diff --git a/packages/connector-sdk/README.md b/packages/connector-sdk/README.md
index 5672fe7..be86be1 100644
--- a/packages/connector-sdk/README.md
+++ b/packages/connector-sdk/README.md
@@ -1,5 +1,235 @@
 # @spool-lab/connector-sdk
 
-Public plugin contract for Spool connectors. A Spool connector is an npm package whose `package.json` declares `spool.type: "connector"` and whose default export is a class implementing the `Connector` interface exported from this package.
+The plugin contract for [Spool](https://spool.pro) connectors. A Spool connector is a small npm package that knows how to pull items from one source — a remote API, a browser session, a local database, a CLI tool — and hand them to Spool's sync engine as `CapturedItem`s. The host app indexes them, makes them searchable, and feeds them to AI agents.
 
-See `docs/connector-sync-architecture.md` in the Spool repository for the full authoring guide.
+This package is zero-dependency types + a handful of helpers. You depend on it to write a connector; the Spool app provides the runtime implementations of every capability.
+
+## Minimal connector
+
+Three files and ~40 lines of code.
+
+**`package.json`** — your connector is identified by `spool.type: "connector"`:
+
+```json
+{
+  "name": "@you/connector-example",
+  "version": "0.1.0",
+  "type": "module",
+  "main": "./dist/index.js",
+  "types": "./dist/index.d.ts",
+  "files": ["dist"],
+  "peerDependencies": {
+    "@spool-lab/connector-sdk": "^0.1.0"
+  },
+  "spool": {
+    "type": "connector",
+    "connectors": [
+      {
+        "id": "example",
+        "platform": "example",
+        "label": "Example",
+        "description": "One line about what this captures",
+        "color": "#000000",
+        "ephemeral": false,
+        "capabilities": ["fetch", "log"]
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+}
+```
+
+**`src/index.ts`** — implement `Connector`:
+
+```ts
+import type {
+  Connector,
+  ConnectorCapabilities,
+  AuthStatus,
+  FetchContext,
+  PageResult,
+} from '@spool-lab/connector-sdk'
+import { SyncError, SyncErrorCode } from '@spool-lab/connector-sdk'
+
+export class ExampleConnector implements Connector {
+  readonly id = 'example'
+  readonly platform = 'example'
+  readonly label = 'Example'
+  readonly description = 'One line about what this captures'
+  readonly color = '#000000'
+  readonly ephemeral = false
+
+  constructor(private readonly caps: ConnectorCapabilities) {}
+
+  async checkAuth(): Promise<AuthStatus> {
+    return { ok: true }
+  }
+
+  async fetchPage(ctx: FetchContext): Promise<PageResult> {
+    const page = ctx.cursor ? parseInt(ctx.cursor, 10) : 1
+    const res = await this.caps.fetch(
+      `https://example.com/api/items?page=${page}`,
+    )
+    if (!res.ok) {
+      throw new SyncError(SyncErrorCode.API_UNEXPECTED_STATUS, `status ${res.status}`)
+    }
+    const data = await res.json() as Array<{ id: string; title: string; url: string }>
+
+    const items = data.map(d => ({
+      url: d.url,
+      title: d.title,
+      contentText: d.title,
+      author: null,
+      platform: 'example',
+      platformId: d.id,
+      contentType: 'post',
+      thumbnailUrl: null,
+      metadata: {},
+      capturedAt: new Date().toISOString(),
+      rawJson: JSON.stringify(d),
+    }))
+
+    // Stop forward sync when we reach a known item
+    if (ctx.phase === 'forward' && ctx.sinceItemId) {
+      const idx = items.findIndex(i => i.platformId === ctx.sinceItemId)
+      if (idx >= 0) return { items: items.slice(0, idx), nextCursor: null }
+    }
+
+    return { items, nextCursor: items.length === 0 ? null : String(page + 1) }
+  }
+}
+
+export const connectors = [ExampleConnector]
+```
+
+**`tsconfig.json`** — emit ESM + d.ts:
+
+```json
+{
+  "compilerOptions": {
+    "target": "ES2022",
+    "module": "NodeNext",
+    "moduleResolution": "NodeNext",
+    "outDir": "./dist",
+    "rootDir": "./src",
+    "declaration": true,
+    "strict": true
+  },
+  "include": ["src"]
+}
+```
+
+`pnpm build && pnpm publish --access public`. Users install it with:
+
+```
+spool://connector/install/@you/connector-example
+```
+
+The app downloads the tarball, extracts it into `~/.spool/connectors/node_modules/`, and — because you're not `@spool-lab/*` — prompts the user to trust the package first.
+
+## Core contract
+
+### `Connector`
+
+The interface every connector implements. Fields (`id`, `platform`, `label`, `description`, `color`, `ephemeral`) are copied from the manifest and used by the UI. Two methods do real work:
+
+- **`checkAuth()`** returns `{ ok: true }` when you can reach the source, or `{ ok: false, error, message, hint }` when you can't. Also returns a `setup: SetupStep[]` array if the connector uses the prerequisites system (see below).
