diff --git a/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-07-20-stalker-is-series-playback-metadata-design.md b/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-07-20-stalker-is-series-playback-metadata-design.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0d8422ac1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-07-20-stalker-is-series-playback-metadata-design.md
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+# Stalker `is_series` Playback Metadata Design
+
+## Context
+
+Some Stalker/Ministra portals expose series inside the VOD catalog by setting
+`is_series=1`. IPTVnator already normalizes this provider-specific shape and
+loads its seasons and episodes lazily, but two cross-surface contracts are
+incomplete:
+
+1. The Stalker quick-start button renders `XTREAM.PLAY_EPISODE` without the
+   translation parameters supplied by the shared series quick-start action.
+   The result is a visible `{{episode}}` placeholder.
+2. Stalker episode playback does not add `seasonNumber` and `episodeNumber` to
+   `ResolvedPortalPlayback.contentInfo`. Playback positions therefore lack the
+   metadata used by the workspace dashboard hero and Continue Watching cards
+   to render their season/episode badge.
+
+The dashboard already classifies raw Stalker records carrying `is_series` as
+series activity. No new dashboard-specific content-type branch is required.
+
+## Goals
+
+- Render parameterized Stalker quick-start translations correctly.
+- Persist season and episode numbers for future Stalker episode playback,
+  including VOD-backed `is_series` series.
+- Let the existing dashboard position lookup and badge rendering consume that
+  metadata without provider-specific duplication.
+- Document `is_series` as a cross-surface compatibility contract so future
+  changes cover detail rendering, activity persistence, playback metadata, and
+  dashboard presentation together.
+
+## Non-goals
+
+- Migrating or reconstructing existing playback-position rows that do not
+  contain season/episode metadata.
+- Loading Stalker catalog data from the dashboard to infer missing metadata.
+- Changing Stalker season-loading behavior, episode ordering, tracking IDs, or
+  playback URLs.
+- Redesigning the detail-page or dashboard UI.
+
+## Design
+
+### Quick-start translation
+
+`StalkerQuickStartButton` will expose the optional `labelParams` already
+provided by `SeriesQuickStartAction`. For loaded episode actions, the Stalker
+adapter will copy those parameters into its button view model. Lazy-season
+actions will leave the field undefined because their label keys do not require
+an episode parameter.
+
+The Stalker series template will call the translate pipe with
+`action.labelParams`, matching the established Xtream series template. This
+keeps translation-key selection in the shared quick-start utility and keeps
+template behavior consistent across providers.
+
+### Playback metadata
+
+`StalkerSeriesViewComponent` already maps all three supported series shapes to
+`Record<string, XtreamSerieEpisode[]>`:
+
+- regular Stalker series;
+- VOD with an embedded `series[]`;
+- VOD with `is_series=1`.
+
+When an episode is selected, the component will use the mapped episode identity
+to resolve its normalized season and episode numbers. After
+`StalkerStore.resolveVodPlayback(...)` returns, the component will enrich the
+episode `contentInfo` with those two fields before handing the playback object
+to either the inline player or an external player.
+
+If no mapped episode state can be resolved, the component will preserve the
+existing playback object unchanged. Missing metadata must never block
+playback.
+
+This placement avoids expanding the positional `resolveVodPlayback(...)`
+contract and ensures both inline and external playback receive the same
+metadata. Subsequent playback-position writes will therefore carry:
+
+```text
+playlistId
+contentXtreamId
+contentType = episode
+seriesXtreamId
+seasonNumber
+episodeNumber
+```
+
+### Dashboard behavior
+
+No new dashboard branching will be introduced. Existing behavior remains:
+
+1. `extractStalkerItemType(...)` normalizes `is_series` activity to `series`.
+2. `DashboardDataService` finds the newest episode position by
+   `seriesXtreamId`.
+3. The dashboard hero and Continue Watching cards render the season/episode
+   badge when both metadata fields are present.
+
+Existing positions without these fields will remain badge-less until the user
+plays an episode again and a new position is saved.
+
+## Tests
+
+Regression coverage will be added before production changes:
+
+1. Stalker series quick-start view-model/component coverage will demonstrate
+   that a parameterized `PLAY_EPISODE` action carries and renders the episode
+   number instead of `{{episode}}`.
+2. Stalker `is_series` component coverage will demonstrate that resolved
+   playback contains the mapped season and episode numbers.
+3. Dashboard coverage will use a Stalker `is_series` recent item plus an
+   episode playback position and assert that the hero exposes the expected
+   season/episode badge.
+
+Targeted Nx tests will run for the affected Stalker feature and workspace
+dashboard projects. Broader validation will be selected after checking the
+available project targets.
+
+## Documentation
+
+The implementation will update:
+
+- `docs/architecture/stalker-portal.md` with the activity/playback/dashboard
+  contract for all three series modes;
+- `docs/architecture/workspace-dashboard.md` with Stalker episode-position
+  badge behavior and the forward-only limitation;
+- `.codex/skills/stalker-portal/SKILL.md` with a cross-surface `is_series`
+  checklist for future agents.
+
+## Compatibility and failure handling
+
+- Raw `true`, `1`, and `"1"` `is_series` forms continue to normalize through
+  existing Stalker helpers.
+- Existing series tracking IDs and saved positions remain valid.
+- Playback remains functional when season/episode metadata cannot be derived.
+- Old position rows are read unchanged and are not rewritten speculatively.