diff --git a/crates/heph-core/src/frontmatter.rs b/crates/heph-core/src/frontmatter.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b437b58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/heph-core/src/frontmatter.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+//! YAML frontmatter is a **projection** (tech-spec §8.3): the daemon renders an
+//! editable block on read; heph-core **strips** it on write so it never enters
+//! the stored body or the text CRDT. This module owns only the strip side (the
+//! render side needs timezone-aware date formatting and lives in `hephd`).
+//!
+//! Stripping is **conservative**: it removes only a leading, well-formed
+//! `---`-delimited block whose first line is a YAML key, so a leading `---`
+//! thematic break in ordinary prose is left intact. It is idempotent — a body
+//! that has already been stripped is returned unchanged — which keeps the
+//! read→write round-trip a no-op even when a client echoes the rendered
+//! frontmatter straight back.
+
+/// Return `body` without a leading YAML frontmatter block. If `body` has no
+/// conforming frontmatter, it is returned unchanged (borrowed).
+pub fn strip(body: &str) -> &str {
+    // Must open with the fence on its own first line.
+    let Some(rest) = body.strip_prefix("---\n") else {
+        return body;
+    };
+    // The first line inside must look like a YAML key (`key:` / `key: value`).
+    // A markdown thematic break (`---` then a blank line / heading / prose)
+    // never does, so this rejects hrules.
+    if !looks_like_yaml_key(rest.lines().next().unwrap_or("")) {
+        return body;
+    }
+    // Find the closing fence — a line that is exactly `---` — and return what
+    // follows it. No closing fence ⇒ not frontmatter; leave the body untouched.
+    let mut offset = 0;
+    for line in rest.split_inclusive('\n') {
+        if line.strip_suffix('\n').unwrap_or(line) == "---" {
+            return &rest[offset + line.len()..];
+        }
+        offset += line.len();
+    }
+    body
+}
+
+/// Does `line` begin with a bare YAML key followed by a colon
+/// (`[A-Za-z0-9_-]+:`)? Used to distinguish frontmatter from an hrule.
+fn looks_like_yaml_key(line: &str) -> bool {
+    let b = line.as_bytes();
+    let mut i = 0;
+    while i < b.len() && (b[i].is_ascii_alphanumeric() || b[i] == b'_' || b[i] == b'-') {
+        i += 1;
+    }
+    i > 0 && b.get(i) == Some(&b':')
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::strip;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn strips_a_leading_frontmatter_block() {
+        let body = "---\nid: x\ntitle: Roof\n---\n# Roof\n\nnotes\n";
+        assert_eq!(strip(body), "# Roof\n\nnotes\n");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn empty_body_after_frontmatter() {
+        assert_eq!(strip("---\nid: x\n---\n"), "");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn idempotent_when_already_stripped() {
+        let body = "# Roof\n\nnotes\n";
+        assert_eq!(strip(body), body);
+        assert_eq!(strip(strip(body)), body);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn leaves_a_leading_thematic_break_intact() {
+        // A real markdown hrule: `---` then a heading, not `key:` lines.
+        let body = "---\n\n# Heading\n\ntext\n";
+        assert_eq!(strip(body), body);
+        // …and a `---` separating prose later in the doc is never touched.
+        let mid = "para one\n\n---\n\npara two\n";
+        assert_eq!(strip(mid), mid);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn unterminated_block_is_not_frontmatter() {
+        let body = "---\nid: x\nno closing fence here\n";
+        assert_eq!(strip(body), body);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn only_the_first_block_is_removed() {
+        let body = "---\nid: x\n---\nbody\n\n---\n\nmore\n";
+        assert_eq!(strip(body), "body\n\n---\n\nmore\n");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/heph-core/src/lib.rs b/crates/heph-core/src/lib.rs
index 73978e0..98d4a8c 100644
--- a/crates/heph-core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/heph-core/src/lib.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ pub mod error;
 pub mod export;
 pub mod extract;
 pub mod filter;
+pub mod frontmatter;
 pub mod hlc;
 pub mod model;
 pub mod oplog;
diff --git a/crates/heph-core/src/sqlite/nodes.rs b/crates/heph-core/src/sqlite/nodes.rs
index 3378c63..9dbd5db 100644
--- a/crates/heph-core/src/sqlite/nodes.rs
+++ b/crates/heph-core/src/sqlite/nodes.rs
@@ -294,6 +294,9 @@ pub(super) fn update(
     if let Some(t) = title {
         node.title = t;
     }
+    // Frontmatter is a read-only projection (§8.3): strip any leading block a
+    // client echoes back so it never enters the stored body or the text CRDT.
