feat(decisions): gate Decisions sidebar behind experimental flag (PAP-13481)

Add an `enableDecisions` instance experimental setting (default off), gate the
Decisions sidebar item on it, and move Decisions below Inbox in the sidebar.
Adds a toggle card on the Experimental settings page. Includes parity tests
for the validator default/patch, service normalization, the settings toggle,
and updates the full-object normalization assertion.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>

packages/shared/src/types/instance.ts

@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ export interface InstanceExperimentalSettings {
   enableCloudSync: boolean;
   enableExternalObjects: boolean;
   enableBuiltInAgents: boolean;
+  enableDecisions: boolean;
   enableGoalsSidebarLink: boolean;
   enableServerInfoDebugView: boolean;
   autoRestartDevServerWhenIdle: boolean;

packages/shared/src/validators/instance.test.ts

@@ -46,6 +46,22 @@ describe("instance experimental settings validators", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("defaults the decisions sidebar link off", () => {
+    const settings = instanceExperimentalSettingsSchema.parse({});
+
+    expect(settings.enableDecisions).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("accepts decisions patches", () => {
+    expect(
+      patchInstanceExperimentalSettingsSchema.parse({
+        enableDecisions: true,
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({
+      enableDecisions: true,
+    });
+  });
+
   it("accepts server info debug view patches", () => {
     expect(
       patchInstanceExperimentalSettingsSchema.parse({

packages/shared/src/validators/instance.ts

@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ export const instanceExperimentalSettingsSchema = z.object({
   enableCloudSync: z.boolean().default(false),
   enableExternalObjects: z.boolean().default(false),
   enableBuiltInAgents: z.boolean().default(false),
+  enableDecisions: z.boolean().default(false),
   enableGoalsSidebarLink: z.boolean().default(false),
   enableServerInfoDebugView: z.boolean().default(false),
   autoRestartDevServerWhenIdle: z.boolean().default(false),

server/src/__tests__/instance-settings-service.test.ts

@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ describe("instance settings service", () => {
       enableTaskWatchdogs: true,
       enableCloudSync: true,
       enableBuiltInAgents: true,
+      enableDecisions: false,
       enableGoalsSidebarLink: true,
       enableServerInfoDebugView: true,
       autoRestartDevServerWhenIdle: true,
@@ -76,6 +77,14 @@ describe("instance settings service", () => {
     ).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  it("defaults enableDecisions to false for empty and legacy stored settings", () => {
+    expect(normalizeExperimentalSettings(undefined).enableDecisions).toBe(false);
+    expect(normalizeExperimentalSettings({}).enableDecisions).toBe(false);
+    expect(
+      normalizeExperimentalSettings({ enableStreamlinedLeftNavigation: true }).enableDecisions,
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it("defaults workspace branch repair settings to true for empty and legacy stored settings", () => {
     expect(normalizeExperimentalSettings(undefined).enableWorkspaceBranchReconcileForward).toBe(true);
     expect(normalizeExperimentalSettings({}).enableWorkspaceBranchReconcileForward).toBe(true);

server/src/services/instance-settings.ts

@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ export function normalizeExperimentalSettings(raw: unknown): InstanceExperimenta
       enableCloudSync: parsed.data.enableCloudSync ?? false,
       enableExternalObjects: parsed.data.enableExternalObjects ?? false,
       enableBuiltInAgents: parsed.data.enableBuiltInAgents ?? false,
+      enableDecisions: parsed.data.enableDecisions ?? false,
       enableGoalsSidebarLink: parsed.data.enableGoalsSidebarLink ?? false,
       enableServerInfoDebugView: parsed.data.enableServerInfoDebugView ?? false,
       autoRestartDevServerWhenIdle: parsed.data.autoRestartDevServerWhenIdle ?? false,
@@ -81,6 +82,7 @@ export function normalizeExperimentalSettings(raw: unknown): InstanceExperimenta
     enableCloudSync: false,
     enableExternalObjects: false,
     enableBuiltInAgents: false,
+    enableDecisions: false,
     enableGoalsSidebarLink: false,
     enableServerInfoDebugView: false,
     autoRestartDevServerWhenIdle: false,

