diff --git a/.agents/api-endpoints-and-auth.md b/.agents/api-endpoints-and-auth.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3a8bb869d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.agents/api-endpoints-and-auth.md
@@ -0,0 +1,259 @@
+# API Endpoints and Authentication
+
+This guide covers how to add new API endpoints and properly integrate them with the auth/permissions system.
+
+## Architecture overview
+
+Authentication and authorization flow through three layers:
+
+1. **Global auth middleware** (`core/http/auth/middleware.go` → `auth.Middleware`) — applied to every request in `core/http/app.go`. Handles session cookies, Bearer tokens, API keys, and legacy API keys. Populates `auth_user` and `auth_role` in the Echo context.
+2. **Feature middleware** (`auth.RequireFeature`) — per-feature access control applied to route groups or individual routes. Checks if the authenticated user has the specific feature enabled.
+3. **Admin middleware** (`auth.RequireAdmin`) — restricts endpoints to admin users only.
+
+When auth is disabled (no auth DB, no legacy API keys), all middleware becomes pass-through (`auth.NoopMiddleware`).
+
+## Adding a new API endpoint
+
+### Step 1: Create the handler
+
+Write the endpoint handler in the appropriate package under `core/http/endpoints/`. Follow existing patterns:
+
+```go
+// core/http/endpoints/localai/my_feature.go
+func MyFeatureEndpoint(app *application.Application) echo.HandlerFunc {
+    return func(c echo.Context) error {
+        // Use auth.GetUser(c) to get the authenticated user (may be nil if auth is disabled)
+        user := auth.GetUser(c)
+
+        // Your logic here
+        return c.JSON(http.StatusOK, result)
+    }
+}
+```
+
+### Step 2: Register routes
+
+Add routes in the appropriate file under `core/http/routes/`. The file you use depends on the endpoint category:
+
+| File | Category |
+|------|----------|
+| `routes/openai.go` | OpenAI-compatible API endpoints (`/v1/...`) |
+| `routes/localai.go` | LocalAI-specific endpoints (`/api/...`, `/models/...`, `/backends/...`) |
+| `routes/agents.go` | Agent pool endpoints (`/api/agents/...`) |
+| `routes/auth.go` | Auth endpoints (`/api/auth/...`) |
+| `routes/ui_api.go` | UI backend API endpoints |
+
+### Step 3: Apply the right middleware
+
+Choose the appropriate protection level:
+
+#### No auth required (public)
+Exempt paths bypass auth entirely. Add to `isExemptPath()` in `middleware.go` or use the `/api/auth/` prefix (always exempt). Use sparingly — most endpoints should require auth.
+
+#### Standard auth (any authenticated user)
+The global middleware already handles this. API paths (`/api/`, `/v1/`, etc.) automatically require authentication when auth is enabled. You don't need to add any extra middleware.
+
+```go
+router.GET("/v1/my-endpoint", myHandler)  // auth enforced by global middleware
+```
+
+#### Admin only
+Pass `adminMiddleware` to the route. This is set up in `app.go` and passed to `Register*Routes` functions:
+
+```go
+// In the Register function signature, accept the middleware:
+func RegisterMyRoutes(router *echo.Echo, app *application.Application, adminMiddleware echo.MiddlewareFunc) {
+    router.POST("/models/apply", myHandler, adminMiddleware)
+}
+```
+
+#### Feature-gated
+For endpoints that should be toggleable per-user, use feature middleware. There are two approaches:
+
+**Approach A: Route-level middleware** (preferred for groups of related endpoints)
+
+```go
+// In app.go, create the feature middleware:
+myFeatureMw := auth.RequireFeature(application.AuthDB(), auth.FeatureMyFeature)
+
+// Pass it to the route registration function:
+routes.RegisterMyRoutes(e, app, myFeatureMw)
+
+// In the routes file, apply to a group:
+g := e.Group("/api/my-feature", myFeatureMw)
+g.GET("", listHandler)
+g.POST("", createHandler)
+```
+
+**Approach B: RouteFeatureRegistry** (preferred for individual OpenAI-compatible endpoints)
+
+Add an entry to `RouteFeatureRegistry` in `core/http/auth/features.go`. The `RequireRouteFeature` global middleware will automatically enforce it:
+
+```go
+var RouteFeatureRegistry = []RouteFeature{
+    // ... existing entries ...
+    {"POST", "/v1/my-endpoint", FeatureMyFeature},
+}
+```
+
+## Adding a new feature
+
+When you need a new toggleable feature (not just a new endpoint under an existing feature):
+
+### 1. Define the feature constant
+
+Add to `core/http/auth/permissions.go`:
+
+```go
+const (
+    // Add to the appropriate group:
+    // Agent features (default OFF for new users)
+    FeatureMyFeature = "my_feature"
+
+    // OR API features (default ON for new users)
+    FeatureMyFeature = "my_feature"
+)
+```
+
+Then add it to the appropriate slice:
+
+```go
+// Default OFF — user must be explicitly granted access:
+var AgentFeatures = []string{..., FeatureMyFeature}
+
+// Default ON — user has access unless explicitly revoked:
+var APIFeatures = []string{..., FeatureMyFeature}
+```
+
+### 2. Add feature metadata
+
+In `core/http/auth/features.go`, add to the appropriate `FeatureMetas` function so the admin UI can display it:
+
+```go
+func AgentFeatureMetas() []FeatureMeta {
+    return []FeatureMeta{
+        // ... existing ...
