diff --git a/packages/gittensory-miner/DEPLOYMENT.md b/packages/gittensory-miner/DEPLOYMENT.md
index 9e07cc7b40..1cc743615a 100644
--- a/packages/gittensory-miner/DEPLOYMENT.md
+++ b/packages/gittensory-miner/DEPLOYMENT.md
@@ -67,3 +67,7 @@ The repo-root [`docker-compose.yml`](../../docker-compose.yml) documents the **s
 - `gittensory-miner status` and `gittensory-miner doctor` make **no network calls**.
 - Discovery/ranking primitives that touch GitHub only run when explicitly invoked and only perform documented GETs unless a future command says otherwise.
 - Operators own secret injection; images and packages ship without embedded tokens.
+
+## Optional hosted discovery plane (opt-in)
+
+The Phase 6 **hosted discovery-index** is **off by default** — unlike Orb fleet export (`ORB_AIR_GAP` is the only opt-out). Operators who want cross-fleet metadata queries or soft-claim coordination must opt in explicitly. See [`docs/discovery-plane-operator-guide.md`](docs/discovery-plane-operator-guide.md) ([#4309](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4309), placeholder until [#4300](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4300) / [#4301](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4301) / [#4302](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4302) ship).
diff --git a/packages/gittensory-miner/README.md b/packages/gittensory-miner/README.md
index 3d67c522f7..3cd515b1dc 100644
--- a/packages/gittensory-miner/README.md
+++ b/packages/gittensory-miner/README.md
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ See [`docs/miner-goal-spec.md`](docs/miner-goal-spec.md) for the `.gittensory-mi
 
 See [`docs/cross-repo-discovery-phase1.md`](docs/cross-repo-discovery-phase1.md) for the Phase 1 cross-repo discovery scope (re-scoped from [#1060](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/1060), paper trail for [#2299](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/2299)).
 
+See [`docs/discovery-plane-operator-guide.md`](docs/discovery-plane-operator-guide.md) for the optional hosted discovery-index plane (opt-in default OFF; contrasts with Orb's opt-out-only export — [#4309](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4309)).
+
 See [`DEPLOYMENT.md`](DEPLOYMENT.md) for laptop vs fleet deployment.
 