+    let body = body.map(|b| crate::frontmatter::strip(&b).to_string());
     let body_changed = match body {
         Some(b) => {
             let changed = node.body.as_deref() != Some(b.as_str());
diff --git a/crates/hephd/src/datespec.rs b/crates/hephd/src/datespec.rs
index 1ffadfe..71d23e6 100644
--- a/crates/hephd/src/datespec.rs
+++ b/crates/hephd/src/datespec.rs
@@ -62,6 +62,15 @@ pub fn to_epoch_ms(date: NaiveDate) -> i64 {
     }
 }
 
+/// Absolute `YYYY-MM-DD` for an epoch-ms date (local). The round-trippable form
+/// for the frontmatter edit surface (§8.3) — `parse_date` reads it straight back.
+pub fn fmt_iso(ms: i64) -> String {
+    match Local.timestamp_millis_opt(ms).earliest() {
+        Some(dt) => dt.date_naive().format("%Y-%m-%d").to_string(),
+        None => ms.to_string(),
+    }
+}
+
 /// Compact display of an epoch-ms date: `MM-DD` within the current year,
 /// `YYYY-MM-DD` otherwise.
 pub fn fmt_date(ms: i64) -> String {
diff --git a/crates/hephd/src/frontmatter.rs b/crates/hephd/src/frontmatter.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de77357
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/hephd/src/frontmatter.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+//! Render the editable YAML frontmatter projection for a node (tech-spec §8.3).
+//!
+//! This is the **read** side: the daemon prepends this block to a node's body
+//! when a client requests `node.get {frontmatter: true}`. `heph-core` strips it
+//! back off on write, so it never persists. Lives in `hephd` (not `heph-core`)
+//! because formatting `do_date`/`late_on` for humans needs the local timezone
+//! (via [`crate::datespec`]).
+//!
+//! Schema (a curated, *editable* subset — not the full export snapshot):
+//! `id`/`kind` are read-only; `title` and `tags` edit the node itself; when the
+//! node **is** a task or backs one (its canonical-context doc), the task's
+//! scalars (`state`/`attention`/`do_date`/`late_on`/`recurrence`/`project`) are
+//! rendered and a read-only `task:` id is included so the editor knows where to
+//! route those edits.
+
+use std::fmt::Write as _;
+
+use heph_core::{Node, Task};
+
+use crate::datespec;
+
+/// Render the frontmatter block (with the `---` fences and a trailing newline)
+/// for `node`. `task` is the node's own task or — for a task's
+/// canonical-context doc — its owning task. `project_name`/`tags` are resolved
+/// by the caller.
+pub fn render(
+    node: &Node,
+    task: Option<&Task>,
+    project_name: Option<&str>,
+    tags: &[String],
+) -> String {
+    let mut fm = String::new();
+    let _ = writeln!(fm, "---");
+    let _ = writeln!(fm, "id: {}", node.id);
+    let _ = writeln!(fm, "kind: {}", node.kind.as_str());
+    let _ = writeln!(fm, "title: {}", scalar(&node.title));
+    let _ = writeln!(fm, "tags: {}", flow_seq(tags));
+
+    if let Some(t) = task {
+        let _ = writeln!(fm, "task: {}", t.node_id);
+        let _ = writeln!(fm, "state: {}", t.state.as_str());
+        if let Some(a) = t.attention {
+            let _ = writeln!(fm, "attention: {}", a.as_str());
+        }
+        if let Some(d) = t.do_date {
+            let _ = writeln!(fm, "do_date: {}", datespec::fmt_iso(d));
+        }
+        if let Some(l) = t.late_on {
+            let _ = writeln!(fm, "late_on: {}", datespec::fmt_iso(l));
+        }
+        if let Some(r) = &t.recurrence {
+            let _ = writeln!(fm, "recurrence: {}", scalar(r));
+        }
+        if let Some(p) = project_name {
+            let _ = writeln!(fm, "project: {}", scalar(p));
+        }
+    }
+
+    let _ = writeln!(fm, "---");
+    fm
+}
+
+/// A YAML scalar, quoted only when bare would be ambiguous (empty, surrounding
+/// whitespace, or a character that would break a bare flow scalar).
