diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 1e6729f9..788e6efd 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -51,9 +51,21 @@ requires a rebuild+redeploy, not just a file edit.
 | `npm run version-sync` | Sync all version references to root `package.json` |
 | `npm run check:version` | Verify all version references match (CI gate — run before every commit that touches versions) |
 | `npm run check:llm-guide` | Verify `docs/llm-guide.md` only references live tokens (CI gate) |
+| `npm run check:macros` | Verify `.sf-*` macro classes match `docs/macros.md` (not currently wired into CI — run manually before committing macro changes) |
+| `npm run check:registry` | Verify `token-registry.json` is in sync with source (CI gate) |
+| `npm run audit:check` | Verify `docs/registry.json` matches source without writing (CI gate) |
+| `npm run lint:css` | Lint all CSS source with stylelint (CI gate) |
+| `npm run lint:css:fix` | Lint CSS source and auto-fix violations |
 | `npm run docs` | Regenerate docs and sync configurator API index |
+| `npm run docs:tokens` | Regenerate `docs/tokens.md` only |
+| `npm run docs:index` | Regenerate `docs/token-index.md` + `.json` only |
+| `npm run docs:api` | Regenerate `docs/api-index.md` + `.json` only |
+| `npm run docs:classes` | Regenerate `docs/classes.md` only |
+| `npm run gen:registry` | Regenerate `token-registry.json` (stable id assignments) |
 | `npm run configurator:sync` | Push `docs/api-index.json` → `configurator/src/data/api-index.generated.json` |
-| `npm run audit` | Audit CSS tokens for consistency |
+| `npm run audit` | Audit CSS tokens for consistency, writing `docs/registry.json` |
+| `npm run watch` | Rebuild CSS bundles on file change (dev watch mode) |
+| `npm run test:unit` | Run the Node `--test` unit suite only, without the Playwright e2e build. Some tests read from `badges/` — run `npm run build` first on a clean checkout (CI instead downloads the `badges` artifact from the `build` job before this step) |
 | `npm test` | Full suite: build → unit → Playwright e2e |
 
 ## Release process
diff --git a/docs/migration.md b/docs/migration.md
index ecfbcb98..a2dff8fe 100644
--- a/docs/migration.md
+++ b/docs/migration.md
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 Mapping concepts from popular CSS frameworks to SLASHED, plus intra-project
 upgrade notes.
 
-## SLASHED 0.6.25 → next
+## SLASHED 0.6.25 → 0.6.26
 
 ### `base` relative shade aliases removed
 
diff --git a/tests/README.md b/tests/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6ffd799d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# Test conventions
+
+Two runners, split by whether a test needs a real browser:
+
+- **`*.spec.js`** — Playwright (`npm test`). Runs across chromium/firefox/webkit.
+  Use for anything that renders CSS and reads computed styles, layout geometry,
+  or visual output — imports `test`/`expect` from `@playwright/test`.
+- **`*.test.js`** — Node's built-in test runner (`npm run test:unit`), single
+  process, no browser. Use for pure fs/regex/data-shape checks that never touch
+  a DOM — imports `test`/`describe` from `node:test` and `assert` from
+  `node:assert/strict`. Wire new files into `pretest`/`test:unit` in
+  `package.json`.
+
+If a test doesn't call `page.*` or read a computed style, it almost certainly
+belongs in `*.test.js`, not `*.spec.js` — see SL-027 (`coverage.test.js` used
+to be Playwright-discovered despite never touching a browser, tripling its CI
+cost for no reason).
+
+## `tier1-p*` numbering (SL-032)
+
+`tier1-p2-coverage`, `tier1-p7-oldengine`, `tier1-p8-modern`, and
+`tier1-p10-contrast` number their properties P2/P7/P8/P10 with no P1,
+P3-P6, or P9 anywhere in the repo. These numbers come from the
+tier-1-color-fallback feature's original property enumeration (see each
+file's own `Property N:` header comment) — only a subset of the enumerated
+properties warranted a dedicated automated test; the rest were covered by
+other existing tests, manual review, or judged unnecessary to automate. The
+gaps are not dead history — don't renumber these files sequentially.
diff --git a/tests/a11y-patterns.spec.js b/tests/a11y-patterns.spec.js
index ecaba27e..2c30d363 100644
--- a/tests/a11y-patterns.spec.js
+++ b/tests/a11y-patterns.spec.js
@@ -4,16 +4,11 @@
 //   .sf-focus-parent, .sf-clickable-parent,
 //   touch-target token, forced-colors, disabled cursor.
 import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
-import path from 'node:path';
-
-const BUNDLE = path.join(process.cwd(), 'badges', 'slashed.optimal.css');
+import { renderWithBundle, NO_TRANSITIONS_STYLE } from './render-helpers.js';
 
