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Everything you need to know about using your family's digital hub

🚀 Getting Started

Welcome to the Bari Family Portal - your secure, private space for family connection and collaboration. This portal provides a central hub for all family members to share, communicate, and organize together.

First Time Login

  1. Navigate to bari.us in your web browser
  2. Click the "Family Member Login" button
  3. Enter your username and password provided by the family administrator
  4. On first login, you'll be prompted to change your password
  5. Complete your profile with your information and preferences
💡 Tip: Use the password visibility toggle (eye icon) to verify you're entering your password correctly.

📱 Main Features

Dashboard

Your personalized home page showing recent family activity tracking, upcoming events, and quick access to all portal features. Includes real-time activity feed showing what family members are doing.

Family Directory

View all family members' profiles, contact information, and see who's recently active on the portal.

Rabbi's Corner

Access Torah teachings, video lessons, submit questions for 'Ask the Rabbi,' and explore spiritual resources.

Travel Planning

Organize family trips, share itineraries, store travel documents, and collaborate on vacation planning.

Photo Gallery

Share family photos, create albums for special events, and preserve precious memories together.

My Profile

Update your personal information, change your password, and manage your portal preferences.

Suggestions

Share ideas and review major proposals like FamilyPlanet.net.

Open Suggestions

🛒 Shopping Lists

Create and manage multiple shopping lists (e.g., Costco, Trader Joe’s, Pharmacy, Kroger, Publix).

  • Switch lists: Use the list selector at the top. Nothing is selected by default.
  • Add items fast: Quantity (decimals allowed) + Item + optional Notes.
  • Two sections: “To Pick” and “Picked”; large tap targets for iPhone.
  • Controls: Hide picked; Clear picked (with confirmation).
  • Dedupe: Adding the same item increases its quantity instead of creating duplicates.
  • Manage lists: New List, Rename, Archive (with confirmation).

📝 To‑Do List Filters & Editing

  • View toggles: My Tasks (assigned to you), Created by Me (authored by you), Everyone’s (all tasks).
  • Due filters: All, Today, Upcoming, Overdue — can be combined with view toggles.
  • Recurring tasks: Enable “Recurring” to reveal recurrence options. Fields stay hidden when not recurring.
  • Edit modal: Prefills Assign to, Due date, Notes, and recurrence fields.
  • Authors: Every task shows the creator (“by You” or the author’s name).

👤 Admin: Impersonate a User

  • Start: Admin → Users → Impersonate next to a user.
  • Indicator: A banner shows when you’re impersonating; tap “Stop impersonating” to return to admin.
  • Scope: You see exactly what that user sees, including “My Tasks” filtering.
  • Audit: Start/stop events are logged for security.

🎨 Dialog & Confirmation Standards

All confirmations and dialogs use the portal’s styled modal — never browser-native alerts/confirms. This ensures consistent, mobile-friendly UX.

  • Shopping: “Archive list” and “Clear picked” use styled confirms.
  • Admin Backups: Restore/Delete use styled confirms.
  • Family: Removing a member uses styled confirm.
  • Admin Users: Impersonate uses a styled modal with clear actions.

Developers: see ACTIONS-STANDARD.md for patterns.

📊 Recent Family Activity Tracking

What Is Activity Tracking?

The portal automatically tracks and displays all family member activities in real-time on the dashboard. This feature provides transparency and helps everyone stay informed about what's happening in the family portal.

Where to Find Activity Information

The "Recent Family Activity" section appears on your dashboard and shows the last 20 activities with relative timestamps like "Just now", "5 minutes ago", or "2 hours ago".

What Gets Tracked

The system automatically tracks these activities (with their respective icons):

  • 👤 User Logins: When family members sign into the portal
  • 👋 User Logouts: When family members sign out of the portal
  • ✈️ Trip Creation: When new family trips are planned and added
  • ✏️ Profile Updates: When members update their personal information
  • 📝 Checklist Additions: When new checklist items are created
  • ✅ Task Completions: When checklist items are marked as complete
  • 💰 Expense Tracking: When new expenses are added to trips
  • 🚀 System Events: Important portal updates and maintenance

Activity Display Features

  • Real-Time Updates: Activities appear immediately when they occur
  • User-Friendly Timestamps: Relative time display (e.g., "5 minutes ago")
  • Visual Icons: Each activity type has a distinctive icon for easy identification
  • Collapsible Section: The activity section can be collapsed if you need more space
  • Member Names: Each activity shows which family member performed the action
  • Activity Descriptions: Clear, readable descriptions of what happened

Privacy and Transparency

All activities are visible to all family members to maintain transparency within the family portal. This helps everyone stay connected and informed about family activities and portal usage.

