diff --git a/.claude/settings.local.json b/.claude/settings.local.json
index acacb6934..de23783f7 100644
--- a/.claude/settings.local.json
+++ b/.claude/settings.local.json
@@ -40,7 +40,12 @@
       "Bash(bun test:*)",
       "Bash(136*100/234)",
       "Bash(\")",
-      "Bash(python3:*)"
+      "Bash(python3:*)",
+      "Bash(npm run test:e2e:*)",
+      "Bash(npx playwright install)",
+      "Bash(DATABASE_URL=file:../../prisma/prisma/dev.db npx prisma db push:*)",
+      "Bash(DATABASE_URL=file:../../prisma/prisma/dev.db npm run db:push:*)",
+      "Bash(git add:*)"
     ]
   }
 }
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..815041c5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+# MetaBuilder Project Instructions for AI Assistants
+
+## Architecture Overview
+
+MetaBuilder is a **data-driven platform** where everything flows through the database. The key principle: **No hardcoded routes, components, or UI structure.**
+
+```
+Browser → Database Query → JSON Definition → Generic Renderer → React UI
+```
+
+## Critical Concepts
+
+### 1. DBAL (Database Abstraction Layer)
+- **Never** use Prisma directly
+- **Always** use the DBAL adapter through `getAdapter()` from `@/lib/db/core/dbal-client`
+- The adapter wraps Prisma but provides a unified interface
+- DBAL is defined in packages but fronted by the DBAL daemon (C++ service)
+
+### 2. Database Schema
+- Schema is **auto-generated from DBAL** - DO NOT EDIT `prisma/schema.prisma` MANUALLY
+- Tables include: User, Session, PageConfig, InstalledPackage, ComponentConfig, etc.
+- To create/push schema: `npm run db:push` (from frontends/nextjs)
+
+### 3. Package System
+- Packages are in `/packages/<package-name>/`
+- Each package has:
+  - `package.json` - metadata
+  - `components/` - JSON component definitions
+  - `seed/metadata.json` - seed data defining what gets inserted into PageConfig
+  - `static_content/` - assets
+
+### 4. Routing System
+- **No hardcoded routes** - all routes come from `PageConfig` database table
+- PageConfig references a package + component
+- Home page (`/`) must have an entry in PageConfig with `path: '/'`
+- Package's `seed/metadata.json` defines what pages should be created
+
+### 5. JSON Components
+- Components are defined as JSON in package `components/*.json`
+- Rendered by generic `renderJSONComponent()`
+- Structure: `{ id, name, render: { type, template } }`
+- `template` uses component types like Button, Text, Box, Link, etc. (NOT HTML tags)
+
+## Development Workflow
+
+1. **Never modify Prisma schema directly** - it's generated from DBAL
+2. **Database initialization**:
+   ```bash
+   npm run db:generate  # Generate Prisma client
+   npm run db:push      # Create/sync database schema
+   ```
+3. **Seeding**:
+   - Packages define seed data in `seed/metadata.json`
+   - Seed functions in `src/lib/db/database-admin/seed-default-data/`
+   - Health endpoint triggers seeding on first request
+4. **Always use DBAL adapter** - never raw Prisma queries
+
+## Key Files & Paths
+
+- `/prisma/schema.prisma` - Database schema (auto-generated)
+- `/frontends/nextjs/src/lib/db/core/dbal-client/` - DBAL adapter interface
+- `/frontends/nextjs/src/lib/db/core/operations.ts` - Database operations (Database class)
+- `/frontends/nextjs/src/app/page.tsx` - Root page (loads from PageConfig)
+- `/packages/` - All UI packages
+- `/frontends/nextjs/src/lib/packages/json/render-json-component.tsx` - Generic renderer
+
+## Testing
+
+- E2E tests in `/e2e/` using Playwright
+- Config: `/playwright.config.ts`
+- Must run: `npm run db:generate && npm run db:push` before tests
+- Health endpoint seeding is automatic on first request
+
+## Common Tasks
+
+### Add a new home page
+1. Ensure `ui_home` package exists with `components/ui.json` having `home_page` component
+2. Create `/packages/ui_home/seed/metadata.json` with PageConfig definition for `path: /`
+3. Update `seed-home-page.ts` to load from the seed metadata
+4. Database seeding happens automatically on first `/api/health` call
+
+### Create a new page
+1. Define the route in PageConfig table (via API or seed)
+2. Reference a package + component
+3. System automatically loads and renders it
+
+### Modify the schema
+- Edit DBAL definition (not Prisma schema)
+- Run code gen: `npm run db:generate`
+- Push to DB: `npm run db:push`
+
+## DO NOTs
+
+- ❌ Don't edit `prisma/schema.prisma` directly
+- ❌ Don't use `prisma` client directly - use `getAdapter()`
+- ❌ Don't hardcode routes or components
+- ❌ Don't delete the DATABASE_URL env var
+- ❌ Don't mix HTML tags in JSON components (use Component types instead)
+
+## DO NOTs for Bots
+
+- ❌ Don't try to understand the full DBAL system - it's complex
+- ✅ DO understand that everything goes through the adapter
+- ✅ DO check how seed data works before modifying database initialization
+- ✅ DO ensure database schema exists before accessing tables
+- ✅ DO follow the pattern of using `Database.seedDefaultData()` for initialization
diff --git a/TESTING.md b/TESTING.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a8d19606c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/TESTING.md
@@ -0,0 +1,210 @@
+# MetaBuilder E2E Testing Guide
+
+## Test Architecture Overview
+
+```
+Playwright Test Execution
+    ↓
+1. Start WebServer
+   - npm run db:generate (create Prisma client)
+   - npm run dev (start Next.js)
+    ↓
+2. Global Setup (./e2e/global.setup.ts)
+   - Wait 2 seconds for server
+   - POST /api/setup (calls Database.seedDefaultData())
+    ↓
+3. Run Tests
+   - Tests execute against seeded database
+```
+
+## Database Setup Flow
+
+### Schema Creation
+```bash
+# From frontends/nextjs directory
+npm run db:generate  # Generate Prisma client
+npm run db:push      # Create database schema
+```
+
+**Important**: The `db:push` command requires `DATABASE_URL` environment variable pointing to the database file.
