diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index 8096cf9bbcf..78d7f3dc6dd 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ Open-source orchestration for teams of AI agents. **If OpenClaw is an _employee_, Paperclip is the _company_.** -Paperclip is a Node.js server and React UI that orchestrates a team of AI agents to run a business. Bring your own agents, assign goals, and track work and costs from one dashboard. +Paperclip is a Node.js server and React UI that orchestrates a team of AI agents to run a business. Bring your own agents, assign goals, and track work and costs from one dashboard. Choose models and harnesses per agent while keeping your team's tasks, skills, permissions, and history in one place. It looks like a task manager. Under the hood: org charts, budgets, governance, goal alignment, and agent coordination. @@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ It looks like a task manager. Under the hood: org charts, budgets, governance, g +Built-in adapters also support **Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Pi, Hermes, Grok, Kimi Code, and Cursor Cloud**. Custom processes, HTTP endpoints, and external adapter packages extend the roster. See the [adapter overview](https://docs.paperclip.ing/reference/adapters/overview/) for setup and capabilities. +
## Paperclip is right for you if @@ -90,9 +92,9 @@ Four things have to work for an organization of AI agents to actually produce: t | Pillar | Built for | What it covers | | --- | --- | --- | | **Agentic Task Manager** — Declare intent. Agents work. You verify the output. | Everyone, daily | Tasks, approvals & review gates · proactive agent coworkers · auditable routines & workflows · verify from diffs, screenshots & tests | -| **Org Chart for Agents** — Roles, permissions & boundaries for humans and agents. | Managers | Mixed human + agent org chart · responsibilities, delegation, specialization · governance: who can do what · scoped secrets & company boundaries | -| **Agent Employee Training** — Design, train & evaluate your AI employees. | Enablers | Skill Studio & shared org-wide skills · evals & saved test runs · active learning loops & quality metrics · performance reviews for agents | -| **Agentic OS** — The infrastructure that makes the work run. | IT & platform | Cross-provider runtime: any model, any agent · sandboxing, integrations & MCP servers · SSO, GRC, RBAC & cost controls · data privacy, internal trace collection, compounding data value | +| **Org Chart for Agents** — Roles, permissions & boundaries for humans and agents. | Managers | Mixed human + agent org chart · responsibilities, delegation, specialization · governance: who can do what · scoped secrets & company boundaries · connection permissions & responsible-user identities | +| **Agent Employee Training** — Design, train & evaluate your AI employees. | Enablers | Skill Studio & shared org-wide skills · evals & saved test runs · active learning loops & quality metrics · performance reviews for agents · saved test inputs · skill version history & restore · reusable team templates | +| **Agentic OS** — The infrastructure that makes the work run. | IT & platform | Cross-provider runtime: any model, any agent · sandboxing, integrations & MCP servers · SSO, GRC, RBAC & cost controls · data privacy, internal trace collection, compounding data value · personal & shared app connections · run history & opt-in tracing |
@@ -106,31 +108,31 @@ Any agent, any runtime, one org chart. If it can receive a heartbeat, it's hired

🎯 Goal Alignment

-Every task traces back to the organization mission. Agents know what to do and why. +Link tasks and projects to your organization goals. Agents receive the goal context behind their work.

💓 Heartbeats

-Agents wake on a schedule, check work, and act. Delegation flows up and down the org chart. +Agents wake for assigned work, follow-up messages, or configured schedules. Delegation flows up and down the org chart.

💰 Cost Control

-Monthly budgets per agent. When they hit the limit, they stop. No runaway costs. +Company, agent, and project budgets. Track reported spend, get threshold alerts, and pause work at configured limits.

🏢 Multi-Organization

-One deployment, many organizations. Complete data isolation. One control plane for your portfolio. +One deployment, many organizations. Separate tasks, agents, permissions, and activity histories for each. -

🎫 Ticket System

-Every conversation traced. Every decision explained. Full tool-call tracing and immutable audit log. +

🎫 Task Threads

+Keep conversations, plans, blockers, files, and run history attached to the work. Assign tasks to agents or people.

🛡️ Governance

-Approve hires, override strategy, pause or terminate any agent — at any time. +Configure review and approval stages, approve hires, and pause, reassign, or stop work when needed.

