diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8be8a9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# Python
+__pycache__/
+*.py[cod]
+.venv/
+venv/
+*.egg-info/
+
+# Local env / secrets
+.env
+
+# Local SQLite dev database
+*.db
+wpsuite.db
diff --git a/DEPLOYMENT.md b/DEPLOYMENT.md
index a13c522..3ac9464 100644
--- a/DEPLOYMENT.md
+++ b/DEPLOYMENT.md
@@ -1,153 +1,57 @@
-# Deployment & Feedback Collection
+# Deployment
 
-The Work Package Suite is a **static client-side app** — plain HTML, CSS, and
-JavaScript. There is no build step and no database.
+The Work Package Suite has two parts:
 
-## Hosting it behind the firewall
+- a **static front end** (plain HTML/CSS/JS — no build step), and
+- a **Python API** (FastAPI) backed by **PostgreSQL**, which stores the project
+  SOPs, Work Packages, and comments so they are shared across users instead of
+  living in each person's browser.
 
-Copy the whole folder to any internal web server and serve it over HTTP(S):
-
-- **IIS / Apache / nginx** — drop the files in the site root. `index.html` is the
-  entry point.
-- **SharePoint / network share** — works too, as long as the files are served
-  over `http(s)://` (not opened as `file://...`). Serving over HTTP makes
-  `localStorage` and the embedded Work Package Creator (an `<iframe>`) behave
-  reliably.
-
-The app makes **no outbound internet calls** — the logo and all scripts are
-local, and the previous Google-Fonts dependency has been removed (fonts now fall
-back to system UI fonts). So it runs fully air-gapped behind a corporate
-firewall.
-
-## Where data lives
-
-By default **everything is stored in each user's own browser** (`localStorage`):
-the SOP configuration, the saved Work Packages, the usage logs, and all feedback
-/ comments. This means:
-
-- Data is **per-user and per-device** — it is not shared between people, and
-  clearing browser data erases it.
-- Nothing is transmitted anywhere unless you enable central collection (below).
-
-## Feedback collection
-
-There are two layers, and they work together.
-
-### 1. Export / Import (no server required — works today)
-
-Every feedback surface has **Export** and **Import** buttons:
-
-- Home page → *Leave Feedback* panel
-- SOP Configuration → *Step Comments* (header button)
-- Work Package Creator → *Comments* drawer
-
-A reviewer clicks **Export** to download a JSON file and sends it to you; you
-click **Import** on your machine to merge everyone's feedback together (imports
-de-duplicate, so re-importing is safe). This needs zero infrastructure and works
-behind any firewall.
-
-### 2. Central auto-collection (optional — flip on when hosting is known)
-
-To also gather every submission automatically into one place, set a single value
-in [`feedback-config.js`](feedback-config.js):
-
-```js
-window.FEEDBACK_ENDPOINT = 'https://your-endpoint-url';
+```
+browser → NGINX ──serves──> static site (index.html, …)
+                └─proxy /api/─> Python API (uvicorn/gunicorn :8000) → PostgreSQL
 ```
 
-When set, each submission is additionally `POST`ed as JSON to that URL (saving
-locally still happens, so a failed/disabled endpoint never loses feedback). The
-endpoint can be either of:
+Everything runs inside your firewall; the app makes **no outbound internet
+calls** (the logo and scripts are local and the old Google-Fonts dependency was
+removed).
 
-#### Option A — a small backend on your host
-Any server that can run code and append the request body to a file you can
-download. Example (Node/Express):
+## 1. Front end (NGINX)
 
-```js
-const express = require('express');
-const fs = require('fs');
-const app = express();
-app.use(express.json());
-app.post('/feedback', (req, res) => {
-  fs.appendFileSync('feedback.jsonl', JSON.stringify(req.body) + '\n');
-  res.sendStatus(204);
-});
-app.listen(8080);
-```
+Copy the project files to a web root and serve them over HTTPS. The provided
+[`nginx-wp-suite.conf`](nginx-wp-suite.conf) serves the static files and proxies
+`/api/` to the Python API. Set `server_name`, the `ssl_certificate` paths, and
+`root`, then `sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl reload nginx`.
