diff --git a/apps/api/prisma/migrations/20260731150000_read_events/migration.sql b/apps/api/prisma/migrations/20260731150000_read_events/migration.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..92867a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/prisma/migrations/20260731150000_read_events/migration.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+-- #222 (ADR 0023): read-access trail for classified pages. Its own table —
+-- volume, purpose and legal basis differ from audit_log. No foreign keys:
+-- evidence must survive page purges and hard user deletions unchanged.
+-- Partitioning and retention follow in #224.
+CREATE TABLE "read_events" (
+    "id" TEXT NOT NULL,
+    "occurred_at" TIMESTAMP(3) NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
+    "actor_id" TEXT,
+    "session_key" TEXT NOT NULL,
+    "page_id" TEXT,
+    "pond_id" TEXT NOT NULL,
+    "channel" TEXT NOT NULL,
+    "classification" TEXT NOT NULL,
+    "details" JSONB,
+
+    CONSTRAINT "read_events_pkey" PRIMARY KEY ("id")
+);
+
+CREATE INDEX "read_events_page_id_occurred_at_idx" ON "read_events"("page_id", "occurred_at");
+
+CREATE INDEX "read_events_actor_id_occurred_at_idx" ON "read_events"("actor_id", "occurred_at");
+
+CREATE INDEX "read_events_occurred_at_idx" ON "read_events"("occurred_at");
diff --git a/apps/api/prisma/schema.prisma b/apps/api/prisma/schema.prisma
index da2d37c..2ad741a 100644
--- a/apps/api/prisma/schema.prisma
+++ b/apps/api/prisma/schema.prisma
@@ -91,6 +91,37 @@ model AuditEntry {
   @@map("audit_log")
 }
 
+/// Read-access trail for classified pages (issue #222, ADR 0023): one row per
+/// read of a `VS_NFD` page, per channel. Separate from `audit_log` because
+/// volume, purpose and legal basis all differ. Deliberately WITHOUT foreign
+/// keys: evidence must survive a page purge and a hard user deletion — the
+/// ids stay as recorded (pseudonymous uuids), history is never rewritten.
+model ReadEvent {
+  id         String   @id @default(uuid())
+  occurredAt DateTime @default(now()) @map("occurred_at")
+  /// Null = anonymous reader (public grant); `sessionKey` still names the
+  /// browsing session, so the anonymous marker is explicit, not an accident.
+  actorId    String?  @map("actor_id")
+  /// `session:<id>` for cookie sessions, `token:<id>` for PATs, `job:<id>`
+  /// for background builds (account data export), `anon` for anonymous
+  /// visitors — the dedup-window key basis (#223).
+  sessionKey String   @map("session_key")
+  pageId     String?  @map("page_id")
+  pondId     String   @map("pond_id")
+  /// Which read surface fired: `page_view` | `no_js_shell` | `public_api` |
+  /// `attachment` | `export` | `collab_join` (READ_CHANNELS union in code).
+  channel    String
+  /// Classification at read time — a later reclassification must not
+  /// rewrite history (ADR 0023).
+  classification String
+  details    Json?
+
+  @@index([pageId, occurredAt])
+  @@index([actorId, occurredAt])
+  @@index([occurredAt])
+  @@map("read_events")
+}
+
 /// Threaded page comments (issue #91, data-model.md §Comments). Threads are
 /// one level deep: roots carry the optional document anchor and the resolve
 /// state, replies reference the root via `parentId`. Purging a page cascades
diff --git a/apps/api/src/app.module.ts b/apps/api/src/app.module.ts
index d040d53..5072a4d 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/app.module.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/app.module.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import { PrismaModule } from './prisma/prisma.module';
 import { PublicApiModule } from './public-api/public-api.module';
 import { PublicModule } from './public/public.module';
 import { RateLimitModule } from './rate-limit/rate-limit.module';
+import { ReadTrailModule } from './read-trail/read-trail.module';
 import { SearchModule } from './search/search.module';
 import { SettingsModule } from './settings/settings.module';
 import { SetupModule } from './setup/setup.module';
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ import { VersionsModule } from './versions/versions.module';
     ConfigModule,
     PrismaModule,
     AuditModule,
+    ReadTrailModule,
     RateLimitModule,
     MailModule,
     SettingsModule,
diff --git a/apps/api/src/files/attachment-integrity.e2e.db.test.ts b/apps/api/src/files/attachment-integrity.e2e.db.test.ts
index 0f2fcc2..aa8972a 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/files/attachment-integrity.e2e.db.test.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/files/attachment-integrity.e2e.db.test.ts
@@ -90,14 +90,16 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasTestDb)('attachment integrity (e2e, issue #199)', () => {
     const { id, bytes } = await uploadPng('will-be-tampered');
 
     // Intact: the download succeeds and streams the exact bytes.
-    const intact = await files.download(null, id);
+    const intact = await files.download(null, id, { actorId: null, sessionKey: 'anon' });
     const chunks: Buffer[] = [];
     for await (const chunk of intact.stream) chunks.push(chunk as Buffer);
     expect(Buffer.concat(chunks).equals(bytes)).toBe(true);
 
     // Tampered on disk (row untouched): fail closed with the dedicated code.
     await storage.save(pondId, id, pngBuffer('evil-replacement'));
-    const failure = await files.download(null, id).catch((error: unknown) => error);
+    const failure = await files
+      .download(null, id, { actorId: null, sessionKey: 'anon' })
+      .catch((error: unknown) => error);
     expect(failure).toBeInstanceOf(InternalServerErrorException);
     expect((failure as InternalServerErrorException).getResponse()).toMatchObject({
       code: 'attachment_integrity_failure',
@@ -124,7 +126,10 @@ describe.skipIf(!hasTestDb)('attachment integrity (e2e, issue #199)', () => {
     await storage.delete(pondId, unreadable.id);
 
     // A null-hash row is served unverified (pre-#199 status quo).
-    const unverified = await files.download(null, readable.id);
+    const unverified = await files.download(null, readable.id, {
+      actorId: null,
+      sessionKey: 'anon',
+    });
     expect(unverified.attachment.sha256).toBeNull();
 
     const first = await files.backfillHashes();
diff --git a/apps/api/src/files/files.controller.ts b/apps/api/src/files/files.controller.ts
index d9d6683..4ab9f3f 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/files/files.controller.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/files/files.controller.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import {
   RequiresPagePermission,
   RequiresPondRole,
 } from '../permissions/permission.decorators';
+import { readActorOf } from '../read-trail/read-actor';
 
 import { FilesService } from './files.service';
 
