refactor(billing): system email + single-query backfill for the student cap (#735)

* refactor(billing): make student-limit email a system email; tighten backfill query

- Fetch free-plan orgs over the student limit in a single query
  (getFreePlanOrganizationsOverStudentLimit) instead of loading all orgs and
  counting each in memory; the backfill script now just fans out admin emails.
- Report a dry-run summary: how many free orgs are over the limit, how many
  with admins, total admin emails, and how many were skipped for having none.
- Reclassify the student-limit email as a system (ClassroomIO-branded) email
  rather than org-branded — it's the platform telling an admin about their
  plan. Drop the `branding` field and org masthead/theme; both callers updated.
- Reword the email to explain why it's sent (new students are being turned
  away) and that it's throttled to once a day, so it doesn't read as spam.
- Document the system-vs-org-branded email distinction in AGENTS.md.

* feat(billing): send student-limit emails on milestone crossings, once each

Stop emailing admins on every blocked attempt. Instead notify once when the
org crosses a student-count milestone:
- 50% of the limit → new studentLimitApproaching email (heads-up).
- 100% (limit reached) → studentLimitReached email.

Crossings are detected in assertStudentCapacityOrThrow on the allowed path
(blocked attempts no longer email). "Already notified" is persisted on
organization.settings.studentLimitNotified so each milestone fires at most
once, ever — surviving restarts, no per-day approximation. The backfill script
uses the same flag, making reruns idempotent (skips already-notified orgs and
marks them after sending). Email copy updated to explain the trigger and that
it's a one-time-per-milestone message.

* fix(email): use z.url() and drop the frequency footnotes on student-limit emails

Address PR review: `upgradeUrl` uses `z.url()`; remove the "once a day / once
per milestone" footnote lines from both the reached and approaching emails.

* set track={false}

AGENTS.md

@@ -400,6 +400,23 @@ Use `.server.ts` files for server-side code to isolate API keys.
 - **Icon-only buttons** (a `Button` whose content is just an icon, e.g. `size="icon"`) must use `variant="secondary"`.
 - **Theme color classes:** Classes that use colors from `packages/ui/src/index.css` (e.g. `text-muted-foreground`, `text-primary`) must be prefixed with `ui:` in dashboard code so they resolve against the UI theme (e.g. `ui:text-muted-foreground`, `ui:text-primary`). Only color-related utilities need the prefix; layout/sizing classes like `rounded`, `border`, `p-4` stay unprefixed (Tailwind defaults).
 
+## Emails: system vs org-branded
+
+Every transactional email in `packages/email/src/emails` is one of two kinds — decide deliberately, because it changes the branding, the schema, and the `from` address.
+
+- **System emails** — ClassroomIO (the platform) addressing a user/account owner/admin about their *ClassroomIO account*: auth (verify/reset password), billing, **plan limits & usage**, license, workspace. These are **ClassroomIO-branded**:
+  - No `branding` field in the schema.
+  - Render with `getDefaultTemplate(content)` (no branding arg) — falls back to the ClassroomIO logo + default button color.
+  - Send from the default `EMAIL_FROM`; do **not** override `from` with the org name.
+  - Examples: `welcome`, `forgot-password`, `on-password-reset`, `studentLimitReached`.
+- **Org-branded emails** — an *organization* addressing its own members (students/tutors): course invites, welcome/completion, newsfeed, cohort, session reminders. These carry the org's identity:
+  - Add a `branding: ZEmailBranding` field.
+  - Render with `getDefaultTemplate(content, fields.branding)`.
+  - Callers build branding via `buildEmailBranding({ name, avatarUrl, theme })` and send with `from: buildEmailFromName('<Org> (via ClassroomIO.com)')`.
+  - Examples: `teacherStudentJoined`, `studentCourseWelcome`, `studentCourseInvite`, `verifyEmail` (org-scoped signup).
+
+Rule of thumb: if the recipient is being addressed **as a ClassroomIO customer** (account/billing/limits), it's a system email → ClassroomIO branding. If they're addressed **as a member of a specific org**, it's org-branded.
+
 ## Best Practices Summary
 