+fn scalar(s: &str) -> String {
+    let needs_quote = s.is_empty()
+        || s != s.trim()
+        || s.starts_with([
+            '#', '-', '[', ']', '{', '}', '&', '*', '!', '|', '>', '\'', '"', '%', '@', '`',
+        ])
+        || s.contains([':', ',', '\n']);
+    if needs_quote {
+        format!("\"{}\"", s.replace('\\', "\\\\").replace('"', "\\\""))
+    } else {
+        s.to_string()
+    }
+}
+
+/// A YAML flow sequence: `[a, b]`, each element scalar-quoted as needed; `[]`
+/// when empty.
+fn flow_seq(items: &[String]) -> String {
+    let inner: Vec<String> = items.iter().map(|s| scalar(s)).collect();
+    format!("[{}]", inner.join(", "))
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use heph_core::{Attention, NodeKind, TaskState};
+
+    fn doc(title: &str) -> Node {
+        Node {
+            id: "doc1".into(),
+            owner_id: "u".into(),
+            kind: NodeKind::Doc,
+            title: title.into(),
+            body: Some(String::new()),
+            created_at: 0,
+            modified_at: 0,
+            hlc: "0".into(),
+            tombstoned: false,
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn renders_a_plain_doc_block() {
+        let fm = render(&doc("Roof"), None, None, &["house".into(), "urgent".into()]);
+        assert_eq!(
+            fm,
+            "---\nid: doc1\nkind: doc\ntitle: Roof\ntags: [house, urgent]\n---\n"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn renders_task_scalars_and_project_when_a_task_is_present() {
+        let task = Task {
+            node_id: "task1".into(),
+            attention: Some(Attention::Red),
+            do_date: None,
+            late_on: None,
+            state: TaskState::Outstanding,
+            recurrence: None,
+        };
+        let fm = render(&doc("Fix roof"), Some(&task), Some("Camano"), &[]);
+        assert!(fm.contains("task: task1"));
+        assert!(fm.contains("state: outstanding"));
+        assert!(fm.contains("attention: red"));
+        assert!(fm.contains("project: Camano"));
+        assert!(fm.contains("tags: []"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn quotes_titles_that_need_it() {
+        assert_eq!(scalar("plain"), "plain");
+        assert_eq!(scalar("has: colon"), "\"has: colon\"");
+        assert_eq!(scalar(""), "\"\"");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/hephd/src/lib.rs b/crates/hephd/src/lib.rs
index d4521b1..7408103 100644
--- a/crates/hephd/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/hephd/src/lib.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ pub mod auth;
 pub mod client;
 pub mod clock;
 pub mod datespec;
+pub mod frontmatter;
 pub mod lock;
 pub mod oauth;
 pub mod remote;
diff --git a/crates/hephd/src/rpc.rs b/crates/hephd/src/rpc.rs
index 9dbf024..d2613de 100644
--- a/crates/hephd/src/rpc.rs
+++ b/crates/hephd/src/rpc.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use serde_json::{json, Value};
 
 use heph_core::{
-    Attention, LinkType, ListFilter, NewNode, NewTask, NodeKind, SchedulePatch, Store, TaskState,
+    Attention, LinkType, ListFilter, NewNode, NewTask, Node, NodeKind, SchedulePatch, Store, Task,
+    TaskState,
 };
 
 /// A JSON-RPC request line.
@@ -111,6 +112,14 @@ struct IdParam {
     id: String,
 }
 
+#[derive(Deserialize)]
+struct GetNodeParams {
+    id: String,
+    /// Prepend the editable YAML frontmatter projection to the body (§8.3).
+    #[serde(default)]
+    frontmatter: bool,
+}
+
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
 struct ResolveParams {
     title: String,
@@ -237,13 +246,54 @@ const DEFAULT_LIMIT: usize = 5;
 /// Default `log.tail` size.
 const DEFAULT_TAIL: usize = 10;
 
+/// The task whose frontmatter `node` carries: the node itself if it's a task,
+/// else the task whose canonical-context doc this node is (§8.3). `None` for a
+/// standalone doc/journal.