@@ -93,6 +94,7 @@ export class FilesController {
     const { attachment, stream, inline, downloadName } = await this.files.download(
       request.user ?? null,
       fileId,
+      readActorOf(request),
     );
     response.set('X-Content-Type-Options', 'nosniff');
     // Attachments are immutable — a new upload always gets a new id.
diff --git a/apps/api/src/files/files.service.ts b/apps/api/src/files/files.service.ts
index 2be721e..a052aa8 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/files/files.service.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/files/files.service.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import { PinoLogger } from 'nestjs-pino';
 import { AuditService } from '../audit/audit.service';
 import { PrismaService } from '../prisma/prisma.service';
 import { QuotaService } from '../quotas/quota.service';
+import { ReadTrailService, type ReadActor } from '../read-trail/read-trail.service';
 import { InstanceSettingsService } from '../settings/instance-settings.service';
 
 import { FileStorageService } from './file-storage.service';
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ export class FilesService {
     private readonly storage: FileStorageService,
     private readonly settings: InstanceSettingsService,
     private readonly audit: AuditService,
+    private readonly readTrail: ReadTrailService,
     private readonly logger: PinoLogger,
   ) {
     this.logger.setContext(FilesService.name);
@@ -230,7 +232,7 @@ export class FilesService {
    * the nightly backfill reaches them) are served unverified — that is the
    * pre-#199 status quo, not a downgrade.
    */
-  async download(_user: User | null, id: string): Promise<FileDownload> {
+  async download(_user: User | null, id: string, read: ReadActor): Promise<FileDownload> {
     const attachment = await this.prisma.attachment.findFirst({ where: { id } });
     if (!attachment) throw new NotFoundException();
     const buffer = await this.storage.read(attachment.pondId, attachment.id).catch(() => null);
@@ -248,6 +250,19 @@ export class FilesService {
       }
     }
     const classification = await this.effectiveClassification(attachment);
+    // Read trail (issue #222): a download whose effective classification is
+    // vs_nfd (#212 semantics — page level, pond max when page-less) is a read
+    // of classified content. `pageId` may be null for pond-level files; the
+    // attachment id in `details` keeps the object identifiable.
+    if (classification === 'vs_nfd') {
+      await this.readTrail.record({
+        ...read,
+        pageId: attachment.pageId,
+        pondId: attachment.pondId,
+        channel: 'attachment',
+        details: { attachmentId: attachment.id },
+      });
+    }
     return {
       attachment,
       stream: Readable.from(buffer),
diff --git a/apps/api/src/import-export/data-export.service.ts b/apps/api/src/import-export/data-export.service.ts
index b863cf9..758a531 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/import-export/data-export.service.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/import-export/data-export.service.ts
@@ -95,7 +95,14 @@ export class DataExportService implements DataExportProcessor {
       orderBy: { slug: 'asc' },
     });
     for (const pond of ponds) {
-      await this.exports.appendPondMarkdown(archive, user, pond, `ponds/${pond.slug}/`);
+      // The build runs in the conversion worker, outside any request — the
+      // read-trail session key (#222) is the job itself: `job:<id>` names the
+      // one download this build feeds, so the dedup window (#223) has a
+      // stable, honest key.
+      await this.exports.appendPondMarkdown(archive, user, pond, `ponds/${pond.slug}/`, {
+        actorId: user.id,
+        sessionKey: `job:${job.id}`,
+      });
     }
 
     await archive.finalize();
diff --git a/apps/api/src/import-export/export.controller.ts b/apps/api/src/import-export/export.controller.ts
index c5d4047..a0c4450 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/import-export/export.controller.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/import-export/export.controller.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import type { Response } from 'express';
 import { AuthedRequest } from '../auth/auth.guard';
 import { ZodValidationPipe } from '../common/zod-validation.pipe';
 import { RequiresPagePermission, RequiresPondRole } from '../permissions/permission.decorators';
+import { readActorOf } from '../read-trail/read-actor';
 
 import { ExportService } from './export.service';
 
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ export class ExportController {
     @Req() request: AuthedRequest,
     @Res() response: Response,
   ): Promise<void> {
-    await this.exports.streamPondMarkdownZip(request.user!, pondId, response);
+    await this.exports.streamPondMarkdownZip(request.user!, pondId, response, readActorOf(request));
   }
 
   /** Enqueue a `.docx`/`.odt` export of one page; poll `GET /jobs/:id` and
@@ -39,6 +40,11 @@ export class ExportController {
     @Body(new ZodValidationPipe(pageExportInputSchema)) input: PageExportInput,
     @Req() request: AuthedRequest,
   ): Promise<ConversionJobView> {
-    return this.exports.enqueuePageExport(request.user!, pageId, input.format);
+    return this.exports.enqueuePageExport(
+      request.user!,
+      pageId,
+      input.format,
+      readActorOf(request),
+    );
   }
 }
diff --git a/apps/api/src/import-export/export.service.ts b/apps/api/src/import-export/export.service.ts
index 31053b7..2cd0ca5 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/import-export/export.service.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/import-export/export.service.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import { PermissionService } from '../permissions/permission.service';
 import { PluginFallbackRenderer } from '../plugins/plugin-fallback-renderer';
 import { PluginsService } from '../plugins/plugins.service';
 import { PrismaService } from '../prisma/prisma.service';
+import { ReadTrailService, type ReadActor } from '../read-trail/read-trail.service';
 
 import { markClassifiedMarkdown } from './classified-markdown';
 import { ConversionJobService } from './conversion-job.service';
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ export class ExportService {
     private readonly plugins: PluginsService,
     private readonly fallbacks: PluginFallbackRenderer,
     private readonly config: AppConfig,
+    private readonly readTrail: ReadTrailService,
     private readonly logger: PinoLogger,
   ) {
     this.logger.setContext(ExportService.name);
@@ -64,7 +66,12 @@ export class ExportService {
    * already checked the requester may see the pond; here we filter to the pages
    * they may actually read.
    */
-  async streamPondMarkdownZip(user: User, pondId: string, res: Response): Promise<void> {
+  async streamPondMarkdownZip(
+    user: User,
+    pondId: string,
+    res: Response,
+    read: ReadActor,
+  ): Promise<void> {
     const pond = await this.prisma.pond.findFirst({ where: { id: pondId, deletedAt: null } });
     if (!pond) throw new NotFoundException();
 
@@ -77,7 +84,7 @@ export class ExportService {
       res.destroy(error);
     });
     archive.pipe(res);
-    await this.appendPondMarkdown(archive, user, pond);
+    await this.appendPondMarkdown(archive, user, pond, '', read);
     await archive.finalize();
   }
 
@@ -93,7 +100,8 @@ export class ExportService {
     archive: archiver.Archiver,
     user: User,
     pond: { id: string; slug: string },
-    prefix = '',
+    prefix: string,
+    read: ReadActor,
   ): Promise<void> {
     const pondId = pond.id;
     const pages = await this.prisma.page.findMany({
@@ -113,6 +121,21 @@ export class ExportService {
     const readablePages = pages.filter((page) => readableIds.has(page.id));
     const readableSlugs = new Set(readablePages.map((page) => page.slug));
 
+    // Read trail (issue #222): the ZIP is a bulk-egress channel — one event
+    // per classified page it will contain, recorded BEFORE any classified
+    // bytes enter the stream, so a failed write aborts the download while the
+    // evidence is still complete (ADR 0023).
+    for (const page of readablePages) {
+      if (page.classification !== 'VS_NFD') continue;
+      await this.readTrail.record({
+        ...read,
+        pageId: page.id,
+        pondId,
+        channel: 'export',
+        details: { format: 'markdown_zip' },
+      });
+    }
+
     // Every image referenced by a readable page — resolved to attachments that
     // still exist in this pond, so the media directory matches the rewrites.
     const referenced = new Set<string>();
@@ -222,14 +245,18 @@ export class ExportService {
     user: User,
     pageId: string,
     format: ExportFormat,
+    read: ReadActor,
   ): Promise<ConversionJobView> {
-    if (format === 'pdf') return this.enqueuePdfExport(user, pageId);
+    if (format === 'pdf') return this.enqueuePdfExport(user, pageId, read);
 
     const page = await this.prisma.page.findFirst({
       where: { id: pageId, deletedAt: null },
       include: { contentCache: { select: { markdown: true } } },
     });
     if (!page) throw new NotFoundException();
+    // Read trail (issue #222): recorded at enqueue — the user's action; the
+    // worker's later conversion is machinery, not a second read.
+    await this.recordClassifiedExport(page, read, format);
 