💡 Tip: The activity section is expanded by default on the dashboard, but you can collapse it by clicking the section header to save space.

Benefits of Activity Tracking

  • Family Connection: Stay informed about what family members are doing
  • Trip Coordination: See who's working on travel plans in real-time
  • Progress Visibility: Track completion of family tasks and projects
  • Portal Engagement: Understand how the family is using the portal
  • Transparency: Open communication about all portal activities
⚠️ Note: Activities are stored permanently in the database, but only the most recent 20 activities are displayed on the dashboard for performance and readability.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Using the Family Directory

Viewing Family Members

  • Click "Family" in the navigation menu
  • Browse family member cards showing names, roles, and contact info
  • See when each member was last active on the portal
  • Click on a member's card to view their full profile (coming soon)

Family Roles

Each family member has a designated role:

  • Admin: Full access to all features and user management
  • Parent: Can manage family content and settings
  • Adult: Standard access to all family features
  • Teen: Age-appropriate access with some restrictions
  • Child: Limited access with parental supervision

📚 Rabbi's Corner Features

Available Resources

  • Video Lessons: Watch Torah teachings and spiritual guidance videos
  • Ask the Rabbi: Submit questions and receive personalized responses
  • Torah Library: Access written teachings and study materials
  • Weekly Insights: Read weekly Torah portions and commentary

Submitting Questions

  1. Navigate to Rabbi's Corner
  2. Click "Ask the Rabbi"
  3. Type your question in the submission form
  4. Choose whether to ask publicly or privately
  5. Submit and wait for a response (typically within 48 hours)

✈️ Travel Planning Tools

Creating a Trip

  1. Go to the Travel section
  2. Click "Plan New Trip"
  3. Enter trip details (destination, dates, participants)
  4. Add itinerary items, accommodations, and activities
  5. Upload relevant documents (tickets, reservations, etc.)
  6. Share with selected family members

Document Storage

Securely store important travel documents:

  • Passport copies
  • Flight tickets and boarding passes
  • Hotel confirmations
  • Car rental agreements
  • Travel insurance policies
  • Itineraries and maps
💡 Tip: All documents are encrypted and only accessible to authorized family members.

🔗 Share Trip Feature

Overview

The Share Trip feature allows family members to create shareable links for their trips, making it easy to share trip details with people outside the family portal or with family members who haven't logged in yet.

How to Share a Trip

  1. Navigate to any trip's details page
  2. Click the "🔗 Share" button in the trip actions
  3. Configure your sharing preferences:
    • Expiration Time: Choose from 24 hours, 7 days, 30 days, or never
    • Password Protection: Add password protection for sensitive trips
    • Comments: Allow or disallow comments from viewers
  4. Click "Generate Link"
  5. Choose your preferred sharing method

Sharing Methods

📋 Copy Link

Copy the share link to clipboard for pasting in any application or message.

📱 WhatsApp

Share directly via WhatsApp with pre-filled message including trip title and link.

📧 Email

Send via email with trip title and link automatically formatted.

💬 SMS

Send via text message with trip information included.

Managing Share Links

From the share modal, you can:

  • View Active Links: See all current share links for the trip
  • Check Statistics: View creation date, expiration, and view count
  • Revoke Links: Delete any share link immediately to remove access
  • Track Activity: Monitor password protection and comment settings

Public View Features

When someone accesses a shared trip link, they see a beautiful, read-only view that includes:

  • Trip description and dates
  • Complete list of participants
  • Full itinerary with all activities
  • Packing lists and checklists
  • Expense breakdown and budget information
  • Professional, mobile-responsive design

Security Features

  • Password Protection: Require a password to view sensitive trip information
  • Expiration Dates: Automatically expire links after specified time periods
  • View Tracking: Monitor who accesses shared trips (IP address, timestamp, user agent)
  • Instant Revocation: Remove access immediately by deleting share links
  • Activity Logging: All share actions are logged in the family activity feed

Share Link Format

Share links follow this secure format:

https://[domain]/share/[unique-code]

Example: https://bari.us/share/a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8

💡 Tip: Shared views are completely read-only - viewers cannot modify any trip information or access other parts of the family portal.
⚠️ Important: Only share trip links with people you trust. While password protection adds security, the links themselves provide access to your trip information.

