cli/class-tmdo-cli-v2.php

@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ class TMDO_CLI_V2 {
 			} else {
 				$report = TMDO_Drift_Check::run( $entity, $group, $sample );
 			}
-		} catch ( InvalidArgumentException $e ) {
+		} catch ( InvalidArgumentException | RuntimeException $e ) {
 			WP_CLI::error( $e->getMessage() );
 			return;
 		}

includes/diagnostic/class-tmdo-drift-check.php

@@ -103,13 +103,15 @@ final class TMDO_Drift_Check {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Daily check (wpdo_daily_health_check): sample every entity type whose
+	 * Daily check (wpdo_daily_health_check): sample every entity type written
-	 * flat tables are written (mode dual_write or higher). The outcome replaces
+	 * to both native and flat (dual_write, shadow_read). In aeav_only flat is
-	 * the recorded status, so a group found drifting leaves the router at once.
+	 * the source of truth and native is stale by design, so drift means nothing
+	 * there. The outcome replaces the recorded status, so a group found
+	 * drifting leaves the router at once.
 	 */
 	public static function cron_tick(): void {
 		foreach ( TMDO_Entity_Registry::VALID_ENTITY_TYPES as $entity_type ) {
-			if ( ! TMDO_Mode_Manager::writes_to_flat( $entity_type ) ) {
+			if ( ! TMDO_Mode_Manager::writes_to_flat( $entity_type ) || ! TMDO_Mode_Manager::writes_to_eav( $entity_type ) ) {
 				continue;
 			}
 			try {
@@ -132,11 +134,16 @@ final class TMDO_Drift_Check {
 	 * @param string $entity_type post | user | term | comment.
 	 * @param string $group       One group, or '' for every backfillable group.
 	 * @return array{fixed:array{rebuilt:int, cleared:int, deleted_rows:int}, after:array<string, mixed>}
-	 * @throws InvalidArgumentException Unknown entity type or group.
+	 * @throws RuntimeException In aeav_only, where flat is the source of truth
+	 *                          (and InvalidArgumentException via resolve() for an
+	 *                          unknown entity type or group).
 	 */
 	public static function fix( string $entity_type, string $group = '' ): array {
 		global $wpdb;
 		list( $adapter, $groups ) = self::resolve( $entity_type, $group );
+		if ( TMDO_Mode_Manager::MODE_AEAV_ONLY === TMDO_Mode_Manager::get( $entity_type ) ) {
+			throw new RuntimeException( esc_html( $entity_type ) . ' is in aeav_only: flat is the source of truth and native meta is stale, so it cannot be rebuilt from native. Write flat back first (wp tmdo bridge-restore-native).' );
+		}
 
 		$id    = $adapter->get_entity_id_column();
 		$fixed = array(

includes/query/class-tmdo-post-query-router.php

@@ -525,12 +525,16 @@ class TMDO_Post_Query_Router {
 
 	/**
 	 * The last `wp tmdo drift-check` found the group out of step with native
-	 * meta. A group never checked keeps routing.
+	 * meta. A group never checked keeps routing, and so does every group in
+	 * aeav_only, where native is stale by design and no fallback.
 	 *
 	 * @param string $group Entity group name.
 	 * @return bool
 	 */
 	private static function drifting( string $group ): bool {
+		if ( TMDO_Mode_Manager::MODE_AEAV_ONLY === TMDO_Mode_Manager::get( 'post' ) ) {
+			return false;
+		}
 		$status = get_option( TMDO_Drift_Check::OPTION, array() );
 		$last   = is_array( $status ) ? ( $status['post'][ $group ] ?? null ) : null;
 		return is_array( $last ) && (int) ( $last['miss'] ?? 0 ) + (int) ( $last['diff'] ?? 0 ) + (int) ( $last['extra'] ?? 0 ) > 0;

tests/integration/DriftCheckTest.php

@@ -214,6 +214,33 @@ class DriftCheckTest extends TestCase {
 		$this->assertFalse( get_option( TMDO_Drift_Check::OPTION ) );
 	}
 
+	public function test_the_daily_tick_skips_aeav_only_where_flat_is_the_source_of_truth(): void {
+		self::set_modes( array( 'post' => 'disabled', 'user' => 'aeav_only', 'term' => 'disabled', 'comment' => 'disabled' ) );
+		try {
+			TMDO_Drift_Check::cron_tick();
+		} finally {
+			self::set_modes( null );
+		}
+
+		$this->assertFalse( get_option( TMDO_Drift_Check::OPTION ) );
+	}
+
+	public function test_fix_refuses_aeav_only_and_leaves_flat_alone(): void {
+		global $wpdb;
+		$flat = md5( wp_json_encode( $wpdb->get_results( 'SELECT * FROM `' . self::TABLE . '` ORDER BY id', ARRAY_A ) ) );
+		self::set_modes( array( 'post' => 'disabled', 'user' => 'aeav_only', 'term' => 'disabled', 'comment' => 'disabled' ) );
+		try {
+			TMDO_Drift_Check::fix( 'user' );
+			$this->fail( 'fix() must refuse aeav_only' );
+		} catch ( RuntimeException $e ) {
+			$this->assertStringContainsString( 'aeav_only', $e->getMessage() );
+		} finally {
+			self::set_modes( null );
+		}
+
+		$this->assertSame( $flat, md5( wp_json_encode( $wpdb->get_results( 'SELECT * FROM `' . self::TABLE . '` ORDER BY id', ARRAY_A ) ) ) );
+	}
+
 	public function test_the_daily_tick_runs_on_the_daily_health_check_hook(): void {
 		$source = (string) file_get_contents( WPDO_PLUGIN_DIR . 'includes/class-tmdo-core.php' );
 

tests/integration/PostQueryRouterDriftTest.php

@@ -100,6 +100,23 @@ class PostQueryRouterDriftTest extends TestCase {
 		$this->assertNotEmpty( $query->get( 'wpdo_post_clauses' ) );
 	}
 
+	public function test_aeav_only_ignores_drift_because_native_is_stale_by_design(): void {
+		self::set_modes(
+			array(
+				'post'    => 'aeav_only',
+				'user'    => 'disabled',
+				'term'    => 'disabled',
+				'comment' => 'disabled',
+			)
+		);
+		$this->drift( 'wc_product', 3 );
+		$query = $this->price_query();
+
+		( new WPDO_Post_Query_Router() )->pre_get_posts( $query );
+
+		$this->assertNotEmpty( $query->get( 'wpdo_post_clauses' ) );
+	}
+
 	public function test_sorting_by_a_drifting_key_stays_native(): void {
 		$this->drift( 'wc_product', 1 );
 		$query = new WP_Query();