diff --git a/lib/ampp-folder-placer.js b/lib/ampp-folder-placer.js
index e09ceda..f2d97ca 100644
--- a/lib/ampp-folder-placer.js
+++ b/lib/ampp-folder-placer.js
@@ -3,10 +3,11 @@
 // ================================================================
 //  AMPP Folder Placer — lib/ampp-folder-placer.js
 //
-//  placeAsset()             — original v3.5 port (filename -- parsing)
-//  placeAssetInFolderById() — direct placement by known folder ID
-//  listAmppFolders()        — fetch AMPP virtual folder tree (probes endpoints)
-//  amppRequest()            — shared low-level REST helper
+//  placeAsset()              — original v3.5 port (filename -- parsing)
+//  placeAssetInFolderById()  — direct placement by known folder ID
+//  getOrCreateFolderByPath() — hierarchy lookup + create, returns folder ID
+//  listAmppFolders()         — fetch AMPP virtual folder tree (probes endpoints)
+//  amppRequest()             — shared low-level REST helper
 // ================================================================
 
 const PREFIX_DELIM = "--";
@@ -35,54 +36,138 @@ async function amppRequest(method, baseUrl, token, apiPath, body = null) {
   return r.json();
 }
 
+// ── Get or create a folder by slash-separated path ───────────────────────────
+// e.g. "NEWS/PACKAGES" → looks up hierarchy, creates missing levels, returns ID.
+async function getOrCreateFolderByPath(baseUrl, folderPath, token) {
+  const parts = folderPath.split("/").map(s => s.trim()).filter(Boolean);
+  if (!parts.length) throw new Error("folderPath is empty");
+
+  let parentId = null;
+  let currentPath = "";
+  let expectedDepth = 0;
+
+  for (const fname of parts) {
+    currentPath = currentPath ? `${currentPath}/${fname}` : fname;
+    expectedDepth++;
+    let folderId = null;
+
+    // Try hierarchy lookup first
+    try {
+      const encoded = currentPath.split("/").map(encodeURIComponent).join("/");
+      const resp = await amppRequest("GET", baseUrl, token,
+        `api/v1/store/folder/folders/hierarchy?path=${encoded}`);
+      const hlist = resp?.["hierarchy:list"];
+      if (Array.isArray(hlist) && hlist.length === expectedDepth) {
+        const last = hlist[hlist.length - 1];
+        const candidateId = (last?.["folder:id"] ?? "").toString().trim();
+        if (candidateId) folderId = candidateId;
+      }
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.warn(`[AMPP] Hierarchy lookup for '${currentPath}': ${err.message}`);
+    }
+
+    // Create the folder if not found
+    if (!folderId) {
+      const createBody = { "name:text": fname };
+      if (parentId) createBody["parentFolders:tags"] = [parentId];
+      const fresp = await amppRequest("POST", baseUrl, token,
+        "api/v1/store/folder/folders", createBody);
+      const createdId = (fresp?.["folder:id"] ?? "").toString().trim();
+      if (!createdId) throw new Error(`Folder create response missing folder:id for '${fname}'`);
+      folderId = createdId;
+    }
+
+    parentId = folderId;
+  }
+
+  return parentId; // ID of the deepest folder
+}
+
 // ── List AMPP virtual folders ────────────────────────────────────────────────
 // Probes multiple candidate endpoints in order; uses the first that responds.
 // Returns: { folders: [{id, name, parentId, path}], endpoint }
-const FOLDER_LIST_CANDIDATES = [
-  "api/v1/store/folder/folders?limit=500",
-  "api/v1/store/folder/folders",
-  "api/v1/store/folder/folder/list",
-  "api/v1/store/folder/folders/list",
-];
-
 async function listAmppFolders(baseUrl, token) {
   let lastError = null;
 