ui/src/components/Sidebar.tsx

@@ -89,6 +89,10 @@ export function Sidebar() {
   const showPipelines = experimentalSettings?.enablePipelines === true;
   const goalsLinkPending = experimentalSettings === undefined;
   const showGoalsLink = experimentalSettings?.enableGoalsSidebarLink === true;
+  // Decisions (attention home) is an experimental surface (PAP-13481): the nav
+  // item is hidden entirely until the flag is enabled (same no-flash pattern as
+  // showWorkspacesLink — it defaults hidden, so no placeholder is needed).
+  const showDecisions = experimentalSettings?.enableDecisions === true;
   const showCases = experimentalSettings?.enableCases === true;
   // Streamlined left navigation (top-level Projects link + starred children) is
   // now the standard product sidebar (PAP-12472). The former experimental
@@ -191,13 +195,6 @@ export function Sidebar() {
             );
           })()}
           <SidebarNavItem to="/dashboard" label="Dashboard" icon={LayoutDashboard} liveCount={liveRunCount} />
-          <SidebarNavItem
-            to="/decisions"
-            label="Decisions"
-            icon={ListChecks}
-            badge={attentionCount}
-            badgeLabel="decisions"
-          />
           <SidebarNavItem
             to="/inbox"
             label="Inbox"
@@ -207,6 +204,15 @@ export function Sidebar() {
             badgeTone={inboxBadge.failedRuns > 0 ? "danger" : "default"}
             alert={inboxBadge.failedRuns > 0}
           />
+          {showDecisions ? (
+            <SidebarNavItem
+              to="/decisions"
+              label="Decisions"
+              icon={ListChecks}
+              badge={attentionCount}
+              badgeLabel="decisions"
+            />
+          ) : null}
           {conferenceRoomChatEnabled ? (
             <SidebarNavItem to="/board-chat" label="Conference Room" icon={MessagesSquare} />
           ) : null}

ui/src/pages/InstanceExperimentalSettings.test.tsx

@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ const TASK_WATCHDOGS_TOGGLE_SELECTOR =
   'button[aria-label="Toggle task watchdogs experimental setting"]';
 const GOALS_SIDEBAR_LINK_TOGGLE_SELECTOR =
   'button[aria-label="Toggle goals sidebar link experimental setting"]';
+const DECISIONS_TOGGLE_SELECTOR =
+  'button[aria-label="Toggle decisions experimental setting"]';
 const SERVER_INFO_TOGGLE_SELECTOR =
   'button[aria-label="Toggle server info debug view experimental setting"]';
 const BUILT_IN_AGENTS_TOGGLE_SELECTOR =
@@ -63,6 +65,7 @@ function defaultExperimentalSettings(): InstanceExperimentalSettingsPayload {
     enableExperimentalFileViewer: false,
     enableExternalObjects: false,
     enableBuiltInAgents: false,
+    enableDecisions: false,
     enableGoalsSidebarLink: false,
     enableTaskWatchdogs: false,
     enableCloudSync: false,
@@ -225,6 +228,28 @@ describe("InstanceExperimentalSettings — Conference Room Chat card (PAP-11233)
     });
   });
 
+  it("renders and patches the Decisions experimental toggle", async () => {
+    await renderPage();
+
+    expect(container.textContent).toContain("Decisions");
+    expect(container.textContent).toContain(
+      "Show the Decisions item in the main sidebar",
+    );
+
+    const toggle = container.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>(DECISIONS_TOGGLE_SELECTOR);
+    expect(toggle?.getAttribute("aria-checked")).toBe("false");
+
+    await act(async () => {
+      toggle?.click();
+    });
+    await flushReact();
+
+    expect(mockInstanceSettingsApi.updateExperimental).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      enableDecisions: true,
+    });
+    expect(toggle?.getAttribute("aria-checked")).toBe("true");
+  });
+
   it("renders and patches the Goals Sidebar Link experimental toggle", async () => {
     await renderPage();
 

ui/src/pages/InstanceExperimentalSettings.tsx

@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@ export function InstanceExperimentalSettings() {
   const enableCloudSync = experimentalQuery.data?.enableCloudSync === true;
   const enableExternalObjects = experimentalQuery.data?.enableExternalObjects === true;
   const enableBuiltInAgents = experimentalQuery.data?.enableBuiltInAgents === true;
+  const enableDecisions = experimentalQuery.data?.enableDecisions === true;
   const enableGoalsSidebarLink = experimentalQuery.data?.enableGoalsSidebarLink === true;
   const enableCases = experimentalQuery.data?.enableCases === true;
   const enableServerInfoDebugView = experimentalQuery.data?.enableServerInfoDebugView === true;
@@ -447,6 +448,24 @@ export function InstanceExperimentalSettings() {
         </div>
       </Card>
 
+      <Card className="block p-5">
+        <div className="flex items-start justify-between gap-4">
+          <div className="space-y-1.5">
+            <h2 className="text-sm font-semibold">Decisions</h2>
+            <p className="max-w-2xl text-sm text-muted-foreground">
+              Show the Decisions item in the main sidebar — the attention home that surfaces the tasks awaiting your
+              input — while the surface is still being evaluated.
+            </p>
+          </div>
+          <ToggleSwitch
+            checked={enableDecisions}
+            onCheckedChange={() => toggleMutation.mutate({ enableDecisions: !enableDecisions })}
+            disabled={toggleMutation.isPending}
+            aria-label="Toggle decisions experimental setting"
+          />
+        </div>
+      </Card>
+
       <Card className="block p-5">
         <div className="flex items-start justify-between gap-4">
           <div className="space-y-1.5">