+        {FeatureMyFeature, "My Feature", false},  // false = default OFF
+    }
+}
+```
+
+### 3. Wire up the middleware
+
+In `core/http/app.go`:
+
+```go
+myFeatureMw := auth.RequireFeature(application.AuthDB(), auth.FeatureMyFeature)
+```
+
+Then pass it to the route registration function.
+
+### 4. Register route-feature mappings (if applicable)
+
+If your feature gates standard API endpoints (like `/v1/...`), add entries to `RouteFeatureRegistry` in `features.go` instead of using per-route middleware.
+
+## Accessing the authenticated user in handlers
+
+```go
+import "github.com/mudler/LocalAI/core/http/auth"
+
+func MyHandler(c echo.Context) error {
+    // Get the user (nil when auth is disabled or unauthenticated)
+    user := auth.GetUser(c)
+    if user == nil {
+        // Handle unauthenticated — or let middleware handle it
+    }
+
+    // Check role
+    if user.Role == auth.RoleAdmin {
+        // admin-specific logic
+    }
+
+    // Check feature access programmatically (when you need conditional behavior, not full blocking)
+    if auth.HasFeatureAccess(db, user, auth.FeatureMyFeature) {
+        // feature-specific logic
+    }
+
+    // Check model access
+    if !auth.IsModelAllowed(db, user, modelName) {
+        return c.JSON(http.StatusForbidden, ...)
+    }
+}
+```
+
+## Middleware composition patterns
+
+Middleware can be composed at different levels. Here are the patterns used in the codebase:
+
+### Group-level middleware (agents pattern)
+```go
+// All routes in the group share the middleware
+g := e.Group("/api/agents", poolReadyMw, agentsMw)
+g.GET("", listHandler)
+g.POST("", createHandler)
+```
+
+### Per-route middleware (localai pattern)
+```go
+// Individual routes get middleware as extra arguments
+router.POST("/models/apply", applyHandler, adminMiddleware)
+router.GET("/metrics", metricsHandler, adminMiddleware)
+```
+
+### Middleware slice (openai pattern)
+```go
+// Build a middleware chain for a handler
+chatMiddleware := []echo.MiddlewareFunc{
+    usageMiddleware,
+    traceMiddleware,
+    modelFilterMiddleware,
+}
+app.POST("/v1/chat/completions", chatHandler, chatMiddleware...)
+```
+
+## Error response format
+
+Always use `schema.ErrorResponse` for auth/permission errors to stay consistent with the OpenAI-compatible API:
+
+```go
+return c.JSON(http.StatusForbidden, schema.ErrorResponse{
+    Error: &schema.APIError{
+        Message: "feature not enabled for your account",
+        Code:    http.StatusForbidden,
+        Type:    "authorization_error",
+    },
+})
+```
+
+Use these HTTP status codes:
+- `401 Unauthorized` — no valid credentials provided
+- `403 Forbidden` — authenticated but lacking permission
+- `429 Too Many Requests` — rate limited (auth endpoints)
+
+## Usage tracking
+
+If your endpoint should be tracked for usage (token counts, request counts), add the `usageMiddleware` to its middleware chain. See `core/http/middleware/usage.go` and how it's applied in `routes/openai.go`.
+
+## Path protection rules
+
+The global auth middleware classifies paths as API paths or non-API paths:
+
+- **API paths** (always require auth when auth is enabled): `/api/`, `/v1/`, `/models/`, `/backends/`, `/backend/`, `/tts`, `/vad`, `/video`, `/stores/`, `/system`, `/ws/`, `/metrics`
+- **Exempt paths** (never require auth): `/api/auth/` prefix, anything in `appConfig.PathWithoutAuth`
+- **Non-API paths** (UI, static assets): pass through without auth — the React UI handles login redirects client-side
+
+If you add endpoints under a new top-level path prefix, add it to `isAPIPath()` in `middleware.go` to ensure it requires authentication.
+
+## Checklist
+
+When adding a new endpoint:
+
+- [ ] Handler in `core/http/endpoints/`
+- [ ] Route registered in appropriate `core/http/routes/` file
+- [ ] Auth level chosen: public / standard / admin / feature-gated
+- [ ] If feature-gated: constant in `permissions.go`, metadata in `features.go`, middleware in `app.go`
+- [ ] If new path prefix: added to `isAPIPath()` in `middleware.go`
+- [ ] If OpenAI-compatible: entry in `RouteFeatureRegistry`
+- [ ] If token-counting: `usageMiddleware` added to middleware chain
+- [ ] Error responses use `schema.ErrorResponse` format
+- [ ] Tests cover both authenticated and unauthenticated access
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index f2cfb71ad..41a89eab6 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ This file is an index to detailed topic guides in the `.agents/` directory. Read
 | [.agents/coding-style.md](.agents/coding-style.md) | Code style, editorconfig, logging, documentation conventions |
 | [.agents/llama-cpp-backend.md](.agents/llama-cpp-backend.md) | Working on the llama.cpp backend — architecture, updating, tool call parsing |
 | [.agents/testing-mcp-apps.md](.agents/testing-mcp-apps.md) | Testing MCP Apps (interactive tool UIs) in the React UI |
+| [.agents/api-endpoints-and-auth.md](.agents/api-endpoints-and-auth.md) | Adding API endpoints, auth middleware, feature permissions, user access control |
 
 ## Quick Reference