-  for (const candidate of FOLDER_LIST_CANDIDATES) {
+  // Helper: normalise raw array of folder objects
+  function normaliseFolders(raw) {
+    if (!Array.isArray(raw)) return null;
+    const folders = raw.map((f) => ({
+      id:       (f["folder:id"]       ?? f.id         ?? "").toString().trim(),
+      name:     (f["name:text"]       ?? f.name       ?? f["folder:name"] ?? "").toString().trim(),
+      parentId: (f["parentFolder:id"] ?? f.parentId   ?? f["parent:id"]   ?? "").toString().trim(),
+      path:     (f["folder:path"]     ?? f.path       ?? "").toString().trim(),
+    })).filter(f => f.id && f.name);
+    return folders;
+  }
+
+  // 1. Try POST querypage (same pattern as the jobs API)
+  const queryPagePaths = [
+    "api/v1/store/folder/folders/querypage?skip=0&limit=500&sort=name:text&asc=true",
+    "api/v1/store/folder/folders/querypage",
+  ];
+  for (const candidate of queryPagePaths) {
     try {
-      const resp = await amppRequest("GET", baseUrl, token, candidate);
-
-      // Normalise whatever shape AMPP returns into an array
-      const raw = Array.isArray(resp)
-        ? resp
-        : resp?.["folder:list"] ?? resp?.folders ?? resp?.items ?? resp?.results ?? [];
-
-      if (!Array.isArray(raw)) {
-        console.warn(`[AMPP folders] ${candidate} returned non-array: ${typeof raw}`);
-        continue;
+      const resp = await amppRequest("POST", baseUrl, token, candidate, "{}");
+      const raw = Array.isArray(resp) ? resp
+        : (resp?.["folder:list"] ?? resp?.items ?? resp?.results ?? resp?.folders ?? []);
+      const folders = normaliseFolders(raw);
+      if (folders && folders.length > 0) {
+        console.log(`[AMPP folders] ${folders.length} folders via POST ${candidate}`);
+        return { folders, endpoint: `POST ${candidate}` };
       }
-
-      const folders = raw.map((f) => ({
-        id:       (f["folder:id"]       ?? f.id         ?? "").toString().trim(),
-        name:     (f["name:text"]       ?? f.name       ?? f["folder:name"] ?? "").toString().trim(),
-        parentId: (f["parentFolder:id"] ?? f.parentId   ?? f["parent:id"]   ?? "").toString().trim(),
-        path:     (f["folder:path"]     ?? f.path       ?? "").toString().trim(),
-      })).filter(f => f.id && f.name);
-
-      console.log(`[AMPP folders] ${folders.length} folders via ${candidate}`);
-      return { folders, endpoint: candidate };
     } catch (err) {
       lastError = err;
-      console.warn(`[AMPP folders] ${candidate} failed: ${err.message}`);
+      console.warn(`[AMPP folders] POST ${candidate} failed: ${err.message}`);
     }
   }
 
-  throw new Error(`Could not list AMPP folders — all endpoints failed. Last error: ${lastError?.message}`);
+  // 2. Try GET candidates
+  const getCandidates = [
+    "api/v1/store/folder/folders?limit=500",
+    "api/v1/store/folder/folders",
+    "api/v1/store/folder/folder/list",
+    "api/v1/store/folder/folders/list",
+  ];
+  for (const candidate of getCandidates) {
+    try {
+      const resp = await amppRequest("GET", baseUrl, token, candidate);
+      const raw = Array.isArray(resp) ? resp
+        : (resp?.["folder:list"] ?? resp?.folders ?? resp?.items ?? resp?.results ?? []);
+      const folders = normaliseFolders(raw);
+      if (folders && folders.length > 0) {
+        console.log(`[AMPP folders] ${folders.length} folders via GET ${candidate}`);
+        return { folders, endpoint: candidate };
+      }
+    } catch (err) {
+      lastError = err;
+      console.warn(`[AMPP folders] GET ${candidate} failed: ${err.message}`);
+    }
+  }
+
+  // 3. Hierarchy walk: call hierarchy with empty path to probe root-level folders
+  try {
+    const resp = await amppRequest("GET", baseUrl, token, "api/v1/store/folder/folders/hierarchy?path=");
+    const hlist = resp?.["hierarchy:list"] ?? resp?.["folder:list"];
+    if (Array.isArray(hlist) && hlist.length > 0) {
+      const folders = normaliseFolders(hlist);
+      if (folders && folders.length > 0) {
+        console.log(`[AMPP folders] ${folders.length} root folders via hierarchy walk`);
+        return { folders, endpoint: "hierarchy-root" };
+      }
+    }
+  } catch (err) {
+    lastError = err;
+    console.warn(`[AMPP folders] hierarchy root probe failed: ${err.message}`);
+  }
+
+  // All endpoints failed — caller should fall back to manual path entry
+  throw new Error(
+    `Could not list AMPP folders — no list endpoint available. ${lastError?.message ?? ""}`
+  );
 }
 