📊 Org Chart

@@ -141,8 +143,38 @@ Hierarchies, roles, reporting lines. Your agents have a boss, a title, and a job Monitor and manage your autonomous businesses from anywhere. + + +

🔗 Apps & Connections

+Connect services such as GitHub, Notion, and Railway, or your own MCP server. Set gateway actions to Allowed, Ask first, or Off. + + +

👥 Shared Agents, Personal Accounts

+Choose who can use a connection and which agents can access it. Managed GitHub operations can use the account of the person directing the work. + + +

🧠 Skills & Skill Studio

+Install or write shared skills, test them with saved inputs, inspect results, and restore earlier versions. + + + + +

📅 Scheduled Routines

+Run recurring work on a schedule or trigger it through an API or webhook. Each run has a task, an owner, and a history. + + +

📎 Artifacts & Feedback

+Find the files and documents agents produce. Preview supported formats and leave comments on specific passages in documents. + + +

📦 Ready-Made Teams

+Preview and install teams with roles, skills, projects, and routines. Choose their runtimes and make the setup your own. + + +Experimental **Agent Chat** and **chat/email connectors** add conversations with agents in Paperclip and through configured services such as Slack, Discord, Telegram, and AgentMail. Enable the relevant instance settings to try them. +
## Problems Paperclip solves @@ -152,8 +184,8 @@ Monitor and manage your autonomous businesses from anywhere. | ❌ You have 20 Claude Code tabs open and can't track which one does what. On reboot you lose everything. | ✅ Tasks are ticket-based, conversations are threaded, sessions persist across reboots. | | ❌ You manually gather context from several places to remind your bot what you're actually doing. | ✅ Context flows from the task up through the project and company goals — your agent always knows what to do and why. | | ❌ Folders of agent configs are disorganized and you're re-inventing task management, communication, and coordination between agents. | ✅ Paperclip gives you org charts, ticketing, delegation, and governance out of the box — so you run a company, not a pile of scripts. | -| ❌ Runaway loops waste hundreds of dollars of tokens and max your quota before you even know what happened. | ✅ Cost tracking surfaces token budgets and throttles agents when they're out. Management prioritizes with budgets. | -| ❌ You have recurring jobs (customer support, social, reports) and have to remember to manually kick them off. | ✅ Heartbeats handle regular work on a schedule. Management supervises. | +| ❌ Runaway loops waste hundreds of dollars of tokens and max your quota before you even know what happened. | ✅ Spend tracking, budget alerts, and automatic pauses help you control the cost of ongoing work. | +| ❌ You have recurring jobs (customer support, social, reports) and have to remember to manually kick them off. | ✅ Routines create assigned tasks on a schedule, with outputs and run history you can inspect. | | ❌ You have an idea, you have to find your repo, fire up Claude Code, keep a tab open, and babysit it. | ✅ Add a task in Paperclip. Your coding agent works on it until it's done. Management reviews their work. |
@@ -164,13 +196,14 @@ Paperclip handles the hard orchestration details correctly. | | | | --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -| **Atomic execution.** | Task checkout and budget enforcement are atomic, so no double-work and no runaway spend. | -| **Persistent agent state.** | Agents resume the same task context across heartbeats instead of restarting from scratch. | +| **Atomic task checkout.** | A single assignee and execution locks prevent competing runs from claiming the same task. | +| **Persistent work context.** | Tasks, comments, and documents stay in Paperclip. Supporting adapters resume saved sessions across runs. | | **Runtime skill injection.** | Agents can learn Paperclip workflows and project context at runtime, without retraining. | | **Governance with rollback.** | Approval gates are enforced, config changes are revisioned, and bad changes can be rolled back safely. | -| **Goal-aware execution.** | Tasks carry full goal ancestry so agents consistently see the "why," not just a title. | +| **Accountable connections.** | Human access, agent eligibility, and gateway action permissions are separate controls. Approve a call once or save a revocable rule. | +| **Goal-aware execution.** | Linked tasks and projects carry goal ancestry so agents see the "why," not just a title. | | **Portable company templates.** | Export/import orgs, agents, and skills with secret scrubbing and collision handling. | -| **True multi-organization isolation.** | Every entity is company-scoped, so one deployment can run many companies with separate data and audit trails. | +| **Organization boundaries.** | Company-scoped access checks keep each organization's work, agents, and activity separate within one deployment. |
