Remove legacy frontend assets and update gallery routes

docs/legacy-routes-removal-checklist.md

@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+# Legacy Routes Removal Checklist
+
+Date: 2026-03-12
+Scope: staged retirement of routes listed in docs/legacy-routes-inventory.md
+
+## Global Preflight (run before each phase)
+
+- Confirm canonical replacement routes exist and are healthy.
+- Snapshot current route map:
+  - `php artisan route:list --path=legacy`
+  - `php artisan route:list --json > storage/logs/routes-before-phase.json`
+- Capture 14-30 day usage for each candidate route from access logs / analytics.
+- Define rollback rule: restore removed routes immediately if a business-critical endpoint drops or 404 volume spikes.
+
+## Standard PR Steps (for every phase)
+
+1. Remove targeted route entries from routes/legacy.php.
+2. If needed, add explicit 301 redirects to canonical paths in routes/web.php.
+3. Update route-based tests (e2e fixtures and auth guard lists).
+4. Run cache clear and verify registration:
+   - `php artisan optimize:clear`
+   - `php artisan route:list --json`
+5. Add release note entry with removed paths and replacements.
+
+## SEO Safety Checklist
+
+- Ensure removed indexed URLs either:
+  - return 301 to final canonical URL, or
+  - return 410 only when intentional and approved.
+- Keep canonical tags correct on destination pages.
+- Re-submit updated sitemap if route removals change indexed URLs.
+- Monitor Search Console coverage and soft-404 reports for 2-4 weeks.
+
+## Monitoring Checklist (post-deploy)
+
+- Track 404 count by path prefix for removed routes.
+- Track 301 volume for newly redirected legacy paths.
+- Watch top entry pages for traffic drops.
+- Verify no auth redirect loops were introduced on legacy auth-only pages.
+
+## Phase-by-Phase Execution
+
+### Phase 1: Redirect-only endpoints (lowest risk)
+
+Targets:
+- /top-authors
+- /interviews
+- /apply
+- /bug-report
+- /browse-redirect
+- /wallpapers-redirect
+
+Phase checks:
+- Confirm each path still has a valid replacement target.
+- Validate 301 status and location header for each route.
+
+### Phase 2: Alias pair cleanup
+
+Targets:
+- /featured vs /featured-artworks
+- /uploads/latest vs /latest
+- /comments/latest vs /latest-comments
+- /downloads/today vs /today-downloads
+- /comments/monthly vs /monthly-commentators
+
+Phase checks:
+- Pick one canonical URL per pair.
+- Keep redirects from removed alias to chosen canonical.
+- Update internal links to canonical only.
+
+### Phase 3: Controller-backed legacy pages
+
+Targets:
+- /browse
+- /category/{group}/{slug?}/{id?}
+- /browse-categories
+- /daily-uploads
+- /members
+- /members/photos
+- /authors/top
+- /top-favourites
+- /today-in-history
+- /chat
+- /chat_post
+- /favourites/{id?}/{username?}
+- /favourites/{userId}/delete/{artworkId}
+- /gallery/{id}/{username?}
+
+Phase checks:
+- Confirm parity exists in modern endpoints before removal.
+- Add temporary 301 map for any high-traffic paths.
+- Validate auth and CSRF behavior for migrated POST endpoints.
+
+### Phase 4: Profile URL legacy surface
+
+Targets:
+- /user/{username}
+- /profile/{id}/{username?}
+- /profile/{username}
+- /user
+
+Phase checks:
+- Validate deterministic mapping to /@username.
+- Handle missing username and renamed accounts gracefully.
+- Verify no duplicate-content issues remain after redirects.
+
+### Phase 5: RSS compatibility endpoints (communication required)
+
+Targets:
+- /rss/latest-uploads.xml
+- /rss/latest-skins.xml
+- /rss/latest-wallpapers.xml
+- /rss/latest-photos.xml
+
+Phase checks:
+- Identify external consumers (feed readers, partner integrations).
+- Publish migration notice before retirement.
+- Keep stable replacement feed URLs live before cutover.
+
+## Fast QA Matrix
+
+Test each removed or redirected route for:
+- Anonymous user request
+- Authenticated user request
+- Expected status code (301/200/404/410)
+- Correct final destination URL
+- No infinite redirect chain
+
+Suggested command:
+- `php artisan test --filter=routes`
+
+## Rollback Playbook
+
+- Reintroduce removed route definitions from git history.
+- Clear caches: `php artisan optimize:clear`.
+- Redeploy hotfix.
+- Re-run route smoke tests and check access logs.