 async function setup(page, html) {
-  await page.setViewportSize({ width: 800, height: 600 });
-  await page.setContent(`<!doctype html><html><body style="margin:0">${html}</body></html>`);
-  await page.addStyleTag({ path: BUNDLE });
   // Disable transitions so computed property reads are stable (no mid-animation values).
-  await page.addStyleTag({ content: '*, *::before, *::after { transition: none !important; animation-duration: 0s !important; }' });
+  await renderWithBundle(page, html, { width: 800, height: 600, extraStyle: NO_TRANSITIONS_STYLE });
 }
 
 // ── .sr-only ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/tests/container-queries.spec.js b/tests/container-queries.spec.js
index c7e50853..e6236de3 100644
--- a/tests/container-queries.spec.js
+++ b/tests/container-queries.spec.js
@@ -5,9 +5,7 @@
 // setupInContainer pins font-size to 16px so em-based CQ thresholds are stable
 // across browsers (WebKit 26+ resolves em against inherited font-size, not 16px).
 import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
-import path from 'node:path';
-
-const BUNDLE = path.join(process.cwd(), 'badges', 'slashed.optimal.css');
+import { BUNDLE } from './render-helpers.js';
 
 // Wraps grid HTML in a container of a known inline-size so anonymous
 // @container queries fire against that width, not the viewport.
diff --git a/tests/layers.spec.js b/tests/layers.spec.js
index 96989c17..6d84e33e 100644
--- a/tests/layers.spec.js
+++ b/tests/layers.spec.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // @ts-check
 import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
-import path from 'node:path';
+import { BUNDLE } from './render-helpers.js';
 
 /**
  * Layer ordering invariant test.
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ test.describe('Layer ordering', () => {
       </style>
       <div class="layer-check">test</div>
     `);
-    await page.addStyleTag({ path: path.join(process.cwd(), 'badges', 'slashed.optimal.css') });
+    await page.addStyleTag({ path: BUNDLE });
 
     const color = await page.locator('.layer-check').evaluate(el =>
       getComputedStyle(el).color
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ test.describe('Layer ordering', () => {
       </style>
       <div class="layer-check-2">test</div>
     `);
-    await page.addStyleTag({ path: path.join(process.cwd(), 'badges', 'slashed.optimal.css') });
+    await page.addStyleTag({ path: BUNDLE });
 
     const opacity = await page.locator('.layer-check-2').evaluate(el =>
       getComputedStyle(el).opacity
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ test.describe('Layer ordering', () => {
       </style>
       <div class="layer-check-3">test</div>
     `);
-    await page.addStyleTag({ path: path.join(process.cwd(), 'badges', 'slashed.optimal.css') });
+    await page.addStyleTag({ path: BUNDLE });
 
     const opacity = await page.locator('.layer-check-3').evaluate(el =>
       getComputedStyle(el).opacity
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ test.describe('Layer ordering', () => {
       </style>
       <div class="layer-check-4">test</div>
     `);
-    await page.addStyleTag({ path: path.join(process.cwd(), 'badges', 'slashed.optimal.css') });
+    await page.addStyleTag({ path: BUNDLE });
 