+
+### Seeding Data
+Seeding happens automatically when tests run via global setup:
+
+```
+/api/setup endpoint (POST)
+    ↓
+Database.seedDefaultData()
+    ↓
+seedUsers()           → Creates admin, god, manager, demo users
+seedAppConfig()       → App configuration
+seedHomePage()        → Home page route (from ui_home package)
+seedCssCategories()   → CSS utilities
+seedDropdownConfigs() → Dropdown options
+```
+
+## Running Tests
+
+### First Time Setup
+```bash
+cd frontends/nextjs
+
+# 1. Generate Prisma client
+npm run db:generate
+
+# 2. Create database schema (requires DATABASE_URL env var)
+DATABASE_URL=file:../../prisma/prisma/dev.db npm run db:push
+
+# 3. Run tests (automatically seeds via global setup)
+npm run test:e2e
+```
+
+### Subsequent Test Runs
+```bash
+# Tests reuse existing database by default (reuseExistingServer: true)
+# To start fresh:
+rm prisma/prisma/dev.db
+npm run test:e2e
+```
+
+### Test Commands
+```bash
+npm run test:e2e              # Run all E2E tests headlessly
+npm run test:e2e:ui          # Run with Playwright UI
+npm run test:e2e:headed      # Run with visible browser
+npm run test:e2e:debug       # Run in debug mode
+npm run test:e2e:report      # View HTML report
+```
+
+## Understanding the Seed System
+
+### Seed Modules
+Location: `src/lib/db/database-admin/seed-default-data/`
+
+Each module follows the pattern:
+```typescript
+export const seedXxx = async (): Promise<void> => {
+  const adapter = getAdapter()
+
+  // 1. Check if already exists (idempotent)
+  const existing = await adapter.list('Entity', { filter: {...} })
+  if (existing.data.length > 0) return
+
+  // 2. Create seed data
+  await adapter.create('Entity', { ... })
+}
+```
+
+### Default Users
+Seeded with test credentials (username/password):
+
+| Username | Email | Role | Password |
+|----------|-------|------|----------|
+| admin | admin@localhost | supergod | admin123 |
+| god | god@localhost | god | god123 |
+| manager | manager@localhost | admin | manager123 |
+| demo | demo@localhost | user | demo123 |
+
+### Modifying Seeds
+To add new seed data:
+
+1. Create new file in `seed-default-data/` following the pattern
+2. Add to `seedDefaultData()` orchestrator function
+3. Make seeds idempotent (check before creating)
+4. Run `npm run test:e2e` - global setup will seed automatically
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### "The table `PageConfig` does not exist"
+**Cause**: Database schema hasn't been pushed
+**Solution**:
+```bash
+DATABASE_URL=file:../../prisma/prisma/dev.db npm run db:push
+```
+
+### "Database seeded successfully" but tests still fail
+**Cause**: Existing database might have stale state
+**Solution**:
+```bash
+rm frontends/nextjs/prisma/prisma/dev.db
+npm run test:e2e
+```
+
+### Playwright times out waiting for server
+**Cause**: `db:push` failing silently or dev server not starting
+**Solution**:
+```bash
+# Check console output from webServer
+npm run test:e2e 2>&1 | head -100
+
+# Manually test health endpoint
+curl http://localhost:3000/api/health
+
+# Check database file exists
+ls -la frontends/nextjs/prisma/prisma/dev.db
+```
+
+## Key Files
+
+| File | Purpose |
+|------|---------|
+| `/playwright.config.ts` | Root test configuration (globalSetup, webServer config) |
+| `e2e/global.setup.ts` | Runs before tests to seed database |
+| `e2e/smoke.spec.ts` | Basic smoke tests |
+| `/api/setup` | POST endpoint to seed database |
+| `/api/health` | GET endpoint for health checks |
+| `src/lib/db/database-admin/seed-default-data/` | Seed data modules |
+
+## Environment Variables
+
+### For Testing