+- **`fetchPage(ctx)`** returns one page of items and a cursor for the next. The sync engine calls this in two phases: `forward` (pull new items newer than the last head anchor) and `backfill` (walk history). Honor `ctx.sinceItemId` in the forward phase to stop early.
+
+### `CapturedItem`
+
+The canonical data unit:
+
+```ts
+interface CapturedItem {
+  url: string
+  title: string
+  contentText: string
+  author: string | null
+  platform: string
+  platformId: string | null   // dedup key, stable per-platform
+  contentType: string         // 'post' | 'video' | 'repo' | ...
+  thumbnailUrl: string | null
+  metadata: Record<string, unknown>
+  capturedAt: string          // ISO 8601
+  rawJson: string | null      // source response for future re-parsing
+}
+```
+
+### Capabilities
+
+You don't call `fetch`, read cookies, run subprocesses, or touch the filesystem directly. Instead you declare what you need in the manifest and Spool injects implementations via `ConnectorCapabilities`:
+
+| Capability | Use for |
+|---|---|
+| `fetch` | Proxy-aware HTTP. Respects the user's system proxy, Electron's net module. |
+| `cookies:chrome` | RFC 6265 cookie lookup from Chrome's profile — enables "use my logged-in session" connectors. |
+| `exec` | Run an external CLI (`yt-dlp`, `gh`, `opencli`). Returns `{ exitCode, stdout, stderr }`. |
+| `sqlite` | Read-only access to a local SQLite database — for connectors that wrap a native app's store. |
+| `log` | Structured logging with per-connector prefix. |
+| `prerequisites` | Enable the Setup card (see below). |
+
+Declaring `capabilities: ["fetch", "log"]` in the manifest gates what's available at runtime; requesting a capability you didn't declare terminates the connector. This is the security boundary.
+
+### Prerequisites (optional)
+
+If your connector needs a CLI, a browser extension, or a logged-in session before it can work, declare it in the manifest:
+
+```json
+"prerequisites": [
+  {
+    "id": "yt-dlp",
+    "name": "yt-dlp",
+    "kind": "cli",
+    "detect": {
+      "type": "exec",
+      "command": "yt-dlp",
+      "args": ["--version"],
+      "versionRegex": "(\\d{4}\\.\\d{2}\\.\\d{2})"
+    },
+    "minVersion": "2024.01.01",
+    "install": {
+      "kind": "cli",
+      "command": {
+        "darwin": "brew install yt-dlp",
+        "linux": "pip install -U yt-dlp",
+        "win32": "pip install -U yt-dlp"
+      }
+    },
+    "docsUrl": "https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp"
+  }
+]
+```
+
+Spool's Setup card renders each step with a status pill + one-click install button. Your `checkAuth()` can delegate:
+
+```ts
+import { checkAuthViaPrerequisites } from '@spool-lab/connector-sdk'
+
+async checkAuth() {
+  return checkAuthViaPrerequisites(this.caps)
+}
+```
+
+## Helpers
+
+- `SyncError(code, message)` — throw from `fetchPage` with one of the `SyncErrorCode` values to get proper retry/backoff behavior.
+- `parseCliJsonOutput(stdout, platform, contentType)` — converts `yt-dlp`-style one-JSON-per-line output into `CapturedItem[]`.
+- `abortableSleep(ms, signal)` — honor `ctx.signal` in retry/backoff loops so cancellation responds quickly.
+
+## Multi-connector packages
+
+One package can ship several connectors that share prerequisites (e.g. GitHub Stars + Notifications share `gh auth`). Declare `spool.connectors` as an array with multiple entries and export `connectors: [A, B]` from your entry.
+
+## Reference
+
+- Architecture + authoring guide: [`docs/connector-sync-architecture.md`](https://github.com/spool-lab/spool/blob/main/docs/connector-sync-architecture.md)
+- First-party examples: [`packages/connectors/*`](https://github.com/spool-lab/spool/tree/main/packages/connectors) — Reddit, GitHub, Hacker News, Twitter Bookmarks, Typeless, Xiaohongshu
+- Community example: [`@graydawnc/connector-youtube`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@graydawnc/connector-youtube)
+
+## Versioning
+
+`0.x` while the contract is stabilizing — minor bumps may include breaking changes, patch bumps are safe.
+
+## License
+
+MIT
diff --git a/packages/connector-sdk/package.json b/packages/connector-sdk/package.json
index 4b648b0..34713d4 100644
--- a/packages/connector-sdk/package.json
+++ b/packages/connector-sdk/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@spool-lab/connector-sdk",
-  "version": "0.1.0",
+  "version": "0.1.1",
   "description": "Public plugin contract for Spool connectors.",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./dist/index.js",