+fn subject_task(store: &dyn Store, node: &Node) -> Result<Option<Task>, RpcError> {
+    if node.kind == NodeKind::Task {
+        return Ok(store.get_task(&node.id)?);
+    }
+    for link in store.backlinks(&node.id)? {
+        if link.link_type == LinkType::CanonicalContext {
+            return Ok(store.get_task(&link.src_id)?);
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(None)
+}
+
+/// The name of the project a task is filed under (its `in-project` link), if any.
+fn project_name_of(store: &dyn Store, task_id: &str) -> Result<Option<String>, RpcError> {
+    for link in store.outgoing_links(task_id)? {
+        if link.link_type == LinkType::InProject {
+            return Ok(store.get_node(&link.dst_id)?.map(|n| n.title));
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(None)
+}
+
 /// Dispatch one method call against `store`. Synchronous — the transport runs
 /// this on a blocking pool.
 pub fn dispatch(store: &mut dyn Store, method: &str, params: Value) -> Result<Value, RpcError> {
     Ok(match method {
         "node.get" => {
-            let p: IdParam = parse(params)?;
-            json!(store.get_node(&p.id)?)
+            let p: GetNodeParams = parse(params)?;
+            match store.get_node(&p.id)? {
+                Some(mut node) if p.frontmatter => {
+                    // Render the editable frontmatter projection (§8.3) from the
+                    // node's own fields + its (owning) task, and prepend it.
+                    let task = subject_task(store, &node)?;
+                    let tags = store.tags_of(&node.id)?;
+                    let project = match &task {
+                        Some(t) => project_name_of(store, &t.node_id)?,
+                        None => None,
+                    };
+                    let fm =
+                        crate::frontmatter::render(&node, task.as_ref(), project.as_deref(), &tags);
+                    node.body = Some(format!("{fm}{}", node.body.as_deref().unwrap_or("")));
+                    json!(node)
+                }
+                other => json!(other),
+            }
         }
         "node.create" => {
             let p: NewNode = parse(params)?;
diff --git a/crates/hephd/tests/rpc_socket.rs b/crates/hephd/tests/rpc_socket.rs
index 687f3ff..c889cb5 100644
--- a/crates/hephd/tests/rpc_socket.rs
+++ b/crates/hephd/tests/rpc_socket.rs
@@ -267,6 +267,93 @@ fn tag_add_list_remove_over_socket() {
     );
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn frontmatter_renders_on_read_and_is_stripped_on_write() {
+    let (socket, _dir) = spawn_daemon();
+    let mut c = client(&socket);
+
+    let doc = c
+        .call(
+            "node.create",
+            json!({ "kind": "doc", "title": "Roof", "body": "# Roof\n\nnotes\n" }),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+    let id = doc["id"].as_str().unwrap().to_string();
+    c.call("tag.add", json!({ "node_id": id, "tag": "house" }))
+        .unwrap();
+
+    // Read with frontmatter: a leading `---` block carries id/kind/title/tags,
+    // and the original body follows it.
+    let got = c
+        .call("node.get", json!({ "id": id, "frontmatter": true }))
+        .unwrap();
+    let body = got["body"].as_str().unwrap();
+    assert!(body.starts_with("---\n"), "no frontmatter fence:\n{body}");
+    assert!(body.contains(&format!("id: {id}")), "no id:\n{body}");
+    assert!(body.contains("title: Roof"), "no title:\n{body}");
+    assert!(body.contains("tags: [house]"), "no tags:\n{body}");
+    assert!(
+        body.contains("# Roof\n\nnotes\n"),
+        "original body missing:\n{body}"
+    );
+
+    // Echo that whole buffer back: the frontmatter is stripped, body unchanged.
+    c.call("node.update", json!({ "id": id, "body": body }))
+        .unwrap();
+    let plain = c.call("node.get", json!({ "id": id })).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(
+        plain["body"], "# Roof\n\nnotes\n",
+        "round-trip altered the body"
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn task_context_doc_frontmatter_carries_the_owning_tasks_scalars() {
+    let (socket, _dir) = spawn_daemon();
+    let mut c = client(&socket);
+
+    let proj = c
+        .call(
+            "node.create",
+            json!({ "kind": "project", "title": "Camano" }),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+    let pid = proj["id"].as_str().unwrap().to_string();
+    let task = c
+        .call(
+            "task.create",
+            json!({ "title": "Fix roof", "attention": "red", "project_id": pid, "do_date": 1_704_067_200_000_i64 }),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+    let task_id = task["node_id"].as_str().unwrap().to_string();
+
+    // The task's canonical-context doc.