     // Plugin blocks degrade to their fallback text and sections to quoted
     // blocks first (#79) — GFM knows neither construct, and pandoc would
@@ -265,7 +292,27 @@ export class ExportService {
    * the job input; the worker sends it to Gotenberg (`html → pdf`). Building it
    * up front keeps the job a plain byte→byte render the worker can retry.
    */
-  private async enqueuePdfExport(user: User, pageId: string): Promise<ConversionJobView> {
+  /** One `export` event for a classified page leaving as a document (#222). */
+  private async recordClassifiedExport(
+    page: { id: string; pondId: string; classification: string },
+    read: ReadActor,
+    format: ExportFormat,
+  ): Promise<void> {
+    if (page.classification !== 'VS_NFD') return;
+    await this.readTrail.record({
+      ...read,
+      pageId: page.id,
+      pondId: page.pondId,
+      channel: 'export',
+      details: { format },
+    });
+  }
+
+  private async enqueuePdfExport(
+    user: User,
+    pageId: string,
+    read: ReadActor,
+  ): Promise<ConversionJobView> {
     const page = await this.prisma.page.findFirst({
       where: { id: pageId, deletedAt: null },
       include: {
@@ -274,6 +321,7 @@ export class ExportService {
       },
     });
     if (!page) throw new NotFoundException();
+    await this.recordClassifiedExport(page, read, 'pdf');
 
     const fonts = pondSettingsSchema.parse(page.pond.settings ?? {}).fonts;
     // Plugin blocks first become their best static form (#79: stored SVG
diff --git a/apps/api/src/mcp/mcp.service.ts b/apps/api/src/mcp/mcp.service.ts
index d1bb66b..9a332d6 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/mcp/mcp.service.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/mcp/mcp.service.ts
@@ -112,7 +112,9 @@ export class McpService {
       case 'read_page':
         await this.assertPondExposed(input.pond!, token);
         await this.requirePage(user, input.pond!, input.page!, 'read');
-        return asJson(await this.publicApi.getPage(user, input.pond!, input.page!));
+        // The shared getPage also records the read-trail event (#222) —
+        // MCP reads of classified pages are covered by the same emission.
+        return asJson(await this.publicApi.getPage(user, token, input.pond!, input.page!));
 
       case 'search': {
         if (input.pond) await this.assertPondExposed(input.pond, token);
diff --git a/apps/api/src/pages/pages.controller.ts b/apps/api/src/pages/pages.controller.ts
index c3d2196..e475256 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/pages/pages.controller.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/pages/pages.controller.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import {
   RequiresPagePermission,
   RequiresPondRole,
 } from '../permissions/permission.decorators';
+import { readActorOf } from '../read-trail/read-actor';
 import { PagesService } from './pages.service';
 
 /** Page CRUD and Yjs state persistence (issue #23; permission guard since #52). */
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ export class PagesController {
   @Get('pages/:id')
   @RequiresPagePermission('read', { idParam: 'id' })
   async getState(@Param('id') id: string, @Req() request: AuthedRequest): Promise<PageStateView> {
-    return this.pages.getState(request.user!, id);
+    return this.pages.getState(request.user!, id, readActorOf(request));
   }
 
   /** Toggles one task-list checkbox (issue #153). Applied asynchronously
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@ export class PagesController {
     @Param('id') id: string,
     @Req() request: AuthedRequest,
   ): Promise<CollabTokenResponse> {
-    return this.pages.issueCollabToken(request.user ?? null, id);
+    return this.pages.issueCollabToken(request.user ?? null, id, readActorOf(request));
   }
 
   /** Markdown export (issue #30) — downloads `<slug>.md`. */
@@ -117,7 +118,11 @@ export class PagesController {
     @Req() request: AuthedRequest,
     @Res({ passthrough: true }) response: Response,
   ): Promise<string> {
-    const { slug, markdown } = await this.pages.exportMarkdown(request.user!, id);
+    const { slug, markdown } = await this.pages.exportMarkdown(
+      request.user!,
+      id,
+      readActorOf(request),
+    );
     response.set('Content-Type', 'text/markdown; charset=utf-8');
     response.set('Content-Disposition', `attachment; filename="${slug}.md"`);
     return markdown;
@@ -133,7 +138,7 @@ export class PagesController {
     @Param('slug') slug: string,
     @Req() request: AuthedRequest,
   ): Promise<PageStateView> {
-    return this.pages.getStateBySlug(request.user!, pondId, slug);
+    return this.pages.getStateBySlug(request.user!, pondId, slug, readActorOf(request));
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/apps/api/src/pages/pages.service.ts b/apps/api/src/pages/pages.service.ts
index 2e77f6e..adc42d9 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/pages/pages.service.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/pages/pages.service.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ import { AuditService } from '../audit/audit.service';
 import { AppConfig } from '../config/app-config.service';
 import { PermissionService } from '../permissions/permission.service';
 import { PrismaService } from '../prisma/prisma.service';
+import {
+  ReadTrailService,
+  type ReadActor,
+  type ReadChannel,
+} from '../read-trail/read-trail.service';
 import { InstanceSettingsService } from '../settings/instance-settings.service';
 import { WatchesService } from '../watches/watches.service';
 import { SearchProvider } from '../search/search.provider';
@@ -80,10 +85,29 @@ export class PagesService {
     private readonly watches: WatchesService,
     private readonly settings: InstanceSettingsService,
     private readonly audit: AuditService,
+    private readonly readTrail: ReadTrailService,
   ) {
     this.logger.setContext(PagesService.name);
   }
 
+  /** Records the read-trail event for a classified page (issue #222) — a
+   * no-op for unclassified pages, a hard failure when recording fails. */
+  private async recordRead(
+    page: Pick<Page, 'id' | 'pondId' | 'classification'>,
+    read: ReadActor,
+    channel: ReadChannel,
+    details?: Record<string, unknown>,
+  ): Promise<void> {
+    if (page.classification !== 'VS_NFD') return;
+    await this.readTrail.record({
+      ...read,
+      pageId: page.id,
+      pondId: page.pondId,
+      channel,
+      details,
+    });
+  }
+
   viewOf(page: Page): PageView {
     return {
       id: page.id,
@@ -400,8 +424,9 @@ export class PagesService {
         AND from_page_id IN (SELECT id FROM pages WHERE pond_id = ${pondId})`;
   }
 
-  async getState(_user: User, id: string): Promise<PageStateView> {
+  async getState(_user: User, id: string, read: ReadActor): Promise<PageStateView> {
     const page = await this.findLivePage(id);
+    await this.recordRead(page, read, 'page_view');
     return this.stateViewOf(page);
   }
 
@@ -415,12 +440,21 @@ export class PagesService {
    * guard has already granted read access via a `public` grant, so they receive
    * an `ro` token with a `null` subject.
    */
-  async issueCollabToken(user: User | null, id: string): Promise<CollabTokenResponse> {
+  async issueCollabToken(
+    user: User | null,
+    id: string,
+    read: ReadActor,
+  ): Promise<CollabTokenResponse> {
     const page = await this.findLivePage(id);
 
     const canWrite = await this.permissions.canAccessPage(user, page, 'write');
     const mode = canWrite ? 'rw' : 'ro';
     const userId = user?.id ?? null;
+    // Token issuance is the api-side proxy for the collab WS join (ADR 0023):
+    // the collab server has no permission context, and the 60 s token TTL
+    // makes a live session re-request one per minute — per-minute granularity
+    // the dedup window (#223) then collapses.
+    await this.recordRead(page, read, 'collab_join', { mode });
     const token = await signCollabToken(
       { userId, pageId: page.id, mode },
       this.config.env.COLLAB_TOKEN_SECRET,
@@ -432,9 +466,15 @@ export class PagesService {
   }
 
