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+---
+'@bradygaster/squad-cli': patch
+---
+
+Add user-facing documentation for state backends (git-notes, orphan-branch, worktree)
diff --git a/docs/src/content/docs/features/state-backends.md b/docs/src/content/docs/features/state-backends.md
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+# State Backends
+
+> ⚠️ **Experimental** — Squad is alpha software. APIs, commands, and behavior may change between releases.
+
+
+**Try this to use git-notes for state storage:**
+```bash
+squad watch --state-backend git-notes
+```
+
+**Try this to use an orphan branch:**
+```bash
+squad watch --state-backend orphan
+```
+
+**Try this to set a persistent default:**
+```bash
+echo '{ "stateBackend": "git-notes" }' > .squad/config.json
+```
+
+Squad supports multiple **state backends** for storing `.squad/` state. Each backend determines _where_ and _how_ decisions, skills, agent memories, and session logs are persisted — without changing how agents interact with the data.
+
+---
+
+## The Problem
+
+The default **worktree** backend stores `.squad/` state as regular files in the working tree. This works well for most workflows, but has trade-offs:
+
+- **Branch pollution:** `.squad/` files appear in diffs and PRs
+- **Branch-switch loss:** State can be lost when switching branches (if not committed)
+- **Merge conflicts:** Multiple branches modifying `.squad/` files can conflict
+
+State backends solve this by moving `.squad/` data into Git-native structures that live outside the working tree.
+
+---
+
+## Available Backends
+
+### Worktree (default)
+
+State lives as regular files in `.squad/` inside the working tree. This is the standard behavior — what you get out of the box.
+
+```bash
+squad watch --state-backend worktree
+```
+
+**Pros:**
+- Simple and familiar — files on disk
+- Easy to inspect, edit, and commit
+- Works with all Git tools and IDEs
+
+**Cons:**
+- Files appear in `git status` and diffs
+- Branch switches can lose uncommitted state
+
+**Best for:** Most projects, especially when you want squad state committed alongside code.
+
+---
+
+### Git Notes
+
+State is stored in [Git notes](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-notes) under `refs/notes/squad`. Notes are attached to `HEAD`, keeping data associated with commits but invisible in the working tree.
+
+```bash
+squad watch --state-backend git-notes
+```
+
+**How it works:**
+- All state is serialized as a single JSON blob attached as a note on `HEAD`
+- Reading loads the JSON, writing updates and reattaches it
+- Notes travel with `git push` / `git fetch` when configured (see [Sharing](#sharing-git-notes-state))
+
+**Pros:**
+- Working tree stays completely clean — no `.squad/` files
+- State is associated with specific commits
+- No merge conflicts from `.squad/` files in PRs
+
+**Cons:**
+- State is per-commit — switching to a different commit loses the note context
+- Requires `git notes` familiarity for debugging
+- Not human-readable without `git notes show`
+
+**Best for:** Repos where you want zero `.squad/` files in the working tree or PRs.
+
+#### Sharing Git Notes State
+
+By default, Git doesn't push notes. To share git-notes state across clones:
+
+```bash
+# Push notes
+git push origin refs/notes/squad
+
+# Fetch notes
+git fetch origin refs/notes/squad:refs/notes/squad
+```
+
+Or configure automatic fetch in `.git/config`:
+
+```ini
+[remote "origin"]
+    fetch = +refs/notes/squad:refs/notes/squad
+```
+
+---
+
+### Orphan Branch
+
+State lives on a dedicated orphan branch (`squad-state` by default). The branch has no common history with your main branches — it's a completely separate tree used only for squad data.
+
+```bash
+squad watch --state-backend orphan
+```
+
+**How it works:**
+- An orphan branch `squad-state` is created automatically on first write
+- Each state file is stored as a blob in the branch's tree
+- Reads use `git show squad-state:<path>`, writes create new commits on the branch
+- The branch is never checked out — all operations use Git plumbing commands
+
+**Pros:**
+- Working tree stays clean
+- State is versioned with full Git history
+- Easy to inspect: `git log squad-state`, `git show squad-state:decisions.md`
+- Pushes/fetches with normal branch operations
+
+**Cons:**
+- An extra branch in your repository
+- Slightly more complex than worktree for debugging
+- Concurrent writes to the branch can conflict (single-writer recommended)
+
+**Best for:** Teams who want Git-versioned state without polluting the main branch history.