 ### ✅ DO

apps/api/src/services/organization/student-limit.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import { AppError, ErrorCodes } from '@api/utils/errors';
 import { enqueueTransactionalEmail } from '@api/services/jobs';
-import { buildEmailBranding } from '@cio/email';
 import { getDashboardBaseUrl } from '@cio/core/config/dashboard-url';
 import { getStudentLimit } from '@cio/utils/plans';
 import { env } from '@cio/core/config/env';
@@ -8,44 +7,56 @@ import {
   countActiveStudents,
   getActiveOrganizationPlan,
   getOrganizationAdminEmails,
-  getOrganizationById
+  getOrganizationById,
+  updateOrganization
 } from '@cio/db/queries/organization';
 
+type StudentMilestone = 'half' | 'reached';
+
 /**
- * Notifies org admins that the org has hit its plan's student limit. Enqueued
+ * Emails org admins once when the org crosses a student-count milestone (50%
- * with a per-day idempotency key so repeated blocked attempts don't spam admins.
+ * of the limit, or the limit itself). The "already notified" state is persisted
+ * on `organization.settings` so each milestone fires at most once, ever — no
+ * repeat emails on every subsequent blocked attempt.
  */
-async function notifyAdminsStudentLimitReached(
+async function notifyStudentMilestone(
   orgId: string,
+  milestone: StudentMilestone,
   studentCount: number,
   studentLimit: number
 ): Promise<void> {
-  const [admins, org] = await Promise.all([getOrganizationAdminEmails(orgId), getOrganizationById(orgId)]);
+  const org = await getOrganizationById(orgId);
+  if (!org) return;
 
-  if (!admins.length || !org) return;
+  const notified = org.settings?.studentLimitNotified ?? {};
+  if (notified[milestone]) return;
 
-  const todayKey = new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10);
+  const admins = await getOrganizationAdminEmails(orgId);
-  const upgradeUrl = `${getDashboardBaseUrl()}/org/${org.siteName}?upgrade=true`;
+  if (admins.length) {
+    const upgradeUrl = `${getDashboardBaseUrl()}/org/${org.siteName}?upgrade=true`;
+    const template = milestone === 'reached' ? 'studentLimitReached' : 'studentLimitApproaching';
 
-  await enqueueTransactionalEmail('studentLimitReached', {
+    await enqueueTransactionalEmail(template, {
-    to: admins.map((admin) => admin.email),
+      to: admins.map((admin) => admin.email),
-    fields: {
+      fields: { orgName: org.name, studentCount, studentLimit, upgradeUrl },
-      orgName: org.name,
+      idempotencyKey: `student-limit-${milestone}:${orgId}`
-      studentCount,
+    });
-      studentLimit,
+  }
-      upgradeUrl,
+
-      branding: buildEmailBranding({ name: org.name, avatarUrl: org.avatarUrl, theme: org.theme })
+  // Reaching the limit implies the halfway mark was passed too, so a bulk jump
-    },
+  // straight past 50% never fires the halfway email afterwards.
-    idempotencyKey: `student-limit-reached:${orgId}:${todayKey}`
+  const updatedNotified = milestone === 'reached' ? { half: true, reached: true } : { ...notified, half: true };
-  });
+
+  await updateOrganization(orgId, { settings: { ...org.settings, studentLimitNotified: updatedNotified } });
 }
 
 /**
- * Throws `UPGRADE_REQUIRED` when adding `additionalStudents` new org members
+ * Throws `UPGRADE_REQUIRED` when adding `additionalStudents` new student-role
- * with the student role would push the org past its plan's student limit.
+ * members would push the org past its plan's student limit. Self-hosted orgs
- * Self-hosted orgs and paid plans with an unlimited allowance are exempt.
+ * and plans with an unlimited allowance are exempt.
  *
- * Fires an admin-notification email (fire-and-forget) the moment the limit is hit.
+ * When the addition is allowed and crosses a milestone (50% or the limit), it
+ * fires a one-time admin email (fire-and-forget). Blocked attempts do NOT email.
  */
 export async function assertStudentCapacityOrThrow(orgId: string, additionalStudents: number): Promise<void> {
   if (additionalStudents <= 0) return;
@@ -57,16 +68,24 @@ export async function assertStudentCapacityOrThrow(orgId: string, additionalStud
   if (!Number.isFinite(limit)) return;
 
   const currentCount = await countActiveStudents(orgId);
+  const newCount = currentCount + additionalStudents;
 