@@ -210,7 +243,7 @@ Paperclip is a full control plane, not a wrapper. Before you build any of this y -**Identity & Access** — Two deployment modes (trusted local or authenticated), board users, agent API keys, short-lived run JWTs, company memberships, invite flows, and OpenClaw onboarding. Every mutating request is traced to an actor. +**Identity & Access** — Two deployment modes (trusted local or authenticated), human roles and permissions, agent API keys, short-lived run JWTs, company memberships, and invite flows. Responsible-user attribution follows work through delegation and supported managed connections. @@ -222,31 +255,31 @@ Paperclip is a full control plane, not a wrapper. Before you build any of this y -**Work & Task System** — Issues carry company/project/goal/parent links, atomic checkout with execution locks, first-class blocker dependencies, comments, documents, attachments, work products, labels, and inbox state. No double-work, no lost context. +**Work & Task System** — Issues carry company/project/goal/parent links, atomic checkout with execution locks, first-class blocker dependencies, comments, documents, attachments, work products, labels, and inbox state. Search across work, review document revisions, and leave anchored feedback. -**Heartbeat Execution** — DB-backed wakeup queue with coalescing, budget checks, workspace resolution, secret injection, skill loading, and adapter invocation. Runs produce structured logs, cost events, session state, and audit trails. Recovery handles orphaned runs automatically. +**Heartbeat Execution** — DB-backed wakeup queue with coalescing, budget checks, workspace resolution, secret injection, skill loading, and adapter invocation. Runs produce logs, usage records, and adapter-specific session state. Bounded recovery handles supported failures and surfaces cases that need human action. -**Workspaces & Runtime** — Project workspaces, isolated execution workspaces (git worktrees, operator branches), and runtime services (dev servers, preview URLs). Agents work in the right directory with the right context every time. +**Workspaces & Runtime** — Project repositories and workspaces, optional isolated execution workspaces (git worktrees, operator branches), and runtime services (dev servers, preview URLs). Sandbox providers extend execution beyond the local host; availability depends on the configured environment and adapter. -**Governance & Approvals** — Board approval workflows, execution policies with review/approval stages, decision tracking, budget hard-stops, agent pause/resume/terminate, and full audit logging. Nothing ships without your sign-off. +**Governance & Approvals** — Board approval workflows, execution policies with review/approval stages, decision tracking, budget hard-stops, and agent pause/resume/terminate. Configured task reviews govern completion; connection action approvals govern calls through the tool gateway. -**Budget & Cost Control** — Token and cost tracking by company, agent, project, goal, issue, provider, and model. Scoped budget policies with warning thresholds and hard stops. Overspend pauses agents and cancels queued work automatically. +**Budget & Cost Control** — Token and cost tracking by company, agent, project, goal, issue, provider, and model. Scoped budget policies with warning thresholds and hard stops. Enforcement uses recorded spend; usage reporting and in-flight work can delay a stop. @@ -263,7 +296,7 @@ Paperclip is a full control plane, not a wrapper. Before you build any of this y -**Secrets & Storage** — Instance and company secrets, encrypted local storage, provider-backed object storage, attachments, and work products. Sensitive values stay out of prompts unless a scoped run explicitly needs them. +**Secrets & Storage** — Company secrets and per-person secret values, encrypted credential storage, local or S3-compatible file storage, attachments, and work products. Secret references supply credentials to authorized runs without copying values into ordinary agent configuration. @@ -275,7 +308,7 @@ Paperclip is a full control plane, not a wrapper. Before you build any of this y -**Company Portability** — Export and import entire organizations — agents, skills, projects, routines, and issues — with secret scrubbing and collision handling. One deployment, many companies, complete data isolation. +**Company Portability** — Preview, export, and import organization packages with agents, skills, and optional projects, routines, tasks, and attachments. Referenced secret values are omitted; review packages before sharing because plain environment values and local paths can remain. Packages share an operating setup; full-instance recovery uses backups. @@ -287,12 +320,12 @@ Paperclip is a full control plane, not a wrapper. Before you build any of this y | | | | ---------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -| **Not a chatbot.