## Thinking Path > - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for work > - Budgets stop agent spending. The budget hard stop is a control-plane invariant > - The budget routes (`PATCH /api/agents/:id/budgets`, `PATCH /api/companies/:id/budgets`) are board-only > - `PATCH /api/agents/:id` also accepts `budgetMonthlyCents`, and the configuration service writes the agent budget policy from it. That route had no board check for the field > - So an agent, such as a CEO, a manager or the agent itself, can change a monthly budget without a board user. This is a second route around a board-only control, like the pause bypass that #20164 fixed > - This pull request applies the budget route authority to every route that writes an agent budget, and gives agents the final board-only denial with a link to the budget page (#20151) > - The benefit is that only the board changes budgets, and an agent that asks gets a final answer that it can pass to the person ## Linked Issues or Issue Description Refs #17857 (earlier fix, now in conflict with master; this PR rebases it and adds the budget page link). Refs #20164 and #20151 (same pattern for PATCH status and board-only denials). **What happened** An agent can send `PATCH /api/agents/{id}` with `budgetMonthlyCents`. The route accepts it, and the configuration service writes the agent budget policy. This works for the agent's own budget and, with update permission, for other agents. The same field also reaches budget policy through a configuration rollback, direct agent creation, an immediate hire and a built-in agent provision. A chat eval (`budgets-costs.resolve-budget`) found the route. **Expected behavior** Only a board user can change an active budget, as on the dedicated budget routes. An agent gets `403` with code `board_access_required`. The denial says it is final and links the agent's budget tab (`/<prefix>/agents/<id>/budgets`) or the company budgets page (`/<prefix>/activity/budgets`). An agent can still propose a budget in a hire that waits for board approval. The approving board user activates it. **Steps to reproduce** 1. On master, authenticate as an agent of a company (for example the CEO). 2. Send `PATCH /api/agents/{agentId}` with body `{"budgetMonthlyCents": 5000}`, for its own id or for another agent. 3. See `200`. The agent budget policy changes with no board action. 4. The new route tests reproduce this: on master source they fail with `expected 200 to be 403`. ## What Changed - `PATCH /api/agents/:id`: a changed `budgetMonthlyCents` requires a board actor. An unchanged amount with other edits still works. - Configuration rollback: a rollback that changes the budget requires a board actor. - `POST /api/companies/:id/agents` and an immediate `agent-hires`: a positive budget requires a board actor. A hire that needs board approval keeps the proposed budget and does not activate it before approval. - Built-in agent provision: a budget override requires a board actor. - `prepareAgentConfiguration` rejects an agent-originated budget change again (defense in depth). An agent rollback with an unchanged amount does not rewrite the policy. - Board writes keep the actual operator identity. The initial hire budget is saved in the hire transaction. - `assertBoard` and `boardAccessRequired` take an optional board page. Budget denials link the agent's budget tab or the company budgets page, not the general agent profile. - Agent access map updated. - This includes the four commits of #17857 (f970f6b01f,8c06aba41c,e5682d22fa,b6cd49d4b6), rebased onto master with the conflicts resolved, then squashed. ## Verification - Red on master source, same tests: 12 budget tests fail. The PATCH tests fail with `expected 200 to be 403` for the agent's own budget and for a CEO on another agent. Built-in provision fails with `expected 200 to be 403`. Creation and immediate hire fail with `expected 201 to be 403`. - Green with the fix: `cd server && npx vitest run src/__tests__/agent-permissions-routes.test.ts src/__tests__/built-in-agent-routes.test.ts src/__tests__/built-in-agents.test.ts src/__tests__/agent-hire-idempotency-routes.test.ts src/__tests__/board-access-denial.test.ts src/__tests__/agent-budget-configuration.test.ts`: 222 passed. - `src/modules/agent-lifecycle/__tests__/lifecycle.test.ts` (embedded Postgres): 76 passed. - `agent-skills-routes`, `agent-adapter-validation-routes`, `openapi-routes`, `agent-cross-tenant-authz-routes`: 275 passed. - `node scripts/check-maps.mjs`: passed. `git diff --check`: passed. - Server `tsc --noEmit`: no errors in changed files. One error in `native-session-executor.ts` comes from a linked runner build in the local worktree, not from this change. CI runs the full typecheck. ## Risks - Agent clients that set an active budget directly now get `403`. They must propose the budget in an approval-gated hire, or ask a board user. - Agent creation with no budget or a zero budget is not changed. Pending hire budgets do not activate before approval. - Trusted internal plugin provisioning keeps its prior behavior and gets no board identity. - No schema or migration change. ## Model Used - Anthropic Claude Opus 5.5 (`claude-opus-5-5`), with tool use and code execution, in Claude Code. The rebased commits from #17857 were first written with OpenAI `gpt-6.1-sol` through Codex. ## Checklist - [x] I have included a thinking path that traces from project context to this change - [x] I have specified the model used (with version and capability details) - [x] I have checked ROADMAP.md and confirmed this PR does not duplicate planned core work - [x] I have searched GitHub for duplicate or related PRs and linked them above - [x] I have either (a) linked existing issues with `Fixes: #` / `Closes #` / `Refs #` OR (b) described the issue in-PR following the relevant issue template - [x] I have not referenced internal/instance-local Paperclip issues or links (only public GitHub `#NNN` / `github.com/paperclipai/paperclip` URLs) - [x] My branch name describes the change (e.g. `docs/...`, `fix/...`) and contains no internal Paperclip ticket id or instance-derived details - [x] I have run tests locally and they pass - [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable - [x] I have updated relevant documentation to reflect my changes - [x] I have considered and documented any risks above - [ ] All Paperclip CI gates are green - [ ] Greptile is 5/5 with no open P2s, recommendations, or follow-ups - [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before requesting merge 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) --------- Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Paperclip maps
The maps describe the same capabilities from two perspectives:
- Feature map: what a person can do, where to reach it, and how to verify the user journey. Preserve its Poteto format.
