diff --git a/docs/superpowers/plans/2026-06-26-email-templates-brand-hygiene.md b/docs/superpowers/plans/2026-06-26-email-templates-brand-hygiene.md
index f0d3e32..c91e89e 100644
--- a/docs/superpowers/plans/2026-06-26-email-templates-brand-hygiene.md
+++ b/docs/superpowers/plans/2026-06-26-email-templates-brand-hygiene.md
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ email/
   invitation.html        # MODIFY
   banned.html            # MODIFY
   test.html              # MODIFY
-  notification.html      # MODIFY: keeps body, IMPORTs post-queue-body when applicable
+  notification.html      # MODIFY: keeps {body}; post queue flow supplies rendered post-queue body
   digest.html            # MODIFY: keeps loops; reskinned
   README.md              # MODIFY: partials now real; document IMPORT + literal-hex constraint
 languages/
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ git commit -m "feat(email): convert banned.html to shared partials + brand"
 
 ### Task 8: Convert `notification.html` + reskin `post-queue-body.html`
 
-`notification.html` keeps its notification body and imports `post-queue-body.html` for post-queue notifications.
+`notification.html` keeps `{body}`. NodeBB's post queue flow renders `post-queue-body.html` server-side into that notification body before the email template renders.
 
 **Files:**
 - Modify: `email/notification.html`, `email/partials/post-queue-body.html`
@@ -558,9 +558,9 @@ git commit -m "feat(email): convert banned.html to shared partials + brand"
 <p style="color: #3a3340;">{content}</p>
 ```
 
-- [x] **Step 2: Read `email/notification.html`** (lines ~166–417 are the header/body/footer). Note where it renders the notification body and whether it already `IMPORT`s `post-queue-body.html`.
+- [x] **Step 2: Read `email/notification.html`** (lines ~166–417 are the header/body/footer). Note where it renders `{body}`; post-queue content is supplied by NodeBB before template render.
 
-- [x] **Step 3: Apply the Task 6 transform to `notification.html`** — IMPORT header + `[[email:notification.preheader]]` preheader + retained body table (palette/font find/replace) + IMPORT footer. Preserve the `.notification-body` content and any `{{{ if }}}` post-queue branch; if the body renders a post-queue item, keep/add `<!-- IMPORT emails/partials/post-queue-body.html -->` inside that branch. Add `style="color: #a8893f;"` to notification body links.
+- [x] **Step 3: Apply the Task 6 transform to `notification.html`** — IMPORT header + `[[email:notification.preheader]]` preheader + retained body table (palette/font find/replace) + IMPORT footer. Preserve the `.notification-body` content that renders `{body}`; post-queue content is already rendered into that value by NodeBB before this template runs. Add `style="color: #a8893f;"` to notification body links.
 
 - [ ] **Step 4: Guard + build**
 
@@ -709,4 +709,4 @@ Task 12 note: `node scripts/check-emails.js` passed with `Email template check p
 
 **Placeholder scan:** Color/font changes given as a concrete find/replace table; `header.html`/`footer.html`/`reset.html`/`post-queue-body.html` given as complete markup; per-template specifics tabulated. Tasks 6–9 reference complete bodies that already exist in the repo (transform, not author-from-scratch) — the engineer reads the existing file and applies the listed mechanical changes. No "TBD"/"handle edge cases".
 
-**Type/name consistency:** Import paths (`emails/partials/header.html`/`footer.html`/`post-queue-body.html`), preheader keys (`[[email:<name>.preheader]]`), the `<!-- preheader -->` marker, and the guard script's regexes all agree across tasks.
+**Type/name consistency:** Import paths (`emails/partials/header.html`/`footer.html`), preheader keys (`[[email:<name>.preheader]]`), the `<!-- preheader -->` marker, and the guard script's regexes all agree across tasks. `post-queue-body.html` is rendered by NodeBB's post queue flow into notification body content.
diff --git a/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-06-26-email-templates-brand-hygiene-design.md b/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-06-26-email-templates-brand-hygiene-design.md
