diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c883a0a..02518ef 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -157,15 +157,8 @@ Released under the [MIT License](LICENSE), matching [`main`](https://github.com/
 
 ## Federation source contracts
 
-Versioned transport contracts live in [schemas/](schemas/). They define source references, repository roles, source manifests, and workspace snapshots. These schemas describe identity and routing only; they do not establish theorem truth or scientific status.
+Versioned [source contracts](schemas/) describe repository roles and file references. The [read-only checker](tools/architecture_conformance.py) checks declared repository owners and visibility labels, required local paths, reference formats, and restrictions on scientific-status fields.
 
-The read-only checker [tools/architecture_conformance.py](tools/architecture_conformance.py) validates repository ownership, public/private boundaries, immutable snapshot refs, optional source manifests, and architecture-authority limits. It never writes scientific state.
+These structural checks do not verify actual repository versions, file contents, live permissions or mathematical correctness.
 
-Run:
-
-```bash
-python -B -S -m unittest discover -s tests -p 'test_*.py' -v
-python -B -S tools/architecture_conformance.py --workspace /path/to/eight-repo-workspace
-```
-
-Unknown schema major versions, mutable refs, sandbox leakage, scientific-status fields in public registry artifact rows, and architecture ownership of promotion fields fail closed.
+[Contributor instructions and recorded limitations](docs/ARCHITECTURE_CONFORMANCE.md) cover the commands, required inputs and unresolved workspace compatibility question.
diff --git a/docs/ARCHITECTURE_CONFORMANCE.md b/docs/ARCHITECTURE_CONFORMANCE.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c040856
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/ARCHITECTURE_CONFORMANCE.md
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+# Architecture conformance — contributor reference
+
+[Back to the repository overview](../README.md#federation-source-contracts).
+
+The command details and dated observations below are retained from the
+[reviewed README section](https://github.com/d6g8k5htny-coder/meta-framework/blob/9de940209690d5a128832a685ed51b3b2c178781/README.md#federation-source-contracts).
+The C146 audit and subsequent diagnosis remain attributed to their linked
+records; this documentation move does not rerun either. Run the commands from
+the repository root.
+
+## Federation source contracts
+
+Versioned transport contracts live in [schemas/](../schemas/). They define source references, repository roles, source manifests, and workspace snapshots. These schemas describe identity and routing only; they do not establish theorem truth or scientific status.
+
+The read-only checker [tools/architecture_conformance.py](../tools/architecture_conformance.py) checks declared repository owners and visibility labels, required local paths, reference syntax, optional manifest/snapshot structure, and architecture-authority limits. It does not authenticate the actual sibling checkout commits, recompute the declared artifact digests, or query live permissions. It never writes scientific state.
+
+Run the local fixture tests from this repository:
+
+```bash
+python -B -S -m unittest discover -s tests -p 'test_*.py' -v
+```
+
+The separate workspace command is conditional on deliberately prepared inputs, not a claim that current default-branch clones form a supported layout:
+
+```bash
+python -B -S tools/architecture_conformance.py --workspace /path/to/eight-repo-workspace
+```
+
+**Source-cut qualification, 7 October 2026** (checker read at `f063d9dcab51302aaaef6666245cac9cf2307548`): the workspace must supply `meta-framework/registry.json`, the eight sibling directories, and `main/architecture/scientific_state/v1/AUTHORITY_MAP.json`. The required map has a [historical source at main `ebedb780`](https://github.com/d6g8k5htny-coder/main/blob/ebedb7802024fa557e9071e4c9cec7cddc474b89/architecture/scientific_state/v1/AUTHORITY_MAP.json), landed by [main PR98](https://github.com/d6g8k5htny-coder/main/pull/98) into `chatgpt/drive-github-hardening-20260919`, not default `main`. That locates one historical input; it does not establish a complete, compatible eight-repository source cut or authorize copying the map into a current authority surface.
+
+The C146 audit's default-layout run at main `3bcf0e34b15dc38270b163263d62b690884e68df` returned exit 2, `missing main authority map`; [issue15](https://github.com/d6g8k5htny-coder/meta-framework/issues/15) and the [source-bound diagnosis](https://github.com/d6g8k5htny-coder/meta-framework/issues/15#issuecomment-6047261217) retain that evidence. The supported historical-versus-current layout and its source-bound positive, missing-map and wrong-cut tests remain unresolved there. This documentation supplies neither a newly passing layout nor a new source-binding policy.
+
+`WORKSPACE_SNAPSHOT.json` and per-repository `SOURCE_MANIFEST.json` are optional inputs to this checker. Their commit/hash fields receive syntax and structure checks, not comparison with the actual checkouts or payload bytes. The [example snapshot](../examples/workspace_snapshot.json) contains repeated-digit placeholder commits, not reproducible pins; the [conformance tests](../tests/test_architecture_conformance.py) use synthetic directories and an authority-map fixture. Passing those fixtures does not verify a real federation cut. Even structurally valid records can describe the wrong local cut without this checker detecting that mismatch.
+
+Unknown schema major versions, mutable refs, sandbox leakage, scientific-status fields in public registry artifact rows, and architecture ownership of promotion fields fail closed. These refusals do not supply the missing checkout authentication. Existing sandbox path/catalog exclusions and publication boundaries remain unchanged; do not fetch exploratory payloads to manufacture a conformance pass.