 ### Laptop-mode quickstart
diff --git a/packages/gittensory-miner/docs/discovery-plane-operator-guide.md b/packages/gittensory-miner/docs/discovery-plane-operator-guide.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f06552100e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/gittensory-miner/docs/discovery-plane-operator-guide.md
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+# Hosted discovery plane — operator guide (opt-in)
+
+Operator-facing guide for the **optional** Phase 6 hosted discovery-index plane ([#4250](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4250)). This is the client/miner half of that roadmap item: how a `gittensory-miner` instance opts in, what it may send, and what never leaves the operator's machine.
+
+> **Placeholder scope:** the concrete env var names, HTTP paths, and telemetry event types below are **provisional** until the sibling contract/telemetry/client issues land. When those ship, update this file to match the real symbols — do not treat the TBD names as stable API yet.
+>
+> | Issue | What it defines |
+> |-------|-----------------|
+> | [#4300](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4300) | Public-data-only discovery-index API contract (request/response shapes) |
+> | [#4301](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4301) | Anonymized telemetry event schema for the optional hosted plane |
+> | [#4302](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4302) | Client-side soft-claim coordination request builder |
+> | [#4250](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4250) | Hosted discovery-index server (maintainer-operated counterpart) |
+
+Part of the Miner Wave 2 discovery plane ([#2353](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/2353) Phase 6). Distinct from Phase 1's **local-only** metadata fan-out documented in [`cross-repo-discovery-phase1.md`](cross-repo-discovery-phase1.md) — that path never phones home today.
+
+## Default posture: opt-in (not like Orb)
+
+Two telemetry/export surfaces exist in Gittensory, and they intentionally use **opposite defaults**:
+
+| Surface | Default | Operator action | Precedent |
+|---------|---------|-------------------|-----------|
+| **Orb fleet calibration** (`src/selfhost/orb-collector.ts`) | **ON** once a GitHub App is configured | Opt out only via `ORB_AIR_GAP=true` (air-gapped / send-nothing) | Review-stack self-host contract — export is always on unless air-gapped |
+| **Hosted discovery plane** (this guide) | **OFF** | Opt **in** explicitly before any hosted index query or plane telemetry | Hybrid, self-host-first miner deployment — participation in a shared hosted plane is never assumed |
+
+Do **not** copy Orb's wording for this plane. Orb's header comment is explicit: "Export is ALWAYS ON… there is no opt-out flag" aside from `ORB_AIR_GAP`. The discovery plane is the opposite: **no hosted traffic unless the operator turns it on.**
+
+## What the plane is for
+
+When enabled, a miner may query a **shared, metadata-only** discovery index instead of every fleet member independently fanning out GitHub search/listing calls against the same repos — mitigating cross-fleet rate-limit pressure (the same class of incident addressed for the review stack in [#1936](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/1936)).
+
+The plane:
+
+- Serves **public GitHub metadata only** (issue titles, labels, counts, timestamps, URLs — the same class of fields Phase 1 already uses locally).
+- May coordinate **soft claims** across the fleet (server-side dedup is [#4250](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4250); client request shape is [#4302](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4302)).
+- Never receives source trees, diffs, tokens, or write credentials.
+
+Local discovery (`opportunity-fanout` + `opportunity-ranker`) continues to work with **zero** hosted configuration.
+
+## Opt-in mechanism (names TBD — update when #4300/#4301 ship)
+
+Until the contract issue lands, treat these as **documentation placeholders** for the shape operators should expect:
+
+| Variable (provisional) | Default | Purpose |
+|------------------------|---------|---------|
+| `GITTENSORY_MINER_DISCOVERY_PLANE` | unset / `false` | Master opt-in. When not truthy (`1`, `true`, `yes`, `on`), the miner must not call the hosted index or emit discovery-plane telemetry. |
+| `GITTENSORY_MINER_DISCOVERY_INDEX_URL` | unset | Hosted index base URL. Required when the plane is enabled; ignored when opt-in is off. |
+| `GITTENSORY_MINER_DISCOVERY_TELEMETRY` | unset / `false` | Separate opt-in for anonymized operational telemetry ([#4301](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4301)). Plane queries can stay on while telemetry stays off. |
+
+**Truthy-string convention** (when implemented): `/^(1|true|yes|on)$/i`, matching other `GITTENSORY_*` flags in this repo.
+
+**Operator checklist (enabled plane):**
+
+1. Set `GITTENSORY_MINER_DISCOVERY_PLANE=true` (exact name may change — see [#4300](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4300)).
+2. Set `GITTENSORY_MINER_DISCOVERY_INDEX_URL` to the operator-trusted index endpoint ([#4250](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4250)).
+3. Optionally set `GITTENSORY_MINER_DISCOVERY_TELEMETRY=true` if you want anonymized operational events for the hosted service — not required for index queries.
+4. Keep `GITHUB_TOKEN` (or equivalent) on the instance only; never configure tokens intended for the hosted plane to receive.
+
+With opt-in off (default), behavior is byte-identical to today: local SQLite ledgers, local fan-out, no hosted calls.
+
+## Contrast with local soft-claims today
+
+`packages/gittensory-miner/lib/claim-ledger.js` records soft claims **locally only** ("never uploads, syncs, or phones home"). Fleet-wide coordination before work starts is what [#4302](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4302) + the hosted index ([#4250](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4250)) add **on top of** that ledger — only after explicit opt-in.
+
+After-the-fact duplicate adjudication (`isDuplicateClusterWinnerByClaim` in `@jsonbored/gittensory-engine`) remains separate; it resolves collisions by observing what publicly landed first, not by preventing overlap up front.
+
+## Invariants
+
+Mirrors [`DEPLOYMENT.md`](../DEPLOYMENT.md) tone — concrete guarantees for operators:
+
+- **Default OFF** — no hosted discovery-index traffic and no discovery-plane telemetry unless the operator opts in.
+- **Metadata-only index queries** — responses are issue/listing metadata compatible with local `normalizeCandidate` shape; no source upload, no clone, no repo archive.
+- **Read-only client posture** — the miner uses GET/list/search semantics toward GitHub directly (Phase 1) and toward the hosted index when enabled; the plane does not grant the miner new GitHub write capability.
+- **Credentials stay local** — GitHub tokens, PATs, and actor-capable secrets are injected at runtime on the operator's machine or secret store; they are **never** included in index or telemetry payloads.
+- **No compensation signals in the plane** — raw reward values, wallet addresses, hotkeys, trust scores, or private rankings never cross this boundary (same public boundary as [`cross-repo-discovery-phase1.md`](cross-repo-discovery-phase1.md) Acceptance).
+- **Telemetry is a second opt-in** — even with the plane enabled, anonymized telemetry ([#4301](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4301)) remains separately gated.
+- **Anonymized identifiers only** — when telemetry ships, repo/issue correlation uses HMAC-hashed identifiers keyed by a **per-instance dedicated secret** the collector never holds (same posture as `getOrCreateAnonSecret` / `hmacField` in `src/selfhost/orb-collector.ts` — key separation from GitHub App / webhook secrets).
+- **Low-cardinality reason buckets** — any free-text-adjacent telemetry fields use bucketed categories (Orb's `bucketReasonCode` pattern), not raw maintainer or model prose.
+- **Core miner still works offline** — claims, plans, queues, and local ledgers do not require the hosted plane; `gittensory-miner doctor` / `status` remain no-network commands.
+
+### Never included (client → hosted plane)
+
+Inventory style matches `src/selfhost/orb-collector.ts:15-17` ("No diffs, no code…") adapted for discovery-plane domain ([#4301](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4301)):
+
+- Source file contents, patches, or diffs
+- Full issue/PR bodies or review comments
+- GitHub tokens, PATs, App private keys, or any actor-capable credential
+- Commit SHAs, branch names tied to unpublished work, or CI log excerpts
+- Operator login identities, emails, or hostnames usable as PII
+- Raw gate reasons, model transcripts, or free-text maintainer notes
+- Reward amounts, wallet addresses, hotkeys, trust scores, or private rankings
+
+### Never retained by the hosted service (server-side — [#4250](https://github.com/JSONbored/gittensory/issues/4250))
+
+The server operating doc (maintainer-only) will restate the same boundary: **never holds source or actor-capable credentials.** This client guide does not define server retention policy; see #4250 deliverables.
+
+## Related docs
+
+- [`cross-repo-discovery-phase1.md`](cross-repo-discovery-phase1.md) — local, metadata-only Phase 1 discovery (no hosted plane).
+- [`miner-goal-spec.md`](miner-goal-spec.md) — per-repo `.gittensory-miner.yml` targeting policy.
+- [`../DEPLOYMENT.md`](../DEPLOYMENT.md) — laptop vs fleet deployment and core miner invariants.