 
-Each line of `feedback.jsonl` is one submission; download it anytime. (PHP/
-Python/ASP.NET equivalents are a few lines too.)
+Serving over real HTTP(S) (not `file://`) also makes the embedded Work Package
+Creator (`<iframe>`) and any browser-side caching behave reliably.
 
-#### Option B — Internal NGINX reverse proxy → Power Automate (the chosen setup)
+## 2. API + database
 
-The browser posts to a **same-origin** path `/api/feedback`; NGINX forwards that
-to the Power Automate trigger. This avoids CORS entirely and keeps the secret
-trigger URL off the client. `FEEDBACK_ENDPOINT` is already set to
-`/api/feedback`, and [`nginx-wp-suite.conf`](nginx-wp-suite.conf) contains the
-full server block.
+Full setup — PostgreSQL, the systemd service, and the endpoint reference — is in
+[`server/README.md`](server/README.md). In short:
 
-**On the NGINX box (one-time, server admin):**
-1. Copy the project files to the web root (e.g. `/var/www/wp-suite`).
-2. Install [`nginx-wp-suite.conf`](nginx-wp-suite.conf) (e.g. into
-   `/etc/nginx/conf.d/`), and set `server_name`, the `ssl_certificate` paths
-   (internal cert), and the `root`.
-3. In the `location = /api/feedback` block, replace the `proxy_pass` URL and the
-   `Host` header with your real trigger URL / region host (keep the full query
-   string incl. `sig=`).
-4. `sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl reload nginx`.
+1. Create the `wpsuite` Postgres database/user.
+2. `pip install -r server/requirements.txt` into a venv.
+3. Set `DATABASE_URL` and run the API as a systemd service on `127.0.0.1:8000`.
+4. Tables are created automatically on first start.
 
-> Two NGINX details that matter: `proxy_ssl_server_name on;` (SNI is required for
-> `*.logic.azure.com` or the TLS handshake fails) and the `Host` header set to
-> the Azure region host. Both are already in the provided config.
+Interactive API docs are at `/api/docs` once it's running.
 
-**In Power Automate:**
-1. Create a flow with the **"When an HTTP request is received"** trigger.
-2. Set its **Request Body JSON Schema** to:
+## 3. Comments / feedback
 
-   ```json
-   {
-     "type": "object",
-     "properties": {
-       "app":         { "type": "string" },
-       "page":        { "type": "string" },
-       "submittedAt": { "type": "string" },
-       "type":        { "type": "string" },
-       "name":        { "type": "string" },
-       "author":      { "type": "string" },
-       "text":        { "type": "string" },
-       "step":        { "type": "integer" },
-       "view":        { "type": "string" },
-       "timestamp":   { "type": "string" },
-       "ts":          { "type": "string" },
-       "id":          { "type": "string" },
-       "clientId":    { "type": "string" }
-     }
-   }
-   ```
-   > `name` is used by the home/SOP forms, `author` by the Work Package Creator.
-   > Map both into one "Submitted by" column with an expression like
-   > `coalesce(triggerBody()?['name'], triggerBody()?['author'])`.
-3. Add an action — **Create item** (SharePoint list) or **Add a row into a
-   table** (Excel / Dataverse) — mapping the fields above.
-4. Save; copy the generated **HTTP POST URL** into `web.config`
-   (`POWER_AUTOMATE_TRIGGER_URL`).
-5. A Power App (or just the list/Excel) reads that store to show live comments.
+Every feedback surface (home *Leave Feedback*, SOP *Step Comments*, WP *Comments*)
+posts to `/api/feedback`, which the API stores in the `comments` table. The
+**Export / Import** buttons remain as an offline fallback — a reviewer can export
+a JSON file and someone can import/merge it — but with the API running, comments
+are collected centrally with no manual steps.