 // ── Direct placement by known folder ID ──────────────────────────────────────
-// Used by the background placement worker.  No filename parsing — we already
-// know the folder ID from what the user selected in the UI.
 async function placeAssetInFolderById(baseUrl, assetId, folderId, token) {
   if (!assetId)  throw new Error("assetId is required");
   if (!folderId) throw new Error("folderId is required");
@@ -96,7 +181,6 @@ async function placeAssetInFolderById(baseUrl, assetId, folderId, token) {
 }
 
 // ── Original v3.5 placement (filename -- parsing) ────────────────────────────
-// Kept for the manual /api/ampp/place endpoint.
 async function placeAsset(baseUrl, assetName, assetId, token) {
   if (!assetName.includes(PREFIX_DELIM)) {
     return { placed: false, folderId: null, path: "", reason: `no "${PREFIX_DELIM}" delimiter in filename` };
@@ -108,57 +192,16 @@ async function placeAsset(baseUrl, assetName, assetId, token) {
   }
 
   const folderNames = parts.slice(0, -1);
-  let parentId = null;
-  let currentPath = "";
-  let expectedDepth = 0;
+  const folderPath = folderNames.map(s => s.trim()).filter(Boolean).join("/");
 
-  for (const rawName of folderNames) {
-    const fname = rawName.trim();
-    if (!fname) continue;
+  const folderId = await getOrCreateFolderByPath(baseUrl, folderPath, token);
 
-    currentPath = currentPath ? `${currentPath}/${fname}` : fname;
-    expectedDepth++;
-    let folderId = null;
-
-    try {
-      const encoded = currentPath.split("/").map(encodeURIComponent).join("/");
-      const resp = await amppRequest("GET", baseUrl, token, `api/v1/store/folder/folders/hierarchy?path=${encoded}`);
-      if (!resp || typeof resp !== "object" || Array.isArray(resp)) throw new Error(`Hierarchy resp is not an object: ${typeof resp}`);
-      const hlist = resp["hierarchy:list"];
-      if (!Array.isArray(hlist)) throw new Error(`hierarchy:list is not an array: ${typeof hlist}`);
-      if (hlist.length === expectedDepth) {
-        const last = hlist[hlist.length - 1];
-        const candidateId = (last?.["folder:id"] ?? "").toString().trim();
-        if (candidateId) folderId = candidateId;
-      }
-    } catch (lookupEx) {
-      folderId = null;
-      console.warn(`[AMPP folder] Hierarchy lookup failed for '${currentPath}': ${lookupEx.message}`);
-    }
-
-    if (!folderId) {
-      const createBody = { "name:text": fname };
-      if (parentId) createBody["parentFolders:tags"] = [parentId];
-      try {
-        const fresp = await amppRequest("POST", baseUrl, token, "api/v1/store/folder/folders", createBody);
-        if (!fresp || typeof fresp !== "object" || Array.isArray(fresp)) throw new Error(`Folder create resp is not an object: ${typeof fresp}`);
-        const createdId = (fresp["folder:id"] ?? "").toString().trim();
-        if (!createdId) throw new Error("Folder create resp missing folder:id");
-        folderId = createdId;
-      } catch (ex) {
-        throw new Error(`Failed to create folder '${fname}' under path '${currentPath}': ${ex.message}`);
-      }
-    }
-
-    parentId = folderId;
-  }
-
-  if (parentId) {
-    const linkBody = JSON.stringify({ "folder:id": parentId, "asset:id": assetId }, null, 0);
+  if (folderId) {
+    const linkBody = JSON.stringify({ "folder:id": folderId, "asset:id": assetId }, null, 0);
     await amppRequest("POST", baseUrl, token, "api/v1/store/folder/references", linkBody);
   }
 
-  return { placed: true, folderId: parentId, path: currentPath };
+  return { placed: true, folderId, path: folderPath };
 }
 
-module.exports = { placeAsset, placeAssetInFolderById, listAmppFolders, amppRequest };
+module.exports = { placeAsset, placeAssetInFolderById, getOrCreateFolderByPath, listAmppFolders, amppRequest };