- Agent access map: the APIs and agent entry points for those capabilities, their permission boundaries, and access verification.
The chat scenario catalog adds natural-language requests, starting context and expected conversational outcomes for the same capability IDs. It lives with Product E2E as planning data; a scenario reference is neither a registered execution nor evidence that a journey passed.
These are sibling directories under maps/. Each feature file has a same-named
agent access companion. Reuse the product map's sub-feature IDs, so tasks/create
identifies the same capability in both maps. Product behavior remains governed by
the implementation spec; a map cannot grant
authority or redefine a permission denial as success.
Capability identifiers
The feature ID is the recipe filename without .md, such as onboarding.
The full capability ID joins that feature ID and a Sub-features key with /:
the company key in feature-map/onboarding.md is onboarding/company.
Its agent-access-map/onboarding.md companion uses the same local company key.
The feature-map index lists the existing
feature and full capability IDs.
Each child page states Feature ID: `onboarding`. after its introduction or
product-map link. In feature recipes, show the full ID beside the parsed local
key: - `company`: `onboarding/company` — create a company. In access
companions and Storybook verification guidance, keep the existing local heading
and put Capability ID: `onboarding/company`. beneath it. These labels make
the existing identifiers visible without changing keys, anchors, or ID generation.
Use full capability IDs in cross-feature references, Storybook annotations, tests, issues, PRs, and verification evidence. Both segments use lowercase letters, digits, and hyphens. Keep filenames and keys stable when display titles or navigation labels change; renaming either changes the capability ID.
Entry-point IDs describe a surface, such as web-wizard, and are scoped to their
recipe. Reference them with a recipe link, such as
onboarding.md#web-wizard, and record the
capability exercised separately. Navigation section labels are not capability IDs.
See IDs and references for examples.
Access contract
Every business operation needs both an API and a usable agent entry point for an
actor authorized to perform it. A dedicated tool is optional when REST, the CLI,
an assigned MCP client, or native search_api / call_api already provides the
operation. Record which agent surfaces actually have that path; an installed CLI
or optional MCP package cannot be assumed available to every native/remote run.
Track these independently:
| Dimension | Values and meaning |
|---|---|
| API | present, missing, not-applicable, or unreviewed. Use exact methods/paths; distinguish protocols from REST. |
| Agent access | available, partial, missing, restricted, operator-only, not-applicable, or unreviewed. Name the supported surface and actual entry point. |
| Policy | Actor, action/grant, company/resource/ownership scope, responsible-user intersection, run requirements, work modes, and gates relevant to the operation. |
| Evidence | source-only, verified, failed, blocked, or not-run. Source presence and successful board calls are not agent verification. |
| Review depth | baseline records representative operations and known gaps; operation-reviewed enumerates the capability's meaningful operations and their individual access contracts. |
Broad capabilities such as task properties must be split into operations before they count as operation-reviewed: renaming, metadata edits, assignment, dependencies, and lifecycle changes can use different tools and permission rules. An available read path cannot certify a write path. List/get/create/update/delete, execution/control, credential handling, and resolution are separate where their authority or transport differs. Do not duplicate request schemas from OpenAPI.
Exceptions and restrictions
Presentation-only state, static developer fixtures, and pre-start/local operator
work may use not-applicable for a domain API, with a concrete reason and the
existing local path. When a capability combines shared data with presentation,
split the operations: browser recents do not exempt resource lookup from API
coverage. Promoting local state to a shared feature requires revisiting the entry.
