Unread/Read State Tracking

Without a read-state column, every notification looks identical forever — the bell badge never clears, users learn to ignore it, and push/email digests repeat content the user already saw in-app. A single read_at timestamp unlocks unread counts, mark-all-as-read, per-channel deduplication across web and mobile, and analytics on notification effectiveness. Missing this field means every downstream notification feature is blocked until the schema is backfilled.

Add a nullable readAt DateTime? column to the notification model, expose PATCH endpoints for single-item and bulk mark-as-read, and compute the unread badge from notifications.filter(n => !n.readAt).length. Store the timestamp (not a boolean) so you can audit read latency later. See prisma/schema.prisma and app/api/notifications/[id]/route.ts:

model Notification {
  id String @id
  readAt DateTime?
  userId String
}

• ID: community-social-engagement.notifications.read-state-management

• Severity: low

• What to look for: Enumerate all relevant files and Examine the notification schema. Look for a read_at timestamp or is_read boolean field. Check for API endpoints to "Mark as read" (single or bulk). Look for UI badges showing unread notification count.

• Pass criteria: No more than 0 violations are acceptable. Notification model includes a read state field. Endpoints exist to mark notifications as read. UI displays unread count and visual indicators for unread notifications.

• Fail criteria: No read state tracked, or notifications are always read, or no way to mark as read.

• Skip (N/A) when: Notifications feature doesn't exist.

• Detail on fail: "Notification model has no read_at field — cannot track read state" or "UI shows notification count but no 'Mark as read' button"

• Remediation: Add read state tracking:

  // Prisma schema
  model Notification {
    id String @id
    userId String
    type String // 'post_liked', 'user_followed', etc.
    content String
    readAt DateTime?
    createdAt DateTime @default(now())
    user User @relation(fields: [userId], references: [id], onDelete: Cascade)
  }
  
  // API route to mark as read
  export async function PATCH(req: Request, { params }) {
    const { read } = await req.json()
  
    const notification = await db.notification.update({
      where: { id: params.id },
      data: { readAt: read ? new Date() : null }
    })
  
    return Response.json(notification)
  }
  
  // Mark all as read
  export async function PUT(req: Request) {
    const userId = getCurrentUserId()
  
    await db.notification.updateMany({
      where: { userId, readAt: null },
      data: { readAt: new Date() }
    })
  
    return Response.json({ success: true })
  }
  
  // UI component
  function NotificationBell() {
    const unreadCount = notifications.filter(n => !n.readAt).length
  
    return (
      <button>
        🔔
        {unreadCount > 0 && <span className="badge">{unreadCount}</span>}
      </button>
    )
  }