index 98069f4..5512c49 100644
--- a/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-06-26-email-templates-brand-hygiene-design.md
+++ b/docs/superpowers/specs/2026-06-26-email-templates-brand-hygiene-design.md
@@ -15,9 +15,10 @@ verbatim. Three issues:
    like they came from the same product as the forum.
 2. **Massive duplication.** Each template inlines the full `<head>` (reset CSS,
    media queries), header, and footer — ~400 lines per file, ~390 of them
-   identical across all 10. `partials/header.html`, `partials/footer.html`, and
-   `partials/post-queue-body.html` exist but **nothing imports them** — they are
-   dead code, and the README wrongly claims they are included.
+   identical across all 10. `partials/header.html` and `partials/footer.html`
+   exist but **nothing imports them** — they are dead code, and the README
+   wrongly claims they are included. `partials/post-queue-body.html` is rendered
+   by NodeBB's post queue flow into notification body content.
 3. **Inbox hygiene gaps.** Every template has an empty `<title>` and no
    preheader (inbox preview text). These make messages look unfinished in the
    inbox list and are easy wins under deliverability heuristics.
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ email/
   partials/
     header.html          # doctype, <head>, brand <style>, letterhead band, open container
     footer.html          # gold hairline, unsubscribe block, closing tags
-    post-queue-body.html  # unchanged in structure; reskinned
+    post-queue-body.html  # NodeBB post queue flow renders this into notification body; reskinned
   welcome.html           # IMPORT header + body block + IMPORT footer
   verify-email.html
   reset.html
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ email/
   registration_accepted.html
   banned.html
   invitation.html
-  notification.html      # body imports post-queue-body.html when applicable
+  notification.html      # renders {body}; post queue flow supplies rendered post-queue body
   digest.html            # keeps its loops; reskinned
   test.html
 ```
diff --git a/email/digest.html b/email/digest.html
index 3489004..ddbd262 100644
--- a/email/digest.html
+++ b/email/digest.html
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 <div style="display: none; max-height: 0; overflow: hidden; mso-hide: all;">&nbsp;&zwnj;&nbsp;&zwnj;&nbsp;&zwnj;&nbsp;&zwnj;&nbsp;&zwnj;&nbsp;&zwnj;&nbsp;&zwnj;&nbsp;&zwnj;&nbsp;&zwnj;&nbsp;&zwnj;&nbsp;&zwnj;&nbsp;&zwnj;&nbsp;&zwnj;&nbsp;&zwnj;&nbsp;&zwnj;</div>
 <!-- Email Body : BEGIN -->
 <table role="presentation" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" align="center" width="100%" style="max-width: 600px;">
-<!-- 1 Column Text + Button : BEGIN -->
+<!-- 1 Column Text : BEGIN -->
 <tr>
 <td bgcolor="#fbf7ef">
 <table role="presentation" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" width="100%">
diff --git a/scripts/check-emails.js b/scripts/check-emails.js
index 2926281..5b6c589 100644
--- a/scripts/check-emails.js
+++ b/scripts/check-emails.js
@@ -9,13 +9,20 @@ const files = fs.readdirSync(dir).filter((f) => f.endsWith('.html'));
 const failures = [];
 for (const f of files) {
   const src = fs.readFileSync(path.join(dir, f), 'utf8');
+  const trimmed = src.trim();
   const checks = [
-    [/IMPORT emails\/partials\/header\.(html|tpl)/, 'missing header IMPORT'],
-    [/IMPORT emails\/partials\/footer\.(html|tpl)/, 'missing footer IMPORT'],
+    [
+      trimmed.startsWith('<!-- IMPORT emails/partials/header.html -->'),
+      'header IMPORT must be first',
+    ],
+    [
+      trimmed.endsWith('<!-- IMPORT emails/partials/footer.html -->'),
+      'footer IMPORT must be last',
+    ],
     [/<!-- preheader -->/, 'missing preheader marker'],
   ];
-  for (const [re, msg] of checks) {
-    if (!re.test(src)) failures.push(`${f}: ${msg}`);
+  for (const [check, msg] of checks) {
+    if (check instanceof RegExp ? !check.test(src) : !check) failures.push(`${f}: ${msg}`);
   }
 }