** | Agents have jobs, not chat windows. | +| **Not just a chatbot.** | Conversations stay attached to tasks, plans, decisions, and outputs. Experimental Agent Chat can hand work off to assigned tasks. | | **Not an agent framework.** | We don't tell you how to build agents. We tell you how to run a company made of them. | -| **Not a workflow builder.** | No drag-and-drop pipelines. Paperclip models companies — with org charts, goals, budgets, and governance. | +| **Not just a workflow builder.** | Routines and experimental pipelines operate within an organization, with roles, goals, budgets, and governance. | | **Not a prompt manager.** | Agents bring their own prompts, models, and runtimes. Paperclip manages the organization they work in. | -| **Not a single-agent tool.** | This is for teams. If you have one agent, you probably don't need Paperclip. If you have twenty — you definitely do. | -| **Not a code review tool.** | Paperclip orchestrates work, not pull requests. Bring your own review process. | +| **Not limited to one agent.** | Start with one agent and grow into a team with shared skills, delegation, and review. | +| **Not only for code review.** | Coding and PR review fit alongside research, operations, content, and other work. |
@@ -330,12 +363,14 @@ If Node.js bootstrap is required, download and review `install.sh` before running it so no privileged dependency-install command is accepted through a pipe. -To try Paperclip without installing anything permanently: +To start through npx instead of the installer: ```bash npx --registry https://registry.npmjs.org paperclipai onboard --yes ``` +The CLI runs from npm's cache; your instance configuration and data persist locally. + For an isolated manual test instance that is already initialized with a CEO agent, use `test-drive`. It stays in the foreground, never installs a service or creates a first task, and opens the browser only after setup succeeds: @@ -393,10 +428,12 @@ pnpm install pnpm dev ``` -This starts the API server at `http://localhost:3100`. An embedded PostgreSQL database is created automatically — no setup required. +This starts the UI and API at `http://localhost:3100`. An embedded PostgreSQL database is created automatically — no setup required. > **Requirements:** Node.js 24.11+, pnpm 9.15+ +Source development also builds the native Paperclip Runner when enabled (the self-hosted default). Install a Rust toolchain, or set `PAPERCLIP_RUNNER_BINARY` to a compatible prebuilt runner. +
## FAQ @@ -404,10 +441,10 @@ This starts the API server at `http://localhost:3100`. An embedded PostgreSQL da **What does a typical setup look like?** Locally, a single Node.js process manages an embedded Postgres and local file storage. For production, point it at your own Postgres and deploy however you like. Configure projects, agents, and goals — the agents take care of the rest. -If you're a solo entrepreneur you can use Tailscale to access Paperclip on the go. Then later you can deploy to e.g. Vercel when you need it. +For remote access, use authenticated mode with a private-network bind such as Tailscale, or deploy the persistent server with Docker. See [deployment modes](doc/DEPLOYMENT-MODES.md) and the [Docker guide](doc/DOCKER.md). **Can I run multiple companies?** -Yes. A single deployment can run an unlimited number of companies with complete data isolation. +Yes. A single deployment can host multiple organizations with company-scoped data and access checks. **How is Paperclip different from agents like OpenClaw or Claude Code?** Paperclip _uses_ those agents. It orchestrates them into a company — with org charts, budgets, goals, governance, and accountability. @@ -418,7 +455,7 @@ Agent orchestration has subtleties in how you coordinate who has work checked ou (Bring-your-own-ticket-system is on the Roadmap) **Do agents run continuously?** -By default, agents run on scheduled heartbeats and event-based triggers (task assignment, @-mentions). You can also hook in continuous agents like OpenClaw. You bring your agent and Paperclip coordinates. +Agents wake for assigned work and follow-up messages. Optional timer heartbeats let them check for work periodically; routines create recurring tasks on their own schedules. You can also connect externally running agents such as OpenClaw. A mention alone does not assign work or wake another agent.