A board-only endpoint is restricted for agent identity, not an automatic
exception or a missing API. Cite the enforced policy and record whether the
agent can request the authorized human's action and observe its result. An
unresolved delegation question remains in Gaps. Company access, a job title,
a personal assistant's OAuth grant, or an accepted interaction does not grant
board identity. Keep budget, approval, secret and execution authority intact.
Check actual route/service authorization and production tool admission. OpenAPI actor labels and scenario/evaluation tool declarations are supporting metadata; record disagreements rather than using them as proof of access. Native API fallback restrictions, tool field/scope limits, and rollout settings are part of the agent path, even when a legacy agent can call the REST endpoint directly.
Companion file format
Each agent-access-map/<area>.md has an H1, a relative link to its product file,
and its feature ID, followed by one H2 backticked local key per product
sub-feature. Each capability starts with its full capability ID and contains
these fields:
- Review:
baselineoroperation-reviewed. - API: presence state and exact operation IDs, or a reasoned exception.
- Agent access: availability state and concrete entry points by surface.
- Policy: relevant permission and runtime boundaries, with source references.
- Evidence: evidence state, reviewed commit and sources or executed proof.
- Verification: allowed/denied assertions and observable result; record what has actually run separately from the proposed recipe.
- Gaps: missing APIs/paths, discovery drift, unreviewed operations or policy
decisions; use
noneonly for the enumerated scope that was reviewed.
For an operation-reviewed capability, use H3 backticked operation IDs and repeat
API, Agent access, Policy, Evidence, Verification and Gaps for each operation.
Use small operation names such as create, update, read, or run-now.
The enclosing capability has Review: operation-reviewed only after its
meaningful operations have been enumerated. The following excerpt shows one
operation; include the others before using that review label:
## `definition`
Review: `operation-reviewed`.
### `create`
API: `present` — POST /api/companies/{companyId}/routines.
Agent access: `available` — agent REST, CLI routine create and native call_api
under the enabled rollout and active-run/mode gates.
Policy: same company; assigneeAgentId must be the calling agent; cite the
routine authorization and native API policy sources.
Evidence: `source-only` — reviewed commit and source links; no live proof.
Verification: `not-run` — create an owned routine; reject assignment to another
agent; inspect saved configuration, attribution and retry behavior.
Gaps: verify ownership and responsible-user resolution with a permitted agent
context; source presence alone does not qualify this operation.
Keeping the maps synchronized
Add entries only for substantial new features under the feature-map scope rule. Routine fixes, polish, refactors, performance work, and test changes do not require map updates. Correct or remove existing text only when behavior or access changes make it materially inaccurate; keep the correction local to the affected recipe or companion. Preserve IDs across renames where the capability is unchanged; update the affected cross-links together. Indexes discover recipes automatically. An API-only change may update the companion without rewriting unchanged user instructions. Update the corresponding chat scenarios when their request, assumptions or expected outcome changes; use multiple cases for meaningfully different starting conditions rather than treating an API path as conversational coverage.
maintain-verification-skill owns reconciliation of both maps. It follows changed source and authorization, checks real agent reachability, and records product gaps without implementing them during a maintenance pass. The creation skill uses this structure. verify-paperclip consumes the relevant recipes and reports evidence/drift; map editing belongs to maintenance.
Run the structural check after map changes:
node scripts/check-maps.mjs
It checks paired areas/IDs, navigation metadata, required fields, and local references. It does not certify endpoint authorization, production bindings, operation completeness, or live behavior. Source audits must check those against the existing API and tool contracts; avoid a second schema catalog or runtime.
For live access proof, use Paperclip's existing API/runner/MCP fixtures or an owned
isolated instance. Use the actual agent identity, target and work mode. Assert the
allowed result and relevant denial (another company/private resource, wrong
owner, missing grant, invalid run, restricted mode or resolver). Mutations also
need persisted state/attribution and retry behavior. Capture evidence using the
existing artifact workflow; keep executed run results
separate from generated maps/generated/coverage.json, which lists page references.
Local authorship and generated indexes
Change only the recipes, access contracts and stories whose behavior or intent
changed. Feature recipes own navigation metadata; stories own small
parameters.paperclip annotations. Keep the feature-map README's readable ID
index aligned with those sources; it does not register entries for generation.
Do not refresh counts in shared READMEs, inventories, fingerprints or review
journals.
node scripts/storybook-catalog.mjs validates and generates aggregate navigation,
Storybook data, verification routes and the page inventory. All outputs live in
ignored maps/generated/, ui/storybook/generated/, and the ignored Storybook
preview.tsx wrapper. Start/build and UI typechecking generate their own inputs.
A clean merged checkout therefore assembles both branches' changes automatically.
Git provides history and diffs. PRs, issues and CI artifacts retain review/run evidence for the named revision. Capability associations do not create whole-file review dependencies. Keep durable scenario limits in the affected recipe or story.