+
+---
+
+## Configuration
+
+### CLI Flag (per-invocation)
+
+Pass `--state-backend` to `squad watch` or `squad triage`:
+
+```bash
+squad watch --state-backend git-notes
+squad triage --state-backend git-notes
+squad watch --state-backend orphan
+squad watch --state-backend worktree
+```
+
+### Config File (persistent)
+
+Set a default in `.squad/config.json`:
+
+```json
+{
+  "stateBackend": "git-notes"
+}
+```
+
+This persists across invocations. The CLI flag overrides the config file when both are present.
+
+### Priority Order
+
+| Priority | Source | Example |
+|----------|--------|---------|
+| 1 (highest) | CLI flag | `--state-backend orphan` |
+| 2 | `.squad/config.json` | `"stateBackend": "orphan"` |
+| 3 (default) | Built-in default | `worktree` |
+
+### Fallback Behavior
+
+If a non-default backend fails to initialize (e.g., Git is not available, permissions issue), Squad automatically falls back to the **worktree** backend with a warning:
+
+```
+Warning: State backend 'git-notes' failed: <reason>. Falling back to 'worktree'.
+```
+
+---
+
+## Comparison
+
+| Feature | Worktree | Git Notes | Orphan Branch |
+|---------|----------|-----------|---------------|
+| Working tree clean | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
+| Appears in PRs | Yes (if committed) | No | No |
+| Human-readable on disk | ✅ Files | ❌ JSON blob | ⚠️ Via `git show` |
+| Git history | Via normal commits | Per-note | Per-branch commits |
+| Branch-switch safe | ❌ (if uncommitted) | ⚠️ | ✅ |
+| Easy to inspect | ✅ `cat .squad/...` | ⚠️ `git notes show` | ⚠️ `git show squad-state:...` |
+| Sharing across clones | Normal push/pull | Requires notes fetch config | Normal branch push/pull |
+| Concurrent-write safe | ✅ (filesystem) | ⚠️ (last writer wins) | ⚠️ (single writer) |
+
+---
+
+## Inspecting State
+
+### Worktree
+
+```bash
+cat .squad/decisions.md
+ls .squad/skills/
+```
+
+### Git Notes
+
+```bash
+# Show all state as JSON
+git notes --ref=squad show HEAD
+
+# Pretty-print
+git notes --ref=squad show HEAD | python -m json.tool
+```
+
+### Orphan Branch
+
+```bash
+# List all state files
+git ls-tree --name-only -r squad-state
+
+# Read a specific file
+git show squad-state:decisions.md
+
+# View commit history
+git log --oneline squad-state
+```
+
+---
+
+## SDK Usage
+
+The state backend is available programmatically via the Squad SDK:
+
+```typescript
+import {
+  resolveStateBackend,
+  type StateBackend,
+} from '@bradygaster/squad-sdk';
+
+// Resolve backend from config + CLI override
+const backend: StateBackend = resolveStateBackend(
+  '.squad',           // squadDir
+  process.cwd(),      // repoRoot
+  'git-notes'         // optional CLI override
+);
+
+// Use the backend
+backend.write('decisions.md', '# Decisions\n...');
+const content = backend.read('decisions.md');
+const exists = backend.exists('skills/my-skill/SKILL.md');
+const entries = backend.list('skills');
+```
+
+All backends implement the same `StateBackend` interface:
+
+```typescript
+interface StateBackend {
+  read(relativePath: string): string | undefined;
+  write(relativePath: string, content: string): void;
+  exists(relativePath: string): boolean;
+  list(relativeDir: string): string[];
+  readonly name: string;
+}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Security
+
+State backends include hardening against common injection attacks:
+
+- **Path traversal:** `..` segments are rejected
+- **Null byte injection:** `\0` characters are rejected
+- **Newline injection:** `\n` and `\r` characters are rejected (prevents Git plumbing manipulation)
+- **Tab injection:** `\t` characters are rejected (prevents mktree format corruption)
+- **Empty segments:** Double slashes (`//`) are rejected
+
+All validation is centralized in `validateStateKey()` and applied uniformly across all backends.
+
+---
+
+## Notes
+
+- State backends are **opt-in** — the default is `worktree` (no behavior change)
+- All backends implement the same interface — agents don't know or care which backend is active
+- The `external` backend type exists as a stub for future external storage (see [External State](./external-state.md))
+- State backends are available in the **insider** release channel (`@bradygaster/squad-cli@insider`)
+- 30+ tests cover all backends including security hardening scenarios