meta { flex: none; font-size: 12px; color: var(--text-faint); font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums; }
+/* read-heat dot: intensity grows with 30-day reads (heatLevel in app.js) */
+.heatdot { flex: none; width: 7px; height: 7px; border-radius: 50%; background: var(--accent); }
+.heatdot.lvl1 { opacity: .3; }
+.heatdot.lvl2 { opacity: .55; }
+.heatdot.lvl3 { opacity: .8; }
+.heatdot.lvl4 { opacity: 1; box-shadow: 0 0 6px rgba(245, 166, 35, .55); }
 .dl-empty { padding: 24px 14px; color: var(--text-faint); font-size: 13px; border: 1px dashed var(--border); border-radius: var(--r-card); text-align: center; }
 .dl-h3 { margin: 28px 0 8px; font-size: 10.5px; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: .07em; color: var(--text-ghost); font-weight: 600; }
 .dl-hlist { border: 1px solid var(--border); border-radius: var(--r-card); background: var(--bg-side); overflow: hidden; max-width: none; }