Best Practices

  • Use password protection for trips containing sensitive information
  • Set appropriate expiration times - shorter periods for more sensitive trips
  • Regularly review and clean up old share links
  • Monitor view statistics to see who's accessing your shared trips
  • Revoke links immediately if they're no longer needed
  • Use WhatsApp or email sharing for better recipient tracking

Activity Tracking

Share activities appear in Recent Family Activity with the 🔗 icon showing "shared trip: [Trip Name]" when a link is created. This helps maintain family transparency about shared travel information.

📸 Photo Gallery

Uploading Photos

  1. Navigate to the Photos section
  2. Click "Upload Photos"
  3. Select photos from your device (multiple selection supported)
  4. Add captions and tags
  5. Choose album or create a new one
  6. Set visibility preferences
  7. Click "Upload" to share with the family

Creating Albums

  • Organize photos by events, dates, or themes
  • Add album descriptions and cover photos
  • Collaborate with family members to build shared albums
  • Download entire albums for offline viewing
⚠️ Storage Limit: Each user has 5GB of photo storage. Contact the admin if you need more space.

⚙️ Account Management

Changing Your Password

  1. Click on your name in the top navigation
  2. Select "My Profile" from the dropdown
  3. Click "Change Password"
  4. Enter your current password
  5. Enter and confirm your new password
  6. Click "Update Password"

Password Requirements

  • Minimum 8 characters long
  • Include at least one uppercase letter
  • Include at least one lowercase letter
  • Include at least one number
  • Include at least one special character

Updating Your Profile

  • Add or update your profile photo
  • Update contact information (email, phone)
  • Set notification preferences
  • Add personal bio and interests
  • Configure privacy settings

👨‍💼 Admin Features

This section is only visible to family administrators.

User Management

  • Add Users: Create accounts for new family members
  • Edit Users: Modify user details and permissions
  • Reset Passwords: Help users who forgot their passwords
  • Manage Roles: Assign appropriate access levels
  • View Activity: Monitor portal usage and user activity

Portal Settings

  • Customize portal appearance and branding
  • Configure security settings
  • Manage storage quotas
  • Set up automated backups
  • Configure email notifications

Content Moderation

  • Review and approve photo uploads
  • Moderate "Ask the Rabbi" questions
  • Manage shared documents
  • Archive old content

🔒 Security & Privacy

Portal Security Features

  • SSL Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit
  • Session Management: Automatic logout after inactivity
  • Password Protection: Strong password requirements enforced
  • Access Control: Role-based permissions for all features
  • Audit Logs: All actions are logged for security

Best Practices

  • Never share your login credentials with anyone
  • Use a unique password for the family portal
  • Log out when using shared computers
  • Report any suspicious activity to the admin immediately
  • Keep your contact information up to date
⚠️ Important: The portal is for family use only. Do not share access with non-family members without admin approval.

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Can't Log In

  • Verify you're using the correct username
  • Check caps lock is off
  • Try using the password visibility toggle
  • Clear your browser cache and cookies
  • Contact admin for password reset if needed

Photos Won't Upload

  • Check file size (max 10MB per photo)
  • Verify supported formats (JPG, PNG, GIF)
  • Ensure you have storage quota available
  • Try uploading fewer photos at once
  • Check your internet connection

Page Not Loading

  • Refresh the page (Ctrl+F5 or Cmd+Shift+R)
  • Check your internet connection
  • Try a different browser
  • Disable browser extensions temporarily
  • Clear browser cache and cookies

Browser Compatibility

The portal works best with:

  • Chrome (version 90+)
  • Firefox (version 88+)
  • Safari (version 14+)
  • Edge (version 90+)

📞 Support & Contact

Need More Help?

If you can't find the answer to your question, contact your family portal administrator:

Portal Admin: Rabbi Bari

Email: admin@bari.us

Response Time: Usually within 24 hours

Feedback & Suggestions

We're always looking to improve the family portal! If you have ideas for new features or improvements, please share them with the admin. Your feedback helps make this a better experience for the whole family.