 
-Chain: `browser → /api/feedback (NGINX proxy) → Power Automate → SharePoint/Dataverse → Power App`.
+> The earlier Power Automate route is **no longer needed** — comments go straight
+> to Postgres. If you still want a Power App view, point a Power App at the
+> Postgres `comments` table via the on-prem data gateway, or have a flow read the
+> table; no change to this app is required.
 
-The "downloadable file" is then just the Excel/SharePoint list, viewable live or
-exported — all inside your corporate cloud.
-
-### CORS note
-If the endpoint is on a **different origin** than the site, it must return CORS
-headers allowing the site's origin (e.g.
-`Access-Control-Allow-Origin: https://wp-suite.yourcompany.local`). A Power
-Automate HTTP trigger and a same-host backend both handle this cleanly; a
-same-origin backend needs no CORS at all.
-
-## Feedback payload shape
-
-Each POST body looks like:
+### Comment payload shape
 
 ```json
 {
@@ -161,4 +65,17 @@ Each POST body looks like:
 }
 ```
 
-`type` is one of `home_feedback`, `sop_step_comment`, or `wp_review_comment`.
+`type` is one of `home_feedback`, `sop_step_comment`, or `wp_review_comment`. The
+API maps `name`/`author` → the comment author and keeps any extra fields in the
+row's `extra` JSON column.
+
+## Data model (PostgreSQL)
+
+| Table | Holds | Key columns |
+|-------|-------|-------------|
+| `sops` | project SOP baselines | `name`, `number`, `complete`, `data` (full SOP JSON) |
+| `work_packages` | individual IWPs | `sop_id`, `number`, `subject`, `type`, `status`, `data` (full WP JSON) |
+| `comments` | feedback from any page | `source`, `sop_id`, `wp_id`, `step`, `author`, `text` |
+
+The complete client document is stored verbatim in each row's `data` column;
+frequently-listed fields are promoted to real columns for filtering.
diff --git a/nginx-wp-suite.conf b/nginx-wp-suite.conf
index e1af99f..df6ef60 100644
--- a/nginx-wp-suite.conf
+++ b/nginx-wp-suite.conf
@@ -1,17 +1,17 @@
 # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 # Work Package Suite — NGINX site config
 #
-# Serves the static site and reverse-proxies feedback to a Power Automate
-# "When an HTTP request is received" trigger. The browser only ever sees the
-# same-origin path /api/feedback, so there is NO CORS and the secret trigger URL
-# (with its sig= token) never reaches client code.
+# Serves the static site and reverse-proxies /api/ to the Python API
+# (FastAPI on 127.0.0.1:8000), which stores SOPs, Work Packages, and comments
+# in PostgreSQL. Same-origin, so there is no CORS.
 #
 # Install:
 #   1. Copy the project files to the web root (e.g. /var/www/wp-suite).
-#   2. Put this file at /etc/nginx/conf.d/wp-suite.conf
+#   2. Run the API as a service (see server/README.md) listening on :8000.
+#   3. Put this file at /etc/nginx/conf.d/wp-suite.conf
 #      (or /etc/nginx/sites-available/ + symlink into sites-enabled/).
-#   3. Replace server_name, the ssl_certificate paths, and the proxy_pass URL.
-#   4. sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl reload nginx
+#   4. Replace server_name and the ssl_certificate paths.
+#   5. sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl reload nginx
 # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 # Redirect plain HTTP to HTTPS
@@ -38,19 +38,15 @@ server {
         try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
     }
 
-    # ── Feedback proxy → Power Automate ──────────────────────────────────────
-    # Paste your real trigger URL into proxy_pass below, keeping the FULL query
-    # string (api-version, sp, sv, sig). A small body cap keeps this endpoint safe.