@@ -465,16 +502,22 @@ See [doc/DEVELOPING.md](doc/DEVELOPING.md) for the full development guide. - ✅ Activity log & action attribution - ✅ Self-healing runs & automatic recovery - ✅ Agent evals & feedback -- ⚪ Memory / Knowledge +- ✅ Connected Apps +- ✅ Personal & Shared AI Accounts +- ✅ Shared Agents Use Personal GitHub Identities +- ✅ Skill Version History & Restore +- ✅ Document Comments & Revision History +- ✅ Company-Wide Search +- ✅ Multi-Model & Multi-Harness Teams +- 🟡 Memory / Knowledge - ⚪ MAXIMIZER MODE - ⚪ Work Queues - ⚪ Self-Organization - ⚪ Automatic Organizational Learning -- ⚪ CEO Chat -- 🟡 Cloud deployments (multi-tenant isolation & company Import/Export shipped) +- 🟡 Agent Chat +- 🟡 Cloud deployments - ⚪ Desktop App - ⚪ Bring-your-own-ticket-system (Asana / Linear / Jira as on-ramps) -- ⚪ Connected Apps (one-click integrations, e.g. Vercel) This is the short roadmap preview. See the full roadmap in [ROADMAP.md](ROADMAP.md). diff --git a/ROADMAP.md b/ROADMAP.md index fd245a3e88f..8a6003e2758 100644 --- a/ROADMAP.md +++ b/ROADMAP.md @@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ This document expands the roadmap preview in `README.md`. Paperclip is still moving quickly. The list below is directional, not promised, and priorities may shift as we learn from users and from operating real AI companies with the product. +Status tracks the default branch: ✅ available, 🟡 partial or experimental, ⚪ planned. Check [release notes](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/releases) for packaged versions. Some capabilities require instance settings, plugins, or provider setup. + We value community involvement and want to make sure contributor energy goes toward areas where it can land. We may accept contributions in the areas below, but if you want to work on roadmap-level core features, please coordinate with us first in Discord (`#dev`) before writing code. Bugs, docs, polish, and tightly scoped improvements are still the easiest contributions to merge. @@ -48,9 +50,9 @@ Paperclip should support explicit review and approval stages as first-class work Paperclip needs a clearer path from solo operator to real human teams. That means shared board access, safer collaboration, and a better model for several humans supervising the same autonomous company. -### ✅ Cloud / Sandbox agents (e2b, Cloudflare, Daytona, Modal, Novita, self-hosted Kubernetes) +### ✅ Cloud / Sandbox agent support -We want agents to run in more remote and sandboxed environments while preserving the same Paperclip control-plane model. This makes the system safer, more flexible, and more useful outside a single trusted local machine. +Sandbox provider plugins support remote execution while preserving the Paperclip control-plane model. Providers include E2B, Cloudflare, Daytona, Modal, Novita, and Kubernetes. Execution requires a configured provider and a compatible adapter; environment and isolated-workspace surfaces depend on instance settings. ### ✅ Artifacts & Work Products @@ -76,17 +78,45 @@ Secrets need to be centrally managed without giving every agent every credential Operators need a durable record of what changed and who initiated it. Activity history and clear action attribution make human, agent, and system actions inspectable across the control plane. -### ✅ Self-healing runs & automatic recovery +### ✅ Bounded run recovery -Agent work should recover from routine failures without waiting for a human to notice every stalled run. Recovery policies can retry safe work, route failures, and keep the issue lifecycle aligned with what actually happened. +Recovery policies handle supported transient failures and interrupted runs, retain task ownership, and surface recovery actions when work needs human intervention. Retries are bounded and remain subject to budgets, approvals, and pause gates. ### ✅ Agent evals & feedback -Agent performance should be measurable over time, not judged only from anecdotes. Evals, saved results, and structured feedback create a loop for improving skills, prompts, models, and employee quality. +Skill Studio provides saved test inputs, test runs, results, and version history. Task and document feedback helps people improve procedures. Automatic organizational learning remains a separate roadmap item below. -### ⚪ Memory / Knowledge +### ✅ Connected Apps -We want a stronger memory and knowledge surface for companies, agents, and projects. That includes durable memory, better recall of prior decisions and context, and a clearer path for knowledge-style capabilities without turning Paperclip into a generic chat app. +Apps and Connections provide a service catalog, custom MCP connections, personal and shared accounts, agent access controls, and per-action Allowed / Ask first / Off policies. Supported AI accounts also use Connections. Setup varies by provider and deployment; not every integration is one-click. Broader provider coverage and simpler setup remain ongoing