diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1603036..2d66839 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ This project uses Git as the primary rollback trail. The `.old` convention is re
 - Added a Phase 1 UI system pass with dark/light theme support, shared page/action/stat components, a product-focused home page, and a more useful dashboard.
 - Added roadmap guardrails for open-source-friendly dependencies, public themes, and future license audits.
 - Documented `pdo_sqlite` and `sqlite3` as required PHP extensions for SQLite-backed local tests and first-pass deployments.
+- Documented the preferred local-to-GitHub-to-remote-update workflow and the ChristIT conversion from rsync test deploy to Git checkout.
 - Created the Laravel Provider Exchange prototype with Breeze authentication, seeded demo users, and role support for admins, providers, buyers, and hybrid accounts.
 - Added provider and buyer profile management with service areas, profile details, and external profile snapshot records.
 - Added social posts, buyer job posts, provider quotes, quote revisions, quote decline flow, and buyer quote acceptance.
diff --git a/docs/DEPLOYMENT.md b/docs/DEPLOYMENT.md
index 95d75a2..eb24acb 100644
--- a/docs/DEPLOYMENT.md
+++ b/docs/DEPLOYMENT.md
@@ -97,3 +97,11 @@ Initial test data/runtime:
 - Confirmed seeded admin login succeeds and redirects to `https://christit.com/tse/dashboard`.
 - No PHP-FPM version changes have been made.
 - No database server changes have been made.
+- Installed Composer on the remote server through Ubuntu packages so future updates can install PHP dependencies from `composer.lock`.
+- Converted `/sites/provider-exchange` from the initial rsync test deployment into a Git checkout of `https://github.com/jasonybird/technical-services-exchange.git`.
+- Preserved the previous rsync deployment at `/sites/provider-exchange.pre-git-20260710-125739`.
+- Preserved the existing production `.env`, SQLite database, and Laravel `storage/` contents during the Git checkout conversion.
+- Confirmed remote Git checkout at commit `b45a9ec`.
+- Confirmed `bash scripts/update.sh` works from the remote Git checkout: Git pull, Composer install, npm install, Vite build, migrations, and Laravel cache rebuild completed successfully.
+- Confirmed remote working tree is clean after normalizing copied `storage/` placeholder file modes.
+- Confirmed authenticated smoke login with `admin@example.com` reaches `https://christit.com/tse/dashboard` and renders dashboard count content.
diff --git a/docs/INSTALL.md b/docs/INSTALL.md
index 5f1944b..2f835da 100644
--- a/docs/INSTALL.md
+++ b/docs/INSTALL.md
@@ -28,6 +28,13 @@ Or from anywhere:
 APP_DIR=/var/www/technical-services-exchange bash /var/www/technical-services-exchange/scripts/update.sh
 ```
 
+The preferred working loop for this project is:
+
+1. Make and test changes locally.
+2. Commit and push to GitHub.
+3. SSH to the server and run `bash scripts/update.sh` from the deployed Git checkout.
+4. Smoke test the live URL after the update completes.
+
 ## Important Notes
 
 - The installer is a first-pass Ubuntu/Nginx helper, not a universal hosting panel installer.