-    location = /api/feedback {
-        limit_except POST { deny all; }            # only accept POST
-        client_max_body_size 256k;
-
-        proxy_pass https://prod-XX.westus.logic.azure.com/workflows/REPLACE_WORKFLOW_ID/triggers/manual/paths/invoke?api-version=2016-06-01&sp=%2Ftriggers%2Fmanual%2Frun&sv=1.0&sig=REPLACE_SIGNATURE;
-
+    # ── API proxy → Python (FastAPI) ─────────────────────────────────────────
+    # All /api/ calls (SOPs, Work Packages, comments) go to the local API
+    # service. Keep the /api/ prefix — the API routes are defined under /api.
+    location /api/ {
+        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8000;
         proxy_http_version 1.1;
-        proxy_ssl_server_name on;                  # SNI — required for *.logic.azure.com
-        proxy_set_header Host prod-XX.westus.logic.azure.com;   # <-- match your region host
-        proxy_set_header Content-Type application/json;
-        proxy_set_header Cookie "";                # don't leak site cookies upstream
+        proxy_set_header Host $host;
+        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $remote_addr;
+        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
+        client_max_body_size 5m;                   # WP documents can be larger
     }
 }
diff --git a/server/.env.example b/server/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..15424cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# Copy to .env (dev) or set these in the systemd unit (prod).
+
+# PostgreSQL connection (production). Format:
+#   postgresql+psycopg://USER:PASSWORD@HOST:5432/DBNAME
+DATABASE_URL=postgresql+psycopg://wpsuite:CHANGE_ME@localhost:5432/wpsuite
+
+# If DATABASE_URL is omitted entirely, the API falls back to a local SQLite
+# file (sqlite:///./wpsuite.db) — handy for trying it out without Postgres.
+
+# Only needed for CROSS-ORIGIN local development (comma-separated). In
+# production the site is same-origin via NGINX, so leave this unset.
+# CORS_ORIGINS=http://localhost:5500
diff --git a/server/README.md b/server/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d9343f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+# Work Package Suite API
+
+A small Python (FastAPI) service that stores project **SOPs**, **Work Packages**,
+and **comments** in PostgreSQL. NGINX serves the static site and proxies `/api/`
+to this service.
+
+```
+browser → NGINX ──serves──> static site (index.html, …)
+                └─proxy /api/─> this API (uvicorn/gunicorn :8000) → PostgreSQL
+```
+
+## Endpoints
+
+| Method | Path | Purpose |
+|--------|------|---------|
+| GET  | `/api/health` | liveness check |
+| POST | `/api/sops` | create/update a SOP (upsert by `id`) |
+| GET  | `/api/sops` | list SOP summaries |
+| GET  | `/api/sops/latest?complete=true` | most recent (complete) SOP |
+| GET  | `/api/sops/{id}` | full SOP document |
+| DELETE | `/api/sops/{id}` | delete a SOP |
+| POST | `/api/wps` | create/update a Work Package (upsert by `id`) |
+| GET  | `/api/wps?sop_id=…` | list WPs (optionally for one SOP) |
+| GET  | `/api/wps/{id}` | full WP document |
+| DELETE | `/api/wps/{id}` | delete a WP |
+| POST | `/api/comments` (and `/api/feedback`) | add a comment |
+| GET  | `/api/comments?source=&sop_id=&wp_id=&step=` | list comments |
+
+Interactive docs once running: **`/api/docs`**.
+
+The full client document is stored in each row's `data` (JSON) column; common
+fields (name, number, status, …) are promoted to columns for listing/filtering.
+
+## Local dev
+
+```bash
+cd server
+python -m venv .venv && . .venv/bin/activate      # Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
+pip install -r requirements.txt
+# No DATABASE_URL → uses a local sqlite file, so you can start immediately:
+uvicorn server.app:app --reload --port 8000       # run from the PROJECT ROOT
+```
+Then open http://localhost:8000/api/docs.
+
+> Run uvicorn/gunicorn from the **project root** (the folder that contains the
+> `server/` directory), because the import path is `server.app:app`.