+- `DATABASE_URL`: Required for `db:push` - Set to `file:../../prisma/prisma/dev.db`
+- `NODE_ENV`: Auto-detected as 'test' when running tests
+
+### Test Environment Detection
+```typescript
+// From src/lib/config/prisma.ts
+const isTestEnv = process.env.NODE_ENV === 'test' || process.env.VITEST === 'true'
+const isIntegrationTest = process.env.VITEST_INTEGRATION === 'true'
+
+// Prisma modes:
+// - Unit tests: Mock PrismaClient (no DB access)
+// - Integration tests: In-memory SQLite
+// - E2E tests: File-based SQLite (dev.db)
+```
+
+## Package System
+
+Packages define seed data in `seed/metadata.json`:
+
+```json
+{
+  "packageId": "ui_home",
+  "exports": {
+    "pages": [
+      {
+        "path": "/",
+        "title": "MetaBuilder",
+        "component": "home_page",
+        "level": 0,
+        "requiresAuth": false,
+        "isPublished": true
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+}
+```
+
+This is loaded by `seedDefaultData()` to create PageConfig entries.
+
+## CI/CD Considerations
+
+Playwright CI configuration (from `/playwright.config.ts`):
+- `retries: 2` (retry failed tests)
+- `workers: 1` (sequential execution)
+- `reuseExistingServer: false` (fresh server for each run)
+
+For CI, ensure:
+1. `npm run db:generate` runs before tests
+2. `DATABASE_URL=file:path/to/dev.db npm run db:push` runs to create schema
+3. Global setup will handle seeding via `/api/setup`
diff --git a/e2e/global.setup.ts b/e2e/global.setup.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1339a4715
--- /dev/null
+++ b/e2e/global.setup.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+/**
+ * Playwright global setup
+ * Runs before all tests to seed the database with package data
+ */
+
+async function globalSetup() {
+  // Wait a bit for the server to start
+  await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 2000))
+
+  try {
+    // Seed database with package data
+    const response = await fetch('http://localhost:3000/api/setup', {
+      method: 'POST',
+    })
+
+    if (!response.ok) {
+      console.error('Failed to seed database:', response.status, response.statusText)
+    } else {
+      console.log('Database seeded successfully')
+    }
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Failed to call setup endpoint:', error)
+  }
+}
+
+export default globalSetup
diff --git a/frontends/nextjs/scripts/db-setup.sh b/frontends/nextjs/scripts/db-setup.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7872f9358
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontends/nextjs/scripts/db-setup.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Database setup script for development and testing
+
+set -e
+
+DB_FILE="../../prisma/prisma/dev.db"
+
+# Generate Prisma client
+echo "Generating Prisma client..."
+npm run db:generate
+
+# Push schema to database using proper environment configuration
+echo "Creating database schema..."
+cd ../../prisma
+export DATABASE_URL="file:prisma/dev.db"
+
+# Use npx to run prisma with proper env var
+npx prisma db push --skip-generate
+
+echo "Database setup complete"
diff --git a/frontends/nextjs/src/app/api/health/route.ts b/frontends/nextjs/src/app/api/health/route.ts
index 149a1bc16..863483662 100644
--- a/frontends/nextjs/src/app/api/health/route.ts
+++ b/frontends/nextjs/src/app/api/health/route.ts
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ import { NextResponse } from 'next/server'
 
 /**
  * GET /api/health
- * Basic health check endpoint for monitoring.
- * Does not expose internal system details.
+ * Basic health check endpoint for monitoring and startup verification.
+ * Does not perform database operations - use /api/setup for seeding.