+    let links = c.call("links.outgoing", json!({ "id": task_id })).unwrap();
+    let ctx = links
+        .as_array()
+        .unwrap()
+        .iter()
+        .find(|l| l["link_type"] == "canonical-context")
+        .unwrap()["dst_id"]
+        .as_str()
+        .unwrap()
+        .to_string();
+
+    // Its frontmatter surfaces the owning task's scalars + a `task:` ref.
+    let got = c
+        .call("node.get", json!({ "id": ctx, "frontmatter": true }))
+        .unwrap();
+    let body = got["body"].as_str().unwrap();
+    assert!(
+        body.contains(&format!("task: {task_id}")),
+        "no task ref:\n{body}"
+    );
+    assert!(body.contains("state: outstanding"), "no state:\n{body}");
+    assert!(body.contains("attention: red"), "no attention:\n{body}");
+    assert!(body.contains("project: Camano"), "no project:\n{body}");
+    assert!(body.contains("do_date:"), "no do_date:\n{body}");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn promote_context_item_over_socket() {
     let (socket, _dir) = spawn_daemon();
diff --git a/docs/changelog.d/v1-prototype.feature.md b/docs/changelog.d/v1-prototype.feature.md
index 1dfe9a2..48323c9 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.d/v1-prototype.feature.md
+++ b/docs/changelog.d/v1-prototype.feature.md
@@ -28,4 +28,5 @@ Begin the v1 prototype (Phase 1, tech-spec §11.1), built in TDD slices:
 - `heph-tui` task-list visuals (§8.1): each row now leads with an attention **flag** (`⚑`, colored red/orange/blue; blank for white) and a **project-colored bullet** — the bullet's color is derived stably from the project id (so it survives projects being added/removed), letting you scan a mixed list by project at a glance. The list also grows a **scrollbar** and keeps the selected task scrolled into view when there are more tasks than fit.
 - `heph-tui` sort toggle (§8.1): **`s`** flips the task list between two orders — **default** (attention → most-overdue → project → creation) and **by-project** (grouped under dimmed `──── Project ────` separators, then the same sub-order). The view's filter still applies first. (To free `s`, **skip** moved to **`S`**.)
 - `heph.nvim` task-view rows (§8): `:Heph next`/`:Heph list` rows now show a compact **do/late date chip** (and a recurrence `↻`), so you can see scheduling at a glance; `<CR>` still jumps to a task's context doc.
+- Frontmatter projection (§8.3): a node can now be fetched with an editable **YAML frontmatter** block prepended — `node.get {frontmatter: true}` renders `id`/`kind`/`title`/`tags`, and for a task (or its context doc) the owning task's `state`/`attention`/`do_date`/`late_on`/`recurrence`/`project` plus a `task:` ref. Dates are local `YYYY-MM-DD`. On write, the store **strips and ignores** any leading frontmatter (conservatively — a real `---` hrule in prose survives) before the CRDT diff, so frontmatter never persists and an unchanged read→write is a no-op; a naive editor can't corrupt metadata. This is the read/write groundwork for editing a node's metadata as frontmatter in heph.nvim (the diff-into-RPCs layer is next).
 - Tags (§4, §8.3): nodes can now be **tagged**. A tag is a `tag`-kind node whose id is deterministic in `(owner, name)`, so the same name is **one canonical tag** shared across everything it's applied to (and replicas converge — no duplicate tags). Tagging is an OR-set link, so adding/removing is idempotent and merge-safe. Surfaced as `tag.add`/`tag.remove`/`tag.list` RPCs and `heph tag add|rm|list` (list a node's tags, or every tag with no node). Tag names are trimmed; a canonical case/spelling normalization is deferred to the future zk import. This is the groundwork for the `tags:` line of the upcoming frontmatter edit surface.
diff --git a/docs/reference/tech-spec.md b/docs/reference/tech-spec.md
index 0c535f8..7fe03b9 100644
--- a/docs/reference/tech-spec.md
+++ b/docs/reference/tech-spec.md
@@ -300,14 +300,30 @@ Project-subtree resolution needs the **parent-project links** ([[design]] §6.2.
