Pitch: AI Context for Free Plan

[JanCizmar]

1. Problem

All AI customization is behind a single feature flag (AI_PROMPT_CUSTOMIZATION), available only on higher-tier plans. Free users can't set even basic context like project description or language notes — simple text fields that dramatically improve AI translation quality.

This means free users get generic, context-less AI translations (bad first impression), and there's no natural upgrade path: they never see what prompt customization can do because the entire AI settings section is locked.

Baseline: Free users have AI translation available, but every translation goes through the default prompt with no way to edit project-specific context. They have no way to tell the AI "this is a children's education app."

2. Appetite

3 days, one developer. No new data models, endpoints, or migrations — just access control changes and minor UI adjustments.

3. Solution

Split the existing AI customization into two access tiers by ungating the context data while keeping prompt customization gated.

Context Data tab — free for all plans

Remove the AI_PROMPT_CUSTOMIZATION feature gate from the Context Data tab. Free users can:

• Set a project description (text field)
• Set language notes per target language

These fields already exist in the data model and are already injected into the default AI prompt template. The only change is removing the feature flag from the PUT endpoints and the frontend feature check.

Prompts tab — visible but gated

The Prompts tab (prompt list, basic/advanced editor, save/load/rename) remains visible to all users. Free users can browse prompts and see the Basic tab options, but advanced features (custom Handlebars templates, prompt save/preview) stay gated behind AI_PROMPT_CUSTOMIZATION with an upgrade banner. This is already the current behavior — no changes needed here.

Edit links in Basic tab

The Basic tab within the prompt editor has inline edit links for "Project Description" and "Language Notes" that navigate to the Context Data tab. These links currently check AI_PROMPT_CUSTOMIZATION — ungate them so free users can reach the Context Data tab from the prompt editor.

4. Rabbit holes

• No new feature flag: The pitch originally mentioned creating an ADVANCED_AI feature. We do NOT create a new feature flag in this pitch — the existing AI_PROMPT_CUSTOMIZATION continues to gate the advanced features. A separate future pitch will introduce the new feature flag when more advanced AI features are added.

5. No-gos

• Do NOT create a new ADVANCED_AI feature flag — that's a separate future pitch
• Do NOT move code from EE to OSS codebase — code stays in EE even though it's now available on the free plan
• Do NOT change the permission model (keep OWNER-only for editing context data)
• Do NOT redesign the AI settings UI or add new components
• Do NOT change how the Prompts tab or AI Playground is gated

6. Success criteria

• Free plan users can set project description and language notes without hitting a paywall
• AI translations for free users incorporate their project description and language notes
• Prompts tab still shows upgrade banner for advanced features (no regression)
• Existing paid users experience no change in behavior

[Anty0]

Scopes Map

Appetite: 3 days
PR: #3598

First slice

Ungate the Context Data tab end-to-end (backend + frontend in one pass).

Remove the @RequiresFeatures(Feature.AI_PROMPT_CUSTOMIZATION) annotation from the two PUT endpoints, then remove the feature flag check from the AiContextData component. This is core (the whole point of the pitch), small (two annotation removals + one conditional change), and novel enough to validate the approach immediately — a free-plan user should be able to set project description and language notes after this slice alone.

Scope map

Context Data ungating

• Remove @RequiresFeatures(Feature.AI_PROMPT_CUSTOMIZATION) from PUT /v2/projects/{projectId}/ai-prompt-customization in AiPromptCustomizationController.kt
• Remove @RequiresFeatures(Feature.AI_PROMPT_CUSTOMIZATION) from PUT /v2/projects/{projectId}/languages/{languageId}/ai-prompt-customization in AiPromptCustomizationController.kt
• Remove the AI_PROMPT_CUSTOMIZATION feature check from AiContextData.tsx — both the DisabledFeatureBanner and the enabled: featureEnabled option on the three useApiQuery calls (otherwise queries never fire for free users)
• Verify GET endpoints are already ungated (they are — no annotation on GETs)
• I think I know how to do it
• I have validated my approach

Edit links in prompt editor

• Remove isEnabled('AI_PROMPT_CUSTOMIZATION') from the canCustomize condition in TabBasic.tsx — it's only used for PROJECT_DESCRIPTION and LANGUAGE_NOTES edit links, so just simplify to satisfiesPermission('prompts.edit')
• I think I know how to do it
• I have validated my approach

Test updates

• Transform the "fails when feature not enabled" test into a positive assertion
• Add test for language PUT without feature flag
• Add test for @Size(max = 2000) validation
• All 7 backend tests pass, ESLint clean
• I think I know how to do it
• I have validated my approach

Chowder

• ~ Add E2E test for free-plan context data access — verified none do

Additional fixes discovered during review

• Fixed @Size → @field:Size on both Kotlin DTOs (Bean Validation needs field: use-site target in Kotlin)
• Fixed double spaces and typos in OpenAPI schema descriptions
• Fixed onEdit callback type mismatch in TabBasic.tsx
• Simplified null check in AiContextData.tsx

Must-haves vs nice-to-haves

Must-haves

• Free plan users can set project description and language notes via Context Data tab
• Edit links in Basic tab work for free users
• Prompts tab advanced features remain gated (no regression)

Nice-to-haves (~)

• ~ Add E2E test for free-plan context data access — verified none do