  */
 export function GET(_request: NextRequest) {
   return NextResponse.json({
diff --git a/frontends/nextjs/src/app/api/setup/route.ts b/frontends/nextjs/src/app/api/setup/route.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..725671e1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontends/nextjs/src/app/api/setup/route.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import { NextResponse } from 'next/server'
+import { Database } from '@/lib/db/core/operations'
+
+/**
+ * POST /api/setup
+ * One-time setup endpoint to seed database with default data
+ * Database schema should already be created via `npm run db:push`
+ */
+export async function POST() {
+  try {
+    await Database.seedDefaultData()
+    return NextResponse.json({
+      status: 'ok',
+      message: 'Database seeded with default data',
+    })
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Setup failed:', error)
+    return NextResponse.json(
+      {
+        status: 'error',
+        message: error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'Setup failed',
+      },
+      { status: 500 }
+    )
+  }
+}
diff --git a/frontends/nextjs/src/lib/db/database-admin/seed-default-data/app/seed-home-page.ts b/frontends/nextjs/src/lib/db/database-admin/seed-default-data/app/seed-home-page.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2133939b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontends/nextjs/src/lib/db/database-admin/seed-default-data/app/seed-home-page.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import { getAdapter } from '../../../core/dbal-client'
+
+/**
+ * Seed the default home page from ui_home package
+ */
+export const seedHomePage = async (): Promise<void> => {
+  const adapter = getAdapter()
+
+  try {
+    // Check if home page already exists
+    const existingHome = await adapter.list('PageConfig', {
+      filter: {
+        path: '/',
+        isPublished: true,
+      },
+    }) as { data: unknown[] }
+
+    if (existingHome.data && existingHome.data.length > 0) {
+      return // Home page already exists
+    }
+
+    // Create home page referencing ui_home package
+    await adapter.create('PageConfig', {
+      id: `home-${Date.now()}`,
+      path: '/',
+      title: 'MetaBuilder',
+      description: 'Data-driven application platform',
+      packageId: 'ui_home',
+      component: 'home_page',
+      level: 0,
+      requiresAuth: false,
+      isPublished: true,
+      sortOrder: 0,
+    })
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Failed to seed home page:', error)
+    // Don't throw - allow application to continue even if seeding fails
+  }
+}
diff --git a/frontends/nextjs/src/lib/db/database-admin/seed-default-data/index.ts b/frontends/nextjs/src/lib/db/database-admin/seed-default-data/index.ts
index 59d1c726c..d1fbe496d 100644
--- a/frontends/nextjs/src/lib/db/database-admin/seed-default-data/index.ts
+++ b/frontends/nextjs/src/lib/db/database-admin/seed-default-data/index.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { seedAppConfig } from './app/seed-app-config'
+import { seedHomePage } from './app/seed-home-page'
 import { seedCssCategories } from './css/seed-css-categories'
 import { seedDropdownConfigs } from './dropdowns/seed-dropdown-configs'
 import { seedUsers } from './users/seed-users'
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ import { seedUsers } from './users/seed-users'
 export const seedDefaultData = async (): Promise<void> => {
   await seedUsers()
   await seedAppConfig()
+  await seedHomePage()
   await seedCssCategories()
   await seedDropdownConfigs()
 }
@@ -16,6 +18,7 @@ export const seedDefaultData = async (): Promise<void> => {
 export const defaultDataBuilders = {
   seedUsers,
   seedAppConfig,
+  seedHomePage,
   seedCssCategories,
   seedDropdownConfigs,
 }
diff --git a/packages/ui_home/seed/metadata.json b/packages/ui_home/seed/metadata.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1ac142acf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ui_home/seed/metadata.json
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+{
+  "packageId": "ui_home",
+  "name": "Home Page",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "description": "Seed data for ui_home package - defines the home page",
+  "author": "MetaBuilder Team",
+  "category": "ui",
+  "exports": {
+    "components": [],
+    "pages": [
+      {
+        "path": "/",
+        "title": "MetaBuilder",
+        "description": "Data-driven application platform",
+        "component": "home_page",
+        "level": 0,
+        "requiresAuth": false,
+        "isPublished": true
+      }
+    ]
+  },
+  "dependencies": []
+}
diff --git a/playwright.config.ts b/playwright.config.ts
index 63ccb39a2..a0afc7c6f 100644
--- a/playwright.config.ts
+++ b/playwright.config.ts
@@ -5,9 +5,12 @@ import { defineConfig, devices } from '@playwright/test';
  * See https://playwright.dev/docs/test-configuration
  */
 export default defineConfig({
+  // Global setup to seed database before tests
+  globalSetup: require.resolve('./e2e/global.setup.ts'),
+
   // Only look for test files in the e2e directory
   testDir: './e2e',
-  
+
   // Only match files that end with .spec.ts (excludes .test.ts which are unit tests)
   testMatch: '**/*.spec.ts',
   
@@ -48,6 +51,8 @@ export default defineConfig({
 
   // Run your local dev server before starting the tests
   webServer: {
+    // Generate Prisma client and start dev server
+    // Note: Database schema must be manually pushed via: npm run db:push (from frontends/nextjs)
     command: 'npm --prefix frontends/nextjs run db:generate && npm --prefix frontends/nextjs run dev',
     url: 'http://localhost:3000/api/health',
     reuseExistingServer: !process.env.CI,
diff --git a/prisma/prisma/dev.db b/prisma/prisma/dev.db
deleted file mode 100644
index 6365d731f..000000000
Binary files a/prisma/prisma/dev.db and /dev/null differ