diff --git a/dashboard_publisher.py b/dashboard_publisher.py
index 263f370..496241f 100644
--- a/dashboard_publisher.py
+++ b/dashboard_publisher.py
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ duplicate-fetch dedup (providers have no in-flight dedup; Oanda has no
 throttle). Keep it sequential.
 
 Run:  python dashboard_publisher.py [--once] [--out DIR]
-Out dir precedence: --out → DASHBOARD_OUT_DIR env → /var/www/trade/gold-dashboard
+Out dir precedence: --out → DASHBOARD_OUT_DIR env → /var/www/trade
 """
 
 import argparse
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ TF_INTERVAL_MINUTES = {
     Timeframe.M5: 5, Timeframe.M15: 15, Timeframe.H1: 60, Timeframe.H4: 240,
 }
 
-DEFAULT_OUT_DIR = "/var/www/trade/gold-dashboard"
+DEFAULT_OUT_DIR = "/var/www/trade"
 SCAN_BUFFER_SECONDS = 10
 SNAPSHOT_FILE = "snapshot.json"
 NEWS_FILE = "news.json"
diff --git a/deploy/README-dashboard.md b/deploy/README-dashboard.md
index 9103a54..7107fe0 100644
--- a/deploy/README-dashboard.md
+++ b/deploy/README-dashboard.md
@@ -19,17 +19,21 @@ venv/bin/python test_all.py        # optional sanity: suite must be green
 
 No new Python dependencies are required.
 
-## 2. Create the web folder
+## 2. Make the web folder writable
 
-The portal docroot on this server is `/var/www/trade/`; the dashboard gets its
-own subfolder so its three files never mix with the portal's:
+The dashboard publishes straight into the portal docroot `/var/www/trade/`
+(owner decision 2026-08-03) — it adds exactly three files there:
+`dashboard.html`, `snapshot.json`, `news.json`. The daemon user must be able
+to write them:
 
 ```bash
-sudo mkdir -p /var/www/trade/gold-dashboard
-sudo chown Forex: /var/www/trade/gold-dashboard    # the user the daemon runs as
+# if the portal files can be owned by the daemon user:
+sudo chown Forex: /var/www/trade
+# otherwise grant write without changing ownership:
+sudo setfacl -m u:Forex:rwx /var/www/trade
 ```
 
-(Any other path works too — set it in the unit's `Environment=DASHBOARD_OUT_DIR=`
+(A different path is one edit away: the unit's `Environment=DASHBOARD_OUT_DIR=`
 line, or `--out` for one-off runs.)
 
 SELinux (RHEL/Alma/CentOS enforcing): directories under `/var/www` normally
@@ -37,18 +41,19 @@ already carry `httpd_sys_content_t`, and new files inherit the parent label, so
 no action is usually needed. If Apache 403s despite correct permissions:
 
 ```bash
-sudo restorecon -R /var/www/trade/gold-dashboard
+sudo restorecon -R /var/www/trade
 ```
 
 ## 3. Smoke-test once
 
 ```bash
 venv/bin/python dashboard_publisher.py --once
-ls /var/www/trade/gold-dashboard    # dashboard.html snapshot.json news.json
+ls /var/www/trade    # dashboard.html snapshot.json news.json added next to the portal
 ```
 
-Then open `http://<server>/gold-dashboard/dashboard.html` — all four
-timeframe cards, the calendar, and the newswire should populate.
+Then open `http://<server>/dashboard.html` (path relative to however the
+vhost maps `/var/www/trade`) — all four timeframe cards, the calendar, and
+the newswire should populate.
 
 ## 4. Install the daemon
 
@@ -71,7 +76,7 @@ The page cache-busts its JSON fetches (`?t=<epoch>`), so no Apache config is
 strictly needed. To be explicit anyway:
 
 ```apache
-<Directory "/var/www/trade/gold-dashboard">
+<Directory "/var/www/trade">
     <FilesMatch "\.json$">
         Header set Cache-Control "no-cache"
     </FilesMatch>
diff --git a/deploy/gold-dashboard.service b/deploy/gold-dashboard.service
index c2975cc..320f023 100644
--- a/deploy/gold-dashboard.service
+++ b/deploy/gold-dashboard.service
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ Type=simple
 # Adjust to the account that owns /home/Forex/ForexBot2:
 User=Forex
 WorkingDirectory=/home/Forex/ForexBot2
-Environment=DASHBOARD_OUT_DIR=/var/www/trade/gold-dashboard
+Environment=DASHBOARD_OUT_DIR=/var/www/trade
 ExecStart=/home/Forex/ForexBot2/venv/bin/python dashboard_publisher.py
 Restart=always
 RestartSec=30