-  if (currentCount + additionalStudents > limit) {
+  if (newCount > limit) {
-    notifyAdminsStudentLimitReached(orgId, currentCount, limit).catch((error) => {
-      console.error('notifyAdminsStudentLimitReached error:', error);
-    });
-
     throw new AppError(
       `This organization has reached its ${limit}-student limit on the Free plan`,
       ErrorCodes.UPGRADE_REQUIRED,
       403
     );
   }
+
+  const halfway = Math.ceil(limit / 2);
+  const crossedReached = currentCount < limit && newCount >= limit;
+  const crossedHalf = currentCount < halfway && newCount >= halfway;
+
+  if (crossedReached || crossedHalf) {
+    const milestone: StudentMilestone = crossedReached ? 'reached' : 'half';
+    notifyStudentMilestone(orgId, milestone, newCount, limit).catch((error) => {
+      console.error('notifyStudentMilestone error:', error);
+    });
+  }
 }

apps/dashboard/src/lib/features/app/app-mode-watcher.svelte

@@ -18,4 +18,4 @@
   });
 </script>
 
-<ModeWatcher defaultMode="light" />
+<ModeWatcher defaultMode="light" track={false} />

packages/db/src/queries/organization/organization.ts

@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@ import type {
   TOrganization,
   TOrganizationPlan
 } from '@db/types';
-import { and, asc, count, desc, eq, ilike, inArray, isNotNull, or, sql } from 'drizzle-orm';
+import { and, asc, count, desc, eq, gt, ilike, inArray, isNotNull, notInArray, or, sql } from 'drizzle-orm';
 
+import { PLAN } from '@cio/utils/plans';
 import { ROLE } from '@cio/utils/constants';
 import { db, type DbOrTxClient } from '@db/drizzle';
 import type { TAudienceSortBy, TAudienceSortOrder } from '@cio/utils/validation/organization';
@@ -850,6 +851,43 @@ export const getOrganizations = async (filters?: {
   }));
 };
 
+/**
+ * Gets free (BASIC) plan organizations whose active student count exceeds
+ * `limit`, in a single query. Free = no active paid plan. Used by maintenance
+ * jobs so they don't load every org (or every org's count) and filter in memory.
+ */
+export const getFreePlanOrganizationsOverStudentLimit = async (
+  limit: number
+): Promise<Array<TOrganization & { studentCount: number }>> => {
+  try {
+    const paidPlans = [PLAN.EARLY_ADOPTER, PLAN.ENTERPRISE] as ('EARLY_ADOPTER' | 'ENTERPRISE')[];
+    const paidOrgIds = db
+      .select({ orgId: schema.organizationPlan.orgId })
+      .from(schema.organizationPlan)
+      .where(and(eq(schema.organizationPlan.isActive, true), inArray(schema.organizationPlan.planName, paidPlans)));
+
+    const studentCount = count(schema.organizationmember.id);
+    const rows = await db
+      .select({ organization: schema.organization, studentCount })
+      .from(schema.organization)
+      .innerJoin(
+        schema.organizationmember,
+        and(
+          eq(schema.organizationmember.organizationId, schema.organization.id),
+          eq(schema.organizationmember.roleId, ROLE.STUDENT)
+        )
+      )
+      .where(notInArray(schema.organization.id, paidOrgIds))
+      .groupBy(schema.organization.id)
+      .having(gt(studentCount, limit));
+
+    return rows.map((row) => ({ ...(row.organization as TOrganization), studentCount: Number(row.studentCount) }));
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('getFreePlanOrganizationsOverStudentLimit error:', error);
+    throw new Error('Failed to load free-plan organizations over the student limit');
+  }
+};
+
 /**
  * Gets the first (and typically only) organization - used for self-hosted single-org mode
  * @returns First organization by createdAt, or null if none exist

packages/db/src/schema.ts

@@ -2009,6 +2009,10 @@ export const organization = pgTable(
         inviteOnly?: boolean;
       };
       internalEnrollmentOnly?: boolean;
+      studentLimitNotified?: {
+        half?: boolean;
+        reached?: boolean;
+      };
     }>(),
     landingpage: jsonb().default({}).$type<{
       header?: {

packages/db/src/scripts/notify-students-over-limit.ts

@@ -9,57 +9,76 @@
  */
 import 'dotenv/config';
 
