diff --git a/src/events/message_create/auto-thread-channels.ts b/src/events/message_create/auto-thread-channels.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ba0ab52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/events/message_create/auto-thread-channels.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+// loosely based on https://github.com/hackclub/scrappy
+//
+import { type Message } from "discord.js";
+
+const SHIP_CHANNEL_ID = "904896819165814794";
+const CHECKPOINTS_CHANNEL_ID = "1052236377338683514";
+
+const AUTO_THREAD_CHANNELS = [SHIP_CHANNEL_ID, CHECKPOINTS_CHANNEL_ID];
+// TODO(@rayhanadev): this is honestly shitty but breaks less
+// than requiring people to add an image like Scrappy does. Look
+// into phasing this out or doing something different.
+const VALID_PROJECT_LINKS = ["https://github.com/"];
+
+const CHECKPOINT_RESPONSE_MESSAGES = [
+  "Great checkpoint! :D",
+  "Nice progress! :D",
+  "Awesome update! :D",
+  "Yay thanks for sharing! :D",
+  "Yippie!! Keep it up! :D",
+];
+
+const SHIP_RESPONSE_MESSAGES = [
+  "Congrats on shipping! :D",
+  "You shipped it! :D",
+  "That’s a wrap! :D",
+  "Yay thanks for sharing! :D",
+  "Yippie!! Great work! :D",
+  "Launched and loved! :D",
+  "Woohoo, it's live now! :D",
+  "Done and dusted! :D",
+  "High-five on the ship! :D",
+  "Boom, nice ship! :D",
+];
+
+export default async function handler(message: Message) {
+  if (message.author.bot) return;
+  if (message.channel.isDMBased()) return;
+
+  if (!AUTO_THREAD_CHANNELS.includes(message.channelId)) return;
+
+  const hasProjectLink = containsValidProjectLink(message.content);
+  const hasAttachment = message.attachments.size > 0;
+
+  if (!hasProjectLink && !hasAttachment) {
+    await message.delete();
+    return;
+  }
+
+  // NOTE: add a condition when updating AUTO_THREAD_CHANNELS
+  const type =
+    message.channelId === CHECKPOINTS_CHANNEL_ID
+      ? "checkpoint"
+      : message.channelId === SHIP_CHANNEL_ID
+        ? "ship"
+        : "something???";
+
+  // TODO(@rayhanadev): use groq to generate title?
+  const thread = await message.startThread({
+    name: `${message.author.displayName}'s ship!`,
+  });
+
+  if (message.channelId === CHECKPOINTS_CHANNEL_ID) {
+    await thread.send(
+      CHECKPOINT_RESPONSE_MESSAGES[
+        Math.floor(Math.random() * CHECKPOINT_RESPONSE_MESSAGES.length)
+      ],
+    );
+    // TODO(@rayhanadev): integrate potential scrapbook
+    // TODO(@rayhanadev): add auto-emoji behavior
+  }
+
+  if (message.channelId === SHIP_CHANNEL_ID) {
+    await message.react("🎉");
+    await message.react("✨");
+    await message.react("🚀");
+    await thread.send(
+      SHIP_RESPONSE_MESSAGES[
+        Math.floor(Math.random() * SHIP_RESPONSE_MESSAGES.length)
+      ],
+    );
+
+    // TODO(@rayhanadev): integrate potential scrapbook
+    // TODO(@rayhanadev): add auto-emoji behavior
+    // TODO(@rayhanadev): add hook for SIGHORSE
+  }
+}
+
+function containsValidProjectLink(text: string): boolean {
+  return VALID_PROJECT_LINKS.some((host) => text.includes(host));
+}
diff --git a/src/events/message_create/dashboard.ts b/src/events/message_create/dashboard.ts
index e9b5f31..ed1bd84 100644
--- a/src/events/message_create/dashboard.ts
+++ b/src/events/message_create/dashboard.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import { type Message } from "discord.js";
 import { connectToApi, sendDashboardMessage } from "../../utils/phack";
-import { env } from "../../env";
 
 const client = await connectToApi();
 
diff --git a/src/events/message_create/index.ts b/src/events/message_create/index.ts
index 7c63a15..8c0f048 100644
--- a/src/events/message_create/index.ts
+++ b/src/events/message_create/index.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,14 @@
 import { Events } from "discord.js";
 
+import autoThreadChannels from "./auto-thread-channels";
 import dashboard from "./dashboard";
 import evergreenIt from "./evergreen-it";
 import voiceMessageTranscription from "./voice-transcription";
 
 export const eventType = Events.MessageCreate;
-export { dashboard, evergreenIt, voiceMessageTranscription };
+export {
+  autoThreadChannels,
+  dashboard,
+  evergreenIt,
+  voiceMessageTranscription,
+};