     const color = await page.locator('.layer-check-4').evaluate(el =>
       getComputedStyle(el).color
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ test.describe('Layer ordering', () => {
       </style>
       <div class="layer-check-5">test</div>
     `);
-    await page.addStyleTag({ path: path.join(process.cwd(), 'badges', 'slashed.optimal.css') });
+    await page.addStyleTag({ path: BUNDLE });
 
     const opacity = await page.locator('.layer-check-5').evaluate(el =>
       getComputedStyle(el).opacity
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ test.describe('Layer ordering', () => {
       </style>
       <div class="layer-check-6">test</div>
     `);
-    await page.addStyleTag({ path: path.join(process.cwd(), 'badges', 'slashed.optimal.css') });
+    await page.addStyleTag({ path: BUNDLE });
 
     const opacity = await page.locator('.layer-check-6').evaluate(el =>
       getComputedStyle(el).opacity
diff --git a/tests/layout.spec.js b/tests/layout.spec.js
index 5650571a..3f14087b 100644
--- a/tests/layout.spec.js
+++ b/tests/layout.spec.js
@@ -1,14 +1,10 @@
 // @ts-check
 // Behavioural tests for core/layout.css — every layout primitive.
 import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
-import path from 'node:path';
-
-const BUNDLE = path.join(process.cwd(), 'badges', 'slashed.optimal.css');
+import { renderWithBundle } from './render-helpers.js';
 
 async function setup(page, html) {
-  await page.setViewportSize({ width: 1200, height: 900 });
-  await page.setContent(`<!doctype html><html><body style="margin:0">${html}</body></html>`);
-  await page.addStyleTag({ path: BUNDLE });
+  await renderWithBundle(page, html, { width: 1200, height: 900 });
 }
 
 // ── .sf-section ────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/tests/macros.spec.js b/tests/macros.spec.js
index 9e7f98a0..b3dcce06 100644
--- a/tests/macros.spec.js
+++ b/tests/macros.spec.js
@@ -3,14 +3,12 @@
 // Each macro is exercised against a synthetic fixture and its
 // observable effect verified via getComputedStyle / layout reads.
 import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
-import path from 'node:path';
-
-const BUNDLE = path.join(process.cwd(), 'badges', 'slashed.optimal.css');
+import { renderWithBundle } from './render-helpers.js';
 
 async function setup(page, html) {
-  await page.setViewportSize({ width: 800, height: 600 });
-  await page.setContent(`<!doctype html><html><body>${html}</body></html>`);
-  await page.addStyleTag({ path: BUNDLE });
+  // Unlike the other spec files' setup(), body has no margin:0 here —
+  // preserved as-is (bodyMargin: null omits the style attribute entirely).
+  await renderWithBundle(page, html, { width: 800, height: 600, bodyMargin: null });
 }
 
 test.describe('macro: .sf-flow', () => {
diff --git a/tests/print.spec.js b/tests/print.spec.js
index 04c2b782..11676bcc 100644
--- a/tests/print.spec.js
+++ b/tests/print.spec.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // @ts-check
 import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
-import path from 'node:path';
+import { BUNDLE } from './render-helpers.js';
 
 /**
  * Print color preservation smoke test.
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ test.describe('Print styles', () => {
   test('<mark> retains non-transparent background in print', async ({ page }) => {
     await page.emulateMedia({ media: 'print' });
     await page.setContent(`<p><mark>Highlighted text</mark></p>`);
-    await page.addStyleTag({ path: path.join(process.cwd(), 'badges', 'slashed.optimal.css') });
+    await page.addStyleTag({ path: BUNDLE });
 
     const bg = await page.locator('mark').evaluate(el =>
       getComputedStyle(el).backgroundColor
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ test.describe('Print styles', () => {
       <div class="no-print" id="hidden-el">Should be hidden</div>
       <div id="visible-el">Should be visible</div>
     `);
-    await page.addStyleTag({ path: path.join(process.cwd(), 'badges', 'slashed.optimal.css') });
+    await page.addStyleTag({ path: BUNDLE });
     await page.emulateMedia({ media: 'print' });
 