-import { buildEmailBranding, sendEmail } from '@cio/email';
+import { sendEmail } from '@cio/email';
-import { PLAN, getStudentLimit, isOrgOnFreePlan } from '@cio/utils/plans';
+import { PLAN, getStudentLimit } from '@cio/utils/plans';
 
 import {
-  countActiveStudents,
+  getFreePlanOrganizationsOverStudentLimit,
   getOrganizationAdminEmails,
-  getOrganizations
+  updateOrganization
 } from '../queries/organization/organization';
 
 async function main() {
   const execute = process.argv.includes('--execute');
-  const orgs = await getOrganizations();
   const limit = getStudentLimit(PLAN.BASIC);
+  const orgs = await getFreePlanOrganizationsOverStudentLimit(limit);
 
-  let notified = 0;
+  let orgsToNotify = 0;
+  let adminsToNotify = 0;
+  let orgsOverWithoutAdmins = 0;
+  let alreadyNotified = 0;
 
   for (const org of orgs) {
-    const isFree = isOrgOnFreePlan({ plans: org.plans, isSelfHosted: false, orgId: org.id });
+    // Skip orgs already emailed the "reached" milestone (runtime or a prior run).
-    if (!isFree) continue;
+    if (org.settings?.studentLimitNotified?.reached) {
-
+      alreadyNotified++;
-    const studentCount = await countActiveStudents(org.id);
-    if (studentCount <= limit) continue;
-
-    const admins = await getOrganizationAdminEmails(org.id);
-    if (!admins.length) {
-      console.log(`Skipping ${org.name} (${org.id}): ${studentCount}/${limit} but no admin emails`);
       continue;
     }
 
+    const admins = await getOrganizationAdminEmails(org.id);
+    if (!admins.length) {
+      orgsOverWithoutAdmins++;
+      console.log(`Skipping ${org.name} (${org.id}): ${org.studentCount}/${limit} but no admin emails`);
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    orgsToNotify++;
+    adminsToNotify += admins.length;
+
     console.log(
-      `${execute ? 'Notifying' : '[dry-run] Would notify'} ${org.name} (${org.id}): ${studentCount}/${limit} students → ${admins.length} admin(s)`
+      `${execute ? 'Notifying' : '[dry-run] Would notify'} ${org.name} (${org.id}): ${org.studentCount}/${limit} students → ${admins.length} admin(s)`
     );
 
     if (execute) {
-      const branding = buildEmailBranding({ name: org.name, avatarUrl: org.avatarUrl, theme: org.theme });
       const upgradeUrl = `https://app.classroomio.com/org/${org.siteName ?? ''}?upgrade=true`;
 
       await Promise.all(
         admins.map((admin) =>
           sendEmail('studentLimitReached', {
             to: admin.email,
-            fields: { orgName: org.name, studentCount, studentLimit: limit, upgradeUrl, branding }
+            fields: { orgName: org.name, studentCount: org.studentCount, studentLimit: limit, upgradeUrl }
           })
         )
       );
 
-      notified++;
+      await updateOrganization(org.id, {
+        settings: { ...org.settings, studentLimitNotified: { half: true, reached: true } }
+      });
     }
   }
 
-  console.log(execute ? `Done. Notified ${notified} org(s).` : 'Dry run complete — re-run with --execute to send.');
+  console.log(
+    `\nFound ${orgs.length} free-plan org(s) over the ${limit}-student limit: ` +
+      `${orgsToNotify} to notify (${adminsToNotify} admin email(s) total)` +
+      (alreadyNotified ? `, ${alreadyNotified} already notified` : '') +
+      (orgsOverWithoutAdmins ? `, ${orgsOverWithoutAdmins} skipped for having no admins` : '') +
+      '.'
+  );
+  console.log(
+    execute
+      ? `Done. Sent ${adminsToNotify} email(s) across ${orgsToNotify} org(s).`
+      : 'Dry run — no emails sent. Re-run with --execute to send.'
+  );
 }
 
 main()

packages/email/src/emails/index.ts

@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ export * from './session';
 export * from './submission-received';
 export * from './submission-graded';
 export * from './student-limit-reached';
+export * from './student-limit-approaching';
 
 import type { newsfeedCommentEmail, newsfeedPostEmail } from './newsfeed';
 