   /** The trashed-page hint for editors (issue #31) moved into the guard. */
-  async getStateBySlug(_user: User, pondId: string, slug: string): Promise<PageStateView> {
+  async getStateBySlug(
+    _user: User,
+    pondId: string,
+    slug: string,
+    read: ReadActor,
+  ): Promise<PageStateView> {
     const page = await this.prisma.page.findFirst({ where: { pondId, slug, deletedAt: null } });
     if (!page) throw new NotFoundException();
+    await this.recordRead(page, read, 'page_view');
     return this.stateViewOf(page);
   }
 
@@ -648,8 +688,16 @@ export class PagesService {
    * `page_content_cache.markdown` (refreshed on every state save, #23)
    * rather than re-decoding the Yjs state, so export always matches what
    * the app itself considers the page's current Markdown representation. */
-  async exportMarkdown(_user: User, id: string): Promise<{ slug: string; markdown: string }> {
+  async exportMarkdown(
+    _user: User,
+    id: string,
+    read: ReadActor,
+    // The plugin content route reuses this markdown path but is a page view
+    // in the trail's terms (issue #222), not a download.
+    channel: ReadChannel = 'export',
+  ): Promise<{ slug: string; markdown: string }> {
     const page = await this.findLivePage(id);
+    await this.recordRead(page, read, channel);
     const cache = await this.prisma.pageContentCache.findUnique({ where: { pageId: page.id } });
     return { slug: page.slug, markdown: cache?.markdown ?? '' };
   }
diff --git a/apps/api/src/pages/plugin-api.controller.ts b/apps/api/src/pages/plugin-api.controller.ts
index 7a8a476..dedb355 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/pages/plugin-api.controller.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/pages/plugin-api.controller.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import type { PluginPageContent, PluginPageMeta, PluginPageSummary } from '@dorf
 
 import { AuthedRequest } from '../auth/auth.guard';
 import { RequiresPagePermission, RequiresPondRole } from '../permissions/permission.decorators';
+import { readActorOf } from '../read-trail/read-actor';
 
 import { PagesService } from './pages.service';
 
@@ -45,7 +46,12 @@ export class PluginApiController {
     @Param('pageId') pageId: string,
     @Req() request: AuthedRequest,
   ): Promise<PluginPageContent> {
-    const { markdown } = await this.pages.exportMarkdown(request.user!, pageId);
+    const { markdown } = await this.pages.exportMarkdown(
+      request.user!,
+      pageId,
+      readActorOf(request),
+      'page_view',
+    );
     return { markdown };
   }
 
diff --git a/apps/api/src/public-api/public-api.controller.ts b/apps/api/src/public-api/public-api.controller.ts
index 200be74..73fdeb2 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/public-api/public-api.controller.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/public-api/public-api.controller.ts
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ export class PublicApiController {
     @Param('pageSlug') pageSlug: string,
     @Req() request: PublicApiRequest,
   ): Promise<PublicPageView> {
-    return this.publicApi.getPage(request.user!, pondSlug, pageSlug);
+    return this.publicApi.getPage(request.user!, request.apiToken!, pondSlug, pageSlug);
   }
 
   @Patch('ponds/:pondSlug/pages/:pageSlug')
@@ -169,7 +169,10 @@ export class PublicApiController {
     @Res() res: Response,
   ): Promise<void> {
     const pond = await this.publicApi.requirePond(pondSlug);
-    await this.exports.streamPondMarkdownZip(request.user!, pond.id, res);
+    await this.exports.streamPondMarkdownZip(request.user!, pond.id, res, {
+      actorId: request.user!.id,
+      sessionKey: `token:${request.apiToken!.id}`,
+    });
   }
 
   @Get('ponds/:pondSlug/labels')
diff --git a/apps/api/src/public-api/public-api.service.ts b/apps/api/src/public-api/public-api.service.ts
index 03dff78..a64c993 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/public-api/public-api.service.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/public-api/public-api.service.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ import { PagesService } from '../pages/pages.service';
 import { PermissionService } from '../permissions/permission.service';
 import { PondsService } from '../ponds/ponds.service';
 import { PrismaService } from '../prisma/prisma.service';
+import { ReadTrailService } from '../read-trail/read-trail.service';
 import { SearchProvider } from '../search/search.provider';
 import { VersionsService } from '../versions/versions.service';
 import { ApiTokensService } from './api-tokens.service';
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ export class PublicApiService {
     private readonly tokens: ApiTokensService,
     private readonly audit: AuditService,
     private readonly permissions: PermissionService,
+    private readonly readTrail: ReadTrailService,
   ) {}
 
   async me(user: User, token: ApiToken): Promise<PublicMeView> {
@@ -119,8 +121,24 @@ export class PublicApiService {
     }));
   }
 
-  async getPage(user: User, pondSlug: string, pageSlug: string): Promise<PublicPageView> {
+  async getPage(
+    user: User,
+    token: ApiToken,
+    pondSlug: string,
+    pageSlug: string,
+  ): Promise<PublicPageView> {
     const page = await this.requirePage(pondSlug, pageSlug);
+    // Read trail (issue #222): the PAT is the session in this channel's
+    // terms — `token:<id>` keys the dedup window (#223).
+    if (page.classification === 'VS_NFD') {
+      await this.readTrail.record({
+        actorId: user.id,
+        sessionKey: `token:${token.id}`,
+        pageId: page.id,
+        pondId: page.pondId,
+        channel: 'public_api',
+      });
+    }
     const [cache, pageLabels, labelNames, parent] = await Promise.all([
       this.prisma.pageContentCache.findUnique({ where: { pageId: page.id } }),
       this.prisma.pageLabel.findMany({ where: { pageId: page.id }, select: { labelId: true } }),
@@ -154,7 +172,8 @@ export class PublicApiService {
     const state = this.stateFromMarkdown(input.markdown);
     const page = await this.pages.createWithState(user, pond.id, input.title, state, parentId);
     await this.auditWrite(user, token, 'page_created', page.id);
-    return this.getPage(user, pondSlug, page.slug);
+    // The write echo returns the full page — getPage records the read (#222).
+    return this.getPage(user, token, pondSlug, page.slug);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -186,7 +205,7 @@ export class PublicApiService {
       await this.pages.moveToEnd(user, page.id, parentId);
     }
     await this.auditWrite(user, token, 'page_updated', page.id);
-    return this.getPage(user, pondSlug, page.slug);
+    return this.getPage(user, token, pondSlug, page.slug);
   }
 
   async deletePage(user: User, token: ApiToken, pondSlug: string, pageSlug: string): Promise<void> {
diff --git a/apps/api/src/public/public.controller.ts b/apps/api/src/public/public.controller.ts
index b722b33..d88bc30 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/public/public.controller.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/public/public.controller.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import type { PageCommentsView } from '@dorfteich/shared';
 import type { Response } from 'express';
 
 import { AuthedRequest, Public } from '../auth/auth.guard';
+import { readActorOf } from '../read-trail/read-actor';
 import { InstanceSettingsService } from '../settings/instance-settings.service';
 import { FeedService } from './feed.service';
 import { PublicPageContent, PublicService } from './public.service';
@@ -66,7 +67,10 @@ export class PublicController {
     @Param('pageSlug') pageSlug: string,
     @Req() request: AuthedRequest,
   ): Promise<PublicPageContent> {
-    return this.publicPages.content(request.user ?? null, pondSlug, pageSlug);
+    return this.publicPages.content(request.user ?? null, pondSlug, pageSlug, {
+      actor: readActorOf(request),
+      channel: 'page_view',
+    });
   }
 