work. + +### ✅ Personal & Shared AI Accounts + +Connect supported subscription accounts or API keys and choose personal defaults or shared accounts for compatible agents. Human access and agent eligibility are separate controls; account selection stays independent of the model and harness. See [AI Connections](doc/connections/AI-CONNECTIONS.md). + +### ✅ Shared Agents Use Personal GitHub Identities + +Shared agents can use the GitHub identity of the person whose instructions they are executing. Managed Git and GitHub operations resolve that identity through delegation and follow-up work, subject to connection permissions. See [GitHub identity during agent execution](doc/execution-github-identity.md). + +### ✅ Skill Version History & Restore + +Save skill versions, inspect earlier contents, and restore a previous version as a new revision. Saved test inputs and results support comparison as procedures evolve. + +### ✅ Document Comments & Revision History + +Leave comments on specific passages in task documents, follow revision history, and restore previous document revisions. Annotations carry into agent review context so feedback stays attached to the work. + +### ✅ Company-Wide Search + +Search tasks, comments, documents, agents, projects, and artifacts within company access boundaries. Filters and matching excerpts help people find relevant work and its outputs. + +### ✅ Multi-Model & Multi-Harness Teams + +Choose models and supported harnesses per agent while keeping tasks, skills, and history in one organization. Built-in adapters cover Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Pi, Hermes, Grok, Kimi Code, OpenClaw, and process or HTTP integrations. + +### 🟡 Memory / Knowledge + +Experimental memory connections support Mem0, Zep, Supermemory, Cognee, and Honcho. The optional LLM Wiki plugin provides another knowledge workflow. A broader memory and knowledge surface for companies, agents, and projects remains a direction for future work. See [memory connections](doc/connections/MEMORY.md) for setup and availability. ### ⚪ MAXIMIZER MODE @@ -94,7 +124,7 @@ This is the direction for higher-autonomy execution: more aggressive delegation, ### ⚪ Work Queues -Paperclip should support queue-style work streams for repeatable inputs like support, triage, review, and backlog intake. That would make it easier to route work continuously without turning every system into a one-off workflow. +Paperclip should support queue-style work streams for repeatable inputs like support, triage, review, and backlog intake. That would make it easier to route work continuously without turning every system into a one-off workflow. Existing decision queues group items awaiting input; this milestone concerns continuous work intake and routing. ### ⚪ Self-Organization @@ -104,11 +134,11 @@ As companies grow, agents should be able to propose useful structural changes su Paperclip should get better at turning completed work into reusable organizational knowledge. That includes capturing playbooks, recurring fixes, and decision patterns so future work starts from what the company has already learned. -### ⚪ CEO Chat +### 🟡 Agent Chat (including CEO Chat) -We want a lighter-weight way to talk to leadership agents, but those conversations should still resolve to real work objects like plans, issues, approvals, or decisions. This should improve interaction without changing the core task-and-comments model. +Experimental Agent Chat provides persistent conversations with any agent, including leadership. Conversations keep their history and plans, then hand execution off to linked tasks. Agent Chat is off by default. Experimental chat and email connectors provide additional entry points through configured external services; they have separate setup and access controls. -### 🟡 Cloud deployments (multi-tenant isolation & company Import/Export shipped) +### 🟡 Cloud deployments Local-first remains important, but Paperclip also needs a cleaner shared deployment story. Teams should be able to run the same product in hosted or semi-hosted environments without changing the mental model. @@ -121,7 +151,3 @@ A desktop app can make Paperclip feel more accessible and persistent for day-to- ### ⚪ Bring-your-own-ticket-system (Asana / Linear / Jira as on-ramps) Existing ticket systems should be able to feed work into Paperclip without becoming the agent control plane themselves. Asana, Linear, and Jira can act as familiar on-ramps while Paperclip owns execution, governance, and outcomes. - -### ⚪ Connected Apps (one-click integrations, e.g. Vercel) - -Common services should connect without bespoke setup for every company. One-click integrations can package credentials, permissions, and useful workflows for apps such as Vercel while keeping access governed and auditable.