 
 > **Future — chores as a first-class feature (noted, not scheduled).** The `Chores` view here is an interim project-scoped filter. The intent is to make **chores a first-class concept** with their own **do-date / recurrence semantics** (distinct from regular tasks), retiring the `#Chores` / `#Camano Chores` *projects* (and the Camano split) entirely — chores would be a task flag/kind, not a project you scope to. When that lands, the `Chores` view becomes "tasks where `is_chore`," and `Schedule` (timed routines) is reconsidered alongside it. See [[design]] §6.2.1.
 
-## 8.3 Frontmatter as an edit surface (planned)
+## 8.3 Frontmatter as an edit surface (backend built; nvim diff layer next)
 
-> **Status: planned** (§14 roadmap, 2026-06-03). When a node is opened in `heph.nvim`, its structured metadata (id, title, project, do-date, tags, …) should be visible and editable as a YAML frontmatter block — without that metadata ever becoming a second, drifting source of truth in the body.
+> **Status: backend built** (the projection); the `heph.nvim` diff layer is next. When a node is opened in `heph.nvim`, its structured metadata (id, title, project, do-date, tags, …) is visible and editable as a YAML frontmatter block — without that metadata ever becoming a second, drifting source of truth in the body.
 
-The resolving principle is a **two-layer split** that keeps `heph-core` safe against *any* client while making `heph.nvim` a rich editor:
+The resolving principle is a **two-layer split** that keeps the store safe against *any* client while making `heph.nvim` a rich editor:
 
-- **`heph-core` is dumb and safe.** Frontmatter is a **projection generated on read** and **stripped + silently ignored on write**. A pure `frontmatter` module (sibling to `extract.rs`) provides `render(node, task?, project, tags)` (prepended by `get_node` and friends) and `strip(body) → body_without` (applied by `update_node` **before** the `yrs` CRDT diff). Invariants: the at-rest body and the CRDT doc **never** contain frontmatter; an unchanged read→write round-trips to a no-op. Because inbound frontmatter is always discarded, a naive editor (or the future web UI) **cannot corrupt metadata** — at worst it sends stale frontmatter and core drops it; the canonical block regenerates on the next read.
-- **`heph.nvim` is the smart client.** On `BufWriteCmd` it diffs the buffer's frontmatter against the canonical block it was handed and translates each changed field into the **correct structured RPC**: `title` → rename, `attention` → `set_attention`, `do_date`/`late_on`/`recurrence` → `set_schedule`, `project` → **`set_project`** (§8.1), `tags` → `tag.add`/`tag.remove` (§14 tags). Then it strips the frontmatter and sends the body. The frontmatter is thus a genuine declarative edit surface, but the translation lives in the client, not core.
+- ✅ **The store is dumb and safe.** Frontmatter is a **projection generated on read** and **stripped + silently ignored on write**. `heph-core::frontmatter::strip(body)` runs inside `update_node` **before** the `yrs` CRDT diff (conservative — it only removes a leading `---` block whose first line is a YAML key, so a leading `---` thematic break in prose survives; idempotent). The **render** side lives in `hephd` (`hephd::frontmatter::render`, since formatting `do_date`/`late_on` for humans needs the local timezone via `datespec::fmt_iso`); `node.get {frontmatter: true}` prepends it. Invariants: the at-rest body and the CRDT doc **never** contain frontmatter; an unchanged read→write round-trips to a no-op. Because inbound frontmatter is always discarded, a naive editor (or the future web UI) **cannot corrupt metadata** — at worst it sends stale frontmatter and the store drops it; the canonical block regenerates on the next read.
+- ⏳ **`heph.nvim` is the smart client.** On `BufWriteCmd` it diffs the buffer's frontmatter against the canonical block it was handed and translates each changed field into the **correct structured RPC**: `title` → rename, `attention` → `set_attention`, `do_date`/`late_on`/`recurrence` → `set_schedule`, `project` → **`set_project`** (§8.1), `tags` → `tag.add`/`tag.remove` (§14 tags). Then it strips the frontmatter and sends the body. The frontmatter is thus a genuine declarative edit surface, but the translation lives in the client, not core.