   @Get(':pondSlug/:pageSlug/comments')
@@ -88,7 +92,13 @@ export class PublicController {
     @Res({ passthrough: true }) response: Response,
   ): Promise<string> {
     const canonical = `${request.protocol}://${request.get('host') ?? ''}${request.originalUrl}`;
-    const html = await this.publicPages.html(request.user ?? null, pondSlug, pageSlug, canonical);
+    const html = await this.publicPages.html(
+      request.user ?? null,
+      pondSlug,
+      pageSlug,
+      canonical,
+      readActorOf(request),
+    );
     response.set('Content-Type', 'text/html; charset=utf-8');
     return html;
   }
diff --git a/apps/api/src/public/public.service.ts b/apps/api/src/public/public.service.ts
index ca1d35c..93f3396 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/public/public.service.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/public/public.service.ts
@@ -8,9 +8,18 @@ import { TasksService } from '../pages/tasks.service';
 import { PermissionService } from '../permissions/permission.service';
 import { PluginFallbackRenderer } from '../plugins/plugin-fallback-renderer';
 import { PrismaService } from '../prisma/prisma.service';
+import { ReadTrailService, type ReadActor } from '../read-trail/read-trail.service';
 import { InstanceSettingsService } from '../settings/instance-settings.service';
 import { escapeHtml, htmlDocument } from './html-shell';
 
+/** Who is reading and through which surface (issue #222, ADR 0023) — the
+ * controllers resolve this once; `content` and the embed expansion record
+ * classified pages under it. */
+export interface ReadContext {
+  actor: ReadActor;
+  channel: 'page_view' | 'no_js_shell';
+}
+
 /** The JSON the SPA renders for an anonymous (or any) reader of a public page. */
 export interface PublicPageContent {
   pondName: string;
@@ -53,6 +62,7 @@ export class PublicService {
     private readonly settings: InstanceSettingsService,
     private readonly commentsService: CommentsService,
     private readonly tasks: TasksService,
+    private readonly readTrail: ReadTrailService,
   ) {}
 
   private async resolve(
@@ -74,8 +84,24 @@ export class PublicService {
   }
 
   /** The page content for the read view (public and authenticated, issue #56). */
-  async content(user: User | null, pondSlug: string, pageSlug: string): Promise<PublicPageContent> {
+  async content(
+    user: User | null,
+    pondSlug: string,
+    pageSlug: string,
+    read: ReadContext,
+  ): Promise<PublicPageContent> {
     const { pond, page } = await this.resolve(user, pondSlug, pageSlug);
+    // Read trail (issue #222): a classified page leaving through this surface
+    // is recorded before any content is assembled — a failed write aborts
+    // the read (ADR 0023, deliberate contrast to AuditService).
+    if (page.classification === 'VS_NFD') {
+      await this.readTrail.record({
+        ...read.actor,
+        pageId: page.id,
+        pondId: pond.id,
+        channel: read.channel,
+      });
+    }
     const cache = await this.prisma.pageContentCache.findUnique({ where: { pageId: page.id } });
     // The pond's active section-style CSS travels inline — the read view loads
     // no plugin runtime, and the CSS passed the install gate's scoping rules.
@@ -83,7 +109,7 @@ export class PublicService {
     // Plugin blocks render their static form (#79) and page embeds expand to the
     // target's rendered HTML (#135), then media is resolved once over the whole
     // tree. `visited` seeds with this page so an embed of self is not expanded.
-    const body = await this.renderBody(user, pond.id, page, 0, new Set([page.slug]));
+    const body = await this.renderBody(user, pond.id, page, 0, new Set([page.slug]), read);
     return {
       pondName: pond.name,
       pondSlug: pond.slug,
@@ -109,11 +135,12 @@ export class PublicService {
     page: { id: string },
     depth: number,
     visited: Set<string>,
+    read: ReadContext,
   ): Promise<string> {
     const cache = await this.prisma.pageContentCache.findUnique({ where: { pageId: page.id } });
     const withFallbacks = await this.fallbacks.applyToHtml(cache?.html ?? '');
     const withTasks = await this.expandTaskOverviews(withFallbacks, user, pondId, page.id);
-    return this.expandEmbeds(withTasks, user, pondId, depth, visited);
+    return this.expandEmbeds(withTasks, user, pondId, depth, visited, read);
   }
 
   /** Replaces each task-overview placeholder (issue #154) with the static,
@@ -143,6 +170,7 @@ export class PublicService {
     pondId: string,
     depth: number,
     visited: Set<string>,
+    read: ReadContext,
   ): Promise<string> {
     const placeholder =
       /<div class="dt-transclusion" data-transclusion="([^"]+)"( data-transclusion-bare="1")?>[^<]*<\/div>/g;
@@ -151,18 +179,31 @@ export class PublicService {
       const bare = Boolean(bareAttr);
       const target = await this.prisma.page.findFirst({
         where: { pondId, slug, deletedAt: null },
-        select: { id: true, pondId: true, slug: true, title: true },
+        select: { id: true, pondId: true, slug: true, title: true, classification: true },
       });
       const readable = target && (await this.permissions.canAccessPage(user, target, 'read'));
       if (!target || !readable || depth >= PublicService.MAX_EMBED_DEPTH || visited.has(slug)) {
         return embedLink(slug, target?.title ?? slug);
       }
+      // An expanded embed shows the target's FULL content, so a classified
+      // target is a read of that page too (issue #222) — recorded under the
+      // host's channel. The degraded link above shows no content: no event.
+      if (target.classification === 'VS_NFD') {
+        await this.readTrail.record({
+          ...read.actor,
+          pageId: target.id,
+          pondId,
+          channel: read.channel,
+          details: { embedded: true },
+        });
+      }
       const inner = await this.renderBody(
         user,
         pondId,
         target,
         depth + 1,
         new Set(visited).add(slug),
+        read,
       );
       // A bare embed (`$[[…]]`, #146) reads as part of the host page: no
       // frame, no title — just the expanded content.
@@ -193,8 +234,13 @@ export class PublicService {
     pondSlug: string,
     pageSlug: string,
     canonical: string,
+    actor: ReadActor,
   ): Promise<string> {
-    const content = await this.content(user, pondSlug, pageSlug);
+    // `content` records the read-trail event (#222) under the shell's channel.
+    const content = await this.content(user, pondSlug, pageSlug, {
+      actor,
+      channel: 'no_js_shell',
+    });
     // The VS-NfD marking renders in the same places as the SPA — above and
     // below the content (issue #211, ADR 0022). The no-JS shell is its own
     // render path, so it carries its own banner markup; unclassified pages
diff --git a/apps/api/src/public/read-content.controller.ts b/apps/api/src/public/read-content.controller.ts
index 227645a..f80ab36 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/public/read-content.controller.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/public/read-content.controller.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import type { TaskOverviewPage } from '@dorfteich/shared';
 import { AuthedRequest } from '../auth/auth.guard';
 import { TasksService } from '../pages/tasks.service';
 import { AuthenticatedOnly } from '../permissions/permission.decorators';
+import { readActorOf } from '../read-trail/read-actor';
 import { PublicPageContent, PublicService } from './public.service';
 