+
+## PostgreSQL setup (production)
+
+```sql
+CREATE DATABASE wpsuite;
+CREATE USER wpsuite WITH PASSWORD 'CHANGE_ME';
+GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE wpsuite TO wpsuite;
+```
+Tables are created automatically on first startup. (For future schema changes,
+introduce Alembic migrations rather than editing tables by hand.)
+
+## Run in production (gunicorn + systemd)
+
+`/etc/systemd/system/wp-suite-api.service`:
+
+```ini
+[Unit]
+Description=Work Package Suite API
+After=network.target
+
+[Service]
+User=www-data
+WorkingDirectory=/opt/wp-suite
+Environment="DATABASE_URL=postgresql+psycopg://wpsuite:CHANGE_ME@localhost:5432/wpsuite"
+ExecStart=/opt/wp-suite/.venv/bin/gunicorn -k uvicorn.workers.UvicornWorker -b 127.0.0.1:8000 server.app:app
+Restart=always
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
+```
+
+```bash
+sudo systemctl daemon-reload
+sudo systemctl enable --now wp-suite-api
+```
+
+NGINX already proxies `/api/` to `127.0.0.1:8000` (see `nginx-wp-suite.conf`).
+
+## Quick test
+
+```bash
+curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8000/api/comments \
+  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
+  -d '{"type":"home_feedback","name":"Test","text":"hello"}'
+
+curl http://127.0.0.1:8000/api/comments
+```
diff --git a/server/__init__.py b/server/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/server/app.py b/server/app.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ac52fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/app.py
@@ -0,0 +1,231 @@
+"""Work Package Suite API.
+
+A small FastAPI service that stores project SOPs, Work Packages, and comments
+in SQL (PostgreSQL in production; SQLite for local dev). NGINX serves the static
+site and proxies /api/ here.
+
+Run (dev):     uvicorn server.app:app --reload --port 8000
+Run (prod):    gunicorn -k uvicorn.workers.UvicornWorker -b 127.0.0.1:8000 server.app:app
+Interactive docs: http://<host>/api/docs
+"""
+import os
+import uuid
+from typing import Any, Optional
+
+from fastapi import FastAPI, Depends, HTTPException, Query
+from fastapi.middleware.cors import CORSMiddleware
+from pydantic import BaseModel, ConfigDict, Field
+from sqlalchemy import select, delete
+from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
+
+from .db import Base, engine, get_db
+from . import models
+
+# Create tables on startup. (For schema changes later, switch to Alembic.)
+Base.metadata.create_all(bind=engine)
+
+app = FastAPI(title="Work Package Suite API", docs_url="/api/docs", openapi_url="/api/openapi.json")
+
+# Same-origin in production (NGINX), so CORS is normally unnecessary. For
+# cross-origin local dev, set CORS_ORIGINS="http://localhost:5500,..."
+_origins = [o for o in os.getenv("CORS_ORIGINS", "").split(",") if o]
+if _origins:
+    app.add_middleware(
+        CORSMiddleware, allow_origins=_origins,
+        allow_methods=["*"], allow_headers=["*"],
+    )
+
+
+def gen_id(prefix: str) -> str:
+    return f"{prefix}_{uuid.uuid4().hex[:12]}"
+
+
+# ── Request bodies ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+class SopIn(BaseModel):
+    id: Optional[str] = None
+    name: str = ""
+    number: str = ""
+    complete: bool = False
+    created_by: str = ""
+    data: dict[str, Any] = Field(default_factory=dict)
+
+
+class WpIn(BaseModel):
+    id: Optional[str] = None
+    sop_id: Optional[str] = None
+    number: str = ""
+    subject: str = ""
+    type: str = ""
+    status: str = "Draft"
+    created_by: str = ""
+    data: dict[str, Any] = Field(default_factory=dict)
+
+
+class CommentIn(BaseModel):
+    # Tolerate any extra keys the feedback payload includes (timestamp, app, …).