Proposal: FamilyPlanet.net (Multi‑Tenant Service)

Concept for offering this portal as a hosted service for other families:

  • Tenants: One subdomain per family (e.g., smith.familyplanet.net)
  • Isolation: `tenant_id` on all data + per‑tenant uploads in object storage
  • Auth & Roles: Per‑tenant Admin/Member/Viewer; invites; optional SSO later
  • Branding: Per‑tenant logo, colors, locale, timezone
  • Billing: Trials + subscriptions via Stripe; usage metering
  • Domains: Custom domains with automated TLS (CNAME + ACME)
  • Security: Strict tenant scoping, audit logs, backups per tenant
  • Roadmap: P0 (tenant model/routing) → P1 (writes/uploads) → P2 (signup/billing)

🤖 Developer: Start Every Session with Codex Review

To keep changes safe and consistent, begin each coding session with a quick Codex pre‑flight review. This opens a checklist and launches Codex CLI in the repo.

Quick Start

  1. Open a terminal at /var/www/bari-family-portal.
  2. Run npm run codex:review.
  3. Follow the printed checklist (handover.md and scripts/codex-review-checklist.md), then proceed with your work in Codex.

What It Does

  • Shows the handover summary and key verification steps.
  • Suggests quick sanity checks (API versions, members endpoint, image logic).
  • Launches Codex CLI in this project root for guided coding.

Commands

  • npm run codex:review — full pre‑flight + Codex CLI.
  • npm run codex:handover — start a session to update handover.md with latest project state.
  • npm run codex — launch Codex CLI directly.

Note: codex:handover auto‑prepopulates handover.md with a diff/summary block (timestamp in Eastern time) and creates a local Git commit to snapshot changes before launching Codex.

Auto‑Push and Git Hooks (Optional)

  • Auto‑push handover commit:
    export HANDOVER_AUTO_PUSH=true
    export HANDOVER_GIT_REMOTE=origin (optional)
    export HANDOVER_GIT_BRANCH=master (optional)
    Then run npm run codex:handover.
  • One‑command full handover with auto‑push:
    npm run handover:all
    Or use the alias (after sourcing your shell): start-handover
  • Keep handover fresh on every commit:
    bash scripts/install-git-hooks.sh
    This installs a pre-commit hook to regenerate and stage handover.md.

One‑Time Setup (Optional)

Make it a single command in every new terminal.

  1. Add the alias:
    echo "alias start-codex='(cd /var/www/bari-family-portal && npm run codex:review)'" >> ~/.bashrc
    echo "alias start-codex='(cd /var/www/bari-family-portal && npm run codex:review)'" >> ~/.zshrc
  2. Ensure ~/.local/bin is on your PATH (so scripts there are runnable):
    echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
    echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
  3. Reload your shell:
    source ~/.bashrc (or source ~/.zshrc)

After this, just run start-codex to begin a reviewed session.

💡 Tip: Create a shell alias for convenience:
alias start-codex='(cd /var/www/bari-family-portal && npm run codex:review)'

💡 Suggestions

Proposal: FamilyPlanet.net (Multi‑Tenant Service)

Concept for offering this portal as a hosted service for other families:

  • Tenants: One subdomain per family (e.g., smith.familyplanet.net)
  • Isolation: tenant_id on all data + per‑tenant uploads in object storage
  • Auth & Roles: Per‑tenant Admin/Member/Viewer; invites; optional SSO later
  • Branding: Per‑tenant logo, colors, locale, timezone
  • Billing: Trials + subscriptions via Stripe; usage metering
  • Domains: Custom domains with automated TLS (CNAME + ACME)
  • Security: Strict tenant scoping, audit logs, backups per tenant
  • Roadmap: P0 (tenant model/routing) → P1 (writes/uploads) → P2 (signup/billing)

📱 Mobile Access

Using the Portal on Mobile Devices

The Bari Family Portal is fully responsive and works on all mobile devices:

  • Access the portal through your mobile browser at bari.us
  • Add to your home screen for app-like experience
  • All features are available on mobile
  • Optimized for touch interactions

Add to Home Screen

iOS (iPhone/iPad):

  1. Open Safari and navigate to bari.us
  2. Tap the Share button
  3. Select "Add to Home Screen"
  4. Name it "Bari Family" and tap "Add"

Android:

  1. Open Chrome and navigate to bari.us
  2. Tap the menu (three dots)
  3. Select "Add to Home screen"
  4. Name it "Bari Family" and tap "Add"

🔄 Updates & News

Recent Updates

  • Custom Branding: New logo featuring Barium element and Star of David
  • Enhanced Security: Improved password requirements and session management
  • Mobile Optimization: Better responsive design for all devices
  • Help System: Comprehensive help documentation (you're reading it!)

Coming Soon

  • Family calendar with shared events
  • Recipe sharing section
  • Family tree visualization
  • Video chat integration
  • Mobile app for iOS and Android