     const hiddenDisplay = await page.locator('#hidden-el').evaluate(el =>
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ test.describe('Print styles', () => {
     await page.setContent(`
       <div class="print-color-exact" style="background: rgb(100, 150, 200);">Coloured</div>
     `);
-    await page.addStyleTag({ path: path.join(process.cwd(), 'badges', 'slashed.optimal.css') });
+    await page.addStyleTag({ path: BUNDLE });
     await page.emulateMedia({ media: 'print' });
 
     const pca = await page.locator('.print-color-exact').evaluate(el =>
diff --git a/tests/render-helpers.js b/tests/render-helpers.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..af5b9234
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/render-helpers.js
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+// Shared Playwright test-fixture helpers (SL-033). The optimal bundle path
+// and the viewport/doctype/addStyleTag boilerplate were duplicated across
+// a11y-patterns.spec.js, layout.spec.js, macros.spec.js, states-full.spec.js,
+// and typography.spec.js with near-identical setup() functions. The three
+// real differences between them (viewport size, whether <body> gets
+// style="margin:0", and whether transitions are disabled) are now the
+// options renderWithBundle() takes — see each call site for its values.
+//
+// container-queries.spec.js's setupInContainer() wraps content in a sized
+// container div and pins font-size for @container em thresholds; that shape
+// is genuinely different from the flat case here, so it keeps its own local
+// function, but imports BUNDLE from here instead of redefining it.
+//
+// layers.spec.js and print.spec.js inline page.setContent per-test (each
+// test stages different competing rules in its own <style> block) — only
+// their repeated BUNDLE path.join() is shared here.
+import path from 'node:path';
+
+export const BUNDLE = path.join(process.cwd(), 'badges', 'slashed.optimal.css');
+
+export const NO_TRANSITIONS_STYLE =
+  '*, *::before, *::after { transition: none !important; animation-duration: 0s !important; }';
+
+/**
+ * Load the optimal bundle and set page content inside a minimal
+ * <!doctype html><html><body> wrapper.
+ * @param {import('@playwright/test').Page} page
+ * @param {string} html
+ * @param {{ width?: number, height?: number, bodyMargin?: string | null, extraStyle?: string, bundle?: string }} [options]
+ */
+export async function renderWithBundle(page, html, options = {}) {
+  const { width = 1200, height = 900, bodyMargin = '0', extraStyle, bundle = BUNDLE } = options;
+  await page.setViewportSize({ width, height });
+  const bodyAttr = bodyMargin != null ? ` style="margin:${bodyMargin}"` : '';
+  await page.setContent(`<!doctype html><html><body${bodyAttr}>${html}</body></html>`);
+  await page.addStyleTag({ path: bundle });
+  if (extraStyle) {
+    await page.addStyleTag({ content: extraStyle });
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/states-full.spec.js b/tests/states-full.spec.js
index 7eafaed1..2f54f57b 100644
--- a/tests/states-full.spec.js
+++ b/tests/states-full.spec.js
@@ -1,16 +1,11 @@
 // @ts-check
 // Full coverage of every .is-* class in core/states.css.
 import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
-import path from 'node:path';
-
-const BUNDLE = path.join(process.cwd(), 'badges', 'slashed.optimal.css');
+import { renderWithBundle, NO_TRANSITIONS_STYLE } from './render-helpers.js';
 
 async function setup(page, html) {
-  await page.setViewportSize({ width: 800, height: 600 });
-  await page.setContent(`<!doctype html><html><body style="margin:0">${html}</body></html>`);
-  await page.addStyleTag({ path: BUNDLE });
   // Disable transitions so computed property reads are stable (no mid-animation values).
-  await page.addStyleTag({ content: '*, *::before, *::after { transition: none !important; animation-duration: 0s !important; }' });
+  await renderWithBundle(page, html, { width: 800, height: 600, extraStyle: NO_TRANSITIONS_STYLE });
 }
 