+    model_config = ConfigDict(extra="allow")
+    source: Optional[str] = None
+    type: Optional[str] = None        # client sends 'type'; treated as source
+    sop_id: Optional[str] = None
+    wp_id: Optional[str] = None
+    step: Optional[int] = None
+    author: Optional[str] = None
+    name: Optional[str] = None        # home/SOP forms send 'name'
+    text: Optional[str] = None
+    page: Optional[str] = ""
+
+
+# ── Health ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+@app.get("/api/health")
+def health():
+    return {"ok": True}
+
+
+# ── SOPs ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+@app.post("/api/sops")
+def upsert_sop(body: SopIn, db: Session = Depends(get_db)):
+    sop = db.get(models.Sop, body.id) if body.id else None
+    if sop is None:
+        sop = models.Sop(id=body.id or gen_id("sop"))
+        db.add(sop)
+    sop.name = body.name
+    sop.number = body.number
+    sop.complete = body.complete
+    sop.created_by = body.created_by or sop.created_by
+    sop.data = body.data
+    db.commit()
+    db.refresh(sop)
+    return sop.to_dict()
+
+
+@app.get("/api/sops")
+def list_sops(db: Session = Depends(get_db)):
+    rows = db.scalars(select(models.Sop).order_by(models.Sop.updated_at.desc())).all()
+    return [s.summary() for s in rows]
+
+
+@app.get("/api/sops/latest")
+def latest_sop(complete: Optional[bool] = None, db: Session = Depends(get_db)):
+    stmt = select(models.Sop)
+    if complete is not None:
+        stmt = stmt.where(models.Sop.complete == complete)
+    sop = db.scalars(stmt.order_by(models.Sop.updated_at.desc()).limit(1)).first()
+    if not sop:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="No SOP found")
+    return sop.to_dict()
+
+
+@app.get("/api/sops/{sop_id}")
+def get_sop(sop_id: str, db: Session = Depends(get_db)):
+    sop = db.get(models.Sop, sop_id)
+    if not sop:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="SOP not found")
+    return sop.to_dict()
+
+
+@app.delete("/api/sops/{sop_id}")
+def delete_sop(sop_id: str, db: Session = Depends(get_db)):
+    sop = db.get(models.Sop, sop_id)
+    if not sop:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="SOP not found")
+    db.delete(sop)
+    db.commit()
+    return {"deleted": sop_id}
+
+
+# ── Work Packages ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+@app.post("/api/wps")
+def upsert_wp(body: WpIn, db: Session = Depends(get_db)):
+    wp = db.get(models.WorkPackage, body.id) if body.id else None
+    if wp is None:
+        wp = models.WorkPackage(id=body.id or gen_id("wp"))
+        db.add(wp)
+    wp.sop_id = body.sop_id
+    wp.number = body.number
+    wp.subject = body.subject
+    wp.type = body.type
+    wp.status = body.status
+    wp.created_by = body.created_by or wp.created_by
+    wp.data = body.data
+    db.commit()
+    db.refresh(wp)
+    return wp.to_dict()
+
+
+@app.get("/api/wps")
+def list_wps(sop_id: Optional[str] = Query(None), db: Session = Depends(get_db)):
+    stmt = select(models.WorkPackage)
+    if sop_id:
+        stmt = stmt.where(models.WorkPackage.sop_id == sop_id)
+    rows = db.scalars(stmt.order_by(models.WorkPackage.updated_at.desc())).all()
+    return [w.summary() for w in rows]
+
+
+@app.get("/api/wps/{wp_id}")
+def get_wp(wp_id: str, db: Session = Depends(get_db)):
+    wp = db.get(models.WorkPackage, wp_id)
+    if not wp:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="Work Package not found")
+    return wp.to_dict()
+
+
+@app.delete("/api/wps/{wp_id}")
+def delete_wp(wp_id: str, db: Session = Depends(get_db)):
+    wp = db.get(models.WorkPackage, wp_id)
+    if not wp:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="Work Package not found")
+    db.delete(wp)
+    db.commit()
+    return {"deleted": wp_id}
+
+
+# ── Comments / feedback ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+def _save_comment(body: CommentIn, db: Session) -> dict:
+    extra = body.model_extra or {}
+    c = models.Comment(
+        id=gen_id("c"),
+        source=body.source or body.type or "",
+        sop_id=body.sop_id,
+        wp_id=body.wp_id,
+        step=body.step,
+        author=(body.author or body.name or "Anonymous"),
+        text=body.text or "",
+        page=body.page or "",
+        extra=extra,
+    )
+    db.add(c)
+    db.commit()
+    db.refresh(c)
+    return c.to_dict()
+
+
+@app.post("/api/comments")
+def create_comment(body: CommentIn, db: Session = Depends(get_db)):
+    return _save_comment(body, db)
+
+
+# Alias so the existing client (which posts to /api/feedback) keeps working.