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ import type { sessionReminderEmail, sessionUpdatedEmail } from './session';
 import type { submissionReceivedEmail } from './submission-received';
 import type { submissionGradedEmail } from './submission-graded';
 import type { studentLimitReachedEmail } from './student-limit-reached';
+import type { studentLimitApproachingEmail } from './student-limit-approaching';
 import type { teacherCourseWelcomeEmail } from './teacher-course-welcome';
 import type { teacherStudentBuyRequestEmail } from './teacher-student-buy-request';
 import type { teacherStudentJoinedEmail } from './teacher-student-joined';
@@ -82,4 +84,5 @@ export type EmailSchemas = {
   submissionReceived: typeof submissionReceivedEmail.template.schema;
   submissionGraded: typeof submissionGradedEmail.template.schema;
   studentLimitReached: typeof studentLimitReachedEmail.template.schema;
+  studentLimitApproaching: typeof studentLimitApproachingEmail.template.schema;
 };

packages/email/src/emails/student-limit-approaching.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import * as z from 'zod';
+
+import { defineEmail } from '../send';
+import { getDefaultTemplate } from '../templates';
+
+export const studentLimitApproachingEmail = defineEmail({
+  id: 'studentLimitApproaching',
+  subject: "You're approaching your Free plan student limit",
+  schema: z.object({
+    orgName: z.string().min(1),
+    studentCount: z.number(),
+    studentLimit: z.number(),
+    upgradeUrl: z.url()
+  }),
+  render: (fields) => {
+    const content = `
+      <p>Hi there,</p>
+      <p><strong>${fields.orgName}</strong> now has ${fields.studentCount} of the ${fields.studentLimit} students included on the Free plan — about halfway to the limit. Once you reach it, new students can't enrol, accept invites, or be added until you upgrade.</p>
+      <div>
+        <a class="button" href="${fields.upgradeUrl}">Upgrade your plan</a>
+      </div>
+    `;
+
+    return getDefaultTemplate(content);
+  }
+});

packages/email/src/emails/student-limit-reached.ts

@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import * as z from 'zod';
 
 import { defineEmail } from '../send';
 import { getDefaultTemplate } from '../templates';
-import { ZEmailBranding } from '../core/branding';
 
 export const studentLimitReachedEmail = defineEmail({
   id: 'studentLimitReached',
@@ -11,18 +10,17 @@ export const studentLimitReachedEmail = defineEmail({
     orgName: z.string().min(1),
     studentCount: z.number(),
     studentLimit: z.number(),
-    upgradeUrl: z.string().url(),
+    upgradeUrl: z.url()
-    branding: ZEmailBranding
   }),
   render: (fields) => {
     const content = `
       <p>Hi there,</p>
-      <p><strong>${fields.orgName}</strong> has reached the ${fields.studentLimit}-student limit on the Free plan (currently ${fields.studentCount} students). New students can't enrol or be invited until you upgrade.</p>
+      <p><strong>${fields.orgName}</strong> has reached its Free plan limit of ${fields.studentLimit} students. From now on, new students can't enrol, accept invites, or be added until you upgrade.</p>
       <div>
         <a class="button" href="${fields.upgradeUrl}">Upgrade your plan</a>
       </div>
     `;
 
-    return getDefaultTemplate(content, fields.branding);
+    return getDefaultTemplate(content);
   }
 });

packages/email/src/utils/constants.ts

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ export const EMAIL_IDS = [
   'submissionGraded',
   'submissionReceived',
   'studentLimitReached',
+  'studentLimitApproaching',
   'studentCourseInvite',
   'studentCourseCompletion',
   'studentCourseWelcome',