 /**
@@ -43,6 +44,9 @@ export class ReadContentController {
     @Param('pageSlug') pageSlug: string,
     @Req() request: AuthedRequest,
   ): Promise<PublicPageContent> {
-    return this.publicPages.content(request.user ?? null, pondSlug, pageSlug);
+    return this.publicPages.content(request.user ?? null, pondSlug, pageSlug, {
+      actor: readActorOf(request),
+      channel: 'page_view',
+    });
   }
 }
diff --git a/apps/api/src/read-trail/read-actor.ts b/apps/api/src/read-trail/read-actor.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b832ca9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/src/read-trail/read-actor.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import type { ReadActor } from './read-trail.service';
+
+/**
+ * Resolves the {@link ReadActor} of a cookie-session request (issue #222).
+ * Structural parameter instead of `AuthedRequest` so the read-trail module
+ * never imports the auth guard. PAT requests build their key directly
+ * (`token:<id>`, public-api controller).
+ */
+export function readActorOf(request: {
+  user?: { id: string } | null;
+  sessionId?: string;
+}): ReadActor {
+  return {
+    actorId: request.user?.id ?? null,
+    sessionKey: request.sessionId ? `session:${request.sessionId}` : 'anon',
+  };
+}
diff --git a/apps/api/src/read-trail/read-trail.e2e.db.test.ts b/apps/api/src/read-trail/read-trail.e2e.db.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b9def60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/src/read-trail/read-trail.e2e.db.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,330 @@
+import { INestApplication } from '@nestjs/common';
+import { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client';
+import request from 'supertest';
+import { afterAll, afterEach, beforeAll, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+
+import { PrismaService } from '../prisma/prisma.service';
+import { InstanceSettingsService } from '../settings/instance-settings.service';
+import { createTestApp, sessionCookieOf } from '../testing/test-app';
+import { createTestPrisma, grantOwnerAdmin, hasTestDb, uniqueSuffix } from '../testing/test-db';
+import { UsersService } from '../users/users.service';
+
+const PNG_SIGNATURE = Buffer.from([0x89, 0x50, 0x4e, 0x47, 0x0d, 0x0a, 0x1a, 0x0a]);
+
+/**
+ * The read-access trail (issue #222, ADR 0023): every read channel emits one
+ * `read_events` row for a `VS_NFD` page and none for an unclassified one —
+ * per channel, both directions. Plus the deliberate failure semantics: a
+ * failed trail write aborts the read (hard failure, the documented contrast
+ * to AuditService's swallow-and-log).
+ */
+describe.skipIf(!hasTestDb)('read-access trail (e2e, issue #222)', () => {
+  let app: INestApplication;
+  let prisma: PrismaClient;
+  const suffix = uniqueSuffix();
+  const password = 'lesetrail zeugen 123';
+
+  let ownerId: string;
+  let ownerCookie: string;
+  let pondId: string;
+  let pondSlug: string;
+  let classifiedId: string;
+  let classifiedSlug: string;
+  let openId: string;
+  let openSlug: string;
+  let hostSlug: string;
+
+  const api = () => request(app.getHttpServer());
+
+  const eventsFor = (pageId: string) =>
+    prisma.readEvent.findMany({ where: { pageId }, orderBy: { occurredAt: 'asc' } });
+
+  async function makePage(
+    slug: string,
+    title: string,
+    html: string,
+    classification: 'UNCLASSIFIED' | 'VS_NFD',
+  ) {
+    return prisma.page.create({
+      data: {
+        pondId,
+        slug,
+        title,
+        classification,
+        createdBy: ownerId,
+        sortKey: 'a0',
+        ydocState: new Uint8Array(),
+        contentCache: { create: { plainText: title, markdown: `# ${title}`, html, outline: [] } },
+      },
+    });
+  }
+
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    prisma = createTestPrisma();
+    await prisma.rateLimit.deleteMany({});
+    app = await createTestApp();
+    const users = app.get(UsersService);
+
+    const owner = await users.createUser({
+      username: `trail-owner-${suffix}`,
+      email: `trail-owner-${suffix}@example.test`,
+      displayName: 'Trail Owner',
+      password,
+      locale: 'en',
+    });
+    await users.markEmailVerified(owner.id);
+    ownerId = owner.id;
+    ownerCookie = sessionCookieOf(
+      await api()
+        .post('/api/v1/auth/login')
+        .send({ usernameOrEmail: `trail-owner-${suffix}`, password })
+        .expect(200),
+    );
+
+    pondSlug = `trail-pond-${suffix}`;
+    const pond = await prisma.pond.create({
+      data: { slug: pondSlug, name: 'Trail Pond', type: 'SHARED', ownerId },
+    });
+    pondId = pond.id;
+    // Grants land as rows BEFORE any permission query touches this pond, so
+    // the per-pond cache first fills with them present.
+    await grantOwnerAdmin(prisma, pondId, ownerId);
+    await prisma.roleGrant.create({
+      data: {
+        pondId,
+        subjectType: 'PUBLIC',
+        subjectId: null,
+        role: 'READER',
+        scopeType: 'POND',
+        scopeId: null,
+        effect: 'ALLOW',
+        createdBy: ownerId,
+      },
+    });
+
+    classifiedSlug = `classified-${suffix}`;
+    const classified = await makePage(
+      classifiedSlug,
+      'Classified Note',
+      '<p>Restricted content.</p>',
+      'VS_NFD',
+    );
+    classifiedId = classified.id;
+
+    openSlug = `open-${suffix}`;
+    const open = await makePage(openSlug, 'Open Note', '<p>Open content.</p>', 'UNCLASSIFIED');
+    openId = open.id;
+
+    // An unclassified host page that transcludes the classified page — the
+    // expanded embed shows the target's full content (#222).
+    hostSlug = `host-${suffix}`;
+    await makePage(
+      hostSlug,
+      'Host Page',
+      `<p>Intro.</p><div class="dt-transclusion" data-transclusion="${classifiedSlug}">${classifiedSlug}</div>`,
+      'UNCLASSIFIED',
+    );
+  });
+
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await prisma.readEvent.deleteMany({ where: { pondId } });
+  });
+
+  afterAll(async () => {
+    await prisma.instanceSetting.deleteMany({ where: { key: 'api.enabled' } });
+    await prisma.readEvent.deleteMany({ where: { pondId } });
+    await prisma.conversionJob.deleteMany({ where: { ownerId } });
+    await prisma.apiToken.deleteMany({ where: { userId: ownerId } });
+    await prisma.attachment.deleteMany({ where: { pondId } });
+    await prisma.roleGrant.deleteMany({ where: { pondId } });
+    await prisma.pageContentCache.deleteMany({ where: { page: { pondId } } });
+    await prisma.page.deleteMany({ where: { pondId } });
+    await prisma.pond.deleteMany({ where: { id: pondId } });
+    await prisma.user.deleteMany({ where: { id: ownerId } });
+    await prisma.$disconnect();
+    await app.close();
+  });
+
+  it('records the SPA state fetch (page_view) with actor and session key — and nothing for unclassified', async () => {
+    await api().get(`/api/v1/pages/${classifiedId}`).set('Cookie', ownerCookie).expect(200);
+    const events = await eventsFor(classifiedId);
+    expect(events).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(events[0]!).toMatchObject({
+      channel: 'page_view',
+      actorId: ownerId,
+      pondId,
+      classification: 'vs_nfd',
+    });
+    expect(events[0]!.sessionKey).toMatch(/^session:/);
+
+    await api().get(`/api/v1/pages/${openId}`).set('Cookie', ownerCookie).expect(200);
+    expect(await eventsFor(openId)).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it('records the authenticated read rendering (/read) as page_view', async () => {
+    await api()
+      .get(`/api/v1/read/${pondSlug}/${classifiedSlug}`)
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .expect(200);
+    const events = await eventsFor(classifiedId);
+    expect(events).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(events[0]!.channel).toBe('page_view');
+
+    await api().get(`/api/v1/read/${pondSlug}/${openSlug}`).set('Cookie', ownerCookie).expect(200);
+    expect(await eventsFor(openId)).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it('records the anonymous public JSON read with the documented anon marker', async () => {
+    await api().get(`/api/v1/public/${pondSlug}/${classifiedSlug}/content`).expect(200);
+    const events = await eventsFor(classifiedId);
+    expect(events).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(events[0]!).toMatchObject({ channel: 'page_view', actorId: null, sessionKey: 'anon' });
+
+    await api().get(`/api/v1/public/${pondSlug}/${openSlug}/content`).expect(200);
+    expect(await eventsFor(openId)).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it('records the no-JS shell under its own channel', async () => {
+    await api().get(`/api/v1/public/${pondSlug}/${classifiedSlug}`).expect(200);
+    const events = await eventsFor(classifiedId);
+    expect(events).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(events[0]!.channel).toBe('no_js_shell');
+
+    await api().get(`/api/v1/public/${pondSlug}/${openSlug}`).expect(200);
+    expect(await eventsFor(openId)).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it('records an expanded embed of a classified page inside an unclassified host', async () => {
+    const res = await api()
+      .get(`/api/v1/read/${pondSlug}/${hostSlug}`)
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .expect(200);
+    expect(res.body.html).toContain('Restricted content.');
+    const events = await eventsFor(classifiedId);
+    expect(events).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(events[0]!).toMatchObject({ channel: 'page_view', details: { embedded: true } });
+  });
+
+  it('records collab-token issuance (collab_join) with the granted mode', async () => {
+    await api()
+      .get(`/api/v1/pages/${classifiedId}/collab-token`)
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .expect(200);
+    const events = await eventsFor(classifiedId);
+    expect(events).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(events[0]!).toMatchObject({ channel: 'collab_join', details: { mode: 'rw' } });
+
+    await api().get(`/api/v1/pages/${openId}/collab-token`).set('Cookie', ownerCookie).expect(200);