+@app.post("/api/feedback")
+def create_feedback(body: CommentIn, db: Session = Depends(get_db)):
+    return _save_comment(body, db)
+
+
+@app.get("/api/comments")
+def list_comments(
+    source: Optional[str] = Query(None),
+    sop_id: Optional[str] = Query(None),
+    wp_id: Optional[str] = Query(None),
+    step: Optional[int] = Query(None),
+    db: Session = Depends(get_db),
+):
+    stmt = select(models.Comment)
+    if source:
+        stmt = stmt.where(models.Comment.source == source)
+    if sop_id:
+        stmt = stmt.where(models.Comment.sop_id == sop_id)
+    if wp_id:
+        stmt = stmt.where(models.Comment.wp_id == wp_id)
+    if step is not None:
+        stmt = stmt.where(models.Comment.step == step)
+    rows = db.scalars(stmt.order_by(models.Comment.created_at.desc())).all()
+    return [c.to_dict() for c in rows]
diff --git a/server/db.py b/server/db.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b8cae2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/db.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+"""Database engine and session setup.
+
+The connection string comes from the DATABASE_URL environment variable, e.g.
+    postgresql+psycopg://wpsuite:secret@db-host:5432/wpsuite
+
+If unset, it falls back to a local SQLite file so the API can be run and tested
+on any machine without Postgres. The schema is identical either way (SQLAlchemy
+handles the dialect differences).
+"""
+import os
+from sqlalchemy import create_engine
+from sqlalchemy.orm import sessionmaker, DeclarativeBase
+
+# Load a local .env if present (dev convenience). In production the DATABASE_URL
+# normally comes from the systemd unit's Environment / EnvironmentFile instead.
+try:
+    from dotenv import load_dotenv
+    load_dotenv()
+except Exception:
+    pass
+
+DATABASE_URL = os.getenv("DATABASE_URL", "sqlite:///./wpsuite.db")
+
+# SQLite needs this flag to be used from FastAPI's threadpool; Postgres ignores it.
+connect_args = {"check_same_thread": False} if DATABASE_URL.startswith("sqlite") else {}
+
+engine = create_engine(DATABASE_URL, connect_args=connect_args, pool_pre_ping=True, future=True)
+SessionLocal = sessionmaker(bind=engine, autoflush=False, autocommit=False, future=True)
+
+
+class Base(DeclarativeBase):
+    pass
+
+
+def get_db():
+    """FastAPI dependency that yields a session and always closes it."""
+    db = SessionLocal()
+    try:
+        yield db
+    finally:
+        db.close()
diff --git a/server/models.py b/server/models.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ce1dac0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/models.py
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+"""ORM models for the Work Package Suite.
+
+Three tables:
+  - sops            one row per project SOP (the configuration baseline)
+  - work_packages   one row per IWP, optionally linked to a SOP
+  - comments        feedback / review comments from any page
+
+The full client document for a SOP or WP is kept verbatim in a JSON `data`
+column, with the most-queried fields promoted to real columns for listing and
+filtering. IDs are short strings (client- or server-generated) so the browser
+can upsert without round-tripping a sequence.