 // ── Visibility ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/tests/tier1-p10-contrast.test.js b/tests/tier1-p10-contrast.test.js
index 55afc269..ce3dc561 100644
--- a/tests/tier1-p10-contrast.test.js
+++ b/tests/tier1-p10-contrast.test.js
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
  * Verifies the mathematical invariant: dark text on a light background
  * always meets 4.5:1 across the ranges used by the framework's defaults.
  *
+ * The P2/P7/P8/P10 numbering gaps (no P1, P3-P6, P9 test files) are
+ * explained in tests/README.md — not dead history, don't renumber.
+ *
  * Run: node --test tests/tier1-p10-contrast.test.js
  */
 import { test, describe } from 'node:test';
diff --git a/tests/tier1-p2-coverage.test.js b/tests/tier1-p2-coverage.test.js
index 7eb61606..7754227f 100644
--- a/tests/tier1-p2-coverage.test.js
+++ b/tests/tier1-p2-coverage.test.js
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
  * Property 2: tokens.css uses @supports gating — no bare light-dark() or
  *             oklch(from…)/color-mix() declarations outside a @supports block.
  *
+ * The P2/P7/P8/P10 numbering gaps (no P1, P3-P6, P9 test files) are
+ * explained in tests/README.md — not dead history, don't renumber.
+ *
  * Run: node --test tests/tier1-p2-coverage.test.js
  */
 import { test, describe } from 'node:test';
diff --git a/tests/tier1-p7-oldengine.test.js b/tests/tier1-p7-oldengine.test.js
index 34d6ac67..94320b28 100644
--- a/tests/tier1-p7-oldengine.test.js
+++ b/tests/tier1-p7-oldengine.test.js
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@
  * checks the same invariant at source level). P7 verifies the invariant
  * holds in the final built artifact after bundling and minification.
  *
+ * The P2/P7/P8/P10 numbering gaps (no P1, P3-P6, P9 test files) are
+ * explained in tests/README.md — not dead history, don't renumber.
+ *
  * Run: node --test tests/tier1-p7-oldengine.test.js
  */
 import { test, describe } from 'node:test';
diff --git a/tests/tier1-p8-modern.spec.js b/tests/tier1-p8-modern.spec.js
index ee0c1d39..705dd90e 100644
--- a/tests/tier1-p8-modern.spec.js
+++ b/tests/tier1-p8-modern.spec.js
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@
  *             This proves that adding core/tokens.color-fallbacks.css before
  *             core/tokens.css did NOT change any resolved value on modern browsers.
  *
+ * The P2/P7/P8/P10 numbering gaps (no P1, P3-P6, P9 test files) are
+ * explained in tests/README.md — not dead history, don't renumber.
+ *
  * Regenerate baseline: BASELINE_CAPTURE=1 npx playwright test tests/tier1-p8-modern.spec.js --project=chromium
  * Run: npx playwright test tests/tier1-p8-modern.spec.js --project=chromium
  */
diff --git a/tests/typography.spec.js b/tests/typography.spec.js
index 8ea90c1b..4feb6792 100644
--- a/tests/typography.spec.js
+++ b/tests/typography.spec.js
@@ -5,14 +5,12 @@
 import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
 import path from 'node:path';
 import { pathToFileURL } from 'node:url';
+import { renderWithBundle } from './render-helpers.js';
 
 const FIXTURE = pathToFileURL(path.join(import.meta.dirname, 'fixture.html')).href;
-const BUNDLE  = path.join(process.cwd(), 'badges', 'slashed.optimal.css');
 
 async function setup(page, html) {
-  await page.setViewportSize({ width: 1200, height: 900 });
-  await page.setContent(`<!doctype html><html><body style="margin:0">${html}</body></html>`);
-  await page.addStyleTag({ path: BUNDLE });
+  await renderWithBundle(page, html, { width: 1200, height: 900 });
 }
 
 // ── Heading size scale ───────────────────────────────────────────