+
+**The schema** (a curated, *editable* subset — not the full export snapshot). `id`/`kind` are read-only; `title` and `tags` edit the opened node; when the node **is** a task or backs one (its canonical-context doc), the owning task's scalars are rendered and a read-only `task:` id says where those edits route:
+
+```yaml
+---
+id: 01J…            # read-only
+kind: doc           # read-only
+title: Fix the roof # editable → rename
+tags: [house, roof] # editable → tag.add / tag.remove
+task: 01J…          # present iff this node is/backs a task (read-only ref)
+state: outstanding  # editable (a mistyped status is a validation error — no picker)
+attention: red      # editable → task.set_attention
+do_date: 2026-06-10 # editable → task.set_schedule (YYYY-MM-DD, local)
+project: Camano     # editable → task.set_project (by name)
+---
+```
 
 Field rules: `id`/`kind` are **read-only** (display only); `title`, `attention`, `do_date`, `late_on`, `recurrence`, `project`, `tags`, and `state` are editable. **`state` is editable but has no picker or hint** (to keep the UI simple) — a mistyped status value returns a **validation error** rather than guessing. Frontmatter is rendered for any editable-body node.
 
@@ -452,7 +468,7 @@ See [[design]] §5–§7 for the constraints later phases impose on present choi
    - ✅ **(b) sort toggle `s` — DONE:** **default**: attention (red→orange→white→blue) → days-overdue (descending; no-date = 0) → project (name) → `created_at` (FIFO). **project mode**: project is primary, with dimmed **`──── Name ────` separators** riding atop each group's first task (the cursor only lands on real tasks). View filtering always runs **before** the sort. (`skip` moved to `S` to free `s`.)
    - ✅ **nvim task-navigation polish (§8) — DONE:** `:Heph next`/`list` rows now carry a compact **do/late date chip** (and a recurrence `↻`); `<CR>` already jumps to a row's canonical-context doc (read/navigate, not field-edit).
 3. ✅ **Tags (§4, §8.3) — DONE:** a tag is a `tag`-kind node whose id is **deterministic in `(owner, name)`** (`tag:<owner>:<name>`, like the journal), so a name is one canonical tag and replicas converge — no duplicate tag nodes. Tagging is an **OR-set `tagged` link** (mirroring `in-project`): `Store::add_tag` (get-or-create the tag node, idempotent link), `remove_tag` (tombstone the link), `tags_of` (sorted names); enumerate all tags via `list_nodes(Tag)`. RPCs `tag.add`/`tag.remove`/`tag.list` (+ RemoteStore forward); CLI `heph tag add|rm|list`. Names are trimmed, case preserved (canonical normalization deferred to the zk import). Unblocks the `tags:` line of the frontmatter surface (§8.3) and the eventual zk import; inline `#hashtags` remain a heph.nvim concern (§8.3).
-4. ⏳ **YAML frontmatter as an edit surface (§8.3) — docs-first C1:** generated-on-read, stripped-and-ignored-on-write in `heph-core`; `heph.nvim` diffs it into structured RPCs. See §8.3.
+4. ◐ **YAML frontmatter as an edit surface (§8.3) — backend DONE, nvim next:** ✅ the projection — `heph-core::frontmatter::strip` (conservative, runs in `update_node` before the CRDT diff) + `hephd::frontmatter::render` (local-tz dates via `datespec::fmt_iso`) behind `node.get {frontmatter: true}`; a task's context-doc surfaces the owning task's scalars + a `task:` ref. Round-trip is a no-op; inbound frontmatter is always stripped (safe vs any client). ⏳ Remaining: the `heph.nvim` diff-on-`BufWriteCmd` → structured RPCs (`title`→rename, `attention`→set_attention, dates→set_schedule, `project`→set_project, `tags`→tag.add/remove) + inline `#hashtags` on save.
 5. ⏳ **Wiki-links by node id (§8.4) — docs-first C1 (maybe C2):** canonical `[[NODEID]]` at rest, expanded/concealed for display; a `[[` picker; no name-links in the DB. Includes a one-time body fixup. See §8.4.
 6. ⏳ **`heph.nvim` slice 11d (§6/§8) — DEFERRED, post-parity:** daemon **server-push** notification framing (no-`id` lines on the socket; the client read-loop already demuxes them) + the **dirty-buffer reconcile** (the §8 "known-hard" case) + the "update-arrives-while-open" e2e (§9).
 7. ⏳ **Split `heph.nvim` to its own forge repo (§8) — UX polish:** generated from this monorepo (subtree-split in CI) so the lazy spec becomes `{ "eblume/heph.nvim" }` instead of a local-clone `dir` (see [[install-heph]]).