+    expect(await eventsFor(openId)).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it('records the single-page markdown download and the queued document export', async () => {
+    await api()
+      .get(`/api/v1/pages/${classifiedId}/export/markdown`)
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .expect(200);
+    let events = await eventsFor(classifiedId);
+    expect(events).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(events[0]!.channel).toBe('export');
+
+    await prisma.readEvent.deleteMany({ where: { pondId } });
+    await api()
+      .post(`/api/v1/pages/${classifiedId}/export`)
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .send({ format: 'docx' })
+      .expect(201);
+    events = await eventsFor(classifiedId);
+    expect(events).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(events[0]!).toMatchObject({ channel: 'export', details: { format: 'docx' } });
+
+    await api()
+      .get(`/api/v1/pages/${openId}/export/markdown`)
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .expect(200);
+    await api()
+      .post(`/api/v1/pages/${openId}/export`)
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .send({ format: 'docx' })
+      .expect(201);
+    expect(await eventsFor(openId)).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it('records one event per classified page in a pond ZIP export — none for the unclassified ones', async () => {
+    await api()
+      .get(`/api/v1/ponds/${pondId}/export/markdown`)
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .expect(200);
+    const events = await eventsFor(classifiedId);
+    expect(events).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(events[0]!).toMatchObject({ channel: 'export', details: { format: 'markdown_zip' } });
+    expect(await eventsFor(openId)).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it('records a download of an attachment whose effective classification is vs_nfd', async () => {
+    const classifiedUpload = await api()
+      .post(`/api/v1/pages/${classifiedId}/files`)
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .attach('file', Buffer.concat([PNG_SIGNATURE, Buffer.from('classified bytes')]), 'c.png')
+      .expect(201);
+    await prisma.readEvent.deleteMany({ where: { pondId } });
+
+    await api()
+      .get(`/api/v1/media/${classifiedUpload.body.id}`)
+      .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+      .expect(200);
+    const events = await prisma.readEvent.findMany({ where: { pondId, channel: 'attachment' } });
+    expect(events).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(events[0]!).toMatchObject({
+      pageId: classifiedId,
+      details: { attachmentId: classifiedUpload.body.id },
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('records a public-api page read under the token session key', async () => {
+    await app.get(InstanceSettingsService).set('api.enabled', true, ownerId);
+    try {
+      await api()
+        .patch(`/api/v1/ponds/${pondId}`)
+        .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+        .send({ apiEnabled: true })
+        .expect(200);
+      const minted = await api()
+        .post('/api/v1/users/me/api-tokens')
+        .set('Cookie', ownerCookie)
+        .send({ name: `trail-${suffix}`, scope: 'read' })
+        .expect(201);
+
+      await api()
+        .get(`/api/public/v1/ponds/${pondSlug}/pages/${classifiedSlug}`)
+        .set('Authorization', `Bearer ${minted.body.token}`)
+        .expect(200);
+      const events = await eventsFor(classifiedId);
+      expect(events).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(events[0]!.channel).toBe('public_api');
+      expect(events[0]!.sessionKey).toMatch(/^token:/);
+
+      await api()
+        .get(`/api/public/v1/ponds/${pondSlug}/pages/${openSlug}`)
+        .set('Authorization', `Bearer ${minted.body.token}`)
+        .expect(200);
+      expect(await eventsFor(openId)).toHaveLength(0);
+    } finally {
+      await prisma.instanceSetting.deleteMany({ where: { key: 'api.enabled' } });
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('fails the read hard when the trail cannot be written (ADR 0023 — no silent gap)', async () => {
+    const appPrisma = app.get(PrismaService);
+    const create = vi
+      .spyOn(appPrisma.readEvent, 'create')
+      .mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('trail unavailable'));
+    try {
+      await api().get(`/api/v1/pages/${classifiedId}`).set('Cookie', ownerCookie).expect(500);
+      // The unclassified read never touches the trail and stays unaffected.
+      await api().get(`/api/v1/pages/${openId}`).set('Cookie', ownerCookie).expect(200);
+    } finally {
+      create.mockRestore();
+    }
+    expect(await eventsFor(classifiedId)).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/api/src/read-trail/read-trail.module.ts b/apps/api/src/read-trail/read-trail.module.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..85520d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/src/read-trail/read-trail.module.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import { Global, Module } from '@nestjs/common';
+
+import { ReadTrailService } from './read-trail.service';
+
+/**
+ * Global like AuditModule and for the same reason: the read-access trail
+ * (issue #222, ADR 0023) cuts across every module that serves page content —
+ * pages, public, public-api, files, import-export.
+ */
+@Global()
+@Module({
+  providers: [ReadTrailService],
+  exports: [ReadTrailService],
+})
+export class ReadTrailModule {}
diff --git a/apps/api/src/read-trail/read-trail.service.ts b/apps/api/src/read-trail/read-trail.service.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1189145
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/src/read-trail/read-trail.service.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+import { Injectable } from '@nestjs/common';
+import { Prisma } from '@prisma/client';
+import { PinoLogger } from 'nestjs-pino';
+
+import { PrismaService } from '../prisma/prisma.service';
+
+/**
+ * Every read surface classified content can leave through (issue #222,
+ * ADR 0023). The trail is worthless unless ALL of them are instrumented, so
+ * the union is the checklist: adding a read surface means adding a channel
+ * here and wiring the emission — `docs/architecture/security.md` §Logging
+ * carries the documented list.
+ */
+export const READ_CHANNELS = [
+  /** Authenticated SPA state fetch and rendered read view, plus the public
+   * JSON content route the SPA's anonymous read view uses. */
+  'page_view',
+  /** The server-rendered `/public/:pond/:page` HTML document. */
+  'no_js_shell',
+  /** `GET /api/public/v1/.../pages/:slug` (PAT-authenticated). */
+  'public_api',
+  /** `GET /media/:fileId` for an attachment whose effective classification
+   * is `vs_nfd` (#212 semantics: page level, or pond max when page-less). */
+  'attachment',
+  /** Markdown download, pond ZIP (one event per classified page included),
+   * queued `.docx`/`.odt` export, and the account data export. */
+  'export',
+  /** Collab-token issuance — the api-side proxy for the collab WS join
+   * (ADR 0023): tokens live 60 s, so a live session re-requests one every
+   * minute, which gives per-minute granularity without touching the collab
+   * server (it has no permission context and never learns classifications). */
+  'collab_join',
+] as const;
+export type ReadChannel = (typeof READ_CHANNELS)[number];
+
+/** Who read: resolved once per request by the controller layer. */
+export interface ReadActor {
+  /** Account id, or null for an anonymous reader on a public grant. */
+  actorId: string | null;
+  /** `session:<id>` (cookie session), `token:<id>` (PAT), `job:<id>` (a
+   * background build such as the account data export), or the documented
+   * `anon` marker — the dedup-window key basis (#223). */
+  sessionKey: string;
+}
+
+export interface ReadEventInput extends ReadActor {
+  pageId: string | null;
+  pondId: string;
+  channel: ReadChannel;
+  /** Small structured context (export format, attachment id) — never content. */
+  details?: Record<string, unknown>;
+}
+
+/**
+ * The read-access trail for classified pages (issue #222, ADR 0023):
+ * callers record a `read_events` row whenever a `VS_NFD` page leaves the
+ * system through one of the {@link READ_CHANNELS}. Unclassified pages are
+ * never recorded (variant A — the purpose limitation depends on it).
+ *
+ * DELIBERATE contrast to `AuditService`: recording failures are NOT
+ * swallowed. A lost event is a gap in evidence, so a failed write aborts
+ * the read with the ordinary 500 — the reader retries, the evidence stays
+ * complete (decision recorded in ADR 0023 and security.md).
+ */
+@Injectable()
+export class ReadTrailService {
+  constructor(
+    private readonly prisma: PrismaService,
+    private readonly logger: PinoLogger,
+  ) {
+    this.logger.setContext(ReadTrailService.name);
+  }
+
+  async record(event: ReadEventInput): Promise<void> {
+    const { actorId, sessionKey, pageId, pondId, channel, details } = event;
+    await this.prisma.readEvent.create({
+      data: {
+        actorId,
+        sessionKey,
+        pageId,
+        pondId,
+        channel,
+        classification: 'vs_nfd',
+        details: details ? (details as Prisma.InputJsonObject) : undefined,
+      },
+    });
+    // The stdout line mirrors the row (SIEM forwarding beyond this is out of
+    // scope, #224); it fires only after the row is safely persisted.
+    this.logger.info(
+      { actor: actorId, sessionKey, pageId, pondId, channel },
+      'read_trail: classified page read',
+    );
+  }
+}
diff --git a/docs/architecture/adr/0023-read-access-audit-trail.md b/docs/architecture/adr/0023-read-access-audit-trail.md
index 8d8c7e9..38c0147 100644
--- a/docs/architecture/adr/0023-read-access-audit-trail.md
+++ b/docs/architecture/adr/0023-read-access-audit-trail.md
@@ -48,6 +48,25 @@ traffic per open document.
    left open: unbounded volume, the no-loss requirement, and a purpose
    limitation that is much harder to defend.
 