+"""
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
+from typing import Optional
+from sqlalchemy import String, Boolean, Integer, DateTime, ForeignKey, Text, JSON
+from sqlalchemy.orm import Mapped, mapped_column
+from .db import Base
+
+
+def utcnow() -> datetime:
+    return datetime.now(timezone.utc)
+
+
+class Sop(Base):
+    __tablename__ = "sops"
+
+    id: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(40), primary_key=True)
+    name: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(300), default="")
+    number: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(100), default="")
+    complete: Mapped[bool] = mapped_column(Boolean, default=False)
+    data: Mapped[dict] = mapped_column(JSON, default=dict)
+    created_by: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(200), default="")
+    created_at: Mapped[datetime] = mapped_column(DateTime(timezone=True), default=utcnow)
+    updated_at: Mapped[datetime] = mapped_column(DateTime(timezone=True), default=utcnow, onupdate=utcnow)
+
+    def summary(self) -> dict:
+        return {
+            "id": self.id, "name": self.name, "number": self.number,
+            "complete": self.complete, "created_by": self.created_by,
+            "created_at": _iso(self.created_at), "updated_at": _iso(self.updated_at),
+        }
+
+    def to_dict(self) -> dict:
+        return {**self.summary(), "data": self.data or {}}
+
+
+class WorkPackage(Base):
+    __tablename__ = "work_packages"
+
+    id: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(40), primary_key=True)
+    sop_id: Mapped[Optional[str]] = mapped_column(
+        String(40), ForeignKey("sops.id", ondelete="SET NULL"), nullable=True, index=True
+    )
+    number: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(120), default="")
+    subject: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(400), default="")
+    type: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(120), default="")
+    status: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(40), default="Draft")
+    data: Mapped[dict] = mapped_column(JSON, default=dict)
+    created_by: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(200), default="")
+    created_at: Mapped[datetime] = mapped_column(DateTime(timezone=True), default=utcnow)
+    updated_at: Mapped[datetime] = mapped_column(DateTime(timezone=True), default=utcnow, onupdate=utcnow)
+
+    def summary(self) -> dict:
+        return {
+            "id": self.id, "sop_id": self.sop_id, "number": self.number,
+            "subject": self.subject, "type": self.type, "status": self.status,
+            "created_by": self.created_by,
+            "created_at": _iso(self.created_at), "updated_at": _iso(self.updated_at),
+        }
+
+    def to_dict(self) -> dict:
+        return {**self.summary(), "data": self.data or {}}
+
+
+class Comment(Base):
+    __tablename__ = "comments"
+
+    id: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(40), primary_key=True)
+    source: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(40), default="", index=True)  # home_feedback | sop_step_comment | wp_review_comment
+    sop_id: Mapped[Optional[str]] = mapped_column(String(40), nullable=True, index=True)
+    wp_id: Mapped[Optional[str]] = mapped_column(String(40), nullable=True, index=True)
+    step: Mapped[Optional[int]] = mapped_column(Integer, nullable=True)
+    author: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(200), default="")
+    text: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(Text, default="")
+    page: Mapped[str] = mapped_column(String(200), default="")
+    extra: Mapped[dict] = mapped_column(JSON, default=dict)
+    created_at: Mapped[datetime] = mapped_column(DateTime(timezone=True), default=utcnow)
+
+    def to_dict(self) -> dict:
+        return {
+            "id": self.id, "source": self.source, "sop_id": self.sop_id, "wp_id": self.wp_id,
+            "step": self.step, "author": self.author, "text": self.text, "page": self.page,
+            "created_at": _iso(self.created_at),
+        }
+
+
+def _iso(dt: Optional[datetime]) -> Optional[str]:
+    return dt.isoformat() if dt else None
diff --git a/server/requirements.txt b/server/requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd30783
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+fastapi>=0.110
+uvicorn[standard]>=0.29
+gunicorn>=21.2
+sqlalchemy>=2.0
+psycopg[binary]>=3.1
+pydantic>=2.6
+python-dotenv>=1.0