+## Decisions taken in #222
+
+- **Failure mode: hard failure.** A failed `read_events` write aborts the
+  read with the ordinary 500. The alternative (documented degradation) was
+  rejected: the reader retrying is cheap, a gap in evidence is not. This is
+  the deliberate contrast to `AuditService`, which swallows failures.
+- **Collab WS join: the api emits at token issuance.** The collab server
+  keeps zero permission/classification context; tokens live 60 s, so a live
+  session re-requests one per minute — per-minute granularity for free,
+  which the dedup window (#223) collapses. The trail therefore proves
+  "held a live connection during this window", not individual sync frames.
+- **Scope: full-content channels.** Content _fragments_ (search snippets,
+  task-overview rows, backlink titles) and the Atom feeds (off in the
+  reference configuration) are deliberately not instrumented — recorded in
+  `security.md` §Logging as a residual.
+- **Session key vocabulary:** `session:<id>` (cookie), `token:<id>` (PAT —
+  also the MCP `read_page` path), `job:<id>` (background builds such as the
+  account data export), `anon` (anonymous reader on a public grant).
+
 ## Consequences
 
 - The scope limit is the feature's strongest argument in the works-council
diff --git a/docs/architecture/security.md b/docs/architecture/security.md
index 9034697..882a16b 100644
--- a/docs/architecture/security.md
+++ b/docs/architecture/security.md
@@ -211,6 +211,37 @@ scan docker-archive:/image.tar -o cyclonedx-json` respectively
   `audit.pruned` with count and cutoff, so a gap in the trail is always
   explainable. The read-access trail (#222–#225) is deliberately not
   covered by this period — it gets its own.
+- **Read-access trail** (issue #222, ADR 0023): reads of pages with
+  `classification = vs_nfd` land as `read_events` rows — only classified
+  pages, which is what keeps the purpose limitation defensible (variant A).
+  The instrumented channels, and the emission point of each:
+  - `page_view` — authenticated SPA state fetch (`GET /pages/:id`, the
+    by-slug variant), the rendered read view (`/read/...`), the public JSON
+    content route, the plugin-API content route, and an expanded embed of a
+    classified page inside another page's rendering.
+  - `no_js_shell` — the server-rendered `/public/:pond/:page` document.
+  - `public_api` — `GET /api/public/v1/.../pages/:slug` and the MCP
+    `read_page` tool (same emission point); the write echo of the public
+    API's create/update counts as a read of the returned page.
+  - `attachment` — `GET /media/:fileId` when the attachment's effective
+    classification (#212 semantics) is `vs_nfd`.
+  - `export` — per-page markdown download, one event per classified page in
+    a pond ZIP or the account data export, and the queued
+    `.docx`/`.odt`/`.pdf` export (recorded at enqueue — the user's action;
+    the worker's conversion is machinery, not a second read).
+  - `collab_join` — collab-token issuance, the api-side proxy for the
+    collab WS join: the collab server has no permission context, and the
+    60 s token TTL yields per-minute granularity for live sessions.
+    Each event carries timestamp, actor (or the documented `anon` marker),
+    session key (`session:`/`token:`/`job:`/`anon`), page, pond, channel and
+    the classification at read time (a later reclassification never rewrites
+    history). **Failure is not silent**: a failed trail write aborts the read
+    with a 500 — the deliberate contrast to the audit trail's swallow-and-log,
+    because a lost event is a gap in evidence (ADR 0023). Deliberately NOT
+    instrumented (recorded residual): content _fragments_ — search-result
+    snippets, task-overview rows, backlink titles — and the Atom feeds
+    (disabled in the VS-NfD reference configuration, #227). Digest mails
+    carry titles only (the #231 residue).
 
 ## Privacy (GDPR)
 
diff --git a/docs/vs-nfd/20-massnahmenplan.md b/docs/vs-nfd/20-massnahmenplan.md
index 5330f4f..9d01deb 100644
--- a/docs/vs-nfd/20-massnahmenplan.md
+++ b/docs/vs-nfd/20-massnahmenplan.md
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ Gestaltungsspielraum. Zwei Varianten:
 Protokolliert werden Lesezugriffe **ausschließlich** auf Seiten mit
 `classification = VS_NFD`. Setzt P1-2 voraus.
 
-- [ ] Instrumentierung der Lesepfade: Seitenansicht, Public-API-GET,
+- [x] Instrumentierung der Lesepfade: Seitenansicht, Public-API-GET,
       Attachment-Download, Export, No-JS-Shell, Collab-WS-Join · 4 AT · #222
 - [ ] Dedup-Fenster (eine Sitzung + eine Seite innerhalb N Minuten = ein
       Ereignis), sonst erzeugt Yjs-Sync eine Ereignisflut · 2 AT · #223